Due to popular demand, another session has been planned for December! This opportunity is two half-day interactive sessions that are relevant for staff working remotely or in-school.
Wednesday, December 8 from 12:00 to 2:45pm
Wednesday, December 15 from 12:00 to 2:45pm
You and your team can create a positive climate and culture during a pandemic! Participants will:
Learn strategies to build positive climate, improve school culture and decrease chronic absenteeism whether remote, in-person and 6 feet apart,
examine how to build healthy relationships within the school community even when behind the screen (staff with students, staff with staff, and staff with families),
explore strategies for difficult conversations among staff, students, and/or families,
access a framework (including staff survey) to assess your own school climate and culture through consensus decision-making,
leave the workshop with tools to help create a thriving school where all students and staff can feel welcome and be successful.
Everyone is welcome. We strongly encourage schools to register teams of 3 – 5 staff. During the training, you will work closely with your team-whether you are in-person or working remotely. All teams will leave the training with a plan that can be used immediately!
The cost is $85 for each member of the school team (minimum of 3 team members) and $115 for an individual registration. The same team should attend both sessions. The cost covers training and materials. Zoom link will be forwarded after registration. The sessions are limited to 50 participants.
Since 2014, Westbrook Intercultural Community Center (ICC) has offered Power School afterschool and summer learning programs to hundreds of children in Southern Maine. After taking advantage of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program through the U.S. Department of Education they were able to stabilize funding and improve efforts in a way they never thought possible.
“The 21st Century grant has been huge for us,” said Chris Feely, 21st CCLC Program Director at ICC. “We had previously been living grant to grant, so to speak.” The consistent funding and professional support enabled the Westbrook Intercultural Community Center to expand their staff with qualified individuals, coordinate programming efforts with the local middle school, and cement themselves as a stable resource in the community. From there, Chris says building those important community connections has been the critical component to allowing them to spread awareness and appreciation for the work they are doing in the Southern Maine area.
“We have had over 50 students join the afterschool program this fall,” said Chris. “Our outreach has been so successful that, for the first time ever, we have had to create a waiting list for registered students to enter the program.”
Students learn about their program through word of mouth, which is often within local immigrant communities in the area. The Center also engages in purposeful and coordinated outreach with the Westbrook School Department.
“Specifically, we work with the middle school to identify low-performing students, and then make phone calls directly to parents and guardians promoting our program,” explained Chris.
Regular communication and twice-a-month meetings with school and district administrators Principal Laurie Wood and Superintendent Peter Lancia ensure that updates and needs that support both the program as a whole and for individual students are discussed on a regular basis.
“Central to our collaboration is promoting equity among students, as most of our students are immigrant or first-generation Americans and low-income,” added Chris. “We work with Amanda Atkinson-Lewis, the Equity Resources Coordinator, on identifying ways to support students and have developed a strong relationship with the School Nutrition Director, Mary Emerson, to secure healthy and diverse snacks for our students every day after school.”
Operating During the Pandemic:
Chris recounts that their year-long remote program which took place at the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic from April 2020- to June 2021 had some wonderful highlights and enabled them to accessibly reach many new students.
“Kids could log on every day after school, participate in a brief lesson, and take their time getting homework help in virtual breakout rooms,” said Chris. “The need for academic as well as emotional support became clear, as many students opened up to teachers or would stay to chat after they had completed their homework. We felt closer to our students than ever before.”
While this was a silver lining to the new way the Center had to operate, like many schools and afterschool programs, they came to understand that remote learning did not fit everyone’s strengths or needs and morphed their program to a hybrid model.
“Our hybrid summer program experienced much larger attendance on in-person days, and I think that speaks to the innate need for kids to run around, socialize, and interact,” added Chris.
Although keeping the Center successful has been a lot of hard work, especially with all of the changes that have come as a result of the pandemic, the Intercultural Community Center team strives to make a difference in the lives of students in their community. When asked what the best thing is about working with the students he serves, here is what Chris had to say:
“Far and away, it’s the moments when you see that you’ve made a positive impact on a child. It makes all the planning and day-to-day tumult worth it– when a single mother tells us we’ve saved her daughter’s academic performance after they could no longer afford to pay her tutor; or when a 10-year-old girl who, a month ago, escaped threats on her life in Kabul, is seen laughing with friends and tells us that she loves Power School.”
With authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), in partnership with the Maine Department of Education (DOE), is sponsoring a competition for videos made by and featuring Maine children encouraging other children to get vaccinated.
Videos can include:
Messages children or youth ages 5 to 17 believe will be effective in encouraging other children or youth along with their parents to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Original music or humor
Information on the vaccine’s safety and efficacy
Discussions of the impact of not getting vaccinated
Information that participants can use in developing these videos can be found at on the US CDC website.
Children can make these videos on their own or as part of a school activity. They can choose whether or not to include their school name.
To enter, contestants must complete the online entry form. Once the form is submitted, contestants will receive an email with instructions for submitting their video.
To be considered videos must be:
30 seconds in length
Shot in portrait mode on a smart phone
Video file must not exceed 32MB
The deadline for submission is 6pm on November 22.
The winners will be announced on December 1, 2021. The selection committee includes the Commissioners of Maine DHHS and DOE, and their communications teams.
The selection criteria will include:
originality and clarity of the message
consistency with public health information on youth vaccination
potential to reach groups that may be hesitant to be vaccinated
Three winners will be selected. The prize will be the use of the videos by Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on television via press conferences and/or PSAs and social media in promoting vaccination.
Additionally, the school that the winners attend will receive a cash prize to be used for:
supplementing school meals with healthy treats;
purchasing playground, classroom, gym, sports or music equipment; enhancing a school fun day; or
supporting a school field trip for all students.
Other ideas from the winners will be considered as well. If the winners attend different schools, then the prize will be pro-rated for those schools.
If the participants are home schooled, they may designate a public facing non-profit serving all children in the area receive the prize.
Prize amounts will be:
$50,000 for the first-place winner
$25,000 for the second-place winner
$10,000 for the third-place winner
Winners will need to have a consent form signed by parents that allows:
The CDC has recently recommended 5 to 11 year old children receive the COVID-19 vaccine, offering a way for parents to protect their children and families from COVID-19 infection. Join MECAP for a forum featuring Maine pediatricians as they share information about children and the COVID-19 vaccine and give advice on what to consider when making the decision to vaccinate children against COVID-19. There will be time for questions from the audience.
Speakers:
Gretchen Pianka, MD, MPH, Pediatrician at Central Maine Pediatrics
Jillian Gregory, DO, Pediatric Critical Care Physician at Maine Medical Center
Sydney Sewall, MD, MPH, Pediatrician at Maine General Health
Michael Ross, MD, Pediatrician at Northern Light Pediatric Primary Care
Moderator: Claire Berkowitz, President, Midcoast Maine Community Action
WHEN: Tuesday, November 9, 2021 from 6pm–7:15pm EST
WHERE: Via Zoom, register at mecap.org/events to receive the webinar login information.
The Maine Department of Education (DOE), along with Maine School Superintendent’s Association (MSSA) is thrilled to announce that Maine’s 2022 Superintendent of the Year is Christopher Howell, Superintendent of Schools for RSU 14.
Without question, Chris Howell leads his district with the highest level of integrity, educational vision, and organizational understanding. He exudes kindness and a calm, centered approach, characteristics that have served to create a remarkably healthy climate and culture across all schools and programs he works with. By fostering and strengthening positive relationships with town officials and outside organizations, his role as a school leader is far reaching and supportive of healthy communities where all can thrive.
Howell is at the forefront of all district initiatives, enabling his deep understanding of school finance, policies, curriculum, strategic planning, facilities, general operations, negotiations, and supervision and evaluation to guide the work. His unique and centered style serves to elevate other leaders within the organization and community to bring the model of shared decision making to fruition. In his role as superintendent, he has been able to work collaboratively with colleagues and local officials to advance critically important work that will have positive and lasting impacts for thousands of learners. From essential conversations around social emotional learning, equity, and social justice, to focusing on the design of a new middle school for 21st century learners, Howell’s leadership approach is highly inclusive, thought provoking, and deeply reflective. His colleagues describe him as a true servant leader.
Howell is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine where he received a BA in Biology, and a master’s in teaching and Learning. He is married to his wife Nicole and together they have three sons: Caleb, Aaron, and Nate.
On Tuesday November 2, 2021 from 8:00-10:00 am the Work Force Group for LD 313 will hold its first meeting hosted by the Department of Education.
LD 313 was passed in the 130th legislature and is focused on several topics regarding Career and Technical Education. If you’d wish to join as an attendee and listen to the discussion, you can use the following link. Link to join Webinar: https://mainestate.zoom.us/j/87137119084
If you have any comments on the discussion, you can send email them to; cte.doe@maine.gov
The application window for the 2022-2023 cohort of U.S. Department of Education’s School Ambassador Fellowship opens Friday, October 15, 2021. The application portal will be open for application submissions through Friday, January 14, 2022.
Founded on the principles of partnership, collaboration and cooperation between the Federal Government and school-based educators, the U.S. Department of Education designed the School Ambassador Fellowship program to enable outstanding teachers, administrators, and other school leaders, such as school counselors, psychologists, social workers, and librarians to bring their school and classroom expertise to the U.S. Department of Education and to expand their knowledge of the national dialogue about education.
The School Ambassador Fellowship offers two separate 9-month tracks: full-time and part-time. The full-time appointment is based at the Department of Education Headquarters in Washington, DC and requires Fellows to relocate to the Washington, DC area for their Fellowship experience. The part-time fellowship does not require relocation allows educators to maintain their regular school responsibilities in their home communities, while also participating in the School Ambassador Fellowship experience.
To be eligible for the School Ambassador Fellowship, participants must:
Be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident.
Currently be a teacher, administrator, counselor, social worker, or other school staff member (and anticipate being employed in this role during the 2022 – 2023 school year).
Be employed by a traditional public, charter, private, virtual, military (DoDEA), or tribal (BIE) school that serves any grade, preschool through twelfth.
Have at least five years of experience in his/her role, up to and including the current school year.
Have daily interaction with students and/or educators in his/her school/district role.
The School Ambassador Fellowship is a professional learning community designed to improve educational outcomes for students by leveraging the expertise of school-based practitioners in the creation, evaluation, and dissemination of information around national education initiatives.
Ideal candidates for this program are educators from public, charter, independent, magnet, parochial schools, etc. who have made significant contributions to student learning and culture, can effectively communicate to a variety of internal and external education stakeholders, and can promote excellence in education through their collaboration and leadership capabilities.
Applications for the 2022-2023 cohort of the School Ambassador Fellowship applications are open through 11:59pm EST on January 14, 2022. Please visit the Applicant Information page and sign-up for updates to stay in contact with the program.
For more information on how the Fellowship works, please see the Program Overview.
November is National American Indian Heritage Month, which celebrates and recognizes the accomplishments of the peoples who were the original inhabitants, explorers, and settlers of the United States.
“National American Indian Heritage Month” had its origins in 1986 when Congress passed Pub. L. 99-471 which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week of November 23-30, 1986 as “American Indian Week.” As directed by Congress, President Reagan issued Presidential Proclamation 5577 in November 1986 proclaiming the first American Indian Week.
Both law and proclamation recognized the American Indians as the first inhabitants of the lands that now constitute the United States as well as making mention of their contributions to American society. Many of the foods we eat and the medicines and remedies we use were introduced by Indians and more than one highway follows an Indian trail. Indians make contributions in every area of endeavor and American life, and our literature and all our arts draw upon Indian themes and wisdom. Countless American Indians have served in our Armed Forces and have fought valiantly for our country.
Check out the following resources for teaching Native American Indian Heritage Month.
The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.
The National Museum of the American Indian’s (NMAI) Native Knowledge 360° is a new initiative to help educators teach about American Indians. Misinformation about Native peoples persists in textbooks and teachers lack resources, so the NK360° team “looked for the gaps” as a way to fulfill this real need.
Celebrate the history, culture, and traditions of American Indians and Alaska Natives in a special collection of films, short stories and resources from PBS and from PBS Learning Media.
Lessons of Our Land from the Indian Land Tenure Foundation is designed to assist Pre-K through grade 12 teachers incorporate Native American stories, lessons, and games into regular classroom instruction.
For more local information on Maine native Americans, check out the Abbe Museum website which offers resources and events and the Hudson Museum’s website, which has a variety of resources to support American Indian Heritage Month.
The Passamaquoddy-Maliseet Language Portal (PMPortal.org) is a rich resource for learning about the language and culture of Passamaquoddy and Maliseet peoples in what is now Maine and New Brunswick. Also, Maine Calling had a feature about preserving Wabanaki languages.
To view an interactive map of former Native American lands, language area, and treaty area, check out this Canadian-based resource.
The Colonial Williamsburg YouTube channel has the following videos:
CW Kids Ask: What are American Indian people’s lives like? – American Indian people are some of the most diverse members of the population today. In this livestream, we will have an opportunity to meet and learn from some of Colonial Williamsburg’s American Indian interpreters as they tell us about their culture and daily life in both the past and present.
American Indian Foodways – Join Kody Grant, Martin Saniga, and Talon Silverhorn as they discuss and demonstrate indigenous food preparation in this new video from the American Indian Initiative.
Q&A with the American Indian Initiative – In eighteenth-century Williamsburg, you could find American Indians from various nations and tribes walking our streets, and that remains true today. Join two members of Colonial Williamsburg’s American Indian Initiative and ask your questions about native peoples from history and today.
Tour the Capitol Building – Join Colonial Williamsburg interpreter Kody Grant, as they provide a tour of the Capitol building from an American Indian perspective.
The Passamaquoddy-Maliseet Language Portal (org) is a very rich resource for learning about the language and culture of Passamaquoddy and Maliseet peoples in what is now Maine and New Brunswick.
This is a reminder that October 1st Student Enrollment Count Certification is due on October 30th, 2021 and that the Staff Certification is due November 15th, 2021. We understand that all school staff are operating in a challenging landscape right now but, it is extremely important to meet these timelines for student and staff certification as this data directly impacts your subsidy allocations. Without this data, we cannot ensure that your subsidy calculation is accurate and that you receive it on time to build your FY 2023 budgets. | More
Recognizing the extreme challenges experienced at the start of the 2021-2022 school year as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to directly impact Maine SAUs, schools, students and families, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) and our assessment team would like to ensure that the maximum flexibility possible is provided to support educators and students. | More
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is accepting applications to receive subsidy for new school buses purchased through the Maine School Bus Purchase Program. The application period is November 1 through November 25, 2021. The Maine DOE will be able to approve about $9 million in school bus allocations that combines new bus requests and the prior year bus term commitment. Round one applications will be accepted for school buses proposed to be purchased during fiscal year 2022-2023. | More
As the result of the passing of Public Law Chapter 453 during the 130th legislature, statutory changes were made regarding restraint and seclusion of students, necessitating changes to Chapter 33 rules. | More
This rule provides directions to public and private schools approved pursuant to 20-A MRSA §2902 in the administration of medication to students during the students’ attendance in school programs. | More
The Certification and Higher Education Committee of the State Board of Education has completed a review of the 43 public comments received on the proposed Rule Chapter 115. The State Board of Education has adopted revisions to the rule, including three substantive changes. | More
As part of the scheduled periodic review of the Maine Learning Results, the Maine Department of Education is seeking public comments regarding proposed revisions to Health Education & Physical Education, Visual & Performing Arts, and World Languages Standards found in Rule Chapter 132 Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction. Please note that the Department of Education is only seeking comments on the Health Education & Physical Education, Visual & Performing Arts, and World Languages sections of Rule Chapter 132 at this time. | More
The increased workload for school nurses due to the COVID-19 pandemic has put an immeasurable strain on our workforce over the past two years. And while we recognize that schools have been provided additional funding to support increasing staff, there isn’t always staff available to hire. Finding experienced school nurses to provide for the health needs of students in your district and surrounding areas is challenging in absence of a pandemic. | More
November is National American Indian Heritage Month, which celebrates and recognizes the accomplishments of the peoples who were the original inhabitants, explorers, and settlers of the United States. | More
November is National Adoption Month! We invite you to recognize and celebrate families that grew by adoption while raising awareness about the urgent need for permanent homes for children and young people in out-of-home (foster) care. | More
In recognition of the Maine Department of Education’s ongoing advocacy and support for students, educators, and superintendents throughout the pandemic, the New England Association of School Superintendents (NEASS) awarded the Maine Education Commissioner Pender Making with their annual “President’s Award” last week. | More
Maine DOE team member Jonathan Shapiro is being highlighted this week as part of the Get to Know the Maine DOE Team Campaign. Learn a little more about Jonathan.. | More
Recognizing October is Cybersecurity Awareness month and recognizing that a career in the high demand field of cybersecurity may be of interest to students in high school, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) would like to share information about a scholarship opportunity for high school teachers to be trained to teach cybersecurity. | More
The Maine Department of Education has partnered with the Cultural Services of the French Consulate in Boston through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Académie de Nantes to promote French language and cultural programs in the Maine schools, including collaborative projects between schools in France and in Maine. | More
This workshop series is sponsored by MCD Public Health’s Healthy Kids Healthy Future Program in partnership with Maine CDC, Maine DOE, and Let’s Go! Playworks is excited to offer a free virtual workshop series, Building an Active and Engaging Recess & School Culture, starting November 18th to Maine schools. | More
Engage with educators throughout the state to promote positive, predictable, equitable, and effective learning environments for all! November 5th, 2021, VIRTUAL and FREE! 9am – 3pm. | More
NAMI Maine, a training contractor for the Maine Suicide Prevention Program, is offering a Training of the Trainer (TOT) in-person, half-day training on November 16 in Westbrook.| More
It has been well proven that physical activity throughout the school day helps students with learning, and improves their overall mental and physical health. As an example, Team Long Run has partnered with some new Title 1 elementary schools in Western Maine and the Lakes Region to create some great active play programs for classrooms and curriculum. | More
Maine DOE team member Jonathan Shapiro is being highlighted this week as part of the Get to Know the Maine DOE Team Campaign. Learn a little more about Jonathan in the question and answer below.
What are your roles with DOE?
I am the Director of the Maine School Safety Center (MSSC).
What do you like best about your job?
I enjoy working with a dedicated, motivated, capable, team of experts in all things concerning school safety. I also enjoy being in a position that has such a meaningful mission – helping schools to keep their students, staff, and visitors safe!!
How or why did you decide on this career?
I have dedicated my life’s work to serving others and to ensuring their safety to the best of my ability. This current role is an extension of that work and I can think nothing more important than keeping our schools and students safe – after all, the MSSC moto is Supporting Schools – Protecting our Future!
What do you like to do outside of work for fun?
I enjoy working with my hands – fixing or creating something that can bring joy or be put to good use is rewarding to me and to the recipient 😉
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