Calais Schools

This is a reminder that Calais School Department Group I students first day  back to school will be Monday, September 14th and Group II students will start on Tuesday, September 15th. CM/HS students should be dropped off by 7:30am. Students are encouraged to bring closed water bottles to school as drinking fountains will not be used. We will have water available in the cafeteria as in previous years, and we will have water bottle filling stations in the coming weeks. On the first day of school students will receive packets including emergency contact, lunch forms/links, health center information, etc. that will need to be completed and returned to school.

Included as attachments you will find the the pre-screening tool and health protocols for attending school, being sent home sick from school, and the return to school after being sick. Please remember to call school if your child will be home sick.

A corrected middle and high school student daily schedule has been attached as well. Please note the only change was Lunch B and Lunch C switched groups. The high school lunches will take place back to back (at 10:35 and 11:15) with Lunch C being middle school (11:56am).

We look forward to seeing all of our students next week!

On Thursday, September 10, 2020 the annual Freshmen Orientation was held at Calais High School.  Students began the day with a virtual welcome address during which several staff members discussed their content area, advisory/coach capacity, as well as services offered at CHS.  After spending some time becoming familiar with their locker combinations, they then followed the daily schedule to familiarize themselves with their teachers as well as room locations.  At the end of the day they returned to their homerooms to reflect on the day.

 

The Blue Devil Health Center will open for services on September 14. We will be offering medical, behavioral, and nursing services (medications, immunizations, etc.) as in the past. Parents are encouraged to book appointments in advance. In order to keep students and staff safe, we will be following the Maine CDC guidelines for health care offices. These practices include screening of all persons for flu or Covid-like symptoms prior to entry, limiting the number of patients who may be in the center at one time, proper use of face masks/coverings for all persons in the health center, and physical distancing whenever possible. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like further information or to make an appointment. 454-8262

Dear Calais Middle/High School parents, guardians, and students:

On behalf of the Calais Middle/High School faculty and staff, I am pleased to welcome you to the 2020-2021 school year! It is with great excitement that we welcome students back into the halls of Calais Middle/High School.

With the start of the 2020-2021 school year came several challenges to meet the guidelines for Covid-19. For that reason, CM/HS will open with in-person instruction, but students will alternate days of attending in-person with at-home reinforcement activity days. Students have been split into two groups – Group I and II. A calendar, which includes all days your student(s) will attend in-person, has been included in this packet.

When you receive your same packet in the mail, it will include to which group your student(s) were assigned.

An information request form for parents was sent to parents in August. This form asked families whether students would be attending in-person for instruction or if students would be attending virtually. It also asked whether a consistent and dependable device was available at home. If you didn’t have a chance to complete the survey, please contact the front office at 454-2591 to let us know how your student will attend classes and whether a device is needed.

Students attending virtually will be required to “meet” with administration and parents to review the expectations of virtual attendance. This meeting can be done through zoom or another online format. For virtual attendance, students will be required to log into each scheduled class every other day on the same schedule as their assigned group. Students will be required to electronically submit their assignments on time, as assigned by individual teachers.

For students attending in-person, masks are required though frequent mask breaks will be given to students throughout the day. In addition, the Calais School Department requires parents to use the enclosed Pre-screening Tool for School Attendance each morning to check your student(s) for Covid symptoms. Please review the most common and less common symptoms list on the tool. Within the school building students will be required to follow the 3 – 6 foot social distancing guidelines during classes, transitions, and when on breaks. Students eating lunch must follow the 6 foot social distancing requirement. Additional hand sanitizing stations will be located throughout the building including the cafeteria, plexiglass shields have been placed on desks in classrooms, and our custodial staff will be disinfecting our classrooms regularly as well as continuously disinfecting high contact surfaces throughout the school. The Calais School Department is currently refining district protocols for students exhibiting Covid-like symptoms at school and protocols for students returning to school after symptoms. These specific protocols will be shared soon.

The CM/HS school day start time will remain the same and begin with a homeroom bell at 7:35am. Students arriving at homeroom after this bell are considered tardy, so please be sure students arrive at homeroom  prior to the 7:35am bell. We recommend students are dropped off by 7:30am to allow time for students to go to lockers and arrive on time to homerooms.

Just a quick reminder for students to turn off cell phones and electronic devices during the school day. Students can use their phones prior to the 7:30am bell, during their designated lunch period, and after the dismissal bell at 1:54pm. Parents, who must be in contact with their students, should contact our front office, as students will not be able to check their phones until their scheduled lunch time or after school.

Dismissal times this year will be staggered to reduce crowding during transition. Please note on the student schedule student dismissal time has changed to 1:54-2:00. The slight change comes with the move to students receiving instruction from all courses each day they attend in-person and because of the staggered dismissal.

Calais Middle/High School will be purchasing water bottle filling stations. It is recommended that students have a closed water bottle for school. We are asking that students please refrain from bringing outside drinks into the building during school hours.

We are asking for parents/guardians who wish for their student(s) to take home a bagged breakfast and/or lunch for their at-home days, please complete the form found at https://forms.gle/dZr7YsataqRwzEVs8.

CM/HS families will be able to access and complete the Free & Reduce Breakfast and Lunch Forms online.  Please click the follow link to complete the form. All families need to complete a Free & Reduced form each school year. https://nlappscloud.com/Welcome.aspx?apply=1&api=f6cb414c831f9204b764c851590c28e6&op=95cc0db2bbbcbcf870c385aff06fafff#loaded If you are unable to access the form online, a paper copy can be provided upon request.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call us at 454-2591.

Mary Anne Spearin

Principal CM/HS

2020-2021 Revised School Calendar –

Freshmen Orientation Day –

Group 1 Calendar Qtr 1 –

Group 2 Calendar Qtr 2 –

Pre-Screening Tool –

Daily Schedule –