RSU 57

Dear Parents, I hope this email finds you well. As you can imagine we have been working hard to plan for your child(ren)’s education over the next ten days. Online and paper packets will be utilized starting on Wednesday. Teachers have created packets which include planning for reading, writing, math, art, music, and PE along with information on the online resources being used. Alfred and Lyman Elementary Schools will be open tomorrow from 8:00am-3:30pm and 5pm-7pm Tuesday, March 17, so that families can pick up packets. If these times do not work, please contact the school so that we may help to facilitate a pick up. In an attempt to minimize public entrance into our building please drive into the circle and remain in your car. We will have staff members prepared to collect your information and deliver the resources to you. All students will receive a paper packet as well as their iPad and charger. If there are items you would like to pick up from either our nurse or your child(ren)’s teacher, please call the main office in advance or email their teacher so that we can prepare in advance and have them ready for your arrival. Please review the newly created website at: https://sites.google.com/rsu57.org/rsu-57-distance-learning-site/home for information regarding teacher schedules and open virtual office hours. We will email when this link goes live. Teachers will be available daily as a resource to your child and will share a ZOOM meeting code/link that can be accessed from a web browser or a phone (a number is provided) to ask for help on their school work. Please check in with your students teacher daily as this is how we will collect attendance and check progress with their assignments. If your child is sick, please let your child's teacher know and call our main office. If you have not been receiving the district-wide emails and updates please contact Kevin Perkins at Tel: (207)247-0754 email: kevinperkins@rsu57.org Thank you and please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. We appreciate your support and patience as we work hard to navigate these new waters. Our best, Cindy Pellerin and Catherine Poulin

As I stand in the cafe at the end of a long day, I cannot help but smile at what I see. Although the circumstances are difficult, I am so appreciative of the hard work and collaboration of all of our staff across the district to continue to serve our students. Thank you:)

Spectrum Signup: Spectrum is now offering free/low cost Internet service for 60 days to qualified homes. Any household that currently qualifies for free or reduced lunch and is a first time subscriber to Spectrum can complete an application at http://bit.ly/57spectrumsignup.

March 16, 2020 Good Afternoon RSU #57 Families. Today, Monday, March 16th and Tuesday, March 17th are "no school" days. There is no remote work expected of your student. Remote check ins with your child and their teacher(s) will begin Wednesday, March 18th. Staff are vigorously working to compile resources and prepare for this launch. You will receive a notification with further details from your building and/or specific teacher(s) no later than tomorrow, Tuesday, March 17th. We ask that students and families wait until tomorrow, March 17th, to come to schools if you need to pick up items - iPads, clothes, instruments, binders, books, etc. The buildings will be open starting March 17th, for you to access what you need. Individual buildings will be sending out the times and protocol for pick up, as each site has unique community needs. Please email or call your child’s school in advance if you 1) Need to pick up medication from the School Nurse and/or 2) Need to pick up items outside of the scheduled hours. If you are dropping things off, please clearly mark them to say who it is for and who it is from. We encourage you to stay in contact with your student(s) schools. We are also encouraging daily communication with your teacher(s). This communication could be through the use of Google Classroom, SeeSaw, logging in to an app that was assigned by your teacher, an email, a phone call, etc. We ask that you help by encouraging all learners to be engaged in daily school activities. Our staff are working hard to create purposeful assignments and interactions to help keep our learning going. Parents, please be sure to monitor your child on his/her device. Our district firewalls do not provide protection off school grounds. While our staff will review best practices with students we will need your support to ensure all learners remain safe online. We will continue to communicate with you and you are welcome to email or call your child’s school during the office hours. We deeply appreciate your patience, support, and cooperation as we take these next steps. We encourage you to reach out to your child’s school to let us know how we can best support needs in this new learning environment. Be well, Larry Malone, Superintendent

Kindergarten registration for fall 2020 is now underway! Registration can be completed online and includes a meeting with our District Registrar. If you have a student that already attends one of the district PreK programs there is no need to register them as they are already in the system. Thank you

In an effort to support the children and families in our community, the RSU 57 School Nutrition Department will be offering free meals to all children ages 18 and under starting on Monday, March 16th through the duration of the school closure. Meals will be pre-packaged, grab n' go and will be available at the following locations: Line Elementary School - 818 Water Street, West Newfield, ME 04095 Massabesic Middle School - 134 Old Alfred Road, East Waterboro, ME 04030 Hours of pickup will be Monday - Friday from 7:00am - 9:00am and 11:00am - 1:00pm. Please note: This is open to ALL children, ages 18 and under from any community. To help eliminate unnecessary travel for families, children have the option to receive breakfast and lunch for each day and can take up to 3 days' worth of meals per pickup. Pickup will occur at the front doors of each location. Please remain in your car upon arrival. Staff will be present to assist you. Please know that our department is following strict sanitation guidelines to ensure the safety of our community. **If you or your family cannot access either site during the pickup hours, please contact Cathy at the School Nutrition Office at (207) 247-3221, ext. 2257. We will update this information as needed. Thank you.

March 15, 2020 To the RSU 57 School Community, RSU 57 schools will be closed for two weeks starting Monday, March 16th through Friday, March 27th as a proactive health measure in our community. Although there are no confirmed COVID-19 cases in our schools, it is in the best interest of our school community, York County, and the State of Maine, to practice social distancing in our collective attempt to “flatten the curve”. This will also ensure those most vulnerable are able to receive the treatment they need. These decisions have been made through constant consultation with Maine CDC, Maine Department of Education, and in collaboration with York and Cumberland County Superintendents. This has been a difficult decision and we fully understand that the consequences of a prolonged school closure are profound. Our team has been working diligently to prepare. There are many things we will be doing for the first time as no one has prior experience with a prolonged school closure of this magnitude. Educators and staff will be finishing up plans for implementing virtual learning on Monday and Tuesday and will be ready to resume your child’s education remotely on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. We believe the continuous learning plan we have prepared will provide a level of continuity for our students during this time of change. Details will be shared with parents by Wednesday, March 18th, and will outline how to obtain and access resources, required assignments, a method for daily communication and a directory of supports. A plan is being finalized for students or parents to pick up needed supplies on Tuesday, March 17. For elementary students this includes packets for home learning and technology. For MMS and MHS students we ask that you contact the main office at your child’s school to notify them if your child needs to pick up devices from school. Please expect more communication from your child’s school about this procedure on Monday. The School Nutrition Department is working on a detailed plan to allow for our students to access food if needed. Line Elementary School and Massabesic Middle School will be sites for pick up of bagged breakfast and lunch items. Please check the website and/or see the nutrition update for details about this service. All staff will report to their regular building assignments on Monday morning. Please see building updates for more information. Transportation staff are asked to bring their buses to the bus garage and meet in the East Training Center at 8:00 am. Finally, as our health professionals continue to remind all of us: wash your hands, wipe down surfaces, practice social distancing, cover your mouth or use a tissue if you are coughing, and stay home if you are sick. These habits continue to be the most effective defense and our best chance to slow the spread of COVID-19. We will continue to send and post updates on a regular basis. Most importantly, take care of one another. Regards, Larry Malone, Superintendent of Schools

RSU 57 School Nutrition Department

Good evening, This is a message from Larry Malone, Superintendent of Schools, informing you that there will be NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS for two weeks, beginning Monday, March 16th through Sunday, March 29th. Although there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our schools, the closure is a proactive health measure for our communities. We will send additional information to parents and staff tomorrow.

Dear RSU #57 Community, Thank you for your patience as we work through this unprecedented and rapidly changing situation. It is imperative that we work collaboratively with each other, within and outside of our immediate community. Please know we are heeding the advice of trusted educational and medical professionals. As educators our first priorities are to keep students safe and to educate them to the best of our ability. We understand that a school closure, should it come to that, would present a significant hardship for many families. Our focus must remain on the safety of our students and staff and we will do our best to limit the impact on their academic progression. Neither Governor Mills nor the Maine CDC recommend school closure at this time. We are focusing on providing your child with an excellent education whether that is on-site or through distance learning. Information around these procedures will be communicated. The following decisions have been made and I will continue to make adjustments in the best interest of all stakeholders: • Distance learning plans are being prepared in the event of a school closure. • Daily attendance is being monitored as it relates to potential COVID-19 symptoms. • Student drop-off and pick-up procedures may be revised and will be communicated to you as needed. • The use of school volunteers will be suspended through April 27th. • Staff and students who have been absent as a result of fever are being asked to consult their medical professional and return to school when directed with a note. • We are in contact with known staff and students who have travelled out of the country. • We have implemented measures to reduce the number of students in one place at any given time as we encourage social-distancing when possible. • The Maine Principals Association Board of Directors and Interscholastic Management Committee voted today, March 13, 2020 to delay the start of the 2020 Spring sports pre-season practice until April 27, 2020. We will continue to monitor the situation and will make the appropriate changes as needed to ensure the safety of all students. • The remainder of the middle school winter sports season has been cancelled. • Field trips are suspended through April 27th. • Out of state school trips are cancelled through April 27th. • The district will be cancelling activities and events outside of the regular school day. Some activities and events scheduled during the school day may also be cancelled and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. • Building use by outside groups has been suspended with the exception of childcare to support our enhanced cleaning and disinfecting practices. Please continue vigilantly washing your hands with soap and water and maintain a reasonable distance from others as suggested by the CDC. Please remain home if you or your children have symptoms associated with the COVID-19 virus and seek medical advice via phone should you have questions. These plans are developing rapidly and we will keep you informed. Thank you. Larry Malone, Superintendent https://www.maine.gov/doe/covid-19

Internet Access Opportunity: Please see the news story linked below from News 13 about access to free wifi through Spectrum for families with school-age children. We will pass updates as we receive them. http://bit.ly/news13spectrum

Ski Bus trip to Gunstock cancelled for 3/13/2020

Please check the News section of the website for a link to a survey to help us prepare for a possible closing due to a COVID-19 pandemic.

RSU 57 Update 03.12.2020 March 12, 2020 Dear RSU57 Community, I am writing to provide an update on our planning and preparations around Coronavirus. As noted through prior communications, we are working closely with public health professionals through the Maine CDC and Maine DOE to guide and advise our work. Both have been tremendously helpful and are providing updates and support on a daily basis as needed. We have also met with York County Emergency Management Agency, to ensure that we are coordinating closely with the County in order to be prepared. The best way to receive alerts and information is to download Regional School Unit 57’s app. With the app, you can access sports, news, updates, emergency notifications, and other school-related information. Download the app on Android: http://bit.ly/3278HxW or iPhone: https://apple.co/2NqwkOu. As I write this, on Thursday afternoon, we have been made aware of one known Coronavirus case in Maine, but public health officials note that it is a matter of time before additional cases are reported. We will continue to monitor closely and communicate as we have more information. At the same time, we believe it is important to make plans for continuity of operations and most importantly, to take steps to ensure that students continue to learn. Over the past week, we have begun to gather ideas and resources to support this effort. In working closely with teachers, staff, and administration we are developing Continuous Learning Plans. While we cannot truly replace school, we can offer support to students and families to keep learning going. More information to follow on this, but here a few highlights in the event of closure: For K-5, we are developing home packets by grade level that will provide parents with student logins to online resources. We will be focusing on continued learning through teacher provided materials, the use of SeeSaw and/or Google Classroom, and email communication for sharing and communicating with families, which are already used by many teachers. The devices currently used in classrooms will be distributed to students. For 6-12, we will be using Google Classroom for sharing instruction and will continue to use staff and student email. Students have had a good deal of practice using technology for learning and independently accessing online resources. Each student has an assigned device that would go home. We have asked that all teachers make sure that their learning plans are up to date and readily available. We will work with teachers to ensure that everyone has access to resources for sharing learning activities with students. Again, indications from public health officials are that school closures may be expected. We are working to be well prepared for the event of a school closure. If there are closures for any extended period we will work together, as we always do, to support our students and families. As a district we will also work to support our faculty and staff. We are working thoughtfully to support our community in uncertain times. We will offer clear guidelines as to how we will approach handling closures for different groups of staff, but please hear clearly that our aim is to support continuous learning for our students and our schools as well as to protect the health and welfare of our community. Superintendent Larry Malone

Please visit this site often as updates will be posted on an on-going basis as needed. We will make every attempt to reschedule events whenever possible. CANCELLATIONS Fri. March 13, 2020 Little League Softball Clinic Youth Wrestling Club Practices MMS Volleyball Game vs. York Waterboro Rec Hoops Alfred Parks & Rec Waterboro PTO Dance Waterboro Girl Scouts Movie/Meeting Sat. March 14, 2020 MHS Winter Ball United Soccer Club Soccer Clinics Little League Baseball Evaluations Alfred PTSA March Madness Alfred Parks & Rec Basketball Little League Baseball Evaluations Sun. March 15, 2020 MAYFC Winter Football Clinics Mon. March 16, 2020 Armored Light Bible Study Youth Wrestling Club Practices MHS Booster Club Meeting Cub Scout Pack 306 Meeting Waterboro Rec Hoops Alfred Parks & Rec Lyman Parks & Rec Basketball Clinic Tues. March 17, 2020 MIOSM Choral Concert MAYFC Workout Sessions Waterboro Rec Hoops Alfred Parks & Rec 57 Stallions Youth Basketball Skills Clinic So. Me. Gearbots Shapleigh Good News Club Lyman Parks & Rec Adult Volleyball Weds. March 18, 2020 MHS Academic Carnival Youth Wrestling Club Practices 57 Stallions Youth Basketball Practices Waterboro Rec Hoops Alfred Parks & Rec Waterboro Talent Show So. Me. Gearbots Shapleigh Good News Club Lyman Parks & Rec Basketball Clinic Thurs. March 19, 2020 MIOSM Band Performance Youth Wrestling Club Practices MAYFC Workout Sessions Waterboro Rec Hoops 57 Stallions Youth Basketball Skills Clinic Fri. March 20, 2020 Youth Wrestling Club Practices Waterboro Rec Hoops MAYFC Cheer Camp Meeting Sat. March 21, 2020 United Soccer Club Soccer Clinics Alfred Parks & Rec

March 12, 2020 Dear RSU #57 Community, We have received recent recommendations from Governor Mills and the CDC and are limiting large gatherings effective immediately. At this time, we are postponing all non-essential indoor gatherings with anticipated attendance of 250 or more people (for example: MHS Winter Ball, Line Pre-K & K Concert, MHS Academic Carnival). Specifics will be listed and updated routinely on our website and the RSU #57 app as events are identified. In addition, we are cancelling all outside use of our buildings until further notice (for example: Girl Scouts, recreation departments). Again, specifics will be listed and updated routinely on our website and the RSU #57 app as events are identified. These measures will enable our custodial staff the opportunity to continue thorough cleaning procedures. Please be patient with us as we work through these ever-changing situations and know that we will share new information as necessary. For further information, please visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html for the most current information on COVID-19. Thank you. Larry Malone, Superintendent

RSU #57 has been carefully monitoring the status of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). Although at this time there are no confirmed cases in the State of Maine, the Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) have encouraged all schools to review emergency plans and communicate universal precautions to our communities. We have been following universal precautions and monitoring influenza and other illnesses for the past several weeks. Custodial staff at all RSU #57 schools are taking additional steps to disinfect all frequently touched areas (desktops, doorknobs, water fountains) on a daily basis. It is also very important to recognize that we see Influenza and other respiratory illnesses at this time every year. The CDC continues to encourage individuals to receive the flu shot. In addition, the following CDC recommendations are essential in reducing the spread of germs: · Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. · Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread this way. · Cover coughs and sneezes. Use a tissue to cover coughs and sneezes, then dispose of the tissue. When a tissue is not available, cough or sneeze into your elbow. · Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill. · Wash hands for 20 seconds. Washing hands often under clean, running water can help prevent the spread of germs. If you cannot wash your hands, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60-95% alcohol until soap and water is available. We have students and staff who have traveled out of state and out of the country recently. We have asked those individuals to self-monitor and follow CDC guidelines if symptoms develop. Going forward, if conditions change the district will act accordingly. I will continue to provide you updated information as it becomes available. More detailed information regarding the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) can be found at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html . Stay well, Larry Malone

The 2020 KidWind Challenge is underway with our 8th grade! www.kidwind.org

Excited to share our work and host an SMP Learning Walk! #gomustangs

This is a reminder that tomorrow, March 11th, is an early release day in RSU#57. MHS and MMS will be dismissed at 11:45am. All elementary schools will be dismissed at 1pm.