9/04/2020
RE: Student and Family updates
Dear Students, Parents and Caregivers,
We are entering this holiday week as a precursor to the start of the school year. Labor Day has always marked the end of the summer and the start of the fall as well as the beginning of a new school year. This year the beginning of the school year will bring a different school experience. Everyone here at RSU #38 has been working toward the return of students and although we acknowledge it is going to be different we still are passionate educators dedicated to the students of Manchester, Mount Vernon, Readfield and Wayne. We are here for our students and that will not change!
I am including a link to a health screener that should be used daily with your student. It is important to note this is a self screener and certainly does not take the place of direct communication with your Primary Care Physician. We respectfully ask that if your child meets any of the criteria you call your Doctor and keep your child home. Please do not send your child to school and expect the school nurses to assess or make a decision about your child’s health. We ask everyone to err on the side of caution during the current health emergency. I encourage you to print the screener and review each morning. We will be going over to an electronic screener in the very near future. More information will follow once it is ready. Here is the link to the paper screener: https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/inline-files/Pre-Screening%20Tool_10.pd
The middle and high schools had opportunities to pick up their laptops during this past week . If you did not attend there will be options to pick up the devices during the first week of school. During the first week of school the technology staff will be working to set up 5th graders across the district with chrome books. More information will be forthcoming from the schools. Students in grades k thru 4 will be issued iPads but we have not received the shipment at this the time. We will work as quickly as possible to set up and distribute the iPads once they arrive in the district. The iPads will be pre-loaded with Seesaw, Dreambox, and Lexia upon distribution. Again, more information to follow about technology at these grade levels in the very near future.
In regards to transportation please make note of the following:
Your child MUST have a mask to board the bus.
Your child MUST use hand sanitizer when boarding the bus.
Your child will have an assigned seat.
Students will sit one per seat unless seated with a family member
If you are using district transportation please understand that the times posted on the website are estimates. In these first few weeks of school please be patient with us as the times will vary until routes and routines are firmly established. Also, if you did not communicate your transportation plans please do so as soon as possible. Several routes have met the capacity limit. Routes will be adjusted but it could take up to to 2 weeks so please plan accordingly. Please check with your child’s school about drop-off and pick up procedures as the number of families utilizing their own transportation has increased dramatically and we want it to be as efficient and safe as possible.
At Home Supported Learning is ready at the High and Middle school. Please contact those schools directly for the details and expectations of this program. We have advertised and expect to interview next week a Teaching Principal for the K - 5 program. Although we have drafted expectations for the program hiring the appropriate person is key to beginning the program. Our goal is to have the program up and running sometimes during the week of September 14th if hiring goes well.
All schools have developed standard operating procedures (SOP) around health and safety requirements. I am sharing open house videos from the middle school and high school. Also, see some of the safety procedures can be found here. (Click on the links!) All schools will be utilizing outdoor spaces this fall as well which will provide unique learning opportunities! I encourage you to speak with your child(ren) about our SOP’s and reach out to the teachers or building administrators for further information if you have questions or concerns.
Although the start of this school year is going to be very different RSU #38 is well on it’s way to making it a safe, memorable, and dynamic learning experience. Our staff is ready, the building spaces are ready, and we sincerely look forward to the return of our students! Tuesday, September 8th is the start of the new year with students and we continue to be committed to being a caring school community dedicated to excellence! See you soon!
Sincerely,
James Charette
Superintendent of Schools