7574-R1_LGP_MechanicFalls_AnnualReport_2021_Text_4C_Web

March 1, 2021

To the Citizens of Mechanic Falls, This school-year has been very different than in years past due to the impact of Covid-19 within our school community. As a result of the pandemic this year, we have allocated our relief funds towards improving the safety, cleanliness, and security of our buildings. Using the funds provided through grants, we were able to repair and update our existing ventilation systems in the upper elementary and adult education wing. In the remaining sections of our building, we were able to install new ventilation systems to ensure that all of our spaces are properly ventilated. In addition to the ventilation improvements, we were also able to provide additional training and resources to our custodial staff to improve our routine cleaning and the regular sanitizing that happens in our buildings. These improvements have helped maintain a safe and healthy learning environment for our staff and students. In addition to the ventilation and routine cleaning, we also purchased new desks for our students in order to meet the social distancing requirements within our classroom spaces. To increase our building security and safety, we renovated our main office space to provide greater visibility to those entering and exiting our building and to limit access to our building. Visitors who now enter our school check-in directly with my administrative assistant through a newly installed, high security window. In addition to the new, more secure office location, we installed sixteen cameras throughout the interior and the exterior of our school. These cameras are located near all of our entrances and exit doors. The cameras serve a dual purpose in increasing our security and also helping when we are required to complete contact tracing as a result of a positive case of Covid-19 within our school. Each of the improvements that have been made continue to focus upon improving the safety and wellness of our students and staff while we face this pandemic together. While this year has forced us to develop new routines and procedures within our building to limit contact with others and mixing of students, we have found that many of these improvements have led to improvements that will likely continue when we return to our traditional school model. As with anything new, it takes time to learn the new expectations but our staff, students, and families have certainly come together to make our hybrid model as successful as it can be for our students. Our current hybrid model allows for half of our students to come into school on Monday/Tuesday (and every other Wednesday) and the remaining half come into school for their in-person learning on Thursday/Friday (and every other Wednesday). On the days students are not in school, we provide remote work using an online platform. Every student in our school in grades 1-6 were provided with a device to assist with their remote learning. Kindergarten families were given the opportunity to receive a device if it was needed. While nothing can ever replace the experience of coming to school five days a week, we have worked hard to ensure that our students have tools and resources to support them on their remote learning days. I believe that I speak for everyone when I say, we are looking forward to the day we will once again be able to return to face-to-face learning, five days a week, with all of our students when it is safe to do so. Lastly, I want to close by thanking our Mechanic Falls community for their continued support of our schools. Your support of our budget last year with the increased salaries for teachers shows how much you value all that they do for the students within our school and continues to ensure that our district can retain high- quality educators in the years to come. Our staff, students, and families have faced the challenges of this school-year together and I continue to be impressed by the quality of education we provide each and every day despite the obstacles we are facing. This community has reached out to support our students with food, extra school supplies, and monetary donations as we face these challenges together. I am proud to serve this community and I look forward to our continued partnership in the years to come. Jessica Madsen Elm Street School Principal

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