March 27th is International SEL Day

Urban Assembly and SEL4US encourage educators around the World to recognize the importance of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) on this International SEL Day.

Kellie D. Bailey MA CCC-SLP, MMT/SELI began her work here at the Maine DOE on Feburary 6, 2020 to support Commissioner Makin’s educational platform for putting the social emotional learning needs first for all Maine students. Commissioner Makin knows first hand that when we teach from the heart we are truly seeing each child and paying attention on purpose to the unique being that he or she is.

SEL is the most effective way of building strong and meaningful connections which ultimately leads to optimal learning. Until the outbreak of COVID 19, Kellie worked in the field providing SEL supports across the State of Maine. Today she continues to do so remotely providing Brain Based SEL supports with her colleague Bear Shea first thing in the morning and the last thing in the afternoon. “SEL is for all human beings. Our educators and school support staff are facing unprecedented times and they are feeling the effects of not being able to connect with their students and colleagues. There is an overwhelming sense of urgency for the well being of our students, staff and community. Now more than ever it is critically important to check in with ourselves and ask the question, How Am I Doing Right This Minute? Staying tuned into our own anxiety and taking the important steps to center and ground ourselves is the most effective way to stay resilient for our students who are counting on us to send the message that they are safe.

Kellie reminds everyone involved with education to take moments to self reflect and check in with the self. Recognition of how one feels and where that feeling lives in the body, heart and mind is the first step in development of our own social intelligence. Kellie adds that “Moving away from the automaticity of our lives and becoming present for small moments will make a tremendous difference in how we cope with the stressors related to COVID 19 and life in general. Practicing being present and noticing basic needs and taking care to provide ourselves with those needs allows us to continue to be present for others with a deeper connection. On this first International SEL Day, may we each feel safe, connected, safe and loved and take a few small moments to Breathe on Purpose.”

Open Invitation for Maine School Staff: Brain Centered Emotional Support Sessions Available Twice Daily

All Maine school staff (admins, educators, bus drivers, nutrition staff, nurses, ed techs, and support staff) invited to join Maine Department of Education Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Specialist Kellie D. Bailey and Mental Health/School Counselor Specialist Bear Shea for virtual mental wellness sessions bookending the beginning and end of each day.

The sessions will be 15 minutes each providing a time to bolster resilience and a chance to connect and share space with school professionals around the state in response to the care and wellbeing of YOU during the COVID-19 crisis.

One session will be available at the beginning of the day and one at the end of the day, occurring Monday through Friday for as long as needed. Each session will hold a maximum of 500 people and be available at the same zoom link each time: https://zoom.us/j/689251005

Brain Centered Emotional Support Sessions:

8:30am, M-F, Kellie Bailey, SEL Specialist
3:30pm, M-F, Bear Shea, Mental Health Specialist

Department also continues to offer daily, content specific virtual sessions for Maine Educators during the COVID-19 emergency. The sessions provide support and guidance regarding distance learning and school supports and help facilitate networking and resource sharing between Maine educators. An updated schedule of virtual sessions is available here.

Suicide Prevention Trainings Posted for School Staff this Spring

The Maine Suicide Prevention Program (MSSP) and NAMI Maine are offering a series of training opportunities for the school community over the next two months. If you have not developed or revised your suicide prevention and management protocols for your district, this may be the last chance to train a team from your school district before the deadline of June 2020. These trainings are all funded through the MSSP and offered at no or little costs.

The trainings offered during March and April include:

Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training: Multiple Dates and Locations

This day-long training prepares school personnel for their role as a suicide prevention resource for their school community. Though a non-clinical training, it provides the basic information and resources to identify risk and engage in an intervention to connect a student to appropriate help. Each district is required to maintain a minimum number of Gatekeepers based on the size of their student body. The requirement is at least 2 Gatekeepers, and for districts with more than 1,000 students, an additional person for every 500 students. It is recommended to have a Gatekeeper in each school building.

Advanced Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training for School Personnel: Multiple Dates and Locations

The Suicide Prevention Gatekeepers must renew their training at least every 5 years. Those who were trained in the foundational Gatekeeper Training 5+ years ago are due for renewal. This session offers an opportunity to deepen your knowledge and skills in suicide prevention for school personnel renewing their training.

Suicide Prevention Protocol Development Training: Multiple Dates and Locations

The process of developing a school or district protocol managing suicide prevention, intervention and postvention requires several conversations with personnel across a district. This 5-hour workshop offers an opportunity for a small team from the district to get started on the process. Training includes templates, model forms and added resources to support your efforts.

Non-Suicidal Self Injury management in a school setting: March 10, 2020

Non-suicidal self-injury is the direct, deliberate destruction of body tissue in the absence of suicidal intent. It has been on the rise over the past decade There is significant connection between self-injury and suicide risk that must be understood and addressed. This training will review demographics, risk factors and warning signs of self-injury as well as recommendations for assessment, intervention and management of self-injury in a school setting.

Collaborative Safety Planning in a school setting: March 24, 2020

Best practice recommendations for addressing and managing suicide risk include use of a good assessment tool for determining risk and guiding intervention. A vital next step is the collaborative development and use of a Safety Plan to help an individual to manage themselves during and following periods of crisis. A Safety Plan is a tool and a process for working with a student and family to identify and increase the use of coping skills, social and family support and professional resources. It is an excellent tool for use with anyone at risk for escalating crisis. This session will provide the tools and process for implementing safety planning for supporting students at risk in Maine schools

Suicide Prevention Training of Trainers (to learn to present the required suicide prevention staff training):

All school staff across the district are required to attend a 1-2 hour Suicide Prevention Awareness Session. The TOT session is for school staff who are Gatekeepers and offers them the support and access to the materials to support their delivery of the staff awareness sessions for their school or district. Plan to send at least 2 staff!

The full range of training dates and registration links are available through the suicide prevention Training Calendar at NAMI Maine.

Maine Students Encouraged to Participate in 2020 School Bus Safety Poster Contest

Pictured: 2019 National Association for Pupil Transportation Poster Contest Overall Winner, Bryan Torres-Tavarez, Stars Academy, Paterson, NJ. Source: NAPT Facebook Page.

The national 2020 School Bus Safety Poster Contest is underway and Maine is encouraging students to participate again this year. The theme is Be Safe – Know the Danger Zone! Please share the contest information below with transportation staff and educators state-wide that are interested in helping students participate in this exciting opportunity to show off their visual arts skills and their knowledge of school bus safety!

National School Bus Safety Poster Contest Rules Please note: It is very important that the posters meet the established rules in regards to size, theme, materials, and placement of student information to be considered at the national level. The last page of the rules provides for a student information sheet to be attached to the back of each poster.

Collect posters throughout the school year and send them to Terry Balduff at the contact information below and/or bring them to the Maine Association for Pupil Transportation (MAPT) Safety Conference in July.

Terry Balduff
terry.balduff@msad60.org
(207) 676-2856
C/O MSAD No. 60
150 Noble Way
North Berwick, Maine 03906

Posters will be displayed at the MAPT Safety Conference in July and voted on by those in attendance at the conference. The winners from each category will be submitted to the NAPT for the National Competition representing Maine in October 2020.

Categories that artists may be entered into (Maine will host all categories except for CAD (Computer Aided Drawing) drawings.

Division #1- Grades K-2
Division #2- Grades 3-5
Division #3- Grades 6-8
Division #4- Special Education (Grades K-12)

2020 AWARDS: (State Level)

First Place Winners: $75.00 each plus Trophy and Certificate of Appreciation
Second Place Winners: $50.00 each plus Trophy and Certificate of Appreciation
Third Place Winners: $25.00 each plus Trophy and Certificate of Appreciation

Savings Bonds in lieu of cash may be awarded.

MSAD1 School Nurses Among 1st to Complete Vision Certification Course

The Prevent Blindness Children’s Vision Screening Certification Course provides participants with a 3-year, nationally recognized certificate based on current national guidelines and best practices on evidence-based vision screening tools and procedures for school- and preschool-aged children.

The MSAD 1 school nurses are among the first cohort in the State of Maine to participate. The Maine Department of Education is providing access to this course for 125 nurses in 2019-20 school year and will do the same in 2020-21 with the goal of ensuring high quality vision screening for our children in Maine.

Save the Date: Training Opportunity on Serving Highly Mobile Students (Homeless, Foster, Migrant, Military)

Join us for an interactive session on the educational provisions designed to promote the educational stability of highly mobile students. Please complete this survey to register and share with us what you would like to get out of the training. Thank you!

Intended Audience: McKinney Vento Homeless Liaisons and Foster Care Points of Contact (Please be sure your information is updated in NEO if you are the SAU contact).

Hosted by Maine Department of Education’s Office of School and Student Support Team members, Gayle Erdheim gayle.erdheim@maine.gov and Amelia Lyons amelia.lyons@maine.gov.

Portland: March 9, 2020, at the Italian Heritage Center

Bangor: March 10, 2020, at United Technologies Center

Houlton: March 13, 2020, location TBD

Trauma Informed Readiness and Response Planning Workshop

As the most requested support topic from the field, we at the Department of Education hear of the extensive impact that trauma, mental health and the opioid crisis are having on our schools. We are taking action to support educators in addressing the increased needs of our students through the use of trauma informed practices. To begin this partnership and support, we will be hosting an interactive conference on Trauma Informed Readiness and Response Planning.

When: Friday, January 24th, 2020

Time: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Lunch is provided)

Location: University of Maine, Wells Conference Center, Orono.

This is a grant funded opportunity for schools to receive guided support in the development of their individualized emergency plans for a trauma free and trauma responsive environment. Funding for this opportunity is available for up to 65 teams, and can include covering the costs of travel and substitutes for the day. An application and commitment to attend are required; these will be accepted until December 20th, 2019.

Application for Individual School Participation

A preview of questions in the application is below:
Name of School:
School District:
Primary Contact (person with whom all communication and arrangements go through):
Contact Phone/Email/Address:
3 Team Members and their roles at the school (3 people are required for the activities planned):
Describe the top three areas of need for your school around this topic, and why work on a responsive plan will help you overcome these.

A final agenda and confirmation for teams will be forthcoming after the closing of the application window. For questions, contact Jessica Nixon at Jessica.Nixon@maine.gov.

Mid-winter Boost: 2020 Maine School Winter Wellness Summit, Life is Good, Wellness Makes It Better!

Taking care of the health and well-being of staff and students has become more and more critical given the many stresses of the world in which we all live. Register today for the Maine School Winter Wellness Summit, Life is Good, Wellness Makes It Better! being held January 30 & 31, 2020 at The Samoset Resort, Rockport, to bolster your school wellness program. Attendees will learn strategies and be exposed to tools and resources available from state and national sources that address the six dimensions of wellness: mental, emotional, physical, social, spiritual and occupational health. However, this year there will be a special emphasis on Mental Wellness for all! The Summit will include inspiring, interactive keynote presentations each day, engaging workshops on personal wellness practices, creating positive school environments, healthy school culture and climate for staff and students, leadership skills, emerging health issues and action planning for wellness!

January 30^th OPENING KEYNOTE:

grey haired man, laughing Murray Banks is a motivational speaker and world champion athlete with roots in teaching school. He lives life with a passion for health and well-being every day. This year he will focus his message on the importance of positivity on one’s overall health using hilarious images, imaginative videos, and poignant classroom and personal stories that will inspire all of us.

Salt and pepper haired man with moustache and glasses, smiling January 31^st OPENING KEYNOTE: George Manning returns to the Wellness Summit with more tools, resources and insights focused on life, work and the pursuit of balance. He will engage the audience with his enchanting personality and stories that come from more than 40 years of experience teaching psychology at the collegiate level and traveling the country helping organizations and businesses develop healthy and productive work environments.

The goal of the Summit is to prepare and empower participants to create healthy, positive and safe schools for all school personnel and students by promoting policies and environmental practices that support healthier schools, improve personal health and well-being, and enhance academic achievement. Click here for up-to-date details, draft agenda and session information on the 2020 Maine School Winter Wellness Summit and follow The Samoset Resort link to reserve rooms at the special group rate.

Individuals and teams interested in Schoolsite Health Promotion and wellness are encourage to attend. One low cost for two-days, meals included. Early registration is open through December 27 for $125/person and regular registration after December 28 is $145/person.

Join us for the first fully engaging and educational Winter Wellness Summit, a component of the Maine Department of Education’s Schoolsite Health Promotion Program.

Educator Forum: Building Trauma-Sensitive Schools

Thursday, December 5, 2019, 4:30-6:00 pm
301 Bailey Hall, University of Southern Maine
16 University Way, Gorham, ME

Explore the impact of trauma on the social, emotional, and academic growth of students in this interactive workshop. Topics to be covered include Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), trauma-sensitive schools, restorative practices, and the importance of establishing a culture of self-care. Attendees will be grouped by grade level and engage in dialogue geared towards making their own classrooms and schools more trauma sensitive. The intended audience for this Forum is all school employees who work with students in grades pre-K through 8.

Registration: Register here (https://forms.gle/UkE2Ft1f3qPzpjdW9) OR Download a PDF registration form (PDF)

Cost for attendance is $15 per person, and includes certificate for 1.5 contact hours. Light refreshments will be provided.

NOTE: If you do not end up attending, payment is still due, as your registration holds a spot for you and is figured into the head count for refreshments. If you cancel your registration by November 27, your fee will be waived/refunded.

Facilitators:

Jeanna Carver, Pre-K Teacher, 2019 Washington County Teacher of the Year, Jonesport Elementary School
Heather Whitaker, Alternative Education Teacher, 2019 Cumberland County Teacher of the Year, 2020 Maine State Teacher of the Year, Gorham Middle School
Jen Baker, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Village Elementary School, Gorham
Meghan O’Neil, Grade 4 Teacher, Village Elementary School, Gorham

Educator Forums are professional development events for educators of similar positions or responsibilities to explore new or best practices in their field. Forums provide an opportunity for educators to engage with peers, build new understandings from prior knowledge, and reflect on past practices.

Contact the PDC with any questions:

Julie Marsh, Program Coordinator
Professional Development Center
University of Southern Maine
pdc@maine.edu
207-780-5400

Hannaford Donates $1M to Support “Fuel Kids at School” Hunger Relief Efforts

Hannaford Supermarkets announced a $1 million donation as part of its new “Fuel Kids at School” initiative that is designed to directly address food insecurity and improve access to fresh and healthy food for children.

“Children can’t be at their best if they’re hungry—or thinking about where their next meal will come from. It is our hope that Fuel Kids at School will take us one step further in nourishing our communities, one child at a time,” said Mike Vail, President of Hannaford. “We want access to food to be easy for kids. Locating food pantries where they are—at their schools should make a lasting and deep impact on child nutrition across our five states.”

Hannaford, in partnership with area hunger relief organizations, will establish over two years, 90 school food pantries across Maine and other northeast states. In Maine, Good Shepherd Food Bank received nearly $300,000 to establish school-based food pantries in 30 Head Start preschools throughout the state.

“The correlation between access to nutritious food and early childhood development and learning makes Head Start locations the ideal match for our next phase of school-based pantries,” said Kristen Maile, President of Good Shepherd Food Bank. “We know that expanding our pantry sites to serve pre-school-aged children and their families will play an important role in ensuring a bright future for Maine’s youngest citizens.”

Designed to serve as a vital and convenient resource to students and families in need while also increasing access to healthy and nutritious food, the in-school pantries are dedicated spaces where students can select food they enjoy according to preference and cooking abilities to provide nourishment both during the day and after the school day.

“The Fuel Kids at School funding, with its focus on Head Start programs, will enable us to make nutritious food readily available to more families at risk of hunger in the critical years before their children enter the public schools,” said Kathryn Sargent, Executive Director of the Locker Project.

The announcement took place in conjunction with a donation of $1,000 in school food pantry staples to the East End Children’s Workshop along with chef-prepared food for the parents and students at the local pre-school.

Hannaford Supermarkets has a longstanding commitment to supporting hunger relief in its communities. In 2018, Hannaford donated nearly 26 million pounds of food throughout the Northeast, including 5.3 million pounds in New York; and raised $1.1 million in partnership with its shoppers to feed individuals in need through the annual Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger program. Earlier this month, Hannaford announced that it has donated more than $1 million to non-profits throughout New York and New England as a result of its reusable bag program, a portion of which is dedicated to hunger relief organizations and has funded more than 1.8 million meals to date.