IMPORTANT UPDATE
May 29, 2020 (12:00 PM)
Dear Parents/Guardians,
As our students enter their last week of school, I would like to take this opportunity to thank parents and staff for their hard work and support during this unprecedented time. It certainly was much more than we anticipated when we closed our buildings in March for two weeks. Our last student day will be Friday, June 5th and teachers will be available until June 12th to close-up their classrooms, help distribute student possessions and collect devices, and develop contingency plans for the fall. Throughout the coming months, I will continue to post updates on our website and social media platforms as I have relevant information to share with parents.
IMPORTANT PARENT SURVEYS
We are sending out the first of several surveys over the next few weeks (links below and via InstaAlert) asking for your critical feedback as we consider how we will operate schools this fall. Please take a moment to tell us what you need and how you're feeling so that we can provide your child(ren) with the best possible educational experience in September. The Biddeford and Dayton School Departments, like most others across the country, are preparing for several different reopening options. The guidance from the CDS and Department of Education will likely change prior to August; however, it is important that we are prepared as a community. It is much easier to loosen restrictions or plans rather than tighten as September approaches.
Please keep the following brief plan descriptions in mind when completing the survey:
Plan A - All students return in the fall with proper safety procedures and social distancing;
Plan B - Students return with a reduced number of students (examples: half days, every other day, every other week). In this plan, students would attend school on the same day as their siblings and we would allow families to request attending on days with two other families to assist with childcare. Students would engage in remote learning when not present at school.
Plan C - Distance Learning
WORK PERMITS
Work permits can still be obtained. If your child is 14 years old (or turning 14 soon) and interested in getting a job this summer, please email Kerrie Edgerton at kedgerton@biddefordschools.me and she can help access a work permit. The form can be found on our website and once downloaded, is able to type in, save, and email. A parent does not have to sign the form; however, you must type in your full name and clearly state in the email your child’s name, the place they will be working, and that you give permission for them to work there. A copy of your child’s birth certificate will also need to be attached to the email. It can be sent as a photo or scanned from your phone. Kerrie can also be reached at 282-8280 if you have further questions.
DEVICE RETURN
Please review the weekly newsletter(s) for your child(ren)’s school(s) for specific processes surrounding the pick-up of student possessions and device return during the week of June 8-12. It is important all borrowed devices are returned, especially 8th-grade Macbooks, to ensure we have time to disinfect them properly for use in the fall.
SUMMER SCHOOL
Any programming offered in June and July will be online only; in August, we will take a socially-distant, phased in-person approach based on any updated guidance between now and then. Each individual program will reach out to participants with details. If your student will participate in any summer program (including BLAST), please do not return their device to the school during the week of June 8-12.
UPCOMING VIRTUAL AWARDS & CELEBRATIONS
Please join us to watch the premieres of the below virtual awards and celebrations at the dates/times listed. We will publish the links on the district website, the relevant school website, and social media platforms. The link will be provided to Biddeford Public Access but it may run at a later time depending on current programming (with the exception of graduation which is scheduled). If you missed any of the previous awards, they are posted here.
Dayton Consolidated 5th Grade Clap Out: Tuesday, June 2nd at 6 PM. Fifth-grade families will meet at the Town Hall by 5:55 PM and remain in their car with students sitting on the passenger side. Families are encouraged to make signs and decorate their cars if they choose and the event will be streamed via Facebook Live.
BHS Class of 2020 Scholarship Awards: Tuesday, June 2nd at 6 PM. Local Scholarships will be announced.
BHS Underclass Awards: Wednesday, June 3rd at 6 PM. Awards given to freshmen, sophomores and juniors will be announced.
8th Grade Awards Ceremony: Thursday, June 4th at 8:45 AM. The majority of awards will be given to students by their academic teachers. Team Sebago and STEM will be hosting their awards ceremonies separately.
Senior Assembly: Thursday, June 4th at 2 PM. BHS Department awards will be presented. Class historians will deliver the class story and the senior slide show will be shown.
BMS 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony: Thursday, June 4th at 6 PM. BMS Principal Scott Descoteaux will present a couple of high-profile awards (State of Maine Citizenship Award, NELMS Scholar Leader, Tiger Awards, and the BMS Principal Award) and celebrate the 8th graders on their achievements.
Senior Night & Candlelight Ceremony: Friday, June 5th at 6:30 PM & 7 PM. Community members are invited to go outside in Biddeford and Saco and make as much noise as possible for 30 seconds to recognize all seniors. Let’s show our seniors how proud we are of their accomplishments and share your photos with the hashtag #SeniorsUnite2020. Shortly following this recognition, the Candlelight Ceremony will be held virtually at 7pm.
Class of 2020 Graduation: Graduates will march and walk the stage in advance with smaller groups for producing a film, have their photos taken professionally, and then celebrate as a full group at the premiere on Wednesday, June 17th at 9 PM at the Saco Drive-In. Due to the limited capacity of one vehicle per graduating student, it will be broadcast simultaneously for community viewing as it streams live at the drive-in.
For the most up-to-date information, please stay connected with us at biddefordschools.me/health, and direct questions to closurequestions@biddefordschools.me or 207-391-6868.
Stay Well,
Jeremy Ray
Superintendent of Schools
Administrators Deliver Ice Cream to Students
This week, the Biddeford and Dayton School Departments transformed their school buses into ice cream "trucks" to deliver ice cream cones to students. The administrative team donated them for almost 4,000 students and it allowed them to see the students before the end of the school year. Parents and students were very excited and the timing of the almost 90-degree day was perfect!
Official Links/Contact Information
Email: closurequestions@biddefordschools.me
Website: www.biddefordschools.me/health
Location: 18 Maplewood Avenue, Biddeford, ME, USA
Phone: 207-391-6868
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/biddefordschooldepartment/
Twitter: @BiddefordSchDpt