Category: News & Views

MEDIA RELEASE: Nine Additional Maine Educators Join Maine Kids Rock Initiative for 2021-2022 School Year

The Maine Kids Rock Initiative, a statewide program that offers professional training to teachers as well as grants for instruments and equipment to schools with identified needs, enters its fifth year (2021-2022) with the addition of the following educators to its roster:

  • Lanissa Nadeau (Brewer Community School)
  • Neil James (Geiger Elementary/Lewiston Middle School)
  • Bridget Kazukiewicz (King Middle School, Portland)
  • Joshua Lund (Benton Elementary School)
  • Michelle Biddlecom (Winthrop Grade School)
  • Brittany Elwell (Carmel Elementary/Suzanne Smith Elementary/Caravel Middle Schools)
  • Thomas Stott (Beech Hill School, Otis)
  • Oren Robinson (Palermo Consolidated, Windsor Elementary Schools)
  • Nadine Baker (Rose M. Gaffney/Machias Memorial High School)

These teachers join the ranks of nearly 70 additional teachers across Maine who utilize the Modern Band approach to music education with nearly 1,500 students at all grade levels.

“My administrators and I are very excited to bring music into the 21st century for our students,” said Joshua Lund, general music educator. “At Benton Elementary, we are planning to integrate MKR into the general music class experience as well as starting new co-curricular ensembles. The training, resources, and equipment provided through Maine Kids Rock are sure to help transform what music can be for the students in my school!”

The Maine Kids Rock initiative continues as a partnership between the Maine Department of Education and the national non-profit organization Little Kids Rock.

“We’re thrilled to continue to grow Maine Kids Rock, bring more music education to Maine, and reach even more kids by using the music they know and love,” said Miranda Altman, Senior Director of Program Operations for Little Kids Rock. “We are incredibly grateful to the teachers of this initiative as we enter our fifth year. Welcome to the nine teachers that are newly joining this program!”

Throughout the year these teachers will receive free professional development opportunities, and their schools will receive a set of classroom “rock band”-style instruments for students to use as they explore music education through a modern music lens.  Learning opportunities for students go beyond just learning to play a guitar or drums; they also explore songwriting, the development of interpersonal skills, and boost self-confidence as performers.

For more information about the Maine Kids Rock Initiative through the Maine Department of Education, please contact Visual and Performing Arts Content Specialist Jason Anderson.

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine School Teams Advance in 2021 Farm to School Cook-off

Votes were cast and here are the results! Congratulations to South Portland (Kaler Kooks) and RSU 12 (Whitefield Wildcats) who will be advancing to the finals round of the 2021 Maine Farm to School Cook-off. The finals competition will be held on May 5th at the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Child Nutrition Culinary Classroom in Augusta.

The Maine Farm to School Cook-off is a statewide culinary competition for teams of school nutrition professionals and students to promote local foods in school meals. The 6th annual competition is organized by the Maine DOE’s Child Nutrition Team.

A big thank you to the four teams below who participated in the virtual event. For more information and to view each team’s videos please visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/programs/localfoods/cookoffvoting.

Registration is Now Open for the 18th Annual MLTI Student Conference

The Maine Department of Education is excited to share that registration for the 18th Annual MLTI student conference is open!

The conference will be held on May 20th, in virtual format, and it is FREE to Maine students in grades 4-12! The virtual student conference will be online on Thursday, May 20th from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM. The morning will be filled with interactive workshop sessions where students will be able to explore, engage, and create with exciting educational technology. The afternoon UBER session will be a collaborative design experience.

Since this is during a school day student registration must be coordinated by a teacher. Teachers are encouraged to organize student groups to attend the conference. Registration forms must include a teacher’s contact information, school, and student names.
For more information or to register please visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/ltt/conference

Registrations completed by Friday, May 7th will receive an early registration conference gift.

For questions please reach out Jordan Dean, Jordan.Dean@maine.gov.

Seeking Maine Educators to Create Learning Modules for MOOSE

The Maine Department of Education is seeking educators to create learning modules for MOOSE, Maine’s Online Opportunities for Sustained Education. MOOSE is an initiative that is grounded in innovation and made possible by technology. Learn with MOOSE is committed to creating learning experiences for students that are accessible and inclusive of all learners, and serves to provide anytime, anywhere learning options and resources for educators, students and their families. Integrated across subject areas and project-based, these asynchronous modules ensure that learning is active, engaging, and continuous.

As a content creator of the Learn with MOOSE initiative, you will embark on an innovative instructional design journey that will push the bounds of your professional skillset. Grounded in inclusive design, MOOSE modules are created to meet Universal Design for Learning and to be accessible for all learners, regardless of ability.

Participants must be Maine educators, including but not limited to teachers, curriculum leaders and Maine educational community organizations such as museums, libraries, and educational centers. The module creation work begins April 19th and concludes on July 2nd. Each participant will be trained in a-synchronous instructional design by Maine DOE digital learning specialists, as well as supported in their content by Maine DOE content specialists. Stipends of $1000 will be provided for successful completion of the project.

To register click here.

For more information please contact Beth Lambert, beth.lambert@maine.gov or Page Nichols, page.nichols@maine.gov.

Are you a teacher or parent using MOOSE modules with your students? Share your story with us! @mdoenews #LearnwithMOOSE 

SAU Notification to DOE for School Grade Level Configuration Changes for 2021-2022

The Maine Department of Education(DOE) is asking that School Administrative Units (SAUs) who anticipate changes to school configurations for school year 2021-2022 to notify us by May 1, 2021, or within 3 days of the school board’s final approval of the change.  The superintendent of the SAU that is effected by the change must send an email to MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov to notify the Maine Department of Education of the circumstances that may warrant a new school ID.

Reasons requiring notification include, but are not limited to:

  • Lack of need school closure
  • Change in grade configuration
  • Split of school
  • Merging of schools

The email should include the school(s) that displaced students will attend in the next school year, if applicable.  The Data Reporting Coordinator and the Education Data Manager will analyze the data and documentation, and coordinate with the superintendent of the SAU to make a final decision as to whether or not new school ID(s) will need to be created due to the changes in configuration.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns in regards to this communication, please feel free to contact us at the MEDMS Helpdesk at MEDMS.Helpdesk@Maine.gov or (207) 624-6896.

Opportunity for Child Care Subsidy Assistance for Families

Please share this information from DHHS Office of Child and Family Services’ (OCFS) with your school communities.

Are you a family in need of support for the cost of child care?  The Office of Child and Family Services’ (OCFS), based in Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), administers the Child Care Subsidy Program (CCSP) which helps eligible families to pay for child care so they can work, go to school or participate in a job training program.

Eligible families must meet the income guidelines and at least one of the following activities: work, school, and/or job training program. The CCSP is available for children ages 6 weeks to 13 years, as well as for children with identified special needs or under court supervision up to age 19. For more information on CCSP please visit: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs/ec/occhs/step.htm

Through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriation Act (CRRSA) Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG), CCSP will be waiving copayments from 03/27/21 through 03/25/22 or until funding is no longer available.  CCSP will be reimbursing providers for the full amount of care based on individual award letters. For more information on OCFS’s CRRSA strategies please read the following: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs/documents/covid-19/CRRSA%20Funding%20Strategies.pdf

For more information, please contact your county specialist at: Financial Resources Specialist

2021 Curriculum Leader of The Year Instructional Coach of The Year

Each year the Maine Curriculum Leader’s Association (MCLA) recognizes and celebrates passionate, dedicated leaders who have championed learner centered practices in their learning communities as well as in the larger Maine education community.  The Curriculum Leader of the Year (CLOY) and Instructional Coach of the Year (ICOY) selection committees are welcoming nominations between now and April 30th.

Selection Timeline:

  • April 1, 2021: Nominations open
  • April 30, 2021: Nominations close
  • May 2021: Selection Committees review nominations
  • June 1, 2021: CLOY and ICOY announced
  • July 1, 2021: CLOY and ICOY begin 1yr term on MCLA Board

The selection committees include previous CLOYs and ICOYs, MCLA Board members, and Instructional Coaching CoOp members.

For information about nomination requirements and process please visit the MCLA Website.

Informational Materials For Classroom Teachers to Promote School Meal Programs

The Maine DOE Child Nutrition team has been working on creating resource materials to advocate for and promote participation in school meal programs. The project is aimed to support the DOE’s goal to combat childhood food insecurity by ensuing all Maine children have access to healthy school meals. The child nutrition team has released a new resource to be used by classroom teachers as a tool to support these goals as well.

The resource contains information on the benefits of school meal programs and specific ways teachers can promote these programs. It includes comprehensive information, tips, and nutrition talking points that teachers can incorporate in their classrooms. We hope this can serve as a tool to spread a positive message about nutrition programs, and end the lunchtime stigma many students face.

Here is the link to this resource: https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/inline-files/Teacher%20Meal%20Participation%20Promotion.pdf

​The link can be downloaded and printed, or distributed to teachers digitally.

This link can be distributed to classroom teachers to spread a positive message about our child nutrition programs and increase student participation! School meals are a vital learning tool for our students’ success, and we are looking forward to further spreading this message across our state’s classrooms and cafeterias!  Additional meal participation promotional materials is forthcoming and will be made available on the Child Nutrition website.

​Any questions can be directed to Caroline.bennett@maine.gov (AmeriCorps VISTA––Ending Hunger in Maine)

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine DOE Comprehensive Mental Health Forum Draws Over 350 Educators and School Staff with Both State and National Experts Sharing Lived Experiences

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 2, 2021
Contact: Kelli Deveaux

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) hosts a timely and successful workshop, “Supporting Maine Educators: A Forum to Bolster Mental Health in Our Schools” Thursday, April 1, 2021.

Augusta, Maine- On April 1, 2021 Maine Department of Education hosted a workshop, Supporting Maine Educators: A Forum to Bolster Mental Health in Our Schools as the latest in the Departments professional development efforts. The virtual, six-hour event was open to all educators and staff in Maine schools, and focused on acknowledging the struggles of this past year, celebrating successes, and building resources to support mental health for Maine’s school communities. While over 350 educators were able to attend live throughout the day, this event was intentionally designed to be accessible asynchronously for those who were working with students and in classrooms during the daylong event. The entire event will be available for viewing April 2nd  at School & Student Supports (O3S) | Department of Education (maine.gov)   and will include access to all resources.

“Ensuring the mental health and well-being of both staff and students in Maine’s schools has been and continues to be one of our greatest priorities,” said Pender Makin, Commissioner of Education.  “While our schools continue to provide safe and welcoming classrooms and spaces in which all can grow and learn, our DOE team members are providing outstanding resources and professional development to assist educators in identifying and addressing mental health needs in students, and even in themselves.  I am so grateful to this amazing panel of professionals, who provided such a rich experience to over 350 of our Maine educators.”

Bear Shea, LCSW and Maine Department of Education’s School Counselor and Mental Health Specialist, spoke to the educators, and offered a message of gratitude on behalf of the Department. “We wanted to take this opportunity to recognize the essential work of our educators, especially in this last year during the pandemic as mental health concerns have never been more in the spotlight.”

With a goal of bringing greater awareness to the importance of mental health, destigmatizing mental illness, increasing mental health literacy for staff, administrators and community-based agencies, and to provide practical supports to bolster the mental wellness of students and staff, the event featured the following keynote speakers and was facilitated by Maine DOE mental health, social emotional learning, and school support specialists.

  • John T. Broderick, Jr.  Dartmouth- Hitchcock Senior Director of External Affairs Former Chief Justice of the NH Supreme Court
  • Ayesha Hall, District Social Emotional Learning and Equity Resource Coordinator for Lewiston Public Schools
  • Christine Proefrock, Music Director, Calais Middle School
  • Ellen Nicholas, K-8 Art Teacher at Sipayik Elementary School
  • Joanne Palumbo McCallie, Author and Former Duke, Michigan State and UMAINE Women’s Head Basketball Coach

The agenda featured sessions with each of the keynote speakers, which were then followed by a related panel discussion comprised of experts from the field, State agencies and community partners, as well as staff and students from Maine schools. Live attendees from across the state were able to share their own experiences and ask questions of the panelists.

  • The first keynote, “Changing the Culture and View of Mental Illness” focused on Judge Broderick’s work on eliminating stigma and raising understanding of mental health for youth. The panel discussion included Judge Broderick;Casey Maddock from Scarborough High School and Isaiah Doble from Camden Hills High School both Maine high school seniors; and Dr. Karen Barnes of the Maine School Safety Center, who discussed mental health stigma faced by Maine students and educators and the positive approaches that are being employed to support school mental health and wellbeing.
  • The second keynote, “Keep Calm and Educate On: The Impact of Covid-19 for Educators” centered on presentations from Maine educators who shared their experiences over the past year and the ways they have approached providing education and support through the adversity of the pandemic. The presenters included Ayesha Hall, District Social Emotional Learning and Equity Resource Coordinator for Lewiston Public Schools; Christine Proefrock, Music Director, Calais Middle School; and Ellen Nicholas, K-8 Art Teacher at Sipayik Elementary School, Perry Maine. Following the keynote, presenters were joined by Johnathan Radtke, Assistant Principal of Falmouth High School; Amber Nelson, at-risk youth attorney; and Bonnie Robbins, school counselor in Poland’s Whittier Middle School, to explore the impact of the pandemic on educators. The discussion covered the grief and loss from schools going remote in the spring of 2020, the importance of finding new ways to support students and staff during the crisis, and the lessons learned that have been used to build positive ways to continue to engage, educate and support schools now and in the future.
  • The closing keynote, “Stories Over Stigma: Finding the Secret Warrior Within All of Us” brought Maine coach phenom, Joanne Palumbo McCallie to share her own battle with mental health and negative stigma and to speak directly to the challenges educators and students have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the panel that followed, Coach P. was joined by Greg Marley of NAMI Maine; Kellie Bailey, DOE Social Emotional Learning Specialist; and Sarah Nelson, Social Emotional Learning Coach and 4thGrade Educator, Ames Elementary School, Searsmont Maine, to build on the keynote themes of mental health support and perseverance in face of adversity. The panel discussed the strengths of engaging with students and staff with a strong, relational approach, building adult social emotional learning and the power of building inclusive teams as a way to connect and support schools.

Attendees of the forum included school principals, social workers, counselors, superintendents, psychologists, nurses, teachers and many others from community agencies and organizations. They reported appreciation for recognition of the impact COVID-19 has had, and that the panels explored significant but seldom talked about topics including grief, stigma and practical ways to increase emotional health.

Yesterday’s forum was just the latest in Maine Department of Education’s efforts to address mental health and wellness for students and schools by providing robust professional development, technical assistance and resources to education professionals across the state, as students are best supported by the trusted teacher, counselor or family member who can recognize issues and guide our youth to the resources in their communities.

In 2019, when the new administration prioritized youth mental health, the DOE restructured and formed the Office of School and Student Supports (OSSS). This team is comprised of professional educators, social workers, counselors, community and family engagement specialists, health and wellness specialists, and healthcare providers as well as school based mental health clinicians. The comprehensive, collaborative team and their plan to address and support mental health and well-being for Maine’s students existed long before the pandemic and allowed them to pivot in the spring of 2020 to immediately address the impact of COVID19 on students and staff.

Since March of 2020, OSSS has provided over 5,300 contact hours directly to educators in content areas, training and support for schools on the employment of mental health best practices to support their students. Many of these training modules have been recorded and archived for anyone to use.

In November, Maine DOE announced the availability of a free, online, Maine developed and best-practice driven social emotional learning program for use with any students from prek-12.  The SEL4ME program has been accessed more than 30,000 times since November, and teachers are intertwining these developmentally appropriate lessons into their curriculum and expectations, helping students to build healthy body and mind skills by incorporating the assignments as a part of their classroom routines.

Please reach out to the Office of School and Students Supports at Maine DOE for further information and mental health support for educators and students.

 

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MEDIA RELEASE: Governor Mills Proclaims April 2021 as National Poetry Month

Governor Janet T. Mills has proclaimed April 2021 National Poetry Month in the State of Maine, marking the importance of poetry in education and the everyday lives of our citizens.

“National Poetry Month brings us together as readers and writers, whether at home, in classrooms, bookstores, or libraries throughout our nation,” said Governor Janet T. Mills as part of the official proclamation. “Poetry illuminates hope in our darkest hours, gives voice to our struggles, brings inspiration to our triumphs, and is a gift of expression that transcends our personal experience to unite us in words.”

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) joins Governor Mills and our partners throughout the state this month by promoting and participating in activities that support schools in using poetry as a tool and a topic for instruction.

“Poetry is often taught as a stand-alone unit of study, yet the power of poetry is in its versatility by virtue of form and precision, and could be included in every unit of study all year long,” said Morgan Dunton, Maine DOE English Language Arts Specialist. “Regular engagement with poems, long or short, contemporary or historical, provides an opportunity to better understand complex texts.”

With a theme of “Normalize Poetry in Your Classroom” the Maine DOE has collaborated on poetry themed events and opportunities in April including:

How We Do It: Inspiring Students to Write and Publish 
The Telling Room hosted a conversation with educators about their experience supporting and encouraging educators to write stories and poems. They discussed their recent collection of youth poems called, “A New Land” and share resources you can use in your classroom.  Download the collection here. Learn more and access their educator toolkit.

Spend an evening with Maine Poet Gary Lawless 
Hosted by the Maine Council of English Language Arts. Lawless is a poet who has authored 21 collections of poems. He is also the co-owner of Gulf of Maine Books, a book editor, and publisher. Thursday, April 8th, 7pm: Click here to register.

Normalize Poetry: Teach Poetry in Every Unit 
Many of us teach a poetry unit each year, but that is just not enough. Poetry is a fabulous tool for teaching the fine art of language use in every instructional unit. Maine DOE ELA Specialist Morgan Dunton will demonstrate methods of teaching grammar, usage, mechanics, and appreciation of the poetic form to enhance reading, speaking, and writing skills. Thursday, April 15th, 3:30 pm. Click here to register.

In concluding the official proclamation, Governor Mills writes, “I urge all Maine citizens to celebrate the creativity of poets and the indelible marks their words leave upon the pages of our shared humanity by reading and writing poetry.”

Find additional information, events, and resources to celebrate and appreciate the beauty of poetry all month on the Maine DOE Website. For further questions about poetry in curriculum or the Department’s efforts for poetry month, please contact Maine DOE English Language Arts (ELA) Specialist Morgan Dunton at morgan.dunton@maine.gov.