Partnerships and Free Professional Development to Promote Study of French Language and Culture

The Maine Department of Education has partnered with the Cultural Services of the French Consulate in Boston through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Académie de Nantes to promote French language and cultural programs in the Maine schools, including collaborative projects between schools in France and in Maine. See more information here and contact April Perkins, World Languages & ESOL/Bilingual Programs Specialist, at april.perkins@maine.gov with any questions.

We are also excited to share a few exciting professional learning opportunities provided by the Cultural Services of the French Consulate in Boston and the Maine chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) throughout November.

11.4.21 at 3pm: Virtual Workshop – Incorporating Un village français into the French curriculum

Presenter: Andréa Javel, Distinguished Senior Lecturer of French, Boston College

Description: We will explore the Second World War in occupied France through the ground-breaking series, Un village français. Participants gain insight into key events during that war, from a French perspective. The series provides an unvarnished view of daily life during the war, the early days of the Resistance, and the Shoah. The workshop will include course materials and suggestions for integrating this series into a high school or college foreign language course, as well as for promoting critical thinking about world events. We will discuss underlying research that makes a series an excellent way to build intermediate-level proficiency.

11.18.21 at 3pm: Virtual Workshop – Bringing about an Awareness of Social Justice in the Foreign Language Classroom

Presenter: Andréa Javel, Distinguished Senior Lecturer of French, Boston College

Description: Social and ecological justice are a source of interest for many students of French. Promoting a just society by challenging injustice and valuing diversity is one of the key tenets of teaching for social justice. We will explore specific ways to develop equity, compassion, and empathy in the foreign language classroom, though anecdotes and authentic testimonies of French-speakers from throughout the francophone world. We will touch upon the notions of stereotypes and racism through first-person narratives and cinematic examples. We will discuss ways of encouraging critical thinking about one’s own culture and francophone cultures worldwide.

11.30.21 from 9am-4pm: In-Person Workshop – Développer les compétences orales en classe de FLE

Location: University of Southern Maine, Portland. Lunch will be provided.

Presenter: Pierre Yves-Roux, Formateur indépendant. Anciennement responsable de l’unité expertise et projets au Centre International d’Etudes Pédagogique.

Objectif général : doter les participants de la réflexion et d’outils devant leur permettre de repenser et de diversifier les périodes notamment consacrées à l’oral, de la compréhension de documents sonores à la production d’énoncés.

Justificatif de la thématique : les activités orales sont essentielles dans le cadre actuel de l’enseignement-apprentissage d’une langue étrangère, mais les enseignants sont parfois confrontés à des difficultés aussi multiples que divers dans la préparation et/ou l’exécution de ces activités. L’intervention se propose de partir des problèmes rencontrés dans les classes pour tenter d’y apporter des réponses concrètes et réalistes sous la forme de principes illustrés par des activités variées, motivantes, parfois innovantes, qui s’inscrivent dans les programmes et qui ont pu se montrer efficaces. Même si elles ne sont pas toute commentées, plus d’une centaine d’activités seront mises à disposition des participants.

Une partie de l’intervention sera consacrée à des ateliers durant lesquels les participants pourront échanger et mutualiser leurs expériences mais aussi élaborer du matériel pédagogique contextualisé.

Contact Noah Ouellette (noah.ouellette@diplomatie.gouv.fr) or Nathalie Gorey (goreyn@link75.org) to register.

To stay up-to-date on professional learning offerings for World Languages teachers, subscribe to the weekly newsletter Language Educators News or contact April Perkins. In November, there will be a virtual office hour for World Languages teachers on 11.10.21 at 3pm, as well as a training on the Seal of Biliteracy on 11.16.21 at 3pm.

What I Did with My Summer: Falmouth Social Studies Teacher Gains Perspective on School Desegregation

“I always think that the interactions with other teachers from different parts of the country are fascinating,” said Maine educator Keith Magnuson after virtually attending a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) workshop this past summer. “We are all experiencing some of the same basic trends in teaching, but they play out in such different ways depending on your exact location.”

Magnuson teaches social studies at Falmouth High School and this past summer he decided to take a week-long virtual workshop entitled, “The Long Road From Brown: School Desegregation in Virginia”. Hosted by professors of history and education from Old Dominion University through NEH, there were about 30 teachers from around the country that participated in the workshop along with Magnuson.

He became aware of the workshop through Maine Department of Education (DOE) Social Studies Specialist Joe Schmidt’s popular Social Studies Listserv. “Each year I try to get information out through my listserv about relevant programming, and the NEH runs these institutes each year,” said Schmidt. “Each summer there is a different slate of topics/locations.”

This particular workshop unveiled the unknown stories of school desegregation in the State of Virginia and throughout the nation after the US Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education. It highlighted the role African Americans played in bringing about Brown, the state’s determined resistance, the processes that led to initial and then token school desegregation, the eventual integration of public education, and the slow decline of school integration in recent decades.

“We talked a lot about covering difficult or controversial topics in high schools,” explained Magnuson. He also recounted that there were a lot of interesting details that came from former VA high school students, in schools during that era, who spoke, and that workshop participants also got to see many primary source photographs and documents which also provided a lot of interesting information.

“I love participating in workshops like this,” he said. “Especially when they pull in such a diverse group of teachers with a variety of teaching positions and from schools scattered around the country,” adding that this workshop was on an interesting topic relevant to our times.

“I am going to be much more capable of talking in detail about the Brown decision and the implementation of it in class,” said Magnuson, adding that, “every teacher should take advantage of some of the many opportunities we have to broaden our knowledge and perspective.”

To learn more about NEH Workshops visit https://www.neh.gov/divisions/education/summer-programs or https://nehforall.org/programs/summer-programs-for-school-teachers.

To join Joe’s Social Studies Listserv click here. For more information and questions about social studies resources for Maine educators, contact Joe at joe.schmidt@maine.gov.

Free Virtual Workshop Series: Building an Active and Engaging Recess & School Culture

This workshop series is sponsored by MCD Public Health’s Healthy Kids Healthy Future Program in partnership with Maine CDC, Maine DOE, and Let’s Go!

Playworks is excited to offer a free virtual workshop series, Building an Active and Engaging Recess & School Culture, starting November 18th to Maine schools.

We all know it’s more essential than ever that students feel safe within their school community, are supported by adult role models, and have access to positive outlets for physical activity and social emotional development.

In each of these critical areas, Playworks brings validated best practices developed over 25 years to Maine educators.

Join with a team of educators from your community for interactive virtual workshops and access to 50+ online learning modules to help build an active and engaging recess all through PlayworksU!

The Playworks Workshop Series will be held virtually November 18th and December 2nd from 3:30 – 5:30pm.

Registration is limited! Sign your team up here.

For more information and resources, visit the eventbrite page or contact Dawn Lavallee, Playworks New England Partnership Director, at dawn.lavallee@playworks.org or contact jean.zimmerman@maine.gov for more information.

Portland Public Schools’ Grace Valenzuela Wins Human Rights Award

Dr. Grace Valenzuela, executive director for communications and community partnerships for the Portland Public Schools, has been selected by the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine (HHRC) as the recipient of the 2021 Gerda Haas Award for Excellence in Human Rights Education and Leadership.

Dr. Valenzuela received the award at HHRC’s virtual annual meeting on Thursday, Oct. 21. The meeting this year honored the memory of HHRC founding visionary Gerda Haas, who passed away this past summer.

HHRC promotes universal respect for human rights through outreach and education. Haas, HHRC’s founder, inspired many with her passion for human rights education. A Holocaust survivor originally from Germany, Haas advocated for the teaching about the Holocaust in Maine schools. HHRC welcomes the opportunity each year to recognize and honor an individual who, like Haas, has demonstrated excellence and initiative in human rights education and leadership.

In presenting the award to Dr. Valenzuela, HHRC Board treasurer and legislative coordinator Jenna Vendil listed her exceptional accomplishments and summarized them by saying: “Dr. Grace Valenzuela is one of Maine’s unsung heroes in the work of racial justice and human rights.”

PPS Superintendent Xavier Botana said, “Dr. Grace Valenzuela is most deserving of this recognition. The Portland Public Schools is Maine’s largest and most diverse school district, with about one-third of our students coming from homes where languages other than English are spoken. It is thanks to Grace’s long years of hard work, dedication and leadership that we have our own Multilingual and Multicultural Center that stands out as a model in Maine for meeting the needs of our diverse students and their families. Grace is a fierce champion for social justice for all students and families. We are deeply grateful to her for all she has done and continues to do for the Portland Public Schools.”

Dr. Valenzuela, who holds a PhD in public policy with a concentration in educational leadership and policy from the University of Southern Maine, is originally from the Philippines. She has worked for the Portland Public School since the 1980s, beginning her career as an ELL teacher before moving to the position as director of the district’s Multilingual and Multicultural Center.

In that role, Dr. Valenzuela made sure that students and their families received the education and support they are entitled to, assisting the Portland Public Schools in implementing and complying with the federal guidelines mandated by the landmark Supreme Court case, Lau v. Nichols, known as the Lau Plan. In 2007, Dr. Valenzuela founded Make It Happen!, an award-winning program that provides academic support to immigrant and refugee students, helping them to create competitive academic profiles and access financial aid to enable them to attend college.

Today, Dr. Valenzuela serves as the executive director of communications and community partnerships for the district, a position that brings together all of her past experiences, education, and skills.

“Grace has an infinite capacity for accomplishing a high level of quality work, at times with minimal resources,” said community outreach and development specialist Nanette Dyer Blake, who works closely with Dr. Valenzuela on the PPS Communications Team. “She credits her teams and colleagues, though it is her ability to think outside the box when confronted with challenges and an intense focus on how the outcome will best serve the community that sets her work apart. She also is well known for her party planning skills and the one many turn to when the order of the day is ‘fun!’”

In accepting the prestigious award, Dr. Valenzuela expressed her deep appreciation to the HHRC Board and staff.

“This is such a huge honor,” she said. “I am humbled to be in the company of some of the previous Gerda Haas awardees: Tim Wilson, the late Betsy Parsons, Pious Ali, ILAP, and last year’s honoree Assistant House Majority Leader Representative Rachel Talbot Ross – all remarkable and fierce advocates and leaders on human rights in Maine. I am also humbled by this recognition, knowing that much of the work I do is not done alone. It is always in community with passionate and principled colleagues, co-educators, co-activists, students, and mentors who are all co-conspirators in the struggle towards social justice, equity and liberation. This esteemed recognition belongs to them also.”

In her remarks, Dr. Valenzuela called for humane reform of the U.S. immigration system. She concluded: “Thank you very much for this award of a lifetime. I hope to continue to be deserving of this honor and live a life in the spirit and passion of Greta Haas.”

Learn more about the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine at: https://hhrcmaine.org/

Teaching Cybersecurity Training Opportunity for High School Teachers

Recognizing October is Cybersecurity Awareness month and recognizing that a career in the high demand field of cybersecurity may be of interest to students in high school, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) would like to share information about a scholarship opportunity for high school teachers to be trained to teach cybersecurity.

Jointly sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency, the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity is funding the first credentialing program for high school cybersecurity education in the country through a collaborative of higher education institutions called the National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy (NCTA). The inaugural program will prepare 90 high school teachers to teach an advanced cybersecurity course designed for high school teachers.

Three universities (DePaul, University of Louisville, and UA Little Rock) will be offering the virtual program, with a little bit of variation depending on the university’s program. Teachers who are accepted into the National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy will receive funding covering tuition for the 12-credit hour virtual graduate certificate program that will include coursework on teaching cybersecurity, foundations of cybersecurity, network security, and advanced topics designed for high school teachers.

With 90 scholarships available, interested teachers should register for information before December 1, 2021 at this National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy link. The application for the National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy will open in December and the National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy program will begin in Summer 2022.

To view the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s press release about its National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy program click this UA Little Rock link.

For more information about the K-12 Maine Learning Results Life and Career Ready Standards and specific strategies for facilitating career awareness, exploration, planning, and development with students, contact Maine DOE Life and Career Ready Education Specialist, Diana Doiron at diana.doiron@maine.gov or 207-592-2128.

FREE Active Play Programs for Classrooms from Team Long Run

It has been well proven that physical activity throughout the school day helps students with learning, and improves their overall mental and physical health. As an example, Team Long Run has partnered with some new Title 1 elementary schools in Western Maine and the Lakes Region to create some great active play programs for classrooms and curriculum. Check them out here:

Sizzle & Pop – a “by the desk” activity for kids
Recess run club – Twenty minutes of physical activity during a day works magic.

For further information or questions, contact Team Long Run.

Funding to Increase School Nursing Workforce in Maine Schools through Telehealth

The increased workload for school nurses due to the COVID-19 pandemic has put an immeasurable strain on our workforce over the past two years. And while we recognize that schools have been provided additional funding to support increasing staff, there isn’t always staff available to hire. Finding experienced school nurses to provide for the health needs of students in your district and surrounding areas is challenging in absence of a pandemic.

As part of funding from the US CDC for COVID-19 Emergency Response, Public Health Crisis Response, Maine Department of Health and Human Services was awarded $8,861,778 for a two-year period, starting July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023. This grant requires at least 25% of the award will support school-based health programs, including nurses or other personnel. The Telehealth School Nursing model was chosen as a priority to expand the reach of school nursing services while recognizing that there is a shortage of nurses nationwide and simply creating more school nursing positions is not going to meet the immediate need for schools.

Maine DHHS, in partnership with Maine Department of Education, has partnered to provide telehealth school nursing services to Maine schools that have gaps in nursing coverage. Finding an affordable delivery/platform solution to use as a channel to provide these specialized services to Maine schools is a challenge, but we hope that using this model we can help our schools maintain a safe environment and minimize health-related barriers to learning by providing safe, effective care from an experienced school nurse.

Depending on the needs in a school, there are two nursing models:

Nurse Extender Services – for schools with at least one part-time school nurse, the vendor acts as back-up urgent care coverage for existing nurse when they are not in the building

Primary School Nurse – a comprehensive school health program for schools with no or minimal nurse coverage

To learn more about this opportunity, please register in advance to attend a webinar to be held on, Friday November 5, 2021 at 2pm.

In order to participate in this program, schools will need to complete a short application. The State of Maine will cover the costs of this service through June 30, 2023 and schools that determine they would like to continue will have the opportunity to contract on their own to continue coverage.

For further information, questions, and support, contact Emily.Poland@maine.gov .

Telehealth School Nursing in the News:

SDN Helps Fund Avera Ecare School Nurses Caring For Growing Diabetes Cases https://sdncommunications.com/blog/sdn-helps-fund-avera-ecare-school-nurses-caring-for-growing-diabetes-cases

Dividing the Distance, Avera eCARE Helping Schools with Nursing Care https://www.ksfy.com/content/news/Avera-Medical-Minute-Dividing-the-distance-Avera-eCARE-helping-schools-with-nursing-care-495843071.html

It’s National Adoption Month in November – Here are Resources for Educators

November is National Adoption Month! We invite you to recognize and celebrate families that grew by adoption while raising awareness about the urgent need for permanent homes for children and young people in out-of-home (foster) care.

National Adoption Month, initiated in 1976 by Governor Dukakis and formalized by President Clinton in 1995, is an annual campaign sponsored by the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with Child Welfare Information Gateway and AdoptUSKids.

This year, the campaign theme is Every Conversation Matters. Sharing the message about the need for families is critical, yet how information about the adoption experience is shared can have a significant impact on children and young people. This theme is particularly important for adolescents and young people in need of a forever family and a permanent home.

Every child with adoption experience has a story. Helping youth find their voice and the words to tell their story may be hard, but it also unlocks the potential to learn who their important mentors and supports are and may potentially uncover adoption resources.

With approximately 970 Maine children currently entering a relative’s home for placement from out-of-home care and 300 adoption legalizations annually, there are likely children in your school and classroom who are personally affected by adoption. There are great opportunities to provide parents and children with foundational language and resources that can barrier-bust long standing assumptions about adoption.

How you can help:

If you are an educator and are looking for support in navigating the complex social narratives, beliefs and questions the adoption experience often elicits (think family tree assignments), visit looking for tips and starting points to address those issues with your students, visit https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/adoption/adopt-parenting/school/ or https://www.americanadoptions.com/blog/
If you are an educator working with young children visit https://adoptionnetwork.com/ for helpful tools and resources. Or consider teaching a lesson about famous adoptees who have made a difference in the world. Even a small lesson can be incredibly useful in changing people’s opinions about how adoption really works — and promote tolerance among your students for those who may be affected by this process.
If your goal is to get actively involved in this important need, you may remain connected and informed throughout the month by following #AFamilyForMeMaine and #NationalAdoptionMonth on Facebook and raise awareness by asking friends, family and colleagues to join you.
Join the Poster Campaign: What Adoption Means to ME – Download this poster to find out more.

If you want to explore becoming an adoptive parent in Maine, please call A Family for ME at 1-844-893-6311 or visit https://afamilyformemaine.org/ to get started today.

Commissioner Makin Awarded New England Association of School Superintendents (NEASS) ‘President’s Award’

In recognition of the Maine Department of Education’s ongoing advocacy and support for students, educators, and superintendents throughout the pandemic, the New England Association of School Superintendents (NEASS) awarded the Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin with their annual “President’s Award” last week.

The award was presented by current NEASS President and MSAD 44 Superintendent David Murphy.

PRIORITY NOTICE: Filing of Proposed Chapter 33 Rules Governing Restraint and Seclusion, Targeted Rulemaking

As the result of the passing of Public Law Chapter 453 during the 130^th legislature, statutory changes were made regarding restraint and seclusion of students, necessitating changes to Chapter 33 rules.

There are new definitions, prohibitions on unlawful restraint and seclusions, reporting requirements, and expectations for the provisions of technical assistance. These changes will require targeted revisions to ensure that the rule for restraint and seclusion procedures is in line with the statute. The new statutory provisions in the rule have been reflected in color citations as reference flags.
The new proposed rule can be found, on the proposed rule page, listed in numeric order at: https://www.maine.gov/doe/about/laws/rulechanges

Timeline for Rulemaking for Chapter 33 – Major Substantive Proposed
File: October 26, 2021
Post: November 3, 2021
Comment End: December 3, 2021
Hearing: November 22, 2021: 11AM – 12 PM Room 103 A,B Cross State Office Building,
Augusta, Maine. Virtual attendance is encouraged, zoom information can be found, below.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89078251244?pwd=ZS9Tc2FaTVJIdXJ4WnhYYWhLbmVFZz09

Meeting ID: 890 7825 1244
Passcode: 880996
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,89078251244#,,,,*880996# US (Chicago)
+16468769923,,89078251244#,,,,*880996# US (New York)

Written comments may be submitted to Maine Department of Education Mental Health Specialist, Mr. Bear Shea, w.bear.shea@maine.gov , or 207-441-7404 on or before December 3, 2021.