COVID-19 Community Update #10 – April 6, 2020

Pittsfield Families,

District updates:

District Social Worker.  Our new district social worker – Lisa Gauthier – begins her service to our students and families today.  Contact information will be provided when available.  Thanks to the Foss Family Foundation and a Pittsfield citizen for your support of this new position.

Learning Materials.  Some teachers are making additional learning materials available to students as we move forward; these materials are important for our students and their continued learning.  The district will make these materials available for pick-up from PES (for students of both schools) between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Thursday’s.  Materials not picked up on Thursday’s will be mailed to student homes on Friday’s; an exception would be for tech equipment or other large materials, which will be delivered by school bus during daily runs.

Beginning next week – week of April 12 – we will move to pickups to occurring every other week, putting the next material pickup after this week on Thursday, April 23. Any paper materials not picked up will be mailed home in catalog size envelopes the following day; larger materials will be delivered on the food delivery routes.

Meals.  The district is providing meals to all students upon request.  At present, we are preparing and providing close to 200 meals per day.  Meals are delivered between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. daily; in addition to lunch, meals include breakfast for the following day with varied menus for each.  The district is utilizing meal delivery best practices to minimize the danger of potential danger of exposure to the virus.

Families have been requested to leave a cooler or box at your door to minimize contact.  Derek Hamilton is coordinating food deliveries; questions and requests should go to Derek vis email (dhamilton@sau51.org).  Thanks to our outstanding food service staff!

Our PES and PMHS food pantries for those in need will continue to function during the period of remote learning, offering personal toiletries in addition to food items.  Please contact Mike Curtin via email (mcurtin@sau51.org) to arrange for service from our food pantries.

Related Services.  Though we have initiated a 4/1 schedule of instruction (instruction to all students on Monday’s through Thursday’s; Friday’s utilized for office time, individual help, small group work, etc.), our related service providers (speech and language and other therapeutic services provided per individual student plans) will continue to provide services on Friday’s due to scheduling requirements.

School and SAU Offices.  Reminder that we ask that our school and SAU offices not be visited; please email individuals with whom you would like contact.  We will do our best to respond to email messages within twenty-four hours during the week.

Sincerely,

 

John Freeman, Superintendent of Schools

Derek Hamilton, Dean of Operations