SCHOOL UNION NO



CHERRYFIELD SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

Robert J. Riley, Superintendent of Schools

P.O. Box 58, Cherryfield, ME 04622

Tel. (207)546-7770

April 10, 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Not much has changed since I last wrote to you except for one, rather large item that was dropped on school districts in the state by the Governor and the Commissioner of Education. On Tuesday evening, we received an email from Commissioner Makin informing us of the Department’s recommendation for school districts to plan for continued distance learning for the remainder of the current school year.

This is only a suggestion, at this time, and we are not prepared to make a final determination yet. As soon as we make that final determination, we will be sending out a notice to you all.

(Aside: You need to remember, I grew up rooting for the Boston Red Sox through the 1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s, I am ever the optimist!)

I want to remind everyone that all students will be on “vacation” during the normal time beginning Monday, April 20 through Friday, April 24. There will be no schoolwork expectations during this time. Teachers will begin again with work expectations on Monday, April 27.

We will still be providing breakfast and lunch during the school break, so please, if you wish to receive meals, respond to the Remind App request.

As we think about how and when to bring our students back to school, we need to ensure that first and foremost, our students, their families and our staff, will be safe. Second, we need to be confident that the COVID-19 is no longer present in our community. It would be very foolish for us to bring students back into group settings if there are still some vestiges of the virus present in our community. So we will need to be confident that we are not putting anyone at risk by coming back to school too soon.

Then, we will need to be thoughtful in the manner in which we bring the students back. How do we celebrate our 8th graders? What is Narraguagus High School’s plan for these students to begin their high school careers? How do we register these students for classes? Will there be any orientation days for these students? How do we handle kindergarten registration and screening? And those are the questions I can think of at 9:00 pm! And we haven’t even mentioned our first through seventh graders. As you can see, returning our students will need to be a very thoughtful process.

I know this is hard for all of us, but patience will be rewarded here.

I also want to remind you all of some important meetings coming up in the next couple of weeks. First, on Tuesday evening, April 14, we will hold the regular meeting of the School Committee using ZOOM, a social meeting application that allows us to hold public meetings and still obey the social distancing guidelines of the CDC. This meeting will begin at 6:00 pm. 

Our next meeting, the first School Budget Hearing, will be Tuesday evening, April 21 at 6:00 pm, again, this will be a ZOOM meeting. The purpose of this meeting is the first look at our proposed school budget for the school year 2020-2021. All are welcome to “attend” these meetings. The link to the meetings is on the web page. I am looking forward to seeing everyone there. 

As I wrap this up, I want you all to know how much we appreciate how difficult this time is for all of us. You all are trying to maintain work schedules AND see that your kids are doing their schoolwork! Our teachers are experiencing a totally new way of delivering instruction. Trust me, none of us had a course in how to create and deliver distance instruction and provide adequate formative and summative assessment in any of our college courses or graduate level courses in this way. We are truly flying blind here.

I did want to share something I came across in my readings over the last few days and weeks as we try to get better at dealing with pandemics. I have heard from some that there is worry about our kids getting behind in their studies. This is a different look at these times, from a different perspective. This is a piece by Jaime Ragsdale, who is a blogger about parenting. Other than that, I know very little about her, but if you’d like more information on her, her website is .

This piece is entitled: What if Instead of Behind They are Ahead 

What if instead of “behind” this group of kids is advanced because of this? Let’s talk about helping our kids during social distancing.

What if they have more empathy, they enjoy family connection, they can be more creative and entertain themselves, they love to read, they love to express themselves in writing.

What if they enjoy the simple things, like their own backyard and sitting near a window in the quiet? What if they notice the birds and the dates the different flowers emerge, and the calming renewal of a gentle rain shower?

 

What if this generation is the ones to learn to cook, organize their space, do their laundry, and keep a well-run home?

What if they learn to stretch a dollar and to live with less? What if they learn to plan shopping trips and meals at home.

What if they learn the value of eating together as a family and finding the good to share in the small delights of the everyday?

 

What if they are the ones to place great value on our teachers and educational professionals, librarians, public servants and the previously invisible essential support workers like truck drivers, grocers, cashiers, custodians, logistics, and health care workers and their supporting staff, just to name a few of the millions taking care of us right now while we are sheltered in place?

What if among these children, a great leader emerges who had the benefit of a slower pace and a simpler life. What is he or she truly learning what really matters in this life? Let’s talk about helping our kids during social distancing.

What if they are ahead?

Wishing you all the best,

Bob Riley

Superintendent

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