Pool Testing Consent Links

by KDemmons, posted in Uncategorized

To Parent / Guardian and Employees;

At Calais School Department we seek to maintain a safe environment for employees, students, families, and the community. To support those goals, we have partnered with Concentric by Ginkgo to provide an optional and free pooled testing program https://www.concentricbyginkgo.com/.

But first, we need your help! We are requesting each family to participate in this program to help safeguard the wellbeing of our entire school community. Please sign the consent request below and read the attached overview from Concentric to answer some questions you may have.

A paper consent form is available upon request. Please contact your child’s school.

To get started, please fill out the consent form with your permission to perform a COVID-19 pooled test for your student at Calais School Department. This process should take no more than 5 minutes to complete using a computer or a smartphone.

  1. First, click here (https://testcenter.concentricbyginkgo.com/minor-consent).

  2. Then, enter this access code:

    1. **Calais Middle/High School code [UHLIUC] (That is a capital i, not an L or 1)

    2. **This is the code only for our Cobscook Experiential Program Site in Trescott [CCLCII] (Those are capital i, not an L or 1)

    3. **Calais Elementary code is different [CES2021]

    4. ** Calais Alternative code is also different [CAS2021]

  3. Finally, enter your child’s information, and you’re done!

Note: If you need to provide consent for more than one child, please complete the process once for each child.

“Our school is using a rapid antigen test to provide “quick tests” for any individual in a positive pool.”

What is pooled testing?

Pooling can test 25 people using one test. All students in a class, pod, or cohort swab their own noses and place their swabs in a single tube (that’s the pooling step). The samples in that tube are then run as a single sample, using one test. See it in action here.

https://www.concentricbyginkgo.com/how-it-works/

Why pooled testing? Why should my student participate?

You know the old saying: “knowledge is power.” Tools like pooled testing empower us to make great decisions. Without knowing the specific prevalence of COVID-19 in our school, it’s tough for us to make informed decisions about safeguarding our school community, returning to school, or continuing in-person learning.

Only students with completed consent forms are able to participate in testing. If you do not want your family to participate, your student will not be included in the testing program. Though, we hope you do!

Testing empowers us to make these informed decisions about in-person learning and allows students, teachers, and staff to come to school with peace of mind.

To learn more about pooled testing, watch this video from another school using this service. http://concentricbyginkgo.com/#salem

For more information, visit Concentric by Ginkgo’s website https://www.concentricbyginkgo.com/ or reach out to your child’s school.

Thank you,

Mary Anne Spearin

From the Superintendent of Schools Office

by KDemmons, posted in Uncategorized
August 31, 2021
From the Supt of Schools Office:
Due to serious concerns about the potential spread of the Covid virus and based on information from Calais Administration and Calais Recreation Department I am issuing the following announcement:
NEW CALAIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROTOCOL (effective immediately):
· Calais Elementary School will have a delayed opening until Tuesday, September 7, 2021
· Upon their return to classes Calais Elementary School students and all employees will wear masks in the building until we are able to begin pool testing. The expected date of pool testing is Monday, September 13th
NEW CALAIS MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL AND CALAIS ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL PROTOCOLS (effective immediately):
· Calais High/Middle School and Calais Alternative School will begin classes as previously scheduled tomorrow, Wednesday, September 1, 2021
· All students and employees will wear masks while inside the building until we are able to begin pool testing. The expected date of pool testing is Tuesday, September 14th

Calais School Department Pool Testing

by KDemmons, posted in Uncategorized
Dear Calais School Department Families,
Calais Elementary School, Calais Middle/High School, and Calais Alternative School will be adding a new strategy to our COVID-19 prevention measures this year; voluntary “pooled testing”. Pooled testing means that students and staff in a classroom will have a COVID-19 test (PCR) once a week. Students participating in pooled testing will not need to be quarantined from school if they are considered close contacts of a positive case, as long as they do not have symptoms. Pooled testing is a voluntary program, and all testing is free. Parents must sign a consent form in order for their child to participate. We believe pooled testing will be an important part of keeping classrooms safe and will greatly reduce the amount of days any student will need to be out of school in quarantine.
HERE IS HOW POOLED TESTING WORKS
One day per week, each student who is enrolled in the program will do a self nasal swab in class (younger students may need help getting started and will be monitored). Each child will be given a swab, and they will put it just inside each nostril, and then all of the swabs for the class will be placed into one testing tube.
The tube will be sent to a lab. In about 48 hours, the nurse will see the results of the test. If the tube, or “pool”, is negative, nothing needs to be done. The class will continue to be tested on a regular weekly basis.
If a tube is positive, each person in that group must have another test. The nurse will do a rapid “BinaxNOW” test at school. Each student that has a negative test can return to class
Any student who is positive must stay in the isolation room and their parent/guardian will be notified. The parent must come to school to pick up their child. A student who is positive for COVID cannot stay in school and cannot ride the bus home. Please have a plan to pick up your child from school during school hours in the event your child becomes ill. Please be sure the school has your most up to date contact information.
Following our current CDC guidelines, anyone who is a close contact of a positive case and is NOT part of pooled testing, will need to be quarantined for 10 days. A COVID test is recommended 5-7 days from exposure.
Any student who is a close contact and IS participating in pooled testing, can continue to come to school as long as they do not have symptoms of COVID. Students who are part of pooled testing may continue to come to school because they are being tested weekly for COVID, however at this time may only participate in school based activities (not community based such as recreation programs).
IMPORTANT: Any student who has symptoms of COVID-regardless if they are a part of pooled testing or not- must stay home until symptoms have resolved and/or they have been cleared by their physician.
BinaxNOW Antigen Testing Information:
This year, CES has opted into a State of Maine program that will allow us to use Abbott BinaxNOW Ag(antigen) tests to test staff and students who develop symptoms of COVID-19 at school at no cost to families. This test provides results in 15 minutes. The BinaxNOW permission form will be valid for one year, stay in your child’s health file, and only be used if testing is needed (and for follow ups to a positive pool test if needed). School nurses will share your child’s results with you and your child’s primary care physician if needed. We will only use this test for students/staff who have signed consent on file and who develop some of the following signs and symptoms of COVID-19 during the school day:
Fever, cough, fatigue, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, diarrhea, muscle aches
In the event that BinaxNOW testing needs to take place at school due to symptoms:
Students will be supervised by a nurse with self-swab or the nurse will perform the swab as necessary. The school nurse will be in communication with the parent/guardian of anyone tested and results will be shared at that time. CDC guidance will be followed for a positive result.
Students who do not have completed forms on file cannot be tested at school, which may affect their ability to attend school and other school related activities.
Symptomatic students will be sent home and will still be required to meet return to school guidelines as appropriate.
Parents/guardians that opt out of school testing will need to arrange testing through their PCP or other testing site if directed to do so by the Maine CDC and return to school guidelines.
Consent forms will be sent home with back to school packets and we strongly encourage you to fill them out as soon as possible. Our goal is to start testing mid September. Please do not hesitate to contact the school for any questions or concerns.

Emergency Relief (ESSER) Grant

by KDemmons, posted in Uncategorized

Calais School Department

ESSER 3

School Administrative Unit American Rescue Plan (ARP)

Elementary and Secondary School

Emergency Relief (ESSER) Grant

The Calais School Department has received the ESSER 3 ARP Grant Award of $1,971,324. This grant can be used to combat the learning gaps caused by Covid-19, air quality in school, Social Emotional Learning, sanitization of school, building improvement to help meet Covid-19 guidelines, and technology. The following are the projects that the Calais School Department will complete using these funds.

  • Summer Programming and Summer Learning Camps
  • High-quality tutoring during and after school
  • Credit Recovery
  • Class Size Reduction and Additional Staffing
  • Staff Professional Development in Research Based Interventions
  • Resources to decrease Reading and Math gaps
  • Sanitize schools and buses
  • Provide busing for summer programming
  • Social Emotional Counselor and Activities
  • Update Technology Infrastructure
  • High School Roof Picks
  • Add an Art Teacher
  • Air Ventilation
  • Add Classrooms onto the Elementary School building