Maine School Administrative District 51: MSAD #51 District Newsletter - October 28, 2021

Portland ME

29 October, 2021

6:31 PM

Description

Press release from Maine School Adminstrative District 51: Oct 29, 2021, 9:57 AM Superintendent Porter's Blog To view Superintendent Porter's most recent Blog Post, click here. Save the Date! Pending FDA approval in early November, children ages 5-11 will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.  A student vaccine clinic is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, November 17 from 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm.  More information, including consent forms, will be coming soon! Smash the Stigma! IMPORTANT HEALTH UPDATES Though this school year has begun to move in the direction of normalcy for our students, there are many COVID procedures that must remain in place, too. These procedures are constantly vetted- and updated- through the Maine CDC, Maine Department of Education, American Academy of Pediatrics, Superintendent's COVID Advisory Group, and the district's nursing staff.  The school nurses are simply carrying the message and working hard to ensure that all students and staff are as safe and healthy as possible while in school. They have helped to navigate the pandemic for the last 20 months and have done an exemplary job. So, when you get a call or email that your child is quarantined or a close contact, please know they are simply the messenger and are doing their jobs. I know this is frustrating at times as we try to balance between health and safety and the realities of daily living.  The update that follows continues this evolving balance and effort to loosen areas where we can, while staying tight on those areas that are necessary for protecting an entire school community. As we have seen during the last couple of weeks, remaining vigilant as COVID cases in our district increase is imperative. We need your continued support and understanding as we move deeper into the 2021-22 school year. MSAD #51 Important Health Updates (click link) Board Hires Equity Consultant The MSAD #51 Board of Directors hired Lawrence Alexander of Carney-Sandoe Associates https://www.carneysandoe.com/ to help facilitate and consult on equity work over the next year. On October 18, the Board met virtually with Mr. Alexander to ask questions about his beliefs around equity and the scope of work they have developed to guide equity in the district moving forward: Adopt policy ACA: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Education Review and implement a long-term District equity plan along with goals and target dates of accomplishments through recommendations from the Equity LSC and community engagement opportunities. Professional development for all Board members, completed by the end of the 21/22 school year. Mr. Alexander has worked with other area school districts, including Yarmouth, Windham-Raymond, and RSU 21 (Kennebunk) all within the last couple of years in the area of equity. Additionally, he has done work for the Maine Superintendents' Association and was their keynote speaker at the Winter Convocation in January 2021. He is recognized as an expert on equity practices in school settings. Stay Connected Subscribe to our District's weekly newsletter by clicking here.Follow us on Twitter @SuperMSAD51Like us on Facebook at MSAD #51Find us Instagram @msad_51YouTube Channel MSAD #51  Below is a snapshot of the current positive COVID-19 cases.  For more information, including updated information regarding COVID-19, please visit the COVID-19 Information Center at: https://sites.google.com/msad51.org/covid-19-information-center MSAD #51 Board of Directors Information Meetings start at 6:30 pm in the Greely Center for the Arts at GHS unless otherwise noted. November 1 - Regular Meeting Remember you can watch our meetings on YouTube LIVE (http://bit.ly/msad51livevideo). LinksMeeting Dates, Agendas & MinutesBoard of Directors Meeting Videos   Community Partners Our Community Partners are strong supporters of various areas of the school.  Without them, our students would not have many of the wonderful opportunities and experiences that they receive. Parent U: Raising Resilient, Caring, Responsible Children Useful Links Employment Opportunities MSAD #51 Website 2018-2021 Strategic Plan District Calendar GHS Athletics Schedule   If you would like something included in our weekly newsletter, please send a brief write up with title along with a JPEG or PNG image of your flyer (if applicable) to Fran Prentice for approval. The deadline each week is Sunday. Any requests received after Sunday will be reviewed for possible submission in the following week's newsletter. All approved submissions will be posted on the district's website. Not all items in this email are MSAD #51 sponsored programs. If you need more information, please contact the group or organization that is sponsoring the event. Sign in|Report Abuse|Print Page|Powered By Google Sites This press release was produced by Maine School Adminstrative District 51. The views expressed here are the author's own.