Maine DHHS Announces Winners of Kids COVID-19 Vaccination Video Contest

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), in partnership with the Maine Department of Education (DOE), today announced the winners of the video competition for Maine children to encourage COVID-19 vaccination.

DHHS and DOE announced the contest on November 3, inviting Maine youth ages 5 to 17 to submit 30-second videos that they believed would encourage other children, along with their parents, to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

The winners are:

1st place: Renée Morin (sophomore), Olie Saywell (sophomore), Hunter Roberts (junior, created original score), Ian Kruger (senior, camera operator); The New School (high school), Kennebunk
2nd place: Spencer Michalski (8th grade), homeschooled, Columbia
3rd place: Natalie Waters (6th grade), Lincoln Middle School, Portland

The winning entries can be viewed here:

“Congratulations to the winners of our Maine Kids COVID-19 Vaccination Video Contest, who displayed creativity, conviction, and courage in their submissions,” said DHHS Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew and Maine CDC Director Nirav D. Shah. “We’re grateful to every Maine child and teenager who submitted an entry – they are all public health champions. Thanks to people like them, Maine is quickly getting enough students vaccinated to begin returning to more normal ways of learning and having fun.”

“Getting back to normal and doing our part to end the pandemic inspired us to submit to the contest,” said the first-place team from The New School. “By spreading awareness and empowering fellow young people with facts about vaccination, helping younger Mainers to not be afraid, and using skills we learned in video production, we hoped to contribute to positive public health messaging.”

“My plunge into the frigid water was worth the sacrifice for the greater good,” added Olie Saywel.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is promoting the winning videos on social media.

Additionally, first-place winner The New School will receive $50,000; second -place winner Spencer Michalski selected Downeast Audubon as the nonprofit to receive the $25,000 second-place prize to fund summer camp scholarships; and third-place winner Lincoln Middle School will receive $10,000.

Schools can use the winnings to supplement school meals with healthy treats; purchase playground, classroom, gym, sports, or music equipment; enhance a special school activity; or support a school field trip for all students.

Over 50 submissions were reviewed, without identifying information, by a committee comprised of DHHS, CDC and DOE staff members. The selection criteria included originality and clarity of the message, consistency with public health information on youth vaccination, and potential to reach unvaccinated groups, among others.

Children could produce the video submissions on their own or as part of a school activity. Participation was limited to Maine residents.

The prize winnings are supported by the Federally funded Coronavirus Relief Fund at Maine DHHS, which was the source of funds for previous COVID-19 vaccine incentive programs in Maine.

The video competition is part of Maine DHHS and Maine CDC’s broader plan to support vaccination of children ages 5 to 11. Nearly 29% of Maine children ages 5 to 11 have received at least a first dose of vaccine, nearly double the national average of 14.7 percent and ranking Maine third in the nation, according to the U.S. CDC.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is available for children 5 to 11 years old in a two-dose series, and is administered in a lower dose than the vaccine for adolescents and adults.

COVID-19 vaccines are available at no charge at sites across the state. For information on getting a vaccine, please visit Maine.gov/covid19/vaccines or call the Community Vaccination Line at 1-888-445-4111.

WEBINAR: COVID-19 Vaccines for School-Aged Children: What Parents and Families Should Know

Please join the U.S. Department of Education and National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement for an informational webinar following the approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech age 5-11 vaccine.

Thursday, December 9, 2021
At 8:00PM EST

This is a such special time of year, and this year, we all have one more thing to be grateful for: Kids ages 5 to 11 are now eligible to get vaccinated. The vaccine is safe and effective, specifically formulated for young kids. And getting your child vaccinated is the best way to keep them safe from COVID, including the Delta variant. This is great news for parents and families.

During the webinar, esteemed panelists including United States Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten along with representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics will address common concerns and worries among parents and families about the COVID-19 vaccine for their child(ren) ages 5-11.

Parents are invited to submit questions about the vaccine on the registration form. Pre-submitted questions will help plan the content of the session. Time will also be reserved for live questions and answers at the end of the event.

Register in advance for this meeting here!

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. For further information please contact cdchealthyschools@cdc.gov or visit https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/

Maine Virtual Career Fair Coming in March 2022

The Maine Community Coordinators Collaborative (C3) in partnership with the Maine Department of Education and the Association of Computer and Technology Educators (ACTEM) will host its second annual statewide Virtual Career Fair the week of March 21 – 25 with the live sessions happening March 22 – 23, 2022. Last spring, C3 connected thousands of high school students with more than 100 Maine companies, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits. Regardless of their geographic location, the students were able to explore the numerous career offerings throughout the state. This year, the ME Virtual Career Fair will be open to ALL middle schools, high schools and CTE schools throughout the state.

“It is never too early to help students explore the exciting career possibilities that await them, and the new innovative use of virtual experiences for a career fair means connecting more students with more opportunities,” said Commissioner of Education Pender Makin. “I encourage all middle and high school students, with support from their schools and families, and all businesses who are looking to expand their workforce and tap into the talents that exist in our classrooms, to get involved with this exciting event.”

Made possible with a generous grant from Unum, the ME Virtual Career Fair will be available free of charge to students or schools requiring financial assistance.

“The students participating in the ME Virtual Career Fair will soon be an active part of the workforce. Providing an early look into careers and professional connections can help them choose a field they are passionate about,” said Cary Olson Cartwright, Unum’s assistant vice president of corporate social responsibility. “Unum is glad to relieve some of the financial barriers and provide equitable pathways to success for students across our state.”

Sign-up to join the ME Virtual Career Fair mailing list and be notified when school registrations open in January 2022. Please email Sheree Inman and Justine Carlisle, Event Co-Chairs at mevirtualcareerfair@gmail.com with any questions.

A Reminder: Annual Audit Reports Due December 30th

Annual audit reports are due within six months after the end of the audit period (e.g., reports for the fiscal year ending June 30th are due on or before December 30th).

Per statute, the auditor is required to review the audit with the school board.
Per statute, it is the school board’s responsibility to submit the annual audit document unless it is stated in the engagement letter that the audit firm will submit the audit to the Department on behalf of the school board.
Municipal school units are required to submit either a combined (school and municipal as one document) annual audit or a school department audit and a municipal audit to the Department. The municipal annual report (a.k.a. town report) cannot be accepted in lieu of the complete municipal annual audit.
Per statute, Maine DOE must receive a Schedule of Expenditure of Federal Awards(SEFA), which includes federal award expenditures for all reporting entities, even if a Single Audit (formerly A-133 audit) is not required to be conducted. The SEFA provides information needed by Maine DOE to conduct sub-recipient monitoring as required by the US Department of Education and is due at the time of the annual audit.

In municipal school units where a combined audit is not conducted, Maine DOE should receive two audits: an audit with a SEFA for the school department, and an audit for the city/town including a SEFA.

If a management letter is prepared by the auditor, a copy must be submitted to Maine DOE with the annual audit, as this letter provides us with information needed to conduct sub-recipient monitoring, as required by US DOE.

Extensions and Subsidy Payments

If an extension or exception is needed for the deadline to submit either the municipal or school department audit, the superintendent must contact the Department to request the extension.
The forms are available on the Fiscal Review and Compliance webpage, under forms on the menu bar.

Initial extension requests will be for a period of 2 months, and 30 days thereafter.
Extension requests will be considered until June 30th (six months after due date); extensions will not be valid after June 30th and all municipalities and school administrative units with overdue audits which have not submitted an extension request before May 31^thmay have a delay in subsidy release. Those who have not submitted an extension request will have subsidy withheld until addressed.

Please submit all annual audit documents, reports, information requests, questions and other audit correspondence via email to DOE.Audit@Maine.gov.

Educators Honored at Outdoor Teacher of the Year Tailgate Gala

(Pictured: 2021 County Teachers of the Year)

The Maine Teacher of the Year Program hosted an outdoor celebration last month to honor its 2021 Maine County Teachers of the Year and the 2022 Maine Teacher of the Year. This is the second year that the program has hosted the event with an outdoor afternoon celebration in lieu of a traditional indoor evening gala in an effort to gather attendees safely.

Meet the County Teachers of the Year:

Hosted in Lewiston outdoor at Geiger, a longtime supporter of the Maine Teacher of the Year Program, the celebration featured lunch provided by Lewiston Regional Technical Center’s Green Ladle Food Truck, an awards ceremony, and remarks from partners, supporters, and 2022 Maine Teacher of the Year Kelsey Stoyanova.

Event attendees included the 2021 Maine County Teachers of the Year and Maine’s 2022 Teacher of the Year Kelsey Stoyanova, who were each accompanied by friends and family members. Also in attendance were representatives from the Maine Department of Education, including deputy Commissioner Dan Chuhta who offered remarks, representatives from the Maine County and State Teacher of the Year Association (MCSTOYA), legacy County and State Teachers of the Year, and members of the Maine State Board of Education.

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows was also an honorary guest, carrying on the annual tradition of graciously presenting Maine’s signature license plate to the 2022 Teacher of the Year, Kelsey Stoyanova.

Cindy Soule, 2021 Maine Teacher of the Year

Peter Geiger, Maine State Board of Education

2022 Maine Teacher of the Year Kelsey Stoyanova (left), Maine Department of Education Deputy Commissioner Dan Chuhta (right)

2022 Maine Teacher of the Year Kelsey Stoyanova (left), Secretary Shenna Bellows (Right)

2022 Maine Teacher of the Year Kelsey Stoyanova

The event was made possible by the impeccable planning of Educate Maine, the Maine County and State Teacher of the Year Association (MCSTOYA), and the Maine Department of Education.

The Teacher of the Year Program is generously sponsored by: Bangor Savings Bank, Dead River, Geiger, Hannaford, the Maine State Lottery, Unum, and the Silvernail Family. For more information about the Maine Teacher of the Year program, visit: https://www.mainetoy.org/

Summer Institute for Elementary Teachers: Identity and Multilingualism through Picture Books

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is sponsoring a two-week summer institute designed for K-3 elementary teachers, “Identity and Multilingualism through Picture Books.” The institute will focus on pedagogical approaches to language learning through an equity lens.

All details about the application process, logistics, and program facilitators can be found on this site: https://earlyidentityandlanguage.org

For additional questions, contact co-directors Krista Aronson (karonson@bates.edu) and Margaret Boyle (mboyle2@bowdoin.edu).

Rumford Elementary Hosts Pre-Thanksgiving Day Parade

For a while, the worldwide pandemic halted much of schools’ in-person connections with families. So they learned to do it differently. They zoomed. They called. They drove to houses. They made videos. But there’s nothing like the joy of coming together as a learning community.

Recently, the Rumford Elementary School staff hosted a “Pre-Thanksgiving Day Parade,” complete with inflatables, decorations, giveaways, staff dressed as story book characters, and even an optional visit with Santa. Local community groups such as the Rumford Public Library, Team Long Run, Western Foothills Kids Association and the Greater Rumford Community Center joined in on the fun.

“It takes a village!” said Rumford Elementary School Principal, Jill Bartash.

As families walked through the “parade,” the joy reflected in their faces filled everyone with a little sense of normalcy and a great sense of love and pride, reinforcing how much our school communities matter.

Report of Adult Education (EF-M-39B) – Opened November 22, Due by December 15

Currently the EF-M-39 Report of Adult Education is open for submissions through the NEO Student Data Module. The report is a resident-based aggregate count of students aged 16 to 20 who live within the boundaries of a school administrative unit (SAU), are no longer enrolled in regular education classes, and are taking academic courses through a Maine Adult Education program, but not necessarily through the SAU in which they reside.

School Administrative Units are asked to report the number of students, and the number of courses and credits taken.

Who Needs to Report:

All public SAUs, excluding public charter schools, must complete the report, even if there are no pupils to report. Please note that the individual SAU member entities of an AOS and school unions must report separately. SAUs whose students attend a regional Adult Education programs must report the number of resident students who attend the regional Adult Education program.

To Complete the Form, go to:

https://neo.maine.gov/DOE/NEO/studentdata

Once logged into the NEO system,navigate to Student Data. If you do not have NEO credentials, please have your Superintendent submit a Access Request Form to the Maine DOE Data HelpDesk.

Enter the total number of students (between the ages of 16-20) enrolled in adult education
Enter the total number of courses
Enter the total number of credits

The Data Collection and Reporting (DC&R) Calendar lists all reports due to Maine DOE.

The accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of the data sent for this report has a direct correlation to the subsidy that your SAU may receive.

Questions: Contact the MEDMS Helpdesk at (207) 624-6896 or medms.helpdesk@maine.gov .

ADMINISTRATIVE LETTER: IEP REQUIREMENTS FOR OUT-OF-UNIT PLACEMENTS

Administrative Letter: 28
Policy Code: IHBEA
To: School Administrative Unit (SAU) Administrators, Special Purpose Private School Administrators and Public Regional Program Administrators
From: Pender Makin, Commissioner
Date: November 24, 2021
Subject: IEP Requirements for Out-of-Unit Placements

In Maine, before an IEP Team decides to place a student with a disability in an out-of-unit placement, it shall initiate and convene an IEP meeting to develop an Individualized Education Program for the student. The IEP developed will reflect the Team’s program design to meet the student’s needs and will include goals for the student’s growth in the areas of concern. The IEP Team shall discuss and document the program components of a placement that will support the IEP developed at this meeting (MUSER IX.3.H). The sending SAU has the administrative responsibility for the education of a student with a disability who has been placed in an out-of-unit placement. Special Purpose Private Schools (SPPS) and other out-of-unit entities must ensure compliance with IDEA, utilizing the IEP team process and maintaining “stay put” in the event of a dispute (34 CFR §300.518).

The Department is concerned that some School Administrative Districts, SPPS, and Public Regional Programs believe that the language of MUSER XI.3.I allows a receiving out-of-unit placement to remove a student with a disability from school for any reason, without utilizing the IEP Team process, and without maintaining ‘stay put” in the event of a dispute. MUSER IX.3.I requires a receiving placement to ensure compliance with “these rules and the Individuals with Disabilities Act.” While the Department views this language to cover the requirements for a change of placement, and for stay put, it is clear that some School Administrative Districts, SPPS, and Public Regional Programs have not operated with this understanding.

After consulting with counsel, the Department has determined that SPPS and other out-of-unit placements are not in compliance with IDEA when they terminate a student’ s placement without going through the IEP process. Maine will enforce the federal standard of using the IEP process in the change of placement. Effective immediately, All SAUs must notify the SPPS and out-of-unit placements that in order to continue these placements, they must abide by the federal standard and provide FAPE to eligible students who are placed at SPPS and other out-of-unit placements. The MUSER reference can be found here:

MUSER IX.3.I Revision of Out-of-Unit Placements

For more information, contact Erin Frazier, State Director of Special Education Birth to 22, at erin.frazier@maine.gov.

Governor Mills Asks US DOT for Extension on Waiver, Delay in Implementing New Federal Requirements to Ease Bus Driver Shortage

The impacts of the national employment market are being felt deeply in schools across our state as they try to hire people to fill every position needed to safely maintain in-person learning. While all positions remain difficult to fill, the Department of Education recognizes that a lack of bus drivers and substitute teachers are perhaps the most crippling for schools in Maine.

The Department has been working with other agencies within the administration to seek creative or alternative, yet safe, options to address the bus driver shortage. Schools are competing with many industries who are also seeking certified commercial drivers, and additional requirements or restrictions for drivers will not help expand the pool of applicants.

To reduce further impacts, Governor Mills recently sent a letter to United States Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, asking for a delay in the implementation of additional federal requirements for school bus drivers, as well as an extension to the waiver of a wait period for testing. It is the hope of the administration that barriers can be reduced while collaborative and creative solutions to support Maine schools are sought. The letter in its entirety can be read, here.

If you or someone you know may have an interest in making a difference in the lives of Maine’s children, please consider contacting your local or nearby school to learn how you can become a substitute teacher or bus driver.