Under Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 6402-A, each school board shall appoint one or more physicians or family or pediatric nurse practitioners. Some of Maine’s medical providers and school health staff have requested clarification from the Maine Department of Education (DOE) about the law and the role of the school health advisor, which is defined under this law.
While each school administrative district is unique and will create a contract based on its needs, the Maine DOE Coordinated School Health team has collaborated with the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MAAP) School Health Committee and Maine Association of School Nurses (MASN) to create a new resource, Maine School Health Advisor Role Template. This document provides a framework and recommendations around Maine school health advisor roles and responsibilities. This template is intended to provide information about the Maine Law as it defines the roles and responsibilities of a school health advisor and offers guidance to the school administrator and school health advisor as they further define the role for their specific school district and student population.
Schools play a critical role in promoting the health and safety of young people and helping them establish lifelong healthy behaviors. A strong partnership with a school health advisor can help create a healthy school environment.
In alignment with supporting a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, new tools have been created for school nurses. This newest project directly reflects the advocacy and care our Maine school nurses possess, further strengthening our public health infrastructure.
A sample welcome letter from the health office for any new family in a school community was created, which contains an annual health form and medication authorization form, as well as interview forms for asthma, diabetes, and seizures. These tools have been translated into Maine’s top nine languages and are now available on the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Coordinated School Health webpage entitled Sample Forms.
School nurses are part of welcoming new families into our schools and communities; therefore, this spring, the Maine DOE school nurse regional liaison Lori Huot, BSN, RN, Nationally Certified School Nurse (NCSN) extended a warm invitation to the nurses she serves in Cumberland and York County to attend the monthly office hours hosted by the Maine DOE English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Specialist Jane Armstrong. This multidisciplinary collaboration uncovered the need for more health-centered, culturally responsive, readily available, and translated tools to provide equity through language access, resulting in these updated resources.
The Maine DOE extends a special thank you to the Maine school nurses who participated in this collaboration.
Maine DOE’s Office of Innovation and the Office of School and Student Support collaborate to host monthly ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) office hours. These sessions are open to all school personnel and aim to provide optimal support for ESOL educators and guidance on assisting multilingual learners and their families.
Maine continues to embrace and enroll multilingual students and families statewide, witnessing a 15% increase in student count from 2023 to 2024. Jane Armstrong, State ESOL Specialist, highlights that roughly 63% of Maine’s 206 school administrative units have enrolled multilingual learners.
For the latest data, please visit the Multilingual Learner Data Dashboard. The final ESOL office hours for School Year 2023-24 will be held on June 17, 2024, from 3:30-4:30pm and registration can be found here.
The Office of School and Student Supports has many resources for school staff to improve school services. Guidelines and Resources for School Health Services center on providing culturally responsive, evidence-based care that improves overall health.
Improve ventilation in schools to promote cleaner air. Schools should consider ventilation enhancements and design when remodeling or constructing new buildings.
Hand washing, respiratory etiquette, cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting remain important.
The new guidance recommends updating school emergency operation plans, including infectious disease sections, and establishing and maintaining key partnerships with health departments, local medical systems, and other community health providers. It also complements the recently released CDC Respiratory Virus Guidance. These documents intend to support schools in developing and implementing evidence-based action plans to maintain healthy and safe school environments.
Additional Resources:
Maine CDC has additional free resources on infectious disease prevention that schools can order or download. For more information about airborne and direct-contact diseases, visit the Maine CDC website.
As the state of emergency brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic gradually quelled, the Mt Blue Regional School District nurse team could finally catch their breath and refocus on the projects they had put on hold amidst the crisis.
“As COVID was winding down and we were getting back into our normal routines, it was hard to believe it was really over. We had been living with these high-stress levels for so long that it took a while to adjust mentally to our pre-COVID routines.” Janneke Strickland, BSN, RN, NCSN, RSU 9 Lead Nurse and Cascade Brook School nurse in Farmington, remembers, “But once things settled, it felt good to have time to devote energy to newer projects.”
One of those projects was a concerted effort to increase the number of district staff members certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation/automated external defibrillator (CPR/AED). This endeavor, conceived as a group initiative for the 21/22 school year, resonated deeply with the nurses, who were driven by a shared commitment to enhancing the safety and well-being of their school community.
The team started by conducting polls in each Mt. Blue school building. The results painted a stark picture: a mere four to five percent of staff were certified in CPR/AED in each location. Undeterred by the challenge, the Mt. Blue Nurse team set their sights on an ambitious target – to ensure that at least 10% of staff were CPR/AED trained by the end of 2023.
A Mt. Blue school nurse works on one of the CPR manikins purchased through Newhouse.
With their objectives clear, the nurse team strategically formulated a budget request for the 22/23 school year. This proposal encompassed provisions for CPR training kits and an AED trainer, essential tools needed to equip staff with life-saving skills.
Taking charge of the initiative, Kathryn Clement, a dedicated member of the nurse team and a Nationally Certified School Nurse, spearheaded efforts to explore avenues for Mt. Blue nurses to become certified as Basic life-saving instructors. “Over the summer, the majority of Mt. Blue nurses and some other Maine School nurses trained with Angie Newhouse of Newhouse Training,” explained Clement. “There were lots of moving pieces and a collaborative effort to provide training to our staff.” Through Newhouse, they also found and purchased the feedback CPR manikins they need to train educators.
Next, leveraging the support of the Mt. Blue administration, the nurse team forged a partnership with Franklin County Adult and Community Education. Through the Harold Alfond grant funding coordinated by their Adult Ed partner, the nurses were able to extend CPR/AED classes to staff members at no cost, eliminating barriers to participation.
As the prospect of teaching classes loomed, a few nurses grappled with apprehension. “The apprehension came from being new to teaching BLS and working with larger groups,” explained Strickland, “Usually, nurses teach one-on-one with students or families, so we aren’t used to teaching large groups.”
However, the Mt. Blue Nurse team rallied together, opting to co-teach sessions, honing their skills and fostering confidence. Gradually, their trepidation gave way to assurance, buoyed by the team’s collective expertise. By the end of the school year, Mt. Blue’s nurses not only met their target of 10% CPR/AED certification among staff but surpassed it, with 15% of staff becoming CPR/AED certified. Thanks to this team of dedicated educators, Mt. Blue was safer than ever.
“We have so many tools at our disposal, like defibrillators, out in the public, and it is nice to know our staff now know how to use them,” says Clement. “Now, more people in the public are comfortable administering
From the National Association of School Nurses
emergency response care.”
However, the Mt. Blue nurse team knew their mission for safer schools was far from over. Buoyed by the success of their endeavors, the nurses continue to offer classes to staff members, spurred by an overwhelming interest from the community. Their commitment to the well-being of the Mt. Blue community remains unwavering, underscoring the pivotal role nurses have in nurturing a culture of safety and preparedness within schools.
“School nurses occupy a unique space where education and healthcare converge. There are myriad aspects to this special type of nursing!” says Strickland. “Under guidance from the School Nursing Practice Framework (NASN, 2024) and the Maine
DOE, we strive to collaborate with families, school staff, administration, and the wider community to support the health and safety of our students. This approach, as research demonstrates, leads to improved academic achievement.”
School nurses are the backbone of our schools, keeping students healthy and safe. They deserve to be celebrated every day, but especially today on National School Nurse Day. Celebrate National School Nurse Day today by taking time to thank the school nurses in your community.
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is highlighting the important work of school nurses this week in celebration of School Nurse Day on May 8.
For over 120 years, school nurses have been critical to all aspects of student health, including improving public health. Each year, school nurses statewide complete the School Health Annual Report. It is used to satisfy the requirements for health-related data collection, which includes emergency medication administration, vision and hearing screening data, and other points.
Vision and hearing screenings are required in Maine schools. In the 2022-2023 school year, school nurses coordinated 122,310 screenings. Of these, 7,082 were referred for further evaluation. Early learning and literacy skills can be delayed when students have undetected hearing or vision deficits. School nurses are responsible for directing and overseeing school health screening programs and following up with referred students for evaluation and potential treatment. Without these screenings, over 7,000 Maine students would be potentially at risk for learning difficulties.
To learn more about the school health annual report and other data related to school-aged children, please visit the School Health Services: Data webpage.
The School Nurse Summer Institute is an immersive multi-day in-person event that brings school nurses together biennially. The goal is to increase the knowledge and understanding of current research and evidence-based practices in school nursing, as well as increase awareness of resources available within the State of Maine. School nurses in attendance will leave feeling energized with the latest knowledge and renewed energy to support Maine students.
Thomas College in Waterville, Maine
July 30th and July 31st
Register here(select School Nurse Summer Institute 2024 from the dropdown)
This year’s theme is An Adventure in Learning. Day One starts with a keynote presentation by Dr. Puthiery Va, Director of the Maine CDC, followed by nursing skill-building sessions and a resource fair with over thirty exhibitors. Day Two starts with a panel presentation on Population Equity and is followed by break-out session options, including MaineCare services, human trafficking, school safety, trauma-informed care, empowering school nurses, supporting LGTBQ+ youth, communicating and supporting the substitute nurse experience, Human Papilloma Virus and vaccine hesitancy.
This event is planned by the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Coordinated School Health Team, a part of the Office of School and Student Supports in partnership with the Maine Association of School Nurses (MASN).
In July of 2023, Governor Mills signed LD 1315, Public Law 2023, Chapter 460, into law, beginning the revision process for Rule Chapter 41. Updates to Chapter 41 have been completed, adding the requirement that all public schools now offer naloxone education to secondary students in addition to CPR and AED training.
The Maine Department of Education (DOE), Office of School and Student Supports is collaborating with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Office of Behavioral Health, and MaineGeneral Medical Center to train school personnel in naloxone administration. This is a train-the-trainer model, meaning it will provide training on the topic as well as the instruction and materials people will need to implement naloxone administration education for students and staff.
A 90-minute training will be offered virtually from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. on May 14th. The training is designed for school administrators, health education teachers, school nurses, and other health services personnel. Other interested school personnel are welcome to attend. Contact hours will be provided for attendees.
Resources to assist school administrative units (SAUs) in implementation may be accessed on the Maine DOE School Health Service: Acute and Emergency Care webpage and will also be reviewed during this training.
(Jannet Harjula and Nancy Duguay serve lunch to St. George Municipal School kindergarten Students.)
Jannet Harjula started her education journey as the owner of a local daycare more than 30 years ago. Like so many educators, Harjula found herself drawn back to education after selling her business. She started substitute teaching at St. George School. It wasn’t long before she transitioned to school nutrition, where she has been since 2014, first as a food service assistant and now as the food service director.
Harjula starts her day bright and early at 6:30 in the morning with her right-hand woman, Food Service Assistant Nancy Duguay. Harjula jokes while carefully layering sausage on a sheet pan in preparation for lunch and breakfast sandwiches. Duguay and her counterpart, Dawn Gauthier, worked for Harjula at her former business. “We come in at 6:30 every morning. Nancy starts breakfast, and I start prepping for lunch. Dawn comes in after breakfast,” says Harjula.
The St. George kitchen sits behind the cafeteria, adjacent to the school gymnasium and music room. In the first hours of the morning, the sun filters through the cafeteria windows, illuminating a mural of animated fruits and vegetables dancing up the walls and a certificate of excellence celebrating Harjula and her team’s perfect score on their recent state inspection.
Duguay serving students cereal during breakfast.
Students start arriving around 7:30, giving Duguay about an hour to set everything up. Breakfast prep starts with washing fruit; today, it’s apples. Duguay runs hot water into an empty silver sink, so clean she can see her reflection as she washes each apple and places them carefully into a giant metal colander.
After filling her cart with orange juice, granola bars, and milk, Duguay heads to the cafeteria to meet the morning’s first students. “We have the best kids,” she beams as she greets each child by name and asks them about their weekend.
After breakfast, everyone pitches in to keep the dishes down and the kitchen clean. Gauthier arrives just as the last breakfast bowls are packed away. As the students start their day, data from their “crew” or homeroom teachers starts pouring into a shared spreadsheet created by St. George Technology Director Paul Meinersmann. “Before Paul, we had to do this all on paper,” said Harjula. “Someone had to bring the information down to us, or we had to go get it.”
With this data, Harjula and her crew know how much each lunch option needs to be made. “Every day, we [also] offer students a sandwich or salad, so they don’t just have to choose the hot lunch option,” she says.
At this point, the kitchen is a perfectly choreographed routine. Harjula starts putting together the breakfast sandwiches she made for today’s lunch in shiny tinfoil. To her right, Gauthier masterfully constructs sandwiches, layering ingredients while Duguay chops vegetables and portions each chef’s salads. As the women move around each other with the grace of familiarity, it is so much like watching a dance that one almost misses all that is being done. They make nearly 200 meals, keep every counter spotless, and never forget to wear the right gloves or wash their hands.
Between prepping for lunch, Harjula lays out the ins and outs of her job. “You have to keep things balanced,” she says about planning nutritious meals. “For some of these kids, this is the most nutritious food they eat. A lot of them aren’t getting healthy foods at home.” Harjula goes on to explain how she and Duguay sit down each month to plan meals, brainstorming on how to use the ingredients they already have in stock to build nutritious “colorful” meals.
Maine was one of the first states to provide universal meals to all students. This ensures that every child has access to nutritious food without stigma and so that they are prepared to learn and thrive in school.
It is thanks to school nutrition workers like Harjula and Duguay that Maine has the second most nutritious school meals in the country, according to ProCare Therapy. However, when it comes to the student’s preferences nutrition isn’t always their priority. “Pizza days are our most popular,” Harjula jokes with Duguay, who laughs and says, “We always have to make extra.” Most students don’t even know that Harjula makes sure their donuts are whole grain or that their pizza sauce is full of healthy vegetables.
From 10:30 – 1:00, Harjula and Duguay serve lunch to students from Pre-K all the way up to eighth grade. No matter their age, the students light up when they talk to Harjula. “The kids respect her, and you see that when they’re in line or putting their trays away, saying thank you all the time,” said Ashley Gill, St. George’s athletic director, as well as physical education and health teacher. “She’s very good to me and to a lot of people [at St. George].” St George students are just as excited to sing Harjula’s praises. “Jannet’s really sweet and funny,” said fifth grader Elena. Her friend Lilly chimes in, commenting, “she makes great food.”
In between each lunch, Harjula resets the dishes, Duguay cleans the cafeteria, and Gauthier takes care of the trash, recycling, and compost. In the blink of an eye, four sets of lunches have been served, every table and chair wiped down and stacked away, and, of course, Harjula’s kitchen is still spotless.
School Lunch Hero Day is organized by The School Nutrition Association.
With every student fed, Harjula can sit down for the first time in eight hours. The three nutrition workers sit together in the cafeteria to finish up the day’s paperwork. “We have to do a production report, which is what this is,” Duguay gestures to a sheet in front of her. “So we have to keep track of everything that we serve, how much we make, how much we have left, and how much we actually serve.” The team has been putting data into the system Meinersmann created throughout the day. Now, Duguay will use that data for her production report which Gauthier will use to create a daily summary report. Around 2:30, the day is done for everyone except Gauthier, who is the middle school softball coach, though Harjula and Duguay will often stay to finish work like meal prepping or large food orders. Talking about a day in the life of a food service director, Harjula keeps it concise: “It’s long, but we’ve got such great kids.”
May 3th, 2024 is School Lunch Hero Day! Make sure to celebrate the School Nutrition Workers in your school for the hard work they put in to ensure that every Maine student has nutritious, reliable meals at school. Click here for ideas on how you can show your appreciation!
The Maine Association of School Nurses (MASN) announces a call for nominations for the Maine School Nurse of the Year (SNOY) 2024-25! This award recognizes an outstanding school nurse for his/her contributions to the school and community they serve. The award provides recognition to an individual who demonstrates leadership in 6 areas of practice: care provision, program management, health education, professional development, community involvement, and research.
The individual selected will receive a $500 cash award and be recognized at the July 2024 Maine School Nurse Summer Institute.
We are accepting applications now. The nomination form and the information necessary to begin this process can be accessed on the MASN website. The application deadline is May 3, 2024. For more information, please click here.
If you know a school nurse who inspires you with his/her dedication to their school community, please consider nominating him/her for this prestigious award!
Reference letters (3-5) with at least one from administration
Curriculum Vitae
Written report addressing the six content areas
2.) Submit original and 3 copies by April 25, 2023 to SNOY Coordinator, Erin Taylor. Email etaylor@capeelizabethschools.org for mailing address.
Questions? Please contact: Erin Taylor, School Nurse at Pond Cove Elementary School by calling 207-799-7339 x3113 or emailing etaylor@capeelizabethschools.org.
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.
Maine DOE Newsroom 