Month: August 2020

From Mrs. Mary Anne Spearin, CMHS Principal –

As the Calais School Department prepares to reopen in September 2020, there is important information we need to collect from each of our student families. We are asking for your commitment to the information you provide in this form. If you have more than 1 student at two or more of our schools, please complete only ONE form. If you run into any challenges, please contact our school’s front office for assistance. Calais Elementary School 454-2000, Calais Middle/High School 454-2591, or Calais Alternative School 454-8143. We respectfully request that families complete the forms by Friday, August 21, 2020.

Please click the following link to access the information form. https://forms.gle/33vZiqU9WGrrSdaV8

Thank you and stay safe,

Brief explanation of CSD Reentry Plan for Fall 2020-

~All students will be assigned to Group 1 or Group 2 prior to the start of school, with the exception of Head Start PreK students, who will attend in-person every day. Every effort will be made to keep all students within the same families/household in the same student group.

~All schools will open with an alternating daily schedule of In-person instruction and At-home reinforcement activities. Please refer to the sample images below.

~The start date for Group 1 will be September 14, 2020, and the start date for Group 2 will be September 15, 2020.

~Masks are required for students, but they will be provided frequent mask breaks throughout the day. Students with medical conditions that create challenges for wearing a mask may make arrangements for face shields to be worn instead.

~All staff will wear masks or face shields.

~Student desks will have plexiglass shields to aid in frequency of mask breaks.

~Students will maintain at least 3 feet social distancing.

~Parents and guardians will need to screen students for symptoms before coming to school each day. A screening checklist will be provided to parents/guardians.

~The school department will provide lunches to students who wish to have bagged meals for their at-home day.

~Child care options are being made available for those families who may not have alternative options for the at-home day.

~Parents and guardians, who wish to have their students attend virtually, will need to commit to certain guidelines for expectations including virtual attendance and classwork submissions. This arrangement must be made directly with building administration.

~Students, who may face challenges with device access, may sign out a device through the school department.

Follow this link to view a recent WQDY interview with Supt Ron Jenkins:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2569728449946045

Message From

Ron Jenkins, Superintendent of Schools

Calais School Department

Plan to Open School in the Fall

While there still are a number of details to be worked out, the following is a list of those things that have been approved by the Calais School Committee:

• The first student day will be Monday September 14^th. We expect the school day to be the same as last year.
• Teachers and staff will return as was originally planned. Training and workshops will be held to help facilitate a smooth start.
• There will be two options for student’s receiving instruction
  • Students may receive regular instruction in the classroom on a modified schedule (Half of the students will attend on specified days to be determined in the very near future.)
  • Students may attend virtual classes (distance learning) via an internet connection provided by the school. There will be guidelines for accessing distance learning in order to receive credit.
• We will follow Maine CDC Guidelines for reopening school
  • Social Distancing will be observed
  • Masks will be required of all students and staff. Breaks will be required and Calais School Department Administration will work with staff to determine conditions and lengths of time they must be worn.  We are working on an alternative to masks such as shields for students that have a medical reason why masks should not be worn.
• There will be a plan for elementary students to receive additional help and supervision at an off school site on the days that they are not scheduled for teacher to student instruction. This service will be provided at no cost to parents.
• The rules for riding our buses will be provided very soon.

I fully understand that what we will be doing is not ideal.  We hope to be back to a more normal situation, but exactly when that can happen remains elusive.  Our primary concern remains the safety of our students.  We will never know if what we are doing is more than is necessary, but I am sure that if we do too little it will become abundantly clear.  We thank you for trusting us with your most precious children and young adults.