Family Update 9 - 18-2020

September 18, 2020

RE: Family Updates

Dear Students, Families, and Caregivers,

I would like to take this opportunity to update you on a few developments here in RSU 38, however before I do so I’d like to say thank you!  What seemed almost insurmountable just a few short weeks ago finds me marveling that we have completed 2 weeks with students.  This could not have happened without the support of all of our families and communities.  We continue to “check and adjust” as we work through all the details that go into making sure that your child(ren) are healthy and safe while in our care. I encourage you to reach out directly to teachers and building principals with questions or concerns as we continue moving forward.

A couple of important updates:

Beginning Thursday, September 24th we will begin using RUVNA, a digital Covid School Screener.  Parents will be receiving a link each morning that asks the same questions as the paper screener we have been using since the start of school.  We have posted a letter from the nursing team that explains the process and the nursing team put together a short video that walks through a couple of different scenarios that we hope will clarify any questions you may have concerning the Covid Screener. The information in RUVNA is only available to the nursing team and only shows who “passed”, who “failed” and who did not complete the screener.  I encourage you to review the letter and watch the video.  If you have questions you can reach out to the nurse in your child’s building.  Until the app comes online next Thursday please continue to use the paper screener.

Questions have arisen around student expectations on Wednesday and I’d like to provide some information to help you guide your children’s time on this day.  At the elementary level we are asking parents to check their child(ren)’s Seesaw account for a plan from their teacher.  This may include paper and pencil work, Dreambox, Lexia, or other content area activities.  We ask that any work or assignments whether it is paper or digital be completed and returned no later than Friday of the same week.  (Teachers can see activity in Seesaw, Lexia, and Dreambox in individual student accounts.)  If you have questions you can email teachers and they will follow up within 24 hours.

At the middle school level students should be checking their google classrooms for work, assignments, or activities that extend learning.  The schedule for the middle school can be found here. All students are expected to meet assignment timelines that have been established by their classroom teachers.  Teachers also have office hours that have been communicated to the students for extra support as needed.

At the high school level teachers assign work through Google Classroom for Wednesday. This work is a continuation of learning objectives. Teachers have office hours from 10:00-12:00 with students checking in with their teachers to ask questions and receive support and feedback. If your child has an Advanced Placement class teachers often provide direct instruction from 9:00-10:00 with office hours following. The schedule for class times is B1-10:00-10:30, B2-10:30-11:00, B3-11:00-11:30, and B4-11:30-12:00.  Students are expected to meet due dates that are assigned through their course instructors.

Finally, there have been multiple inquiries about playground equipment.  At this time at our elementary schools we are not using the playground equipment.  There is a school liability issue at this time due to Covid 19.  If students are using the equipment it must be cleaned/disinfected after each use.  At this time we simply do not have resources to clean and disinfect after each use, couple this with the fact that we do not have fencing to control access to the playground during non school hours.  We are staying current with our insurance carrier on how to reopen playgrounds safely.  It continues to be a work in progress.  

As always, if you have questions or concerns I encourage you to reach out to your building administrator.  We have had a very positive start to the school year and I am expecting that to continue.  We have wonderful students and an amazing staff that make up this incredible team. Have a wonderful weekend.  Go Bears!

Sincerely,

James Charette

Superintendent