Category: Media Releases

MEDIA RELEASE: Nine Additional Maine Educators Join Maine Kids Rock Initiative for 2021-2022 School Year

The Maine Kids Rock Initiative, a statewide program that offers professional training to teachers as well as grants for instruments and equipment to schools with identified needs, enters its fifth year (2021-2022) with the addition of the following educators to its roster:

  • Lanissa Nadeau (Brewer Community School)
  • Neil James (Geiger Elementary/Lewiston Middle School)
  • Bridget Kazukiewicz (King Middle School, Portland)
  • Joshua Lund (Benton Elementary School)
  • Michelle Biddlecom (Winthrop Grade School)
  • Brittany Elwell (Carmel Elementary/Suzanne Smith Elementary/Caravel Middle Schools)
  • Thomas Stott (Beech Hill School, Otis)
  • Oren Robinson (Palermo Consolidated, Windsor Elementary Schools)
  • Nadine Baker (Rose M. Gaffney/Machias Memorial High School)

These teachers join the ranks of nearly 70 additional teachers across Maine who utilize the Modern Band approach to music education with nearly 1,500 students at all grade levels.

“My administrators and I are very excited to bring music into the 21st century for our students,” said Joshua Lund, general music educator. “At Benton Elementary, we are planning to integrate MKR into the general music class experience as well as starting new co-curricular ensembles. The training, resources, and equipment provided through Maine Kids Rock are sure to help transform what music can be for the students in my school!”

The Maine Kids Rock initiative continues as a partnership between the Maine Department of Education and the national non-profit organization Little Kids Rock.

“We’re thrilled to continue to grow Maine Kids Rock, bring more music education to Maine, and reach even more kids by using the music they know and love,” said Miranda Altman, Senior Director of Program Operations for Little Kids Rock. “We are incredibly grateful to the teachers of this initiative as we enter our fifth year. Welcome to the nine teachers that are newly joining this program!”

Throughout the year these teachers will receive free professional development opportunities, and their schools will receive a set of classroom “rock band”-style instruments for students to use as they explore music education through a modern music lens.  Learning opportunities for students go beyond just learning to play a guitar or drums; they also explore songwriting, the development of interpersonal skills, and boost self-confidence as performers.

For more information about the Maine Kids Rock Initiative through the Maine Department of Education, please contact Visual and Performing Arts Content Specialist Jason Anderson.

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine School Teams Advance in 2021 Farm to School Cook-off

Votes were cast and here are the results! Congratulations to South Portland (Kaler Kooks) and RSU 12 (Whitefield Wildcats) who will be advancing to the finals round of the 2021 Maine Farm to School Cook-off. The finals competition will be held on May 5th at the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Child Nutrition Culinary Classroom in Augusta.

The Maine Farm to School Cook-off is a statewide culinary competition for teams of school nutrition professionals and students to promote local foods in school meals. The 6th annual competition is organized by the Maine DOE’s Child Nutrition Team.

A big thank you to the four teams below who participated in the virtual event. For more information and to view each team’s videos please visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/programs/localfoods/cookoffvoting.

MEDIA RELEASE: Governor Mills Proclaims April 2021 as National Poetry Month

Governor Janet T. Mills has proclaimed April 2021 National Poetry Month in the State of Maine, marking the importance of poetry in education and the everyday lives of our citizens.

“National Poetry Month brings us together as readers and writers, whether at home, in classrooms, bookstores, or libraries throughout our nation,” said Governor Janet T. Mills as part of the official proclamation. “Poetry illuminates hope in our darkest hours, gives voice to our struggles, brings inspiration to our triumphs, and is a gift of expression that transcends our personal experience to unite us in words.”

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) joins Governor Mills and our partners throughout the state this month by promoting and participating in activities that support schools in using poetry as a tool and a topic for instruction.

“Poetry is often taught as a stand-alone unit of study, yet the power of poetry is in its versatility by virtue of form and precision, and could be included in every unit of study all year long,” said Morgan Dunton, Maine DOE English Language Arts Specialist. “Regular engagement with poems, long or short, contemporary or historical, provides an opportunity to better understand complex texts.”

With a theme of “Normalize Poetry in Your Classroom” the Maine DOE has collaborated on poetry themed events and opportunities in April including:

How We Do It: Inspiring Students to Write and Publish 
The Telling Room hosted a conversation with educators about their experience supporting and encouraging educators to write stories and poems. They discussed their recent collection of youth poems called, “A New Land” and share resources you can use in your classroom.  Download the collection here. Learn more and access their educator toolkit.

Spend an evening with Maine Poet Gary Lawless 
Hosted by the Maine Council of English Language Arts. Lawless is a poet who has authored 21 collections of poems. He is also the co-owner of Gulf of Maine Books, a book editor, and publisher. Thursday, April 8th, 7pm: Click here to register.

Normalize Poetry: Teach Poetry in Every Unit 
Many of us teach a poetry unit each year, but that is just not enough. Poetry is a fabulous tool for teaching the fine art of language use in every instructional unit. Maine DOE ELA Specialist Morgan Dunton will demonstrate methods of teaching grammar, usage, mechanics, and appreciation of the poetic form to enhance reading, speaking, and writing skills. Thursday, April 15th, 3:30 pm. Click here to register.

In concluding the official proclamation, Governor Mills writes, “I urge all Maine citizens to celebrate the creativity of poets and the indelible marks their words leave upon the pages of our shared humanity by reading and writing poetry.”

Find additional information, events, and resources to celebrate and appreciate the beauty of poetry all month on the Maine DOE Website. For further questions about poetry in curriculum or the Department’s efforts for poetry month, please contact Maine DOE English Language Arts (ELA) Specialist Morgan Dunton at morgan.dunton@maine.gov.

MEDIA RELEASE: Mills Administration Updates COVID-19 School Health Advisory System

All counties remain green

AUGUSTA — The Mills Administration today released an update to its color-coded Health Advisory System that classifies counties’ relative risk of COVID-19 transmission to assist schools as they continue with their plans to deliver instruction and support students safely.

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) continue to review evidence that indicates lower transmission of COVID-19 in schools compared to the general population. Over the last 30 days, the rate of new cases for school staff or students is 30 per 10,000, about 25 percent lower than a new case rate of 41 per 10,000 for the general population. This continues to demonstrate that in-person learning in schools that follow public health precautions can be conducted safely, without increased transmission of COVID-19, and supports schools’ adherence to the six requirements for returning to in-person instruction, regardless of their county’s designation.

DHHS and Maine CDC assessed COVID-19 data and trends by county and all counties remain green. The two-week new case rate has remained steady, and the positivity rates for all counties are below 5 percent. Since the March 12 update, Piscataquis County has been closely monitored. Over the past two weeks both the new case rate and positivity rate have dropped in Piscataquis County and are now consistent with other counties.

These designations are provided for the consideration of school administrative units in their decisions to deliver instruction.

The county-level assessments are based on both quantitative and qualitative data, including but not limited to recent case rates, positivity rates, and syndromic data (e.g., symptoms of influenza or COVID-19). Those data are publicly posted every week on the Maine CDC website. DHHS and Maine CDC also consider qualitative factors, such as the presence of outbreaks that may potentially affect school-age children. The qualitative and quantitative considerations and data used by the CDC in determining community transmission risk levels for schools can be located here: How County Risk Levels for Maine Schools are Determined

The Health Advisory System categorizations are defined as follows:

  • GREEN: Categorization as “green” suggests that the county has a relatively low risk of COVID-19 spread and that schools may consider in-person instruction, as long as they are able to implement the required health and safety measures. Schools in a “green” county may need to use hybrid instruction models if there is insufficient capacity or other factors (facilities, staffing, geography/transportation, etc.) that may prevent full implementation of the health and safety requirements.
  • YELLOW: Categorization as “yellow” suggests that that the county has an elevated risk of COVID-19 spread and that schools may consider additional precautions and/or hybrid instructional models to reduce the number of people in schools and classrooms at any one time.
  • RED: Categorization as “red” suggests that the county has a high risk of COVID-19 spread and that in-person instruction is not advisable.

The next update will be provided on April 9, 2021. Updating this advisory on a two-week basis aligns with the incubation period for COVID-19 and allows for greater stability in the trend data for small counties.

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MEDIA RELEASE: Maine Partners with T-Mobile to Provide Increased Internet Access to Maine Students

The Maine Department of Education has partnered with T-Mobile to expand efforts to provide internet access and devices to Maine students through their Project 10Million initiative. If they choose to participate, the program provides mobile Wi-Fi hotspot devices directly to school districts for student use.

“We are thrilled to partner with T-Mobile to continue providing opportunities that allow Maine students to stay connected to their teachers, peers, and school communities,” said Maine Commissioner of Education Pender Makin. “The partnership helps to expand our own Connect Kids Now! initiative which supports Maine schools by providing internet connectivity through the pandemic.”

The Connect Kids Now! initiative began in the spring of 2020 at the onset of the pandemic when it became abundantly clear that technology resources were critical in closing the equity of access gap for continued learning for Maine students. In line with this these efforts, T-Mobile’s Project 10Million initiative provides the opportunity for districts in Maine to participate by signing up and choosing from three tiers of service which they can pass on to students at no cost: up to 100GB per year per device for free, or low-cost options for 100GB per month or unlimited data. Part of the commitment of the partnership will be to provide additional devices from T-Mobile over the next five years. T-Mobile will distribute these devices directly to districts and all student households with at least one student participating in the National School Lunch Program are eligible for the program. The Maine DOE will look to include districts based on economic factors such as Title 1 schools, National School Lunch Program eligibility rates, and distressed county designations. Districts can complete an online interest form to participate in the program.

“Partnering with the Maine DOE helps us identify districts and students that will benefit most from Project 10Million and get them the devices and connectivity required to fully participate in school,” said Mike Katz, executive vice president of T-Mobile for Business. “We are grateful to be a part of the solution that Commissioner Makin and her team have put in place to make sure ALL students can access the resources they need to succeed.”

Districts that are interested in participating in T-Mobile’s Project 10Million can fill out the interest form on the project’s website.

 

MEDIA RELEASE: Vote NOW for Maine Custodian in the Running for National Custodian of Year

Portland Public Schools’ Ocean Avenue Elementary School (OAES) lead custodian Donna Colello has been chosen as one of the top 10 finalists nationally in Cintas’ 2021 Custodian of the Year contest.

Colello is the only finalist from the Northeast and one of only two women in the top 10. From now through April 16, anyone can vote for Colello at https://www.custodianoftheyear.com/custodian-of-the-year/. Each person can vote once per day.

In its eighth year, the annual Custodian of the Year contest honors custodians for their exemplary work in schools across the nation. The school custodian with the most votes will be named Custodian of the Year and will receive a $10,000 cash prize, along with products and services for their school, a comprehensive training and development package, and enrollment in the GBAC Fundamentals Online Course that teaches cleaning professionals to prepare for, respond to and recover from biohazards in the workplace, from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA.

In nominating Colello for the contest, OAES Principal Beverly Stevens described her as outstanding. “Miss Donna works tirelessly every day and always brings a smile to all students and staff,” Stevens wrote. “What started as a job 25 years ago to support herself and newborn child, then flourished into a dedicated and fulfilling career where she goes out of her way to help students build up their self-confidence and help those in need. She’s meticulous in her level of higher cleaning techniques and standards, and takes great pride and care in the work she and her team accomplishes. Donna is an integral part of the Ocean Avenue Elementary community and is the one that both staff and students rely on the most.”

Stevens praised Colello’s impressive work ethic. “Donna is always one-step ahead, knowing not only what to do next, but what is coming up over the next few months. For two years in a row, 100% of the teaching staff rated the building clean and orderly on the climate survey,” Stevens wrote. “She does side-by-side training on best practices for cleaning the school and keeping our equipment maintained. She is passionate about her team and keeping our building healthy, secure, and looking top-notch. Donna is thoughtful, kind, and puts students, staff, and safety at the core of her work. She is an ethical compass, and leads by example. Donna has created and maintained lasting connections to everyone in the Portland Public Schools and city community, including parents and neighborhood groups. Donna’s mantra is: ‘We’re doing it for the kids.’”

“Donna Colello is one of the most respected, hardworking custodians in the district. We are so grateful to Donna for her dedicated service to our students and staff,” said Superintendent Xavier Botana. “She goes above and beyond at Ocean Avenue School and she also is a leader in the district. This past summer, she volunteered to serve on the district’s custodial ‘Tiger Team,’ working to figure out how to best keep our school buildings safe during the pandemic. In our eyes, Donna already is a winner, but I encourage everyone to vote for her to come out on top in this national contest and receive the recognition of which she is so worthy.”

Cintas Marketing Manager Christiny Betsch said in a statement: “With over 2,000 deserving nominations, it was difficult choosing only 10 finalists. This contest shows us that custodians are much more than cleaners. They’re true role models who go above and beyond to have a positive impact on students, faculty, teachers and communities across the U.S.”

The nine other finalists are Christopher Bowman (Ohio); Bobbi Sue Burbey (Wisconsin); Robert Buster (Colorado); Francesco Catalano (Illinois); Charles Harris (Georgia); Mike Heiry (Pennsylvania); Edward Straub (South Carolina); Terry Tackett (Kentucky); and John Wheeler (Florida).

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MEDIA RELEASE: Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Available to Eligible Families in April

The FCC recently adopted a Report and Order that established the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, a $3.2 billion federal initiative to help lower the cost of high-speed internet for eligible households during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.

Benefits of the program include:

  • Up to $50/month discount for broadband services;
  • Up to $75/month discount for broadband services for households on Tribal lands; and
  • A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet purchased through a participating provider.
  • The Emergency Broadband Benefit is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per eligible household.

A household is eligible if one member of the household:

  • Qualifies for the Lifeline program, including those who are on Medicaid or receive SNAP benefits;
  • Receives benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision, or did so in the 2019- 2020 school year;
  • Experienced a substantial loss of income since February 29, 2020, and the household had a total income in 2020 below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers;
  • Received a Federal Pell Grant in the current award year; or
  • Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income or COVID-19 program.
The FCC expects the Emergency Broadband Benefit program to be open to eligible households before the end of April, 2021. Please check the FCC’s website, www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit, regularly for the latest information. Once up and running, eligible households will be able to enroll through participating broadband providers or directly with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC).

Many types of broadband providers can qualify to provide service in this program. The FCC is currently setting up the systems needed for providers to participate. Contact information for the providers participating in the program will be posted on USAC’s website: https://www.usac.org/.

For more information, the Report and Order along with the rules governing this program can be found here: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-adopts-report-and-order-emergency-broadband-benefit-program-0.

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine DOE Child Nutrition Kicks off Virtual Farm to School Cook-off

The Maine Department of Education is following in the footsteps of many schools and going with a hybrid model for this year’s 2021 Farm to School Cook Off.

Celebrating its 6th annual competition, the Maine Farm to School Cook-off is a statewide culinary competition for teams of school nutrition professionals and students to promote local foods in school meals. The 6th annual competition is organized by the Maine Department of Education, Child Nutrition team.

On March 22nd the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Child Nutrition team is kicking off the virtual competition. Four teams are participating in the competition this year including, RSU 12, RSU 14, RSU 54 and South Portland. Voting will take place starting today, March 22nd through April 2nd for school staff, family and friends to vote for their favorite cook-off team!

Each team was tasked to create a breakfast and lunch video, while following recipe guidelines of the competition. This criteria includes producing meals that meet the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) meal pattern and include at least three local ingredients and one USDA food. Within the videos, teams were asked to provide details on local ingredients, USDA foods that were used, techniques used, feasibility, and anything else the team would like to share.

This virtual cook-off is the first step on each team’s journey to becoming the “2021 Farm to School Cook-off Champion”. The top two finalists from the virtual competition will advance to the Farm to School Cook-off Finals Competition on May 5, 2021 in the Child Nutrition Culinary Classroom in Augusta, ME! Please note all necessary precautions will be taken, including face coverings and social distancing of teams in the culinary classroom. 

To vote for your favorite cook-off team please visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/programs/localfoods/cookoffvoting

Finalists will be announced on April 5, 2021.
For more information on Maine’s Farm and Sea to School program, visit https://www.maine.gov/doe/farmtoschool

MEDIA RELEASE: U.S. CDC’s Updated K-12 School Guidance Further Aligns with Maine’s Longstanding School Guidance

AUGUSTA – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) today issued updated operational strategies for K-12 schools based on a review of scientific evidence regarding physical distancing in classrooms to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These updates further align Federal guidelines with longstanding guidance implemented by the State of Maine for Maine schools in July 2020.

“Maine school staff and leaders have done an outstanding job of implementing the health and safety requirements that have kept our schools and students safe, requirements that have now been mirrored by the U.S. CDC,” said Pender Makin, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Education. “Our schools have been open and educating students safely all year long, unlike many of the schools across the country.  Our education workforce deserves our deep appreciation and support for all they have done, during this last year and I am in awe of their efforts.”

“The U.S. CDC’s announcement today affirms safety protocols that have been part of Maine’s framework since last year,” said Dr. Nirav D. Shah, Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “These protocols continue to reflect best practices in limiting potential spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. As new research emerges, we will continue to work with our federal partners and Maine’s education community to provide tools that local school districts can use to make informed decisions about how to keep students and staff safe.”

In July 2020, with limited Federal guidance, Maine developed and implemented a Framework for Return to In-Person Instruction. This framework – developed in consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine CDC – includes recommendations for schools and six requirements, such as physical distancing, mask wearing and other measures, to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission within schools. Under these requirements, adults must maintain six feet of distance from others to the extent possible while maintaining 3 feet of distance is acceptable between and among students when combined with the other safety requirements, including the wearing of masks. These strategies have proven effective in mitigating the spread of COVID-19; to date, the new case rates for Maine schools continues to be significantly lower than that of the general population.

In February 2021, the U.S. CDC released Federal recommendations to assist schools across the country in returning safely to in-person instruction. At that time, the U.S. CDC recommended that students maintain six feet of distance among all students, a more stringent requirement than Maine

Today, the U.S. CDC adjusted this previous recommendation to, in effect, adopt Maine’s longstanding approach. Specifically, US CDC adjusted their previous recommendation of 6 feet between students to 3 feet between students in classrooms with universal mask wearing.  The U.S. CDC continues to recommend at least 6 feet of distance:

  • Between adults in the school building and between adults and students.
  • In common areas such as school lobbies and auditoriums.
  • When masks can’t be worn, such as when eating or drinking.
  • During activities when increased exhalation occurs, such as singing, shouting, band practice, sports, or exercise. These activities should be moved outdoors or to large, well-ventilated spaces whenever possible.
  • In community settings outside of the classroom.

Maine will continue to use its existing approach and will re-examine its requirements if the U.S. CDC makes any further adjustments.

 

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MEDIA RELEASE: USDA Extends Flexibilities to Provide FREE Meals to Children Through Summer Months

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released a continuation of needed flexibilities for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) through Summer 2021.

“We are so grateful for the USDA waiver extensions through this incredibly difficult time,” said Walter Beesley, Maine Department of Education’s Director of Child Nutrition. “The newest extension will allow Maine schools to continue to provide complimentary emergency meals in creative ways at school, remotely, and on weekends to children of all ages through the summer months.”

In the USDA announcement, they express the following:

As we complete a full year of Child Nutrition Program operations during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we want to acknowledge the creativity, dedication, and tireless efforts of program operators and administrators at all levels to ensure access to healthy meals during what has been, for many of us, one of the most challenging years of our lifetimes. Over the past year, the Child Nutrition Program community has overcome a myriad of obstacles and has continued to provide daily meals for millions of our nation’s children and vulnerable adults. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) extends a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has dedicated time and energy in service to their communities through the Child Nutrition Programs over this past year.

In response to the needs of program operators and State administrators, FNS has released a series of waivers to maximize flexibility and limit exposure to COVID-19, while maintaining accountability. The waivers are currently scheduled to expire on June 30, 2021, the statutory end of the school year. These flexibilities will remain necessary to operate our programs this summer given the ongoing public health and economic crisis. Understanding that program operators are now planning how to best deploy child nutrition programs during the upcoming summer months, FNS is issuing the following updated waivers specifically for summer meal program operations in 2021. Please note that the current waivers are in effect through June 30, 2021 and that the waivers listed below are effective beginning July 1, 2021:

  • #74 Nationwide Waiver to Allow Meal Pattern Flexibilities for Summer 2021 Operations
  • #75 Nationwide Waiver to Allow Non-Congregate Feeding for Summer 2021 Operations
  • #76 Nationwide Waiver to Allow Parents and Guardians to Pick Up Meals for Children for Summer 2021 Operations
  • #77 Nationwide Waiver to Extend Area Eligibility Waivers for Summer 2021 Operations
  • #78 Nationwide Waiver of Meal Service Time Restrictions for Summer 2021 Operations
  • #79 Nationwide Waiver to Allow Offer Versus Serve Flexibilities in the Summer Food Service Program for Summer 2021 Operations
  • #80 Nationwide Waiver to Allow Area Eligibility for Closed Enrolled Sites for Summer 2021 Operations
  • #81 Nationwide Waiver to Waive First Week Site Visits in the Summer Food Service Program for Summer 2021 Operations
“Statewide we have seen a down-tick in families accepting the meals that are available at no cost to them. This has prompted schools to adapt their menus, delivery options, and advertising methods to encourage families to take advantage of this valuable service, especially during these tough times,” added Beesley. “We are hopeful that now that we know the flexibilities and funding will continue through the summer, more families will take advantage of the really great, complimentary food options from school.”

Maine Department of Education Child Nutrition staff stand ready to support Maine Child Nutrition Providers in their continued efforts to supply safe, nutritious meals to Maine’s children and adolescents through Summer 2021.

Maine DOE staff are available to answer questions and provide important training and technical assistance to the field. For questions and information please contact Adriane Ackroyd at Adriane.ackroyd@maine.gov / 207-592-1722.