The VCS Robotics Team is looking for your help with their team project for this year's competition. Please consider completing this short survey. Thank you!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdFoj5Dln2kmttaw8Wdy5-8nOv6RoXJ7W-fFBJfNg1P93oH0w/viewform?usp=sf_link
Welcome to Monday morning, 2020. Moments after I sent the previous message, Google services were restored. I guess preparing for the worst, and the hoping for the best works out pretty good! Have a great day everyone!
Google services are down this morning. This just happened within the past 20 minutes. We are still awaiting more details on how long and widespread, but it appears to be an international problem at this point in time. Zoom should still be working for our remote workers. We will continue to do our best with what we have, and provide updates as we learn more.
December 11, 2020
12:00PM EST
COVID-19 MEMO #21
UPDATED: VCS Red/Yellow/Green Scheduling
Dear VCS Parents and Caregivers,
Penobscot County continues to maintain a ‘Green’ health advisory, and as of today, is no longer considered to have a ‘monitor asterisk.’ In today’s announcement, the Department of Education noted: “While Penobscot county has a relatively high positivity rate, its new case rate declined from last week and thus no longer has an asterisk.”
The VCS School Reopening Advisory Committee (SRAC) continues to meet as needed (twice this week). At last night’s meeting, 12/11/2020 the SRAC approved a proposal to modify the VCS Red/Yellow/Green scheduling. In short, if Penobscot County were to be shifted to a ‘Yellow’ health advisory, Veazie Community School would continue to maintain current scheduling: PK - 2 students would continue to attend school in-person Monday - Friday; Grades 3 - 5 would attend in-person on M/T and remote W/Th/F; and the middle school would be remote M/T/W and in-person Th/F.
There were several driving factors behind this shift, and safety continues to be the top priority:
*Safety: It will be safer to keep our PK - 2 students separated by current pod structure 5-days/week.
*Access to Learning: Our youngest learners struggle the most with remote learning.
*Staffing: The former ‘Yellow’ schedule would stretch the limits of our staffing capacity and significantly impact our overall ability to safely operate the school in the current hybrid model.
*Parents: We recognize the childcare challenges the former ‘Yellow’ schedule would have placed on our families.
Maine CDC Quarantine Policy for ‘Close Contact’ Individuals:
Maine CDC recently updated their quarantine policy by providing the option of shortening the quarantine period for individuals known to be close contacts of cases of COVID-19 to 10 days. One reason for this change was hopes that there would be greater compliance. Despite the change, Maine CDC also stated: “It is important to note that a shorter quarantine period carries a risk that an exposed individual could become positive and potentially transmit COVID-19 to others after quarantine.” Maine CDC also noted: “…a 14-day quarantine period is still epidemiologically preferable.” That last statement is most important, and for this reason, VCS will continue to require a 14-day quarantine period. (NOTE: Maine CDC makes it clear that individual facilities or organizations can decide to keep the 14-day quarantine, or move to the 10-day quarantine.) It is also important to note that if you are considered a close contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19, you must quarantine for the 14 days even with a negative test.
Holiday Travel Reminder:
Any staff or student/s who travel to any state other than New Hampshire or Vermont (no restrictions for these two states only as of 12/11/20; subject to change), will be required to either:
1. Quarantine for 14 days upon return to Maine, or
2. Quarantine until receiving a negative test result
Any staff or student/s who travelled to restricted states will not be permitted inside the school building until either the negative test result or 14 days of quarantine has occurred. This is not dependent on the length of time spent within the restricted states, meaning that a day visit still requires the person to quarantine for 14 days, or until a negative test result is confirmed. All members of the household who travel must test or quarantine if over 12 months old. Testing site information for Maine can be found here: https://www.maine.gov/covid19/restartingmaine/keepmainehealthy/testing Any person who is quarantining should stay home, and not have in-person contact with others.
Wilcox Wellness & Fitness Training:
Our Wilcox Group Fitness Training classes have been going very well! Please remember that students must submit a signed Wilcox release form in order to receive a Zoom meeting ID. We will continue to separate groups by age level. Contact Ms. Lindsey in the office if you need another form: tlindsey@veaziecs.org
REMINDER: FREE Breakfast & Lunch for ALL STUDENTS for remainder of the year!
The USDA is extending a critical food program through the entire school year. As a result, all VCS students are eligible to receive a free school breakfast and lunch—even on days they are remote! Please contact our kitchen manager, Betsy Brooks if you would like to learn details on pickup times and dates for remote learning days. bbrooks@veaziecs.org
REMINDER: Snow Days will be Remote Days:
This is a reminder that this year we are piloting a new protocol—Snow days will be Remote Learning Days for all students. Snow Day packets were sent home last month. Please keep these in a safe place (contact your child’s teacher if you have questions.) We are also built a web-resource for VCS Snow Day Learning which can be found on our website. Here is a direct link: https://sites.google.com/veaziecs.org/vcssnowday We want to remind parents that student participation on snow days is not an option. Students not completing expected work within three days of returning from a snow day will be marked as absent. Our last day of school for students will be Friday, June 11.
We continue to do our very best to balance risk, safety and education. I want to thank each of our families for consistently being open and honest about COVID related information taking place outside of school. Your vigilance, along with the VCS safety plan, have proven to be very effective. We will continue to revisit all protocols as needed and be transparent with any changes. I am thankful for our amazing staff. I am thankful for our amazing families. I am thankful for our amazing community. Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Matthew D. Cyr
VCS Superintendent & Principal
The Veazie Community School Mitten Tree has gone virtual! If you are interested in helping to provide holiday cheer for families right here in Veazie, please click onto this link and follow the directions. Contact our school counselor, Mrs. Dineen if you have questions. Thank you! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d45aea623a1f4c61-veazie
November 20, 2020
12:00PM EST
COVID-19 MEMO #20
STEPPING UP SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Dear VCS Parents and Caregivers,
As you are aware, community transmission is on the rise and both public and private sectors are being asked to step-up their safety plans. Public schools have been asked to place even greater emphasis on social distancing, proper hand hygiene, and mask wearing. The Department of Education published a priority notice on 11/19/20 which outlined many of these increased safety measures. Most notable were increasing structure around mask breaks, including the following: Students must have masks on at all times with the exception of eating, and mask breaks. Mask breaks should be limited to 5 minutes each, up to a maximum of 15 minutes per day. During mask breaks and while eating, individuals must be stationary, 6 feet from one another, facing the same direction, and quiet—there should not be any conversation or other activity (during mask breaks) that could spread the virus. The DOE specifically stated that students must have masks on during all outdoor recess and free-play.
Holiday Travel Reminder:
Per orders of the Governor, any staff or students who travel to any state other than New Hampshire or Vermont (no restrictions for these two states only as of 11/20/20; subject to change), will be required to either:
1. Quarantine for 14 days upon return to Maine, or
2. Quarantine until receiving a negative test result
Any staff or students who travelled to restricted states will not be permitted inside the school building until either the negative test result or 14 days of quarantine has occurred. This is not dependent on the length of time spent within the restricted states, meaning that a day visit still requires the person to quarantine for 14 days, or until a negative test result is confirmed. All members of the household who travel must test or quarantine if over 12 months old. Testing site information for Maine can be found here: https://www.maine.gov/covid19/restartingmaine/keepmainehealthy/testing Any person who is quarantining should stay home, and not have in-person contact with others.
Wilcox Wellness & Fitness Training:
Our Wilcox group training kicked off this week with our older learners. Please remember that students must submit a signed Wilcox release form in order to receive a Zoom meeting ID. We will continue to separate groups by age level. Monday, November 23 will be Intermediate students starting at 4:00p.m. Contact Ms. Lindsey in the office if you need another form: tlindsey@veaziecs.org
REMINDER: FREE Breakfast & Lunch for ALL STUDENTS for remainder of the year!
The USDA is extending a critical food program through the entire school year. As a result, all VCS students are eligible to receive a free school breakfast and lunch—even on days they are remote! Please contact our kitchen manager, Betsy Brooks if you would like to learn details on pickup times and dates for remote learning days. bbrooks@veaziecs.org
REMINDER: Snow Days will be Remote Days:
This is a reminder that this year we are piloting a new protocol—Snow days will be Remote Learning Days for all students. Snow Day Packets will be sent home at the end of this week, or early next week. Please put these in a safe place. We are also finalizing a web-resource for VCS Snow Day Learning which can be found on our website. Here is a direct link: https://sites.google.com/veaziecs.org/vcssnowday We want to remind parents that student participation on snow days is not an option. Students not completing expected work within three days of returning from a snow day will be marked as absent.
The support of our community is necessary for the safety everyone—and, required for us to be able to keep our schools open for in-person learning. Emerging data is showing that schools are safe places because we follow safety protocols and guidelines. We will continue to do all that we can to keep staff and students safe on in-person learning days. The big question, “when/why do schools switch to remote learning?” is a direct result of community spread happening outside of our schools. Each of us play such a critical role in this delicate educational ecosystem. Please stay safe, and help us to keep our school community safe and able to provide for the students we serve.
I wish each of you a safe, health, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Sincerely,
Matthew D. Cyr
VCS Superintendent & Principal
Please check out the great items listed on our upcoming PTO Online Auction. This fundraiser is very important to our PTO and school. Thank you! https://www.32auctions.com/vcsptoauction2020
PreK-2 is doing a STEM activity in response to the book, Balloons Over Broadway. We are making our own Veazie Day Parade (Macy's Day Parade). On Friday, November 20th, we will walk the same parade route as our Book Character Parade. If you have time, feel free to come park and watch us! We'd love to wave to you!
Reminder that Wednesday, 11/18 will be an early release day. Students will be dismissed at 12:10pm.
Veazie Community School will return to in-person learning tomorrow: Friday, 11/13/20. We will be on our normal schedule with grades PK - 2, & 6-8 in-person; and, 3-5 remote. Thank you for your patience and support.
We are still offering lunches today during remote learning. If you would like to pick up a lunch, please call the office this morning.
Veazie Community School will be remote-only tomorrow, 11/12/20. A decision will be made on or around 5pm tomorrow as to what Friday will look like.
-Mr. Cyr
Veazie Community School Intermediate Students wish our Veterans a Happy Veteran's Day! Thank you for your service.
A sneak peak at the festive Hathaway Holiday Light show spread out across the VCS yard facing School Street in Veazie. We are excited to support this wonderful fund raising effort. More information will be coming home soon in our Fall edition of The Viking!
Hello VCS Families,
Veazie Community School will be full-remote until Thursday, November 12. We are awaiting critical information with an ongoing COVID-19 investigation before we can safely bring students back to our hybrid model. Note: No school on Wednesday, November 11 in honor of Veteran's Day. We will assess the situation below on 11/11 and communicate if more remote instruction time is necessary.
It was reported last night (11/7/20) that a family member of individuals associated with Veazie Community School have been deemed a close contact with another individual who tested positive for COVID-19. We are taking a very guarded approach in response to this news given the current state of the pandemic. We are quarantining any individual(s) who live in close proximity with a person who has been identified as a close contact with another person who has tested positive for COVID-19. These individuals have already been contacted. None of the impacted individuals are experiencing any symptoms at this time, and precautionary testing is underway.
I understand this cautious move creates childcare challenges and added hardships for many of our families. I want you all to know that the safety of your children, and the staff of Veazie Community School has always been, and will continue to be, at the forefront of all decisions.
Lunch: We will provide lunch pickup between the hours of 11 and 1 on both Monday and Tuesday. Parents wanting lunch must contact our Kitchen Manager, Betsy Brooks, to place an order (remember, lunch is free for all students this year). You can email Mrs. Brooks directly (bbrooks@veaziecs.org), or call the school, 947-6573.
With community transmission on the rise in Maine, we are asking all families to be extra vigilant and more committed than ever to following all Maine CDC and Veazie Community School health and safety protocols. This includes daily health screenings before sending your child to school on in-person days, promptly reporting health/safety information to the school, proper hand hygiene, social distancing, and most importantly--wearing appropriate face coverings. This will only work if we all adhere to these proven effective precautions. Thank you.
Take care of each other.
Sincerely,
Matthew Cyr, Superintendent & Principal
The Veazie Police Dept. has asked that we encourage families to lock doors to cars/homes/garages. The police are investigating reports of suspicious activity around homes occurring during the overnight. Any questions, please call the police department--945-4636.
Winter weather means new snow gear for your growing kiddos. Please consider donating clean, gently used snow pants, jackets, mittens and boots to the school. We will be spending much more time outside this winter and would appreciate the extra gear for emergencies and the occasional "I forgot my boots" day. :) Thank you!
Please consider supporting our annual PTO online auction fundraising event. Thank you!
In the Batcave (middle school science room), it is only natural to be doing a STEM challenge to design bat wings that will make a bat fly the farthest!!
Yellow and Red Health Advisories (the following information is taken from our reopening plan which can be found on the school website www.veaziecs.org):
While we are presently in a Green health advisory, I am urging all families to have a back-up plan ready to go in a moment’s notice should we be forced to shift to a Yellow or Red health advisory.
In a Yellow health advisory, Grades 3-8 will maintain the same schedule as they do under Green. In a Yellow advisory, PK - 2 will shift to being in-person on Monday/Tuesday, and remote only on Wed/Th/Fri.
In a Red health advisory, all students will shift to remote-only.
-Mr. Cyr
