The Cardinal News
Paris Elementary April 9, 2020
How Is Everyone Doing?
It's seems so very strange to not have been in school with students since March 13th. We have been through a lot in a such a short time. I hope you are all doing well and staying healthy. We know things might seem overwhelming right now, but please know we will continue to be here to support you in any way we can. Included in this newsletter is the most recent letter to parents from the superintendent, a note from our counselors, a message from me which was shared on our Paris Elementary Facebook page, and some great videos from our wonderful school nurse Vickey Knight.
We know many of you have questions regarding how you will get your child's belongings/materials from school. While I don't have an answer for you at this time, please know my team and I are working on a plan to make this happen. However, it will take some time to organize and figure out the logistics to keep everyone healthy. We will let you know how we will do this once we have a plan in place. Thank you for your patience.
Please remember to reach out to us if you have questions or concerns. We miss your children and miss being together with our school family.
-Lori Pacholski
Letter From The Superintendent
To: Students, Parents, Faculty, Staff and Community Members
From: Richard Colpitts
Subject: Update Memo 4-8-2020
April 8, 2020
Dear Students, Parents, Faculty, Staff and Community Members,
For the last three weeks the Oxford Hills community of teachers, students and parents have been participating in a sprint of sorts. We joined in the sprint to remote learning on March 16, 2020, with little opportunity to train and prepare in hopes that the sprint would end shortly. Learning packets, online extensions of learning, frequent communications between students, parents and teachers and hundreds of bus stop food deliveries all were put in place over a very short period of time for a sprint that we thought would last just a few weeks. It is now apparent that this is not a sprint but a marathon.
Per Maine Commissioner of Education Pender Makin’s recommendation, with Governor Mills’ approval of that recommendation, Oxford Hills School District will be preparing for remote learning for the remainder of the school year. If the Commissioner and/or Governor were to declare it safe to return to on-site learning before our last day of school, we would consider returning to on-site education at that time to allow students and staff to have closure for this academic year.
We are now in a marathon! We can’t run a marathon using strategies designed for a short sprint. Students, teachers, and parents need to prepare differently for a long period of remote learning. This is clearly now a long race that requires some pacing, scheduled breaks, and a known finish line.
I don’t have all the answers to the questions that will likely arise from this new reality. What we do know is that students who continue to make efforts to engage in learning will not be held hostage to a pandemic they couldn’t control. We will find a way to provide feedback to students that will continue to guide their independent learning quests. There will be a break in April (April 20-24) for us all to pause, rest and gather strength for the final lap. Remote schooling will continue to follow the same calendar approved by the Board for the current school year. The last day of school has not been finalized yet. We do not know if our graduation date will be moved or canceled but we will find ways to recognize and celebrate our graduating seniors for their significant accomplishments. We will continue to award scholarships to seniors pursuing postgraduate studies. We know that our parents, teachers, and students are all working hard to make remote learning meaningful and we must recognize that remote learning is not a replacement for in-school learning. We hope to retain relationships, encourage continued learning and support students and families so that they have the resources needed to continue learning in an independent setting.
We will continue to convey information during the marathon as plans are developed. We thank you for your continued support and trust.
Richard Colpitts
Superintendent of Schools
Counselor’s Corner
Greetings Paris Friends! We hope you are getting outside and enjoying the fresh spring air. Being in fresh air is one thing that many of us consider self-care. Some of you might not know what self-care is and that’s okay. Self-care involves choices and activities that we do to help us be the best version of ourselves. Some examples of self-care are going on a bike ride with your family, taking a bubble bath, listening to relaxing music, doing a puzzle or having a dance party. We encourage each of you to talk about self-care with your family and try practicing one activity every day.
Finally, remember that if you are starting to have feelings such as worry, sadness, or anxiety tell an adult so they can help. We are also here to talk with anyone who would like to speak with us.
Stay healthy and happy!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Morrison - (207) 743-8972, ext. 7008 or a.morrison@msad17.org
Miss. Kelsey - (207) 743-8972, ext. 9607 or k.wilcox@msad17.org
Monitor Technology Use
Parents this is just a reminder to be sure to monitor your child’s use of technology if they are using a school chromebook. It is important students are using these devices to access learning opportunities and are not using them inappropriately in any way. Please be sure your child understands that they need to follow the same rules and guidelines we have at school for using these chromebooks at home.
Help your child find a reasonable time at night to turn off the chromebook and be sure they are not sending messages to other students late at night. Also monitor your child's email content and search history. You have every right to know what your child is doing on these chromebooks. We want students to be able to continue to use these devices and need your help in monitoring your child’s use of these devices.
If you are unsure how to check in on what your child is doing, please feel free to reach out to me and I can help you with this or have our tech department do a check in on what has been done on your child's device if you have concerns. Thank you for helping to ensure students are safe and appropriate!
More informative information shared by our school nurse, Vickey Knight
PRE-K AND KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION - 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR
If you have a child or know of a child who will be starting either Pre-K or Kindergarten for the coming school year, would you please let us know?
Registration will be coming up and we are starting our lists now.
- For Pre-K, your child must turn four by October 15, 2020. Please call Marj Scribner at 207-743-8972 to have a packet mailed to you.
- For Kindergarten, your child must be five by October 15, 2020. Please call 207-743-7802. We will need your child's name, date of birth, mailing address, and parents' name(s) and phone numbers. Once we know the date of the screening we will contact you.
Please pass this information along to a friend or neighbor if they have a child who will be coming to Paris Elementary School in the fall. All children must register with their hometown school, even if you plan to have them attend another school in the district.
If your child is currently a Pre K student, they will be put on our list and will not need to go through the registration process. Please make sure to keep us informed if your mailing address or phone number changes.
REMINDER.....Please Update Your Contact Information
Teachers have been reaching out to families, but have had some difficulty reaching a few people. If you have not heard from the school via email, phone or through the School Messenger app within the last week, please contact us to provide the best phone number and email address that we can reach you at.
Teachers are using various communication apps and email to stay in contact with you. It is important you are checking these apps and your email for information from your child's teacher. and the school. We are working hard to keep all students engaged in some type of learning tasks during our school closure. If there is a better way for a teacher to contact you, be sure to let them know so you don't miss out on important information and updates.
Please contact us at 743-7802 to update your information so you will receive news from PES and the school district.
You can also reach out to the secretaries through email at:
Until further notice our secretaries will be answering phones Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.