Oak Hill High School Art Teachers Gets Innovative to Ensure Students get an Art Show

Kirsten Arndt is without a doubt one of the best art teachers in the state of Maine. Her classes are overflowing with aspiring artists who are drawn to her compassionate and supportive nature. We have so much interest we often have a waiting list for students to get in.

One or two times a year Kirsten, with the help of her students, put together an art show hosted at Oak HIll HIgh School. Unfortunately, with the onset of the pandemic, like everything else, changes to the art show had to be made. Kirsten jumped at the chance to do the art show in a different format. Ms. Arndt compiled a number of works from her students and put them together in a video presentation.

We put the presentation out through email and our Oak Hill High School Facebook page and received such a positive response we wanted to share it with you. The presentation is a testimony to Ms. Arndt’s dedication to her students and her craft.

Submitted by Marco E. Aliberti, Principal of Oak Hill High School 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.

Portland High School Students Adjust to Internships With Remote Learning

About 40 Portland High School students were on track to complete internships in the community in fields such as education, the arts, trades, social justice, veterinary, nursing, athletics, architecture, and social services when COVID-19 hit. Since students were no longer able to do internships in person, students participated in many remote career-exploratory activities such as informational interviews with college students and industry professionals, resume writing, cover letter writing, online job preference assessments, and identifying their values in relation to work.

One of these students is senior Alexiis Fiore, who before COVID-19 interned in Sheila Hayward’s classroom at Lyseth Elementary School. When asked to describe how the internship program impacted her she said:

“The overall internship program was very beneficial, and is a great resource I think more students need to take advantage of. It provides real world experience and can help you find your path in life. It’s not just going to a work-space and gaining experience, but learning the skills you are going to need to help you succeed in life, such as how to create a resume, cover letter, how to apply for a job, etc.”

Like we see with many internship students, because of this internship Alexiis solidified her career path of wanting to become a secondary math teacher. She shared the following about her learning:

“I was able to learn a lot of things, such as how to interact with children in a classroom setting, how to get them focused and calm down, and how to redirect them to the task at hand without dismissing them. Most importantly, I was able to learn that teaching is definitely what I want to pursue as my career. It was also helpful because as much as I love the little ones, I realized I might want to pursue a degree in secondary education instead of elementary education because I would like to teach more higher-level math.”

We are grateful to all of our community and business partners who make this internship program possible. If your student or business would like to participate in the PHS internship program next year, please contact Andrea Levinsky, Extended Learning Opportunities Coordinator at levina@portlandschoos.org.

This article was submitted by Andrea Levinsky, Extended Learning Opportunities Coordinator (Portland High School) at Portland Public Schools as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit a story or an idea, email Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

Get to Know the DOE Team: Meet Colene O’Neill

Maine DOE team member Colene O’Neill is being highlighted this week as part of the Get to Know the Maine DOE Team Campaign. Learn a little more about Colene in this brief question and answer.

What are your roles with DOE?

I work on the Special Services team at DOE. Day to day I support the State Director and the entire team with various administrative tasks and legislative bill monitoring. I also support special education directors and educators across the state with local entitlement grant questions, questions regarding regulations and fielding other calls and emails.

What do you like best about your job?

I like that I do something different every day. From working on a team helping to rewrite regulations, to setting up and working with multiple calendars to facilitate meetings and trainings or scheduling interviews for the hiring process. I enjoy being involved in the internal policy committee and the morale team at DOE.

How or why did you decide on this career?

I have a business background and have always been on the administrative side of business office management, human resources and technology. I spend 12 years as a bookkeeper for a school district and was pleased to be able to apply that knowledge to my current position.

What do you like to do outside of work for fun?

One of my passions has always been cooking and entertaining. I own a catering business and love helping people celebrate life’s events with food. I also love nature walks, yoga, traveling and spending time with my family and friends. I am looking forward to the birth of my first grand baby in November!

Maine’s Community Colleges Offer Free Summer Courses for Maine’s High School Class of 2020

The members of Maine’s high school Class of 2020 are getting an early graduation gift – access to free summer courses at Maine’s community colleges.

Maine students who graduate in 2019/2020 are invited to apply for the free online courses. A student taking two free college courses this summer at a Maine Community College can save between $2,000 and $7,000 in tuition at a four-year college or university.

“The Class of 2020 has lost a lot this spring, from missing out on proms and traditional graduation ceremonies to a disruption of their college and work plans,” said David Daigler, president of the Maine Community College System, in announcing the MCCS Gift to the Class of 2020. “Summer jobs are likely to be in short supply which makes it hard to earn money to help with college expenses and gain valuable work experience. We hope this can save the Class of 2020 significant time and money in reaching their college and career goals. We can’t replace what they have lost, but we can offer to help them keep moving forward.”

Students interested in getting a head start on their college career will be eligible to choose from online college-level classes in English, math, sciences, languages, psychology, history, digital photography, creative writing, and more.

More information is available at https://www.mccs.me.edu/class-gift-2020/, where students can connect with a college navigator to explore course options and get help registering for classes.

About 13,000 Maine students will graduate from high school this spring, and about 60 percent – or 8,000 students – are expected to enroll in college this fall. The MCCS Gift to the Class of 2020 is an invitation to all graduates to explore their interests and potential.

Maine’s seven community colleges provide education and training to over 27,000 individuals each year and offer nearly 300 degree and certificate options in over 140 occupational fields. More than 75 percent of those offerings are the only ones of their kind in the state.

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine High School Grads Celebrated As Part of National Telecast Tonight

MEDIA RELEASE

Contact Information: Kelli Deveaux at kelli.deveaux@maine.gov

May 16, 2020

Commissioner of Education Pender Makin is pleased to partner with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and XQ Institute in support of Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020, a one-hour, commercial-free primetime graduation special to be broadcast today, Saturday, May 16. During the broadcast, viewers will be directed to XQ’s new Rethink Together online forum, which will feature specific content for each state, including an amazing congratulatory message from some special guests, and a map of Maine that includes all Maine high schools and the names of their anticipated graduates.

“While this graduation season is like no other, the Class of 2020 shares this experience with 13,800 of their classmates across the State of Maine” said Commissioner Makin. “I am happy to be a part of a national celebration that honors the successes, accomplishments, and resilience of our high school seniors.”

The national telecast will air on Saturday, May 16 at 8 p.m. Eastern/Pacific/7 p.m. Central on more than 30 broadcast and cable networks and streaming services, as well as various social media platforms. Rodney Robinson, the 2019 National Teacher of the Year, joins a list of prominent leaders and entertainers in celebrating the Class of 2020. Led by XQ Institute, The LeBron James Family Foundation, and The Entertainment Industry Foundation, the special is being produced in partnership with a broad coalition of education, philanthropic, and corporate partners. In addition, corporate and philanthropic giving associated with #GraduateTogether will benefit DonorsChoose and America’s Food Fund to help meet student needs in some of our nation’s most underserved and under-resourced communities.

Maine’s webpage can be found here, and be sure to check out the very special message on the page, or here.

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MEDIA RELEASE: Mills Administration Secures WiFi & Learning Devices for 100 Percent of Maine Students Reporting a Need In Face of COVID-19’s Impacts on Schools

AUGUSTA – Governor Janet Mills and Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin announced today that the Maine Department of Education has secured internet access and devices to facilitate at home learning for 100 percent of Maine school children for whom there was a reported need. The success comes as Maine educators have demonstrated extraordinary commitment and creativity in response to the suspension of classroom-based instruction as a result of COVID-19, providing invaluable and meaningful personal connection and assurance to students in a time of great uncertainty. However, it is still difficult for educators to offer equitable online learning opportunities without individual student internet access.

Through a combined effort with the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, ConnectME, and business and philanthropic entities, the Maine Department of Education (Maine DOE) has acquired 14,494 service contracts through three different service providers, nearly all of which are for WiFi-enabled Samsung Galaxy Tablets that can be used as learning tools and hotspots or hotspots only. Through one of the service providers, DOE was also able to order MiFi, a wireless router that acts as a mobile WiFi hotspot, to fulfill internet-only needs. To fulfill the device only needs, Maine DOE was able to order 7,450 Chromebooks.

“The suspension of classroom-based instruction because of the Pandemic has brought on new challenges and we should all be grateful for how Maine’s educators have adapted to provide a quality education to our children,” said Governor Mills. “It is our responsibility to ensure that Maine’s teachers, and all students, have the tools they need to stay connected during these unprecedented times. These new connections will allow Maine students to do just that and stay engaged remotely with their school no matter where they live.”

All schools who indicated a need are receiving the information and devices directly from the vendors. Need was assessed by the Department of Education through several surveys of all traditional and non-traditional public schools and private schools who serve public students to understand the connectivity needs statewide. Of the 21,845 students statewide lacking connectivity, based on data from the 75 percent of schools that responded, 14,494 students needed a wireless contract and 7,351 students needed only a device in order to have equitable access to online learning opportunities.

The need for universal connectivity was identified as the top priority of stakeholders across the state in terms of mitigating the impact from the COVID disruption. Teachers have been struggling to connect with the many students and families who do not have access to the internet. A fourth round of surveys has just been completed for schools to report student connectivity needs, and DOE is working now to fulfill this final round of requests. In addition, the department has reached out to both higher education institutions and adult education programs to determine their student connectivity needs.

“This pandemic and the educational disruption brought to light the extreme inequities that exist across our state,” said Commissioner Makin. “The emergency provision of connectivity to all students allows for educational continuity, and I am grateful to our team for their strategic and efficient execution of this enormous effort.”

The Administration utilized federal funds, including a portion of Maine’s $9.3 million allocation from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund, which was allocated through the federal CARES Act, as well as philanthropic donations, to purchase the devices and wireless service contracts to meet the identified need for universal connectivity for Maine students.

FMI: contact Kelli Deveaux, Director of Communications at kelli.deveaux@maine.gov

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Scheduled System Upgrade: NEO Unavailable from 3pm on 5/15 through 5/17

As part of a scheduled outage, NEO will not be available to users starting at 3pm on Friday May 15th to allow the Department to complete a system upgrade to new servers. NEO will be back and open for business on Monday morning, May 18th.

For questions or concerns, please contact Katherine Warren, Education Data Systems Manager at Maine Department of Education katherine.warren@maine.gov

Nominations are being accepted for the 2020 MAHPERD Teacher of the Year Awards

Nominations are being accepted for the 2020 Maine Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (MAHPERD) Teacher of the Year awards.

Maine educators in the following categories are eligible for consideration:

Elementary Physical Education Teacher,
Middle Level Physical Education Teacher
Secondary Physical Education Teacher
Adapted Physical Education Teacher
Health Education Teacher (All levels)
Recreation Teacher/Leader, and Dance Teacher

There are many deserving teachers throughout the State of Maine and MAHPERD would like to be able to recognize more of those individuals.

Click here for more information regarding eligibility, nomination criteria and to access the nomination form. Nominations are due by May 30^th and completed applications are due by June 30^th.

For more information contact Liz Hemdal at mahperdawards@gmail.com, MAHPERD Awards chairperson, before May 30^th.

RSU 14 Senior Spotlight: “This is How I was Raised”

Every year around this time RSU 14 starts to highlight the Senior class and their achievements as they take their next steps down the career paths they’ve chosen. But Austin Merkle is an example of one Senior who hasn’t waited for graduation to take solid steps towards his goals.

Austin has actually been pursuing his career since before high school, starting his work as a Junior Firefighter six years ago. Austin chose this path in order to follow in the footsteps of his father, who has been a firefighter for more than two decades and who he credits for giving him the desire to be a firefighter as a career path.

“I was raised to work hard and do what I can to help others,” Austin says, “This is a dangerous job that is hard on your body. It takes a lot of heart and a lot of commitment and a lot of training, but I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Austin has taken every opportunity over the last 6 years to dig into his passion for firefighting, participating in dozens of trainings to help hone his skills. Even tasks that seem incredibly simple require specific training under the types of circumstances firefighters are often in.

“One of the most important things you learn early on is how to breathe correctly,” Austin says, “ When I first started I could burn through our ½ hour tanks in 10 minutes. But firefighters use a technique called ‘skip breathing’ to conserve oxygen.”

Austin’s training didn’t stay with the basics. Over the years, he has done everything from Search and Rescue training to training in car extractions and ice water rescues, dedicating hundreds of hours to becoming the best firefighter he can be.

So while many students are planning for future careers right now, Austin’s career isn’t in the future at all.

Austin Merkle is living out his career, right now, as a firefighter.

This story was submitted by Lanet Hane, Director of Community Connections, RSU 14 as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit a story or an idea, email Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

MLTI Virtual Student Conference to Feature New “Innovation Challenge” – Registration Open!

The Maine Department of Education is excited to share that the registration for the much anticipated Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) student conference is open. The conference will be held on May 28th, in virtual format, and it is FREE to Maine students!

Registration for the 2020 MLTI Virtual Student Conference is open until 5/22/20. The Conference will take place online on Thursday, May 28^th from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

The 2020 conference theme, “Looking Backward, Looking Forward,” draws inspiration from Maine’s bicentennial. The event will feature an “Innovation Challenge” that fosters research, design, and presentation skills for aspiring innovators and motivates them to solve important issues related to Maine’s—and their—future.

Conference sessions have been developed for students in grades 6-12, although students from non-MLTI grades can attend the conference and are welcome to register/attend. Teachers are encouraged to register to observe sessions and/or attend with their students.

Please complete your registration form here. Confirmation is returned when the registration form is successfully submitted. Conference log in and session information, along with preparation requirements, will be emailed directly to registrants no later than 5/27/20.

For more information and the registration link, please visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/ltt/conference or for questions don’t hesitate to reach out to the Conference planning team at mlti.project@maine.gov, and we look forward to seeing you.

Please be sure to register by Friday, May 22^nd! Pass this exciting news along.

Virtual Student Conference Schedule

May 25^th – May 27^th Pre-Conference Activities – Looking Backward
May 28^th – Conference Day Activities
- Live Presentations/Interactive Sessions via an online platform 9:00AM – 3:00PM
- Session categories include Animation, Augmented Reality, Design, Gaming, Music, Productivity, Robotics, Video
- Uber Session: Innovation Challenge “Pitch Competition”
May 28^th – June 1^st – Post-Conference activities – Looking Forward
- Innovation Challenge “Prototype Competition”