April 6, 2021
Dear Rowe Families,
Our Kindness in Action programming to support the non-profit organization Maine Needs was a huge success. Thanks to all who contributed to this worthwhile project led by our PTO! A special thanks go out to the parent volunteers from the PTO who were instrumental in picking up the items and getting them delivered to their proper destination.
Dismissal
Please contact your child’s teacher and the Rowe office in regard to any changes in dismissal plans no later than 2 pm. The office needs the information because teachers often don't have time to check email throughout the day. Our office gets extremely busy in the afternoon, so the sooner we are notified, the better. Last-minute dismissal changes can cause confusion that we would like to avoid. Thanks in advance for your help!
All-In Plan dates
As you are probably aware, the Yarmouth School Committee voted in a plan for students to return to school four days per week beginning the week of May 3rd with Wednesdays remaining as remote learning days. There are three staff planning days to prepare for the shift to bringing all students back four days per week. Please read on for more specific details regarding the plans.
Wednesday, April 14, and Thursday, April 15 will be non-student days prior to April vacation. Wednesday, April 28 will be a non-student day on the Wednesday after the break.
These non-student days are needed to provide teachers and staff time to rearrange classrooms, develop and refine protocols, and adjust the curriculum to provide in-person learning for an increased number of students.
PLEASE NOTE: We will remain in the hybrid model the week we come back from spring break on Monday and Tuesday, April 26th & 27th, and Thursday and Friday, April 29th & 30th. Wednesday, April 28th is a planning day for teachers and there will be no remote learning that day.
As of Monday, May 3, we will move to 4-day per week in-person learning so long as the Maine Department Of Education classifies Cumberland County as “Green”.
1. All in-person students will be in school on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesdays will remain remote learning days through the end of the school year.
Students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 who are currently enrolled in the Remote Option will be able to continue in that mode through the end of the year. Remote learning capacity is capped at the K-4 levels, as the format of remote learning requires additional staffing and licensing. If Cumberland County is classified as Green, but local data indicates a more cautious approach, we will consider moving to Hybrid or Remote learning for a period of time. We are working with local public health professionals to define the data for consideration.
Our school day schedule will remain the same through the end of the school year with arrival beginning at 8:40, all students at school no later than 9:00. Dismissal will begin at 3:00 and end at 3:25. More specific details about our new dismissal procedures will follow soon. We will continue to use the PikMyKid app and it is very important that you announce your child in the app each day if you are picking them up at school.
Classroom placement
I want to remind families that we are unable to take specific teacher requests. You are welcome to describe the type of learning environment you feel is best for your child. You can email me or your child's teacher if you have any feedback you would like us to consider.
Message from the Yarmouth Bike and Pedestrian Committee
With warmer weather on the way, I'm sure we'll be seeing lots of bikes around town. The Bicycle Coalition of Maine has some great educational materials and a video on bike safety basics.
Bicycle Safety Classes
We will be offering a bike safety class for students during their PE classes in early May. The Youth Cycle Project led by Lenora Felker will provide the instruction. We have offered this programming to our students for a number of years and are happy to be able to provide it outside this year as part of Mr. Lipman's classes.
Tricycles at recess
We recently purchased some tricycles that sit low to the ground for students to ride outside in one of the recess zones. We will be rolling out the rules and use of the trikes soon. There are a few different styles and we have some that are appropriate for taller children. There are 10 trikes that can be rotated between students in a class. If you have a spare helmet that your child can leave at school, that would be really helpful. We have helmets available here for anyone who forgets theirs, but we need to spray them down and leave them to air out in between each use. If your child already rides a bike to school, that helmet could, of course, be used. Feel free to send a spare in as soon as you can. If not, we will work out a plan to be sure each child has an opportunity to ride. The trikes will not be used every day by each class, but we will come up with a schedule that will allow them the opportunity to use them every 5-6 days, possibly more.
PTO NEWS
· Volunteer with the School Community – The PTO is recruiting for next school year. There is room for our parents to volunteer at many different levels. You can share your interests through this 2-minute survey. For those seeking a bit more, we are looking for a Co-President and Co-Treasurer. If you’re a bit interested but need more info, feel free to contact Christy and Jessica at yarmouthpto04096@gmail.com.
· Hannaford Gift Cards – Next load is April 13, 12 pm. Forms will be sent home.
· Silver Graphics – Now-April 12! You can order products such as face masks, magnets, totes, etc. with your child’s artwork displayed on the items. These make great mementos and gifts, with 30% of the proceeds going to the PTO to fund enrichments. An order form with a picture of your child’s artwork went home with in-school students last week. Remote students can upload art from home. And all families can upload additional art (sibling art, family projects, photos). 3-step ordering directions for all students, including remote and HMS.
· Kindness in Action – Thanks to parent and student generosity, we were able to fill 5 huge bins – 2 carloads! – with donations! Maine Needs was very grateful for the items, which will go directly to Mainers in need. Thank you, Rowe community, for answering the call!
· Ice Cream Social – In lieu of our traditional ICS, we are planning some end-of-the-year fun for Rowe and YES students! More information after April Break!
· Camp Information – Our Welcome Committee has created a doc that lists organizations offering camps throughout the year. Contact rebeccamaltais@yahoo.com, with questions or additional camp info.
· Online Directory – We have received our family contact information, and the online directory is now ready to use! Online directory directions.
· PTO Meeting – Please join us at our next meeting on Thursday, April 29, 4 pm. Meeting info will be posted on our FB page at a later date.
· Questions can be sent to Christy and Jessica at yarmouthpto04096@gmail.com.
Dates to note:
Wednesday, April 14th & Thursday, April 15th - Staff Planning days - NO SCHOOL for students
Friday, April 16th - Friday, April 23rd Spring Break NO SCHOOL
Monday and Tuesday, April 26th & 27th, and Thursday and Friday, April 29th & 30th are hybrid days. Students come to school in their currently assigned cohorts.
Wednesday, April 28th - Staff Planning Day - No School for students
Thursday, April 29th - Virtual PTO meeting at 4 PM
Monday, May 3rd we begin the four-day schedule. All students will continue with remote learning on Wednesdays each week.
Monday, May 31st - Memorial Day holiday, NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, June 15th – Last day of school (Snow days from here on will be remote learning days if we have more, making June 15th our last day for the 2020-21 school year.)
Please reach out to me if you have questions. As always, thank you for your ongoing support of our work and the education of your children.
Sincerely,
Susan Lobel, Principal
