The Maine Department of Education Morale Team recently created two venues designed to send a child to camp this summer. The first fundraising event was the “Pick a Stick” game where employees selected a Popsicle stick bearing a dollar amount which the employee then donated in the hopes of winning a jackpot. The winner of that game kindly donated the jackpot winnings back to the cause.
Category: Newsroom Articles
Truancy data reminder for administrators
The Department is reminding school administrators to review student truancy data after the last day of school, but no later than June 30. Superintendents are required to validate and certify truancy data at the end of the current school year.
OSEP memo regarding children residing in nursing homes
On April 26, 2016 the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSEP) issued a “Dear Colleague” letter regarding the special education rights and responsibilities surrounding children residing in nursing homes. Education administrators are urged to review the contents of this letter and take steps to ensure that their policies and practices are consistent with the requirements and best practices described in it.
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Read to Ride Summer Reading Challenge
Summer vacation is a welcome break from the daily school routine for children and parents alike, but the summer months can be a significant interruption to students’ learning if young minds are not kept active while school is out of session. Summer learning loss is a well-documented phenomenon, particularly with respect to reading achievement. Students can lose up to three months of reading progress during the summer. When all of the summers in a child’s PK-8 school career are combined, this can result in 1-2 years of lost reading progress.
Beyond The Basics in Suicide Prevention Conference
A nationally recognized speaker applauded Maine last week for taking a proactive approach when it comes to suicide prevention. You can read more about the State’s strategic plan in action here. Featured at the conference were two sessions focused on school strategies and supports.
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Career & Technical Education students honored
Twenty six Career and Technical Education students were honored last month at the Lewiston Regional Technical Center’s Culinary Arts building. Each of the CTE Centers in Maine selected a “Student of The Year.” Over 200 family, friends, CTE faculty and Directors attended.
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Teachers in celebration
Teacher appreciation week saw celebrations across the state and in our nation’s capital, in particular, for Maine’s 2016 Teacher of the Year.
County Teachers of the Year in waiting
Maine is now in its third year of recognizing County Teachers of the Year, a program that includes the selection of 15 awardees this year, leading up to the selection of Maine’s Teacher of the Year. On Friday, Maine’s 2016 County Teachers of the Year will be announced at a ceremony at the State House Hall of Flags.
A day at work
Maine Department of Education staff participated in the annual Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day on Thursday, April 28. Our children learned about what we do, experienced the State House complex, and all were in awe of the healthy, creative snacks made by the Department’s nutrition specialist, Chef Andy Hutchins and his daughter.
School librarian receives award
The Maine Department of Education along with the Maine Association of School Librarians presented an award to the Old Town Elementary School Librarian recently.
Maine DOE Newsroom 