Webinar: The Role of School Facility Managers in School Safety Efforts

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools and its Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center will host a Webinar on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET. This Webinar will explore the role of school facility managers in supporting school safety efforts, including school emergency operations plan (EOP) development.

Date: 4/26/2022
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET

Find objectives for the 60-minute Webinar below

Highlight the importance of establishing a collaborative EOP planning team, as outlined in Step 1 of the six-step planning process detailed in the Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans;
Discuss the role that school facility managers at the school level play in implementing the National Preparedness System mission areas before, during, and after a potential emergency; and
Reinforce how school facility managers can enhance EOP development and serve as key stewards in the efforts around site assessments, physical and structural recovery, and planning for technological hazards involving chemicals and hazardous materials.

Presenters:

California Department of Education, School Facilities and Transportation Division

Juan Mirales, Director

Oregon Department of Education, Office of Finance and Information Technology

Michael Elliott, School Facilities Program Manager

REMS TA Center

Alison Curtis, Director of Information & Product Management

Questions About the Event?

Contact the REMS TA Center Help Desk at 1-855-781-REMS [7367] or info@remstacenter.org from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

Panelist Opportunities for Maine Science Educators

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is currently recruiting educators to participate in an upcoming standard setting for the state’s science assessment, Maine (MEA) Science.

Maine educators and the DOE play a crucial role in the development of this assessment for students. No prior experience with standard setting or standard setting methodology is required, however panelists should be a science expert that teaches the students who participate in the Maine Science assessment and have a thorough understanding of the assessed Maine Learning Results (MLRs) Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Participants must be able to differentiate between student performances at different levels of achievement. Standard setting panels consist of ten (10) educators per grade band (grade 5, 8, and 3^rd year of high school). Panelists will have the opportunity to discuss and determine application thresholds for Maine.

The Assessment Team is currently recruiting educators with a general science background, however preference will be given to high school teachers with the following areas of science expertise to ensure broad representation of all science domains:

Chemistry
Physics
Life Science
Earth & Space

The standard setting is scheduled to take place from July 26^th – 28^th 2022 in Augusta. Travel, accommodations, and expenses will be covered with a daily stipend provided to selected panelists.

Please consider applying or sharing the upcoming opportunities with colleagues. The expertise and contributions of Maine educators are a critical element of the continued development cycle for these assessments.

Interested? Complete the panelist registration survey or use the QR code provided below.

Want more information? Please reach out to Janette Kirk, Director of Federal Programs, at Janette.Kirk@maine.gov.

Notifying the DOE on Changes to School Configurations

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is asking that School Administrative Units (SAUs) who anticipate changes to school configurations for school year 2022-2023 to notify the DOE by May 1, 2022, or within 3 days of a School Board’s final approval of the change. The Superintendent of the SAU can email MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov to notify the Maine Department of Education of the circumstances that may warrant a new school ID.

Reasons to notify the DOE include, but are not limited to:

Lack of need school closure
Change in grade configuration
Split of school
Merging of schools
New Schools

When emailing, please include the school(s) that displaced students will attend in the next school year, if applicable. The Data Reporting Coordinator and the Education Data Manager will analyze the data and documentation, and coordinate with the Superintendent of the SAU on next steps and if new school ID(s) will need to be created.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Helpdesk at MEDMS.Helpdesk@Maine.gov or 207-624-6896.

Experiential Maine! – Summer Coastal Ecology Collaborative 

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) will soon be releasing a Request for Applications (RFA) from community organizations that provide (or plan to provide) high quality, coastal ecology education and experiences for students in grades 6-12 as part of Experiential Maine! – a statewide initiative to increase access to hands on, outdoor education for all students in Maine.

This exciting initiative will help increase student access to experiential learning along the Maine coast during Summer 2022. Fund awards must be used to expand student capacity in existing program opportunities or to design and implement an entirely new program during summer 2022. These will be two separate applications (one to expand existing programs, one to design and implement a program that did not previously exist). The Maine DOE will prioritize applications that prioritize access for students from low-income families and students with infrequent access to the coast based on geographic location.

Here is a link to the Intent to Apply form which must be completed by April 21, 2022 at 5:00pm in order for your organization to be eligible for funding.

For questions, please contact Page Nichols, Maine DOE Innovation Officer at page.nichols@maine.gov

Messalonskee High School Principal Paula Callan Named 2023 Maine’s NASSP Principal of the Year

The Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) announced recently that Paula Callan, Principal at Messalonskee High School in Oakland, was named Maine’s NASSP (National Association of Secondary School Principals) Principal of the Year for 2023. Ms. Callan was named at a recent all-school assembly at Messalonski High School, and she will be honored by the MPA at their annual awards banquet on April 28, 2022.

According to a release from MPA, Ms. Callan received the award for her continued commitment, collaboration, and student centered focus and her dedication to creating a welcoming environment at for all students. According to one Messalonskee student, “Ms. Callan always does the best for students and sees the best in everyone.”

In announcing Ms. Callan’s selection as 2023 Maine’s NASSP Principal of the Year, MPA Executive Director of the Professional Division, Dr. Holly Blair noted, “Principal Callan is an exceptional administrator at the local, state, and national levels. She clearly advocates for all educators and is completely committed to providing the best educational experience for all. When I think of someone who holds the title of ‘Principal of the Year’, I cannot think of a better person to represent the State of Maine.”

In addition to being named “Maine’s NASSP Principal of the Year,” in 2015, she was also named, “Maine’s NASSP Assistant Principal of the Year.” Paula Callan has served on the MPA Board of Directors since 2017 and has been the President of the Association for the past two years.

Ms. Callan received her Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Maine, Farmington, in 1984 and then graduated in 1993 with a Masters of Education from the University of Maine, Orono.

Ms. Callan started her educational career as a special education teacher at the Farrington and Lincoln Elementary Schools in Augusta after which she was a special education teacher at Cony High School until 1994. From there she moved into administration when she became the Assistant Headmaster of Lincoln Academy where she stayed for two years. In 1996, Ms. Callan returned to Cony High School as the Assistant Principal. After 4 years in this role, she became the Assistant Principal of Morse High School in Bath. In 2002, Ms. Callan became the Assistant Principal of Messalonskee High School in Oakland until she moved into the role as principal in 2016 where she has remained ever since.

She is a member of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA).

The Maine Principals’ Association is a professional association representing Maine’s K-12 principals, assistant principals, and career and technology center directors. The Association dates to 1921 and focuses its work on promoting the principalship, supporting principals as educational leaders, and promoting and administering interscholastic activities in grades 9-12.

Developing Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) K-12

Don’t miss your chance to register for next week’s emergency operations plan (EOP) development training brought to you by the Maine School Safety Center and the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center.

Download the detailed flyer here (PDF)

When: Tuesday, April 12, 2022 Time: 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET
Cost: NO CHARGE
Register here (Registration for this event closes on Friday, April 8, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.)

With this training, an expert team will provide an overview of the recommended six-step planning process to create a high-quality school EOP, which includes the following:

Step 1: Forming a Collaborative Planning Team
Step 2: Understanding the Situation
Step 3: Determining Goals and Objectives
Step 4: Plan Development
Step 5: Plan Preparation, Review, and Approval
Step 6: Plan Implementation and Maintenance

A Robot for All Seasons (and Classrooms)

April 2nd – 10th is National Robotics Week, a time to focus attention on this exciting, interdisciplinary component of computer science. In Maine public schools, robotics comes to life in a variety of ways. From our high school students participating in robotic competitions, down to the youngest elementary student programming robots to follow a sequence, robotics is a grassroots effort that can be found in many schools, some of whom will be spotlighted throughout this week. National Robotics Week, dating back to 2009, has a simple mission – “to inspire students in robotics and STEM-related fields and to share the excitement of robotics with audiences of all ages.”

An Ozobot being used at Nesrene Griffin’s Pokemon-themed station during a Family Coding Night at Connors Elementary School in Lewiston.

There are as many types of robots as there are holidays on the calendar and creative teachers have found a variety of ways to incorporate them into their classrooms. Among the most popular robots in middle and elementary schools are the Edison, Botley, and Wonder Workshop’s trio of Dot, Dash, and Cue. These robots each have their own unique appeal and functionality. When selecting which robot(s) to introduce to the classroom, an educator considers both its purpose and its potential. Introducing middle level students to robotics can seem daunting, especially if the educator is new to robotics themselves.

Many Maine educators have found creative ways to roll out a robot to students that gives everyone an opportunity to learn. Often it is part of a special event, perhaps even during National Robotics Week! A simple task can allow for collaboration and creative thinking as students troubleshoot through challenges with the robot. For the educator, it allows them to observe this process and the inevitable student engagement that follows. Consider these two examples from two Maine schools.

At Lincolnville Elementary School, teacher, Val Bemis, had her students design track layouts for Ozobots. Since it was October, students used Halloween themes to their track designs such as a haunted house or a trick-or-treating route. Students used “a lot of problem solving, persistence and patience in getting the robots to their final destinations,” Bemis said. “The students enjoyed it and had some celebrations when things went as planned or close to it!” Once students successfully coded their robots to their goal they were rewarded with a “sweet reward.” This project was an extension of the 10 levels of online coding challenges in ShapeTracer 2 from Ozoblockly.com.

Several of the student-designed Santa sleighs.

Another example of a thematic rollout comes from Hodgdon Middle School in southern Aroostook County. In the days leading up to the December break, students engaged in an engineering design challenge under the direction of science teacher, Sara McQuarrie. The students were tasked with creating a sleigh for Santa Claus that was pulled around by a Sphero robot (under a plastic cup). Sara provided each team with “Engineering Elves” and supplies. The constructed sleighs had to meet different criteria such as have enough room for Santa’s toys. Students learned how to calculate speed so they could predict who’s sleigh would be the fastest. They then tested out their predictions in several heats. Students enjoyed brainstorming why one sleigh was faster than another and critiquing their own designs. Finally, they ran their sleighs through a maze, which allowed them to test their coding skills with the Sphero. The activity was one of several choices that students had in the days prior to the winter break.

To learn more about opportunities for Robotics in Maine schools, check out Robotics Institute of Maine (RIM). For information about computer science in Maine schools, please check out the Maine Department of Education’s Computer Science page. If you have a robotics success story at your school, email jonathan.m.graham@maine.gov.

Week of the Young Child: Family Friday

Every year, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) hosts Week of the Young Child. This year the celebration will occur from April 2nd through April 8th. Members of the Early Learning Team at the Department of Education are sharing a video each day highlighting early childhood educators across Maine enhancing high-quality experiences for young children ages birth through eight. Each day’s video is focusing on NAEYC’s theme of the day. Today is Family Friday!

Today’s video highlighting music in early childhood settings can be found here:

The resources linked within the video are below:

You can find the daily videos and resources posted on our Early Childhood Professional Learning and Resources page here.

Thank you to those who have contributed to the videos and photos. We enjoy highlighting your work and sharing your commitment to young children with our colleagues throughout Maine.

Throughout the week, be sure to share additional photos and ideas using #WOYC2022 and #MEWOYC2022.

Any questions regarding the Week of the Young Child can be directed to our Early Childhood Specialist at Nicole.Madore@maine.gov.

Commissioner Makin Visits Oxford Elementary in Celebration of the Week of the Young Child

As part of the Maine Department of Education’s celebration of the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Week of the Young Child, Commissioner Pender Makin visited pre-k and kindergarten classrooms at Oxford Elementary School.

The Week of the Young Child provides an opportunity to shine a light on the importance of early learning and to focus attention on the needs of young children, their teachers, families, and communities.

During Makin’s visit, Pre-K students were exploring concepts related to shadows and reflections in centers they could self-select, which included activities such as testing how light can pass through materials, experimenting with materials to see which produce reflections and which do not, and creating pieces of artwork using materials with reflective properties.

In Kindergarten classrooms, children were engaged in a unit of study focused on construction in which they were reading and discussing books related to the topic, exploring engineering concepts through hands-on activities, and working as a classroom community to design a building project that could benefit their community. In one Kindergarten class, students were designing a hotel for homeless families that included a dog park.

Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms in the Oxford Hills School System utilize whole student, interdisciplinary instructional programs that the Maine DOE, in collaboration with Maine educators, have adapted for Maine using work originally developed by the Boston Public School System. Both instructional programs are content rich (aligned to Maine’s learning standards) and are designed around opportunity for structured play.

Oxford Elementary’s Literacy Coach, Kim Desjardins pointed out, “When we ask adults what they remember from their Kindergarten experience, most will reply they remember ‘playing’ with blocks or ‘playing’ in the kitchen. The word play is a powerful word that has been lost in our Kindergarten curriculum for many years. Young children are born to play and interact with each other. K For ME encourages students to inquire about the world, participate in deep conversations to problem solve and work with others to develop social skills. Our students love to come to school and learn!”

The Pre-K for ME and K for ME programs are open source and are used in a growing number of Maine schools, including Oxford Hills where Kindergarten teachers were part of a 2-year pilot that helped inform adaptation of the program for use by other Maine schools.

Oxford Elementary Principal, Tiffany Karnes, shared, “It is such a joy to go into a Kindergarten or Pre-K classroom and hear the conversations students are having with each other as they engage in their center work. Whether it is in the dramatic play area or the block area, students are using their imaginations and incorporating the vocabulary they have learned. They are building wolf dens when they are learning about animal habitats or dressing up as characters from a book that they have heard during read-aloud and acting out their story. The level of oral language and increase in vocabulary that we are seeing far exceeds anything we have seen in the past.

Principal Karnes elaborated, “The K for ME curriculum has been a game-changer for our kindergarten students and teachers. Prior to implementing K for ME, our kindergarten students were struggling with behaviors and were not making the academic progress we wanted. Students were coming from a play-based Pre-K for ME classroom into a traditional kindergarten classroom and the seat time, the lack of structured play and other academic demands were very stressful for both students and teachers. Once we started to implement K for ME, we saw increased engagement, improved language development, and higher academic achievement. Students and teachers were happier, and parents commented on how impressed they were with all that their children were learning.”

For more information about the Maine Department of Education’s early learning efforts, including Pre-K for ME and K for ME, contact Lee Anne Larsen, Early Learning Team Coordinator at leeann.larsen@maine.gov.

“Plus, Robots Are Cool” – Robotics and Computer Science in the Pre-K Classroom

Pictured: A student retells a story from the PreK for ME instructional program. Sequencing and retelling the events of the story supports literacy skill development while working to program the bot, edit the code, and reprogramming the bot.

If someone went to observe robots being used in a Pre-K classroom, they would likely see a pair of students working together, either in decided roles or in turns, programming the robot to complete a specific task. Students actively engage as they lean in to push buttons and watch intently as the robot moves around a mat. They are not sitting back and passively watching a screen. “Students will tell me ‘the Bee-Bot isn’t doing what I told it to.’ This is when they learn that the robots don’t have brains and will only do what you tell it to,” says Audra Leland, a Pre-K teacher at the Eddington School. “We work through frustration and learn perseverance.”

Audra was a second-grade teacher at the Enfield Station School when she began using a Bee-Bot that she acquired from the Perloff Family Foundation. She continued to use it with kindergarteners and first graders and created new mats that aligned with the different age levels and classroom content. Some examples of content she used on the mats are: the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, nursey rhymes, classmates’ names, and a Thanksgiving Day game called “Now and Then.” When she changed schools and shifted to Pre-K, Audra continued with Bee-Bots in her classroom and added Coding Critters.

Melissa Brown, a Pre-K teacher at the Line Elementary School in Newfield, received two robots, the Bee-Bot and the Sphero-mini, through he Maine Department of Education’s Pre-K for ME curriculum pilot.

“After reading The Snowy Day from the PreK for ME instructional program, children design a sequence of steps to make tracks on paper and then with the Sphero. Creating a collaborative painting with Sphero not only fosters community within the overall classroom culture but also engages the students in the process of algorithmic thinking, computational processes, and debugging to find and fix errors within the program.” – Melissa Brown

The technology components of the Pre-K for ME curriculum were developed by Dr. Donna Karno of the University of Maine at Farmington, who has long been advocating for technology integration in early childhood education. “Less than 50 percent of early education teachers are currently using technology in their classrooms, in part because of the stigma associated with screen time and children, and in part because of their discomfort and lack of knowledge with setting programs up,” says Dr. Karno. All three educators acknowledge that incorporating these robots and computer science align with much of the skill-building that happens in the early elementary classroom.

Audra Leland’s strategy for starting is to do “unplugged activities” that do not involve any electronics at all. “We start by moving our bodies, following directions. Once they understand that every movement is told and that is what they must do, we take out the Bee-Bots.” This sort of approach to initiating students to computer science is common at the elementary and even middle level. The robots have their value as learning tools, but “the excitement and joy the children show when I take out [the robots] is one reason that I continue to integrate the tools in our learning,” according to Melissa Brown.

While both Pre-K teachers recognize their peers’ unfamiliarity with computer science concepts, they are quick to point out the overlap that exists. Melissa says, “for example, children in our Pre-K classrooms are recognizing and creating patterns with manipulatives, sequencing the events of a story in their literacy work, or sharing social problems and working together to find solutions. Robots simply add another dimension to this work.”