MEDIA RELEASE: Department of Education Supports Learning and Enrichment Over the Summer

The Maine Department of Education has awarded $2,788,372 in Summer Learning and Enrichment Grant funding to 61 Maine schools. Summer programs differ from school to school, sometimes taking the form of community partnerships, field trips, career exploration, and innovative curricula that prepare students for the school year ahead while addressing pandemic-related learning loss.

“This investment in summer learning across 61 Maine schools demonstrates the Department’s commitment to year-round, holistic education,” said Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “From prioritizing outdoor education in Stacyville to pre-apprenticeships in Skowhegan, we’re seeing innovative approaches that address students’ academic, social, and emotional needs. We’re ensuring every Maine student has the opportunity to thrive, both in summer and throughout the school year.”

Summer Learning and Enrichment programs address k-12 students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs, prioritizing underserved students and students most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. They continue to aid students’ post-pandemic recovery by offering extra math and literacy instruction, tutoring, and outdoor learning.

“We’re excited to get this work underway this summer and demonstrate how much kids can grow their skills when engagement is at the core of instructional design,” said Nikki Remsen, the Elementary Summer Academy Lead for South Portland Public Schools. Remsen is leading a Summer Learning and Enrichment-funded program for South Portland students in grades K-5. “Rising 1st -5th graders will be diving into interdisciplinary units founded in engineering with support from the Boston Museum of Science and their Engineering is Elementary (EiE) units,” explained Remsen. The EiE programs started in the summer and will then roll into the fall, ensuring more students can access the museum’s lessons.

In Skowhegan, at Somerset Career & Technical Center (SCTC), over fifty students have enrolled in Summer Learning and Enrichment programs like Career and College Prep, Financial Literacy, Writing Workshop, and the inaugural session of their Pre-Apprenticeship program with Sappi Global’s Somerset Mill. Sappi, Maine DOL, Maine DOE, and SCTC worked together to create a unique pre-apprenticeship opportunity for their newest graduates focused on the electrical and instrumentation fields. Participants gained insights into mill operations, acquired essential safety skills, and heard of the benefits to Sappi employees. As the week concluded, students were interviewed for the chance to participate in Sappi’s Electrical and Instrumentation apprenticeship program.

“The initiative underscores SCTC’s commitment to equipping students with practical skills and real-world experiences that pave the way for successful futures in their chosen fields,” said David Dorr, the Director of Somerset Career and Technical Center.

At Katahdin Elementary School, students spend the summer outside, learning through community partnerships. Guest speakers from Chewonki and the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry came in with hands-on lessons about Maine vertebrates, flora, and fauna. Students also went on field trips to Katahdin Children and Families Foundation (KCFF) and a local strawberry farm, Golden Ridge Farms.

You can find a complete list of awardees below.

The Summer Learning and Enrichment grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan and is part of Maine’s Whole Student Pandemic Response. Please visit Maine’s Whole Student Pandemic Response page to learn more about the American Rescue Plan and how Maine used Federal Emergency Relief Funding to support Education.

Organization Name	County
Acton Public Schools	York
Andover Public Schools	Oxford
Appleton Public Schools	Knox
Bangor Public Schools	Penobscot
Bar Harbor Public Schools	Hancock
Biddeford Public Schools	York
Brewer Public Schools	Penobscot
Bristol Public Schools	Lincoln
Brooklin Public Schools	Hancock
Deer Isle-Stonington CSD	Hancock
East Range CSD	Washington
Easton Public Schools	Aroostook
Ellsworth Public Schools	Hancock
Great Salt Bay CSD	Lincoln
Jefferson Public Schools	Lincoln
Kittery Public Schools	York
Lisbon Public Schools	Androscoggin
Madawaska Public Schools	Aroostook
Maine Arts Academy	Kennebec
Maine Connections Academy	Cumberland
Mount Desert Public Schools	Hancock
Nobleboro Public Schools	Lincoln
Portland Public Schools	Cumberland
RSU 09	Franklin
RSU 10	Oxford
RSU 11/MSAD 11	Kennebec
RSU 12	Lincoln
RSU 13	Knox
RSU 15/MSAD 15	Cumberland
RSU 16	Androscoggin
RSU 17/MSAD 17	Oxford
RSU 20	Waldo
RSU 21	York
RSU 24	Hancock
RSU 34	Penobscot
RSU 35/MSAD 35	York
RSU 38	Kennebec
RSU 40/MSAD 40	Knox
RSU 54/MSAD 54	Somerset
RSU 56	Oxford
RSU 57/MSAD 57	York
RSU 63/MSAD 63	Penobscot
RSU 72/MSAD 72	Oxford
RSU 75/MSAD 75	Sagadahoc
RSU 78	Franklin
RSU 80/MSAD 04	Piscataquis
RSU 82/MSAD 12	Somerset
RSU 84/MSAD 14	Washington
RSU 86/MSAD 20	Aroostook
RSU 88/MSAD 24	Aroostook
RSU 89	Penobscot
Saco Public Schools	York
Scarborough Public Schools	Cumberland
South Bristol Public Schools	Lincoln
South Portland Public Schools	Cumberland
Southwest Harbor Public Schools	Hancock
Tremont Public Schools	Hancock
Trenton Public Schools	Hancock
Veazie Public Schools	Penobscot
West Bath Public Schools	Sagadahoc
Winthrop Public Schools	Kennebec
Yarmouth Schools	Cumberland

Maine DOE Update – August 2, 2024

From the Maine Department of Education

News & Updates

MEDIA RELEASE: Department of Education Supports Learning and Enrichment Over the Summer

Lincoln Academy Students are Building a Greenhouse to Support Their Free Summer Program

Lincoln Academy’s edLab students have been building a greenhouse to support the school’s new LA Launch Program. This free summer program, funded by the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative, will support rising 9th graders preparing to enter high school. | More

2023/24 Maine DOE Student Cabinet Closes Out Another Successful Year

Co-chaired by student representatives from the Maine State Board of Education, the Student Cabinet provides a forum for Maine students’ voices to be heard. This is the fourth year the Maine DOE has appointed students to a Student Cabinet to integrate student voices into decision-making on education issues that impact their journey through Maine’s education system. This year’s Co-chairs were Ryan Hafener, a recent Hampden Academy graduate, and Phat Thai, a rising Senior at Deering High School. | More

Approval of Tydings Amendment Waiver of FY23 ESEA funds and FY24 Carryover of Excess Title I, Part A

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to announce that we have been granted a Tydings Amendment Waiver of FY23 ESEA funds and FY24 Carryover of Excess Title I, Part A Funds. Pursuant to the authority granted under section 8401(b) of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the Maine DOE received approval for these waivers from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE). | More

Third Annual Supporting Adult Multilingual Learners Institute Strengthens Adult Education Profession

This summer, the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Adult Education Team hosted its third annual Supporting Adult Multilingual Learners Institute at Sugarloaf Mountain. Adult Education teachers, curriculum designers, and administrators had the opportunity to learn from speakers, engage with different breakout sessions, and have meaningful discussions with their peers. Additionally, many fun activities, such as trail walks and yoga, were offered for participants to enjoy the nature of the Carrabassett Valley region. | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

Portland Public Schools Become Winners of a Digital Citizenship Award

Portland Public Schools has been recognized as a Common Sense District for its work educating students on safe and healthy ways of using technology and integrating technology into the curriculum as a learning tool. | More

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities:

View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here

‘Community Day’ Connects Lisbon Community School with Local Businesses

Schools across Maine have begun to implement more career field exposure and post-grad planning. Professional Development sessions (for students), community integration, and activity fairs have been successful ways to pique students’ interests in different career fields.

At Lisbon Community School, teachers and administrators designed a Community Day to help students reflect on what they’ve learned during the school year, build leadership skills, and learn how to become healthy, collaborative, and productive citizens within their community.

Lisbon Community School teachers have implemented the trend into their curriculum with the help of curriculum team leaders. The school has hosted a Community Day, bringing together students in grades Pre-K through 5thfor the past two school years with great success.

The event brings local professionals ranging from brewers, artists, restaurant owners, town credit union members, fire department workers, emergency medical technicians, doctors, and bakers to the school for one day. Professionals did presentations and demos to educate students on their job and business, and students visited their places of business. Not only is this a great way for students to connect with non-school community members, but exposure to potential career opportunities gives them motivation to continue growing as learners and has inspired them to think about future careers.

It’s safe to say that Community Day has been a success over the past two years. During Community Day, students of all grade levels created individual and group standards of behavior. These group conversations allowed students to reflect on which sills and habits they would like to improve on. Having these conversations with different grade levels in the same space allowed for bonding of students of different grade levels. Teachers also made sure to incorporate the importance of social and emotional wellbeing.

Knowing it will be a while until the next annual Community Day, teachers and students created tangible reminders. Grade 4 students and teachers, led by Angel Tibbetts, created a Kindness Quilt, which hangs in the school for all to see. Additionally, Grade 3 students recorded their PSA of shared values and behaviors for when in the school cafeteria. Community Day serves as a reminder for students that there is so much more going on than what is just in their school and provides role models to inspire students to work hard and achieve their goals. The Lisbon community is grateful for this new tradition and is excited to see how Community Day continues to evolve.

Cedar Worster Welcomed as Newest State Board of Education Student Member

The Maine State Board of Education is very pleased to welcome its newest student member. Cedar Worster from Harrison is entering her junior year at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in South Paris. Cedar is involved in a number of school and community activities including Student Council, the Interact Club, high school athletics, performing with school bands and those focusing on civil rights and diversity, equity and inclusion.

Each year the State Board of Education seeks applications from interested public school sophomores to serve two-year terms during their junior and senior years as non-voting members. The two students, one from each congressional district, are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the legislature. They join nine adult SBE members who truly value what their younger colleagues bring to the table through awareness of what is going on in their schools and other networking activities. In addition, the student members are, with the assistance of the Maine Department of Education, Facilitators and Co-Chairs of the DOE’s Student Cabinet which brings together students from across the state to share topics which are important to them and their fellow students.

Also serving as a student SBE member during the upcoming year is Deering High School Senior Phat Thai.

Windsor Students Thrive Through Technology

(Students use colored cards to tell robotic cars where to go.)

At Windsor Elementary and Middle School, students are passionate about innovation, and their librarian, Kristel Anuszewski, uses the mobile computer science labs funded by the Maine Department of Education (DOE) to support that passion. Anuszewski, Kennebec County’s 2024 Teacher of the Year, is the Librarian and STEM Educator for Windsor’s Learning Commons. On a Friday in late May, the Maine DOE visited as she taught coding skills to a first-grade class using indi cars from the Maine DOE’s Mobile Computer Science Lab program.

In 2022, the Maine DOE offered a grant for educators to apply for one of three mobile labs. Anuszewski chose the robotics and programming lab, with the other options being augmented and virtual reality and coding and hardware.

“We wanted to create a space where kids can be creative, they can be innovative, they can explore, and they can engineer,” said Anuszewski. The cart came with three learning tools for students: Sphero Indi Cars, Sphero BOLTs, and Merge Cubes.

Anuszewski used the Mobile Computer Science Labs to transform the library into a vibrant hub for innovation.

“I feel like it went from gray to this burst of color,” said Windsor Principal Heather Wilson. “She pulls out of the students different things that they’re interested in and shows them how technology can enhance that.”

At Windsor, the Learning Commons is designed to blend technology and traditional library lessons seamlessly. Anuszewski was brought on in 2019 to build out and run the program.

“We had this vision of it being called the Learning Commons and not the library because we wanted it to be more than books,” Wilson said. “We wanted it to be about technology, STEM, innovation, and fun. Before Kristal and the [Mobile Computer Science Labs], we viewed technology as one kind of tool, but it wasn’t interactive with the kids. Now, it’s a vibrant, interactive space that sparks creativity and engagement.”

Now, Learning Commons is bursting with color and sound. The moment students walk through the door, they are filled with curiosity. When Anuszewski tells her first-grade class about the day’s assignment, using the Lab’s indi cars for a lesson about Summer, the room fills with cheers.

“Kristel is an astoundingly intuitive teacher when it comes to building instruction around the STEM,” says Anuszewski’s teaching assistant, Ed Frankonis. “Students have developed immense teambuilding skills with each other thanks to the challenges presented by the coding-teaching technology tools.”

Students enthusiastically engage with Anuszewski’s indi Car assignment.

The indi cars Anuszewski used for the day’s lesson provide a hands-on coding experience using a built-in color sensor and interactive color-coded tiles. For more advanced learning, students can progress to simplified block coding options. In Anuszewski’s first-grade class, they stick to the color sensors.

“Students start out really young, with the directional coding, like the indi cars, and essentially, it’s, here’s where you’re starting, here’s where you’re ending, and what directions do you have to give your robot to be able to get them to where they need to be. So, it’s all about processing and logic,” explains Anuszewski. “Having [the Mobile Computer Science Labs] creates more opportunities. I never had anything that was color coded before, and for the kids who are still learning their lefts and rights, the colors help them flush out those concepts, all the while they are doing directional coding.”

For Pre-K through fifth grade, Anuszewski meets with each class twice a week, once for a traditional library lesson and then again for a STEM lesson. She ties these lessons together with a theme. Her Friday first graders have been learning about seasons, specifically summer. Earlier in the week, they read the book “Stuck” by Oliver Jeffers, a story about a boy whose kite is stuck in a tree and his attempts to knock it loose by throwing more objects up into the tree until it is full of stuck objects. For their following technology lesson, they are strategizing how to move their indi cars down a track to a summer object, like the ones from “Stuck.” To do so, they will have to use indi’s colored cards to tell the robot where to go.

The students pair off, each assigned to a specific section of the library where Anuszewski has laid masking tape tracks for them to lead their cars down. Frankonis goes to each group and lays out their special summer object at the end of the masking tape track.

“It’s hard, but it’s really fun,” said Nevada, one of Anuszewski’s first graders.

“You have to figure out what color to use,” explained another student named Landon. “Sometimes I get it wrong. I try again, though.”

Anuszewski teaches Windsor students up to eighth grade. Older students have more autonomy when it comes to the Learning Commons.

“So my middle school curriculum is very different from a traditional curriculum. I have what is called choice boards, so at the beginning of every month, I present between 12 and 14 choices for students in the areas of reading, technology, coding, engineering, and maker space,” explains Anuszewski. “So, within those headings are four different choices, at least, for students to be able to choose from. They pick the one area that they want to study for the month. There are clickable links that will take students to different places online, whether it’s instruction or the actual site, and they explore the subject independently and kind of prep themselves to be able to be successful with their choice.”

Every year, Anuszewski selects a team of middle school students to attend the Maine DOE’s Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) Student Conference at the University of Maine Orono (UMaine). She selects students who have shown an aptitude or particular interest in tech. This year, one of her Windsor Middle School students, Emry Michaels St. Ong, won a $1,000 scholarship for UMaine at the conference for a game design challenge.

“I got a scholarship to the University of Maine in Orono at the MLTI conference. I was playing an online game called Bloxels, and I won for creating a character based on one of my favorite teachers,” explained St. Ong.

For those unfamiliar, Bloxels is a game-building platform where players can create games their peers can play.

“At the conference, we would go to different blocks. In the Bloxel block, the presenter told us how to go in and make characters, then gave us time to play around with it,” continued St. Ong. “There was a competition for best character. I didn’t think I was going to win it at all. But Mr. Ed here in the library told us that you never know, just take your chance and you can get it. So, I submitted my character and won one of the scholarships.”

St. Ong stands in front of the Windsor’ Mobile Computer Science Labs.

Anuszewski mentions that game design is very popular for a lot of kids.

“They get to do it in the library during learning commons time,” she said. “But to be able to hear from another presenter, to be able to have that kind of college experience with someone who’s not your teacher is really, really cool for them.”

That being said, St. Ong credits Anuszewski with giving him the tools he needed to win: “She teaches you a lot of stuff that will not just help you in school but help you wherever you go. She has taught us to use our imaginations and to be creative.”

Regarding coding, St. Ong was able to learn more about himself as a learner by using the robots from the Mobile Computer Science Carts.

“I’ve learned I’m a visual learner, and I like to go off on my own to code,” St. Ong explained. His class uses the Sphero Bolt bots. Students like St. Ong will code the bot to move about a room independently. “I’ll code a [Sphero Bolt] a little bit, see where it ends up, and then I’ll use what I learned to change it. I love learning hands-on like that.”

Through programs like the Mobile Computer Science labs, educators like Anuszewski have the means to empower students to engage with technology from a young age, building skills that they will use for the rest of their lives.

“I don’t want kids to ever be afraid of technology. I feel like immersing them in the technology is one way to do that,” says Anuszewski. “If they want to seek a career, technology is going to be a part of that. I don’t ever want them to feel like they don’t understand tech or not pursue something they want because they’re too afraid of what they don’t know. I never want them to be scared to try something.”

The Mobile Computer Science Labs are a part of Maine Teaches CS and were purchased with Federal Emergency Relief Funding. Maine Teaches CS is a part of Maine’s Whole Student Pandemic Response. Discover more of the DOE’s innovative programming at Maine’s Whole Student Pandemic Response page on the Maine DOE website.

Want to share your own federally funded success story? Tell us all about it through our convenient form by tapping or clicking here!

What Makes a Great School in Maine? Join a Measure What Matters Community Conversation

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is excited to host community meetings across Maine to bring educators, parents, students, and business leaders together to discuss a shared vision for our schools. These in-person conversations will take place in August and September across the state.

We need your voice!

We’re interested in developing relevant ways to recognize and acknowledge what schools are doing to prepare students for success in their lives, a rapidly changing global economy, their careers, and as engaged and productive citizens of Maine. It’s time to measure what matters.

Join us at a community conversation near you to share your thoughts about what makes a great school in Maine, how we can best prepare all of our students to thrive, and how we measure the great things happening in Maine schools. Your thoughts and ideas will be used to develop a portrait of a great school in Maine based on what the people of Maine value for our schools.

Sign up here to join a community conversation near you. See the full list of Measure What Matters Community Conversations below.

Tuesday, August 13, 2024, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Westbrook High School
Wednesday, August 14, 2024, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Mt. Ararat High School
Thursday, August 15, 2024, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
York County Community College
Monday, August 19, 2024, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Penquis Valley High School
Tuesday, August 20, 2024, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Maranacook High School
Wednesday, August 21, 2024, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Central Maine Community College
Thursday, August 22, 2024, 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Skowhegan High School
Monday, August 26, 2024, 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Lamoine Consolidated School
Wednesday, August 28, 2024, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Camden Hills Regional High School
Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
UMaine Machias
Wednesday, September 11, 2024, 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Bangor High School
Thursday, September 12, 2024, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Caribou Community School

We look forward to seeing you at a Measure What Matters conversation soon!

Maine DOE Update – July 12, 2024

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

July Reporting Due Dates and Upcoming Data Reports

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) would like to remind school administrative units (SAUs) of the following data reports and due dates that are coming up. | More

News & Updates

Maine DOE and the University of Maine Announce New Teach Maine Scholarships for Educators

Maine educators and aspiring educators can now access Teach Maine Scholarships to complete coursework required for certification over the summer. The Maine Department of Education (DOE) has partnered with the University of Maine System to cover tuition costs for eligible educators who complete qualifying summer coursework through a University of Maine school. | More

Maine Teacher of the Year Semifinalists Announced

Eight Maine teachers were announced today as the state semifinalists for the 2025 Maine Teacher of the Year. These inspiring educators, members of the 2024 County Teacher of the Year cohort, embody the dedication, innovation, and leadership synonymous with Maine’s exceptional classroom teachers. As ambassadors for their students, colleagues, and school communities, their selection acknowledges their excellence in teaching and celebrates the collective achievements and commitment of the entire teaching profession in Maine. | More

Maine Participates in First Annual Seal of Biliteracy Summit in DC

Students and families gathered at SeDoMoCha Elementary School (RSU 68) on Monday to kick off the 2024 Hot Lunch Summer Meal Program and the new SUN Bucks benefit. The event, supported by officials from the Maine Department of Education (DOE), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and RSU 68, showcased new options to help ensure children have access to nutritious meals throughout the summer months. | More

Information and Recommendations Regarding the ‘School Health Advisor Role’ Defined in Maine Statue

Under Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 6402-A, each school board shall appoint one or more physicians or family or pediatric nurse practitioners. Some of Maine’s medical providers and school health staff have requested clarification from the Maine Department of Education (DOE) about the law and the role of the school health advisor, which is defined under this law. | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development, Training, and Events

Educational Trip Leader Permit Training Available at Maine DOE Annual Summit

Does your school unit sponsor outdoor learning opportunities in one of the following categories? Overnight trips away from potable water and/or Use of non-motorized watercraft on Maine’s waterways. Answering yes to either statement indicates that your school unit requires a school employee or approved volunteer to hold an Educational Trip Leader (ETL) permit to lead outdoor educational trips. | More

New Resources Available to Support PK-12 Literacy and Neuroscience Integration

The Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Interdisciplinary Instruction Team has created new resources for supporting PK-12 literacy instruction. The Integration of Literacy and Neuroscience suite of resources reflects current research-based practices through a combination of asynchronous professional learning modules, strategies, and additional resources to support student engagement and reading comprehension through the lens of neuroscience. | More

There is Still Time to Register for the 2024 DOE Annual Summit!

The 2024 Maine Department of Education (DOE) Annual Summit will be held August 6th – 8th at the Augusta Civic Center. This year’s event features an all-in-one events app where you can select a personalized schedule following event registration. Register for the Annual Summit Here | See the Agenda & Sessions

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities:

View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here

No Cost Educational Trip Leader Permit Training Available at Maine DOE Annual Summit

Does your school unit sponsor outdoor learning opportunities in one of the following categories?

Overnight trips away from potable water
Use of non-motorized watercraft on Maine’s waterways

Answering yes to either statement indicates that your school unit requires a school employee or approved volunteer to hold an Educational Trip Leader (ETL) permit to lead outdoor educational trips. Per the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, an educational institution conducting an outdoor educational trip that would normally require a registered Maine guide (trips overnight away from potable water and/or trips that occur on Maine’s waterways) shall provide for every 12 trip participants at least one educational trip leader who holds a valid educational trip leader permit and who is associated with the educational institution. If the person who is conducting the trip holds a valid Maine Guide’s license, then the educational trip leader permit is not required.

On August 6-8, during the 2024 Maine DOE Annual Summit, 18 educators in Maine have the opportunity to receive free Education Trip Leader (ETL) training. The course, Educational Trip Leader Permit and Wilderness First Aid (WFA), is being taught by Sarah Hubert, Registered Maine Guide, and Jeremy Hargreaves, owner of Northeast Whitewater.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is partnering with Teens to Trails, Northeast Whitewater, and Camp Mechuwana to provide this hands-on training and certification.

Registration for the course is a 3-day commitment, as participants will be immersed in integrating the curriculum and training over the three days. Participants will need to provide their own overnight camping and personal gear and can sleep in their own tent or in a lean-to on the shores of Camp Mechuwana on the nights of Tuesday, August 6^th, and Wednesday, August 7^th.

For more information about the Educational Trip Leader Permits, please visit the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (ETL Permits) or call (207) 287-8000.

For questions regarding the Educational Trip Leader Permit/Wilderness First Aid course for the 2024 Educator Summit, contact Dr. Carolyn Gross (carolyn.gross@maine.gov /207-441-9043).

For general information about the 2024 Educator Summit, please visit the 2024 Maine DOE Annual Summit Event website.

In 2021, Chapter 927: Guides, Youth Camp Trip Leaders and Education Trip Leaders guidance was established by the Maine Legislature and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. An Educational Trip Leader Permit is required for schools and postsecondary institutions in the state of Maine that sponsor trips on waterways and lack of potable water. Read more about this legislation at Chapter 927: Guides, Youth Camp Trip Leaders and Educational Trip Leaders.

Information and Recommendations Regarding the ‘School Health Advisor Role’ Defined in Maine Statue

While each school administrative district is unique and will create a contract based on its needs, the Maine DOE Coordinated School Health team has collaborated with the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MAAP) School Health Committee and Maine Association of School Nurses (MASN) to create a new resource, Maine School Health Advisor Role Template. This document provides a framework and recommendations around Maine school health advisor roles and responsibilities. This template is intended to provide information about the Maine Law as it defines the roles and responsibilities of a school health advisor and offers guidance to the school administrator and school health advisor as they further define the role for their specific school district and student population.

Schools play a critical role in promoting the health and safety of young people and helping them establish lifelong healthy behaviors. A strong partnership with a school health advisor can help create a healthy school environment.

For further information or questions, please get in touch with Maine DOE Coordinated School Health Staff at DOESchoolandStudentSupports@maine.gov . Questions and further information can also be found with the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MAAP) School Health Committee and the Maine Association of School Nurses .

New Resources Available to Support PK-12 Literacy and Neuroscience Integration

Active self-regulation includes engagement and motivation, executive functioning skills, and strategy use in literacy, with the goal of developing engaged, motivated, independent readers.
Word Recognition includes literacy foundational skills such as phonological awareness, alphabetic principles, phonics, decoding, and sight words.
Language Comprehension focuses on Cultural and Other Content Knowledge, including work on the role of students’ prior and background knowledge in improving reading and Theory of Mind, which refers to a reader’s ability to empathize with characters or people in books.
Bridging processes are the tools that readers use to move between word recognition and language comprehension with increasing fluency. Bridging processes are how readers begin to weave together word recognition and language comprehension skills to become more fluent readers.

Access the PK-12 Literacy and Neuroscience Integration Resources here.

To learn more about this exciting resource, please contact Kathy Bertini at Kathy.Bertini@maine.gov.