Dear RSU 21 Families,

What a pleasure it has been to have the students back in our buildings! From my office in KES I can hear the little voices and footsteps of our youngest learners and it nevers ceases to make me smile. In my visits to the schools this week I've heard some fantastic stories of the summer adventures taken by our students and staff. Some stories tell of places far beyond our community and others no further than our shores, but it was clear that all of the memories made this summer hold a special place in each storyteller's heart.

It's only been a few days and our students and staff have jumped right back into learning. Walking through the halls I see art being created, equations being solved; I hear theories  being debated, hypotheses explored, and shrieks of delight from the playground. I cannot wait to see what this school year brings to our learners! 

As you know, we are in need of more bus drivers. If you know someone who is looking for a job, please have them stop by Cummings Market on Thursday morning to learn more about how they can become a part of our transportation department. More information on this and other district employment opportunities can be found later in the newsletter. 

Just a reminder that there will be no school tomorrow, Friday, September 2nd or Monday, September 5th. Looking forward to seeing everyone again on Tuesday!

Much love,

Dr. Cooper

Welcome Back Everybody!

So many words used to describe coming back to school! Here's the gist of what's been going through the minds of our staff and students this week.

RSU 21 Is Making Headlines...And Its All Good News!

RSU 21 Opening Day Staff Symposium was a day to remember!

Read what the Kennebunk Post and the York County Coast Star had to say about it.

Thank you to all who made it such a success!

It's a Long Weekend!

There will be no school Friday, September 2nd or Monday, September 5th in observance of Labor Day. 

The first Labor Day parade was held in New York City in 1887, but it did not become an official federal holiday until 1894. The holiday recognizes the many contributions workers have made to America's strength, prosperity, and well-being.

Welcome Back from our Operations Teams! 

Transportation

As we kick off the 2022-2023 school year, I'd like to take a moment and thank parents for their continued support and patience during a critical shortage of Bus Drivers and Bus Aides. As mentioned in previous emails, we started this year with a shortage of seven drivers and quickly adapted to ensure all student transportation plans were met. Some of the adaptations made included the consolidation of some routes and the use of new drivers. Though our first few days have been very successful, some of the aforementioned adaptation and driver shortages cause a small amount of delays in pick up and drop off times. These were isolated events that will improve with time and experience as our drivers adjust and learn their new routes. Thank you again to the wonderful RSU 21 community that has been so understanding and supportive of the our Bus Drivers and Bus Aides. Please note, the times listed in Ride 360 are estimates and may vary by 10 minutes of the listed time (5 minutes before/after). In the next few weeks, we may be making adjustments to the routes based on school bus ridership numbers. Any changes will be reflected in Ride 360 app or the Traversa web portal. Ride 360 can be downloaded in the Google Play Store or the Apple App store. The information may also be accessed using the following link: https://mersu21.traversaride360.com/. You will need your students PowerSchool's ID number to access their transportation information. You can obtain your PowerSchool's number from your student's school. 

Did you know that the dedicated team of RSU 21 Transportation Team at RSU 21 does the following in a given day: 

• 2,000 miles of transportation service 
• Safely completes more than 110 individual school bus routes
• Over 4,000 student transportation schedules to and from school
• Performs a 52 point inspection on each vehicle before use
• GPS-tracking and real time data monitoring to remotely monitor bus speed, location and even send immediate alerts to our mechanics for critical system faults.

While I have your attention, I'd like to recognize our team of Mechanics, Frank West (Lead Mechanic) and Jeff Boynton. In a recent state inspection of our buses, they were commended by the Maine State Police vehicle inspection team for the outstanding condition of RSU 21 buses and their dedication to student safety. Following the inspection, the State Police members noted that RSU 21 buses are some of the finest the review each year. Frank and Jeff can sometimes be seen behind the wheel of a bus helping out where needed, if you see them, please join me in thanking them for their sincere dedication to School Bus safety. 

Maintenance

We welcome back all staff and students and we hope your summer break was restful. We've been hard at work all summer preparing for your return. The team worked diligently to clean classrooms and building interior spaces since June and we have received many compliments and thanks for the work done by our custodial staff. Maintenance staff have been busy fixing and tending to repairs where needed and have done an amazing job. Groundskeepers had their hands full with mowing, trimming, field work, landscaping, lining fields for summer programs as well as trying to keep our green spaces green during a very dry summer. Thank you for your support of our Maintenance Operations Team.

Food & Nutrition

We are very excited to have our students back. Students grades 3-12 have been busy learning their student ID numbers and during a great job. They never imagined they would have homework from the lunchroom.

It is great to be using the computer system again, this helps us learn the students names. Our High School students were happy to see the salad bar back this year. Mark your calendar for September 14, Maine Harvest Lunch. Our main menu consists of food grown by Maine farmers. Please encourage your children to choose the main meal especially that day. We also participate in Maine Harvest of the Month. This program highlights foods that are grown in Maine. These foods are in red on our monthly menu and we hope all of our customers will try them. The Harvest of the Month food for September is tomatoes be on the lookout each month for the featured food.

Know Anyone Looking for a Job?

WE NEED BUS DRIVERS!

Check out the job description here and apply online.

Prefer to talk to someone in person?

We'll be at Cumming's Market (corner of Alewive Road and Alfred Road) on Thursday, 9/8 from 8am to noon. Come by and see us!

Can't make it Thursday? Reach out to Chris Pascuito, RSU 21's Transportation Manager at 207-985-2622.

Consent for Rapid Antigen Testing in School 

This year RSU 21 will conduct rapid antigen tests for students who present with symptoms at school. To make this process simpler for families we are offering the opportunity to provide consent for students to be rapid antigen tested by their school nurse. Please complete the form below if you would like to participate. 

2022-2023 Parent/Guardian Consent for Rapid Antigen Testing in Schools

Community Resources. In a moment of crisis you do not have to be alone.

Here is a list of resources available to everyone throughout our district and beyond.