Biddeford Intermediate News

Happy Wednesday BIS families,

The countdown to the holiday break has officially started! A reminder that this Friday is Pajama Day at BIS. The 2022 Fun Fridays are listed towards the bottom of the newsletter. It has been wonderful seeing our students outside playing in the snow and enjoying the winter weather. We appreciate your support with winter gear. Please ensure your child comes to school with layers and a coat, even if they do not plan to play in the snow. Students will continue to go outside for recess even when the temperatures drop (with exceptions of when it is too cold, dangerously icy, or very windy/rainy). Our district has also been fortunate to receive some grant funding to assist those in need. If your child is in need of warm winter gear, please reach out to our BIS support team and we will do our best to assist.

School Counselor - Ally Guay (aguay@biddefordschools.me)

School Social Worker - Ellen McKenzie (emckenzie@biddefordschools.me)

Resiliency Coordinator - Jess Aberle (jabler@biddefordschools.me)

As stated in Superintendent Ray's December 10th newsletter, we are hoping there will be a significant reduction of quarantining close contacts during the second half of the school year thanks to our vaccination clinics. If your child has been fully vaccinated, please complete the Google Form below and upload a photo to assist our School Nurses with contact tracing. Fully-vaccinated individuals do not have to quarantine if identified as a close contact so long as they remain asymptomatic. Also, if your family plans to travel for the holidays, please be aware of travel guidance and testing requirements (linked here).

Attendance calls: We understand that mornings are hectic but want families to be aware that BIS has implemented automated attendance calls for students who are absent without contact from a parent or guardian. If you receive an automated call regarding your child's absence, please call the Biddeford Intermediate School Office at (207) 282-5957.

Date Reminders:

• December 17 - Fun Friday! BIS Pajama Day
• December 23 - Early Release (dismissal is at 12:00)
• December 24-31 - Winter break, No School
• Students return on Monday, January 3rd
• January 14 - Fun Friday! Match Day
• January 17-February 2 - Winter NWEA Testing

Sincerely,

Lindsey Nadeau

Biddeford Intermediate School Principal

Mrs. Michaud's class joined our art teacher Ms. Gerwig in painting our new winter decorations!

As the snowy weather quickly approaches, we would like to remind families of a few of our important procedures:

Outdoor Play

• We will determine the appropriateness of spending time outdoors for recess and physical education activities daily based on temperatures, wind chill, and ice. When able, students will continue to go outside for recess time. If your child needs a coat, please reach out to us.
• Students need to be wearing snow pants, boots, mittens/gloves, and a coat in order to play in the snow. These items should be labeled with their name and brought into school in a bag. Recess is a lot of fun when we can play in the snow!

Looking ahead to Winter Break, the last pooled testing date before the Winter Break will be Friday, December 17th. During the week of December 20th, pooled testing will not be conducted or collected in any Maine schools. Although pooled testing will resume the following week we return (January 3rd), anyone participating who is unvaccinated and identified as a close contact from a school exposure would need to either:

• quarantine; or,

• be tested twice (on separate days) using an antigen test (BinaxNOW) so long as they remain asymptomatic and then resume the normal pooled testing schedule.

If any families are interested in donating any of the items below to Biddeford families in need this winter/holiday season, we would love your help!

• Gift Cards (any amount) to Hannaford/Walmart/Market Basket
• Gas cards (any amount)
• Waterproof Gloves/Mittens (sizes 8-12)

Lindsey Nadeau, Principal

Email: lnadeau@biddefordschools.me
Website: https://biddefordme.sites.thrillshare.com/o/bis
Location: 335 Hill Street, Biddeford, ME, USA
Phone: 207-282-5957
Facebook: facebook.com/biddefordintermediate