UPDATE: July 6, 2020 - Draft Plans for Safe Return to Classroom Instruction

Press Release:
For Immediate Release- July 6
RSU 71 Task Force to Safely Re-Open Schools

DRAFT Plans for Safe Return to Classroom Instruction

Greetings, RSU # 71 Students, Families, Staff, School Board and Community Partners! 

I’d like to start by extending hearty thanks to the 59 members of the RSU # 71 Task Force to Safely Reopen Schools to Classroom Instruction who answered the call to service, which I’d asked for in a May Update. We met as a whole task force and in many subcommittee meetings 2 throughout the month of June. On June 11, the Maine Department of Education released its first draft of a framework Maine Schools Return to Classroom Instruction Framework to assist schools in developing plans and capacity to meet guidelines set forth by CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). We have used this framework and many other resources to guide our work. We started with the premise that as a school district we would need to have a three-tiered plan, one that would allow for a full return to classroom instruction (Green Light), a partial return (Yellow Light) and, in the event that there were a local spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths, a return to an improved remote learning plan (Red Light). The advice of our school district’s physician, Dr. Joseph Anderson of Belfast Pediatrics, RSU # 71 parent Dr. Jeffry Cheskin, the American Pediatric Association, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has led nation-wide efforts to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus all agree: we must find a way to get our students safely back to school in-person. As Dr. Fauci said: “The question is: how can we prudently, with sensitivity to the safety of the kids, get the children back to school” while also “protecting the teachers (and staff) and making sure that they have the capability?” 

Read the complete document here:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NYfNse1rND-gIgT1BF2DiF4UjnCEgL9F/view?usp=sharing

What do Grades, Online Registration, Food Service, Activity Sign Ups have in common?

They are all available in one place in our Infinite Campus Parent Portal.   Get logged into the portal today to view your student's end of year report card, register them for the 2020-21 school year and view lunch balances.  Beginning this coming year you will also be able to pay for student lunches through the portal as well as setup recurring payments and get low balance alerts.   We will also be introducing a new School Store where you can purchase school items and sign up for activities.  We will have much more info closer to the start of the new school year - stay tuned!!  

Visit https://www.infinitecampus.com/audience/parents-students/ for more info about the portal.

You can read more in-depth below:

Here are some of the things available now through the portal or are coming soon:

1. Online Student Registration - register your student(s) for the upcoming school year.  Go here to register your student for next year  (Available Now)

2. Assignments, Attendance, Behavior & Schedules -  logging in to check your student’s assignments, attendance, behavior and schedule info has been the main use of the portal in the past and this will continue. If you have multiple students in multiple schools,  you can see all of this info in one place.  Check all student assignments (past, present and future), quickly see any assignments that are missing, view your student’s schedule, see attendance and behavior referrals at any time.   (Available Now)
   

3. Report Cards - your student’s report card will be available through the portal.  Simply login and click on the Grades link and click on the Term to view posted and in-progress grades. (Available Now)

4. Food Service - the portal is where you will now deposit money on your student’s account for school breakfast or lunch.  You will also be able to view the balance on your account,  get notifications of low balance, set up a family account, set recurring payments and set a daily limit on how much your student can spend. (September  2020)
   

5. New School Store, Fees, Payments - Parents and students will be able to access the School Store to select spirit wear, purchase school supplies, pay for activity fees or make donations.  (View Fees - Available Now, Make Payments - September 2020, School Store - TBD )
   

6. Communication - when you first login to the portal you will see school or district announcements.  Clicking on the Inbox tab will show any emails that have been sent from your student’s teacher,  school,  or the district.  (Available Now)
   

7. Free and Reduced Lunch Application (FRAM) - this will be available to fill out through the portal. (August 2020)
   

8. Activity Registration Forms - we will be making fillable forms available through the portal. Activity, Athletics and Field Trips will be the first ones available where you can give permission for your student to attend a field trip or sign up for activities.    (September 2020)

9. Update Your Contact Info - has your phone number or email address changed? Do you have a new Emergency Contact for your student?  You can update this through the portal in the Address Information, Demographics and Family Information areas of the portal. (Available in October after Online Registration is completed)

American Red Cross Blood Drive - PSA

PSA: The Red Cross needs blood now more than ever especially since hospitals are now opening up and conducting more surgeries. 

Additionally, summer  is traditionally a very challenging time for blood donations. There will be blood drives in the Belfast area on July 9 & 15 and August 6 & 26 - click here for the locations. You can also go to redcross.org you to find a drive near you - just put in your zip code and it will give you a location on where to donate. Thank you!