WEBINAR: Strategies for Safely Returning to School: The Latest Federal Guidance

The U.S. Department of Education is hosting a webinar series to support educational settings in safely sustaining or returning to in-person instruction. The series features the latest federal guidance, and lessons learned and best practices from faculty, staff, schools, districts, institutions of higher education, early childhood education providers, and other places of educational instruction describing approaches to operating during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education (ED), Office of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Safe and Supportive Schools, the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) invites you to join the next webinar, Strategies for Safely Returning to School: The Latest Federal Guidance.

Date: Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 pm EST

Please join us for this informative webinar featuring updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and ED on preparing to return to school for the 2021-22 school year, including the latest on mitigation strategies, as we continue to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the federal agency updates, practitioner questions will be addressed by the CDC and ED staff to allow field personnel to better understand and ultimately operationalize guidance.

Speakers/Panelists

Christian Rhodes, Moderator, Chief of Staff, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education
Neha Cramer: Lead, Schools Unit, Community Intervention and Critical Populations Task Force at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Jessica McKinney: Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development (OPEPD), U.S. Department of Education Related Documents

This event will reference the following resources, which we encourage you to access in advance of the webinar to inform participation:

ED COVID-19 Handbook Volume 1: Strategies for Safely Reopening Elementary and
Secondary Schools (PDF)
ED COVID-19 Handbook Volume 2: Roadmap to Reopening Safely and Meeting All Students’ Needs (PDF)
ED COVID-19 Handbook Volume 3: Strategies for Safe Operation and Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education Students, Faculty, and Staff
Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools
Science Brief: Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs – Updated
COVID-19: Considerations for Wearing Masks

For your reference, slides for this presentation will be posted on the event webpage on the day of the event.

Registration – You must register to participate in this presentation. Register Here!

Please contact NCSSLE if you have any questions. We look forward to sharing this information with you and hearing from you about the important work you are doing in your schools, communities, and states to meet the needs of your students and staff as they return to in-person learning.

New Law Gives Incentives for Schools to Use Local Foods

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to announce several changes to the Local Food Fund (formerly named the Local Produce Fund) which will be implemented for the 2021-2022 school year.

LD 636, An Act To Encourage the Purchase of Local Foods for Public Schools was signed by Governor Mills on July 8, 2021. The fund matches $1 for every $3 that a school administrative unit (SAU) pays for locally grown or produced foods purchased directly from a Maine producer or producer’s cooperative.

“We’re thrilled to have the support of the Legislature to expand the offerings available via the Local Food Fund,” said Adriane Ackroyd, Maine DOE Child Nutrition Supervisor. “Throughout the past school year, we have facilitated culinary demonstrations to equip local child nutrition professionals with the knowledge needed to skillfully implement local produce into the nutritious meals being offered to our students statewide.” Beginning in August, participating SAUs will notice several important local food fund programmatic updates, including:

Eligible products now include value-added dairy and protein which may include: eggs, beef, yogurt, and tofu.
A maximum reimbursement of $5,000 per SAU or $5,500 if the SAU sends a child nutrition professional to one of the DOE’s local foods trainings.

The Department of Education’s Child Nutrition program offers virtual and in-person local foods trainings. Participation in these trainings allows SAUs to tap into additional funds within the Local Foods Fund. These trainings are designed to be interactive and give school nutrition staff the confidence and motivation to utilize local ingredients in their school menus. Many of the trainings use recipes from the Harvest of the Month program, a state-wide campaign that helps promote the use of seasonally available local produces in schools and early child-care centers.

To learn more, contact Maine DOE Farm and Sea to School Coordinator Robin Kerber at robin.kerber@maine.gov.

Maine Students Earn Honors at the National History Day

Students from across Maine impressed judges from across the globe in the National History Day (NHD) competition. NHD is an international program focusing on studying and learning history in middle and high schools. Students choose a specific topic that fits in with the year’s theme and lead an extensive research project. NHD culminates in the presenting of the students’ projects to experts from across the field of history. The theme of the 2021 NHD contest was “Communication in History: the Key to Understanding.”

Several Maine students were given the Outstanding Affiliate Award. Jillian Muller, Charlotte McGreevy, and Brittany Carrier from Buckfield Jr./Sr. High school received this award for the documentary they created titled “Communicating with Children: How Fred Rogers Approached Tough Topics with Kids.” Uyen Nguyễn from John Bapst Memorial High school was also awarded for her website “United States Involvement in the Vietnam War: The Impacts of Multimedia ON Mainstream Opinion and U.S. Foreign Policy.”

The highlight of the tournament for the state of Maine was Maya Faulstich, who took second place overall in the Individual Performance category. Maya, an eighth-grader from Frank H. Harrison Middle School in Yarmouth, drew on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to create her project “A Climate Carol.”

Maya’s project illustrates how the Keep America Beautiful campaign in the 1950s-1970s had a lasting negative influence on how the public thinks about trash and litter and highlights how the campaign continues to influence public opinion today. Maya’s second-place finish is the highest place a Maine student has taken in the category of Individual Performance on NHD. Maya’s performance can be watched below. In addition, her research and process can be read here.

The Maine DOE congratulates all students and teachers involved in the competition on such an impressive showing.

More details on the NHD completion can be found on the official press release. Extensive information on Maya’s project can be found in her recent interview.

This article was written by Maine DOE Intern Clio Bersani in collaboration with National History Day in Maine and Yarmouth School Department as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit a story or an idea email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

Reminder: Maine Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) Summer Workshops

Instead of a week-long event this summer, Maine Agriculture In The Classroom (MAITC) will be holding three single day, in-person events focusing on Dairy, Aquaculture, and Wild Blueberries.

Each professional development event for PK – Grade 12 educators will offer 7 contact hours or .7 CEU’s (Total possible = 21 contact hours or 2.1 CEU’s)

Each event will start at 8:30 AM and finish at 4:00 PM. A lite breakfast, snack, and lunch will be provided at each training.

Dairy – Thursday, August 12
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

A full day of resources, lessons, and programs surrounding dairy will be provided by MAITC and the Maine Dairy Nutrition Council. In the afternoon participants will visit dairy farms, including the Flood Farm in Clinton, and experience a day in the life of a dairy farmer! Learn about silage, see a milking parlor, and learn much more about our local dairy farms!

A Day of Aquaculture – Thursday, August 19
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Join MAITC for a day of exploring aquaculture at the picturesque Downeast Institute on Beals Island. We will spend the day exploring aquaculture with hands-on activities, hosted by Dr. Anne Langston Noll. In the morning, topics include aquaculture through history, online resources for production, ocean temperatures, salinity, etc. and an introduction to aquaculture globally, in the U.S. and Maine. Later we will tour the Institute’s working shellfish hatchery, and research facilities, including spawning shellfish and (if successful!) observing fertilization and cell division, and data collection for a real-life research project piloting the farming of sea scallops in ME lobster pounds. Last but not least we will explore resources available for teachers through MAITC and our colleagues at 4H and have the opportunity to try out activities included in the 4H teacher “toolkits”. Please bring your own computer or iPad if you are able. WIFI will be available. Venue: Downeast Institute – 39 Wildflower Lane, Beals, ME 04611

Wild Blueberry Emersion – Friday, August 20
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Our day will begin at the Bluebird Ranch Family Restaurant, 78 Main Street in Machias. After a lite breakfast we will join teacher Eric Brooks for exploration of MAITC Wild Blueberry resources and curricula. Representatives from the Wild Blueberry Commission will host an afternoon tour of local farms and barrens to view harvest, culture, and production of Maine’s official berry! Do you know that Maine produces more wild blueberries than anywhere else in the world? Do not miss this opportunity!

Registration Fees & Information

1 Training – $35
2-Trainings – $60
All 3 Trainings – $75

Download registration form to mail a check

Online registration

Limited space – register early! Pre-Registration only – Deadline August 6, 2021. For more detailed information, including options for accommodations please visit: https://me.agclassroom.org/programs/summer/

Maine Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) is a grassroots program coordinated by the United States Department of Agriculture, and housed at the Maine Department of Agriculture. Our goal is to help students gain a greater awareness of the role of agriculture in the economy and society so that they will become citizens who support wise agricultural policies and local agriculture endeavors.

For more information visit https://me.agclassroom.org/ or contact MAITC at (207) 287-5522 or maitca@maine.gov

SAVE THE DATE: School Resource Officer Summit Aug 10th & 11th

Save the date for the School Resource Officer (SRO) Summit offered both in-person at Windham High School and virtually online. This opportunity is a collaboration between the Maine Department of Education’s Maine School Safety Center, the Maine Department of Corrections, Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group, and Restorative Justice Project Maine.

The summit will be held from 9:00am – 4:30pm on August 10th and 11th (doors open at 8:15am for check-in). Coffee and pastries will be served as well as a lunch for in-person participants. This opportunity is available to Maine school resource officers as well as district and school administrators, staff, and educators.

Key Note Addresses:

August 10th – Restorative Justice Board: A Showcase of Options for Thinking about RJ and Community Impact

August 11th – Lt. Carlos Camacho, Nashua, NH Police Department

Breakout Topics:

Racial Disparity & Equality
MOUs
EOPs
Social Emotional Learning
Behavioral Threat Assessment
Adverse Childhood Experiences 101 &102
Effective Police Interactions with Youth /Mirror Mirror Project

Registration link and further information will be forthcoming for both in person and virtual options.

Download the SAVE THE DATE flyer here.

For further questions, contact the Maine School Safety Center.

Promoting Public Pre-K Through Partnerships—A Technical Assistance Series

The Early Learning Team at the Maine Department of Education (DOE), in partnership with Governor Mills’ Children’s Cabinet, is pleased to announce a new technical assistance opportunity focused on building Public Pre-K and Community Partnerships. This 3-part series will focus on partnerships between public school administration units (SAUs) and community providers, such as private center and home-based childcares and Head Start programs. The series will:

Explore the benefits of partnering,
Examine common misconceptions about partnerships,
Identify successful steps for navigating potential barriers of partnerships, and;
Outline how to start the process of forming partnerships to establish high-quality Public Pre-K opportunities for children in Maine.

These sessions will be approximately 60 minutes each, with 45-minutes of content followed by time for questions from attendees. The sessions will be provided through Zoom and will be recorded and posted for future viewing.

Sessions are scheduled as follows:

Session 1, Wednesday August 4th from 12-1pm: Overview of High-Quality Partnerships
Session 2, Wednesday August 11th from 12-1pm: Panel Discussion with Experts in the Field Currently Engaged in Community Partnerships
Session 3, Wednesday August 18th from 12-1pm: Building a Partnership: Where to Begin

Attendees are asked to pre-register here.

For questions and clarifications, please contact:

Early Childhood Specialist: Nicole.madore@maine.gov
State Head Start Collaboration Director: Nena.m.cunningham@maine.gov
Early Childhood Monitor: Marcy.r.whitcomb@maine.gov

WAVES Summer Camp Esports Week: Calling All Maine Teens!

You may have heard from us back in June about WAVES Virtual Summer Camp. Since then we’ve connected with PlayVS, a safe online platform already being used by existing Maine school-based E-sports teams! We’ve adapted our E-sports week programming so Maine teens can join exciting E-sports tournaments, called July Jam, which PlayVS is hosting July 13, 14 and 15. We are eager to connect teens across Maine to prep and practice and then engage in the tournaments. Maine teens can hop onto the PlayVS platform this summer as individuals. It’s sort of like summer ball! Registration deadline for PlayVS July Jam is July 11. Check out PlayVS July Jam and register if you’re interested!

League of Legends and Rocket League are the games offered for PlayVS July Jam and the practice sessions. You are welcome to join practices and/or July Jam, whatever works for you! Practices will be hosted by esteemed E-sports coach Frank Rapp (Brewer School District). All programming is offered July 13, 14 and 15. Maine Teens’ Prep and Practice are fun and informal. The schedule is as follows:

Offering	Time	Practice Link
Rocket League	12:00-1:00	Rocket League with Maine teens here!
League of Legends	1:00-2:00	League of Legends with Maine teens here!

PlayVS’s July Jam Esports Tournaments will occur on the same days, July 13, 14 and 15, during these times:

Rocket League: 3:30

League of Legends: 4:00

Maine teens are welcome to participate in any and all offerings. Remember, to be a part of July Jam, teens must register by July 11 here: PlayVS July Jam.

Again, make sure you enroll by July 11 if you’d like to be a part of the tournament. You are welcome to join practices with Maine teens regardless, but we don’t want you to miss the deadline if you’d like to be a part of this safe and exciting E-sports tournament, which is open to interested teens nation-wide!

Educators are welcome and encouraged to incorporate WAVES Summer Camp into their students’ summer programming. Please do not hesitate to reach out to WAVES Project Director Sarah Woog (sarah.woog@maine.gov) to get involved.

Stay tuned for WAVES Virtual Summer Camp Weeks 2, 3, and 4- Design Thinking, Communicating for Impact, and Arts Weeks! And encourage your teen students to register here for WAVES Virtual Summer Camp and email updates.

School Renovation Funding Available

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is accepting applications to receive funding for school renovation projects through the School Revolving Renovation Fund (SRRF). The application deadline is October 29, 2021.

The Maine DOE will be able to approve approximately $45 million in SRRF loans. A portion of each loan will be considered a grant and will be forgiven. The remaining portion will be paid back over either five or ten years with no interest. The maximum loan amount is limited to $1 million per school building per priority in any five-year period.

Applications for “Priority One” and “Priority Two” projects will be accepted. Eligible Priority One projects will receive funding preference over Priority Two projects.

Priority One projects include indoor air quality improvement, structural roof repair, hazardous material abatement or removal, ADA compliance upgrades, and other health, safety and compliance renovations.
Priority Two SRRF projects include school building structures, windows and doors, and water and septic systems.

The SRRF 2022 application and additional information are available on the Maine DOE’s SRRF website. For more information or technical assistance, contact Ann Pinnette at (207) 624-6885 or email ann.pinnette@maine.gov.

Upcoming Lead Testing: Fall 2021

During the 129th Legislative Session LD 153 was passed, requiring that all school drinking and cooking water fixtures be tested for lead. The rules responsive to this statute were passed in a resolve of the current legislative session, LD 206 An Act to Strengthen Lead Testing in Maine Schools.

In accordance with the resolve, a pilot program will be launched this summer and eventually be rolled out to all schools during the 2021-2022 school year and beyond.

All schools will either need to work with their local water professional or use the provided training materials to identify water sampling locations, collect water samples, coordinate with the designated laboratory, report results, and follow up with plans/procedures/actions based on the sampling results. Schools should designate someone for this responsibility.

Watch for future correspondence from the Maine Drinking Water Program including more detailed information and instructions including webinars. For more information, please visit the Maine Drinking Water Program website at www.medwp.com/schools.html

In the meantime, if you have specific questions about the program, you can contact the Drinking Water Program at 207-287-2070.

June Wabanaki Conference Pays Tribute to 20th Anniversary of LD 291

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) hosted close to 100 educators on Saturday, June 12th for a morning-long virtual recognition event that paid tribute to the 20th anniversary of the signing of LD 291, a requirement for the teaching of Wabanaki history and culture in Maine classrooms.

“While we understand that there is still a lot of work to be done, it was important to recognize that 20 years ago this important legislation was signed,” said Joe Schmidt, Maine DOE Coordinator of Secondary Learning and Social Studies Specialist. Schmidt helped plan the June conference. “We carefully planned this event to both look to the past, recognizing how we got here, and to the present and future by providing meaningful resources to support relevant, robust, and inclusive education for our students here in Maine.”

The conference opened with a video message from Governor Janet T. Mills, remarks from Maine Commissioner of Education Pender Makin, and a keynote by LD 291 legislative sponsor, Honorable Donna Loring and featured three strands of virtual, synchronous professional learning opportunities:

Opening Remarks:	Video Message from Governor Mills View Message	Commissioner Makin & Honorable Donna Loring View Recording
Strand 1 – Wabanaki People and Culture:	Intro to MicMac Language Presenter: John Dennis View Recording	Maine Indian Policy History, Racism, and the Future of Wabanaki Tribal Sovereignty Presenter: Darren Ranco View Recording	Wabanaki Diplomacy and LD 291: Storying Protocols as Political Will Presenter: Nolan Altvater View Recording
Strand 2 – Classroom Resources:	Wabanaki Stories in Your Secondary Classroom Presenter: Margo Lukens & Ashton Carmichael View Recording	Wabanaki Studies in the Elementary classroom Presenter: Brianne & Kaya Lolar View Recording	Resources to extend knowledge of Wabanaki Culture and History Presenter: Melanie Brown View Recording
Strand 3 – Decolonization:	Towards Decolonizing Education: Settler Colonialism and Empire Building in the Classroom Presenter: Starr Kelly View Recording	Equity, Decolonization, Anti-Racism and Wabanaki Studies: Portland Public Schools’ Journey to Fulfill the 2001 Wabanaki Studies Law Presenter: Fiona Hopper View Recording	Decolonial Mirrors & Shifting the Gaze to Anti-Racist Education Presenter: Rebecca Sockbeson View Recording

Further resources from each of the presentations are available on the 2021 Wabanaki Conference webpage. The webpage also features a video message from Senator Angus King recognizing the importance the 20th anniversary of L.D. 291 and the integration of Wabanaki history and culture in Maine education.

The Maine DOE has also recently collaborated with UMaine and other state organizations on a grant to support enhanced access, utilization of Wabanaki resources and provided interactive workshops hosted by Wabanaki REACH, in addition to many other professional learning opportunities offered by Department specialists and partners throughout the past several years to assist and support schools across Maine in understanding L.D. 291 and integrating Wabanaki culture and history into education programming.

Further Wabanaki education resources and contacts can be found on the Maine Department of Education Maine Native Studies Resources webpage

We look forward to working with schools, tribes, and education partners throughout Maine to expand these important efforts. For more information or to make a connection with the Maine DOE, reach out to Joe Schmidt at Joe.Schmidt@maine.gov.