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RSU 23 Old Orchard Beach Schools
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23-24 Snow Remote Day Memo

Posted on

November 7, 2023

Dear RSU 23 Community,

I wanted to send this memo out to our district community before the snow starts falling and I have to make decisions on whether or not to postpone in-person school due to weather conditions. Generally, we will make our decision in conjunction with the Saco, Biddeford, and Dayton school departments. Our transportation schedule and student attendance at the Regional Center of Technology in Biddeford are tied together with these other districts. On days we don’t have in-person school we will send out an automated call to all district community members. I will email all staff, and the news will also be posted on our Websites, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. Television channels 6, 8, and 13, will also have the information.

When in-person learning cannot occur due to weather, we will be having remote learning days. These days are unique to RSU 23 as we are the only school in the area providing this opportunity. Remote learning days allow us to end the school year as planned without adding extra days. Our teachers have been working with your children in order to be ready to provide remote instruction. In anticipation of remote days due to inclement weather, Food & Nutrition Services will be providing meals as needed. Please complete this form (linked) for each child needing a meal. The meal will be distributed to your child before they go home the day before a potential remote day. Meals will include smuckers uncrustables, crackers, fruits, vegetables, and shelf-stable milk. Meals are provided only to students enrolled in RSU 23.

On days that we do have school and it is snowing or has snowed overnight, our sidewalks may not be plowed in time for our walkers coming to school. I have contacted the town office, and asked that public works make the sidewalks from Walgreens to 7-11 (school side of the road first), Union Ave, and Smithwheel Road a top priority for our walking students. If this is a concern and you are worried about your child walking on these days, please contact your child’s school and we will arrange transportation. If you have any questions please give me a call at 934-5751. Thanks and I’m hoping for a mild winter!
Sincerely,

John Suttie
RSU 23 Superintendent of Schools

10-26-23 RSU 23 Community Evening Update

Posted on

_________________________________________________________________________________

October 26, 2023
4:30 PM Update

Dear RSU 23 Community,

I am reaching out to all of you this evening with a brief update. We continue to monitor the current search that is underway for the suspect in the Lewiston shootings. I have been in frequent contact with area law enforcement, area superintendents and our RSU 23 leadership team as we prepare for the upcoming days.

At the moment, it is too early to definitively say whether or not we will be able to safely return to school tomorrow morning. Law enforcement efforts continue to be underway to apprehend the individual responsible for the shootings and we continue to take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of our school community. While we all hope for a return to normalcy, we intend to make a decision that is best for the safety of our students, staff, and families within our district.

I will communicate via phone and email to all families no later than 5:30 AM with the plan for tomorrow. Building administrators, school leadership teams, and our district crisis teams have met throughout the day to develop communication and support plans for students. In addition, members of our law enforcement have committed to providing additional resources to support our returning students and staff.

As stated earlier today, we know many of you will be discussing this with your children and coming to terms with it yourselves. Violence of this nature is difficult to understand. As partners in your child’s well-being, we want you to know the district has support in place to help students process their feelings at school. HERE is a resource for parents and educators as you prepare to talk with children about this tragedy. We also ask that you share any concerns or information related to the incident with our school administration or law enforcement as appropriate.

Sincerely,

John Suttie
RSU 23 Superintendent of Schools

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