EAST MAINE SCHOOL DISTRICT 63: District to Shift to All Remote Learning November 11

By Press release submission

Nov 10, 2020

East Maine School District 63 recently issued the following announcement.

In our communication sent Friday, November 6, we shared new plans for returning to remote learning after Thanksgiving break. We also included this important piece of information:

IF CASE COUNTS AND POSITIVITY RATES EXCEED DISTRICT DETERMINED METRICS BEFORE THANKSGIVING, ALL LEARNING WILL PIVOT TO 63 ONLINE AT THAT TIME .

Regrettably, this is now the case.

DUE TO COVID-19 CASE COUNTS AND POSITIVITY RATES EXCEEDING DISTRICT METRICS, ALL SCHOOLS ARE REVERTING TO ALL-REMOTE LEARNING EFFECTIVE WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11. THERE WILL BE NO IN-PERSON LEARNING - OR CHILDCARE - OF ANY KIND (INCLTAUDING SELF-CON EDUCATION) - BEGINNING ON THAT DATE.

IN ADDITION, HYBRID IN-PERSON PRESCHOOLERS, 3RD, 4TH, AND 6TH GRADERS WILL NOT RETURN TO SCHOOL BUILDINGS TOMORROW, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9.

Why did the District make this decision?

While we have been clear from the start of the school year that the District would take this course of action should the metrics indicate we needed to do so, we are aware that this is short notice. Here is what prompted this decision:

Our District metrics state that if the average of positivity rates in our five communities exceeded 8% AND new cases per 100,000 exceeded 175 for more than three days, we would return to remote learning.
Currently, the seven-day rolling average for our five communities is 9.36% - and as of today, the positivity rate has indeed exceeded 8% for three consecutive days. New cases per 100,000 have exceeded 175 for some time.

What does this mean for you and your student (s)?

If comfortable, parents may send hybrid their kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students to school on Monday, November 9 - Tuesday, November 10 to allow time to make any childcare arrangements.
As noted ALL students - including those who had returned to our buildings (including self-contained special education students) will revert to remote learning through 63 Online as of Wednesday, November 11.
Our preschooler, 3rd, 4th, and 6th grade in-person students should not come to school tomorrow, November 9.
Unfortunately, we will be unable to offer childcare of any kind after Tuesday, November 10.
- For families participating in Expanded Learning programs at the FRC, we will continue to offer programming on Monday and Tuesday for currently enrolled 5th-8th grade students.
- We will also continue to offer programming for those enrolled in the EXL Academy & 63 Online program on Monday and Tuesday.
- We will be able to offer EXL in the Afternoon programming for K-2 hybrid students on Monday and Tuesday.
As our students have been participating in 63 Online since August, families should be fairly familiar with how it works. As we have been doing for several months, your child will visit the 63 Online link on your school's web site to access the learning plan for each school day.
Be sure your child brings his / her Chromebook home on Tuesday, November 10. If you are having technical difficulties please submit a help desk ticket as soon as possible. Make sure to include your child's name, classroom number where item left if possible, and teacher's name. Help desk documentation is available here .
Meals will still be available to any student for free - as we have done in the past, parents may pick up breakfasts and lunches Mondays and Wednesdays at Gemini between 9:30 - 11:30 AM.
All students will continue with remote learning through at least January 19, 2021.

More information will be coming to you this week from your child (ren) 's school.