Community Newsletter - December 17, 2021

December 17, 2021

Holiday Break Reminder

December 23 - December 31

No School for Holiday Break

Click here for the Brunswick

School Department calendar.

There will be no Community

Newsletter published next week.

Health and Safety Update: COVID-19 Cases

Between December 13 and December 17, there were 12 new COVID-19 cases in the Brunswick School Department.

School officials have been in contact with the Maine DOE/CDC, and those impacted have been contacted. Cumulative statistics on all COVID-19 cases during the 2021-22 school year are available on the COVID-19 Dashboard.

Pooled COVID-19 Testing

Pooled testing continues to be an effective tool in monitoring the prevalence of COVID-19 in our schools. Brunswick School Department enjoys high participation, especially in our elementary schools. Below is our current participation rate of students and adults by school:

You can still register their children for pooled testing. The directions can be found here.

There is no pooled testing in Maine schools the week of December 20, 2021. Pooled testing will resume on January 3, 2022.

Contact Tracing

School nurses and district health staff will be on well-deserved vacation during the Winter Break December 23 - January 2. Consequently, there will be no contact tracing from 3 pm on December 22 to 8 am on January 3. Staff members and parents should continue to notify their school nurse by email or voicemail if they/their children test positive for COVID-19. Individuals who test positive during break should not return to school January 3. School nurses will contact those individuals on January 3 with more specific directions.

Exception: High school athletes should report to Athletic Director Aaron Watson if they test positive for COVID-19 during the break. Mr. Watson will contact trace athletes December 23 to January 2.

Maine CDC/DOE Standard Operating Procedures

The Maine CDC and DOE are in the process of revising the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which guides school districts’ response to COVID-19. The revision is scheduled to come out around December 31. We will provide an update on changes when they are available.

Additional Time Slots Are Now Available for

Vaccinations and Booster Shots Through Maine Health

Additional dates and time slots have been added to Maine Health's 81 Medical Center Drive location in Brunswick. Visit Maine Health for more information on Vaccine Clinics and Booster Shots.

THANK YOU!

Pictured from left to right: Beth Bisson, Teresa Gillis, Phil Potenziano

A big Thank You to School Board member Teresa Gillis who is leaving the Board after 6 years of service! The Brunswick School Board presented Teresa with a plaque at the December 8, 2021 board meeting to thank her for her service. The bedrock of this country's democracy is its citizens, people who embrace the idea that volunteering and participating in local government is the duty and right of everyone. On behalf of the administration, staff, and students, we want to extend a sincere thanks to Teresa for her strong advocacy. We sincerely appreciate all the talent, time, and energy she has provided to our schools.

BJHS / Coffin School Complex Planning Committee

The Brunswick School Department is seeking community volunteers to participate in a planning group. This planning committee was designed by the Brunswick School Department in collaboration with the Brunswick Town Council to accomplish the following objectives:

To develop a long term strategy that includes renovation/expansion, maintenance, etc. of Brunswick Junior High School for the future of BJHS/Coffin School Complex...(10-year plan).
Maximize existing building resources such as Coffin School to assist with poorly functioning spaces at BJHS.
Understand the issues of priority for our community in regards to selecting a plan.
Ensure fiscal responsibility to taxpayers while providing a world class educational setting for our students.

Click here to volunteer for the committee.

Employee Spotlight

Jola Hebert

6th Grade Math Teacher,

Brunswick Junior High School

Jola grew up in Caribou, Maine and graduated from Thomas College with her master in Elementary Math and Literacy. She has a 26 year old daughter, Hannah, who lives in New Hampshire with her husband. Her son, Dawson, is 21 years old and is a senior at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY.

What makes you proud to work in Brunswick? #BSDProud

The support and friendships I have created with the staff here in Brunswick (both BJHS and HBS) are so important to me. Since moving here in 2014 my colleagues are my family.

What do you like to do outside of work for fun?

Kayaking, hiking, refurnishing furniture, and wood crafts.

Favorite line from a movie?

"I like smiling. Smiling's my favorite" -Elf

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet?

My Grandfather who passed away before I was born.

What is something you learned in the last week?

I am taking a sign language class, and we are learning how to ask questions and give basic commands.