Katahdin Schools’ Nutrition Team Receives National Award for Innovation

(Pictured: members of the nutrition team at RSU 89.)

Four school districts in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, and Ohio received awards for their trailblazing and innovative efforts to improve the nutritional quality of meals for their students. This announcement was made in front of nearly 850 school nutrition professionals at the School Nutrition Association Legislative Action Conference during National School Breakfast Week recently.

Regional School Unit 89, Maine’s own Katahdin Schools received the “Innovation in Preparation of School Meals” award for incorporating more scratch cooking into menu items, such as homemade sub rolls using their oatmeal bread recipe, homemade croutons, pickles, and roasted chickpeas.

RSU 89 has also partnered with a local farm, Keep Ridge Farm in Benedicta to source produce like squash, onion, eggs, carrots, and kale. They host monthly taste tests allowing the student body to determine what the next new menu item will be.

“At our annual Thanksgiving meal, we featured Keep Ridge Farm roasted squash, local farmer Steve Crouse’s potatoes that we boiled and mashed, and turkey from USDA Foods in our homemade gravy and homemade stuffing,” said Denise Tapley Proctor, food service director at RSU 89. “The meal was well received by the community, and the reactions of our kids make us love the change in direction our school is making to more scratch cooking.”

The three school districts that received awards are the first winners of the Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards, jointly created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Action for Healthy Kids as part of USDA’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, also known as HMI. These awards celebrate school districts that embrace opportunities to take their school meals to the next level. HMI is one of several ways that the Biden-Harris Administration is supporting schools to provide kids with nutritious meals that support their health and well-being.

Here are more pictures of the RSU 89 nutrition team preparing mashed potatoes from Keep Ridge Farm, homemade oatmeal rolls, USDA hamburger made into hamade gravy, USDA corn, and homemade apple strawberry crisp:

Statewide Student Writing Contest Winners Announced by MCSTOYA and MCELA

The Maine County and State Teachers of the Year Association (MCSTOYA), in partnership with the Maine Council of English Language Arts (MCELA), has announced the winners of the second annual Student Writing Contest that showcased the outstanding talent of students and the incredible impact of teachers in Maine.

“The Student Writing Contest aims to lift students’ voices in recognizing teachers’ impact on their lives in ways both small and large,” MCSTOYA and MCELA said in a joint statement. “In only our second year, the submissions exceeded our expectations. We are touched by the stories of caring and supportive teachers from across our state and from every grade span.”

After careful consideration, the judges have selected the following students as the winners:

PK-2

1st Place: Giles Urwin, Grade 2, The Center for Teaching and Learning, Edgecomb
2nd Place: Avery Barnett, Grade 2, Elm Street School, Mechanic Falls
Honorable Mentions:
- Po Salko, Grade 1, Kate Furbish Elementary School, Brunswick
- Brenden Onyon, Kindergarten, Poland Community School
- Anais Hernas, Grade 2, Daniel W. Merritt School, Addison

Grades 3-5

First Place: Adeline Inman, Grade 5, The Center for Teaching and Learning, Edgecomb
Second Place: Abisag H. Castillo Marrero, Grade 4, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Brunswick
Honorable Mentions:
- Arthur Douglas, Grade 5, Oxford Elementary School
- Josie Mains, Grade 5, Oxford Elementary School

Grades 6-8

First Place: Isla A. Litton, Grade 8, Cape Elizabeth Middle School
Second Place: Arianna Brooks, Grade 8, Bruce M Whittier Middle School, Poland
Honorable Mentions:
- Ruby Glenn, Grade 7, Coastal Christian School, Waldoboro
- Zabina Zimmermann, Grade 8, Cape Elizabeth Middle School

Grades 9-12

First Place: Jocelyn Davis, Grade 9, Oak Hill High School, Wales
Second Place: Sebastian Milstein-Jones, Grade 9, Casco Bay High School, Portland
Honorable Mentions:
- Shukri Ibrahim, Grade 9, Casco Bay High School, Portland
- Nataly Fitzpatrick, Grade 12, Nokomis Regional High School, Newport

“We are incredibly proud of all the students who participated. Teaching can be so incredibly hard, and on really tough days, you can start to question yourself and whether or not you make a difference. But how can you not be uplifted by the words of these students,” said Heather Webster, Co-chair of the Writing Contest Committee.

Our youngest writers in grades PK-5 share:

“He shows us things in little steps…”

“[she] makes me feel safe/by knowing me so well.”

“She changed my life, made me think smarter…”

Students in grades 6-12 echo these thoughts in more complexity:

“She makes you feel seen in a room jammed with people.”

“He pushed me to my limits…every day he was in class he taught me a new life lesson.”

“[She] saved me, my spark, and life and she has continued to help me guide myself…to become the person I am today and dream to be.”

And of course, the sentiment that shines through every submission is “all I want to say is, truly, thank you.”

The winners will receive Amazon Gift Cards in the amounts of $125.00, $60.00, and $30.00, and their work will be featured on the MCELA website.

MCSTOYA and MCELA extend their gratitude to the judges for their time and dedication in evaluating the entries. Additionally, we thank all the participating schools, teachers, and students for contributing to the success of this contest.

Nominations Open 2024 Outstanding Biology Teacher Award

The National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) has opened nominations for the 2024 Outstanding Biology Teacher Award! Every year, the Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA) program attempts to recognize an outstanding biology educator (grades 7-12 only) in each of the 50 states; Washington, DC; Puerto Rico, Canada; and overseas territories.

Candidates for this award do not have to be National Association of Biology Teachers members, but they must have at least three years of public, private, or parochial school teaching experience. A major portion of the nominee’s career must have been devoted to teaching biology/life science, and candidates are judged on their teaching ability and experience, cooperativeness in the school and community, and student-teacher relationships.

Outstanding Biology Teacher Award recipients are special guests of Carolina Biology Supply Company at the Honors Luncheon held at the National Association of Biology Teachers Professional Development Conference, receive gift certificates from Carolina Biological Supply Company, resources from other sponsors, award certificates, and complimentary one-year membership from the National Association of Biology Teachers.

Submit your nomination here. The deadline to submit nominations is March 1, 2024.

For more information about the Outstanding Biology Teacher Award, please contact Ken Vencile, Maine Outstanding Biology Teacher Award Director at ken.vencile@fivetowns.net.

Nominations Open for Alternative Educators of the Year

The Alternative Education Association of Maine is looking for nominations for the Alternative Educators of the Year. The Association is looking to recognize one or more individuals for their outstanding work in Alternative Education.

Please consider someone who has:

Demonstrated a positive impact on the academic programming for Alternative Education students or at-risk students.
Been an advocate for Alternative Education at local or state levels.
Helped develop and/or maintain an effective Alternative Education program.
Shown a dedication to Alternative Education through a commitment to professional growth and development.

If you know of someone who fits any of these criteria and would like to nominate them, please take a moment and fill out the form below and help us recognize those deserving educators whose work helps some of our most in-need students.

Alternative Educators of the Year Nomination Form.

For further information reach out to Alternative Education Association of Maine Presented Lenny Holmes at lholmes@bonnyeagle.org.

National History Teacher of the Year Nominations Open

Nominate an outstanding teacher in your community for the 2024 National History Teacher of the Year! Each year, Gilder Lehrman recognizes first-rate K-12 teachers who find creative ways to bring history to life in their classrooms. Winners are selected from each state and US territories and become finalists for the national award. State winners will receive $1,000 each. The national winner will receive a $10,000 prize and a ceremony in their honor in New York City.

Go to www.gilderlehrman.org/nhtoy to submit your nomination. The deadline to submit a nominations is April 30, 2024.

For more information about the History Teacher of the Year award, please contact Jaime Beal, Interdisciplinary Instruction Specialist at jaime.beal@maine.gov

Celebrate National School Counseling Week Feb. 5–9

National School Counseling Week 2024, “School Counseling: Standards-Based, Student-Focused,” sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), will be celebrated from Feb. 5–9, 2024, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems and how students are positively impacted as a result of what school counselors do. National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career.

School counselors are actively engaged in helping students examine their abilities, strengths, interests, and talents; in working in partnership with parents as they encounter the challenges of raising children in today’s world; in focusing on positive ways to enhance students’ academic, career and social/emotional development; and working with teachers and other educators to provide an educational system where students can realize their potential and set healthy, realistic and optimistic aspirations for themselves.

“School counselors work with all students to remove barriers to learning by addressing students’ academic concerns, career options and social/emotional skills,” said Jill Cook, ASCA executive director. “School counseling programs help to increase student achievement and provide a much-needed resource for students, parents, teachers and administrators. School counselors are integral to student success.”

More than 100,000 school counselors nationwide will be participating in the week’s festivities. Many schools will be hosting special events and activities to call attention to the countless benefits of a comprehensive school counseling program.

As part of its celebration for National School Counseling Week, the Maine School Counselor Association (MESCA) will be gathering in the Hall of Flags at the State House on February 9th at 2:30pm. School counselors, educators, and administrators are invited to join our school counselors in recognizing their positive contributions to Maine schools.

For more information, please contact Ken Rautiola, Mental Health Distinguished Educator, Maine Department of Education at kenneth.a.rautiola@maine.gov – office hours 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

Media Release: One Week Left to Nominate a Teacher for Maine Teacher of the Year

Nominate Someone Today at mainetoy.org/nominate

Current County Teachers of the Year Release Video Encouraging Nominations

Maine communities have one week left to nominate a teacher for 2024 County Teacher of the Year and 2025 State Teacher of the Year. Maine’s County and State Teachers of the Year serve as advocates for teachers, students, and public education in Maine.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and Educate Maine announced that nominations were open at the start of the month and have already received hundreds of nominations from across the state. Maine’s current County Teachers of the Year released a new video on social media encouraging people to nominate an outstanding teacher today. You can view the video here.

“Maine is home to amazing teachers who educate, inspire, innovate, nurture, and go above and beyond each and every day for their students, schools, and communities. The Maine Teacher of the Year program recognizes the extraordinary contributions of educators across our state and gives them a megaphone to share the great things happening in Maine public schools. Please nominate an outstanding teacher in your life today,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin.

Nominations can be made through a form on the Maine Teacher of the Year Website through 5:00 pm on January 31, 2021. Nominations will be accepted from students, parents, caregivers, community members, school administrators, colleagues, college faculty members, and associations/organizations (self-nominations, and nominations from family members are not accepted).

Requirements:

Hold the appropriate professional certification for their teaching position;
Be a certified, in good standing, PK-12 teacher in a state-accredited public school, including a career and technical education and adult education center, a public charter school, or a publicly supported secondary school (a private school that enrolls 60 percent or more publicly funded students, sometimes referred to as “town academies”);
Be actively teaching students at least fifty percent of the workday at the time of nomination and during their year of recognition.
Maintain their teaching position and remain in the county for which they are selected throughout the year of recognition.
Have a minimum of five years of teaching – three of which are in Maine.

“I can’t begin to tell you what an incredible journey this has been for me. More than once I’ve said, ‘Every educator should have this experience.’ Everyone knows an outstanding teacher. Nominate them and change their lives,” said Sharon Gallant, teacher at Gardiner Area High School and 2023 Kennebec County Teacher of the Year.

“Being nominated for Lincoln County Teacher of the Year began a journey that changed my life and celebrated my school and my district. There are so many astoundingly wonderful teachers in Maine. Nominate one and start the journey afresh,” said Edith Berger, a teacher at Miller School in RSU 40/MSAD 40 and 2023 Lincoln County Teacher of the Year.

“This process has been one of the most unimaginable ones I’ve ever had the opportunity to be a part of. I’m endlessly thankful to be a part of this outstanding family since May 10th, 2023. These people are extraordinary in every way possible. I’m sure you know a wonderful educator–nominate them today! Help recognize the stellar work happening in Maine classrooms,” said Miranda Engstrom, a teacher at Lamoine Consolidated School and 2023 Hancock County Teacher of the Year.

“This experience has completely changed the way I think about myself as a teacher. It forced me to step out of my comfort zone, helped me find my voice, and introduced me to some of the most amazing educators and friends that I have ever met. I’m so excited to meet, support, and learn from the 2024 cohort of Maine County Teachers of the Year,” said Lacey Todd, a teacher at Mountain Valley Middle School and 2023 Oxford County Teacher of the Year.

“Life changing. Seriously life changing. Nominate an amazing teacher today,” said Joshua Chard, a teacher at East End Community School in Portland and Maine’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Beyond serving as advocates for education, Maine’s County and State Teachers serve as advisors to the Maine DOE and state-level education stakeholders across Maine. Additionally, County and State Teachers of the Year join a cohort of teacher leaders who actively work together for the betterment of education in Maine. They also receive ongoing professional learning and participate in many state and county leadership opportunities.

The 2024 County Teachers of the Year will be announced in May. The 2025 Maine Teacher of the Year will be selected from the 16 county honorees. Through a selection process designed by educators, the field will be narrowed to semi-finalists and then state finalists before the Maine Teacher of the Year is announced by Maine’s Education Commissioner at a school assembly in the fall. Each year, State and County Teachers of the Year are honored at the annual Teacher of the Year Gala also held in the fall.

On behalf of, and in partnership with Maine Department of Education, the Maine Teacher of the Year program is administered by Educate Maine, a business-led organization whose mission is to champion college, career readiness, and increased educational attainment. Funding is provided by Bangor Savings Bank, Dead River Co., Geiger, Hannaford, the Maine Lottery, the Silvernail Family, and Unum, with support from the State Board of Education and the Maine State and County Teacher of the Year Association.

“Educate Maine is proud to administer the Maine Teacher of the Year program in partnership with the Maine Department of Education,” said Dr. Jason Judd, Educate Maine Executive Director. “Our County and State Teachers of the Year represent the outstanding work taking place in classrooms across our state. This program is dedicated to celebrating educators, enhancing their recognition, cultivating a network of teacher leaders, and amplifying their voices to strengthen the teaching profession in Maine.”

The Maine Teacher of the Year program is committed to a nomination and selection process that ensures people of all backgrounds are represented. Educate Maine and the Maine Department of Education champion that commitment by encouraging the nomination of educators from all culturally diverse experiences and backgrounds.

Through the generous support of Maine businesses, there is no cost to the local district when the Teacher of the Year is out of the classroom on their official duties, which includes representing educators state-wide and nationally through safely distanced in-person and virtual events that highlight the important work of Maine schools, communities, and educators.

For more information about the Maine Teacher of the Year program, visit the Maine Teacher of the Year website. Help us promote the Teacher of the Year Program by using the promotional materials on our website!

Media Release: Hampden and Caribou Students Selected for United States Senate Youth Program

Students to Attend Washington Week Trip, Receive $10,000 Scholarship

Maine high school students Ryan Hafener and Claire Elizabeth Ouellette were selected to represent Maine during the 62nd annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) Washington Week from March 2-9, 2024. Ryan Hafener of Hampden and Claire Ouellette of Caribou were selected from among the state’s top student leaders to be part of the 104 national student delegation. Each delegate will also receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study.

The USSYP was created by Senate Resolution 324 in 1962 and has been sponsored by the Senate and fully funded by The Hearst Foundations since inception. Originally proposed by Senators Kuchel, Mansfield, Dirksen and Humphrey, the Senate leadership of the day, the impetus for the program as stated in Senate testimony is “to increase young Americans’ understanding of the interrelationships of the three branches of government, learn the caliber and responsibilities of federally elected and appointed officials, and emphasize the vital importance of democratic decision making not only for America but for people around the world.”

Each year this extremely competitive merit-based program provides the most outstanding high school students – two from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity – with an intensive week-long study of the federal government and the people who lead it. The overall mission of the program is to help instill within each class of USSYP student delegates more profound knowledge of the American political process and a lifelong commitment to public service. In addition to the program week, The Hearst Foundations provide each student with a $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship with encouragement to continue coursework in government, history and public affairs. All expenses for Washington Week are also provided by The Hearst Foundations; as stipulated in Senate Resolution 324, no government funds are utilized.

Ryan Hafener, a senior at Hampden Academy, serves as the student representative on the Maine state Board of Education and co-chairs the Maine Department of Education’s Student Cabinet. He has interned in the Office of Policy and Government Affairs at the Maine Department of Education and currently interns for a state-level legislative campaign committee. Ryan is an alumnus of a climate policy intensive run by Maine’s governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future focused on workforce development in the clean energy sector. He is the president of the Hampden Academy Student Council and serves as a student representative on the Regional School Unit 22 School Board. Ryan is a member of the National Honor Society and serves on the GLSEN National Student Council, which is an an LGBTQ+ education nonprofit. In 2022 and 2023, he participated in Seeds of Peace, an international leadership and peacebuilding organization that brings together youth from areas of conflict. Ryan plans to major in political science or international affairs at Bowdoin College. He hopes to continue his work on political campaigns in the future to help fight for the issues he and so many champion: education, human rights, infrastructure, and delivering for rural communities.

Claire Ouellette, a senior at Caribou High School, serves as the president of the Student Council and National Honor Society. She is a band section leader, varsity cheerleading captain, Senior Class vice president, Key Club treasurer, and Tri-M Music Honor Society vice president. She has been named English Student of the Year and AP U.S. History Student of the Year, and been awarded for both Math and Performing Arts Academic Excellence. Claire is very active in community service including Relay for Life, Little League, Vacation Bible School, Wintergreen Art Center, Athletic Boosters, and the Caribou Community School Music Program. She is currently employed at a local daycare. She hopes to major in accounting at the University of Maine and return to her hometown area.

Chosen as alternates to the 2024 program were Nina Dabas, a resident of Winslow, who attends Maine School of Science and Mathematics and Nathaniel Wayne, a resident of Brunswick, who attends Brunswick High School.

Delegates and alternates are selected by the state departments of education nationwide and the District of Columbia and Department of Defense Education Activity, after nomination by teachers and principals. The chief state school officer for each jurisdiction confirms the final selection. This year’s Maine delegates and alternates were designated by Pender Makin, Commissioner of Education.

During the program week, the student delegates will attend meetings and briefings with senators, the president, a justice of the Supreme Court, and leaders of cabinet agencies, among others.

In addition to outstanding leadership abilities and a strong commitment to volunteer work, the student delegates rank academically in the top one percent of their states among high school juniors and seniors.

Now more than 6,100 strong, alumni of the program continue to excel and develop impressive qualities that are often directed toward public service. Among the many distinguished alumni are: Senator Susan Collins, the first alumnus to be elected U.S. senator; Secretary of Transportation and former Mayor of South Bend Indiana, Pete Buttigieg, the first alumnus to be appointed as a cabinet secretary; former Senator Cory Gardner, the second alumnus to be elected U.S. senator and the first to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives; former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, the first alumnus to be elected governor; former Chief Judge Robert Henry, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit; former Ambassador to West Germany Richard Burt and former presidential advisors Thomas “Mack” McLarty and Karl Rove. Additional notables include former Lt. Governor of Idaho David Leroy, former Provost of Wake Forest University Rogan Kersh, military officers, members of state legislatures, Foreign Service officers, top congressional staff, healthcare providers and other university educators.

Members of the U. S. Senate Youth Program 2024 annual Senate Advisory Committee are: Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, the 2024 USSYP Democratic Co-Chair and Senator John Barrasso, M.D. of Wyoming, the 2024 USSYP Republican Co-Chair. The full USSYP Senate Advisory Committee consists of the vice president of the United States and the Senate majority and minority leaders who annually serve as the program’s Honorary Co-Chairs; two senators, one from each party, serving as acting Co-Chairs who each have keynote speaking roles, and an eight-member bipartisan Senate panel, four senators from each party, who lend their names in support. Serving on the Advisory Committee for the upcoming program are: Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, Senator Alex Padilla of California, Senator John Boozman of Arkansas, Senator Katie Britt of Alabama, Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota and Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

For more information please visit: http://www.ussenateyouth.org

Media Release: Honor Maine Teachers – Nominations Open for Maine Teacher of the Year

The Teacher of the Year journey starts with your nomination. Nominate someone from your town, county, or region today at http://www.mainetoy.org/nominate

Statewide, ME – The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and Educate Maine announced that nominations are now open for the 2024 County Teachers of the Year and 2025 State Teacher of the Year. Maine’s County and State Teachers of the Year serve as advocates for teachers, students, and public education in Maine.

Nominations can be made through a form on the Maine Teacher of the Year Website now through 5:00 pm on January 31, 2024. Nominations will be accepted from students, parents, caregivers, community members, school administrators, colleagues, college faculty members, and associations/organizations (self-nominations, and nominations from family members are not accepted).

Requirements:

Hold the appropriate professional certification for their teaching position;
Be a certified, in good standing, PK-12 teacher in a state-accredited public school, including a career and technical education and adult education center, a public charter school, or a publicly supported secondary school (a private school that enrolls 60 percent or more publicly funded students, sometimes referred to as “town academies”);
Be actively teaching students at least fifty percent of the workday at the time of nomination and during their year of recognition.
Maintain their teaching position and remain in the county for which they are selected throughout the year of recognition.
Have a minimum of five years of teaching – three of which are in Maine.

“Educate Maine is proud to administer the Maine Teacher of the Year program in partnership with the Maine Department of Education,” said Dr. Jason Judd, Educate Maine Executive Director. “Our County and State Teachers of the Year represent the outstanding work taking place in classrooms across our state. This program is dedicated to celebrating educators, enhancing their recognition, cultivating a network of teacher leaders, and amplifying their voices to strengthen the teaching profession in Maine.”

Media Contact: Kaitlin Young, Educate Maine at kaitlin@educatemaine.org

Rebecca Wright of Ellsworth High School Named Assistant Principal of the Year

The Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) has announced that Rebecca Wright, Assistant Principal of Ellsworth High School in Ellsworth, has been named Maine’s Assistant Principal of the Year. She will be honored by the MPA at its annual awards banquet at the Augusta Civic Center on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Mrs. Wright received this award because of the contributions she has made over her career at Ellsworth High School. She has a strong ability to build partnerships in the community and maintains those relationships that benefit all the students in her building.

In announcing Mrs. Wright’s selection as 2024 Maine’s Assistant Principal of the Year, MPA Executive Director, Dr. Holly Blair noted, “The MPA is pleased to recognize Rebecca Wright as Maine’s Assistant Principal of the Year. Her incredible commitment to students and staff is tremendous. She takes an active role in not only her school but also throughout the state of Maine. Mrs. Wright’s reflective and collaborative approach to leadership is exactly what we look for in building administrators.”

Mrs. Wright graduated from the University of Maine Orono with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1982. She continued at UMaine and obtained her Master of Arts degree in 1985. Finally, she attended Endicott College and graduated with her Master’s in Education in Educational Leadership in 2020.

Mrs. Wright started her educational career as a k-8 Music Teacher for Veazie School. She then moved to Ellsworth High School and from 1986 – 2017, she served as an English, Theatre, Vocal Music, Dance, VPA Academy Coordinator, Drama and Show Choir Director. In 2017, she became the Assistant Principal of Ellsworth High School. Mrs. Wright has also been the Theatre Methods Instructor for the Maine Educators Consortium since 2019.