Year: 2023

FFA Members Convene for Student-Led Workshop 

More than 120 students and staff gathered at the University of Maine at Presque Isle for an FFA member workshop on March 1, 2023.  The Maine FFA Association (formerly known as “Future Farmers of America”) convened for a student-led event focused on developing leadership skills and exploring opportunities within the FFA.  

The workshop was organized and facilitated by Maine’s FFA President Nickie Deschaine and Vice President Lane McCrum, with support from chapter officers.  Chapters in attendance included Ashland High School, Ashland Middle School, Central Aroostook High School, Central Aroostook Junior High School, Presque Isle Regional Career & Technical Center, and Caribou Regional Technical Center.  

Throughout the day members engaged in interactive sessions where they gained new knowledge, reflected, and connected with peers. State President Nickie Deschaine shared, “We had a successful workshop where students learned how to discover their why, learned how to think more positively, and were even exposed to interesting FFA opportunities. Lane and I were so excited to have so many members in attendance.”   

In addition to the sessions offered by state officers, chapter officers presented sessions where they shared a variety of leadership opportunities offered through the FFA organization at the local, state, and national level.   Highlights included travel to state and national conferences, competitions, awards, scholarships, supervised agricultural opportunities, and a number of specific events available to members.  Abram McCrum, a prospective state officer and presenter reflected on his experience leading a section of the day, “It was great to have the opportunity to create a workshop and practice things I will be doing in my state office year if I get elected this May.” 

The afternoon concluded with FFA karaoke, which provided lots of laughs and entertainment! Participants and advisors left the workshop with information and resources, new connections, and a better understanding of ways to get involved in FFA.  

The FFA is a national organization focused on premier leadership, personal growth, and career success.  Today, there are 850,823 FFA members, aged 12-21, in 8,995 chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  To learn more about starting an FFA chapter or to become involved in upcoming events, including state convention, please contact Emily Doughty at Emily.doughty@maine.gov.   

Happy International SEL Day – All day workshops available!

March 10, 2023 is International SEL (social emotional learning) Day! Maine educators and school staff support students each day to meet their goals for a successful future.

Watch this video on how Maine educators, school staff, and community members are building connections with students and each other.

Developing and practicing healthy Social and Emotional Teaching and Learning has been researched to show benefits in:

  • Teaching and Learning Academic Content
  • Protecting Mental Health
  • Fostering a Sense of Belonging
  • Growing Curiosity
  • Deepening Collaborative and Individual Problem-Solving Skills
  • Strengthening Our Knowledge Of Ourselves And Others

As a reminder here are resources for educators on SEL4ME. SEL4US offers free registration (link below) for a full day of professional development and additional SEL offerings.

 

Regional School Calendars Due June 1, 2023 

This notification is a reminder that Regional School Calendars are due by June 1, 2023 for school administrative units (SAU) and private schools, approved for tuition purposes, in coordination with their local secondary career and technical education (CTE) school. This requirement is part of Public Law 2011, Chapter 686 to promote collaboration among local school administrative units that may benefit from inter-administrative unit collaboration beyond CTE. 

For school year 2023-24, both regional school calendars and individual calendars for each school administrative unit must be submitted by the director of the local CTE Center/Region to the Department of Education (DOE) no later than June 1, 2023, for a decision on approval by July 12, 2023. Guidance and templates can be accessed electronically at www.maine.gov/doe/regionalcalendar/. 

Given the coordination required for fulfillment of this law, the Maine DOE recommends that SAUs initiate discussions as soon as possible, including representatives from all affected secondary schools and their associated career and technical education center or region. 

For more information, including guidance, instructions, templates, a waiver process, and a link to the complete law, please visit www.maine.gov/doe/regionalcalendar/.  Further questions should be directed to Emily Doughty emily.doughty@maine.gov at 207-592-0314 or Dwight Littlefield dwight.a.littlefield@maine.gov at 207- 441-8927. 

Maine DOE Seeks Public Comment for Social Studies and Science and Engineering Standards

As part of the scheduled periodic review of the Maine Learning Results, the Maine Department of Education is seeking public comments regarding the current social studies standards and science and engineering standards. These comments will inform the work of the standards revision teams.

The standards review process opens with a public comment and public hearing prior to the convening of teams that will review and revise the social studies and science and engineering standards. The public hearing will occur on March 21st, Burton Cross Building, 111 Sewall Street, Augusta, Room 103, from 3-5pm and is intended to give anyone the opportunity to weigh-in on the direction of future social studies and science and engineering standards in Maine. Anyone may speak at the public hearing. People wishing to speak will be asked to sign in and it will be helpful, but not mandatory, to provide a written copy of their comments.

Anyone unable to attend the public hearing may send written comments by 5 pm on April 6th, 2023. Written comments may be emailed to sis.doe@maine.gov with the subject “Social Studies Standards Review” or “Science and Engineering Standards Review” or mailed to Maine Department of Education, attn: Beth Lambert, 23 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333.

For further information about the standards review process contact Beth Lambert at Beth.Lambert@maine.gov.

 

2023 Spring Wellness Workshops

The Maine Department of Education Schoolsite Wellness team is pleased to host StrengthenME and the Northern Light Health Workforce EAP to provide educators and school staff with FREE wellness workshops.

Join any or all of the following 30-minute wellness workshops every other Thursday at either 7:15 a.m. or 3:15 p.m.

  • March 16 – Staying Grounded When Others are Escalating – Now, more than ever, our ability to stay calm is being put to the test. In this workshop, we’ll explore strategies for de-escalating ourselves and others, putting our minds ahead of our emotions to succeed as individuals and as part of a larger community.
  • March 30 – Asking for Help – It isn’t always easy to ask for help, particularly when you’re used to being the helper. This workshop explores common barriers to seeing help and offers strategies to effectively and mindfully ask for and receive the help you need.
  • April 13 – Letting Go of What We Can’t Control – Holding on to things we can’t control can cause us a great deal of stress and unhappiness. It also keeps us from growing and living our lives freely. This workshop explores strategies for letting go and includes a 10-minute guided mindfulness practice.
  • APRIL 27 – Boundary Setting and Saying No – Setting boundaries is an important part of establishing one’s identity and is a crucial aspect of mental health and well-being. This workshop reviews ways to set healthy emotional boundaries and ways to navigate boundary setting effectively.
  • May 11 – Quieting the Mind – In this workshop, we’ll explore the idea of Monkey Mind and how the demands of life impact our ability to experience a quiet mind. We will review ways to quiet the mind, and practice using mindfulness to slow racing thoughts.

These workshops are all accessible via this Zoom link.

Direct any questions to Ariele Worrall at aworrall@northernlight.org.

 

2023 Beyond the Basics in Suicide Prevention: Building Resilience and Safety in a Changing World 

NAMI Maine is hosting its annual Beyond the Basics in Suicide Prevention Conference, in person on Friday, March 10th at the Augusta Civic Center. Register Here today.

Maine’s annual Beyond the Basics in Suicide Prevention Conference has provided health professionals, educators, clinicians, first responders, and community members with best practice information, guidance, and resources in suicide prevention and management efforts since its inception in 2003. This conference is a collaboration of organizations and individuals working to reduce suicide and the stigma that surrounds it. It is designed for an adult audience including secondary students seeking to deepen their understanding of prevention and expand their skill set when it comes to suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. Visit NAMI Maine’s Beyond the Basics webpage for details about our Keynote speaker, Gia Drew, and a full list of the available breakout sessions.

Reduced rates are available for student registrations upon request from your school, email to mspp@namimaine.org, and a limited number of scholarships are available upon request.

If you have questions or need more information email either Julianne (mspp@namimaine.org) or Greg (gmarley@namimaine.org) at NAMI Maine’s Suicide prevention Program.

Reminder: Pre-K for ME, K for ME, and 1st Grade for ME Program Overviews and Summer Training Opportunities

Since 2018, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) has adapted and piloted open-source Pre-k and Kindergarten instructional programs based on the Boston Public School’s evidence-based Focus on K1 and Focus on K2 curricula.  Pre-K for ME was launched in 2019.  K for ME was launched in 2021.  1st Grade for ME is being piloted in Maine classrooms this year and will be made available for the 2023-2024 school year. These programs focus on the whole child, are interdisciplinary, and are developmentally appropriate.  They are also aligned to Maine’s learning standards.  While Maine schools are responsible for the purchase of the materials that support use of the programs, the programs can be accessed at no cost via the Maine DOE’s website. 

Informational overviews of each of program will be provided in the coming weeks.  The overview sessions will be recorded and posted for anyone unable to attend the live sessions. The overview sessions will share the basic program structure and review the materials needed to implement the program.  If unfamiliar with the programs, attending the overview (or watching the recording) is highly recommended. 

Overview Session Registration Links: 

Educators/schools/programs interested in utilizing Pre-K for ME, K for ME and/or 1st Grade for ME in the coming year may take advantage of 2-day initial trainings scheduled for this summer.  These trainings are provided at no cost to promote understanding of program design and to support successful program implementation.  School administrators are strongly encouraged to attend the trainings with their Pre-K, Kindergarten and/or first grade teachers.  Special educators, education technicians, and instructional coaches/curriculum leaders who work with pre-k, kindergarten and first grade teachers are also encouraged to attend. 

This year’s training opportunities will be held in person from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. during the week of July 31st-August 4th. The locations and break down of dates for the specific programs are being finalized and will be available soon. For teachers learning the K for ME and 1st Grade for ME programs, an additional training day will occur on June 28 from 8:30-3:30 (location TBD).  Registration for these trainings should be completed by principals/educators with one registration on behalf of their school/program.  Details about how to prepare for the trainings and the training locations will be provided via email after registrations are received. Registrations for the 2-day training for each instructional program should be received by May 26, 2023. 

Summer Training Registration Links: 

For additional information about Pre-K for ME, contact Nicole.Madore@maine.gov, and for K for ME and 1st Grade for ME, contact Leeann.Larsen@maine.gov. 

Virtual Training: No Cost Bomb Threat Assessment for Decision Makers

The Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP), a part of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the  U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is announcing the addition of the new Bomb Threat Assessment for Decision Makers (AWR-945) course to its suite of Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) Courses. This course is provided at no cost to the participant or their organization.

This 75-minute VILT provides the participants with foundational knowledge on assessing and evaluating bomb threats, related responses, and considerations. This course introduces types of threats, the threat assessment process, and the implementation of a Bomb Threat Management (BTM) plan. Additionally, the course provides activities that allow participants to apply specific portions of the risk management process and their newly acquired knowledge about BTM procedures to develop a risk assessment of a bomb threat.

Classes are now open for registration! Participants can visit Office for Bombing Prevention (dhs.gov) to register for classes. Select the desired course and date from the listings and you will be automatically directed to the online application process. Registration must be completed two business days prior to class start date. If you have friends or colleagues that would benefit from this virtual training, we encourage you to share this information with them.

A FEMA Student Identification (SID) number and Password are required to apply. If you don’t have a FEMA SID one can be obtained by going to: https://cdp.dhs.gov/femasid/register. 

For registration issues, contact OBP Training Support at the CDP at: obp-support@cdpemail.dhs.gov or (256) 847-2195 during business hours.

Please contact OBP Training at OBPTraining@cisa.dhs.gov with any questions.

Work/Life Coaching Sessions Available for Education Workforce

Individual Work/Life Coaching sessions are available upon request through StregthenME, Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services program, which offers free stress management and resiliency resources to promote the health and well-being of all Mainers.

These sessions provide access to 1:1 confidential coaching with a licensed mental health counselor to assist with stress and explore wellness options and resiliency. Up to six 50-minute sessions, conducted via Zoom or phone.

To inquire about or schedule a session, please send an email to StrengthenME@northernlight.org or call 1-800-769-9819.

20th Annual MLTI Student Conference Call for Breakout Session Proposals

The Maine Department of Education is issuing a call for student and educator team breakout session proposals for any of the three events that are part of the 20th Annual MLTI Student Conference.

  • In-person Conference – University of Southern Maine (Portland) on May 12th
  • Virtual Conference on May 18th
  • In-person Conference – University of Maine (Orono) on May 25th

The MLTI Student Conference is a unique technology experience developed exclusively for students at MLTI schools in grades 6-9. Since MLTI’s beginning in 2001 this conference has been providing students with their own conference where they can engage in authentic, relevant, technology-rich, learning experiences that prepare them for a fulfilling future.

Conference Theme and Breakout Sessions

The MLTI team is excited to host three conferences this year, which provides more opportunities for presenters (both educators and students) to share the innovative work that is happening with the technology in Maine schools. If you are excited to share and showcase work at any of our in-person and virtual events, please consider submitting a proposal. We will be hosting some Q&A sessions and providing support if you are interested, but still unsure about submitting a proposal at this time. We are also happy to announce that we will be providing technology for presenting teams to bring back to their schools.

Other considerations:

Conference Theme: DiveRightIn The intent of the conference theme is to reflect the many interpretations of water as they relate to Maine students and their use of technology as well as how technology connects us in different environments and virtual spaces.

Possible Topics

Proposals are not limited to the conference theme and might include topics such as:

Device Requirements: Sessions should be “platform agnostic” and feature only free apps and tools that are accessible to all, and appropriate for 6th through 9th grade MLTI students. If you have concerns or questions about these requirements, please email doe-mlti2.0@maine.gov.

Session Design

  • Led by
    • Educator with student(s)
    • Student(s) with educator support
    • Educational partner with educator and/or student support
  • Length of
    • 60 minutes
    • 90 minutes
    • 120 minutes
  • Encourages participants to
    • explore & create
    • participate & share
    • or engage & connect

Submit Proposals by completing this online form.

Important Dates

  • Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 – Session proposals due