East Maine School District 63 recently issued the following announcement.
DUE TO COVID-19 CASE COUNTS AND POSITIVITY RATES EXCEEDING DISTRICT METRICS, ALL SCHOOLS REVERTED TO ALL-REMOTE LEARNING ON NOVEMBER 11. THERE IS NO IN-PERSON LEARNING - OR CHILDCARE - OF ANY KIND (INCLUDING SELF-CONTAINED SPECIAL EDUCATION). STUDENTS WILL REMAIN IN 63 ONLINE UNTIL AT LEAST JANUARY 19, 2021.
In addition, school offices will be closed, with staff working remotely, through at least December 18 (just before Winter Break when all schools close for two weeks). District office staff will work remotely until at least January 4. See below for how best to contact our school or District offices during this time.
When school buildings do reopen for hybrid learning, K-5th grades will shift to 63 Blended Learning . Classroom teachers will teach their in-person and remote students simultaneously each morning.
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, here is what prompted this decision on November 8:
- 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.
- As noted ALL students - including those who had returned to our buildings (including self-contained special education students) reverted to remote learning through 63 Online as of Wednesday, November 11.
- Unfortunately, we are unable to offer childcare of any kind after Tuesday, November 10.
- 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.
- 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 am- 12:30 pm
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All students will continue with remote learning until at least January 19, 2021.
School and office staff will be available should you need assistance or have questions.
For the District Office:
- Email district411@emsd63.org .
- Call and leave a voicemail at 847.299.1900.
- Send an email at your school's general email address.
- Call and leave a voicemail at your school office.
- You can find email and phone number information on your school's home page: look for the large “Contact Us” envelope icon below the banner photo.
As noted above, in a blended teaching model, classroom teachers simultaneously teach their in-person and remote students. This is a change from the model used last fall for grades K-5. Learn more about blended teaching - and why the District making this change.
Original source can be found here.
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