Mattanawcook Academy

March 12, 2020

Dear Staff, Parents, and Community Members:

With the tremendous amount of information emerging about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on a daily basis, it is understandable that there is a great deal of anxiety in our community, country, and the world.  I want to take this opportunity to update you on how R.S.U. No. 67 is responding to the challenge of ensuring a safe and healthy environment for all students, staff, and families in our community.

In our schools, extra care for cleaning all surfaces including bathrooms, common space, doorknobs, etc. continues to be in place.  We have instituted a new procedure for wiping down buses at the end of each run.  In addition, all staff and students are being reminded to practice preventative measures (i.e., frequent handwashing, avoiding touching their face, etc.).

Along with the increased cleaning measures, out of an abundance of caution, R.S.U. No. 67 has decided to postpone large-group events including student assemblies, MA’s Musical and Harry Potter Night, MJHS Grade 4 and Grade 5 Concerts, EPB’s Title 1 Literacy Night, and the District Wellness Event.  We will keep you informed if additional modifications to scheduled events are needed in subsequent weeks.

To minimize exposure of illness, students and staff are reminded to stay home if they are ill.  School secretaries have been asked to continue to ask for reasons for student absences in order for us to collect accurate data about illness in our schools.  Staff attendance at workshops and conferences outside of R.S.U. No. 67 has been minimized.  In addition, teachers are being asked to prepare extra sub plans in the event of their own extended absence.

Although the likelihood that we will be closing our schools due to a COVID-19 outbreak is very low, it is not zero.  Our Director of Curriculum and Instruction, in conjunction with our Building Principals, will be working closely with our teaching staff to create a plan for remote learning in the event that schools need to close.  Special care will be taken to ensure equity and access for all students.

As your Superintendent, I want to assure you that R.S.U. 67 is working diligently to ensure that all our schools continue to be safe and healthy environments.  I will continue to carefully monitor this rapidly evolving situation and provide updates to our community.  More detailed information regarding the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) can be found at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.  Stay well.

 

Sincerely,

 

  Jean Skorapa, Superintendent