Three Maine teachers have been announced as State finalists for the 2019 Maine Teacher of the Year. The finalists were chosen from the 2018 Maine County Teachers of the Year honored earlier this year.
The Maine Teacher of the Year program honors outstanding teachers who represent the thousands of excellent educators in Maine. Maine’s Teacher of the Year serves as an advocate for the teaching profession, education and students and represents Maine in the national Teacher of the Year program.
State Finalists:
Joseph Hennessey
2018 Piscataquis County Teacher of the Year, Joseph Hennessey teaches American, World, AP Literature and Composition, and Camden Conference Seminar for grades 11-12 at Piscataquis Community High School (RSU 80/MSAD 4). He has been teaching for 6 years.
Shana Goodall
2018 Penobscot County Teacher of the Year, Shana Goodall teaches Social Studies, World Civilizations, AP Human Geography, and AP World History for grades 9-12 at Orono High School (RSU 26). She has been teaching for 15 years.
Connie Russell
2018 Cumberland County Teacher of the Year, Connie Russell is a 2nd grade teacher at Mabel I. Wilson School in Cumberland, North Yarmouth (MSAD 51) and has been teaching for 27 years.
Each educator was nominated by a member of their community for their exemplary service in education, and dedication to their students. They were selected by a distinguished panel of teachers, principals and business community members from a pool of hundreds of other nominated teachers in their communities.
The three teachers are in the running for 2019 Maine Teacher of the Year, an honor awarded each year to one teacher in Maine. In October, Maine’s 2019 Teacher of the Year will be selected after a school site visit and final interview.
Maine Teacher of the Year is a program of the Maine Department of Education, administered by Educate Maine. For more information, visit the Maine DOE Website.
RSU 2 Coordinator of Student Achievement, Matthew Shea has been named Maine’s 2018 Curriculum Leader of the Year. Shea was nominated by his Superintendent, Bill Zima and curriculum leaders outside his district. Zima calls him, “one of the best administrators I’ve had the pleasure to work with.”
Shea’s curriculum colleagues admire his passionate advocacy for personalized learning and his commitment to help other educators learn. He frequently leads learning opportunities across Maine and nationally.
He and RSU 2 Instructional Coach Courtney Belolan host the nationally-recognized podcast, “Personalized Learning with Matt and Courtney,” described as “engaging, hilarious, and thought-provoking” by listeners.
Augusta, Maine – The Maine Department of Education (DOE) announced today the 9 student interns who will be working for the summer at the Maine DOE headquarters in Augusta.
Adam Barre
Barre is a sophomore at Loyola University, Maryland. He has lived in Maine his whole life and has a love for politics, business, and the state of Maine itself. Barre has volunteered in Baltimore and worked with local politicians and motivated citizens, which has been a tremendous inspiration to him. He takes great pride in being able to not only accomplish his own goals, but ensuring he can help others do the same in the process. Barre will be working with the Department of Education’s data team, focusing on geo-mapping and working to catalogue all the major data collections for the Department.
Trevor Burns
Burns is a recent graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington with a major in Actuarial Science and Applied Mathematics. Burns will be assisting with the end-of-year collection process for 2017/18 student data and trying to find anomalies in that data before school ends for the summer. He will then work on a student data standards document which the DOE plans to make available to the public before school begins again next year.
Matt Bourque
Originally from South China, Maine, Bourque is an upcoming senior at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. He is double majoring in Political Science and Education. Outside of his academic life, Bourque is training for a marathon and loves the outdoors. During his internship with the DOE, Bourque will be acting as a support content specialist to prepare for summer professional development programs.
Lauren Porter
Porter is a third-year Social Work and Political Science student at the University of Southern Maine, where she is highly involved in her philanthropic sorority, the Service-Learning and Volunteering department, and Model United Nations. Her interests and career goals include social justice policy efforts – particularly advocacy for access to affordable healthcare. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, juggling, volunteering, and writing. During her internship with the DOE, Porter will also be acting as a support content specialist to prepare for summer professional development programs.
Adam Bovie
Bovie is a senior at the University of New Hampshire, but has lived in Vassalboro, Maine, his whole life. He is dual majoring in Communication and International Affairs at UNH, and spent the first semester of his junior year studying abroad at Dublin City University in Dublin, Ireland. Bovie enjoys all aspects of the Communication field, but has recently been developing his skills in media production. He’ll be putting these skills to use in his role as the intern for the Commissioner of Education’s office, where he’ll be assisting in the creation of a new website for the Department as well as other multimedia communication projects.
Tyler Rollins
Rollins is a senior at the University of Maine at Orono in the New Media program. He currently lives in his home town of China, Maine, and in his spare time he enjoys playing the guitar and recording local bands. Rollins will be creating content to make Maine’s school funding formula more understandable for the legislature and general public.
Erica Hathaway
Hathaway is a senior at the University of Maine at Orono and will be graduating in December. She is studying Economics with minors in Mathematics and Business. Hathaway is originally from Vermont, but is planning to stay in Maine after graduating, at which point she would like to attend graduate school for Economics. Hathaway is working on Maine’s contribution to a Kansas-led project that looks at school funding in all 50 states, including a state-by-state historical survey of school funding. She will also be assisting the DOE in reviewing the new Career & Technical Education funding model.
Morgan Rush
One of the Learning Through Technology interns, Rush is a senior at the University of Maine at Farmington. She studies Business Psychology with a minor in Community Health. Rush grew up in Farmingdale, Maine, and is excited to learn more about the use of technology in education. Rush will be assisting with website design, event planning, and the development of resources related to MLTI and Learning Through Technology professional learning opportunities.
Renée Roundy
Another Learning Through Technology intern, Roundy grew up in Lewiston, Maine, and is entering her senior year at Colgate University with a major in Educational Studies and a minor in LGBTQ Studies. This summer she is excited to learn more about various software and how technology can be utilized by teachers, especially in Special Education. Rush will be assisting with website design, event planning, and the development of resources related to MLTI and Learning Through Technology professional learning opportunities.
Registration is now open for the 50th Custodial and Maintenance Conference for Maine school custodians and facilities directors.
Location: Waterville Senior High School, Waterville, Maine
Dates: Wednesday, June 27, 2018 – Thursday June 28, 2017
2018 Highlights:
The Wednesday keynote and motivational speaker will be Lori Lachance, a frequent author and speaker on leadership, education, and the economy of Maine. Laurie is Thomas College’s 5th President and the first female and alumna to lead the College in its 124-year history. Laurie previously served as President and CEO of the Maine Development Foundation and served in state government as the Maine State Economist.
Thursday’s motivational speaker will be Travis Mills, retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant of the 82nd Airborne is a recalibrated warrior, motivational speaker, actor, author and advocate for veterans and amputees. Travis is founder of the Travis Mills Foundation, a nonprofit organization, formed to benefit and assist combat-injured veterans. Travis lives by his motto: “Never give up. Never quit.”
Discussions and meeting topics include: All-Hazards Emergency Preparedness, Hazardous Chemical Management, Controlling Infections, Viruses and Diseases, School Security, Leadership and How It Impacts Our Schools, Working Safely, Playground Safety and Maintenance, Hazardous Chemical Management Plans, Certification Roundtable, and much more.
This year’s conference will include Maine School Integrated Pest Management certification sessions where conference attendees can complete required IPM training delivered by Dr. Kathy Murray from Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
To register and find additional resources including pricing, lodging options, further details about registration, including guest registration by contacting Jim Reny of Educational Plant Maintenance Association (EPMA) by phone 861-2351 or email jreny8@roadrunner.com .
On Friday evening, May 11th, Maine DOE honored the six state finalists for the 2017 Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics and Science (PAEMST) with a dinner held at the Maple Hill Farm Inn located in Hallowell. Shari Templeton, Maine DOE Science and Technology Specialist, and Michele Mailhot, Maine DOE Mathematics Specialist, planned the evening event honoring Priya Natarajan (Casco Bay High School), secondary mathematics finalist, Ellen Payne (Nokomis Regional High School), secondary mathematics finalist, Sharon Gallant (Gardiner Area High School), secondary science finalist, Sara McQuarrie (Hodgdon Middle/High School), secondary science finalist, Bill McWeeny (Adams School), secondary science finalist, Alyson Saunders (Dexter Regional High School), secondary science finalist.
The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are the nation’s highest honors for teachers of mathematics and science. Awardees serve as models for their colleagues, inspiration to their communities, and leaders in the improvement of mathematics and science education.
The evening began with a social networking event where past awardees had an opportunity to meet the six state finalists. This was followed by dinner, official congratulations from Suzan Beaudoin, Deputy Commissioner, Maine Department of Education, and Martha Harris, Chair, Maine State Board of Education. The keynote address was delivered by Sandra MacArthur, Director of Educational Outreach for the University of Maine Farmington, and Shannon Larsen, Assistant Professor of Elementary Education at the University of Maine Farmington.
The main event of the evening was the introduction of the six state finalists. Todd Nelson, retired principal and author, spoke on behalf of Bill McWeeny, Mary Whitten, science teacher, Gardiner Area High School, spoke on behalf of Sharon Gallant, Mary Harbison, principal, Hodgdon Middle/High School, spoke on behalf of Sara McQuarrie, Steven Bell, principal, Dexter Regional High School, spoke on behalf of Alyson Saunders, Scott Shibles, Dean of Student Life at Casco Bay High School, spoke on behalf of Priya Natarajan, and Mary Nadeau, principal, Nokomis Regional High School, spoke on behalf of Ellen Payne. All six state finalists were presented with certificates from the PAEMST program by Shari Templeton (Maine DOE) and Michele Mailhot (Maine DOE).
Each year the Maine Department of Education partners with Educational Plant Maintenance Association of Maine to host the Custodial and Maintenance Conference at Waterville Senior High School. One highlight of the conference is awarding the A. Burleigh Oxton Award for Excellence for a school custodial maintenance employee.
Please consider honoring a deserving colleague by submitting a nomination for the 2018 the A. Burleigh Oxton Award for Excellence.
The award provides recognition to an individual who demonstrates exemplary job performance, is passionate about maintaining and operating the local school building to ensure clean, safe, and healthy learning and working environment, and serves as a role model for students; a dedicated employee who is known for going the extra mile to help students, staff, and visitors to the facility.
This is an opportunity to showcase your school custodian’s accomplishments and nominate! The individual selected will receive an award plaque and a $300 college scholarship that will be awarded in their name to a deserving graduate in their district. The award winner and the three finalists will be invited to attend the 50th Annual Custodial and Maintenance Conference as a special guest.
Applications are being accepted now. Below you can find the nomination information necessary to begin the this process:
This past week the Maine Department of Education celebrated National Nurses Week by hosting school nurses for National School Nurse Day at the Blaine House for tea where the Department and Maine Association of School Nurses honored our current School Nurse of the Year, Ann Bouchard.
Please consider honoring a deserving colleague by putting in a nomination for the 2018-2019 School Nurse of the Year.
This title provides recognition to an individual who demonstrates leadership in 6 areas of their practice: Care provision, program management, health education, professional development, community involvement, and research.
Please take this opportunity to showcase your School Nurse’s accomplishments and nominate! The individual selected will receive a $500 cash award and be recognized at the Maine Association of School Nurses Summer Institute, the Blaine House Tea and at the National Association of School Nurse annual conference.
We are accepting applications now. Below you can find the nomination form and the information necessary to begin this process:
Nominations are being accepted for the 2018 Maine Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (MAHPERD) Teachers of the Year awards.
Maine educators in the following categories are eligible for consideration: Elementary Physical Education Teacher, Middle Level Physical Education Teacher, Secondary Physical Education Teacher, Adapted Physical Education Teacher, Health Education Teacher (All levels), Recreation Teacher/Leader, and Dance Teacher. There are many deserving teachers throughout the State of Maine and MAHPERD would like to be able to recognize more of those individuals.
Click here for more information regarding eligibility, nomination criteria and to access the application.
Nominations are due by June 30 and completed applications are due by August 21. For more information contact Kristen Allen at kallen@rsu10.org, MAHPERD Awards chairperson, before June 30.
Maine students recently took part in the GirlsGoCyberStart program, a national opportunity that features fun, technical challenges and games to inspire the next generation of cyber security professionals.
Promoted by Governor Paul R. LePage, the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Office of Information Technology, the program took place February 20th through the 25th of 2018 with students from all over Maine participating.
GirlsGoCyberStart was available to the first 10,000 girls who registered with teams of 1-4 students. 18 states participated and 5 of Maine’s 60 plus teams that participated, ranked in the top 100 scorers. Participants on the top three Maine teams were awarded prizes.
Maine’s top five scoring teams were from the following high schools (in order of scoring):
Bangor High School, Penobscot County
Thornton Academy, York County
Portland High School, Cumberland County
Falmouth High School, Cumberland County
Maine Connections Academy, Cumberland County
More details about the scoring can be found on the GirlsGoCyberStart website and more details about Maine team’s scores can be found on the Maine scores page of the GirlsGoCyberStart website.
National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellow. Erin Towns from Edward Little High School in Auburn, Maine
High School teacher Erin Towns from Edward Little High School in Auburn, Maine has been selected as one of this year’s Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellows in recognition of her commitment to geographic education. The 2018 Fellows, a group of 40 highly respected educators from the United States and Canada, will embark on global expeditions on board the Lindblad Expedition ships for a hands-on experience for professional development.
Starting later this year, the 2018 Fellows will begin their 10 to 17 day expeditions to locations including the Canadian High Arctic, Antarctica, Southeast Alaska, Arctic Svalbard, Norway, Iceland, Greenland and the Galápagos Islands. Accompanied by Lindblad-National Geographic expedition experts, ranging from undersea specialists to National Geographic photographers, the Fellows will experience landscapes, cultures and wildlife unique to their regions of exploration.
Joseph Hennessey
Shana Goodall
Connie Russell
Maine DOE Newsroom 