Category Archives: Somerset County

Madison Elem. earns nutrition award

Posted on February 6, 2013 by | Leave a comment
Madison Elementary School staff and students receive the HealthierUS School Challenge Bronze Award.

Madison Elementary School earns the HealthierUS School Challenge Bronze Award.

RSU 59 received a HealthierUS School Challenge Bronze Award at Madison Elementary School, with students and parents in attendance. HUSSC is a voluntary certification initiative established in 2004 to recognize those schools participating in the National School Lunch Program that have created healthier school environments through promotion of nutrition and physical activity. Fewer than 4 percent of schools nationally have achieved the award.

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Posted in Dispatches, Elementary School, Images, Nutrition, Somerset County, Students

Portland and Jackman school districts receive USDA farm-to-school grant

Posted on November 28, 2012 by | Leave a comment

The Portland Public School District and District 12 in Jackman both received U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm to School grants to improve student nutrition programs.

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Posted in Cumberland County, Featured, Funding, Nutrition, Somerset County, Students

Maine’s first two charter schools open doors

Posted on October 1, 2012 by | Leave a comment
Olivia Broadrick, senior at the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences, chose to attend the public charter school because she plans to work in the sciences.

Olivia Broadrick, senior at the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences, chose to attend the public charter school because she plans to work in the sciences.

AUGUSTA – The Maine Academy of Natural Sciences (MeANS) and Cornville Regional Charter School opened as Maine’s first two public charter schools Monday, providing new choices for Maine students.

Charter schools are public schools of choice that have more flexibility than traditional public schools over decisions concerning curriculum and instruction, scheduling, staffing and finance. The opening of the charter schools directly aligns with the LePage administration’s ABC plan, which aims to improve achievement growth in Maine by prioritizing three core areas: accountability, best practices, and choice.

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Posted in Families, High School, Images, Operations, Press Releases, School Choice, Science & Technology, Somerset County, Students

Two Maine schools receive national recognition

Posted on September 10, 2012 by | Leave a comment

AUGUSTA – Hope Elementary School and Solon Elementary School were among those recognized this month as U.S. Department of Education’s 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

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Posted in Accountability, Knox County, Press Releases, Somerset County, Teaching & Learning

Charter commission denies one, tables one

Posted on July 2, 2012 by | Leave a comment

The following is a news release from the Maine Charter School Commission.

AUGUSTA – The Maine Charter School Commission voted Monday to table one public charter school application and denied another.

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Posted in Cumberland County, Press Releases, Somerset County, Teaching & Learning

Commission receives notice of 9 charter school proposals

Posted on May 17, 2012 by | Leave a comment

The following is a news release from the Maine Charter School Commission.

AUGUSTA – Nine groups informed the Maine Charter School Commission by Wednesday’s deadline that they plan to submit applications to open public charter schools. Seven of the groups hope to open a school this fall, one in fall 2013, and one is considering both options.

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Posted in Charter School Commission, Charter schools, Cumberland County, Featured, Piscataquis County, Press Releases, Somerset County, Waldo County

Bus drivers offered training at regional conferences

Posted on April 4, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Note: This dispatch was updated on April 5 at 9:13 a.m. to correct an error in information supplied about registration.

The Maine Association for Pupil Transportation is sponsoring six free conferences this spring in every Maine region to provide training to transportation personnel in all Maine school districts.

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Posted in Administrators, Aroostook County, Cumberland County, Featured, Franklin County, Somerset County, Transportation, Washington County

Event lets girls focus on future

Posted on March 28, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Future Focus event puts eighth-grade girls from central Maine in contact with Iraqi counterpart, women working their dream jobs

By Charlie Hartman

“Do you like Justin Bieber?”

With a roll of her eyes, Maryann replied, “Oh, noooo!”

Shrieks rang out in response through Given Auditorium at Colby College as 250 eighth-grade girls talked to Maryann Naman in Kurdistan, Iraq, live via Skype.  The girls, from four schools in central Maine, were at the morning keynote of Future Focus, an annual conference sponsored by the Waterville branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI).

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Posted in Cumberland County, Featured, Images, Kennebec County, Middle School, Professional Development, Somerset County, Students, Video

Conference addresses math for students with disabilities

Posted on February 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Special education staff and other educators who work with students with disabilities are invited to a conference focused on the neuropsychology of math and applying such concepts to math instruction for students with disabilities.

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Posted in Aroostook County, Featured, Kennebec County, Mathematics, Oxford County, Penobscot County, Professional Development, Somerset County, Special Populations, Teachers, Waldo County, Washington County

Gov. LePage, Commissioner Bowen announce new education initiatives

Posted on February 8, 2012 by | 8 Comments

The following is a press release from the Office of Gov. Paul LePage

New legislation “puts students first”

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul LePage unveiled his education legislative agenda on Wednesday at the Somerset Career and Technical Education Center in Skowhegan. With the automotive shop as the backdrop, the Governor and Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen described four pieces of legislation that advance the work of designing an education system around student needs.

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Posted in Career & Technical, Funding, Press Releases, Somerset County, Students, Teachers, Teaching & Learning