School Budget Validation Votes Today for MSAD #27 and MSAD #33

This is a reminder that the school budget validation vote is today for both MSAD #27 and MSAD #33.  If you are a citizen of any of the MSAD #27 or MSAD #33 communities, your support for our school budgets is appreciated.  

Here are the polling times for each community:

• Fort Kent: 12:00pm to 6:00pm at the Fort Kent Town Office
• Wallagrass: 12:00pm to 6:00pm at the Wallagrass Community Center
• New Canada: 2:00pm to 6:00pm at the New Canada Community Center
• St. Francis: 2:00pm to 6:00pm at the St. Francis Community Center
• St. John Plantation: 2:00pm to 6:00pm at the St. John Plt. Community Center
• Frenchville: 10:00am - 6:00pm at the Frenchville Town Office
• St. Agatha: 8:00am - 6:00pm at the St. Agatha Town Office

Please don't forget!  Each vote is essential!  Thank you!

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Final Alternative Schooling Enrollment Report for 2020-2021

During the soon-to-be-completed 2020-2021 school year, a total of 80 students from the three high schools in the Upper St. John Valley participated in the Valley Unified Education Service Center Alternative Schooling Program.

To review our final Alternative Schooling Enrollment Report for 2020-2021, go to bit.ly/2RqpUBJ or click on the image below.

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School-Based Pfizer Vaccination Clinics Continue Next Week

This is a reminder to Valley Unified students (age 12 and older), parents, families and, where applicable, staff that St. John Valley Pharmacy will be conducting voluntary school-based Pfizer vaccination clinics next week on Wednesday, June 9 and Thursday, June 10 and again on Wednesday, June 30 and Thursday, July 1.

For details, go to bit.ly/3pcnZgJ or click on the image below.  Stay safe and be well.

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Reminder: No School Today or Monday

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.

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Over 200 Valley Unified Students Participate in School-Based Pfizer Vaccination Clinics

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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A Shout-Out to Valley Unified's Amazing Team of School Nurses

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.

Stephanie Gagnon - Wisdom Middle/High School

Monique Michaud - Valley Rivers Middle School/Community High School in Fort Kent

Rebecca Michaud - Fort Kent Elementary School

Stephanie Nadeau- Dr. Levesque Elementary School/St. John Valley Technology Center

Melyssa Pelletier - Madawaska Elementary School

Lynn Wetmore - Madawaska Middle/High School

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Upcoming School-Based Vaccination Clinics and New Pfizer Approval

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.

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