November 9, 2020
Dear Noble Community;
The end of November and December brings several holidays that many of our families and staff recognize and celebrate. We realize that some families and staff may even gather together with those they have not been in contact with over the course of the last eight months. We also realize that several of the increases of COVID-19 cases in the State of Maine have been identified as associated with such gatherings. This is written with the hope that we can keep our schools open for as long as possible. We are asking for your cooperation and awareness as we enter the Holiday Season. Please consider, if possible, strategic planning of holiday gatherings especially if you are traveling to those states not on the “Keep Maine Healthy” exemption list. Currently, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts are the only three states exempt from needing to quarantine after travel to and from those states. Finally, as another preemptive measure, please do not send your child back to the school setting after any of the holidays if you know someone was not feeling well or developed symptoms around or right after a gathering. Again, we are asking for your assistance so that all of our schools can remain open as long as possible.
With the approaching holiday season and continued uptick of positive cases across our state, and specifically in York County, we are asking all families to formulate plans in the event that a school or the entire district needs to close down and pivot to full remote learning. While we will work diligently, again with everyone’s help, to try to avoid those situations, the reality is that we may be faced with the tough decision to close down for a period of time. Ideally it would be our preference to be able to provide a few days notice for such events, but in all likelihood, there may be little notice that we are able to provide.
Our students, families, and staff continue to do a remarkable job following the Health and Safety Guidelines. Masks/face coverings, social distancing, and proper hand hygiene are front and center in each school building and are of highest priority. Please continue giving these three items attention and emphasis through ongoing discussions at home. Our staff will regularly reinforce these guidelines while children are in school.
It is of utmost significance to keep your child out of school if he/she has been tested for COVID-19 and is awaiting test results. We can not stress the importance of this measure enough as we work to mitigate possible exposure to COVID-19 to others in the school environment.
In closing, I have worked in MSAD #60 for the last twenty-one years and the pandemic has caused us to change how we approach every facet of the school experience. Seeing the ongoing support and commitment from families and staff to follow the Daily Screening Tool, the Health and Safety Guidelines, and school-specific procedures just reinforces what a great community NOBLE is!
Thank you for your continued help.
Audra Beauvais