Madison Junior High School Provides Students with Quality Learning Experiences

Submitted by Ryan Arnold, Principal of Madison Junior High School in MSAD 59.

Madison Junior High school staff, students, administration and parents work together to create a productive, positive, and rewarding atmosphere in which our students will learn and grow. We work hard to create lasting memories through quality learning experiences and special events.

We offer hands on learning experience through STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) Projects. We have a Life Skills program where students, among other things, learn to cook, and sell meals to staff. Our New Alternative Ed Program (Kennebec Valley Multiple Pathways Academy) students (grades 7-9) learn about sustainability from growing to preparing food. Some of the food that is grown helps supply our food pantry and lunch program. Our School Pantry provides food for over 40 families each month. Students, also, have opportunities to be part of many extra-curricular programs. We offer soccer, football, softball, baseball, basketball, wrestling, drama, 100 mile club, track and field, cross country, golf, chorus, band, ukulele club, math team.

Students are offered: Math, Science, Social Studies, ELA, Music, Physical Education, and Art. As 8^th graders, the opportunities expand to Health, Industrial Arts and JMG (Jobs for Maine Grads). We are very strong in the integration of technology in all classes. Every classroom in our building, is fortunate to have a SMART Board and projector. All students are provided (1 to 1) with laptops. We have created an innovation lab with color printers, 3D Printers, 3D pens, sphero’s for programming and coding, and 3D goggles for virtual tours.

Our staff is organized into departments to build consistency around curriculum and content standards. Every 4 teachers form a Student Assistance Team (SAT) who meet and discuss needs of individual students. The team, using the RTI (Response To Intervention) process, develop interventions to help students progress. We have a morning homework club, After School Academic Period (ASAP), and WIN Time (What I Need), to help students keep up with their progress and pace.

Outside of academic and co-curricular activities we provide students with special events to support our classrooms. Starting with assemblies to show case student achievement, job fairs, blood drives, food drives, cake walk, science fair, history day, spelling bee, geography bee, guest speakers, visits to the State Capital, Cole Transportation Museum, Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI), as well as local businesses and area landmarks.

Lastly, parents, teachers, secretaries, nurses, custodians, and other critical support staff have been diligently working to make Madison Junior High a safe, and a welcoming environment. We are all part of a unified family working hard to ensure the well-being of all children while providing them with a challenging and rewarding educational experience.

Caravel Middle School’s Top Priority is Doing What is Best for Students

Submitted by Mark Turner, Principal of Caravel Middle School in RSU 87

In RSU 87 we work to provide the best possible educational experience to the students in our community. We support staff development in order to help our staff be as effective as possible in their position(s) and be responsive to students. We use a student-centered decision making model so that our top priority is always what is best for our students.

We have many supports built in for staff. All teachers are required to get a masters degree within seven years of employment, with all expenses covered by the district. Also, we build in five early release days annually to focus solely on professional development. This work coincides with weekly Professional Learning Community time that all teachers participate in. Our teacher evaluation model encourages growth through goal setting so that each teacher makes individual gains as they are ready for improvement. Our small district size also allows for many built in structures including literacy coaches in our elementary schools and a teaching math coach at the middle school. This allows us to offer coursework and bring in structured outside resources for staff in order to make good instruction a priority for all employees of our school district.

For students, everything starts with creating a positive culture where students can thrive. We use a middle level philosophy to educate the whole student and work to help our students become as well rounded as possible. We also offer many clubs, sports, and after school activities so that students have several opportunities to try new things and take healthy risks.

Our small size lends us opportunities to offer many support programs for students so that we can provide timely and structured interventions on a daily basis. These supports include access to outside counseling services and a connection with local agencies to support struggling families.

We are about relationships in RSU 87 and helping everyone achieve individual success. We strive to create positive relationships between staff and students, as well as amongst staff.

Also, we reach out to make those same positive connections with parents and the community to ensure that our school remains strong as the center of our community. We accomplish this work through many different avenues including online resources, open houses and other special events, as well as prioritizing the use of our facility to supporting our community.

Streamlining the Basic School Approval Process; New Release Date May 1, 2019

Based on feedback from schools and districts around the state over the past year, the Department is working hard to bring school administrative units a leaner and more streamlined school approval process.

Toward this end, the Department is planning to implement a number of enhancements in the NEO Portal to make school approval more user-friendly and less burdensome for the next year. These enhancements are targeted to be ready for an earlier release date for the NEO Maine Schools / School Approval module, to May 1, 2019. The earlier release date will facilitate the fall preparation of Essential Programs and Services funding, which requires extra time for collection and validation of student enrollment beginning with the September 1 school startup. Further guidance will be forthcoming as the NEO Maine Schools / School Approval module is revised and released for FY2020.

For further information about the School Approval Process, please contact Maine DOE School Enrollment Specialist, Pamela Ford-Taylor at Pamela.Ford-Taylor@maine.gov or 207- 624-6617.

Reminders for Storm Closures and Updated Guidance for Remote School Days

Weather Related Cancellations:

This school year, Maine has already experienced a number of weather-related school day cancellations. As in other recent years, this may cause some districts to exceed the number of storm days that were originally planned for in the school calendar. The Department would like to send this reminder of previous guidance related to school day cancellations, makeup days, and instructional day waiver requests, as well as a link to Frequently Asked Questions on the topic. Waiver requests will be accepted in the Spring, when the danger of cancellations has lessened.

Updated Guidance for Anytime-Anywhere Learning (a.k.a. remote school days):

There has been much discussion within and outside of the Department this year on the topic of Anytime-Anywhere learning days. The Department is pleased to announce that in an effort to promote and encourage innovative practices in districts and schools, districts may pilot one Anytime-Anywhere learning day in the 2019-20 school year. The piloted Anytime-Anywhere learning day may count as one of the 175 instructional days required by law.

Districts that are interested in participating in this pilot will need to complete a short application, attesting to the assurances below:

access and equity for all students in implementation of the day;
provision of FAPE for students with disabilities;
provision of free breakfast and lunch for qualifying students;
school board approval, and staff, family and community support:
honoring of all other existing legal requirements, including regional school calendar requirements under 20-A M.R.S. 4801 2-A

The application to participate in the pilot may be found here (corrected 2/27/19).

The Department strongly encourages feedback and communication on the experiences learned in developing and implementing innovative practices in schools and districts.

Please contact Pamela Ford-Taylor, Maine DOE School Enrollment Specialist at 207-624-6617 or Pamela.Ford-Taylor@maine.gov with questions.

The Special Education Staff Certification Report (EF-S-05 Part II) Open on March 1, 2019; Deadline is April 5, 2019.

The EF-S-05 Part II Special Education Staff Certification report must be verified and certified by the Special Education Director in the Maine DOE’s NEO System. The report is used to verify the full-time equivalency (FTE) and qualification status of special education teachers, paraprofessionals (educational technicians), and related services personnel who were employed or contracted to provide special education services to students with disabilities ages 3 through 20 as of December 1, 2018.

Access instructions for completing the EF-S-05 Part II report.

If you have trouble logging into NEO or have other technical issues, contact the help desk at 207-624-6896 or MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov.

For questions about the EF-S-05 Part II report, contact Brandi Giguere at 207-624-6648 or brandi.a.giguere@maine.gov.

Public Comments Sought on Maine’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B Application for Federal Funds

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking public comments on its annual application for federal funds under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which covers services to children with disabilities, ages 3-20.

The application, which covers Maine fiscal year 2020 (starting July 1, 2019) is posted on the Maine DOE’s website:

IDEA Part B Application can be found on the Maine DOE’s Office of Special Services web page.

The Part B budget is projected on the basis of Maine’s award for the current State fiscal year (2019), pending the State’s receipt of the finalized federal award for the coming year. Both documents will be posted from February 22, 2019 through May 10, 2019.

Written comments will be accepted from March 1, 2019 until 4 p.m. on Friday, April 1, 2019. Please send comments to Ann Belanger at ann.belanger@maine.gov or 23 State House Station, Augusta, ME. 04333.

Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) Follow-up and Guidance for 2019-20

Thank you for the tremendous efforts put forth to complete a district level CNA during the 2017-18 school year. The intent behind this process was to streamline state and federal requirements into one succinct document to support districts in making data driven decisions. Since July 2018, the Department has completed reviews of all submitted district plans. The process of review of the district CNAs provided the Maine DOE with meaningful information that allowed teams from across the Department to have a deeper understanding of the positive impact that classroom, school, and district educators are having on Maine students. It has also helped in the planning of professional learning opportunities for educators state-wide.

Feedback on 2017-18 District CNA will be available to superintendents through their Maine DOE Regional Representative as part of this month’s Superintendent Regional meeting.

Guidance for updating CNAs for the 2019-20 school year:

District Level CNA:

School approval (via Chapter 125) still requires an assurance that a CNA has been completed by the district.
If the CNA form and format that was provided last year was helpful, feel free to continue to update that. If you have another format or process, feel free to use your own.
Districts that are planning to apply for ESEA Federal funding should review and update as needed.

Title I Schoolwide Schools:

Title I schools interested in applying for Title I Schoolwide authority are required to complete the school-level CNA template provided by the Department by July 1. The Maine DOE’s Title I Office will review submitted school level CNAs using the Title I Schoolwide rubric.
Update requirements – Title I Schoolwide schools are required to update their school-level CNA annually, which will be reviewed during ESEA Monitoring Visits. Specific required updates are as follows:
- update the data in Section 2;
- review sections 3-9 to confirm that the district and/or school plan is up to date and addressing current student needs.

The ESEA Monitoring system is currently being updated to reflect changes required in ESSA and the SY 2019-20 monitoring schedule will be released as soon as possible.

For further information about ESEA Requirements, please contact Chelsey Fortin-Trimble, Maine DOE Director of ESEA Federal Programs at Chelsey.A.Fortin@maine.gov.

Maine DOE Employee of the Week: Adriane Ackroyd

Adriane Ackroyd, Maine Department of Education’s Food Service Program Coordinator is the Maine Department of Education’s Employee of the Week. Get to know a little more about Adriane through the brief question and answer:

Q: What are your roles with DOE?

A: I am the Summer Food Service Program Coordinator for Department of Education Child Nutrition. I also assist Walter Beesley, the Director, with his duties, as well as monitor other United States Department of Agriculture programs that operate in Maine schools.

Q: What do you like best about your job?

A: I am a people person, so enjoy any opportunity I have to work with others, whether that is through training or program outreach. I also enjoy seeing our school nutrition programs and Summer programs shine. It brings me so much joy to see others succeed.

Q: How or why did you decide on this career?

A: I am a food loving Registered Dietitian and have a Master’s degree in Public Health Nutrition. I have always been drawn to community work and feel that what we can accomplish through the Department of Education can have huge impacts on the health of Maine children.

Q: What do you like to do outside of work for fun?

A: I enjoy spending time outdoors with my husband, Kyle, and our 3 year old son, Cove. I’m an amateur vegetable gardener who (sometimes frustratingly) enjoys coming up with creative ways to grow food on a wooded plot of land. I also enjoy coming up with creative ways to cook said harvest. To blow off steam, I love a good run, or really any exercise that gets those feel good endorphins flowing.

Awesome Things Happening at James F. Doughty School in Bangor

Submitted by Kathy Harris-Smedberg, Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Bangor School Department

Mrs. Kennedy Selected to Study World War I in Europe

Mrs. Kathryn Kennedy of James F. Doughty School (JFDS) is one of eighteen educators from across America to have been selected to participate in Memorializing the Fallen — a teacher professional development program from National History Day®. Sponsored by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, the program takes educators on the journey of a lifetime to rediscover the history of World War I and invigorate its teaching in America’s classrooms.

Throughout the program, teachers attend virtual lectures, participate in discussions, and research a service member who never returned home. The academic portion of the program will be led by Dr. Christopher Hamner, an associate professor at George Mason University, and Dr. Kate Clarke Lemay, a historian with Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.

In June 2019, the educators will venture to Europe where they will walk in the footsteps of history, making stops at Somme American Cemetery, St. Mihiel American Cemetery, Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, Oise-Aisne American Cemetery, Suresnes American Cemetery, Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, and battle sites and monuments at Belleau Wood, Verdun, and Meuse Argonne. On the final day of the program, teachers will attend the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles at the Palace of Versailles. This highly competitive program pays for travel to these locations as well as lodging, meals, books, and more.

All of these activities support the development of the final products the teachers create: a lesson plan and a Silent Hero® profile. The teachers are developing in-depth lesson plans to focus on the legacy of the conflict. Both the lesson plan and the fallen hero profile will be released during the 2019-2020 academic year.

The goal for the Memorializing the Fallen program is to reinvigorate the teaching and learning of World War I in classrooms as we mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the war.

18 teachers were chosen from 334 applicants for this competitive program.

JFDS Celebrates Maine BioScience Day

On Wednesday, November 7th, 2018 JFDS celebrated Maine BioScience Day 2018 by inviting five local scientists to speak with all of our grade 7 and grade 8 students during their science classes. Maine BioScience Day is a statewide event happening in middle schools in Maine and is organized by the BioScience Association of Maine. The BioScience Association makes all the initial contacts to professionals specializing in science fields that are willing to volunteer to go into local middle school classrooms to talk with students about their research, what they do from day to day and the opportunities that are available for a career in science, in Maine.

We would like to thank the following scientist that shared some activities and discussed their research with our students.

Kristen Brown, University of Maine, Genetics
Melissa Mcginnis, University of Maine, Virology
Ek Han Tan, University of Maine, Genetics
George Bernhart, University of Maine, Physics
Patrick Breeding, University of Maine, Bioengineering

13th Annual Invasive Crab Research Trip

The accelerated physical and life science students at the James F. Doughty School completed their 13th year of invasive crab research at Moose Point State Park.

There were 233 crabs collected and measured. The species were recorded along with the genders. All of the crabs collected were green crabs (Carcinus maenas), which are highly aggressive invasive crabs that were introduced to Maine over 100 years ago.

7th Up Biz Tour Field Trip

Dream it. See it. Be it.

The Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce through the Community Council Building Bridges program, in partnership with the Bangor School Department and Superintendent Dr. Betsy Webb, transported 7th grade students from William S. Cohen School and James F. Doughty School on a day-long tour of Chamber member businesses. The goal of the trip was to inform and excite students about their future and the many career opportunities available in our community.

The day kicked off at the Cross Insurance Center with a keynote address from Ben Sprague, Mayor of Bangor, and remarks from James Doughty, Director of Marking from Bangor Savings Bank, the presenting sponsor of the event. The event was also made possible by the generous support of the University of Maine, Husson University, Emera, Darlings Auto, Bangor International Airport, GE, Cross Insurance Center, Cyr Bus, and nearly 100 hundred volunteers representing the business community.

The students divided into five teams to visit businesses and meet employees from Bangor Savings Bank, Bangor Police Department, Cross Insurance Agency, Eastern Maine Medical Center, Darlings, Specialty Sweets, Berry Dunn, Sutherland Weston, Eaton Peabody at the Penobscot Judicial Center, PCHC, Wayfair, Bangor International Airport, C&L Aviation Group, Hannaford, Maine Air Guard, and GE.

Mr. Walton’s science class was studying Newton’s Laws, drag, thrust and stability building water rockets: New Innovation Record -460 feet

Students in Mrs. Boehmer's ELA classes learned to analyze photos by making inferences about the characters, action, and setting. From their inferences, they wrote narratives and shared them with their classmates. — Students in Mrs. Boehmer’s ELA classes learned to analyze photos by making inferences about the characters, action, and setting. From their inferences, they wrote narratives and shared them with their classmates.

MEDIA RELEASE: Certification Processing Reduced to Three Weeks

The Maine Department of Education is pleased to announce that its certification office has reached its operational goal of a three-week turnaround time for processing educator certification applications that are complete. This is an enormous improvement from the significant processing times educators have been experiencing.

“The Department has been working diligently to reduce processing times to ensure that qualified educators can receive a Maine teaching credential as quickly as possible,” said Commissioner Pender Makin. “We know how critical the certification process is, especially during a time when many of our schools are experiencing a shortage of teachers and substitutes.”

In 2017, the Maine Department of Education launched a new online certification system called the Maine Educator Credentialing System (MEIS). It is a web-based educator credentialing system which replaced an outdated paper application certification system. At this point in the rollout of MEIS, Maine educators and administrators are able to manage their certification renewals completely online. The next phase of the rollout will allow initial educator applications to be submitted completely online by educators, this will be followed by the rollout of the public certification portal.