Health Update 15 – May 18, 2020
Good Morning:
I want to update families on a few things as we continue to plan for next steps.
Potentially Helpful Resource: www.communitylearningforme.org
This is not a Bangor School Department resource, but I was asked to share with others. Many Maine organizations have pulled these resources together and it may be worth a look.
Meal Delivery Next Week:
Please be reminded that next Monday, May 25th, is Memorial Day and there is no school. Meal delivery for the week will include:
- Extra meals delivered on Friday, May 22nd for the meals on Monday
- Delivery on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday the week of May 25th
- Daily Tuesday through Friday at Downeast and Abraham Lincoln Schools
Re-opening of School Planning:
I want to assure everyone that planning is ongoing for a variety of situations regarding COVID-19. More information will be shared as details are worked out. Please know leadership meets with state officials, regional officials, city officials, employee leadership, administration, health officials, and others in order to review the latest information on next steps. There are still many unknowns at this time and information changes quickly.
Summer School – The Commissioner of Education plans to have guidance to Superintendents by the end of May. This guidance will be revised if there is a change in the virus at any point. We will determine what is doable in Bangor and have contingency plans for in person with social distancing, hybrid of remote and in person, and remote options. However, we must wait for further direction from the Commissioner before we can finalize and confirm plans.
Reopening of School – I have attached a chart from the CDC, which is a graphic of the work to be done before considering reopening schools in the fall. The full report is pages long and we are going through all of this, but must wait for the specific guidance from the Commissioner of Education. The Commissioner is due to provide guidance for all Maine Schools in June. Again, contingency plans include in person with social distancing, hybrid of remote and in person, and remote options.
Please know we miss our students and hope we will be in person as soon as it is safe to do so.
Support Resources:
These are challenging times, and we are incredibly proud of our faculty and staff for going above and beyond and our students and families who have met the challenges at exceptionally high levels of engagement and success. Please know there are numerous resources for times when someone is struggling. If you are concerned with how your child is doing emotionally, you may contact the NAMI MAINE HELPLINE. Their number is 800-464-5767, press 1(helpline@namimaine.org). Other helplines are listed, below:
- Maine’s Statewide Crisis Line: (888) 568-1112 (call or text)
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (or online chat here)
- National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- Trevor Project LGBTQ Crisis Line: 1-866-488-7386 (online chat here or text TREVOR to 1-202-304-1200)
There is also a NAMI MAINE teen text line, at (207) 515-8398. This is open from 12:00 pm until 10:00pm and is a peer support text line for youth 14-20 years old and staffed by individuals under 23 years of age. Please note, the Teen Text Support Line is not a crisis line but a way for teens to have someone to talk to if they are anxious and just need a friendly ear. Also, don’t hesitate to reach out to us or dial
2-1-1 for information on the COVID-19 crisis in Maine. We advise keeping these numbers on hand for easy access.
I know there are many details to be determined, but I wanted to assure everyone plans are being worked on and we are waiting for the State guidance. As soon as possible, information will be provided.
Be well,
Betsy M. Webb, Ed.D.
