Month: March 2013

Register for Maine schoolsite wellness conference

Note: The application due date for the Maine Schoolsite Health Promotion Program (Wellness) Conference has been extended to Thursday, May 9, 2013. The late fee has been reduced to only $205 per participant. This conference is a fabulous professional development opportunity that is the foundation for a year-long schoolsite health promotion program for school staff, students and communities.

The Maine Department of Education invites all Maine school personnel and community participants to attend the 2013 Maine Schoolsite Health Promotion Program “Wellness” Conference. The event will be held Monday, June 24, through Wednesday, June 26. The cost is $195 per person for three full days of the conference.

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AP4ALL registration now open

Student registration for AP4ALL, which provides online Advanced Placement courses free of charge to any student residing in a Maine school administrative unit who is educated at the public expense, opens Wednesday, March 20, at 8 a.m. By offering online Advanced Placement courses at no charge, AP4ALL provides equity of access to any student residing in a Maine public high school regardless of where they live and the limits of resources available in their local school.

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Meeting offered for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders are invited to attend the Critical Decisions: The Journey to Adulthood for Your Son/Daughter with ASD meeting, sponsored by the Maine DOE and the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development. This meeting will be held Monday, April 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the University of Maine, Orono in the Union.

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USED announces Equitable Services Implementation Plan

The U.S. Department of Education recently announced a plan for improving the implementation of equitable services requirements under applicable programs authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The plan, which aligns with current statutory and regulatory requirements, demonstrates the U.S. DOE’s commitment to ensure effective implementation of these equitable services provisions. Continue reading “USED announces Equitable Services Implementation Plan” →

Maine schools may apply for school security funds

A grant from the State Homeland Security Grant Program is now open, and school districts and independent schools are eligible to apply. The grant application is due April 12, 2013, at 5 p.m. Funds are available for school emergency preparedness facility security projects.

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Calling cultural and arts professionals for Maine Humanities Summit

The University of Maine Humanities Initiative will host a daylong Maine Humanities Summit at the Governor Hill Mansion in Augusta on Friday, May 17, 2013, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The summit convenes humanities, arts, and cultural professionals with academic administrators, legislators, and policymakers from across the state.

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Communities invited to annual Literacy for ME conference

The Maine Department of Education’s Literacy for ME initiative is partnering with the Barbara Bush Foundation as a co-sponsor of its annual Literacy Connections Conference, open to anyone with an interest in the initiative. This conference will allow attendees to learn more about a variety of aspects of the Literacy for ME initiative, community literacy planning, and general literacy topics across the birth-adult span.

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Lewiston a model for early college program

LHS students (from left to right) Paige Clabby, Amal Mohamed and Faith Ide describe their early college experiences to Commissioner Stephen Bowen.
LHS students (from left to right) Paige Clabby, Amal Mohamed and Faith Ide describe their early college experiences to Commissioner Stephen Bowen.
View more photos from this event.

I had the chance last week to talk with five students at Lewiston High School who are taking advantage of an early college opportunity that will save them money, expose them to the college experience, and could lead them to future careers. I picked LHS for the second stop on my Promising Practices tour because the kids I talked to are among 68 juniors and seniors who are taking college classes for credit at institutions like the University of Southern Maine and Central Maine Community College. It’s encouraging to see students taking initiative when it comes to their futures, and it’s great to meet teachers and administrators who are making that happen.

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