DISTRICT UPDATE
November 5, 2021
Dear Parents and Guardians,
On Friday, October 30th, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved emergency use authorization and on Tuesday, November 2nd, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended the Pfizer COVID vaccine for children ages 5-11 allowing as many as 80,000 children in Maine to be fully vaccinated by 2022 (full release linked here). Biddeford, Dayton, and Saco School Departments have partnered with MaineHealth to host FREE COVID vaccine clinics (ages 5-11 only) at various locations throughout our communities.
Within the first six hours of the email release to parents, the first two clinics were FULL and 65% of available time slots across all the clinics were filled. This is wonderful news to keep our students in school as those who are fully vaccinated would not need to quarantine or change their schedule if exposed and asymptomatic. The more individuals who are vaccinated, the fewer quarantines and outbreaks our schools will experience.
If you would like to have your child vaccinated, there are still some openings and all relevant dates and information regarding sign-ups is outlined in the Nursing Newsletter (linked here and provided below). A special thank you to Southern Maine Health Care who held a parent information session via Zoom yesterday to present facts about the COVID vaccine for children ages 5-11 and answer questions by our parents and guardians. If you missed this session, the Maine Community Action Partnership will be hosting an additional forum next week.
- PEDIATRICIANS SHARE: What Parents Need to Know about the COVID-19 Vaccine for Children
- Tuesday, November 9th from 6:00-7:15 PM via Zoom
- Register at mecap.org/events to receive the webinar login information
- Join Maine pediatricians as they share information about children and the COVID-19 vaccine and give advice on what to consider when making the decision to vaccinate children against COVID-19. There will be time for questions from the audience.
If you have additional questions specific to the COVID vaccine, please follow-up directly with your child’s physician. If you have questions specific to this clinic, please email vaccine@biddefordschools.me.
REMINDER: Please ensure your child comes to school prepared with mittens, hats, and multiple layers to remain warm while on the bus, recess, or other outside adventure. If your child is in need of warm winter gear, please reach out to your child(ren)’s principal and we will do our best to assist thanks to recent grant funding.
Stay Well,
Jeremy Ray
Superintendent of Schools
VACCINE CLINIC DATES
Required steps to sign-up are outlined in the Nursing Newsletter linked below.
* FULL* - 11/10/21 (First Dose) and 12/1/21 (Second Dose) from 2:00-8:00pm at Biddeford Middle School - Gym
* FULL* - 11/12/21 (First Dose) and 12/3/21 (Second Dose) from 2:30-6:00pm at Saco Parks & Recreation
11/17/21 (First Dose) and 12/8/21 (Second Dose) from 2:00-8:00pm at Governor John Fairfield School - Gym
11/18/21 (First Dose) and 12/9/21 (Second Dose) from 2:00-6:00pm at Dayton Consolidated School - Modular Building
11/19/21 (First Dose) and 12/10/21 (Second Dose) from 2:30-6:30pm at John F. Kennedy School - Gym
Quarantine Exceptions Based on Exposure
MARCHING BAND WINS THE GOLD!
BEF Partnering with Marching Band for Students' Warmth
THIS IS A WIN-WIN and a great holiday gift! Click here or the button below to place your order and help students in need.
AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY ABOUT MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Be Prepared to Thrive!
Official Links/Contact Information
Email: supt@biddefordschools.me
Website: www.biddefordschools.me
Location: 18 Maplewood Avenue, Biddeford, ME, USA
Phone: 207-282-8280
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/biddefordschooldepartment/
Twitter: @BiddefordSchDpt