The following letter from Five Town CSD and SAD 28 Superintendent Maria Libby was shared March 14. 

Libby is the superintendent for Camden-Rockport Elementary, Camden-Rockport Middle and Camden Hills Regional High Schools. 

Dear School Community,

As you probably know, things are changing by the hour. We are continuing to ramp up our prevention efforts and the decision about whether to close school has been weighing on me constantly. I heard the Governor tonight in a press conference say that she is not recommending that schools close. I am questioning that decision and am aware that some Maine schools have decided on their own to close for a week and then reassess the situation. I am keenly aware that the schools play a central role in our community – educationally, socially, and logistically – and have a strong grasp of the implications of both staying open and closing. I will be reassessing the situation for our school community in the next several days, so keep an eye out for additional emails. In the meantime, know that I am monitoring the situation very closely and talking to area Superintendents.

For now, in addition to prior measures we have put in place, we are going to institute the following starting Monday.

Social Distancing/Limiting Exposure

• We will start trying to keep students from being in close proximity to one another in large
groups.

• We will review and adjust the parts of our day when large groups of students may gather in
order to limit numbers (e.g. break at the High School).

• We will evaluate lunch schedules and find ways to reduce congestion.

• We will not hold all-school assemblies.

• We will no longer allow visitors, volunteers, or guest speakers into the school.

• Parents can come to pick up/drop off their child or drop any needed item during the day in the office.

• We will not hold parent conferences at CRES next week.

• We urge everyone in our community to practice social distancing to the best of their ability.

Spring Sports/Extra-Curricular Activities

As you may know, the MPA has postponed the beginning of the spring sports season until at least April 27. This includes practices and games. This will apply to both the high school and middle school. We urge you to work with your children to find creative ways for them to stay active during this time. We are also suspending all extra-curricular activities beginning Monday. This includes all clubs and enrichment activities. It does not include afterschool help from a teacher and it does not include before/after-care at CRES.

Travel

CDC guidelines are changing daily. Many European countries are on Level 3 which requires a 14-day home quarantine upon return. We need every member of our community to follow these travel guidelines. Since the CDC does not regulate domestic travel, please voluntarily follow the same guidelines for US “hotspots,” such as Boston, New York City, Bay Area in California, and Washington State. The CDC has also recommended things to consider before traveling at all. Please check out these two links for further information and guidance:

US travel: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-in-the-us.html

International travel: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/after-travelprecautions.html

Meals During a School Closure

We are gathering information about meal service in the event of a closure. Please respond to these surveys ASAP to help us plan. Middle and High school surveys will come in the next day or so.

We understand that individual families may choose to keep their children home for their own health, for family members health, or on behalf of the community regardless of whether the school stays open. We respect that decision and will not hold those absences against students. We will continue to do what we can to support your child’s learning.

Sincerely,
Maria Libby