Mills Administration Updates COVID-19 School Health Advisory System

January 15, 2021

Dear Parents, Students, and Staff, 

I am writing to inform you that the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) and Maine CDC have released their school instructional designation for the State of Maine today. Aroostook County has been labeled as Green, or recommended for full in-person instruction. As a result, MSAD #1 will continue to offer in-person instruction to our students as long as we have the available substitute staff members to cover for MSAD 1 staff in quarantine. The MDOE updates their instructional designation every two weeks. The next designation will occur on Friday, January 29. 

I also wanted to make the community aware that we were notified of three additional individuals who tested positive for the coronavirus at Pine Street Elementary School. All three individuals have not been in school since Friday, January 8, and were not in school during their infectious period, per the Maine CDC.  As a result, we do not have any additional close contacts at Pine Street among students or staff.

I continue to believe that in-person learning is best for our students. In-Person learning provides routine, structure, personal connection, meals, and increased academic and personal support for young people.  We will continue to follow Maine CDC guidelines and monitor active cases in our community to keep our students and staff safe. 

It is imperative that students and staff stay home when they are sick, maintain social distancing, and communicate with MSAD #1 Health Services Director, Lisa McKenna at mckennal@sad1.org or 764-8105, if your child has tested positive for the virus or has been in contact outside of school with a positive case of the virus.  

Best wishes and good health.

Sincerely, 

Ben Greenlaw
Superintendent

January 14, 2021

Dear Students, Families, and Staff, 

I am writing in order to provide additional information to the MSAD #1 community regarding the positive coronavirus case at Presque Isle Middle School. Additionally, this afternoon we were notified of a second individual associated with Presque Isle Middle School who has tested positive for the coronavirus.  

Members of the MSAD #1 Health Services department notified the students and staff considered  close contacts to the person who tested positive for the coronavirus earlier today. Health Services department members are currently in the process of notifying the close contacts of the additional case.  

The decision to dismiss Presque Isle Middle School today at 1:00pm was because an individual had tested positive for the coronavirus and there were a significant number of close contacts. We wanted our students and staff members who needed to quarantine to begin doing so right away. We have approximately 44 students and 4 PIMS staff members who are considered close contacts. The individual who tested positive earlier today has not been in school since Friday, January 8. The quarantine recommendation is ten days from last possible contact with the individual who tested positive for COVID.  These close contacts will be out of ten day quarantine and welcomed back at school on Tuesday, January 19.

The second PIMS individual who tested positive was last in school on Wednesday, January 13.  We have approximately 40 students and 6 PIMS staff members considered as close contacts to that individual.  These close contacts will be out of quarantine and welcomed back at school on Monday, January 25.

We currently have a high number of students and staff who are considered close contacts at Presque Isle Middle School and do not have the substitute staff available to cover for these absences. As a result, Presque Isle Middle School will be closed to in-person and remote learning on Friday, January 15, and will open for in-person instruction on Tuesday, January 19.  All other MSAD #1 schools will remain open for in-person instruction and will resume their regular schedules.  

As I had mentioned in my letter to the community on January 12, the decision to keep our schools open for in-person instruction is based on the availability of substitute staff members in each building in order to safely and effectively provide in-person instruction.  The other major factor affecting our decision to remain open for in-person instruction is the school instructional designation determined by the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) and the Maine CDC.  The MDOE updates these designations every two weeks. The next update will be released at 12:00pm on Friday, January 15th. I will be notifying the community tomorrow afternoon if Aroostook County is classified as Yellow or recommended for hybrid instruction with additional information regarding the transition.  

MSAD #1 officials have been in contact with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and are following the protocols and procedures outlined for schools to follow when a case of the coronavirus occurs in a school. The CDC recommends that close contacts of a person who tests positive for the coronavirus should quarantine for 10 days.  The CDC also recommends that the members of Presque Isle Middle School who are not considered close contacts should monitor for symptoms but may resume normal daily activities.

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that ranges from mild to severe. The virus mainly spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes and an uninfected person breathes in the virus. Signs and symptoms include: 

• fever or chills • cough • shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• fatigue • muscle or body aches • headache 

•  sore throat • new loss of taste or smell • congestion or runny nose 

• nausea or vomiting • diarrhea

For general COVID-19 questions, dial 211 (or 1-866-811-5695). You can also text your ZIP code to 898-211 or email info@211maine.org. Call a health care provider for questions about your symptoms. More information can be found at www.maine.gov/dhhs/coronavirus or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.  

Please continue to take the necessary precautions against the coronavirus in order to reduce the spread of the disease. Feel free to reach out to MSAD #1 Health Services Director, Lisa McKenna at mckennal@sad1.org, your child’s principal, or myself at greenlawb@sad1.org if you have any questions.  

Sincerely, 

Ben Greenlaw

Superintendent 

January 14, 2021

Dear Parents, Students, and Staff, 

I am writing to inform you that a person affiliated with Presque Isle Middle School has tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19).  As a result, we will be dismissing Presque Isle Middle School today at 1:00 pm.  All other MSAD #1 schools will resume their regular schedules and will dismiss at the regularly scheduled times.  

Currently, members of the MSAD #1 Health Services department are notifying close contacts of the individual who tested positive and will be directing students and staff who are considered close contacts to quarantine for 10 days.  If you are not contacted, your student is not considered a close contact.

I will be sending out additional information to the MSAD #1 community later this afternoon regarding in-person learning at Presque Isle Middle School.  

Sincerely, 

Ben Greenlaw
Superintendent

January 12, 2021

Dear Students, Families, and Staff, 

I am writing in order to provide additional information to the MSAD #1 community regarding the positive coronavirus case at Presque Isle High School. Members of the MSAD #1 Health Services department and school representatives from Presque Isle High School notified the students and staff considered to be close contacts to the person who tested positive for the coronavirus. If you have not been contacted, your son or daughter is not considered a close contact and will not be required to quarantine. 

The decision to dismiss Presque Isle High School today at 11:30 was because we had an individual who had tested positive for the coronavirus as well as a significant number of close contacts. We wanted our students and staff members who needed to quarantine to begin doing so right away. The individual who tested positive has not been in school since Wednesday, January 6. We have approximately 32 students and 3 PIHS staff members who are considered close contacts.

Since we have substitute staff members to cover for the three staff members who are considered close contacts, Presque Isle High School will reopen for in-person instruction on Wednesday, January 13. All MSAD #1 schools will be open for in-person instruction and will resume their regular schedules. 

The decision to continue to provide in-person instruction for our students continues to be based on the availability of substitute staff members in each building in order to safely and effectively provide in-person instruction. The other major factor affecting our decision to remain open for in-person instruction is the school instructional designation determined by the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) and the Maine CDC. Aroostook County is currently labeled as “Green” for full, in-person instruction. The MDOE updates these designations every two weeks. The next update will be released at 12:00pm on Friday, January 15th. 

If Aroostook County is classified as Yellow on January 15 due to an increase in positive case counts, we will be shifting to our Yellow, or hybrid, plan beginning next week. The most important aspect of a Yellow designation is that schools will need to ensure that all students are spaced 6 feet apart during instruction. This would require us to split our classroom rosters into two groups and to use a combination of remote and in-person instruction. Students would be attending school in-person two days a week and be remote learning the other three days. If the MDOE and Maine CDC classifies Aroostook County as Yellow on January 15, I will be sending out a notification to the MSAD #1 community regarding next steps.

MSAD #1 officials have been in contact with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and are following the protocols and procedures outlined for schools to follow when a case of the coronavirus occurs in a school. The CDC recommends that close contacts of a person who tests positive for the coronavirus should quarantine for 10 days.  The CDC also recommends that the members of Presque Isle High School who are not considered close contacts should monitor for symptoms but may resume normal daily activities.

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that ranges from mild to severe. The virus mainly spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes and an uninfected person breathes in the virus. Signs and symptoms include: 

• fever or chills • cough • shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• fatigue • muscle or body aches • headache 

•  sore throat • new loss of taste or smell • congestion or runny nose 

• nausea or vomiting • diarrhea

For general COVID-19 questions, dial 211 (or 1-866-811-5695). You can also text your ZIP code to 898-211 or email info@211maine.org. Call a health care provider for questions about your symptoms. More information can be found at www.maine.gov/dhhs/coronavirus or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.  

Please continue to take the necessary precautions against the coronavirus in order to reduce the spread of the disease. Feel free to reach out to MSAD #1 Health Services Director, Lisa McKenna at mckennal@sad1.org, your child’s principal, or myself at greenlawb@sad1.org if you have any questions.  

Sincerely, 

Ben Greenlaw
Superintendent 

January 12, 2021

Dear Parents, Students, and Staff, 

I am writing to inform you that a person affiliated with Presque Isle High School has tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19).  As a result, we will be dismissing Presque Isle High School today at 11:30 am.  All other MSAD #1 schools will resume their regular schedules and will dismiss at the regularly scheduled times.  

Currently, members of the MSAD #1 Health Services department are notifying close contacts of the individual who tested positive and will be directing students and staff who are considered close contacts to quarantine for 10 days.  If you are not contacted, your student is not considered a close contact.

I will be sending out additional information to the MSAD #1 community later this afternoon regarding in-person learning at Presque Isle High School.  

Sincerely, 

Ben Greenlaw
Superintendent

January 10, 2021

Dear Students, Families, and Staff, 

I am writing to inform you that a person associated with Pine Street Elementary School has tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID 19). Members of the MSAD #1 Health Services department, as well as school representatives from Pine Street Elementary School, are in the process of notifying the students and staff who are considered close contacts to the person who has tested positive. If you are not contacted, your son or daughter is not considered a close contact and will not be required to quarantine. 

Pine Street Elementary School will be closed on Monday, January 11, for cleaning and will reopen for in-person learning on Tuesday, January 12.  There will be no remote or in-person learning at Pine Street on Monday, January 11.  At this time we have enough substitute teachers to keep Pine Street Elementary School open for in-person learning beginning on Tuesday, January 12. 

All other MSAD #1 schools will remain in session on Monday, January 11, with their regular schedules. No students or staff members in our other schools are identified as close contacts of the person who tested positive, and so the other MSAD #1 schools will remain open for in-person instruction. 

MSAD #1 officials are in contact with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and are following the protocols and procedures outlined for schools to follow when a case of the coronavirus occurs in a school building. The CDC recommends that close contacts of a person who tests positive for the coronavirus quarantine for 10 days. The CDC also recommends that the members of Pine Street Elementary School who are not considered close contacts should monitor for symptoms but may resume normal daily activities.

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that ranges from mild to severe. The virus mainly spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes and an uninfected person breathes in the virus. Signs and symptoms include: 

• fever or chills • cough • shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• fatigue • muscle or body aches • headache 

•  sore throat • new loss of taste or smell • congestion or runny nose 

• nausea or vomiting • diarrhea

For general COVID-19 questions, dial 211 (or 1-866-811-5695). You can also text your ZIP code to 898-211 or email info@211maine.org. Call a health care provider for questions about your symptoms. More information can be found at www.maine.gov/dhhs/coronavirus or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.  

Please continue to take the necessary precautions against the coronavirus in order to reduce the spread of the disease. Feel free to reach out to MSAD #1 Health Services Director, Lisa McKenna at mckennal@sad1.org, your child’s principal, or myself at greenlawb@sad1.org if you have any questions.  

Sincerely, 

Ben Greenlaw
Superintendent 

December 30, 2020

Dear Students, Families, and Staff, 

I am writing to provide an update to the MSAD #1 school community regarding our plan to return to in-person instruction on Monday, January 4. All MSAD #1 schools will resume in-person instruction on Monday, January 4.  

We are basing the decision to return to in-person instruction on the following criteria; there are no active coronavirus cases within our schools, and we have an appropriate number of staff members to safely and effectively provide in-person instruction. Of course, we will continue to monitor the number of active coronavirus cases in our community in order to inform our instructional plans as we move forward into the new year.  

Currently, there are no active cases among students or staff members in MSAD #1, and while case counts have increased in our region over the past few weeks — especially the past few days — the increase of positive cases has primarily been attributed to nursing homes outside of the MSAD #1 community. Aroostook County remains one of the lowest areas of per capita coronavirus cases in the State of Maine. There are very few examples of the virus spreading rapidly in schools. Because of the safety protocols that schools have in place — including wearing masks, social distancing, and regular hand washing — research indicates that schools are some of the safest places for students to be. Additionally, most research about COVID-19 cases in schools indicate that when the virus is found in schools it is primarily due to a student or staff member coming into contact with the virus outside of school. 

It has been nearly a month since we have held school in-person, and I want to remind you of the importance of notifying MSAD #1 Health Services Director, Lisa McKenna at mckennal@sad1.org if any of the following apply:

• You have been in direct contact with a COVID-19 case, or if you are notified by the Maine CDC that you are considered a close contact of a COVID – 19 case.
• If you or anyone in your household is awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test.
• If you have been determined to be a positive COVID-19 case.
• If you have traveled outside the state of Maine (other than to New Hampshire or Vermont) since school vacation began on December 23.

I believe it is important to maintain in-person instruction for as long as we can safely do so.The in-person, social interactions in our classrooms and school buildings are vital to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of our students.  Please continue to follow the health guidelines of the Maine CDC which encourages people to stay home when they are sick, wear a mask/face covering, wash their hands frequently, and to maintain social distancing.  

Sincerely, 

Ben Greenlaw
Superintendent 

December 10, 2020

Dear Students, Families, and Staff, 

I am writing to provide an update to the MSAD #1 school community regarding the number of positive coronavirus cases in the district and a timeline for a return to in-person instruction in our schools.  Members of the MSAD #1 Health Services department are in contact with the Maine CDC regarding the positive cases in the district, and contacted the individuals who tested positive for the coronavirus, as well as individuals who are close contacts.

We currently have 5 individuals who have tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) at Zippel Elementary School, 4 individuals who have tested positive for the coronavirus at Presque Isle High School, and 1 individual who has tested positive for the coronavirus at Presque Isle Middle School.  We also have a large number of students and staff who are considered close contacts.  Since there are 3 or more cases of COVID-19 within a 14-day period that are epidemiologically linked, Presque Isle High School and Zippel Elementary School are now considered coronavirus outbreaks by the Maine CDC.  Please monitor yourself or your student for signs and symptoms and call a health care provider if symptoms start.  

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that ranges from mild to severe. It can be more severe in adults 60 years and older and in those with underlying conditions. The virus mainly spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes and an uninfected person breathes in the virus. Signs and symptoms include: 

• fever or chills • cough • shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• fatigue • muscle or body aches • headache 

•  sore throat • new loss of taste or smell • congestion or runny nose 

• nausea or vomiting • diarrhea 

As I mentioned in my letter last Friday, the decision to return to in-person instruction will be based on the fact that there are no active coronavirus cases in our schools and that we have an appropriate number of staff members to safely and effectively provide in-person instruction.  The decision to return to in-person instruction will also be influenced by the spread of the virus in our community.  Considering the number of active coronavirus cases within the district, the number of staff members who need to quarantine as close contacts, and the increased spread of the coronavirus in the MSAD #1 community, all MSAD #1 schools will remain in remote learning, through Tuesday, December 22.  All MSAD #1 schools will reopen to in-person instruction after vacation on Monday, January 4. 

I am hopeful that our community will follow the recommendations of local, state, and federal health officials to wear a mask or face covering when out in public, wash hands regularly, and maintain social distancing.  This can be especially difficult over the holidays as traditional events typically involve gathering with friends and family. I believe that in-person instruction is the most effective method of instruction and best meets the academic, social, and emotional needs of the students we serve.  Please take the necessary precautions so that we can safely return to in-person instruction on Monday, January 4. 

Feel free to reach out to MSAD #1 Health Services Director, Lisa McKenna at mckennal@sad1.org, your child’s principal, or myself at greenlawb@sad1.org if you have any questions.  

Sincerely, 

Ben Greenlaw
Superintendent