Register Now for Public Pre-K Technical Assistance Sessions Available April – July 2022

Members of the Early Learning Team will be providing an opportunity for new and expanding Pre-K programs to come together to learn and discuss the components of high-quality programming.

These sessions will be offered virtually on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month, April through July 2022, from 3:30-4:30pm. You may register once and have access to all sessions. Each session will be recorded and links to the recordings will be shared.

Once your registration is confirmed, you will receive an email with a link to a document that highlights resources related to each session topic. This should be used as a guide during the sessions.

Please feel free to share the registration link with others in your school system who may be interested.

The sessions are scheduled as follows:

April 11, 2022: Pre-K Application in Accordance with Ch. 124 and the Pre-K Guidebook Review & Reflect
April 25, 2022: Community Needs/Recruitment/Enrollment/Transitions
May 9, 2022: Partnering with Community Providers Exploring MOUs & Child Care Licensing
May 23, 2022: CDS Relationships/Coordination/Screening
June 13, 2022: Curriculum and Assessment Choices
June 27, 2022: High-Quality Classroom Environments & Materials
July 11, 2022: Early Childhood Development Teacher Training and MELDS
July 25, 2022: Family Engagement Strategies

Register here. For questions and clarifications, please contact Early Childhood Specialist Nicole Madore at nicole.madore@maine.gov.

Child Care Subsidy Program Available

The Early Learning Team at the Department of Education is pleased to share updated information from our colleagues at the Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS). The Child Care Subsidy Program continues to take applications from families looking for low or no cost childcare options in Maine. The program allows the family to choose a child care provider that they know and trust.

Eligibility requirements include the following:

The parent/guardian must be employed, in school or job training, or retired; and
The family must meet income requirements at or below 85% of the Maine median income. For example, income eligibility requirements for a family of four are at or below $76,643.00 a year.

School Administrative Units are encouraged to share information with families in their schools. This flier can be distributed to families and/or displayed in school/community locations.

To learn more or apply, families are encouraged to visit the OCFS site here .

New Professional Learning Series: Welcome to Public School ~ Building High-Quality Kindergarten Transitions

The Maine Department of Education’s Early Learning Team, in conjunction with the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet and the Office of Child and Family Services, is pleased to announce a new professional learning opportunity: Welcome to Public School – Building High-Quality Transitions to Kindergarten. Recognizing the significant milestone that transition to kindergarten is for children and families, this series explores strategies for positively engaging children, families, caregivers, educators, and community providers in the process, including ideas for building transition teams and plans. School administrators and educators who support this critical period in children’s lives are encouraged to register for the series, preferably as teams to learn together. This 4-part series will be held over Zoom, on the dates listed below:

Module 1: An Overview of Kindergarten Transitions, March 10th, 3:30-4:30
Module 2: Student and Family Engagement: Thursday, March 17th, 3:30 -4:30
Module 3: Engaging with Your Community: Thursday, March 24th, 3:30-4:30
Module 4: Being School Ready-Building Transition Teams and Plans: Thursday, March 31st, 3:30-4:30

Please register for this 4-part series through this link. Participants are encouraged to participate in teams inclusive of those who support and partner in leading kindergarten transition planning and activities within their communities. This can include, but is not limited to, School Administrative Unit administration, teaching staff, community preschool and childcare providers, and parents/caregivers

In conjunction with this learning series, the Kindergarten Transition webpages have been enhanced. These pages contain valuable resources for both parents & caregivers and educators & providers. The professional learning modules featured in this series will be available through this website and will include a facilitator guide to support use of the module content.

For more information, please contact Marcy Whitcomb, Early Childhood Program Monitor at marcy.r.whitcomb@maine.gov.

Get Ready to Read! Celebrate the Read to ME Challenge During the Month of February

For the 7th year, the Maine Department of Education will collaborate with community organizations and schools to support the Read to ME Challenge, a month-long public awareness campaign held in February to promote the importance of literacy across the curriculum for all of Maine’s students, regardless of age.

This simple but powerful campaign challenges adults to read to children for 15 minutes, capture that moment via a photo or a video, and then post it on social media and challenge others to do the same. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ReadtoME and tag the Maine DOE at @mdoenews on Twitter, @MaineDepartmentofEducation1 on Facebook, and @mainedepted on Instagram! Capturing the power of reading and talking about any type of text with children and youth of any age promotes life-long habits essential for being a literate citizen.

The Read to ME Challenge will run for the month of February, leading up to Read Across America Day on March 2, 2022. The Maine DOE will be kicking off the Read to ME Challenge this year on February 1st with the Commissioner doing a special reading – more information will be forthcoming via the Maine DOE Newsroom.

For more information, contact Dee Saucier, Elementary Literacy Specialist for the Maine DOE.

Early Childhood Text Study: Free Professional Development for Educators

Specialists from the Maine Department of Education’s Early Learning Team are excited to offer a web-based professional development opportunity for early childhood educators in the Pre-K and Kindergarten grade span.

The text study will take place virtually on Mondays in four, 75-minute sessions on a bi-weekly basis.

Intentional Teaching in Early Childhood is set to begin on Monday, January 10, 2022. The proposed schedule is outlined below.

January 10^th 3:30-4:45 Part 1 (chapters 1 & 2)
January 24^th 3:30-4:45 Part 2 (chapters 3 & 4)
February 7^th 3:30-4:45 Part 2 (chapters 5 & 6)
February 28^th 3:30-4:45 Part 3 (chapters 7, 8, & 9)

Registration will be limited to 30 participants and together we’ll work to reflect on three big questions:

What about teaching young children sparks your passion?
What unique skills and interests do you bring to your job?
What valuable lessons have you learned in your career so far?

The answers to these will help you identify where you are on your teaching journey and guide you in taking control of your own professional development.

Those interested are encouraged to register. Participants will receive a copy of the book and up to 14 contact hours at the end of each text study.

Registration is free and can be completed here. Registration closes December 15^th at 11:59pm. Participants will be selected on a first come, first served basis.

For further information, please contact Nicole Madore, Early Childhood Specialist at Nicole.madore@maine.gov.

Working with Community Partners to Provide State-Funded Pre-K

Recently, members of the Early Learning Team at the Department of Education (DOE) partnered with the Maine State Head Start Collaboration Office and the Governor’s Office of Innovation and the Future to provide a three-part professional learning series aimed at supporting school administrative units (SAUs) in navigating formal partnerships with licensed community providers. The series examined common myths and facts about partnering, explored the benefits and barriers of forming partnerships, and reviewed a roadmap for beginning conversations between partners. Representatives from existing public Pre-K and community partnerships also joined for a one-hour panel highlighting their own unique experiences in providing high-quality public Pre-K programs through formal partnerships.

All three, one-hour sessions were recorded and are now available on the Maine DOE’s Early Childhood website on the Professional Learning & Resources page. Additionally, links to individual sessions are provided below.

Session 1 of 3: An Overview of High-Quality School and Community Partnerships
Session 2 of 3: Panelist Contributions
Session 3 of 3: Where to Begin

As SAUs in Maine continue to start and expand their public Pre-K offerings, partnerships are highly recommended to support the growing number of children that would like to attend as well as the needs of families. The Early Learning Team is prepared to support these conversations as needed. Those interested in more resources should reach out to one of the following specialists:

Early Education Team Coordinator, Leeann.larsen@maine.gov

Early Childhood Specialist, Nicole.madore@maine.gov

Early Childhood Monitor, Marcy.r.whitcomb@maine.gov

State Head Start Collaboration Director, Nena.m.cunningham@maine.gov

Senior Policy Analyst & Children’s Cabinet Coordinator, Ana.hicks@maine.gov

Promoting Public Pre-K Through Partnerships—A Technical Assistance Series

The Early Learning Team at the Maine Department of Education (DOE), in partnership with Governor Mills’ Children’s Cabinet, is pleased to announce a new technical assistance opportunity focused on building Public Pre-K and Community Partnerships. This 3-part series will focus on partnerships between public school administration units (SAUs) and community providers, such as private center and home-based childcares and Head Start programs. The series will:

Explore the benefits of partnering,
Examine common misconceptions about partnerships,
Identify successful steps for navigating potential barriers of partnerships, and;
Outline how to start the process of forming partnerships to establish high-quality Public Pre-K opportunities for children in Maine.

These sessions will be approximately 60 minutes each, with 45-minutes of content followed by time for questions from attendees. The sessions will be provided through Zoom and will be recorded and posted for future viewing.

Sessions are scheduled as follows:

Session 1, Wednesday August 4th from 12-1pm: Overview of High-Quality Partnerships
Session 2, Wednesday August 11th from 12-1pm: Panel Discussion with Experts in the Field Currently Engaged in Community Partnerships
Session 3, Wednesday August 18th from 12-1pm: Building a Partnership: Where to Begin

Attendees are asked to pre-register here.

For questions and clarifications, please contact:

Early Childhood Specialist: Nicole.madore@maine.gov
State Head Start Collaboration Director: Nena.m.cunningham@maine.gov
Early Childhood Monitor: Marcy.r.whitcomb@maine.gov

Registration for Early Childhood Education Conference Opens June 15th

This year’s annual statewide Early Childhood Education Conference, Connecting Early Childhood Education: Birth through Eight Across the State, has been organized through a collaboration of early childhood partners, including the Maine DOE. The conference will be held on October 22nd and 23rd at the Cross Center in Bangor.

Speakers and presenters will focus on best practices in early childhood education for all those working with children from birth through elementary school. Sessions will focus on early learning, social and emotional skills, leadership, equity and diversity, policy, meeting the needs of diverse learners, and more! Workshops will be organized in categories so that every preschool to 3rd grade professional can find their best fit, from those working in child care and Head Start to out-of-school-time programs and elementary schools, from principals and administrators to special education and classroom teachers.

Come for one day or come for both! Cost of attendance is $70.00 per person for one day or $140.00 per person for both days.

How to register beginning June 15th:

Please visit the Conference website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/maine-early-childhood-education-conference-tickets-140011555331
Click on the green button that says Tickets and a pop up window will open.
This registration process will secure you a ticket to one day of the 2021 Statewide ECE Conference. Participants will select breakout sessions for the conference at a later date.
To register for the other day, click on the website link again, and repeat the process.

Please contact the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children with any questions or concerns related to registration by emailing info@maineaeyc.org or by calling 207-747-2490.

For other questions, contact Maine DOE’s Early Childhood Specialist, Nicole Madore at nicole.madore@maine.gov.

Reminder: Pre-K for ME and K for ME Program Summer Training Opportunities

Since 2018, the Maine Department of Education has adapted and piloted open-source Pre-k and Kindergarten programs based on the Boston Public School’s evidence-based Focus on K1 and Focus on K2 curricula. Our own Pre-K for ME was launched in 2019. K for ME will be launched in August of 2021. These programs focus on the whole child and are interdisciplinary and developmentally appropriate. They are also aligned to Maine’s learning standards. While Maine schools are responsible for the purchase of the materials that support the programs, the programs can be accessed at no cost via the Maine DOE’s website. Informational overviews for each of the programs available through the following links:

Pre-K for ME Informational Overview

K for ME Informational Overview

Educators/schools/programs interested in utilizing Pre-K for ME and/or K for ME in the coming year may want to take advantage of 2-day initial trainings scheduled for this August. These trainings are provided to promote understanding of program design and to support successful program implementation. School administrators are strongly encouraged to attend the trainings with their Pre-K and/or Kindergarten teachers.

This year’s training opportunities will be held virtually from 8:30-3:30 on August 9 and 10 for Pre-K for ME and on August 11 and 12 for K for ME. Registration for these trainings should be completed at the school/program level. Principals and educators should complete one registration on behalf of their school/program. Details about how to prepare for the trainings and the materials needed to support the programs will be provided via email after registrations are received. Registrations for the 2-day training should be received by June 30, 2021.

Registration Links:

Pre-K for ME 2-day Training Registration (August 9-10)

K for ME 2-day Training Registration (August 11-12)

For additional information about Pre-K for ME, contact Nicole.Madore@maine.gov, and for K for ME, contact Leeann.Larsen@maine.gov.

Brighter Days Story: Lillian from LearningWorks Afterschool

When the pandemic hit, a lot changed for 7 year old Lillian and her family. School, which she loved more than anything, all of the sudden meant learning on a screen at home. It also meant that her mom, a single parent, would be away at work each day, while Lillian and her older sister stayed at home to study. Lillian struggled to get used to this. One of her teachers could tell she needed some extra support and connection and recommended her family to the LearningWorks Afterschool program.

When she first signed in to Zoom, she kept her video turned off. “Mommy, I’m nervous! I don’t want them to see me!” she’d say over the phone when her Mom called to check on her. The program started with lots of fun games, and soon Lillian was laughing, had turned on her camera, and changed her Zoom name to “Lillian Rocks!” A few weeks into the program, her Mom said she noticed a new maturity in Lillian. She’d call home from work to make sure she was ready, and Lillian would be sitting at the table, eager to sign into Zoom early.

Her LearningWorks teachers, Ms. Molly and Mr. Matt, have become household names. Each week, Ms. Molly delivers a STEAM kit to Lillian’s doorstep. Oftentimes Lillian is waiting. The kit has art supplies as well as materials she’ll need for activities such as Wacky Science Wednesdays. Lillian features her favorite items from these kits on her desk in her room. She loves reading the instructions and knowing the plan for the week ahead of time. She has a special lab coat for her LW science experiments (such as making homemade slime) and her Mom says Lillian often wears the lab coat around the house, while teasing her older sister who is studying to become a doctor. She tells her, “You’re just studying with your books all the time, but I’m already a doctor, look at my coat!”

Lillian – LW AfterSchool // Photography by Molly Haley, mollyhaley.com

Her interest in science and math has skyrocketed this year through her lessons with LearningWorks. She’s begun to develop a critical and process-oriented mind — often very focused on the steps it takes to solve a math problem or discover a truth. “Some people just believe things right away — I want to understand how it actually works,” she says. Lillian’s mom has noticed how this way of thinking has translated to her experience of the pandemic and the rules around mask wearing and social distancing. Because Lillian genuinely understands the thinking behind these health & safety measures, she wholeheartedly follows them. LearningWorks has become a fun place for her to experiment, to connect with others, and to nurture her inquisitiveness. She’s begun to find the language and confidence to express her clear and discerning mind. “This program is special to me,” she says. She thinks it could be for other kids too. Her message to them: “Take a deep breath and tell yourself that you can do it. Then…do it!”

Information for this article was provided by LearningWorks Afterschool, a 21st Century Community Learning Center Program. Photos and story by Molly Haley.