Opportunity for Parents and Educators:
The Penobscot River Educational Partnership (PREP) and the Southern Penobscot Regional Program for Children with Exceptionalities (SPRPCE) are offering a virtual information session for member school district parents and educators on April 29th from 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Title: Age Appropriate Media Use and Screen Time
Join Michael A Ross, MD, NL Primary care Pediatrician and Regional Medical Informatics Officer for Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center for a discussion of age appropriate media use and screen time. From toddlers to teenagers, Dr. Ross will review the benefits and challenges associated with media use, and explore adverse associations including sleep disruption, obesity, social learning challenges, and addiction. Dr. Ross will provide guidance and resources on how to developing a balanced screen time environment in the home.
Interested parents and educators should sign up at https://forms.gle/88YtY7BZayfh4C9t5. Participants will receive a Zoom link to the April 29th, 6:30 p.m. session a week before the actual date.
Dr. Ross shared this informational session to regional educators on March 19th and received excellent reviews. Given the extremely positive feedback, PREP and SPRPCE wanted to share this opportunity with parents and other educators.
Check out our LMS and OTHS River Runners on the new Aspirations Incubator Program website! https://www.aspirationsincubator.org/partners/old-town-orono-ymca
At the April school board Curriculum / Instruction / Assessment committee meeting, we will focus on input about a proposed Humanities Diploma at Old Town High School, and input about planning/budgeting for federally-funded programs in the 2021-22 school year. If you'd like to be involved please email Jon.Doty@rsu34.org
Friday, March 19th is a school day for RSU #34 (Alton, Bradley, and Old Town). Here's a link to the current 2020-21 calendar: https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/871751/2020-21_Student_Calendar_Revised.pdf
Our River Runners youth cohort is proud to share their February newsletter! You can read it here: https://5il.co/qluv
Dear RSU #34 Families and Staff, This notice is to inform you that RSU #34 has identified an exposure to COVID-19 related to an Old Town High School Extra-curricular activity. All close contacts have been notified and advised of next steps such as quarantine, symptom checking, and testing. If you have not been individually contacted, you do not need to take any additional steps. As always, please remember to conduct daily screening, and use our COVID hotline when you learn of a positive or likely case of COVID-19 in our school community. We thank you for your efforts to keep our schools safe and open! For general Covid-19 questions, please dial Maine’s helpline at 211 or 1-866-811- 5695. Questions for the school nurse may be directed to Nurse Jana at 827-3910 or jana.caron@rsu34.org. You can also text your zip code to 898-211 or email info@211maine.org. Please call your healthcare provider with questions about symptoms. More information can be found at www.maine.gov/dhhs/coronavirus or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus. Sincerely, David A. Walker David A. Walker Superintendent of Schools General Information follows: Covid-19 is a respiratory illness that may range from mild to severe. Some people may be asymptomatic (no symptoms at all,) but may still test positive. Covid-19 may be more severe in adults 60 years and older and anyone with underlying health conditions. The virus mainly spreads through droplets and aerosols, such as when an infected person coughs or sneezes and an uninfected person breathes in the virus. Signs and symptoms of Covid-19 may include: Fever or chills, new or uncontrollable cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, and nausea/vomiting/diarrhea. The Maine CDC recommended preventative measures to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. This includes: • Wearing a mask in public and increased hand hygiene measures. • Washing your hands with soap and warm water after using the bathroom, before and after eating, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. • When soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands and avoid close contact with people who are sick. • Cover your cough or sneeze and disinfect your hands afterwards. • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaner or wipe.
OTHS JROTC cadets, led by 1st SGT Peaslee, taught local cub scouts this afternoon how to conduct a flag ceremony and care for the flag. Just a few weeks ago, OTHS JROTC earned an incredible score of 99 on its three-year accreditation inspection!
Exposure and travel reminders
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Dear RSU #34 Community,
We hope our families had a wonderful and safe February vacation week!
In this notice please see a reminder about travel and what to do if you learn of confirmed or likely exposure to a COVID-positive person. Please also continue to be vigilant about daily home screening, masking, social distancing, and hand hygiene to keep the spread of COVID slow!
Exposure to COVID: Please remember that the SARS-COV-2 virus spreads quickly, and in some cases without symptoms. It is very important to communicate quickly with us if you learn at any time of a positive or likely case of COVID-19, so we can be sure we’ve notified anyone who may have been in close contact with the student or staff member during an infectious period. Throughout the school vacation we have had staff checking the COVID hotline multiple times daily. Please leave a detailed message at (207) 827-7171 (choose option zero), or use the webform at http://rsu34me.apptegy.us/o/rsu-34/page/covid19--2
Travel Overview
Each year many families use school vacation weeks opportunities for travel, but at this time such travel brings with it additional risks for contracting and transmitting COVID-19, according to the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC). It is critically important that our school communities continue to do everything we can in order to keep our schools safe, open, and able to provide in-person instruction. The US CDC has issued strong guidance to the American people to continue to limit our interactions and travel at this time. We encourage our staff and families to know the risks and the requirements for travel, and to communicate with your school office if you have travelled so that our schools can continue to operate safely.
Travel within the U.S.
In accordance with Maine travel guidelines, any staff or students who travel within the US to any state other than New Hampshire or Vermont (no restrictions as of 2/21/21 for these two states only), will be required to either: 1. Complete a 10-day quarantine upon arrival in Maine and continue to monitor for signs and symptoms for an additional 4 days OR 2. Obtain and receive a negative COVID-19 antigen or molecular (PCR, NAAT, or isothermal) test result within 72 hours prior to arrival back into Maine to forgo the 10-day quarantine. Travelers may be tested upon arrival in Maine as well but must quarantine while they wait for test results. A negative COVID-19 antigen or molecular (PCR, NAAT, or isothermal) test result will allow the traveler to leave quarantine early.
International Travel
CDC has also provided guidance as it relates to international travel. The current risk assessment level for COVID-19 is at 4, or VERY HIGH, for nearly every country. You can review the risk levels by country, here (t.ly/47xI). At this time, all air passengers coming to the United States, including U.S. citizens, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before boarding a flight back to the United States. See Frequently Asked Questions about this requirement for more information (t.ly/urM0). Upon return to the United States, staff and students must quarantine. International travelers can return to school after they: 1. Get tested 3-5 days after travel, and receive a negative test result AND stay home and self-quarantine for 7 days after travel. 2. Do not get tested and stay home for 10 days after travel. 3. Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days, whether you get tested or not. (t.ly/J2w3)
Any staff or students who have travelled internationally will not be permitted inside the school building for a minimum of 7 days, even if a negative test has occurred. Returning to work or school after travel is not dependent on the length of time spent within the restricted states or other countries, meaning that a day visit still requires any person to quarantine and/or test as described above. All members of the household who travel must test or quarantine if over 12 months old. Testing site information for Maine can be found, here (https://www.maine.gov/covid19/restartingmaine/keepmainehealthy/testing).
Any person who is quarantining should stay home, and not have in-person contact with others unless there is an emergency. Please continue to follow best practice safety protocols: wear a mask, keep physical distance, wash your hands and monitor for symptoms, and help protect our schools and neighbors. Thank you for your hard work and support!
February 12, 2021
Dear RSU #34 Community,
We greatly appreciate your hard work for our community’s children during the pandemic! Our students and staff continue to do incredible things to learn safely during the pandemic, and we celebrate reaching another milestone with the upcoming February vacation.
In this notice please see information about travel and what to do during the school vacation week if you learn of confirmed or likely exposure to a COVID-positive person. Please also continue to be vigilant about masking, social distancing, and hand hygiene to keep the spread of COVID slow!
Exposure to COVID
Please remember that the SARS-COV-2 virus spreads quickly, and in some cases without symptoms. It is very important to communicate quickly with us if you learn at any time of a positive or likely case of COVID-19, so we can be sure we’ve notified anyone who may have been in close contact with the student or staff member during an infectious period. Throughout the school vacation we have staff checking the COVID hotline multiple times daily. Please leave a detailed message at (207) 827-7171 (choose option zero), or use the webform at http://rsu34me.apptegy.us/o/rsu-34/page/covid19--2
Travel Overview
Each year many families use school vacation weeks opportunities for travel, but at this time such travel brings with it additional risks for contracting and transmitting COVID-19, according to the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC). It is critically important that our school communities continue to do everything we can in order to keep our schools safe, open, and able to provide in-person instruction.
The US CDC has issued strong guidance to the American people to continue to limit our interactions and travel at this time.
We encourage our staff and families to know the risks and the requirements for travel, and to
communicate with your school office if you are travelling so that our schools can continue to operate safely.
Travel within the U.S.
In accordance with Maine travel guidelines, any staff or students who travel within the US to any state other than New Hampshire or Vermont (no restrictions as of 2/08/21 for these two states only), will be required to either:
1. Complete a 10-day quarantine upon arrival in Maine and continue to monitor for signs and
symptoms for an additional 4 days OR
2. Obtain and receive a negative COVID-19 antigen or molecular (PCR, NAAT, or isothermal) test result within 72 hours prior to arrival back into Maine to forgo the 10-day quarantine. Travelers may be tested upon arrival in Maine as well but must quarantine while they wait for test results. A negative COVID-19 antigen or molecular (PCR, NAAT, or isothermal) test result will allow the traveler to leave quarantine early.
International Travel
CDC has also provided guidance as it relates to international travel. The current risk assessment level for COVID-19 is at 4, or VERY HIGH, for nearly every country. You can review the risk levels by country, here (t.ly/47xI).
At this time, all air passengers coming to the United States, including U.S. citizens, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before boarding a flight back to the United States. See Frequently Asked Questions about this requirement for more information (t.ly/urM0).
Upon return to the United States, staff and students must quarantine. International travelers can return to school after they:
1. Get tested 3-5 days after travel, and receive a negative test result AND stay home and self-quarantine for 7 days after travel.
2. Do not get tested and stay home for 10 days after travel.
3. Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days, whether
you get tested or not. (t.ly/J2w3)
Any staff or students who have travelled internationally will not be permitted inside the school building for a minimum of 7 days, even if a negative test has occurred.
Returning to work or school after travel is not dependent on the length of time spent within the
restricted states or other countries, meaning that a day visit still requires any person to quarantine and/or test as described above. All members of the household who travel must test or quarantine if over 12 months old. Testing site information for Maine can be found, here (https://www.maine.gov/covid19/restartingmaine/keepmainehealthy/testing).
Any person who is quarantining should stay home, and not have in-person contact with others unless there is an emergency.
Please continue to follow best practice safety protocols: wear a mask, keep physical distance, wash your hands and monitor for symptoms, and help protect our schools and neighbors.
Thank you for your hard work and support!
Are you or someone you know looking for a job? Check out https://www.rsu34.org/employment-applications-and-vacancies for new postings (Teachers, Ed Techs, Coach and we are always looking for more Substitutes)
Our River Runners youth mentoring program is excited to share their January newsletter!
Dear RSU #34 Families and Staff,
This notice is to inform you that RSU #34 has identified an exposure to COVID-19 related to an Old Town High School Extra-curricular activity. All close contacts have been notified and advised of next steps such as quarantine, symptom checking, and testing. If you have not been individually contacted, you do not need to take any additional steps.
As always, please remember to conduct daily screening, and use our COVID hotline when you learn of a positive or likely case of COVID-19 in our school community. We thank you for your efforts to keep our schools safe and open!
For general Covid-19 questions, please dial Maine’s helpline at 211 or 1-866-811- 5695. Questions for the school nurse may be directed to Nurse Jana at 827-3910 or jana.caron@rsu34.org.
You can also text your zip code to 898-211 or email info@211maine.org. Please call your healthcare provider with questions about symptoms. More information can be found at www.maine.gov/dhhs/coronavirus or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.
Sincerely,
David A. Walker
David A. Walker
Superintendent of Schools
General Information follows:
Covid-19 is a respiratory illness that may range from mild to severe. Some people may be asymptomatic (no symptoms at all,) but may still test positive. Covid-19 may be more severe in adults 60 years and older and anyone with underlying health conditions. The virus mainly spreads through droplets and aerosols, such as when an infected person coughs or sneezes and an uninfected person breathes in the virus. Signs and symptoms of Covid-19 may include: Fever or chills, new or uncontrollable cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, and nausea/vomiting/diarrhea.
The Maine CDC recommended preventative measures to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. This includes:
• Wearing a mask in public and increased hand hygiene measures.
• Washing your hands with soap and warm water after using the bathroom, before and after eating, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
• When soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands and avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze and disinfect your hands afterwards.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaner or wipe.
Dear RSU #34 Families and Staff,
This email/notice is to inform you that RSU #34 has identified a case of exposure to COVID-19 at Old Town High School. All close contacts have been notified and advised of next steps such as quarantine, symptom checking, and testing. If you have not been individually contacted, you do not need to take any additional steps.
As always, please remember to conduct daily screening, and use our COVID hotline when you learn of a positive or likely case of COVID-19 in our school community. We thank you for your efforts to keep our schools safe and open!
For general Covid-19 questions, please dial Maine’s helpline at 211 or 1-866-811-5695. Questions for the school nurse may be directed to Nurse Jana at 827-3910 or Jana.Caron@rsu34.org
You can also text your zip code to 898-211 or email info@211maine.org. Please call your healthcare provider with questions about symptoms. More information can be found at www.maine.gov/dhhs/coronavirus or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.
Sincerely,
David A. Walker
Superintendent of Schools
General Information follows:
Covid-19 is a respiratory illness that may range from mild to severe. Some people may be asymptomatic (no symptoms at all,) but may still test positive. Covid-19 may be more severe in adults 60 years and older and anyone with underlying health conditions. The virus mainly spreads through droplets and aerosols, such as when an infected person coughs or sneezes and an uninfected person breathes in the virus. Signs and symptoms of Covid-19 may include: Fever or chills, new or uncontrollable cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, and nausea/vomiting/diarrhea.
The Maine CDC recommended preventative measures to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. This includes:
· Wearing a mask in public and increased hand hygiene measures.
· Washing your hands with soap and warm water after using the bathroom, before and after eating, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
· When soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
· Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands and avoid close contact with people who are sick.
· Cover your cough or sneeze and disinfect your hands afterwards.
· Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaner or wipe.
RSU #34 SCHOOLS CLOSED TUESDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2021
Tomorrow, February 2, 2021, is shaping up to be a traditional Maine “snow day.” National Weather Service briefings since Friday have forecast snow starting in the Bangor area early Tuesday morning and ending with possible sleet and freezing rain on Wednesday afternoon. Along with the snow and sleet, there is potential for wind gusts making visibility poor at times during the day. It appears travel will be a challenge.
Earlier this year we shared the following:
The last scheduled day of the school year is Monday, June 14th. We continue to guide families to anticipate a typical number of storm/snow days; with several storm/snow days school would end Friday, June 18th. We will continue to announce storm/snow days through the RSU #34 app and through our website. We know that major storm/snow events often come paired with power outages, internet outages, and other challenges that make a full day of remote learning difficult. When there’s a storm/snow day, we encourage our students to help shovel out a neighbor, build a snowman, play a game, and do other wonderful things. If during the year we begin to accumulate an unusually large number of storm/snow days, we may consider shifting to some remote learning days for moderate storm/snow events.
I will wait until the 4pm NWS briefing today but I do not anticipate significant changes to the forecast. Following the 4pm briefing, I will use our usual tools to alert all families of my decision. Those tools include text alerts, alert phone calls, posting on our website www.RSU34.org and news outlets. We recognize the challenges this school year of balancing childcare with work responsibilities have been significant. I hope this early “heads up” is helpful in making plans for your family in anticipation of “No School In RSU34” on Tuesday February 2, 2021.
The Maine Broadband Coalition has launched a statewide internet speed test mapping initiative. The goal of the “Get Up To Speed” initiative is to gather data from across the state to generate the most comprehensive map of both the presence and quality of internet in Maine to date.
Residents are being asked to help the initiative by taking this less-than-a-minute test to map their own speed through the Maine Broadband Coalition’s website - https://www.mainebroadbandcoalition.org
The Maine Broadband Coalition will aggregate, document, and visualize the speed testing information to provide users and state officials with up-to-date service maps. Participants can view their results (while personal information remains confidential) and watch the public map of Maine grow in real time.
RSU #34 is planning 2021-2022 school year budgets for the programs funded under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Title IA, IIA, IV-A). To be involved, please email Jon.Doty@rsu34.org
This budgeting will be one of the agenda items at the February 1st Board Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Committee meeting. We welcome input; to provide written input or for a video link to that meeting please email Jon.Doty@rsu34.org
Thanks for your input!
Our latest issue of Community Connections is off to the printers! Many thanks to the staff and community members who shared pictures and articles. Here's a link: https://5il.co/oswv
Dear RSU #34 Community,
On Friday Maine updated the COVID-19 School Health Advisory System. Statewide evidence continues to indicate lower transmission of COVID-19 in schools relative to the general population. We greatly appreciate the hard work of our staff, students, and community to follow our screening and safety protocols!
Please be sure to continue the habit of daily home screening; the screening questions are on our COVID-19 page at rsu34.org (http://rsu34me.apptegy.us/o/rsu-34/page/covid19--2). Our quarantine requirements are posted at the same page, along with the weblink to our COVID hotline (you can also call 827-7171, option zero). Please don’t hesitate to use the COVID hotline to let us know of positive or suspected cases of COVID-19 in our school community so we can take appropriate steps.
If you need general guidance, please call the state of Maine’s help line at 211, or email that helpline: info@211maine.org
THANK YOU so much for your tremendous hard work to keep our students, staff, and schools safe!
Direct link to screening questions: https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/inline-files/Pre-Screening%20Tool_11.pdf
Dear RSU #34 Community,
On Friday Maine updated the COVID-19 School Health Advisory System. Statewide evidence continues to indicate lower transmission of COVID-19 in schools relative to the general population. We greatly appreciate the hard work of our staff, students, and community to follow our screening and safety protocols!
Please be sure to continue the habit of daily home screening; the screening questions are on our COVID-19 page at rsu34.org (http://rsu34me.apptegy.us/o/rsu-34/page/covid19--2). Our quarantine requirements are posted at the same page, along with the weblink to our COVID hotline (you can also call 827-7171, option zero). Please don’t hesitate to use the COVID hotline to let us know of positive or suspected cases of COVID-19 in our school community so we can take appropriate steps.
If you need general guidance, please call the state of Maine’s help line at 211, or email that helpline: info@211maine.org
THANK YOU so much for your tremendous hard work to keep our students, staff, and schools safe!
Direct link to screening questions: https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/inline-files/Pre-Screening%20Tool_11.pdf
