MEDIA RELEASE: U.S. CDC’s Updated K-12 School Guidance Further Aligns with Maine’s Longstanding School Guidance

AUGUSTA – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) today issued updated operational strategies for K-12 schools based on a review of scientific evidence regarding physical distancing in classrooms to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These updates further align Federal guidelines with longstanding guidance implemented by the State of Maine for Maine schools in July 2020.

“Maine school staff and leaders have done an outstanding job of implementing the health and safety requirements that have kept our schools and students safe, requirements that have now been mirrored by the U.S. CDC,” said Pender Makin, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Education. “Our schools have been open and educating students safely all year long, unlike many of the schools across the country. Our education workforce deserves our deep appreciation and support for all they have done, during this last year and I am in awe of their efforts.”

“The U.S. CDC’s announcement today affirms safety protocols that have been part of Maine’s framework since last year,” said Dr. Nirav D. Shah, Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “These protocols continue to reflect best practices in limiting potential spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. As new research emerges, we will continue to work with our federal partners and Maine’s education community to provide tools that local school districts can use to make informed decisions about how to keep students and staff safe.”

In July 2020, with limited Federal guidance, Maine developed and implemented a Framework for Return to In-Person Instruction. This framework – developed in consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine CDC – includes recommendations for schools and six requirements, such as physical distancing, mask wearing and other measures, to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission within schools. Under these requirements, adults must maintain six feet of distance from others to the extent possible while maintaining 3 feet of distance is acceptable between and among students when combined with the other safety requirements, including the wearing of masks. These strategies have proven effective in mitigating the spread of COVID-19; to date, the new case rates for Maine schools continues to be significantly lower than that of the general population.

In February 2021, the U.S. CDC released Federal recommendations to assist schools across the country in returning safely to in-person instruction. At that time, the U.S. CDC recommended that students maintain six feet of distance among all students, a more stringent requirement than Maine

Today, the U.S. CDC adjusted this previous recommendation to, in effect, adopt Maine’s longstanding approach. Specifically, US CDC adjusted their previous recommendation of 6 feet between students to 3 feet between students in classrooms with universal mask wearing. The U.S. CDC continues to recommend at least 6 feet of distance:

Between adults in the school building and between adults and students.
In common areas such as school lobbies and auditoriums.
When masks can’t be worn, such as when eating or drinking.
During activities when increased exhalation occurs, such as singing, shouting, band practice, sports, or exercise. These activities should be moved outdoors or to large, well-ventilated spaces whenever possible.
In community settings outside of the classroom.

Maine will continue to use its existing approach and will re-examine its requirements if the U.S. CDC makes any further adjustments.

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Call for Breakout Session Proposals for 2021 MLTI Virtual Student Conference

The Maine Department of Education invites you to submit a breakout session proposal for the 18th Annual MLTI Student Conference to be held virtually on Thursday, May 20, 2021.

If you or someone you know is doing fantastic work involving technology and engaging students, we encourage you to submit a proposal for a breakout session at this year’s conference.

Breakout session requirements:

Presented by a Maine educator, student(s) as co-presenter(s) is encouraged;
One hour;
Involve some form of students creating, making, or doing so that students leave excited about what they learned and eager to share their experiences with others; and
Be “platform-agnostic” and feature only free apps and tools that are accessible to all and appropriate for 4th–12th grade students.

To submit a proposal please complete this online form. Completed proposals are due by Friday, April 30, 2021.

If you would like to submit a session proposal but need some assistance developing your idea please reach out to our digital learning specialists, Emma-Marie Banks, Emma-Marie.Banks@maine.gov; or Jonathan Graham, Jonathan.M.Graham@maine.gov.

For more information about the student conference visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/ltt/conference or check out this flyer with additional information.

South Portland Art Teacher Engages Remote Learners with Collaborative Mural Project

Margaret Burman is the Art Teacher for both the Dyer and Kaler Elementary Schools in South Portland School Department. An experienced educator, Mrs. Burman has been teaching art since 2004, with the past 8 years at Dyer and Kaler.

Pre-Pandemic, Mrs. Burman was teaching art to students in the two different elementary schools in-person using the framework of Teaching for Artistic Behavior, which develops their artistic practice by encouraging them to make choices about the media they want to use, the subject matter they want to express, and by developing their craft in many different kinds of art making. A few years back she created a video explaining her transition to the new teaching style and it is something she is really proud of because it drives her practice and the students have responded really well to it.

Through the current school year, South Portland School District has been in hybrid mode because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Mrs. Burman has been teaching her students remotely via asynchronous lessons and live virtual classes. To help manage this, she created a Google Slides Virtual Art room where students can access virtual versions of their studios, visit a book nook, and see lessons that have been assigned to them.

“It was devastating for me that I couldn’t be in our art rooms and creating this virtual space became a way of feeling like I had had some control over things,” recalls Burman.

During the switch to hybrid learning, Burman transitioned from using the art rooms located at both schools, which have been repurposed for other classes, to a small office at Dyer Elementary that she has dubbed the Tiny Art Room. This is where she hosts virtual meetings with students and records lessons.

“During our Google meets we go over the lesson/theme for the week, have art making time using their sketchbooks and materials from the art bags that all K-5 students in South Portland were given, and play drawing games like Random Dry Draw, adapted from a dry erase board drawing game that we used to play in the art room.”

With no windows in the Tiny Art Room which was originally surround in blue walls, Burman decided to get permission from the custodial staff and principal to paint them.

“Then I decided that instead of me just painting what I wanted on the walls, I would incorporate the ideas of my students from our Google meets,” explained Burman. Since October she has engaged students to help create the collaborative mural, a project that all of the students in all of her classes, grades K-5 at both Dyer and Kaler, get to participate in.

“I choose one student randomly at the end of every Google meet to direct me in what to paint for the mural,” She explains. “They are the directors; I am just the brush!”

At this point over 250 students have contributed their ideas to the mural, which will not be finished until every single one of her remote students has added their idea. Mrs. Burman has collected feedback from the students as they discuss what they would like to do with the image of this mural when it is finished.

“I think the mural lets everybody have a chance to make a mark on this artwork,” said one student.

“The mural is beautiful! I enjoyed making the squiggly thing. Looking forward to doing another one,” added another.

Some ideas on what to do with the mural when it is finished have been posters, magnets, postage stamps and selling products to raise money for a charity.

Despite not having art classes in-person this year, students have really benefited from doing their art classes remotely because it has given them the opportunity to practice being artists in their own homes and day care programs.

Having been practicing the artistic habits such as stretch & explore, develop craft, envision, express, reflect, observe, engage & persist, and understanding art worlds in the art room with Mrs. Burman for the last 4 years, her students were used to experimenting and exploring the materials and getting ideas and inspiration from the world around them. Doing the work remotely has provided the opportunity for their artistic behavior to spill over into their everyday lives outside of school and has helped foster artistic practice outside of school assignments.

Progress of Mrs. Burman’s Tiny Art Room mural can he found on her Instagram @DyerKalerArt using the hashtag #tinyartroomcollaborativemural.

Information for this article was provided by South Portland School District as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit a story or an idea for the campaign, email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

The 2021 DON’T QUIT! Campaign Deadline EXTENDED!

One more week to sign up to be in the running for a $100,000 School Fitness Center

The National Foundation for Governors’ Fitness Councils (NFGFC) 2021 DON’T QUIT! Campaign has been extended to March 26th! There is now an additional week to sign up or be nominated.

A nomination puts schools in the running for a $100,000 Fitness Center that will be awarded to three Maine schools that use new and unique methods to promote student physical activity and wellness to help them construct fitness centers. All public and public charter elementary and middle schools in Maine who have a majority of students between the ages of 8 to 14 years old and an available room ready for equipment installation by June 2021 within their existing infrastructure are eligible to apply.

Three schools in each state, prioritized based on need, will be chosen from applicants by NFGFC to receive a brand new, state-of-the-art DON’T QUIT! Fitness Center.

The school nomination form and more information about the program can be found here: https://natgovfit.org/nominate-your-school/

Each fitness center is financed through public/private partnerships with companies like The Coca-Cola Company, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, Wheels Up and Nike, and does not rely on taxpayer dollars or state funding. Fitness in Motion provides all the fitness equipment, which is manufactured in the United States.

Physical activity and exercise are shown to help prevent and treat more than 40 chronic diseases, enhance individual health and quality of life, and reduce health care costs. In schools, studies show that physical activity improves academic achievement, increases confidence and self-esteem, reduces discipline problems, cuts absenteeism, and fosters better interpersonal relationships.

School nominations will be accepted until Friday, March 26, 2021. Maine people interested in nominating their school can visit https://natgovfit.org/nominate-your-school/ and click on the Maine state seal to download and submit the short application.

Student Artwork Featured at Portland Museum of Art for Youth Art Month

Creative works from art students from around Maine are on display online at the Portland Museum of Art (PMA) in celebration of Youth Art Month.

For almost 30 years, PMA and the Maine Art Education Association (MAEA) have collaborated to bring National Youth Art Month to Maine. The exhibition is designed to underscore the value of art education for all children and encourages support for quality art programs in Maine schools.

“This annual exhibition showcases the incredible work produced by K-12 students throughout the state, representing a wide variety of youth perspectives and artistic practices in Maine,” said PMA in a statement about the exhibit.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Youth Art Month has gone digital for the first time. PMA said the online exhibition “brings exciting opportunities to share the artwork of Maine’s youth with a wider audience. We hope that the artworks in this exhibition inspire more creativity, spark more conversations, and garner support for more arts education in our schools and in our communities.”

The attached artwork is a portrait by Portland High School sophomore Venice Melcher, titled “Amy.” Here is the artist’s statement:

“I created this portrait of my mom because she creates a lot of change in my life and the lives of others. She volunteers weekly at a local hospice and animal shelter, and has a business where she sells reusable products made from organic cotton, along with being a great mom! I used mixed media, including watercolor and acrylic paints. I used the neurographic technique for my mom’s face, and cut out and glued down little pieces of paper to create the objects surrounding her.”

Digital receptions were held on Saturday, March 13, for the young artists and their families.

To view the artwork, see a listing of student artists, and where they go to school in Maine visit the PMA’s exhibit website: https://www.portlandmuseum.org/yam-2021.

Information for this article was provided by Portland Public Schools as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit a story or an idea, email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

MaineCare Seed adjustments to be made, review Q2’21 reports by April 15, 2021

The recovery of Q2 ’21 MaineCare Seed will occur in the April 2021 subsidy payment. The Maine Department of Education is asking Student Administrative Units(SAUs) to review their reports by April 15, 2021 to ensure accurate adjustments to subsidy. SAU staff must review, submit disputes, and student by student claims on both the public and private MaineCare reports for Q2’21 by April 15, 2021.

To access the MaineCare Seed reports, please follow the instructions below.

Log into NEO using this: https://neo.maine.gov/DOE/neo/Dashboard
Click on the Student Data tab
Click on the Student Report tab
Select MaineCare in the Reporting Area drop-down
Report Button

Choose the quarterly Seed report and the report type (private/public)
Click view report button
Once the report appears on the screen, choose the export button.

You may export the reports to Excel but, please be aware that there may be multiple worksheet tabs within the workbook. Save the file to your computer.

To dispute a claim:

If you disagree that a particular student or time period should be on the report, please provide the reason that you disagree along with the following to stephanie.clark@maine.gov.

Identify the type of report (public or private) and the quarter in which the claims are located.
State Student ID
Service provided dates (From and To)
Total amount of Seed being disputed

Summer services:

Students must be enrolled for the time period they are receiving educational services. This means that students that are receiving extended school year services in district or extended school year services in an out of district placement must have a primary enrollment for that time period in order for the MDOE to have the most accurate enrollment data to determine SAU responsibility for MaineCare Seed.

If you have difficulty logging into NEO:

Anyone who currently has Special Education Director permissions to the Special Education module, will automatically have permissions to access MaineCare reports.

As in the past, if a new staff member needs permission to access this module, a request from the Superintendent to the Maine DOE helpdesk will be necessary. The helpdesk contact information is medms.helpdesk@maine.gov or 207-624-6896.

Please contact stephanie.clark@maine.gov

for more information or technical assistance related to MaineCare Seed.

SAVE THE DATE: 18th Annual MLTI Student Conference

SAVE THE DATE for the 18th Annual Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) Student Conference on May 20th, 2021! This year’s conference will be held virtually and free of charge to all 4th through 12th grade students.

Registration opens on April 5th.

For more information please check out our website: https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/ltt/conference.

Designed in collaboration with the students and educators of the MLTI Student Conference Advisory Board.

Get to Know the Maine DOE Team: Meet Nicole Madore

Maine DOE Team member Nicole Madore is being highlighted this week as part of the Get to Know the Maine DOE Team Campaign. Learn a little more about Nicole in the question and answer below.

What are your roles with DOE?

As the Early Childhood Specialist, I assist districts in the operation of their high-quality early child programs in Pre-K-grade 3. I work to offer professional learning opportunities, resources and technical assistance to the field. I am also a part of the Early Learning Team at the department where I work with my team to continue our own professional education and offer expertise to the field.

What do you like best about your job?

The best part of my job is interacting with teachers! I love being a thought partner with them as well as their “go-to” for anything and everything early childhood. They’re walking the walk and I love hearing directly from them about their experiences…good and bad! We all learn from listening to those in the field doing the work every day and applying to the experience of others.

How or why did you decide on this career?

I wanted to work with young children from an early age. I thought I wanted to be a 3^rd grade classroom teacher after having a wonderful experience in my own life, but after a few years of that I decided to move to a different role, one where I could interact with more teachers, students and their families. I never stop learning about child development and best practices in the classroom setting, so getting to learn and share that with others is very rewarding.

What do you like to do outside of work for fun?

I’m not going to lie, I love a random lazy weekend! Otherwise, my husband and I stay busy with our two children. If we’re not driving to dance rehearsal or basket/base/football practice, then we’re probably at home planning our next getaway to the lakes in Western Maine. We live for Maine spring and summer and enjoy boating, fishing and more recently have begun hiking up mountains with our dog, Echo. Really any excuse to unplug and reset.

Maine Association of School Libraries’ Spring Symposium to be Held Virtually April 6-15

The Maine Association of School Libraries’ Spring Symposium, “Reaching All Learners” will be held virtually April 6th – 15th with sessions designed to engage and reach all educators, whether you’re an administrator, a teacher, or school library staff member.

Visit the event’s website for the detailed schedule, which includes keynote sessions on April 6, with Ellen Oh, and April 15, with Pender Makin, as well as a special author event on April 7 at noon, featuring Maria Padian, Josephine Cameron, and Samara Cole Doyon. For more information about the author event and to order books at a 20% discount, please visit our partner, Print: A Bookstore HERE.

Additional sessions include a “Native American-Wabanaki Roundtable” with Joe Schmidt, Social Studies Content Specialist at Maine DOE and friends, and “Building Cultural Competency and Allyship in Maine Students” with Deqa Dhalac, Kirsten Cappy, and Krista Aronson.

With 6 other sessions to engage you in the work of “Reaching All Learners,” and at only $25 for members, $35 for non members, the MASL Spring Symposium is the best bargain for professional development you will find all year! All sessions will be recorded and available to registrants, so regardless of your schedule you will have access to all of them.

Register HERE today and don’t miss this opportunity to connect with school librarians and educators from around the state. Please note that beginning March 22, all payments must be made online at the time of registration.

For further information contact the Maine Association of School Libraries at maslibraries@gmail.com.

School Registration Now Open: ME Virtual Career Fair for High School Students

The Maine Community Coordinators Collaborative (Maine C3) in partnership with ACTEM and Educate Maine are excited to offer all Maine students in grades 9-12, a statewide virtual career fair from May 17-21, 2021.The primary focus of the virtual career fair is to introduce students in grades 9-12 to Maine businesses and organizations from a variety of industry clusters across Maine. The intent of the virtual career fair is to expand access to more students and to continue the tradition of in person career fairs that have become signature events for many Maine high schools.

During the ME Virtual Career Fair,numerous thirty-minute sessions will be offered on the secure, online conference platform Hopin. Each session will be moderated by a school-based education professional and feature a live speaker followed by a question and answer period. Students will not be on video during the sessions and can ask questions via a monitored live chat. Sessions will run during the school day and into the evening.

The registration deadline is April 30, 2021. Schools are encouraged to register early and registration codes for accessing the ME Virtual Career Fair will be sent to the school contact once payment is received. Purchase orders will be accepted as confirmations and payments can be made by check or credit card. School staff can decide how they would like their students to participate (e.g., whole student body, select grade levels, select classes, or individual students). Tickets are $1 per registrant/student and are only available in bundles of 50. One registration gives access to any and all sessions held throughout the event. Interested schools that provide instruction to Maine students in grades 9-12, will need to complete the school interest form. Upon receipt of a completed registration, an invoice requesting payment will be emailed to the school contact. If a school requires financial assistance to participate, please indicate when registering and fill out the Financial Assistance Form for scholarship options through event partners.

For more information about the virtual career fair or to contact a Maine C3 Planning Team member, go to the ME Virtual Career Fair website.

Career exploration and fostering student aspirations are key cornerstones in the Maine Learning Results Life and Career Ready standards.

For more information about the Life and Career Ready standards, contact Diana Doiron, Maine Department of Education, Life and Career Ready Content Specialist at diana.doiron@maine.gov or 207-592-2128.