3.20.2021
Dear Brewer Schools’ Families and Staff,
A person associated with the 7th grade at Brewer Community School (BCS), and with the school's recent volleyball clinic, has tested positive for COVID-19. As a result it puts some staff and students into quarantine. All affected individuals and families have been notified.
Both BCS and Brewer High School (BHS) will continue with their regular cohort rotations for in-person learning the coming week of Monday, March 22nd through Friday, March 26th.
For any family who needs it, this is a link on COVID-19 testing in Maine.
Any student who needs to go remote can have a bag lunch provided by the district. Here is the request form: Lunch Request Form. Families can pick up the lunch by driving up to the front entrance at Brewer Community School between 10:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Please submit your form by 9:00 a.m. on the day the lunch is needed.
As always we continue to ask all families to monitor students for any symptoms. The same is true for Brewer School Department staff. Individuals should call a health care provider if they develop symptoms. It is important to call a healthcare facility before showing up in person if symptoms appear.
People should stay home when they are sick. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that ranges from mild to severe. It can be more severe in adults 60 years and older and in those with underlying conditions. The virus mainly spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes and an uninfected person breathes in the virus. Signs and symptoms include the following:
- fever or chills
- cough
- shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- fatigue
- muscle or body aches
- headache
- new loss of taste or smell
- sore throat
- congestion or runny nose
- nausea or vomiting or diarrhea
Please keep in mind that many things can cause respiratory illness, so students and staff should be up-to-date on influenza and routine vaccinations.
A negative test result does not get an individual out of quarantine. Maine CDC recommends prevention measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We have incorporated these into our Keys to Safety in the Brewer Schools.
Questions for the school should be directed to school Principals Jason Richards and Allison Kahkonen, Assistant Principal Sam Pangburn, school nurse Carol Warmuth RN (all at 404-5700) or nurse Cathy Sherman RN (at 989-4140) at BHS or Superintendent Gregg Palmer (at 989-3160). Email addresses include first initials and last names followed by @breweredu.org
We have not seen any evidence or spread of the virus in our schools, but we remain vigilant and ask families to do the same. This certainly serves as a reminder that we are not fully out of the woods yet. While there have been fewer cases reported in Maine a few weeks ago, we are seeing another resurgence of the virus recently and so we are watchful.
With new Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines around distancing we are meeting to consider different possible options and will report out to the community in due course. Everyone is tired of this terrible disease and having our lives upended by the physical danger it has presented. We look forward to everyone who is willing and able getting vaccination shots and being fully vaccinated following the timelines connected to each brand of vaccine.
We all look forward to better days ahead.
Sincerely,
Gregg Palmer, Superintendent of School
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