TO: RSU 63 PARENTS
FROM:  SUSAN SMITH, SUPT. and DAWNA BICKFORD, RSU 63 NURSE
RE:  AT-HOME COVID TESTS
DATE:  TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2022

The state has provided at-home COVID tests for each of our students. We will be sending these home with students over the next few weeks. 

If you would prefer to pick up your child’s test kits at school, please email dbickford@rsu63.org.  Nurse Bickford will arrange to have the test kits waiting for you. 

Please let Ms. Bickford know by Monday, May 23rd if you prefer to pick up the COVID tests from school.

Thank you

TO: RESIDENTS of CLIFTON, EDDINGTON, and HOLDEN
FROM:  SUSAN SMITH, RSU 63 SUPERINTENDENT
RE:  FY23 DISTRICT BUDGET MEETING – JUNE 1, 2022
DATE:  TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2022

The RSU 63 District Budget Meeting for the 2022-2023 School Year (Fiscal Year 2023) will be held in the Holbrook School Gymnasium at 7:00pm on Wednesday, June 1^st. 

Please come Vote! 

Attached is a Budget Summary and Revenue Graph.  Warrant Articles and the complete RSU 63 FY23 Proposed Budget - Version 4 can be found on our website www.rsu63.org  (Click on the “Quick Links” on the left-hand side.)  The RSU 63 Budget and Finance Committee worked hard to keep the assessments due from towns flat.   

The district is dedicated to providing a safe, supportive, and challenging academic environment for our students.  We are also committed to remaining fiscally responsible to our taxpayers.

Please come vote at the Holbrook School on June 1^st and at your Town Office on June 14^th.

If you have any questions, please reach out and ask! 
843-7851 ext. 2 or ssmith@rsu63.org

TO: RSU 63 PARENTS, STAFF, and COMMUNITY MEMBERS
FROM:  SUSAN SMITH, RSU 63 SUPERINTENDENT
RE:  BUS M and A BUS RUNS FRIDAY MORNING MAY 13th
DATE:  THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2022

FRIDAY MORNING May 13^th Bus Runs M and A (PreK – Grade 8)
Due to a shortage of bus drivers again tomorrow, Friday, May 13^th, the timing for RSU 63 morning runs for Bus M and Bus A (PreK to Grade 8) will be different.

Bus M will be picking up students approximately 10 – 15 minutes earlier than usual on Friday morning. 

Bus A will be picking up students approximately 10 – 15 minutes later than usual on Friday morning.    

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to make sure all our students arrive safely.

TO: RSU 63 PARENTS and STAFF
FROM:  SUSAN SMITH, RSU 63 SUPERINTENDENT
RE:  FRIDAY MORNING BUS RUNS – M and A
DATE:  THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2022

FRIDAY MORNING Bus Runs M and A (PreK – Grade 8)
Due to a shortage of bus drivers tomorrow, Friday, May 6^th, the timing of RSU 63 morning runs for Bus M and Bus A (PreK to Grade 8) will be different.

Bus M will be picking up students approximately 10 – 15 minutes earlier than usual on Friday morning. 

Bus A will be picking up students approximately 10 – 15 minutes later than usual on Friday morning. 

We anticipate this change will only be for Friday, May 6^th.  

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to make sure all our students arrive safely.

TO: RSU 63 PARENTS, STAFF, and COMMUNITY MEMBERS
FROM:  SUSAN SMITH, RSU 63 SUPERINTENDENT
RE:  AFTERNOON BUS RUNS and LAST DAY of the 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR
DATE:  TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2022

Afternoon Bus Run Consolidation (PK – Grade 8)
Due to a shortage of bus drivers, RSU 63 afternoon Bus B students will take Buses S and P home.  This change will begin on Monday, May 2^nd and continue through the end of this school year.

This change could delay the arrival home of students on Bus S/B by approximately 10 to 15 minutes and Bus P/B by approximately 10 to 20 minutes.   Students should all be home by 4:20pm.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to make sure all our students arrive home safely.

Last Student Day – Thursday, June 16^th
So far this year, we have had three storm days.  (Let’s hope we do not have any more!)  This means our last student day is now scheduled to be Thursday, June 16^th (with the last staff day on Friday, June 17^th).  Please see attached updated calendar for additional details. 

RSU 63 2021-2022 Updated Calendar 4.26.22 

TO: RSU 63 PARENTS, STAFF, and COMMUNITY MEMBERS
FROM:  RSU 63 BOARD of DIRECTORS
DATE:  APRIL 14, 2022

With spring upon us and the end of the 2021/2022 school year fast approaching, we wanted to take a minute to reflect over the last two years and look to the future.  In March 2020, we all remember when we got the message saying our schools were closing but didn’t really know what that meant.  Weeks turned into months and our students never returned to school that school year.  Parents and teachers did their best to keep kids engaged and learning but no one was prepared for how difficult the next two years would be.  No one.

Fast forward to today.  We are the closest we have been to what school looked like in March 2020, and we have the opportunity to put the past behind us and move forward - united - with a keen focus on what our students and district needs.  We all want the same thing, our children to receive the highest quality education they can while being supported emotionally.  We want our educators and district staff to love working for our district and to feel supported.  We, as the RSU 63 school board, are committed to moving this district forward and want to acknowledge how difficult the last two years have been and say thank you.

Thank you to our students who persevered through what likely will be the most challenging two years in their academic lives.  Their resiliency is incredible. 

Thank you to the parents who became teachers while juggling work, school, and a multitude of other commitments.  Thank you for supporting your children and showing up at school board meetings to make your voices heard. 

Thank you to our teachers for being flexible, nimble, and putting your students’ needs ahead of your own.  We owe you a great deal of gratitude and we hope you know how appreciated you are.

Thank you for our district staff: our bus drivers, ed techs, secretaries, cooks, custodians, and many others.  Without all of you supporting our schools’ operations, we never would have made it through the last two years.  Thank you too for your constant flexibility.

Thank you to our school administrators and superintendent for leading our district through these challenging times.

As our focus shifts forward, we want to update you on changes coming to our district and some exciting initiatives.  As many of you are aware, Superintendent Susan Smith, has resigned effective June 2^nd.  We thank Susan for her dedication to the district and wish her well in her future endeavors.  The school board has engaged the Maine School Management Association and is actively working to hire an interim superintendent.  The school board will also begin a search for a permanent superintendent and anticipates seeking input from parents, teachers, and district staff during this process.  In addition, Ashley Allen, principal for Holbrook Middle School, will not be returning next year and a search will begin for a new principal.  We apologize to those families that first heard about this in the Bangor Daily News as we always strive for our families and community to hear directly from us on important updates such as these.  We thank Ms. Allen for her dedication and wish her the very best. 

As our district comes out of the pandemic and assesses the resources needed for our students, educators, and district staff, the RSU 63 school board is excited to be embarking on a strategic planning initiative to strengthen our district and set clear goals that we can work towards.  We believe this planning is critical and encourage anyone interested in joining this project to please reach out to Shelley Wyman at swyman@rsu63.org if you are interested in joining the Strategic Planning Committee. 

In addition, we encourage you to join us at a school board meeting or to reach out to us if you have an idea, concern, feedback, etc. that you think the school board should be aware of.  As the saying goes, it takes a village…. 

Thank you for your commitment to our students and district. 

Good Afternoon Holbrook Community, 

I am writing to let you know that this will be my last year as Holbrook Principal. Together we made it through two challenging years of COVID-19 and we continue to make positive strides back to a strong and comfortable place of learning for all of our students.

Holbrook School is filled with talented educators and hard-working students which makes it an amazing place to work. I thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your leadership team and for your support as we finish out the year. 

Respectfully, 

Ashley Allen

I am proud of the RSU 63 staff. As Superintendent, I see and hear a lot of what they do.

Over the past two years the RSU 63 staff

• have learned new technology.
• boxed and bagged thousands of meals, worked together to deliver those meals to many smiling faces and to a heated warning (don’t come on my property again, I have a shotgun).
• They took care of more than 26 students who were so depressed they were considering suicide.
• They went outside to greet students rain and shine, when it was 90° and when it was 10° below zero. They made sure the kids got safely in the schools, on the buses, and into the right cars.
• They kept their eyes open and reported to me when the person with schizophrenia was on our grounds and when a student got into a vehicle with an unsafe driver.
• They wore masks and reminded students and each other to mask up, hoods down, use hand sanitizer, stay apart, be safe.
• They helped our students process the January 6^th riot on the Capitol building, the Black Lives Matter protest, their fear of Covid, deaths of parents, and the incarceration of other parents.
• They moved furniture from one place to another and back again countless times.
• They made hundreds of difficult phone calls to keep parents and staff informed about Covid.
• They transported homeless students from various locations in Bangor and Brewer so the students could have a stable education.
• They taught the multiplication tables and quadratic equations, how to read, write, and reason.
• They incorporated many outdoor education activities into the school day and provided after school support, sports and other physical activities (Hiking Club, Backyard Games, Ultimate Frisbee) as well as enrichment and engagement opportunities (such as Minecraft and American Sign Language).
• They modeled the RSU 63 core values and recognized students when they exhibited kindness, compassion, courage, honesty, respect, and responsibility.
  
  

These good people have worked tirelessly to educate our children, implement health and safety protocols, and follow more than 200 school board policies.  They do these things because they care deeply about our students.  It has been an honor to work with them over the past 10 years and I thank them for their dedication and service to our communities.  Thank you.   

However, it has become clear to me that, at this time, the District needs a different Superintendent.  I have provided the RSU 63 Board of Directors 60 days notice and have let the Board know of my decision to resign, effective May 27^th.  I want you to know I am taking this action because I truly hope it will help the students and staff of RSU 63 have continued success.  I look forward to working together over the next few months towards a smooth transition for the District. 

Respectfully,

Susan M. Smith

TO: RSU 63 PARENTS, STAFF, and COMMUNITY MEMBERS
FROM:  SUSAN SMITH, SUPERINTENDENT/DIRECTOR of CURRICULUM & INSTR.
RE:  RSU 63 COVID PROCEDURES & NEW SOP
DATE:  TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2022

Masks are optional in RSU 63 facilities and on RSU 63 vehicles.
RSU 63 is not contact tracing.
RSU 63 is not participating in pooled testing.

RSU 63 operations are returning back to “pre-COVID” procedures.  Students will eat lunch in the cafeteria by April 1^st.  Parent pick-up will return to normal April 1^st.  All activities will resume including: sports, concerts, graduations, parent teacher conferences, and all IEP and Special Education meetings can resume in person, effective February 28th. 

RSU 63 will continue to follow the current Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Investigation of COVID-19 Cases in Pre-K – 12 Schools issued by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Disease Surveillance. Please see attached.

Maine PK - 12 Schools SOP 

TO: RSU 63 PARENTS, STAFF, and COMMUNITY MEMBERS
FROM:  SUSAN SMITH, SUPERINTENDENT/DIRECTOR of CURRICULUM & INSTR.
RE:  PUBLIC NOTICE:  SCHOOL LEAD WATER SAMPLE RESULTS
DATE:  WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2022

All the water fixtures used in RSU 63 schools for drinking water or preparing food have recently been tested for lead.  Acceptable levels of lead in drinking water have also been lowered.  This helps us create a healthier learning environment for our students. 

The attached documents provide you with specific information and results for the Eddington, Holden, and Holbrook Schools.  Across the district, we have 8 fixtures with lead levels exceeding 4 parts per billion.   Lead in our water is not a systemic problem.  It is isolated to these 8 individual fixtures.  They are all marked as not to be used for drinking.  We are working with local contractors on treatment options and replacing fixtures.

Additional information can also be found at:  www.medwp.com/schools.html

Eddington School Public Notice     Holden School Public Notice    Holbrook School Public Notice 

The RSU 63 Board of Directors decided tonight (Monday, February 28th) that RSU 63 will no longer be contact tracing nor conducting pooled testing.  Masks will be optional on our RSU 63 buses and in RSU 63 facilities (Eddington School, Holden School, Holbrook School, and RSU 63 Bus Garage).  These changes are effective immediately.  We will continue to follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for Investigation of COVID-19 Cases in Pre-K - 12 Schools from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Susan Smith, RSU 63 Superintendent/Director of Curriculum and Instruction

TO: RSU 63 PARENTS, STAFF, and COMMUNITY MEMBERS
FROM:  SUSAN SMITH, SUPERINTENDENT/DIRECTOR of CURRICULUM & INSTR.
RE:  STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE INVITATION
DATE:  MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2022

The RSU #63 Board of Directors is looking for people to provide advice through participation in an RSU #63 Strategic Planning Committee (SPC).

The purpose of the Strategic Planning Committee is to create a recommended three-year strategic plan for RSU #63 that includes review of RSU #63’s current mission, vision, values and goals, staffing models, facilities, and other areas deemed appropriate by the SPC or RSU #63 Board of Directors.    

The SPC will include members from each of the following groups:

RSU #63 School Board (at least 2)

RSU #63 Administrators (at least 2)

RSU #63 Support Staff (at least 2)

RSU #63 Teachers (at least 1 from each school)

Parents of RSU #63 students (at least 1 from each town)

The first SPC meeting is anticipated to occur this spring.  Members would be expected to serve until a draft strategic plan is presented to the RSU #63 Board of Directors.   

If you are interested in being a member of the RSU #63 Strategic Planning Committee, please use the link below to provide the Board with your information. Please complete this on-line form by Friday, February 18^th.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeG2cBU9OaaxBETHujD54gTKAG4O3lYnmsJEpO2SbPoHjxR0A/viewform?usp=sf_link

There will be other times more stakeholders can participate in this process. 

Thank you for considering this opportunity to provide input. 

TO: RSU 63 PARENTS and COMMUNITY
FROM:  SUSAN SMITH, SUPERINTENDENT/DIRECTOR of CURRICULUM & INSTR.
RE:  NEW SOP (again) and RSU 63 COMMUNICATION
DATE:  WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2022

New Standard Operating Procedures for Schools from the Maine CDC
The Maine CDC “Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Investigation of COVID-19 Cases in Pre-K – 12 Schools” have been updated again today, Wednesday, January 12th.   The changes are to “clarify questions from the previous iteration and to offer an option to suspend contact tracing for those schools who are implementing a universal masking policy, defined as ‘A policy of requiring consistent and correct usage of well-fitting masks in indoor spaces for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors, and across all school-based and school-sponsored activities. A universal masking policy allows for removal of masks while eating/drinking in designated spaces, but not for indoor mask breaks.' " (Source: Maine DOE Priority Notice “Updates to Pooled Testing and Standard Operating Procedure” dated Jan. 12, 2022)

The entire updated SOP can be viewed, here. 
https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/2022-01/School%20SOP%2001.11.22%20%282%29.pdf

Communication
While the new SOP does allow RSU 63 to suspend contract tracing, RSU 63 will continue to email individuals who are close contacts from a school exposure to the extent to which we are able.  Close contacts from an RSU 63 exposure will receive an email as quickly as we can, stating the important information regarding when the contact occurred and what to do. 

I will continue to email our school community when there are positive cases associated with RSU 63 schools.  However, that communication will most likely be summary once a week and will not occur with every case.

Pooled Testing
“Pooled testing remains a valuable resource, as it provides serial testing and early detection of cases of COVID-19. For families without the means or resources to access a test, this program is critical for ensuring equitable options to monitor for the virus. The recent surge caused by the highly transmissible Omicron variant has put excessive strain on school staff who are valiantly administering their pooled testing programs. Maine CDC has issued a memorandum, offering temporary changes to the pooled testing protocols." (Source: Maine DOE Priority Notice “Updates to Pooled Testing and Standard Operating Procedure” dated Jan. 12, 2022)

The entire pooled testing memo can be accessed, here.
https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/2022-01/K-12%20Pooled%20Testing-%20Memo.pdf

RSU 63 will continue pooled testing and continue to use the BinoxNOW test as a follow-up for individuals in a positive pool.  We will continue to report positive BinoxNOW test results to the Maine CDC.  However, we will temporarily suspend reporting negative BinoxNOW test results. 

To Register a Student for Pooled Testing:

1. First, click here (https://testcenter.concentricbyginkgo.com/minor-consent). This is the link to register a student.
2. Enter your child’s information and their school’s access code:
   1. Eddington’s code is 2MF8WL
   2. Holden’s code is UZW187
   3. Holbrook’s code is G4A8XL
3. Read and sign the consent form.   

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

Thank you for continuing to do your best to take care of your family and our community. 

TO: RSU 63 PARENTS and STAFF
FROM:  SUSAN SMITH, SUPERINTENDENT/DIRECTOR of CURRICULUM & INSTR.
RE:  NEW COVID RULES and COMMUNICATION
DATE:  SUNDAY, JANUARY 2, 2022

I hope you all had a chance to enjoy the winter break.   

New Rules for Schools
The “Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Investigation of COVID-19 Cases in Pre-K – 12 Schools” were updated on December 29^th.  These are rules from the Maine CDC’s Division of Disease Surveillance that we must follow.  New SOP 12.29.21 

Major changes include new quarantine rules for staff and students who are close contacts. 

Students or staff who test positive for COVID, regardless of vaccination status, must isolate until they meet the “US CDC criteria for release from isolation.”  Currently, that means…

Communication
Dawna Bickford and I will continue to notify people who are close contacts from a school exposure as quickly as we can.  That notification will most likely be via email.  We will also continue to inform close contacts who need to quarantine from school and school activities via phone calls or direct conversations.  All close contacts will receive an email stating the important information regarding when the contact occurred and what to do. 

I will continue to email our broader school community when there are positive cases associated with RSU 63 schools.  However, that communication will most likely be once a week rather than for each case.  (Close contacts will always be notified as quickly as possible.)

To Register a Student for Pooled Testing:

1. First, click here (https://testcenter.concentricbyginkgo.com/minor-consent). This is the link to register a student.
2. Enter your child’s information and their school’s access code:
   1. Eddington’s code is 2MF8WL
   2. Holden’s code is UZW187
   3. Holbrook’s code is G4A8XL
3. Read and sign the consent form.   

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

RSU 63 currently uses the BinaxNOW rapid antigen test to provide “quick tests” for all individuals in a positive pool. 
Additional information can be found at https://www.maine.gov/doe/covid-19/toolkit#pooled

Thank you for continuing to do your best to take care of your family and our community. 

TO: RSU 63 PARENTS
FROM:  SUSAN SMITH, SUPERINTENDENT/DIRECTOR of CURRICULUM & INSTR.
RE:  POOLED TESTING UPDATE
DATE:  FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2021

To help maintain a safe environment and keep students attending school, RSU 63 participates in a COVID-19 Pooled Testing program run by Maine DHHS.  Students who are close contacts and participate in pooled testing are usually able to participate in RSU 63 after school activities. 

32% of our RSU 63 staff and students currently participate in pooled testing.  Pooled testing in RSU 63 generally occurs on Tuesdays.  However, the state is not able to provide pooled testing on Tuesday, Dec. 21st.  Our next pooled testing date will be Tuesday, January 4th. 

Pooled testing is optional and free for all students who attend the Eddington, Holden, and Holbrook Schools and RSU 63 employees (including drivers). 

What is pooled testing?
Pooling can test 25 people using one test. All students in a class or group (called the pool) swab their own nose and place their swab in a single tube (that’s the pooling step). The samples in that tube are then run as a single sample, using one pool test.  IF the pool tests positive for COVID-19, everyone in that pool is tested using the BinaxNOW rapid test.  

If you have not already registered your child(ren) and would like them to participate in pooled testing, please follow the link and the steps below. The registration and consent process should take no more than 5 minutes to complete using a computer or a smartphone.  If you need a paper registration form, please contact Shelley Wyman (swyman@rsu63.org or 843-7851ext. 1).

To Register a Student for Pooled Testing:

1.     First, click here (https://testcenter.concentricbyginkgo.com/minor-consent). This is the link to register a student.

2.     Enter your child’s information and their school’s access code:

1.     Eddington’s code is 2MF8WL

2.     Holden’s code is UZW187

3.     Holbrook’s code is G4A8XL

3.     Read and sign the consent form.   

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

RSU 63 uses the BinaxNOW rapid antigen test to provide “quick tests” for all individuals in a positive pool. 

Additional information can be found at https://www.maine.gov/doe/covid-19/toolkit#pooled

Online Application for Free and Reduced Price School Meals

You can now fill out your application for free and reduced school meals online.

Click here to fill out your free and reduced application now

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Report Cards

RSU 63 uses assessment data to help inform our practices at the district, school, classroom, and individual levels for our students.  Each year the Maine Department of Education issues a report for each district and each school.  These reports summarize state assessments and other data for students in Grades 3-8 and 11.  The report also contains information about teacher qualifications.  The ESSA Dashboard at the Maine Department of Education allows you to review report cards for schools and districts across the state.

https://www.maine.gov/doe/dashboard