Student Article - "CASS Experiences It's First COVID Case"

 By Eliot Fowler | Nov 26, 2020

Courtesy of: Nancy NickersonWith Capt. Albert W. Stevens School now in hybrid learning, half of Nancy Nickerson's class is at school, while the others join in remotely via Google Meet.

BELFAST — Fourth in a series. Reprinted from The COVID Classroom, a newspaper started by students in Nancy Nickerson's fourth-grade class at Capt. Albert W. Stevens School about what it is like to attend school during the pandemic.

Capt. Albert Stevens School has now experienced its first COVID case. The name, classroom, and position of the person who has gotten COVID must remain confidential for  safety and privacy reasons, and not even we writers know that info, but here’s the scoop on what we do know:

• The class (or staff member) must quarantine.

School procedure states that any class or staff member with a positive COVID case must quarantine for 14 days before returning to school, and so that is what the class/person is currently doing. If it is a class, the class will do remote learning on either iPads or ChromeBooks (depending on the grade) until the 14 days is up on Oct. 28.

• This is the second positive case in RSU 71.

This case is the second confirmed positive case in RSU 71. Unfortunately, this case in the school could be linked to the recent COVID outbreak in Waldo County.

• The position of this person remains unknown.

It is unknown whether the person with COVID is a student, teacher or other staff member. Since most of the info about this case must remain confidential, the position of this person and the rest of the info about the case (including, if it is a student, name, age, classroom and grade) will remain unknown.

• Students were pulled from school early Monday, Oct. 19.

The day the COVID case was identified, students were released early so cleaning crews could come in immediately and deep clean the school, so kids and adults who were not quarantining could come back to school Thursday, Oct. 22.

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Now, here’s the author’s personal take on the story:

When the school announced that everyone was going home early at 12:30, my class was at the Tanglewood 4-H camp about 20 minutes from the school on our weekly Monday visit. A Tanglewood worker came up to the field we were in, in a golf cart, during lunch, and he told the teacher, Mrs. Nickerson, that dismissal was three hours earlier than usual. So we quickly packed up our lunches and walked down to the bus station.

I remember that I overheard one of my classmates saying that we were doing two days of remote learning. At first, I didn’t believe them and thought they were joking or spreading a rumor. But then I asked Mrs. Nickerson, and she told us in fact yes, we were doing remote learning for a couple days. So we hopped onto the bus and drove back to school.

Once back at school, we got off the bus and we walked to our classroom. Parents were already lined up at the exit, ready to pick up their kids (now exhausted by all of the change).

First, though, we had to go back inside to wrangle all our things out of the building into the cars and buses waiting for us. So we went back inside and we collected our things including laptops, water bottles, hats, jackets, etc. When we were finally ready, we stacked up our chairs and evacuated the building.

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Author’s notes:

The info in this article was up to date as of Oct. 19. Info may be outdated once it reaches you. To learn more about this new COVID case on the web, you can visit: rsu71.org/superintendent.

Sources:

* https://bangordailynews.com/2020/10/18/news/midcoast/2-more-cases-of-covid

-19-detected-at-belfast-area-schools/

* https://bangordailynews.com/2020/10/16/news/midcoast/virus-confirmed-at-be

lfast-elementary-as-waldo-county-reports-11-new-daily-cases/

* rsu71.org/superintendent

 

Student reporter Eliot Fowler, one of Nancy Nickerson's fourth graders, at school. (Courtesy of: Nancy Nickerson)

Thank You Nickerson and East Belfast students!

 Kudos to the students at Kermit Nickerson and East Belfast schools for making these uplifting signs that are displayed near the Swanville Grocery! 

USDA Farm to Family food box distribution Friday, November 20th.

 There will be another USDA Farm to Family food box distribution Friday, November 20th. 

 

The locations are Mt View Complex in Thorndike AND Athena Health Parking lot, both from 9am-1pm.

 

PLEASE help spread the word.  THIS IS FOR ANY AND ALL Waldo County RESIDENTS.  No income eligibility.  Anyone.

        Click here to view the poster announcement. 

Interview with Mr. D. at CASS

 By Brody Ingraham | Nov 09, 2020

Courtesy of: Nancy NickersonBudding reporter Brody Ingraham, left, a fourth grader at Capt. Albert W. Stevens School, talks with gym teacher Bradley Deuring about how the coronavirus has affected his teaching.

BELFAST — Editor's note: This is the third in a series of articles by the fourth graders in Nancy Nickerson's class at Capt. Albert W. Stevens School to inform our readers about what it's like to attend school during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since this story was written, all schools in Waldo County have been given the state's "yellow" designation, meaning they must implement hybrid learning plans, with students attending school in cohorts on alternating days of the week.

If you think it's hard being a classroom teacher during these COVID days, try being a gym teacher. With all that social distancing and running around with masks on, it is like figuring out a puzzle every day. I got a chance to interview our gym teacher, Mr. Deuring, about his take on how the year is going.

Brody: How did COVID affect gym class?

Mr. Deuring: The big thing is about the spacing and the equipment. I think it's had a pretty big effect on gym class. I have to be really creative when I am planning my lessons. I did think of games that are going to be fun and exciting for you guys, as well as being safe and spaced-out.

Brody: What is the hardest part about gym now?

Mr. Deuring: I think it's the lack of shared equipment. I feel like we've done some pretty exciting and fun things so far . Now it'll be interesting to see what it looks like when it starts snowing. During the winter I like to start a floor hockey unit, or even a volleyball unit. It will be interesting, because we cannot use shared equipment.

Brody: Where will we do gym this year in the winter?

Mr. Deuring: The winter weather is on its way, so we might look into things where if I do get to use equipment, you kids may have to wipe down everything after class, getting it all ready for the next crew. I will continue to research games and activities as well as come up with creative ways for you to move and groove.

Brody: Why can't we play with the stuff in the gym?

Mr. Deuring: I think it's that we want to err on the side of caution. Think about all the kids coming into gym class and they all use the equipment. We want to minimize the spreading of germs as much as we can. My goal is to make sure to keep everyone safe. I would much rather be able to use equipment, but I understand these are the rules. I'm looking at things differently, through a different lens. It is a challenge at times, but it is an opportunity for me to learn and be a better teacher.

Brody: How will we get through this?

Mr. Deuring: By being positive. I think we'll get through this by following these rules, because I'd like to think every day that we follow the rules we kind of get a step closer to something that's more normal. I mean, since we have been here we've been doing a pretty good job, taking care of what we do and making sure we wear the masks, making sure we distance ourselves to stay on track.

Brody: What is the best thing that happened from COVID-19?

Mr. Deuring: I think it brought a lot of the teachers together. I think that we have a really good team here at CASS, with teachers thinking outside of the box, a lot of the things that the teachers come up with are pretty creative stuff. I'm going to use some of these techniques next year. We have our squads and numbering system. I also love using technology as well.

Brody: How has COVID-19 affected you personally?

Mr. Deuring: I think it just made us realize that we need to be physically healthy and mentally healthy. I'm glad to be back at school and I'm glad to work with such great kids and a great team. I am glad we are a full green return. I was starting to feel like a couch potato.

Brody Ingraham is a student in Nancy Nickerson's fourth grade class at Capt. Albert W. Stevens School in Belfast.

Gym teacher Bradley Deuring, right, conducts a socially distanced gym class at Capt. Albert W. Stevens School. (Courtesy of: Nancy Nickerson)