MSAD 35

Fall Reopening Information August 18, 2021 This evening, August 18, the MSAD 35 Board of Directors approved the MSAD 35 2021 – 2022 School Re-Opening and Re-entry Plan. This plan was developed in accordance with the Maine Center for Disease Control, The Maine Department of Education, MSAD 35 Advising Physician, MSAD 35 District Nurses. As stated during the spring, MSAD 35 schools are preparing for the full return of students to in-person instruction. We are extremely excited about this and are looking forward to welcoming students on September 1st and 2nd. The creation of this plan has been a trying task. Health and safety requirements and recommendations have been released slowly over the past three weeks. On Thursday, August 12, 2021, the standard operating procedure from the Maine Department of Education was released. As you review that document, there are portions of that document that are requirements, such as how close contracts are determined, and other portions that are recommendations, such as whether or not to be involved in pool testing. As we developed this plan, there were two critical components that were at the core of our decision-making. Those core issues are the safety of students, staff, and our community and the best way to keep students in school. Universal masking for our district schools will be part of this plan. For the 2020 – 2021 academic year, our greatest struggle was the fact that 719 students in our district had to quarantine due to the fact that they were considered close contacts. Consider that a typical quarantine lasts 8 to 14 days. That is in excess of 6,000 days (calculating for weekends) of instruction or days where families were adversely impacted by quarantine. Under the Maine Department of Education Standard Operating Procedures, universal masking in a school building will eliminate the need to contact trace in a classroom setting (not cafeteria), if all staff and students are masked appropriately. With this change in procedure, universal masking may significantly reduce the number of quarantine days, allowing students to attend school in person with far fewer interruptions. It also may significantly decrease the negative impact on families' schedules and provide the safest environment for students and staff. I fully understand that many members of our community have drastically different opinions on the topic of masking. Please understand that this was an extremely difficult decision. With the Federal Center for Disease Control, Maine CDC, The American Academy of Pediatrics, and our District Physician supporting masking, the focus on the safety of all students was the deciding factor. I have been in contact with the Maine CDC in order to gain an understanding of the vaccination and community transmission thresholds in which they would no longer recommend masking for our high school students. It is my hope to remove the masking requirement at Marshwood High School, where staff and students have the opportunity to be vaccinated, as soon as we safely can. As vaccines for our younger students become available and recommendations from public health organizations evolve we will continue to evaluate and adjust our plans and procedures. I have included a link to the district’s “MSAD 35 School Reopening Plan” to this letter. This is a detailed document that will provide answers to the vast majority of questions. In addition, the document includes a Frequently Asked Questions section to provide clarity on specific questions. In addition, you will be hearing from your child’s individual school(s) in the next 10 days to prepare for the start of the school year. This plan will go into effect on Monday, August 23rd, 2021. As always, I am grateful for the community's support our district has received during this difficult time. It was my hope that this school year would allow us to return to a more normal school experience. We will need to once again be vigilant and work together as we continue to navigate this global pandemic. John Caverly

District School Board Agenda for August 18, 2021 https://5il.co/xb8k

Mr. Caverly's District Update https://5il.co/w3vs

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https://5il.co/vrwn School Board Agenda for July 21, 2021

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Marshwood School Calendar for 2021-2022

School Board Agenda for June 16th https://5il.co/u2py

June 11, 2021 Gratitude Over the past week, I have been writing this letter in my mind over and over again. Every time I feel as though I’m making progress, the message it sends does not seem to carry my heartfelt sentiments and gratitude to all of you. How do you say thank you to a community that has stood hand-in-hand with our district in order to serve the needs of our children? As I answer that question, I keep going back to one simple point: children are a gift. To work with them and watch them grow is a blessing for any educator. For a parent, there are few greater acts of trust that reach the magnitude of sharing the responsibility of helping nurture and grow your children. Yet, in the midst of a pandemic, that concept of trust began to have a greater meaning. Our schools needed to evolve from a traditional educational setting to one which now focused equally on so much more than reading and writing. We evolved into centers to provide meals to greater numbers of families. We established medical management systems to respond to and prevent the spread of COVID 19. Our facilities management evolved from concerns about waxing and washing of floors, to managing air exchange and ionization systems. We adapted a classroom environment with 22 students sitting in desks in front of teachers to flexible settings that allowed for remote, hybrid, and in-person learning. Parents were asked to make extremely difficult decisions. Do I send my child to school in person in the midst of a global pandemic, or do I have my child learn remotely and miss time with their peers? To compound this decision, each family needed to determine what they could support financially as the pandemic adversely impacted many in our communities. In order to make these difficult choices, we needed to trust one another. Honestly, there were many people across the state who felt that schools would likely go fully remote by October. I remember the fear I had when writing the district in early September to share the information about our first positive COVID 19 case in one of our schools. Together, we navigated the fall, and when numbers began to spike in November, December, January and February, we stayed the course. Together, we continued to move forward with both hands tightly on the wheel. Then in early May, as numbers began to decrease, we were able to slowly lessen the restrictions in our schools. Together, we managed that. I know that at times things were not perfect. Hindsight is 20/20, and there are many things that I could have done differently. That said, there are two things that will not change. First is the health and safety of our students, staff and community will always be our priority. Second is the importance of being open and honest as we build trust with our community. There are many lessons that we will all take away from this pandemic and this school year, but I hope one of those lessons is that we are stronger together, and our differences make us stronger. Thank you for all that you have done to support our students and staff! I never imagined that being a Superintendent of Schools would involve what the last 16 months have brought. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you, the staff thanks you and our students thank you. What lies ahead? On Wednesday, some positive news was released from Governor Mills. In that press release, it was shared that starting in the Fall of 2021 there will be no social distancing requirements in schools (other than lunchtime). At this point, masks will still be required. Schools are also being recommended to implement pool testing, which is volunteer weekly COVID 19 testing for unvaccinated students. I have been working with the district nursing staff and we will be providing more information about this in late July, to include an interest survey. If we have learned one thing, it is that State guidance may change between now and the start of school in the fall. In fact, as I was revising this letter, I received a Priority Notice from Governor Mills stating that the State of Civil Emergency will be ending on June 30, 2021. The notice further states that “the last remaining face covering requirement, which only applies to indoor Pre-K to 12 schools and child care setting, will end June 30th. The Maine CDC will continue to strongly recommend, but not require, that all unvaccinated people wear face coverings indoors.” Stay tuned. We are planning for a full, in-person return to school in the fall and a return to our traditional weekly schedule that was in place prior to the pandemic. We will be returning to our regular bussing capacities and 7-hour school day. Individual schools will be reaching out over the summer to share more in-depth information and schedule details. Our district continues to value diversity, ensure equity and model inclusion. As students return to school in the fall, we will focus first on building connections with students. All students should feel safe, valuable and connected with others in their school. There are many students who will be attending school in-person for the very first time, and it is important that we meet each child where they are and provide the support needed to grow both personally and academically. Parents of seniors, please enjoy graduation this evening. What a testament to the resiliency of the class of 2021. I can only imagine the emotions that you all must be feeling. Joy, excitement, and pride. Yesterday I had the opportunity to share the “Full Circle” experience with our seniors. To see their happy faces truly warmed my heart. What those seniors may not have realized is that for our staff, it was a beautiful reminder of why we chose to become educators. As the seniors moved from building to building, a beautiful energy was left in their wake. In many ways, it signaled the start of the healing and return to normalcy for our district. That was the gift your children provided the district yesterday. As I write this, it is with tears in my eyes but warmth in my heart. Thank you, class of 2021! Enjoy tonight, being together with family and friends is a wonderful gift for us all! Parents, thank you for sharing your most precious gift with MSAD 35! Humbled to be in partnership, John Caverly Superintendent of Schools

Two weeks ago, Marshwood Adult Education and our community congratulated the Adult Ed class of 2021 graduates. We want to give special thanks to our guest speakers, the custodial and technology staff for their assistance, and the graduates who have worked tirelessly for their diplomas! Pictured: Superintendent John Caverly, Adult Education Director Linda Greer, History teacher Cari Quater, and 2021 graduate Ashley Rice.

MSAD 35 News June 9, 2021 Dear Families and Staff, First of all thanks for your hard work, patience and support during this school year; it was tough but here we are, June 2021 and things are definitely looking brighter! A couple of notes on the upcoming vaccination clinic: COVID Vaccination Clinics will be held on June 11 at MHS from 8:30-10:00 and MMS from 10:15-12:15. Your student’s vaccination card is at the site (school) where they received their first dose. If you need to get the second dose at a different site, please contact the RN at the school where the first dose was administered to pick up their card. Your student can receive the first dose during this clinic. You will need to fill out the consent form for them to bring with them. If you need a consent form, please contact me Judy Doran RN or your school nurse and we’ll send one out to you. You are welcome to be present and can fill out a consent on site but your attendance is not required. The Pfizer vaccine has received Emergency Use Authorization for children aged 12 and up and is widely available in Maine if you decide to hold off on getting your child vaccinated now but would like to in the future. COVID-19 Vaccinations are our ticket out of this pandemic. The more people who are vaccinated, the less restrictions we all face and the safer our communities are for all people. I often get too wordy in these letters, but today I’m going to keep it short. Thanks again! Thank you Bus Drivers! Thank you Custodians! Thank you Teachers! Thank you Ed Techs! Thank you Admin Assists! Thank you Food Service Folks! Thank you Families! Thank you Kids! Thank you Admin! Thank you Nurses, every one in every building! You all put in mighty effort and kept up with us as we tried to figure out next best steps. I think the next best step is taking a minute to breathe, giving ourselves credit for this year, allowing some down time, being patient with one another and moving forward. OK maybe some ice cream, parks, mountains, beach, music, dining, hiking, connecting with friends, family, whatever…...just remember you’ve all been through the wringer, some more than others. Take the time you need to breathe and move forward. Thanks again and here’s to summer! The MSAD35 Nursing Team

June 4, 2021 Good Afternoon, Today, Friday, June 4, 2021, I am pleased to announce that Governor Janet Mills, working in collaboration with the Maine Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Maine Center for Disease Control, has updated the State of Maine risk assessment color coding-system, maintaining York County’s status as “Green”. I am even more pleased that the Department of Health and Human Services will discontinue updating the biweekly coding system and will move to an “as needed” model. I take this change as another indication that we are making great strides in overcoming this pandemic. What a long road this has been! All schools will continue to provide in-person instruction, as outlined in our Reopening Plan. The buildings will continue to follow their published schedules. Thank you all for your continued support of our students, staff and schools. Please remember: Let’s all fly like H.A.W.K.S. H - Hands, wash them when you enter or leave a room. A - Assess - Self Assess your health every day. If you are sick, stay home. W - Wellness - Be aware of your mental and physical wellness. K - Keep your masks on. S - Social Distance We are all in this together!! ------------------ As this pandemic continues to stress, not only to us as individuals, but also as an entire country, we believe that is important to celebrate some of the wonderful things taking place in our schools. Hawks High Fives are an effort to share some of those wonderful things happening across the district. If you would like to share something about a volunteer, staff member or a student, please reach out to Mrs. Vicki Stewart (Vicki.stewart@rsu35.org). A Hawks High Five to all of our Marshwood Seniors. Today is your last day of academics at Marshwood High School. I hope that you enjoy your preparation for the graduation ceremony next week. I know the school year may not have been what you had envisioned, but thank you for showing such resiliency. I am so proud of all of you! Have a wonderful weekend! John Caverly

School Board Meeting 7:00 PM June 2, 2021. https://5il.co/thza

SUMMER CHALLENGE COURSE https://5il.co/tdty

Maine School Administrative District No. 35 Board of Directors – Regular Meeting Agenda Marshwood High School – Auditorium Wednesday, 02 June 2021 –7:00 PM http://www.rsu35.org/board-meeting-stream-information/ 7:00 PM Call to Order Pledge of Allegiance Scheduled Audience to the Public - None Opportunity for Public Comment on items Not on the Agenda Requests to address the Board on matters not on the agenda must be made to the Superintendent and must set forth the specifics of the subject to be addressed. Report of the Secretary: 1. Consideration and action to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of Wednesday, May 12, 2021. Motion: Second: Vote: Report of the Chair Report of the Superintendent Top 10 Marshwood High School Students Recognition of Senior Student Representative to the Board Honoring our District Retirees Budget Validation Referendum Date – June 8, 2021 Town Officials Meeting – June 9, 2021 Resignation of Maureen Doran, Teacher Central School Student Report Other Correspondence: Report of the Committees: Report of the Finance and Facilities Committee – Next meeting June 16, 2021 Report of the Educational Policy Committee –Report on May 26, 2021 meeting Wellness Committee/Social Emotional Learning Committee – Meetings to resume in Fall New Business: 1. Consideration and action to approve the 2021-2024 Nurses Contract. Motion: Second: Vote: Yea: Nay: Adjournment Motion: Second: Vote:

May 27, 2021 Dear Families and Students, Marshwood Fall sports sign-up portals on FormREleaf will be opened Thursday May 27th, 2021 for anyone looking to play sports at Marshwood High School and/or Marshwood Middle School next year. Please go on before June 4th to ensure we have accurate numbers for students looking to participate. All High School Fall practices begin Monday, August 16th. All schedules with games and practices will be located on www.digitalsports.com. These will be updated by June 11th. All Fall Middle School practices will begin Wednesday, September 8th and all schedules will be located on digitalsports.com as well. Again, please sign up your child during the May 27th through June 4th date so we can get accurate information on teams needed. Coaching contact information will be located on www.formreleaf.com on the Marshwood site so you may contact coaches directly with questions.

May 24, 2021 Good Afternoon, On Friday, May 21, 2021 Governor Janet Mills, working in collaboration with the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Center for Disease Control, maintained the coding of York County as “Green” when updating the State of Maine risk assessment color-coding system. All schools will continue to provide in-person instruction, as outlined in our Reopening Plan. Each building will continue to follow their published schedule. The Maine Department of Education has scheduled the next update of the State of Maine risk assessment color-coding system for Friday, June 4, 2021. The State also reserves the right to update this coding when they deem necessary. I want to inform the district that an individual associated with Marshwood High School has recently tested positive for the COVID 19 virus. All school-related close contacts have been contacted. Questions for Marshwood High School can be directed to Principal Robert Scully by calling (207) 384-4500. I also want to share with the district that we will continue to monitor and respond to Maine Department of Education and CDC guidelines as they are updated. As information is released there is potential that public messaging in the media may conflict with the reality of implementing those recommendations and changes in the context of our schools. This is particularly difficult as Marshwood High School looks at end of the year opportunities for seniors. For example, recently released verbiage would lead people to believe that schools could hold traditional end of the year activities, such as a dance or prom. Although this is technically true, what isn’t shared is that MSAD 35 would be required by the Maine Department of Education and the Maine CDC to contact trace in the event of a positive case in attendance. There is potential that this could result in a significant number of unvaccinated students being required to quarantine for 10 days, resulting in them missing end of the year events, such as graduation. With that being said, we are in contact with the Department of Education and Maine CDC multiple times a week to create plans to provide as many opportunities as we can, while working within the parameters we are given. We are expecting an update early this week and we are hopeful that the requirements will be revised and clarified for outdoor events. Thank you for your continued support of our students, staff and schools. Please remember: Let’s all fly like H.A.W.K.S. H - Hands, wash them when you enter or leave a room. A - Assess - Self Assess your health every day. If you are sick, stay home. W - Wellness - Be aware of your mental and physical wellness. K - Keep your masks on. S - Social Distance We are all in this together!! As this pandemic continues to stress not only us as individuals, but also as an entire country, we believe that it is important to celebrate some of the wonderful things taking place in our schools. Hawks High Fives is an effort to share some of those wonderful things happening across the district. If you would like to share something about a volunteer, staff member or a student, please reach out to Mrs. Vicki Stewart (Vicki.stewart@rsu35.org). A Hawks High Five to Stephanie Thompson, Marshwood Middle School Student Council, and all of the families that contributed to Teacher Appreciation Week celebrations. Thank you for the hard work, thoughtfulness, and special treats and surprises throughout the week! From the Marshwood Middle School Staff A Hawks High Five to District Nurse Judy Doran and all the school nurses for working hard to keep Marshwood schools safe and open. From Kate O'Brien Have a great week -John Caverly

Marshwood Adult Education is pleased to announce the graduating class of 2021! Adult Education Graduation will be held Wednesday, May 26, at 6:30 pm . Congratulations to all graduates!

Change of Times for Vaccination clinic May 18, 2021 We just heard from Northern Light Health of a slight change to the vaccination clinic times: MHS will now be held from 8:30 - 10:00 MMS will now be held from 10:15 - 12:15 The dates of May 21st and June 11th have not changed. Please note that you are welcome to bring your student to either clinic regardless of which school they attend as long as you have a consent form signed. There is still time to sign up, see directions below. Sign Up Instructions Email Northern Light Health at HCHCovid@northernlight.org and put Marshwood Schools in the Subject Line. Put the number of children you need vaccinated in the body of the email. This will generate a request that they send you sign up documentation. The signup process can be done from your cell phone or computer. You are encouraged to sign up at your earliest convenience, however Northern Light Health must receive your email by 8:00 a.m. on May 20. Once you receive the form, it should be completed and returned by 2:00 pm on May 20 You will receive an electronic consent form, which includes screening questions, and also a copy of the Pfizer information sheet ( a fact sheet on the vaccine for you to review). We will need you (parent/guardian only) to complete this form. If the registration form is not complete, your child will not be vaccinated. If you have insurance please complete that section (although the vaccine is free there are administration fees that insurance covers). As with flu vaccine, Northern Light will not turn away those without insurance. If you are unable to complete an online form for any reason, please contact Judy Doran RN judith.doran@rsu35.org to have a paper form sent home.

Marshwood Graduation Update