April 3, 2021
Dear Staff, Students, and Families,
This letter is a notification of new cases from Friday, April 2nd and an update to the status of the schools within our district.
A student from Maranacook High School has tested positive for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). We have also had a staff member from RSU 38 test positive for COVID-19. Contact tracing for exposed students and staff has been completed and appropriate notification has been made. We wanted to inform the communities out of an abundance of caution. This week 8 cases have impacted our ability to hold in person instruction in various schools across our district. Due to the surge in cases and the impact this is having on students and staff needing to quarantine as well as our ability to adequately staff our school buildings the following schools will be remote:
Maranacook Community High School will be remote all of next week April 5th thru April 9th.
Maranacook Community Middle School will be remote all of next week April 5th thru April 9th.
Manchester Elementary School will be remote all of next week April 5th thru April 9th.
Readfield Elementary School will be remote all of next week April 5th thru April 9th.
Any student/families that need food service please reach out to Jen Hall, Food Service Director. She can be reached through email at: Jen_Hall@maranacook.org, work phone at (207) 685 - 4923 ext. 1085 or cell phone at (207) 242-0814. Individual arrangements will be made to best facilitate the families needs. Please reach out at your earliest convenience.
The tentative date for return to in person learning for these schools is Monday, April 12th.
Mt. Vernon and Wayne Elementary Schools will run as scheduled. Please note students in these schools may experience some slight time changes in pick up and drop off times due to alternative drivers having to take over the routes for the week.
We are asking all families to continue to use the Ruvna Covid Screening app even during this remote learning period of time and to contact the school nurses should you fail the screener. In this latest round of cases the primary symptoms have been headache, sore throat, cough and runny noes(congestion) - all symptoms that can be associated with a common cold. With the spread of highly contagious variants it is VERY important to identify symptoms and seek guidance. We want to keep all of our students and staff healthy and safe. We urge everyone to err on the side of caution over the course of the month of April to help curb any future spread of COVID-19. Call a health care provider if symptoms start. It is important that you call a healthcare facility before you show up in person. Stay home if you are sick.
COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that ranges from mild to severe. It can be more severe in adults 60 years and older and in those with underlying conditions. The virus mainly spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes and an uninfected person breathes in the virus. Signs and symptoms include:
fever or chills • new loss of taste or smell
cough • sore throat
shortness of breath or difficulty breathing • congestion or runny nose
fatigue • nausea or vomiting
muscle or body aches • diarrhea
headache
Maine CDC recommends prevention measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These measures include proper hand washing with soap and warm water, which is especially important after using the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. When soap and water is not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent 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 into a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Finally, please note that Wednesday, April 7th is an asynchronous learning day at all schools. Teachers will be assigning remote independent learning on this day but will not be teaching “live” sessions. This is the final day of this year for asynchronous school days.
Questions can be directed to the principals or the school nurses by calling the schools directly. For general COVID-19 questions, dial 211 (or 1-866-811-5695). You can also text your ZIP code to 898-211 or email info@211maine.org. Call a health care provider for questions about your symptoms. More information can be found at www.maine.gov/dhhs/coronavirus or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.
Sincerely,
Jay Charette
Superintendent of Schools