VIDEO: We are Here for You

Dear Champions of Education,

Our team at the Department of Education is here to support you and your colleagues throughout this year, as you continue to provide a welcoming and safe school where students can grow and learn.

We recognize the challenges you face every year, and the extraordinary ones that COVID-19 continues to present. Please remember that our Office of School and Student Supports and our Maine School Safety Center are here to help. They offer a library of resources, frequent virtual technical assistance and support meetings, and a team of specialists who will collaborate with and advise schools and educators with best practices.

Please take a moment to hear from our OSSS and MSSC teams in a special message for our education colleagues, and look for more resources from your DOE team in the coming weeks.

With Gratitude and Respect,
Pender

FREE TRAINING: Behavioral Threat Assessment

What is school-based behavioral threat assessment?

Violence prevention strategy recommended by the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Secret Service, and FBI.
Multidisciplinary team approach to identify behaviors of concern, assess the level of risk, and provide appropriate interventions.

Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG TRAINING):

Consists of 2 levels of training.
Level 1: 8 eLearning modules, taking approximately 6 hours, to be completed at your convenience asynchronously online. Training window opens on October 4, 2021.
Level 2: 4-hour Synchronous training to work through practice cases applying the methodology learned in the Level 1 training. October 19th via Zoom from 9:00-1:00.

Who should attend?

School Resource Officers
School Administrators
Law Enforcement Responding to Schools
School Mental Health Providers/Social Workers/Psychologists
School Safety Teams
Juvenile Community Corrections Officers

How to register?

Contact Karen Barnes, Threat Assessment/Mental Health Officer at the Maine School Safety Center at karen.a.barnes@maine.gov for more information or to be added to the training roster.
Additional training dates TBA.

Readiness and Emergency Management News & Updates

Please access the U.S. Department of Education’s Readiness and Emergency Management (REMS) Technical Assistance Center’s September 2021 Newsletter for information on National Preparedness Month, Topic-Specific Resources Web Pages: Rapid Assessment, Recovery, and Shelter-In-Place, Improving School Climate Through the Use of Culture and Climate Assessments, and information about Hosting a Regional In-Person or Virtual Training By Request.

REMS TA September 2021 Newsletter

For further information or assistance with emergency management, contact the Maine School Safety Center.

Webinar Announcement – Preparing for Cyber Threats in K-12 Schools on 9/28

Please join the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse on September 28 at 3:00 PM ET for an informational webinar on cybersecurity threats, recommendations, and resources for the kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) school community.

Hosted in preparation for Cybersecurity Awareness Month this October, the session will feature a regional cybersecurity expert from the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, who will provide an overview of common cyber threats to the K-12 community, as well as how to plan, prepare for, and respond to these risks and implement best practices to maintain safe and secure networks.

The discussion will feature information on threats such as ransomware attacks, data breaches, denial of service, and phishing attempts, as well as a question and answer period for participants to engage directly with our speakers.

When: September 28, 2021, 3:00 to 4:00 PM ET
Where: Adobe Connect (access link to be provided one day in advance of the event)
Who: K-12 School Superintendents and Principals; School and District Administrators; Information Technology and Information Security Personnel; Teachers and School Staff; Local Law Enforcement and Emergency Management Personnel; Parents
Registration: https://schoolsafetycybersecuritywebinar.eventbrite.com

We hope you can join us for this special event as we kick off Cybersecurity Awareness Month. If you have any questions, please contact the DHS School Safety team at SchoolSafety@hq.dhs.gov.

This webinar is part of the 2021 School Safety Webinar Series, a program hosted by the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse to address emerging risks and threats facing the K-12 school community. Held on a monthly basis, the webinar series covers a range of school safety topics, and provides information on the resources, tools, and best practices available to equip school leaders with a set of strategies in creating safer and more resilient school systems. Learn more about the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse at SchoolSafety.gov.

REMINDER: How to use Sara Alert™ COVID-19 Monitoring System Safely and Effectively

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) contact tracing team uses Sara Alert (844) 957-2721 to monitor students and staff in PK-12 schools who have been in close contact to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Sara Alert is a public health system that supports the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor for symptoms amongst the school population.

In an effort to ensure that Maine schools and their communities have all of the information they need to use Sara Alert™ safety and to ensure their personal information is safe while enrolled in Sara Alert™. Please disperse these helpful informational flyers to school communities statewide:

For more information email sarasupport@aimsplatform.com or visit www.saraalert.org.

VIRTUAL TRAINING: Suicide Prevention Curriculum Lessons Training

Join the Maine Department of Education and NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health) Maine for a 2-part virtual training!

Wed., Sept. 22nd, 8:00am – 12:00pm
Wed., Sept. 29th, 12:00pm – 3:30pm

It is a great opportunity to safely and economically attend this vitally important curriculum unit. Attendees MUST commit to both sessions. Gatekeeper Training is a pre-requisite, (may be registered in an upcoming workshop). For more Info on Gatekeeper Training access NAMI Maine’s event calendar.

School staff will be prepared to implement suicide prevention lessons through foundational information and engagement in learning content and strategies in the curriculum lessons.

No cost, and materials are provided.

The training will cover the Middle School Stress Management and Suicide Prevention Lessons and Lifelines Lessons.

Register Here

(Registration closes Friday Sept. 17 to allow time to prepare materials.)

Direct questions to Amanda Bouffard, Suicide Prevention Coordinator, (207) 622-5767, ext. 2318.

WEBINAR: Addressing and Preventing Adult Sexual Misconduct in the School Setting

The following course is being provided by U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Supportive Schools Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center.

ADDRESSING AND PREVENTING ADULT SEXUAL MISCONDUCT IN THE SCHOOL SETTING

Duration: 30 to 45 min.

Objective: This course has been designed to help you learn about preventing and addressing adult sexual misconduct (ASM) in the school setting to protect students. When you are finished with this course, you will be able to define ASM; recognize ASM in a school setting, including identification of gray areas; identify when reporting potential ASM in a school setting may be required; and describe the federally recommended six-step planning process for addressing and preventing ASM.

Module 1–Understanding Adult Sexual Misconduct (ASM) in Schools
Module 2–Recognizing and Reporting ASM
Module 3–Integrating ASM Into School Emergency Operations Plans
Module 4–Try It! Choose What to Do

Note: Please note that modules may take a while to load depending on your connection speed and signal. Modules must be completed in the order they appear. Once each module has been completed, you can flip through the previous modules and your accompanying notes. You will be able to print a certificate only after all modules are completed.

Take the Course

RESOURCES: Emergency Preparedness for Extracurricular Activities and Planning for Natural Hazards at School

The following resources are provided by U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Supportive Schools Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center.

Planning for Natural Hazards that May Impact Students, Staff, and Visitors

The REMS TA Center offers a variety of Federal agency partner resources related to planning for natural hazards that may affect school districts, schools, institutions of higher education (IHEs), community partners, and parents | More

Emergency Preparedness for K-12 Extracurricular Activities

The primary feature of emergency incidents is that when and where they happen is not predictable. An emergency can occur during any time of the school day and in any school or campus setting. Emergency management teams within schools, school districts, and institutions of higher education (IHE) have to account for a variety of settings and times when creating emergency operations plans (EOPs) to support their prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts. It is recommended that incident response and emergency planning teams within schools and IHEs and their community partners take steps to ensure that they consider the various settings and times unique to their school and campus communities when conducting scenario-based planning, drills, and tabletop exercises designed to help test EOPs and to enhance overall emergency management planning. | More

See More News & Updates from the REMS TA Center

U.S. CDC Offers Health Tips for Back to School During COVID-19

As schools plan for a safe return to campus this year, it is critically important to consider the health and well-being of students and staff, and address issues with COVID-19, mental and physical health, and managing other chronic health conditions. When school health policies and practices are put in place, healthy students can grow to be healthy and successful adults. Learn what parents and teachers can do to help children have a successful school year.

“This return to school season is like no other. Schools must be prepared to protect children from COVID-19, while also addressing a wide array of other pandemic-related challenges returning students are facing,” said CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH. “In addition to keeping students safe from COVID-19, they will need to provide safe and supportive school environments to promote student well-being and recovery.”

CDC offers these health tips that will make for a successful school year for students, teachers, school staff and their families.

Take COVID-19 seriously. Students benefit from in-person learning and safely returning to in-person instruction in the fall 2021 is a priority. CDC has COVID-19 specific guidance for K-12 schools and Colleges and Universities.
Mental health is important to the learning process. CDC data shows that the pandemic has created significant stress and trauma for children, adolescents, and families. Schools can help promote student well-being with CDC evidence-based strategies like establishing safe and supportive school environments and referring students to appropriate mental and physical health services.
Routine vaccinations save lives. Getting required vaccines can help protect children and teens as they grow into adulthood. Making sure children get vaccinated is one of the most important things parents can do.
Washing hands stops germs. Handwashing with soap and water is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of colds, flu, and other diseases to others.
Eat well, be active, and get enough sleep. Make sure children drink plenty of water, limit sugary drinks, and practice healthy eating at home and school to help achieve and maintain a healthy weight and to support brain development and healthy growth. It’s also important to help kids get the recommended 60 minutes or more of daily physical activity, as well as the right amount of sleep every night. Teens need at least 8 hours of sleep per night—younger students need at least 9 hours.
Be tobacco free. Youth use of any tobacco product is unsafe. E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. middle and high school students. However, youth also report using cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, and other tobacco products. Tobacco products contain nicotine which is highly addictive and can harm the developing adolescent brain – specifically the areas of the brain that are responsible for learning, memory, and attention. For help to quit, you can talk with your healthcare provider or visit CDC.gov/quit.
Stay cool in the heat. With above average temperatures in multiple parts of the country, it is important to limit outdoor activity during the middle of the day when the sun is hottest. Wear and reapply sunscreen, seek shade, drink plenty of water, and know how to prevent heat-related illness in athletes.
Wear helmets and protect your head. Children and adolescents can get a concussion in any number of school settings ranging from school sports activities to the hallway, the playground, and even the cafeteria. Get information on preventing and responding to concussions and supporting students when they return to school after a concussion.
Help children with special health care needs. The pandemic can present unique challenges for children with special health care needs. CDC has tips for helping these children make the transition back to the classroom.

The bottom line

Healthy students are better learners. Following these health tips can lead students to a successful and healthy school year. For additional information on health and learning, visit CDC’s Healthy Schools site and CDC’s adolescent health page to learn why schools are the right place for a healthy start.

BACK TO SCHOOL Resources for Schools and Districts: Key School Safety Elements and Topics to Consider

With the start of a new school year underway, the safety and security of students, teachers, and staff remains top of mind for schools and districts across the country. For the pre-kindergarten through grade 12 (pre-K to 12) community, school safety encompasses measures and systems ranging from mental health support, threat assessment and reporting, and fostering a positive school climate. Integrating these various components and elements of school safety helps school communities better address the range of threats and hazards they may face, while maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment for students to thrive and grow.

The U.S. Department of Education (USED) has created an informational one-page document that includes key school safety elements and topics for schools to consider this year, including Bullying and Cyberbullying, Mental Health, Threat Assessment and Reporting, School Climate, Emergency Planning, Physical Security, and COVID-19.

BACK TO SCHOOL Resources for Schools and Districts (PDF)

For further information visit https://www.schoolsafety.gov/ or reach out to the Maine School Safety Center.