Maine Academy of Natural Sciences Offers Learning Tour to Highlight Outdoor and Experiential Learning Opportunities

Are you a middle or high school educator interested in providing more outdoor and experiential learning opportunities to your students? If so, consider attending a Learning Tour at the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences in Hinckley on Wednesday, Nov. 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will highlight the school’s new Maker Space barn and blacksmithing shop, among other features.

In August of 2020, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) received $16.9 million from the U.S. Department of Education’s Rethink K-12 Education Models Grants. Maine was one of 11 states to receive funding and used it to launch the Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) project, a multi-pronged solution with a primary goal of generating innovative remote learning models to provide equitable access to high-quality remote learning opportunities for all students. The RREV Research & Design (R&D) team is continuing the momentum of this work by offering learning tours and fostering peer-to-peer professional learning.

Over a span of four years, 42 school districts in Maine were awarded RREV pilot funding. The Maine Academy of Natural Sciences used its innovative pilot to expand outdoor and experiential learning opportunities with the creation of a barn and a blacksmithing shop. At the Nov. 13 Learning Tour, educators will have an opportunity to see this new Maker Space barn, observe the variety of outdoor and experiential learning opportunities available, watch blacksmithing in action, and talk to teachers and students about their process and experience implementing this innovative pilot.

This Learning Tour is limited to 10 additional Maine educators. If you are interested in joining this tour, please reach out to Elaine Bartley, the RREV R&D Director, at elaine.bartley@maine.gov.

Click here to learn more about other innovative RREV pilots and find a list of upcoming learning tours, available throughout the school year.

Andover Elementary School Students Learn Homesteading Techniques Through New School Garden

Since the spring of 2024, staff members at Andover Elementary School (AES) have been volunteering their time to a large garden project behind the school building. School secretary Amanda Beliveau and teachers Rachael Wyman, Brooke Harris, and Sarah Woodbury have been instrumental in bringing this exciting initiative to fruition.

AES is a small, rural school in western Maine with fifteen staff members and twenty-six students. Several of these staff members have farms of their own and are eager to pass down the traditional skills of gardening and food preparation—including canning—to students. The garden project is designed to embody the school’s vision of AES as place that fosters a positive and personalized learning environment and allows for relationship-building in a respectful and inclusive setting.

Last fall, after getting approval from their school board, Beliveau, Wyman, and Harris applied for a $3,000 Whole Kids Garden Grant through the Whole Kids Foundation to bolster this effort. They were awarded that funding on August 1, 2024, and since then, even more volunteers have stepped forward to help with the garden project.

This fall, as part of their daily classroom routines, AES students have been spending time outside preparing, planting, weeding, and harvesting the garden. That work continues with the Andover After-School Program. AES has purchased garden tools and wheelbarrows for students, and staff members and volunteers are working to build and till twenty raised beds. These will be used for strawberry and raspberry plants, as well as other crops that grow in the spring, like asparagus, dill, and daffodils.

AES hopes that the garden project will eventually include a bird-watching element and a section of pollinator plants to attract more birds and bees to the area. In the future, students will also learn to can and ferment food. Additionally, AES has purchased sewing and knitting machines, and community volunteers are ready to share these additional homemaking skills with students.

Information for this article was provided by Andover Elementary School. To submit good news from your school, fill out the Maine Department of Education (DOE) good news submission form.

Portland High School Students Watch World-Famous Cellist Yo-Yo Ma Rehearse at Merrill Auditorium

On Thursday, Oct. 10, world-famous and Grammy Award-winning cellist Yo-Yo Ma visited Merrill Auditorium for a performance with the Portland Symphony Orchestra, celebrating its 100^th anniversary season. Thanks to some enterprising educators, Portland Public Schools (PPS) high school orchestra students had a unique opportunity to watch Ma rehearse earlier in the day before the concert.

Ashley Terison, an orchestra educator at Lyman Moore Middle School and various elementary schools, spearheaded this unique effort.

“Tickets for the actual concert sold out within minutes, so it is extremely unlikely that students would have had the opportunity to see this performer otherwise,” Terison said.

Other teachers in the PPS orchestra department—Kim Robison, who teaches at King and Lincoln Middle Schools and various elementary schools, and high school orchestra teachers Audrey Cabral and Abby Hutchins—worked with Terison to ask Portland Symphony Education Coordinator McKenzie Blanchard for permission for students to attend the rehearsal. Attendance was approved for all PPS high school orchestra students and their teachers.

“We are extremely grateful to Mr. Ma and the Portland Symphony Orchestra for this extraordinary opportunity for our students,” Cabral said.

Cabral and a PPS music student were interviewed about this opportunity for a story by the Portland Press Herald. You can read more here.

This article was provided by Portland Public Schools. To submit good news from your school, fill out the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) good news submission form.

Teacher Mentor Training: Opportunities for Feedback and Participation

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is committed to supporting the growth and development of educators through teacher mentorship opportunities. The following two opportunities are available for Maine educators to provide feedback about and participate in improving mentorship across our state.

Mentoring in Maine Schools Survey:

Teacher leaders from the 2024 County Teacher of the Year cohort have announced a new initiative called the Mentoring in Maine Schools Survey, aimed at supporting and elevating Maine teachers across all career stages. To help build a strong and effective mentoring network, this cohort is asking for valuable input from all teachers and administrators across Maine. Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey here. If you do so, you will be entered to win one of three $50 Amazon gift cards.

Your responses will help to:

Identify the mentoring needs of Maine teachers,
Develop a comprehensive mentoring program that meets your specific requirements, and
Connect you with potential mentors or mentees.

Thank you in advance for your time and participation. Your feedback is crucial to the success of this project!

The Maine Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year program is administered through a partnership with Educate Maine. For more information about the program, visit http://www.mainetoy.org.

Regional Mentor Training (coming soon):

The Maine DOE is pleased to announce there will be regional mentor training opportunities this school year. Recently, the Maine DOE’s mentor training was updated to include current research and best practices, building upon prior collaborative work with teacher leaders, administrators, and higher education partners. This training will continue to be refined utilizing feedback from the Mentoring in Maine Schools Survey.

Regional mentor training will consist of an initial one-day, in-person session, followed by two virtual two-hour sessions later in the year. This scaffolded approach comes in response to valuable educator feedback and provides a more customized just-in-time learning experience.

Contact hours will be awarded for training. Mentors will also be offered access to a Mentor Community of Practice to network and share resources. Training dates and locations will be announced soon, and the updated resources will be available to school administrative units (SAUs) that wish to provide local support and training to new mentors.

Mentors serve a critical role within their schools, and we appreciate their ongoing dedication to supporting new educators. Current mentors have been crucial to the education profession; each individual mentor has made a significant impact.

Support for new educators through mentoring and induction is a key strategy outlined in the Teach Maine framework to develop, support, and sustain Maine’s education workforce. We are encouraged by and thankful for those educators who enthusiastically become mentors. We are currently developing a refresher course for experienced mentors who are interested in engaging with our new training materials.

If you would like to be notified of mentor training dates, are interested in hosting a regional training, or have any questions, please reach out to Maine DOE Educator Excellence Coordinator Christina O’Neal at christina.l.oneal@maine.gov or 207-441-8461.

Public Comment Period to End Soon for Rule Chapter 132, Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction

On October 1, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) opened public comment on proposed revisions to Rule Chapter 132, Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction (Social Studies MLR). This public comment period is scheduled to conclude on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024 at 5 p.m.

Until that time, the public will have the opportunity to deliver feedback related to the proposed revisions. Written comments may be submitted to Laura Cyr, State House Station #23, Augusta, Maine 04333 or emailed to laura.cyr@maine.gov.

Again, the public has until 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct.31, 2024 to submit comments. Comments submitted after that time will not be included for consideration.

The proposed revisions to Chapter 132 (Social Studies MLR) can be found here: https://www.maine.gov/doe/about/laws/rulechanges

CONTACT PERSON FOR THIS FILING:

Laura Cyr, laura.cyr@maine.gov, 207-446-8791

Nominations Open for Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to announce that nominations are open for the 2024-2025 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science (PAEMST). Every year, this award recognizes up to 110 exemplary teachers nationwide from grades 7-12. It is considered the nation’s highest honors for elementary and secondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teaching.

The PAEMST program was established by Congress in 1983 and is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Each PAEMST awardee receives a $10,000 prize, as well as a commemorative Presidential certificate.

Awardees join a group of more than 5,200 PAEMST alumni. They are also invited to an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. and participate in meetings with STEM education, research, and policy leaders.

Please consider nominating an excellent grade 7-12 educator on the PAEMST website. You may also submit an application for yourself. The deadline to nominate/apply is Thursday, February 6, 2025.

For questions about the program or the nomination process, please contact paemst@nsf.gov or Maine’s PAEMST State Coordinator Michelle Mailhot at michele.r.mailhot@maine.gov.

Applications Due November 15 for Extended Learning Opportunities Expansion 2.0

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking applications from Maine school administrative units (SAUs) and community-based organizations partnering with SAUs for the Extended Learning Opportunities Expansion 2.0. The purpose of this funding is to develop new Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) programs or to expand current ELO programs.

To be eligible, applicants must be an SAU, Career and Technical Education school, Adult Education diploma program, or a community-based organization partnering with a local SAU.

The 2024 ELO Expansion 2.0 Request for Applications (RFA), also known as grants or grant RFA, is available here. (See RFA 202410182.) Applications are due Friday, November 15, 2024.

The Extended Learning Opportunities team at the Maine DOE recently partnered with Black Fly Media to produce a short video that shows the impact of ELOs throughout the state. Watch the video below to hear from ELO coordinators, students, school leaders, and employers as they share about ELOs in their communities!

Maine DOE Launches New Project to Expand the Impact of the Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) Initiative

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) recently launched a new project, designed to continue the work of the Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) initiative. The ongoing goal is to promote systemic change in Maine schools through innovative solutions to various educational challenges.

This new project, RREV Research & Design (R&D), will expand the impact of the original RREV project, which began when the Maine DOE was awarded $16.9 million from the U.S. Department of Education’s Rethink K-12 Education Models Grant. Maine was one of 11 states to receive funding and used it to provide equitable access to high-quality remote learning opportunities for all Maine students through innovative learning models.

RREV R&D will provide the resources, tools, and processes developed during the original grant period to help schools identify challenges and design meaningful and unique solutions at the local level. This might include anything from creating an outdoor learning environment on school grounds to offering new subjects to students to helping students explore future work opportunities and connect more deeply with the greater community.

State Statute allows schools to design and implement innovative systems, and the Maine DOE’s RREV R&D team is available to support schools throughout that process. The RREV R&D team can help current RREV awardees who are still championing the innovative work at their schools, as well as schools that are new to the process and looking to explore it for the first time.

Please visit the RREV – Innovation Research and Design webpage for more information about how to collaborate with the RREV R&D team. You may also reach out to Elaine Bartley, RREV R&D Project Director, at elaine.bartley@maine.gov.

Nominations Open for National LifeChanger of the Year Award

Nominations are now open for the LifeChanger of the Year Award, a national program sponsored by the National Life Group. This award recognizes and rewards K-12 educators and school employees across the country. The goal is to celebrate those who are making a significant difference in students’ lives by exemplifying excellence, positive influence, and leadership.

Click here to learn more about the criteria and to submit a nomination. Anyone may make a nomination, either by name or anonymously.

You can learn more about this program by visiting www.lifechangeroftheyear.com.

St. Croix Regional Technical Center Celebrates Instructor Lauren Remington as a 2024 Marcia Lovell Awardee

The St. Croix Regional Technical Center in Calais is celebrating instructor Lauren Remington as a 2024 Marcia Lovell awardee.

Administered by Maine Roads to Quality, the Marcia Lovell Award honors eight outstanding early childhood practitioners from across Maine every year. Awardees embody innovation in early care and education through the significant contributions they make to the children, families, and communities that they serve.

Remington is a St. Croix Regional Technical Center instructor for the Early Childhood Occupations program. Over the past nine years, she has worked to rebuild this once-dormant program into a thriving Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunity for high school students interested in working in early childhood care settings. Remington carefully trains students by giving them real-life learning experiences and responsibilities through the many connections she has garnered in the Washington County region.

“Lauren is a wonderful teacher and mentor to her students. She gets to know each of her students individually to provide them with the best educational experiences,” said St. Croix Regional Technical Center Director Stanley Sluzenski. “Lauren is also a great team member here at St. Croix Tech, always willing to share her expertise with the rest of the staff.”

You can learn more about Lauren Remington through this Q&A segment by Maine Roads to Quality, published in the August issue of the SHORTcuts newsletter.

What words of wisdom or advice would you give someone starting out in the field?

Some words of wisdom I would give someone starting out in the field is to learn with the children. Being curious and modeling statements such as “I wonder” or “What if “ shows the children you don’t know everything, and you are there to learn with them. The other most important things are to be positive, love what you do, know you are not alone, and take care of yourself.

Is there a favorite quote about children or education?

Maria Montessori once said, “The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the child’s own natural desire to learn.”

What made you choose a career in Early Childhood Education (ECE)?

Ever since I was a young girl, I had a dream of becoming a teacher. You could find me helping out in the church nursery, participating in the babysitting club, or helping out in the local community for families in the summer. I was always being told, ”You are such a natural with kids” and I loved that I felt confident in my work when it came to providing for children and their families.

When I was in college, I was also asked the question of what made me choose a career in ECE and found my reason had changed. As I grew in the field and gained more experience, I found that it wasn’t just about feeling confident in my work but because I loved to watch children learn and thrive. It’s incredibly rewarding to see a little one build a tower with blocks, complete their first puzzle, learn to draw, or laugh with joy as I read a story. As an ECE instructor, I have a front-row seat to all those “I can do it!” moments.

When thinking about this question as the years go on, I find myself often reflecting on this question. I find there isn’t just one answer for me, and there isn’t just one time in my life I can say I chose the career in ECE because it’s a career I continue to choose every morning I wake up. I realize that as the years change, so does my answer, and that’s because it’s a career that is ever-changing, but the one thing that will never change is my love for working with young children.

What are you most proud of in your career?

When reflecting on my career, I can say without hesitation I am most proud of my students. When I started at St. Croix Regional Technical Center nine years ago, the program had been closed for two years, and I was able to start with a blank canvas. In those nine years, a lot has changed, but those changes have come from the motivation my students have given me. No matter if they are current students or former students, they have shown up time after time eager to learn and make a difference in our community. I have added behavior health professional [credentials] into our coursework. I have worked on creating three concurrent agreements with Washington County Community College, and I have also added in two concurrent agreements with the University of Maine in Farmington. We have hosted multiple teddy bear clinics; we have volunteered in the Witches of Eastport Festival; and we have volunteered in the Hokey Pokey Fair. The students accepted and excelled in these changes with a smile on their face every time. Without my students and their readiness to enter the workforce and wanting to always be one step ahead, none of these changes would have been possible.

What are your goals?

My goal is to create an environment where both children and my high school students feel safe and thrive. I want them to look forward to coming to school, explore their interests, and succeed. I currently serve on a Maine CTE grant advisory board, where we aim to bridge Maine Roads to Quality credentials and CTE Early Childhood programs, ensuring our students have the best opportunities for success upon leaving the classroom and entering the workforce, so they are able to provide the best care for the young children in the community.

The Marcia Lovell awardees represent Maine’s eight Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) districts. The full list of 2024 Marcia Lovell awardees is as follows:

District 1: Melisa Elson, Family Child Care
District 2: Leslie Hayes, Town of Bridgton
District 3: Katie Connors, Western Maine Center for Children
District 4: Eva Lowerre, Waterman Community Laugh and Learn Preschool
District 5: Jennifer Stevens, Happy Days Childcare and Learning Center
District 6: Justin Ouellette, Watch Me Shine Inc.
District 7: Lauren Remington, St. Croix Regional Technical Center CTE
District 8: Angeleia Kummer, Little Learners Child Care Preschool

To learn more about the Marcia Lovell Award, contact Maine Roads to Quality.

Information for this article was provided by St. Croix Regional Technical Center. To submit good news about your school to the Maine DOE, fill out our good news submission form.