Dear students,

As you know, tomorrow is your last day of remote instruction. You will transition to face-to-face instruction on the MMA campus starting on Monday, February 1.

We cannot emphasize enough the importance of President Brennan’s video message.  The COVID-19 virus is all around us, in Maine and across the country.  We must adhere to the rules, policies, procedures, and guidelines that have been put in place to ensure a safe Spring 2021 semester. We each bear an individual responsibility in keeping our community safe. So, please: wear your mask, practice social distancing, stay close to campus, minimize your travel, and avoid outbreak areas. We do not want to have to suspend students who do not adhere to our protocols, as we did in the fall.

The following information has been shared in previous messages, but we wanted to repeat it in advance of your return to Castine. Please review these notes carefully.

Prior to Your Arrival

• Self-quarantine and limit your exposure to others as much as possible.
• Please complete the COVID-19 Health Self-Assessment, available on the portal or the MMA app, on January 25 and on the morning that you check-in.
• If you contracted COVID-19 during the break period, please notify Dorothea Woods of your positive diagnosis so that we can remove you from the entry testing schedule.

Arriving on Campus

• When you arrive on campus, you will be tested and quarantined to ensure a safe return to campus for all.
• All students, both residents and commuters, must participate in the check-in, testing, and quarantine program.
  • Details regarding these policies can be found at the MyStudentLife portal.
  • If extenuating circumstances prevent you from checking in at your assigned time, please request a change at housing@mma.edu. Check-in and testing will take place in the Field House; please enter via the upper-level lobby doors.
• Upon arriving, you will need to show that you have completed the self-assessment and submit documentation of a negative PCR or antigen (rapid) test, taken within the week prior to your arrival. If you are arriving by air, please make sure that you receive your test results prior to your flight.
  • Information about testing sites in Maine is available at https://www.maine.gov/covid19/restartingmaine/keepmainehealthy/testing. We have been advised by the CDC there should be no charge for your test if you get tested at one of the sites listed on their website. Please remember that you must register in advance to secure an appointment.

Regimental Students

• TSSOM watches begin at 0800 on Monday, February 1.
  • Watch Muster will be held in Delano Auditorium and Watch Company Muster will be held in the Field House.
  • Please look for updates in the Plan of the Day (POD).

Dining Services

• Dining Services will be operating on a take-out basis for students on the meal plan beginning with lunch on January 27; they will open for in-person dining at dinner time on January 31 for those who have completed quarantine.

Facilities

• The MMA Bookstore is open; however, you will need to wait until you have cleared quarantine to enter the store. Please call 326-2430 to arrange to order books for pick up outside the store entrance.
• MMA’s Barber Shop will open on Monday, February 1.

Additional details about our plans are available on the Spring 2021 section of the website.  If you have questions that are not answered there, please contact Dr. True. Please also note that the campus will remain closed, except for those individuals who must work to prepare for opening, until the transition week of testing and quarantine.

In the meantime, stay safe and stay healthy. We look forward to seeing you soon!