Maine Department of Education Launches PreK-12 MOOSE Learning Progressions in Critical Topic Areas

In response to the inequitable access to in-person education faced by Maine students at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, MOOSE was created to leverage the expertise of Maine educators to create a free resource for online, asynchronous learning. In the first year alone, over 300 project-based, interdisciplinary, student-driven modules were created spanning all grades from PreK-12.

Now in its second year, MOOSE continues to innovate and evolve, expanding the capabilities of our dedicated online platform and working with educators to create modules that fit within dedicated PreK-12 learning progressions. What started as an emergency response has become a growing repository of quality content and resources that are used as support-rich enhancements to school-based education.

MOOSE has also become known for its responsive professional development, helping Maine educators expand and deepen their own practice even as they create content for the platform. The relationships and learning that come from being on a MOOSE team, along with the support to innovate and iterate on their ideas, are what keeps these educators coming back session after session as Content Creators.

This week, MOOSE launches its first set of PreK-12 MOOSE Learning Progressions, purposefully designed around interdisciplinary topics including: Career Readiness, Climate Education, History of Genocide and the Holocaust, Computer Science, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math).

These Learning Progressions are created to provide asynchronous, project-based modules by Maine educators for Maine students. The existing progressions will continue to grow through the work of additional Content Creators and new topics will be added in the coming years. MOOSE Modules of all types can be accessed at: https://learnwithmoose.maine.gov.

Easton Elementary School Offers Students a Book Vending Machine

Easton Elementary School Principal Erin Ireland and Easton School Department Business Manager Kim Hall discovered a fantastic idea to both generate excitement about reading at the elementary level, and promote being a good citizen and role model.

Every time a student at Easton Elementary School is seen going above and beyond their abilities, or are caught doing a good deed, their teacher administers an “Inchy Token” for the Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine. They then call home to deliver the good news of their reward, and are brought to the book vending machine to deposit the token and bring home a free book. This has immediately ramped up excitement for reading, and is further instilling the desire to be a good citizen.

“This creative program has been a huge success in our elementary school,” said Easton School Department Superintendent Mark Stanley.

WEBINAR: Improving School Climate in K-12 Schools (March 31)

The Federal School Safety Clearinghouse is hosting a webinar on March 31 at 3:00 PM on school climate featuring strategies, guidance, and resources for kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) schools.

The session will feature guest speakers from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Safe and Supportive Schools and the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments.

Presenters will provide an overview of how communities can improve school climate, help prevent acts of violence, and strategies that lead to improved behavioral and academic outcomes.

School climate refers to the quality of school life and is a broad, multifaceted concept that involves many aspects of the student’s educational experience. Research suggests that a positive school climate can lead to a significant decrease in the likelihood of crime, aggression, and violent behavior. Therefore, schools and districts should implement social, emotional, and behavioral support systems to create a climate that supports and responds to student behavior.

The discussion will feature additional school safety-related resources available through SchoolSafety.gov, as well as a Q&A session.

When: March 31, 2022, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Where: Adobe Connect (access link to be provided one day in advance of the event)
For: K-12 School Superintendents and Principals, School and District Administrators, Teachers and School Staff, School Counselors and School Psychologists, Emergency Management, and Parents
Registration: https://schoolclimatewebinar.eventbrite.com

If you have any questions, please contact the School Safety team at SchoolSafety@hq.dhs.gov.

Biddeford High School Pi Guy is Back

It’s early March at Biddeford High School and just like pre-pandemic years, the Pi Parody has returned. Since 2007, Jon Jacques, a Biddeford High School math teacher, has been rewriting the lyrics to popular songs in an attempt to entertain current and former students. Once a year Jacques celebrates Pi-Day (March 14th) with his classes, and shares his yearly creativity on social media.

For many songs, Jacques has grabbed the microphone and recorded the songs himself, and for others he has relied on the Biddeford Singers, the school’s top vocal group. After a hiatus in 2021, Jacques wanted to really make an impact. For the first time, in a display of school unity, Jacques sang with the Biddeford Singers for this year’s song, and the Jazz Band played the music for the track and video. Some of his most popular renditions include “The Pi Memorizer” to Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger”, Pi-Rational Rhapsody to Queen’s mega hit, and I Will Know Pi to Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive”.

This year, he has gone to the archives and is proud to present “I Learned About the Number Pi” (a fun take on Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”.

Personal side of Pi Day 2022: Pi-Guy gets his crown

Over the years I have done a few noteworthy things to celebrate pi day personally. I have shaved my goatee into the pi symbol and shaved pi into my hair a few times (symbol and digits in separate years). I have sculpted a 5 foot tall pi symbol out of snow and written pi in the snow more times than I can remember. How to top all of that was the question that I have had on my mind for a while. This year I no doubt have done that. I shaved my head completely and visited Eye Of Henna tattoo in Portland for a temporary tattoo of pi. The driving force behind this was of course some shock value. While my favorite day of the school year drew nearer, I thought I could really have an impact on things if I tied my antics to a fundraiser. So I decided to do just that. With so many good causes out there I thought it would be fitting with my new “henna pi crown” that it goes to someone fighting cancer so I chose a colleague’s husband as the beneficiary.

Here is the YouTube link: Pi-Guy gets his crown

Two Maine School Administrative Units Awarded Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) School Bus Rebate Awards From U.S. EPA

As part of a recent push by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to propose new, stronger standards to promote clean air and reduce pollution from heavy-duty vehicles and engines, approximately $10 million in DERA (Diesel Emissions Reduction Act) School Bus Rebates were awarded to local schools across the country, include two districts in Maine.

The funds will help with the replacement of old diesel school buses with new electric, diesel, gasoline, propane, or compressed natural gas (CNG) school buses meeting current emission standards.

Two Maine School Administrative Units were among the 444 rebates issued for school bus replacements:

State	Selectee Name	Region	Funding Offered/Accepted	# of Buses to be funded
ME	MSAD 28	1	$65,000	1
ME	RSU#16	1	$20,000	1

See the full U.S. EPA media release which includes a full listing of awardees. Learn more about DERA (Diesel Emissions Reduction Act) School Bus Rebates visit: https://www.epa.gov/dera/rebates.

MSAD 11 Highlighted Nationally for Addressing Gaps in Learning Opportunities with ARP ESSER Funds

Maine School Administrative District (MSAD) 11 is highlighted in the White House Fact Sheet for how it is using American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) Funds to target gaps in student learning.

MSAD 11 is addressing gaps in learning opportunities by using ARP ESSER funds to hire nine new teachers and implement a new math, language arts, and social studies program.

The additional teachers permitted the district to reduce class sizes from 22-24 students to an average of 14-16 students. The district has provided external and internal coaching, ongoing professional learning, and planning support to educators and staff.

Check out their story here:

2022-2023 Maine Education Financial System (MEFS) Budget Upload Now Open

It is that time of the year again for each School Administrative Unit (SAU) and Career & Technical Regions to submit their school budgets. Per 20-A M.R.S. Chapter 606-B, school district budget uploads are due within 30 days of the school budget passing, or by August 15, whichever comes later.

Municipal School Units and Charter Schools must upload the budget expenditure and revenue files to MEFS. Budget backup consisting of the school budget warrant articles, budget meeting minutes, vote declaration of the referendum (if required), and a copy of the successfully uploaded budget expenditure text file, must be sent via email to Denise Towers.

Regional School Units, School Administrative Districts, Community School Districts must upload the budget expenditure and revenue files to MEFS and complete the EF-M-46 in NEO. Budget backup consisting of the school budget warrant articles, budget meeting minutes, vote declaration of the referendum (if required), and a copy of the successfully uploaded budget expenditure text file, must be sent via email to Denise Towers.

Career & Technical Regions must upload the budget expenditure and revenue files to MEFS and complete the EF-M-46V in NEO. Budget backup consisting of a copy of the budget presented at the time of the vote, the meeting minutes approving the budget, and a copy of the successfully uploaded budget expenditure text file, must be sent via email to Denise Towers.

Budget uploads to MEFS must reconcile to the budget warrant articles and other supporting documents.

For more information or assistance, please contact Denise Towers at 624-6863 or Mary Randall at 446-4148.

Comments Sought on Maine’s IDEA Part B Application

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking comments from the public on its annual application for federal funds under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which covers services to children with disabilities, ages 3-22.

The application, which covers Maine fiscal year 2023 (starting July 1, 2022) is posted on the Maine DOE’s webpage at https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/specialed/director.

The Part B budget is estimated/projected on the basis of Maine’s award for the State’s current award, pending the State’s receipt of the finalized federal award for the coming year. Both documents will be posted from March 1, 2022 through May 6, 2022.

Written comments will be accepted from March 1, 2022, until 4 p.m. on Friday, April 15, 2022. Please send comments to Erin Frazier at erin.frazier@maine.gov or 23 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333.

WEBINAR: MEMA Homeland Security Grant Overview

Maine Department of Education’s Maine Schools Safety Center (MSSC) is hosting a webinar to provide an overview of the State Homeland Security Grant Program’s purpose, grant details, current application process.

Date: 03/22/2022
Time: 10am-11am
Facilitator: Rachel Bethea

Outcomes: Grant purpose and process, allowable projects and expenses, grant contact details

Audience: Public and private school administrators and other applicable personnel, local and county officials and emergency managers, and all other individuals or organizations involved in school hardening measures.

Register here

For more information, contact Melissa Condon at melissa.a.condon@maine.gov.

Registration is Now Open for the 2022 MLTI Virtual Student Conference

Registration is now open for the 2022 MLTI Virtual Student Conference! MLTI wants all 7 & 8th grade students to join this innovative conference! This year’s virtual conference will have a brand-new, classroom-centered approach in an effort to make it more collaborative for students and teachers to join sessions together as a class during the school day.

Session Style

Sessions will be delivered directly into your classroom where the workshop leader will act as a type of guest teacher. Workshop leaders will teach the class new skills, provide time for students to practice these new skills, and then support them as they create something new with what they have learned. Check out our video with different scenarios to help you plan!

Teacher Role

Teachers can sign up the entire 7^th and 8^th grade from their school. Then MLTI will send registered schools the sessions to choose from. Next, you can divide students up so that one classroom is participating in a session. All the teachers need to do is share the session live in the classroom and support students as they learn, practice, and create!

Session Times & Materials

The sessions will be 90 minutes with the morning session running from 9:30am-11:00am, and the afternoon session running from 12:00pm-1:30pm. All necessary materials will be provided to schools before the conference so students will have them to create with during the conference.

The 19th Annual MLTI Student Conference will be held virtually on Thursday, May 26, 2022 from 8:30am-2:00pm, and will be open to all MLTI 7th and 8th grade students

For questions, please reach out to Brandi Cota-MLTI Project Manager brandi.m.cota@maine.gov.