Old Town Elementary School

Remote Learning Family/Public Update 4/9/20 Required Work Packet Pick Up Friday 4/10: Due to the forecast, the building will not be open for packet pick up tomorrow. Monday 4/13: Packets can be picked up from 8am-2pm at OTES, VRS or AES Packets are always available digitally at www.rsu34.org Free “Little Libraries” Stocked Today, our staff members stocked three free “little libraries” where families are welcome to go and take books for their students. These three locations are: Anderson Lane (right in front of the FSS Center located beside the garage), Meadow Lane (right beside the mailboxes as you drive into Meadow Lane), and Dow IV at 16 Chapman Street (right beside the shed as you drive into the property). We hope to add books to the Governor’s Restaurant “little library” (right in front of the entrance) soon! Time for Kids or Scholastic News We are still receiving copies of Time for Kids and Scholastic News in the mail here at school, so we have included copies of these newsletters with printed packets, instead of letting them go to waste. These are not required, but we thought they would be great reading material for students. If you are accessing materials digitally, visit https://www.timeforkids.com/ or https://scholasticnews.scholastic.com/ for some free links there! Thank you! Thank you to our food service workers, custodians, bus drivers, and other staff who prepared, organized, and delivered almost 12,000 meals today! This was a huge task that has helped so many of our families! "School is NOT closed for the year. The building is. If you listen closely you can hear the hum of hard working teachers, administrators, and support staff preparing to save the day in ways and means never seen before. Yes, we are brokenhearted, but these broken hearts will lead.” - Peyton Anderson

School Closure Family/Public Update 4/8/20 Commissioner's Recommendation We are aware of the Maine Department of Education Commissioner's recommendation to move to remote learning for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. As a school district, we are currently reacting to that recommendation and making long term plans. Please be patient as we adjust to this change. We will share updates as we get them. TOMORROW, THURSDAY 4/9 ONLY: Bus Meals and Required Work for Next Week 4/13-17 A reminder that required student work packets for next week, April 13-17, will ONLY be available by bus TOMORROW, Thursday, April 9th! This will be the only bus distribution of next week's materials. Please go out to your bus stop and ASK for the packets you need. Your other options are to access the materials digitally at www.rsu34.org or pick packets up tomorrow, Friday, or Monday at OTES, VRS or AES from 8-2, or tomorrow, Thursday 4/9 at the OTHS meal pick up site from 10-12. Seven days’ worth of meals will be distributed tomorrow 4/9 and the next meal distribution will be on Thursday 4/16. Missed this Week’s 4/6-4/10 Packet? Copies are always available at www.rsu34.org and will be available at OTES tomorrow, Thursday 4/9 and Friday 4/10 at OTES.

School Closure Family/Public Update 4/7/20 There are no new updates for today, just a reminder that you are doing a great job and our OTES staff is working hard to "have your back"!

School Closure Family/Public Update 4/6/20 Update on Meal Pick Up and Delivery: Change to Thursdays ONLY Beginning April 9th Meals will be available as usual from our OTHS tent and from our buses tomorrow Tuesday 4/7 and Wednesday 4/8 of this week. However, rules and waivers have changed several times since we began this program, and on April 9th we will make another change. We will consolidate our efforts and start sending home one week’s worth of breakfasts and lunches on Thursdays (one exception is noted below). This will minimize exposure for everyone, but it will require some planning on the part of parents and guardians. A 7-day menu with storage and preparation instructions will be included with the meals. On Thursday the OTHS tent will open at 10:00 AM and the buses will roll out as usual at 10:30 AM. Each child up to and including the age of 18 will receive a bag containing components for 7 breakfasts and 7 lunches. We will repeat this process again on April 16th following the same schedule. No Meals or Work During Spring Break April 20th-24th Please note that April 23rd falls during Spring Break, which is an anticipated closure. We will not be sending meals out that week, but will resume on April 30th and will continue weekly until the end of the school closure. Work will also not be assigned or distributed that week. Work for the week of April 27th-May 1st will be distributed digitally, by bus, or pick up on Thursday 4/16 and digitally or by pick up on Friday 4/17. Weekly Work Packet Distribution: Bus Option Change Given that bus routes are going to be Thursdays only starting this Thursday, April 9th. Please make sure you plan to be at your bus stop that day if you would like to pick up a work packet. Packets will still be available weekly on our website https://www.rsu34.org/covid19--2 and emailed parents and guardians at each grade level. Packets will still be available at pick up locations as well. Totes will be located at all three elementary schools on Thursdays, Fridays and Mondays from 8 AM-2 PM. The totes will be labeled for families to pick up the grade level packet(s) they need. There will also be a tote at the OTHS meal pick up site on Thursdays from 10 AM-12 PM. Beginning Today, Monday April 6th: Documenting Work Completion Please see your teacher’s communication for specific directions on documenting work completion throughout the week or on each Friday. Students will be marked present for the week if they have completed their teacher’s work requirements and absent if not. Questions about these procedures should first be directed to the classroom teacher and then to Dr. Tuell or Mrs. Mitchell if you have additional concerns.

School Closure Family/Public Update 4/3/20 LAST CALL: The last day to pick up required weekly work packets for the upcoming week is MONDAY, APRIL 6th! Each family can choose the option that works best for them to access the student work packet on Thursday, Friday or Monday for the upcoming week’s assignments. Electronic: Packets will be available weekly on our website https://www.rsu34.org/covid19--2 and emailed parents and guardians at each grade level. OR Pick Up Locations: Totes will be located at all three elementary schools and at the OTHS meal distribution site each Thursday, Friday and Monday. The totes will be labeled for families to pick up the grade level packet(s) they need. OR Bus Distribution: Packets will be available for pick up on the meal distribution bus routes on Thursdays, Fridays and Mondays. An adult or student must be at the bus stop to request their grade level packet. School Nurse Contact Our school nurse, CeCe Costello, is available to support our students and families. While she is not a replacement for your doctor’s office, she can be of assistance for questions, concerns, and support. Families are welcome to contact her at cece.costello@rsu34.org or leave a voicemail at 827-1544 ext. 308. She will be checking this voicemail regularly Monday through Friday. Mrs. Wilcox’s Bike Challenge Mrs. Wilcox is challenging our OTES students and staff to keep up with her bike riding. Please feel free to share your mileage and biking pictures with her at vicki.wilcox@rsu34.org so we can motivate each other to enjoy some physical fitness as we look forward to more spring weather!

School Closure Family/Public Update 4/2/20 Some Updated Information: Weekly Work Packet Distribution Options Friday 4/2/20 and Monday 4/6/20 Each family can choose the option that works best for them to access the student work packet on Thursday, Friday or Monday for the upcoming week’s assignments. Electronic: Packets will be available weekly on our website https://www.rsu34.org/covid19--2 and emailed parents and guardians at each grade level. OR Pick Up Locations: Totes will be located at all three elementary schools and at the OTHS meal distribution site each Thursday, Friday and Monday. The totes will be labeled for families to pick up the grade level packet(s) they need. Hours at OTES are 8-2. Hours at OTHS are 10-12. There is no need to notify us that you need a copy or will pick them up. OR Bus Distribution: Packets will be available for pick up on the meal distribution bus routes on Thursdays, Fridays, and Mondays. An adult or student must be at the bus stop to request their grade level packet. There is no need to request a packet ahead of time as all buses will have copies of every grade level. Beginning Monday 4/6/20: Documenting Work Completion Please see your teacher’s communication for specific directions on documenting work completion. Alton WiFi The public wifi is now open at Alton Elementary School. It is best accessed in front of the building and not in the staff parking lot. Facebook Notifications Not Working as Usual Today, our Facebook notifications are not functioning as they normally do. If you post a question there and don’t get a response, please contact your student’s teacher or Dr. Tuell (jeanna.tuell@rsu34.org) or Mrs. Mitchell (maggie.mitchell@rsu34.org) or use Facebook Messenger.

The buses that are coming around today to distribute lunches will have print copies of next week's work for students. If you would like to receive a hard copy, please come out to the bus for the packet your child needs. A hard copy can be picked up at OTES in the lobby.

School Closure Family/Public Update 4/1/20 Reminder: Weekly Work Packet Distribution Options Starting TOMORROW, Thursday 4/2/20 Each family can choose the option that works best for them to access the student work packet on Thursday, Friday or Monday for the upcoming week’s assignments. Electronic: Packets will be available weekly on our website https://www.rsu34.org/covid19--2 and emailed parents and guardians at each grade level. OR Pick Up Locations: Totes will be located at all three elementary schools and at the OTHS meal distribution site each Thursday, Friday and Monday. The totes will be labeled for families to pick up the grade level packet(s) they need. OR Bus Distribution: Packets will be available for pick up on the meal distribution bus routes on Thursdays, Fridays and Mondays. An adult or student must be at the bus stop to request their grade level packet. Thank You! Thank you to all who greeted us on the parade route today! We miss you and we’re happy to see the smiling faces of students, families, and others. Thank you to the staff who planned and participated in this event as well!

School Closure Family/Public Update 3/31/20 Weekly Work Packet Distribution Options Starting Thursday 4/2/20 Each family can choose the option that works best for them to access the student work packet on Thursday, Friday or Monday for the upcoming week’s assignments. Electronic: Packets will be available weekly on our website https://www.rsu34.org/covid19--2 and emailed parents and guardians at each grade level. OR Pick Up Locations: Totes will be located at all three elementary schools and at the OTHS meal distribution site each Thursday, Friday and Monday. The totes will be labeled for families to pick up the grade level packet(s) they need. OR Bus Distribution: Packets will be available for pick up on the meal distribution bus routes on Thursdays, Fridays and Mondays. An adult or student must be at the bus stop to request their grade level packet. Planning Ahead for April Vacation 4/20-4/24 No meals will be offered during April Vacation week Monday 4/20 through Friday 4/24. There will also be no required student work for that week. Alton Elementary School WiFi The installation of the Alton Elementary School public wifi is delayed, but will happen as soon as possible. Be Kind Pictures If you would like to send a picture of your student doing something kind or spelling a letter of kind in sign language, please email it to maggie.mitchell@rsu34.org for us to use later in a public post.

School Closure Family/Public Update 3/30/20 IMPORTANT: Digital Learning Packet or Paper Materials Distribution via Bus or Pick Up Each Thursday, Friday and Monday until further notice the learning packet for the week will be available at all three elementary schools, the OTHS meal pick up area, and on all bus routes. You must be out at your stop on one of these days to ask for the specific grade level packets you need! Each Thursday, the next week’s assignments will be available. All of these will be available electronically on our district website https://www.rsu34.org/covid19--2 if you do not require a paper copy. Please Check Your Spam/Junk Folder We are getting reports that some emails from our district are going to the junk/spam folder of the recipient. Please check this spot on your account to make sure you are not missing important information from your student's teacher. Thank you! Need for Food/Resource Center We have staff who have been working in our Resource Center bagging up food for families who need it. Please reach out to jennifer.goodwin@rsu34.org or call her at 207-370-8564 if your family is in need of food beyond our district’s meal distribution. Updated Online Resources We have updated our RSU #34 website with a COVID 19 section. It can currently be found by visiting rsu34.org, clicking on Menu, and then COVID 19. Soon, there will be an easy link on the homepage as well. Our OTES Facebook cover photo has updated contact information for our Resource Center and this image has been posted on our app as well. Don’t have our app? Go to your phone’s app store and search for RSU #34 ME and download our free app.

School Closure Public/Family Update 3/27/20 Materials Distribution Almost all student materials have gone out to families. Dr. Tuell and Mrs. Mitchell will be organizing remaining materials early next week and contacting families about receiving them. Meal Distribution Meal availability will start again on Monday, March 30th. Pick up will be available at OTHS from 10am-12pm and bus routes will run. Best wishes for a great weekend!

School Closure Public/Family Update 3/26/2020 Viola Rand School and OTHS WiFi Available from Parking Lots If your family has a device that is able to connect to the internet, but you lack internet access, the public wifi is now open and accessible without a password from both the Viola Rand School Old Town High School parking lots. This wifi is only for the use of students or families who need to access the wifi for educational purposes! We are hoping the wifi will be opened at Alton Elementary tomorrow or early next week. Information for Families Who Are US Cellular Customers US Cellular is lifting data caps, overage charges, and tethering/hotspot capabilities on almost all of their consumer plans through the end of May. If you have a question about this including your plan, call 611 and they will be able to tell you if you’re on that type of plan. Spectrum Offer Reminder Spectrum is offering 60 day free access to their internet services, if possible at your address. To inquire, call 1-844-488-8395. Food Delivery and Pick Up Tomorrow, Friday 3/27/20 If you choose to pick up food at OTHS tomorrow from 10am-12pm or from your bus stop, six meals will be given to each student to last the weekend. Thank you to these thoughtful families for their window signs. We love you too!

School Closure Family/Public Update 3/25/20 Materials Distribution for April After this week, the delivery of personalized learning materials will be limited to only those students in specific circumstances. All materials will now be available digitally from classroom teachers and from a common Google link (to be shared later). Classroom teachers will be reaching out in the coming days to ask if you are having trouble accessing digital materials and if you need a printed copy. RSU #34 Resource Center Our school-community coordinator, Jennifer Goodwin, can be reached at 207-370-8564. If your family is in need of food or hygiene items (we do not have toilet paper) from the Resource Center, please reach out to her and we will do our best to get these items to your family. Each delivery bus currently has toothbrushes and toothpaste kits. If this is something your family could use, please let a staff member on the bus know. Food Distribution and Pick Up Continues We continue to feed approximately 550 students daily with our pick up at OTHS from 10am-12pm daily and via our bus routes. Questions should be directed to our food service office at 827-3908.

School Closure Family/Public Update 3/24/20 OTES Resources Cover Photo on Facebook and on Our App We have created an OTES Resources image with phone numbers and email addresses for specific needs. Please reach out to your student’s teacher or one of these contacts to assist you. Our job at this time is to help you and your students! IMPORTANT Materials Distribution Information We are working hard to get materials prepared to share with you again. Some teachers will be doing this by delivery to their own students. If this is the case, we will leave materials on the doorstep and not interact with students---just a quick hi through the window. We will be connecting siblings’ work with these deliveries sometimes as well. When we are ready to distribute materials via bus routes, we will notify you. If you leave materials unopened for 72 hours this will allow for the reduction of germs. Please communicate with your student’s classroom teacher if you are at another location other than your primary address. We cannot guarantee in-person delivery outside of our district. Meal Delivery and Pick Up Continues Meal pick up is still available Monday-Friday at OTHS from 10am-12pm. Busses will continue to depart OTES at 10:30am Monday-Friday and drive their typical routes. There must be a person out to receive meals. We cannot leave food unattended for safety reasons.

School Closure Family/Public Update 3/23/20 Feel the Love and Reach Out for Support Please read the image attached to this message. We hope that your whole family, including your students, are beginning to find a home learning routine that works for you. Even though they are away from their teacher, we hope your students also feel the love and care their teacher is still giving them through calls, messages, videos, or other online posts. If you have a need or concern, please reach out to the teacher first. If you are still in need of support, reach out to Dr. Tuell or Mrs. Mitchell. We are available 8 am-2 pm via phone at school 827-1544 and via email at jeanna.tuell@rsu34.org and maggie.mitchell@rsu34.org should you need anything! Meal Distribution Please be outside, in the window, or in sight of the delivery person in order for meals to be dropped at your house. If you have been missed by mistake, be sure to call the school at 827-1544 (OTES) or 827-3908 (Food Service for RSU 34). We are trying to limit the contact, so please stay 6 feet from the person delivering the meal. Weekend Pause We have asked our staff to not post on the weekends to give our families a chance to take a break or catch up. Going forward, only urgent district, food service, or school messages will be posted on the weekend.

School Closure Public/Family Update 3/20/20 Meal Distribution Monday 3/23/20 Meals for children 0-18 will be available for pick up DAILY Monday through Friday (meal distribution for the weekend will be on Friday) by the tent at OTHS from 10am-12pm Daily bus routes will also begin Monday, March 23. Nine buses will depart OTES at 10:30am and navigate their typical routes. Here are a few things to keep in mind: Please be patient. We do not have a timeline for how long these routes will take, yet. The typical routes will be posted, however the times listed will be the school day times, not food delivery times. Please be safe. Wait at the stop with younger children and review with older children how to wait by themselves if you feel this is appropriate. Please keep your distance. Do not approach or enter the bus. Staff members will exit the bus and leave items on the ground to be picked up. Share this information with your children as well. Please call the school with any questions 827-1544. Staff distributing materials will be using gloves and hand sanitizer regularly. See bus routes here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_nxNESG_Y9ExsViikYDfjnel-CvOSKIm/view?usp=sharing Technology Survey We have developed a quick survey to gather some information about family needs in terms of technology. This survey will help us to understand what those specific needs are in each of the homes in RSU 34 and how we can possibly assist going forward in this school closure period. This is not a guarantee of a device or specific services. Remember, WIFI access is available for our families from the parking lot at OTHS. If you would take the time to fill out this survey, we would appreciate it. https://forms.gle/t9EoEPX2HMKkVgky6 Book Fair FYI Our library media specialist, Lynn Mayer, recently spoke with our Scholastic representative. They are cancelling the delivery of books for our Book Fair and our online sales are also cancelled. Scholastic employees are all working from home now as well, so they won't be able to package and send books. We know families are struggling financially, but we also know some would have loved to order books online.

School Closure Family/Public Update 3/19/20 Meal Distribution Tomorrow, Friday 3/20/20 Meal distribution will be open tomorrow, Friday 3/20/20, from 10am to 12pm by the tent at Old Town High School. Any child 0-18 brought to this location will be given two meals per day for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Internet Access in the Old Town High School Parking Lot If your family has a device that is able to connect to the internet, but you lack internet access, the public wifi is now open and accessible without a password from the Old Town High School parking lot. This wifi is only for the use of students or families who need to access the wifi for educational purposes! We are currently working to open wifi availability at Alton Elementary and Viola Rand as well. We will update you when those are open. A Home Schedule We understand that every family is in a different situation with numerous challenges. The schedules you see our staff or others share, are great if they work for you. However, we understand that you need a schedule that works for your situation! Some families only work in the morning, or evening, or make their off days during the week instead of Saturday and Sunday. You also do not need to provide 6+ hours of “school time” as we do here at OTES. If you have specific questions or need support with a schedule, please reach out to your student’s teacher first.

School Closure Family/Public Update 3/18/20 Calls from Teachers You can expect occasional calls, and certainly other forms of communication, from your student’s teacher during this closure. Some staff feel comfortable sharing their cell numbers and some do not; we respect both decisions. However, please be aware that a call from your teacher may come through as “Restricted”, “Private” or “Anonymous” depending on your carrier, and that it could be your student’s teacher checking in. Student Meals Our district served approximately 640 meals today. We are so thankful for our food service workers! The next distribution will be on Friday 3/20 from 10am-12pm. Look for the tent outside OTHS. Each child 18 or younger will get three days worth of two meals at that pickup. Starting Monday, March 23, meals will be distributed at OTHS every day 10am-12pm. Also beginning Monday March 23, we will run our 9 regular bus routes delivering meals. Our buses will leave OTHS at 10:30 and we anticipate routes lasting through about noon. We will republish routes as soon as we can. For the first few days, please be flexible as we figure out this new system. Each child 18 or under will be given two meals for that day if they are out at a bus stop. Student Belongings We do have some student packets, bags, and other belongings remaining. If you would like to pick up belongings on Thursday 3/19 7am-3pm or Friday 3/20 7am-11am, please come to the front entrance and they will be inside the vestibule. Each bag is clearly labelled. If you would still like to retrieve your student’s instrument, please email Jeanna Tuell jeanna.tuell@rsu34.org or Maggie Mitchell maggie.mitchell@rsu34.org. We will then put the student’s instrument in the vestibule, but only at an assigned time to prevent loss. Spectrum Offer Spectrum is offering 60 day free access to their internet services, if possible at your address. To enroll call 1-844-488-8395.

School Closure Family/Public Update 3/17/20 Remaining Student Belongings We do have some student packets, bags, and other belongings remaining. If you would like to pick up belongings tomorrow, Wednesday 3/18, please come to the front entrance and they will be inside the vestibule. Each bag is clearly labelled. If you would still like to retrieve your student’s instrument, please email Jeanna Tuell jeanna.tuell@rsu34.org or Maggie Mitchell maggie.mitchell@rsu34.org. We will then put the student’s instrument in the vestibule, but only at an assigned time to prevent loss. Student Meal Distribution Important Notice! Meals are Available in RSU #34 During School Closure On Wednesdays, beginning March 18th, families may stop by the OTHS cafeteria between 10:00 AM and noon. We will provide four meals for each child in the vehicle - two for Wednesday and two for Thursday. On Fridays, beginning March 20th, we will provide six meals; two for Friday, two for Saturday, and two for Sunday. On Mondays, beginning March 23rd, we will provide four meals; two for Monday and two for Tuesday. Meals are available to anyone up to the age of 18 and they should be present to receive the meals. Meals must be taken off site as the school will be closed for congregate gathering and we will not be providing a place for them to stay and eat. This will continue each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:00 AM until noon as long as our schools remain closed. We are working on a plan to deliver meals to RSU 34 bus stops in our RSU 34 communities and will let you know the details as soon as they become available. Please call 207-827-3908 with questions. Virtual Read Alouds Staff member will be recording themselves reading books and posting those videos at various times. Please be on the lookout if you are interested in watching with your student.

School Closure Family/Public Update 3/16/20 Thank You! First, a huge thank you to our families and community for their continued support. Today was a great day in as many ways as it was a difficult one. Students in attendance were comforted and loved, had fun, were fed, and were given a sense of closure. Students whose families chose to keep them home surely also felt that sense of calm and security from those closest to them, and we also respect your decision. As we move forward, we will do so as a community. OTES Building Hours OTES will be open tomorrow, Tuesday 3/17/20 from 7am to 3pm for the pick up of belongings. As of 3pm tomorrow, OTES will be closed to the public. Any necessary pick ups after that point will have to be specifically arranged and outside our front entrance. Please make every effort to be here between 7am and 3pm to limit the need for these arrangements. RSU #34 Resource Center The RSU #34 Resource Center is now closed to visitors. However, if you find your family in need of food or hygiene items, please contact Jenn Goodwin at jennifer.goodwin@rsu34.org, Jeanna Tuell at jeanna.tuell@rsu34.org or Maggie Mitchell at maggie.mitchell@rsu34.org A Reminder from RSU #34 Food Service Important Notice! Meals are Available in RSU #34 During School Closure On Monday, March 16, all students in our schools will be offered two meals to take home for Tuesday. Please let your children know that this is happening. Check backpacks and store food appropriately as soon as they get home. Call with questions. 207-827-3908. On Wednesday families may stop by the OTHS cafeteria between 10:00 AM and noon. We will provide four meals for each child in the vehicle - two for Wednesday and two for Thursday. On Friday we will provide six meals; two for Friday, two for Saturday, and two for Sunday. On Monday we will provide four meals; two for Monday and two for Tuesday. Meals are available to anyone up to the age of 18 and they should be present to receive the meals. Meals must be taken off site as the school will be closed for congregate gathering and we will not be providing a place for them to stay and eat. This will continue each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:00 AM until noon as long as our schools remain closed. We are working on a plan to deliver meals to RSU 34 bus stops in our RSU 34 communities and will let you know the details as soon as they become available.