January 4, 2022


RSU #2 Community,


As a district, our board of directors made a commitment to follow the guidelines and recommendations set forth by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Maine Department of Education (MDOE). On December 30th, the CDC and MDOE released a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) updating how schools should respond to COVID-19. Below is a summary of the current SOP. The guidelines have been developed to prioritize safety as well as keeping students in school. 

  1. School districts can accept the results of home COVID tests.

  2. Isolation for COVID-19 positive students and staff is now 5 days, plus 5 additional days of community masking. 

  3. Exposure at recess, in outdoor classrooms, at outdoor sporting events, or on the school bus does not constitute close-contact status.

  4.  If a student or staff member is a close-contact and they are vaccinated, participating in pool testing, or are in a district with universal masking in place, they may attend school.  RSU#2 is in the process of completing the application for pool testing and the earliest this would be in place is 1/24/22. You will receive more information about pool testing soon. 

    1. Only vaccinated students and staff are exempt from community quarantine. 

    2. As long as universal masking is in place and consistently enforced, close-contacts who are unvaccinated and not participating in pool testing will still have a five day community quarantine.

    3. As long as universal masking is in place and consistently enforced, close-contacts who are  unvaccinated and not participating in pool testing may attend school and school sponsored activities. While participating in school sponsored activities, they will have to properly wear a mask (this includes sports and other extra-curriculars). This applies to school sponsored activities. They must follow community quarantine guidelines for activities outside of school such as rec. sports. 

  5. Outbreak status is based upon 15% of the students and staff being absent due to illness.

  6. The school community will only be notified of positive cases. 

  7. The school will identify close contacts and inform families of quarantine status and guidelines based upon vaccination status and pool testing results. This communication will be done through email and traditional mailings. 

  8. The school will continue to follow the National CDC order requiring masks on school buses.

 

If a student is required to isolate or quarantine due to COVID, the student’s top priority should be on a full recovery. When a student has recovered to the point he/she can engage in remote learning, teachers will provide work and instructional support. Students in grades PK-5 can access assignments and resources through SeeSaw and students in grades 6-12 should utilize Google Classroom. These materials will be available within 24-48 hours after the student and/or parent/guardian informs the school that the impacted student is healthy enough to engage in academic activities. If there are unique needs or concerns (including traditional paper packets for those with limited internet access) parents/guardians are encouraged to contact the building principal as well as classroom teacher(s). 

 

In closing, thank you for working with us. The move towards the new SOP emphasizes the importance of continued universal masking in RSU #2 and the need for families to follow the home health screener. We continue to work to keep our students and staff healthy, in-school, and actively engaged in all aspects of traditional school-life. We understand the impact this has had on everyone’s physical and mental health. We will continue to follow CDC/MDOE guidelines and encourage all community members to take every precaution in order to stay safe and healthy.

 

Respectfully, 

 

 

Matthew P. Gilbert 

Assistant Superintendent RSU #2