Becki Belmore Receives MAHPERD Distinguished Leadership Award

Becki Belmore is this year’s recipient of the MAHPERD Distinguished Leadership Award. Becki teaches Physical Education and Adapted Physical Education at Greely Middle School in MSAD 51, serving students in Cumberland and North Yarmouth. Nominated by a peer, the Distinguished Leadership Award recognizes a person’s excellence in their profession and commitment to the MAHPERD association.

Her administration speaks very highly of Becki and says that she is student focused and a fierce advocate for our students with special needs and their programming. She has an extensive understanding of the continuum of motor skill development and successfully engages with families and community partners.

Becki has been awarded two MAHPERD Teacher of the Year awards in the past, Elementary Physical Education and Adapted Physical Education and she is a National Board Certified Teacher, one of a very small cohort in Maine.

Here are just a few of her many accomplishments:

She is an active member of the Maine APE Task Force serving as the liaison to the MAHPERD board.
Highly involved in APE advocacy – working with the Maine Parent Federation, and directly with Maine’s Director of Special Education, National Consortium for Physical Education for Individuals with Disabilities (NCPEID)
Collaborator on the Adapted Physical Education information document
Collaborator on the State of Maine DOE Q & A document for APE
MAHPERD conference presentations
- APE sessions
- Physical education sessions
- Member of the Steering Committee for Update of Maine’s Physical Education Standards

Maine Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (MAHPERD) Honor Awards are presented to MAHPERD members in recognition of their excellence to their profession by demonstrating outstanding dedication to their students and profession. To learn more about MAHPERD visit maineahperd.org.

Commissioner Makin Awarded Distinguished Service Award from Maine School Board Association

Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin was awarded the Maine School Boards Association (MSBA) Distinguished Service Award on October 29, 2021 at their annual conference held virtually this year.

“Thank you for your leadership during these difficult times,” MSBA wrote on their Facebook page showcasing the above picture of Commissioner Makin and her award.

A recent Bangor Daily News (BDN) article reported on the award of Commissioner Makin, Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah, and school nurses across Maine who were also presented with awards at the MSBA conference. The article stated:

Makin was praised by MSBA for changing the focus of the DOE from being a regulatory agency to one that supports school boards, administrators and teachers in their essential work. That support was critical when the COVID pandemic hit.

The commissioner was the voice at the table with the governor and other state leaders, weighing in on the most effective ways to keep students, teachers and administrators safe while teaching and learning continued. She was integral in helping public schools navigate the COVID health crisis, and she did it while showing great respect for the people in the field.

See the full BDN article here.

For more information about the Maine School Boards Association visit their website.

Region Two Instructor Amber Sloat Named 2022 Maine CTE Teacher of the Year

Region Two School of Applied Technology, Maine Association of Career and Technical Education (MACTE), and the Maine Department of Education are proud to announce that Amber Sloat has been named Maine 2022 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Teacher of the Year.

Amber has worked as an educator at Region Two School since 2018. She teaches the Introduction to Medical program. In this program she instructs two concurrent enrollment courses: Medical Terminology through Northern Maine Community College (NMCC), as well as a Nursing Foundations course through University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK). Students also obtain their Phlebotomy licensure through her program.

“I am honored to have been selected for this award,” said Amber in a recent radio ad. “We work very hard here at Region Two to provide high-quality, hands-on training and education to the area students we serve.”

She has worked to create a unique trajectory and career pathway for students interested in pursuing careers in the medical field. In addition to helping build the Health Occupations Program at Region Two School, she played an integral role in developing the Nursing Pathway Program in conjunction with UMFK. The program is designed to help interested students at Region Two to complete up to 24 college credits while in high school that will set the stage for a degree as a Registered Nurse.

Amber has also designed a variety of promotional materials related to this program and has shared her work with other instructors throughout Maine.

“Amber works diligently to ensure the program meets the employment needs of the community she teaches in, and that students have the opportunity to learn skills that lead to successful careers,” MACTE stated in a release about Amber’s award.

Amber’s Educational background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Husson University, she is currently completing her Master of Science in Nursing through Husson University as well. She is an ACTE member and maintains her State of Maine Registered Nursing licensure and holds the necessary credentials needed as a phlebotomy instructor. Previous to becoming an instructor, she worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bangor, Maine as a Cardiac Nurse.

The CTE Teacher of the year award is bestowed one instructor annually, across the state of Maine, who is providing an outstanding career and technical education program for the youth in their community.

MEDIA RELEASE: Christopher Howell Named 2022 Maine Superintendent of the Year

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.

Portland Public Schools’ Grace Valenzuela Wins Human Rights Award

Dr. Grace Valenzuela, executive director for communications and community partnerships for the Portland Public Schools, has been selected by the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine (HHRC) as the recipient of the 2021 Gerda Haas Award for Excellence in Human Rights Education and Leadership.

Dr. Valenzuela received the award at HHRC’s virtual annual meeting on Thursday, Oct. 21. The meeting this year honored the memory of HHRC founding visionary Gerda Haas, who passed away this past summer.

HHRC promotes universal respect for human rights through outreach and education. Haas, HHRC’s founder, inspired many with her passion for human rights education. A Holocaust survivor originally from Germany, Haas advocated for the teaching about the Holocaust in Maine schools. HHRC welcomes the opportunity each year to recognize and honor an individual who, like Haas, has demonstrated excellence and initiative in human rights education and leadership.

In presenting the award to Dr. Valenzuela, HHRC Board treasurer and legislative coordinator Jenna Vendil listed her exceptional accomplishments and summarized them by saying: “Dr. Grace Valenzuela is one of Maine’s unsung heroes in the work of racial justice and human rights.”

PPS Superintendent Xavier Botana said, “Dr. Grace Valenzuela is most deserving of this recognition. The Portland Public Schools is Maine’s largest and most diverse school district, with about one-third of our students coming from homes where languages other than English are spoken. It is thanks to Grace’s long years of hard work, dedication and leadership that we have our own Multilingual and Multicultural Center that stands out as a model in Maine for meeting the needs of our diverse students and their families. Grace is a fierce champion for social justice for all students and families. We are deeply grateful to her for all she has done and continues to do for the Portland Public Schools.”

Dr. Valenzuela, who holds a PhD in public policy with a concentration in educational leadership and policy from the University of Southern Maine, is originally from the Philippines. She has worked for the Portland Public School since the 1980s, beginning her career as an ELL teacher before moving to the position as director of the district’s Multilingual and Multicultural Center.

In that role, Dr. Valenzuela made sure that students and their families received the education and support they are entitled to, assisting the Portland Public Schools in implementing and complying with the federal guidelines mandated by the landmark Supreme Court case, Lau v. Nichols, known as the Lau Plan. In 2007, Dr. Valenzuela founded Make It Happen!, an award-winning program that provides academic support to immigrant and refugee students, helping them to create competitive academic profiles and access financial aid to enable them to attend college.

Today, Dr. Valenzuela serves as the executive director of communications and community partnerships for the district, a position that brings together all of her past experiences, education, and skills.

“Grace has an infinite capacity for accomplishing a high level of quality work, at times with minimal resources,” said community outreach and development specialist Nanette Dyer Blake, who works closely with Dr. Valenzuela on the PPS Communications Team. “She credits her teams and colleagues, though it is her ability to think outside the box when confronted with challenges and an intense focus on how the outcome will best serve the community that sets her work apart. She also is well known for her party planning skills and the one many turn to when the order of the day is ‘fun!’”

In accepting the prestigious award, Dr. Valenzuela expressed her deep appreciation to the HHRC Board and staff.

“This is such a huge honor,” she said. “I am humbled to be in the company of some of the previous Gerda Haas awardees: Tim Wilson, the late Betsy Parsons, Pious Ali, ILAP, and last year’s honoree Assistant House Majority Leader Representative Rachel Talbot Ross – all remarkable and fierce advocates and leaders on human rights in Maine. I am also humbled by this recognition, knowing that much of the work I do is not done alone. It is always in community with passionate and principled colleagues, co-educators, co-activists, students, and mentors who are all co-conspirators in the struggle towards social justice, equity and liberation. This esteemed recognition belongs to them also.”

In her remarks, Dr. Valenzuela called for humane reform of the U.S. immigration system. She concluded: “Thank you very much for this award of a lifetime. I hope to continue to be deserving of this honor and live a life in the spirit and passion of Greta Haas.”

Learn more about the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine at: https://hhrcmaine.org/

Commissioner Makin Awarded New England Association of School Superintendents (NEASS) ‘President’s Award’

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 Makin with their annual “President’s Award” last week.

The award was presented by current NEASS President and MSAD 44 Superintendent David Murphy.

VIDEO: Recognition of National School Lunch Week

In recognition of National School Lunch Week last week, US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and US Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona extend their thanks to school nutrition professionals for their commitment to ensuring children are well-nourished and ready to succeed in school.

Share your thanks with school nutrition professionals at your school with free Stronger with School Meals digital thank you cards.

MEDIA RELEASE: Hampden Eighth Grade Teacher Named 2022 Maine Teacher of the Year

Kelsey Stoyanova, an 8th grade teacher at Reeds Brook Middle School has been named the 2022 Teacher of the Year by the Maine Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year Program.

In a unique event held at the Reeds Brook Middle School in Hampden, the Maine Department of Education and Educate Maine named eighth grade teacher Kelsey Stoyanova Maine’s 2022 Teacher of the Year as surprised students and colleagues at the school congratulated and honored her dedication to teaching.

Kelsey’s journey began in May, when she was named the 2021 Penobscot County Teacher of the Year. Stoyanova, along with 15 other County Teachers of the Year, was selected from a pool of hundreds teachers who were nominated earlier this year. In August, Kelsey was named one of three state finalists before being selected as the 2022 Teacher of the Year.

Kelsey Stoyanova is an 8th grade language arts teacher at Reeds Brook Middle School, part of Regional School Unit (RSU) 22 in Hampden, Maine. Stoyanova has a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with an English concentration, a master’s degree in Education with a literacy focus, and is working toward her Educational Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership — all as a University of Maine Black Bear.

Stoyanova is passionate about reading and helping students find an authentic love of reading through integrating a strong foundation of independent reading in her classroom. That passion really shined when she was selected as a grant recipient by the Book Love Foundation in 2020.

As an advocate for student involvement in curriculum creation, Stoyanova became the RSU22 Middle Level Language Arts Curriculum Leader, working to audit, align, and enhance the curriculum. She serves on the Equity in Education Committee where she designed and implemented the RSU22 Reads Three Reading Challenge for students and community members to participate in, thus far making a point to highlight BIPOC authors and characters, women in literature, AAPI voices, and LGBTQIA+ authors and characters.

In addition to these roles, Stoyanova is sought out as a technology enthusiast, mentor, and loves to share and design creative projects and assessments with her colleagues in all content areas. After school, you can find her going on outdoor Maine adventures with her family, or with her nose in a book which she will undoubtedly talk about in class tomorrow.

Kelsey was nominated by students, Tessa Castrucci and Stella Fox. Here are their nominations:

Ms. Castrucci – “She is a really understanding teacher who plans lessons with her students in mind, making the lessons suited to fit the class and environment. If we are interested in a certain event that happened in our country, we might have a class discussion or assignment about it to encourage our interest while learning the facts. She forms meaningful relationships with her students and creates an environment that is welcoming. Along with that, I feel like I can be challenged in her class to do my best while also developing and working on skills that might be harder for me. We do this by having class discussions, creative projects, and interesting assignments. Overall, Mrs. Stoyanova is a teacher that listens to and understands her students while trying to create a space to encourage our interests and push us to be our very best.”

Ms. Fox – “Mrs. Stoyanova is an amazing teacher. She makes learning fun, and she makes sure her classroom is a safe and fun learning environment for everyone to share their thoughts and interact with others. She makes sure everyone gets their work done, and she makes sure everyone understands how the work will get done. Not only is she a teacher, but she is an incredible mom, friend to her students, a person to talk to, and overall, someone you can trust. I think it goes for all of her students that Mrs. Stoyanova has had when I say that Mrs. Stoyanova is the right teacher for this award.”

The Teacher of the Year Program is a year-long process that involves educator portfolio and resume submissions, interviews, oral presentations, and classroom visits made by a selection panel comprised of State Board of Education members, school administrators, Maine Department of Education staff, former Teachers of the Year, and other Maine business partners.

As the 2022 Maine Teacher of the Year, Kelsey will spend her year of service advocating for students and teachers and speaking to the importance of education in preparing Maine students for the future. She will also represent Maine in the National Teacher of the Year program.

Said Cindy Soule, Maine’s 2021 Teacher of the Year, “Kelsey Stoyonova is a powerful example of the myriad ways educators across the state of Maine impact their communities as agents of change. As 2022 Maine Teacher of the Year Kelsey Stoyanova will shine a light on the myriad ways Maine educators impact their students and communities as agents of change. Kelsey’s unwavering belief in her students, strong collaboration with colleagues, leadership within her school and district, passion for literature and justice, and commitment to her own learning will serve her well as she advocates for and celebrates education, students, teachers, families and schools at both the state and national level. I am thrilled to learn alongside her as she embarks on this incredible journey!”

The Maine Teacher of the Year program is administered by Educate Maine, a business-led advocacy organization, in partnership with the Maine Department of Education, the Maine State Board of Education, and the Maine County and State Teachers and County of the Year Association (MCSTOYA). Funding for the program is generously provided by Maine businesses. The program’s lead sponsor is Bangor Savings Bank. Other program sponsors include Dead River, Geiger, Hannaford, the Maine State Lottery, Unum and the Silvernail Family.

For more information about the Maine Teacher of the Year program, visit www.mainetoy.org.

Nominate a Maine ‘Education All-Star’ for the Fenway Bowl

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is excited to share an opportunity to celebrate and highlight the amazing education workforce in Maine! The Fenway Bowl, Boston Globe Media, and partner sponsors are seeking nominations for education workforce (teachers, professors, education staff, administrators, and anyone working in education in Maine) who are making a difference.

Please consider nominating an All-Star in Education using this quick form below: Nominate a New England All-Star in Education Form (google.com).

Nominations are being accepted now until October 15, 2021. Three finalists from across New England will each receive a grant, courtesy of Fenway Sports Management, and will be recognized at the Fenway Bowl game in December.

Last year, 6 Maine educators out of 29 awardees over all were recognized as All-Stars! Congratulations to Maine’s 2020 All-Stars: Monster Finalist Michael Davis (Walton Elementary School), and All Stars, Jennifer McGee (Atwood Primary), Melissa Guerrette (Oxford Elementary), Dr. Flynn Ross (University of Southern Maine), Alison Babb-Brott (St. George School), and Bill Tracy (Hampden Academy). Check out their amazing stories here.

For more information or questions, contact Emily Doughty at emily.doughty@maine.gov.

Outstanding Portland High Student Wins College Board Recognition

Portland High School senior Rahmat Ali has been selected for the College Board National African American Recognition Program. She earned this recognition because of her remarkable academic achievements and outstanding performance on the PSAT and/or AP.

“We are immensely proud of Rahmat,” said Superintendent Xavier Botana. “Despite nearly two years of unprecedented learning challenges caused by the pandemic, she has demonstrated unwavering commitment to achieving academically. I also salute those who supported her in her efforts, including her Portland High School teachers and other staff and her family. We congratulate Rahmat on this well-deserved recognition and look forward to learning about her further accomplishments in years to come.”

The recognition can help with college admission because institutions of higher learning across the country know that students who have been selected for the College Board National African American Recognition Program are some of the most talented across the country.

David Coleman, CEO of The College Board, wrote in a letter to Rahmat: “We are extremely proud of all you’ve accomplished and to honor you as part of the National African American Recognition Program. We are hopeful this program helps you on your path to college. On behalf of the College Board, I celebrate your success and the brightness of all that’s ahead.”

This article is part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit a story or an idea, email Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.