December 4, 2020
Dear Students, Families, and Staff,
I am writing in order to provide additional information to the MSAD #1 community regarding the additional positive coronavirus cases in the district. Members of the MSAD #1 Health Services department, as well as school representatives from Presque Isle High School and Zippel Elementary School, have notified the students and staff who are considered close contacts to the people who have 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.
We have made the decision to shift to remote learning for all students in MSAD #1 through Friday, December 11. We will resume in-person instruction at all MSAD #1 schools, with the exception of Zippel Elementary School on Monday, December 14. Zippel Elementary School will resume in-person instruction on Wednesday, December 16.
The decision to close all MSAD #1 schools for the next week is based on the increased spread of the coronavirus in our schools and community. We felt it was prudent at this time to cease in-person instruction in order to gain a greater understanding of the spread of the virus in our schools and communities through testing of students and staff who were identified as close contacts.
Please understand this is a fluid situation and the decision to return to in-person instruction will be based on ensuring 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. I will be sending an updated letter to the MSAD #1 community on Thursday, December 10, in order to confirm or adjust our plans to provide in-person instruction in the coming weeks.
Remote learning will begin for students at Zippel Elementary School on Monday, December 7 and for all other students on Tuesday, December 8. Teachers will be reaching out to students regarding remote learning no later than Tuesday morning. Teachers at all MSAD #1 schools other than Zippel Elementary will be using Monday, December 7, to prepare for this period of remote learning. If a lack of internet access is a problem for students please reach out to your child’s teacher or the building principal.
MSAD #1 will be providing meals to students in a similar manner that we did during our extended school closure last spring. Lunch and breakfast for the following day will be served at the time of pick up and will be available to any person 18 years old and younger. We will be offering meals, Monday through Friday, at the following school sites:
We will be providing meals at the following community and school locations:
Birch Street Apartments 11:00-11:30 am
Helen Noreen Apartments 11:00-11:30 am
MicMac Drive 11:00-11:30 am
Ray View Manor(Carmicheal) 11:00-11:30 am
Sargent Family Recreation 11:00-11:30 am
Westfield Town Office 11:00-11:30 am
Mapleton Elementary School 11:00-noon Pick up at the Main Entrance
Pine Street Elementary School 11:00-noon Pick up at the Main Entrance
Presque Isle High School 11:00-noon Pick up at the Lobby by the Nurse’s Office Entrance
Zippel Elementary School 11:00-noon Pick up at the Main Entrance
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