Dear Parents, Guardians, and Staff,

As of this past Wednesday, March 9th, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine Department of Education updated the Standard Operating Procedure to move toward optional masking for both students and staff. This change is due to the current stability in COVID-19 trends in Maine and could change if a new variant emerges increasing transmission rates. We encourage students and staff who are not quite ready to shed their mask or may themselves be, or have family members who are considered, high-risk to please feel comfortable wearing their mask while at school.

Please review the FAQs (linked here and below) for specifics about the updated changes and how our schools will move forward. Overall, the following procedures will be in place to ensure everyone is safe based on the updated guidance:

• Continued masking will be optional for both students and staff.

• Pooled testing will continue.

• Students and staff should continue to practice layered prevention strategies for reducing transmission, including frequent handwashing, monitoring symptoms and staying home if sick, and using physical distancing when feasible.

• A positive test will require a five (5) day isolation from the date of symptom onset or from the date of the positive test, regardless of vaccination status. If no symptoms are present, the individual may return to school with masking required for days 6-10.

• The school department will continue to monitor any data available to them regarding community and county transmission, pooled testing results, absentee rates, and vaccination rates.

If you have a question not addressed in these FAQs, please submit them to covid@biddefordschools.me.

With spring right around the corner and a few teaser days in the past couple of weeks, we are already starting to plan for the next school year. Pre-K and Kindergarten Screening is now open, budget planning season is upon us, step-up days are being planned, adolescent students are selecting their courses, and the Center of Technology is enrolling students in career and technical educational opportunities. It is a busy time and the next few months will go by quickly. We hope students and their families will enjoy the upcoming concerts and plays, the spring sports season, and the numerous opportunities to get outside. I have included some more information on these items below in my newsletter.

Stay Well,

Jeremy Ray

Superintendent of Schools

If you have a child turning the age of four (4) for Pre-K or five (5) for Kindergarten before October 15, 2022, please pre-register them as soon as possible via this link [Biddeford, Dayton]. Additional paperwork may be required and tours will be made available in the coming months. Please note returning student registration will be open in early August.

Thursday, March 24 @ 6:30pm

Friday, March 25 @ 6:30pm

BMS Performing Arts Center

Cost: Free (Donations will be accepted)

Biddeford Middle School students will perform the adventures of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory lighting up the stage in this captivating adaptation of Roald Dahl's fantastical tale. This production features a 32-student cast, a 13-student set and scenery group, and several students providing tech.

Friday, April 29 @ 7:30pm

Saturday, April 30 @ 2:00pm or 7:30pm

BMS Performing Arts Center

Cost: TBD

Biddeford High School students will be participating in this high-energy, fun, entertaining production featuring some of Broadway's favorite song-and-dance numbers. Directed and choreographed by Deb Lombard, this production features 18 cast members, a student crew, over 300 costumes, and a 16-number show. Parent volunteers are needed to assist with the show. If you are interested in helping, please email skane@biddefordschools.me.

Come out and support our performing arts students!

This edition of The Bridge is dedicated to thanking our generous donors and those who have given so much to support our youth over the last two years. Our deepest gratitude.

Congratulations to the individuals listed below on being nominated for the Portland Sea Dogs Volunteer Appreciation Night sponsored by Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution (SBSI). This event recognizes those who selflessly donate their time and work hard to help others to better their communities. Each nominee will receive two general admission tickets, courtesy of SBSI, for the game on Wednesday, April 20th at 6:00pm.

For the past six years, these four members have been very active members of Dayton Consolidated School’s Community Club. Their children are all leaving Dayton Consolidated this year as they transition to middle school. All of their hard work deserves to be recognized.

Encourage your children to participate in the community-wide T-shirt Contest with the Rotary Club of Biddeford-Saco. Their design could be featured on the front of 6,000+ shirts and the top three winners will receive a cash prize. The deadline is Thursday, March 17th.

Congratulations to the Biddeford Teen Center's newest officers, who were recently sworn in by Executive Assistant Kendi Norton and Mayor Alan Casavant!

• Chase Lessard - President

• Rachel Smart - Vice President

• J. Hovasse - Secretary

• Jayden Pagliano - Treasurer

The purpose of the Teen Center Committee is to assist Recreation Department staff by helping to establish center policies and rules. They also provide information to staff on what the members would like to see and do, such as trips, special events, or new equipment. The committee has also been active in fundraising, both for community organizations and on behalf of the Center.

Committee members are nominated and elected by their peers. The group is instrumental in continuing to make the center “theirs” for all the teens that attend! To learn more about the Teen Center, contact Biddeford Recreation at 207-283-0841.

The School Nutrition Program is having a great year serving students breakfast and lunch, and we are so happy to see and serve children in person this year. Breakfast and lunch are FREE for ALL children, and will also be free again next school year! Because meals are no cost for all children, more children than ever are eating school breakfast and lunch in grades PreK through grade 12. Every day, approximately 982 students (42%) eat school breakfast and 1,380 (60%) eat school lunch in Biddeford and approximately 54 students (48%) eat school breakfast and 83 (73%) eat school lunch in Dayton.

What type of meals are served to students?

Our school cafeterias meet strict federal nutrition standards for school meals, ensuring that meals are well-balanced and provide students the nutrition they need to succeed at school. These guidelines include age-appropriate calorie limits, whole grains, larger servings of vegetables and fruits (students must select at least one serving), a wider variety of vegetables (including dark greens and red/orange vegetables and legumes), and fat-free or 1% Oakhurst milk.

What are the most popular meals?

We strive to provide homemade meals that are popular with children, including homemade mac and cheese and other pasta dishes, shepherd’s pie, roast turkey dinner, tacos, brunch for lunch, and mandarin orange chicken over brown rice. The pizza we serve is made with whole-grain crust and low-fat mozzarella cheese, as are the cheese-filled “Bosco” breadsticks with marinara dipping sauce- a student favorite. Chicken tenders, nuggets, and sandwiches offer Tyson antibiotic-free chicken, with whole-grain breading especially made for schools, as well as Rich Chicks clean-label chicken.

Do students have vegetarian options?

Vegetarian choices are available at lunch, including peanut butter and jelly sandwich (or sunbutter and jelly sandwich at JFK, BPS and BIS). Whenever possible, we serve local produce, purchased from Native Maine Produce, and are partnering with local farmers during the growing season to purchase and serve local produce.

Email: supt@biddefordschools.me
Website: www.biddefordschools.me
Location: 18 Maplewood Avenue, Biddeford, ME, USA
Phone: 207-282-8280
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/biddefordschooldepartment/
Twitter: @BiddefordSchDpt