Valley Unified reminds all students, parents and families that there will be no school for students today (Friday, May 28) as this is a staff Professional Development Day or on Monday, May 31, which is Memorial Day.
Enjoy the long weekend. You've earned it.
In our on-going efforts to keep our students, staff and schools safe from COVID-19, Valley Unified's Middle/High Schools, in partnership with St. John Valley Pharmacy, have hosted two school-based Pfizer vaccination clinics. The first was in April and the second was this week.
To date, a total of 221 Upper St. John Valley students have participated in the clinics. MSAD #27 has reached 142 students (83 who have received the first administration and 59 who have received both administrations in the two-shot series); 57 Madawaska School Department pupils have participated in the clinics (47 who have received the first dosage and 10 who received both inoculations); and 22 MSAD #33 students have been vaccinated (15 who received the first administration and 7 who have received both inoculations).
Two additional school-based clinics are scheduled for June 9 and 10 as well as June 30 and July 1. Students age 12-17 can receive the Pfizer vaccination with parental permission. Valley Unified's school-based vaccination clinics are entirely voluntary.
Parents and students interested in learning more about pediatric COVID-19 and vaccinations for children 12 and over, can click here or on the image below to view a YouTube video prepared by the Maine Department of Education.
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This year Governor Janet Mills and the Maine Department of Education joined the Maine Association of School Nurses (MASN) to celebrate, honor and recognize ALL Maine school nurses as the 2020-2021 “School Nurses of the Year.”
“Generally (in a non-pandemic year) school nurses operate behind the scenes in “stealth mode”, providing care, comfort and pain relief. This year, however, school nurses navigated insurmountable pressure to explain and defend community health measures and to promote health and safety for all school community members. This year, school nurses have been working especially hard to facilitate students' return to in-person learning. This has involved putting all the recommended mitigation measures in place while supporting teaching staff as they worked to meet the educational needs of all students.“ -- Governor Janet Mills
Valley Unified schools have been especially fortunate this year to have in place an outstanding team of School Nurses who have worked together to help ensure our students and staff were able to remain in school for a majority of the school year. Please take a moment to thank these incredible team members (whose photos appear below) for all they’ve done for our schools, staff, students, families and communities and to congratulate them on being named Maine School Nurse of the Year 2021.
Valley Unified staff learned this morning that the Pfizer vaccine has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use with children as young as 12 years of age.
Also, Valley Unified, in partnership with St. John Valley Pharmacy, will continue to conduct voluntary school-based Pfizer vaccination clinics next week, in early June, and in late June/early July.
For more information about times, dates, and locations of these upcoming school-based clinics for students in grades 7-12 as well as any school staff who have not yet been able to be vaccinated, go to bit.ly/3uFqVV3 or click on the image below.
Stay safe and be well.
The Valley Unified Education Service Center is collaborating with local building contractors to develop the Upper St. John Valley Carpentry Training Program.
The training program will consist of two six-week hands-on, skills-based training sessions: 1. an apprentice level training block; and 2. a journeyman level training period.
Since March, local contractors, staff of the Valley Unified Community Outreach Office and Continuing Education Program, the director of the St. John Valley Technology Center, and a Community Development Block Grant manager from Northern Maine Development Commission have been meeting to develop the project.
To review preliminary information about this opportunity, go to bit.ly/3xSv9uo or click on the image below.
For additional details:
1. local contractors who want to get involved should contact Curtis Saucier of Home Solutions in Fort Kent at 207-231-0624;
2. area adults interested in participating should contact Valley Unified Continuing Education at either 834-3536 or 728-6314; and
3. high school students interested in taking part should contact Kevin Lavoie, Director of the St. John Valley Technology Center, at 543-6606.
Effective May 1, 2021, the state of Maine will not require proof of a negative COVID test or a period of quarantine for travelers from other states.
For updated travel guidance from Valley Unified for students and staff based on this change at the state level, go to bit.ly/3xJlwy8 or click on the image below.
