70 school counselors from Maine attended the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Annual conference in Boston from June 29 – July 2  for an opportunity to network with school counselors from across the country, hear from inspirational keynote speakers, and attend an array of breakout sessions to explore hot topics in the school counseling profession.

Conference participants came back with information about developing and designing the elements of a Comprehensive School Counseling Program, which includes aligning lessons to the ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors Standards, collecting and analyzing attendance, academic and discipline data, and collaborating with district and school staff on multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS).

A wonderful example of Maine’s outstanding school counselors striving to ensure that all students are provided with the programming they need to address social emotional learning, college and career readiness, and academic supports and interventions.

The images below were graciously provided by Bonnie Robbins from RSU 16, Jennifer Simmons from MSAD 5, and Sarah Adkins from the Maine DOE.

School counselor poses with conference poster.

group picture

On June 25-30, 2019, three student State Officers of the Maine FFA Association (formerly known as “Future Farmers of America”) joined 23 of their counterparts from the other New England States for a regional leadership training held for the first time at Northern Vermont University (NVU) in Lyndon.  Most costs for this event were generously supported by a grant from the AgEnhancement Program of Farm Credit East, along with additional funding by Farm Credit East and by Yankee Farm Credit.  Maine FFA State Officers Graham Berry (President), Camryn Curtis (Vice President) and Ava Cameron (Secretary-Treasurer), were eager to gain leadership skills for the coming 2019-2020 school year.  They traveled to Vermont with State FFA Advisor Doug Robertson, from the Maine Department of Education.  On the way, they had the chance to experience the agriculture of Vermont, including a visit to Shelburne Farms, a 1,400 acre historic agricultural education facility on the shores of Lake Champlain, dating from the 1800s.

The purpose of the training was to prepare State FFA Officers to serve nearly 7,000 FFA members, grades 7 to 12, in the six New England States.  As representatives of one of the largest student leadership organizations in the country, State FFA Officers are expected to organize leadership workshops, conferences and other events for their membership, composed of students studying subjects related to agriculture and natural resources, whether through middle/high school science curricula infused with agriculture topics, or through technical programs in areas such as horticulture, forestry, landscaping, natural resource management, and outdoor leadership.

In Vermont, three National FFA facilitators from California, Kentucky and Oregon led training sessions on areas related to Communication Skills and Workshop Development/Delivery, helping student State FFA Officers begin to create their own workshop sessions to bring back to their home states.  Training logistics were overseen by host Vermont FFA Executive Director Suzanne Buck and Maine FFA State Advisor Doug Robertson.  To complement their formal training, State FFA Officers also participated in hands-on teamwork/leadership training on NVU’s high and low ropes courses, successfully undertaking team and individual challenges.  Students interviewed a local Lyndonville Institute agriculture teacher, observing his students’ projects related to gardening and maple syrup production, and learned more about opportunities in the agriculture industry through guest speakers from Case New Holland Tractors.

State FFA Officers commented on the high quality of their National FFA facilitators, the idyllic setting of NVU, with its excellent food and amenities, and the overall effectiveness of the training program and learning environment.  They left the training with increased confidence and excitement to serve FFA members in the coming year, along with strong personal connections to their New England peers, whom they will next see at events in Massachusetts, Washington, DC and Indianapolis.

Vermont Regional New England FFA Training Group (Maine Officers Ava Cameron and Camryn Curtis on right, with Graham Berry behind them)

High Ropes New England FFA Group

Belaying students on high ropes (Graham Berry, foreground)

New England FFA Officers collaborate on low ropes activity (Maine FFA State President Graham Berry back left)

Workshop Session – Maine and Rhode Island FFA Officer Teams working with National FFA Trainer Alex Morrissey

Maine FFA State Officer Team – Camryn Curtis (Vice President), Graham Berry (President), Ava Cameron (Secretary-Treasurer)

Shelburne Farms, agricultural education facility and National Historic Landmark in Shelburne, Vermont.

Those wishing to learn more about Maine FFA, including the possibility of connecting with an existing FFA chapter or beginning a new one, should contact State FFA Advisor Doug Robertson:  doug.robertson@maine.gov, (207) 624-6744.

Submitted by Sarah Woog from the The Washington County Consortium. 

Meet Lynn Mitchell, Passamaquoddy Culture and Language Teacher at Calais High School.

Have you ever considered learning Passamaquoddy? If you are not Native, does this question give you pause? Have you ever wondered if learning the Passamaquoddy language and culture is an endeavor you should or could have access to? According to Lynn Mitchell, yes and yes.

Lynn Mitchell is the Passamaquoddy Culture and Language teacher at Calais High School. She’s been teaching Passamaquoddy Culture and Language to Native and non-Native students at Calais for four years. Lynn believes her class bridges divides between Native and non-Native communities, creates a shared experience, and develops empathy and deepens ties between the communities. Lynn isn’t the only person at Calais High School who believes this. Her passion reverberates throughout the school.

Mary Anne Spearin, Principal at Calais High School, recommended I profile Lynn for this month’s newsletter. Mary Anne said, “Her love for all students became apparent during our Blue and White review when Lynn presented her academic awards. She became emotional when referring to the ever strengthening connection between the Calais High School students and staff and the Passamaquoddy culture, traditions, and language, stating it had been a long time coming.” In our divisive times, these connections are so important in our shared quest for a more kind and just world. And Lynn is building more connections, too.

Lynn recently visited a fifth grade classroom in Norridgewock, Maine. She arrived at 10:30 AM and spent the rest of the school day with the class. She taught the young people and teachers about her people, the First People, about their language and traditions, and their existence as people, not as caricatures or mascots. Lynn is clearly committed to creating bridges, and I admire the love with which she builds them.

Lynn teaches with love too. I asked her the best part of teaching and she didn’t miss a beat- the kids. She smiles when she talks about the games she uses to engage them, about the challenges of differentiation, about the student who told her he wanted to be a linguist because of her class. 

Lynn learns with love. She is finishing her coursework in Education at the University of Maine at Machias next year. She told me she’s grateful for the experience, is excited for the credential, but especially appreciates the knowledge and skills she is acquiring that supports her work in the classroom. She loved the coursework that taught her about unit design and lesson planning. Lynn has created the curriculum and content she is using in her classes. The frameworks and planning processes she’s learned have allowed her to offer a course that always has a waitlist.

Two more loves of Lynn: working at Maine Indian Education, and her husband, Dana Mitchell. Lynn is proud of her 32 years at Maine Indian Education. She and her husband were actually married at the Wabanaki Culture Center, where Maine Indian Education is located. Dana also works for Maine Indian Education, at Beatrice Rafferty School, and has his own illustrious career in service to Native students that would require another profile to do justice. Lynn loves that her husband “supports everything I do.” Knowing Dana and Lynn, his support of Lynn is unwavering, but it’s also worth noting that he supports the spirit of her work, and shares her passion for teaching, learning, and building community.

I’ll end here with a quote from Lynn: “It is a passion of mine to advocate for our beloved Passamaquoddy culture and language and to educate not only our children from the reservation, but all children.” Do you share Lynn’s passion for educating children? Do you want to provide your students with increased opportunities to authentically learn about  Passamaquoddy culture and language in your classroom? If so, reach out to Lynn (mrslynn.mitchell@gmail.com), and build another bridge together.

Submitted by Tess Nacelewicz, Communications Coordinator, Portland Public Schools.

Pictured (from left) are Portland Superintendent Xavier Botana; Casco Bay High School students and BOA Student Leaders Imti Hassan and Gabriel Gomez; BOA representatives Rose Parsons and Bill Williamson; and Portland Board of Public Education Chair Roberto Rodriquez.

Two students from Casco Bay High School have been named 2019 Bank of America (BOA) Student Leaders: Gabriel Gomez and Imti Hassan. The BOA Student Leaders program helps connect community-minded high school students to jobs, skills development, and service.

The students were honored by the Portland Board of Public Education and Superintendent Xavier Botana at the Board’s June 18 meeting.

The Bank of America Student Leaders Program is a paid eight-week Internship and leadership Conference program fully funded by Bank of America. In 2019, BOA has increased the hourly pay from $10 to $15 per hour.

BOA Student Leaders participate in paid internships at a local nonprofit organization where they learn firsthand about the needs of the community and the critical role nonprofits play. BOA Student Leaders learn valuable civic, social and business leadership skills. In addition to the paid internship, each BOA Student Leader will attend the Student Leader Summit held in Washington, D.C. where they will explore how government,business and the nonprofit sectors work to address critical community needs.

Gabriel Gomez, who will be a senior at CBHS this fall, will intern this summer at United Way of Greater Portland.

CBHS Principal Derek Pierce described Gabe as “an excellent student and an equally impressive human being. Gabe’s self-effacing wit and impish grin are immediately charming, but his intelligence and integrity are what hold your respect. Academically, Gabe is one of our top students. He was in the first cohort of students to earn a Seal of Biliteracy, and he has achieved with honors in every discipline from art to math. He has earned an “A” in a college math class, and completed an internship in a music studio. Music has become a deep passion of Gabe’s in recent years. True to character, Gabe excels whether he’s playing solo or supporting others in an ensemble. Gabe is well regarded by adults and peers and will be a bridge-builder in any group.” Imti Hassan graduated from CBHS in June and will intern this summer at the Boys & Girls Club of Southern Maine.

Principal Pierce said, “Last summer, Imti Hassan was given the position of “Paradigm Shifter” at the renowned Seeds of Peace Camp. She is one of few 17-year-olds worthy of this daunting label. There is not a program (or community) on earth that would not benefit deeply from her exceptional, buoyant, inclusive and, yes, paradigm-shifting leadership. Imti’s experience as a leader is as deep as it is wide. Her relentless, affable positivity is matched by profound skills in facilitation, listening, making connections and problem solving. Imti was the first chairperson of CBHS cabinet and was voted as one of her class speakers at graduation. She will be attending Bates College this fall.”

Every year, through the Student Leaders program, BOA helps connect more than 200 community-minded high school juniors and seniors to employment, skills development and service.

This year, Bank of America will connect 280 community-minded high school juniors and seniors from 80 of their markets throughout the country to employment, skills development and service. This promising group will convene in Washington DC for a week for the Student Leader Summit built around three themes: Serve. Inspire. Change. As part of this, Bank of America is providing more than $4 million in funding this year to support nearly 3,000 summer jobs for youth and young adults through the Student Leaders program, as well as summer internships for young people from underrepresented communities across the country.

Student Leaders is part of BOA’s ongoing commitment to preparing young people for a brighter future. BOA looks for the next generation of community leaders – those with a passion for improving their community, and turning that passion into action.

At the Board’s meeting, Botana noted that “last year – for the first time ever – the Portland, Maine Market was designated a Student Leaders site. Bill Williamson, BOA Market President for Maine, is to be credited for advocating for this opportunity for Maine students.”

Botana continued, “All public and private schools in Portland are eligible to apply – and I’m thrilled that both last year and this year the honor and opportunity has been given to students from the Portland Public Schools! This is a tribute to our amazing students, but also to their schools – counselors, teachers and principals, for preparing them and supporting them in their applications.”

Also present at the meeting were Gabe’s parents, Carlos Gomez & Melissa McStay; Imti’s mother and father, Sadia Abdirahman and Mohmamed Hassan; Bill Williamson, BOA Market President for Maine, Senior Vice President, Senior Client Manager, Commercial Banking; and Rose Parsons, BOA Vice President, Market Manager, Maine.

Heather White started teaching at the Vinalhaven School in 2002. For the first nine years, she was the third-grade teacher, bringing art into the curriculum as much as possible. In 2011, she made the big leap to teaching k-12 visual arts and hasn’t looked back. It was exciting for her to go back to school to finish up her remaining classes to become a certified art teacher, she absolutely loves what she does, and it shows.

Maine Department of Education’s Katherine Warren visited the May, 7^th K-12 art show and spoke to Heather about her successful teaching strategies. Heather focuses on process over product and mistakes just come with the territory. As a matter of fact, that’s exactly where she believes the learning is. A sign in the art room reads, “Fail a lot! Failing is really just practice.”

This is the message that Heather works to convey to her students each day. She told Katherine, “I know the message is getting through when a project comes out of the kiln broken, which happens once in a while, and a student simply says something like, ‘that’s OK . . .I bet I know what happened, I bet there was still some moisture in the clay, I’ll just make another one.”

Another one of Heather’s recipes for success in the art room is “do the work.” She conveys to students, on a daily basis, the importance of showing up and doing the work. It’s the only way to move forward no matter what the task. Students from kindergarten all the way up to twelfth grade know that when they come to the art room, they’re there to work. No matter what the outcome, they always feel knowing they did their best; this philosophy results in more learning opportunities, and more artistic growth.

These teaching strategies really work for Heather and the proof is in the painting. This past winter Heather displayed second and third grade artwork on the Story Trail at Vinalhaven Land Trust’s Granite Island Preserve. It was an art show in the woods and families were encouraged to plan a winter hike to take in the scenery and the stunning artwork. These art pieces were juxtaposed against Vinalhaven’s real winter forest. It is difficult to say which trees were more beautiful, those imagined by Heather’s students, or the real things. Either way, she has done an exceptional job connecting her students and their artistic work to the environment from which it was inspired.

As with the “Winter Birches,” Heather is always looking for opportunities to try something new or unexpected. Another successful collaboration she worked on this year was with the k-12 music teacher Bill Trevaskis. Together they worked with students to produce stop. Motion short films. Heather said, “I was already doing stop motion films, and Bill was already doing a sound design unit. It was the perfect integrated unit, so why not just go for it!”

The results were thoughtful, beautiful, and downright funny ranging from a peeling out sports car to the sinking of The Titanic. Students were certainly proud of their work, as was their teacher.

K-12 students at Vinalhaven are fortunate to have such dedicated teachers. These alternative and collaborative methods for art and music instruction are exciting examples of the many amazing things Maine teachers and students do on a daily basis to improve education across the State.

This story was written by Maine DOE Intern Simon Handleman in collaboration with Vinalhaven Art Teacher Heather White and Maine DOE Staff Katherine Warren. If you have a story idea or would like to submit a written story for the Maine DOE Newsroom, email Rachel Paling at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

Pictured (Left to Right) – Front row: Robb Cotiaux, Brittany Taylor, Bridges Class teacher Windham Middle School, Connor McNeill, Bridges Class teacher Windham High School. Middle row: Austin Rice, AJ Mains and TJ McAllister. Third row: Jack Hedrich, James Tucker, Eric Loftin, Cameron Malone, Sue Hedrich, Bridges Class Ed Tech.

Story submitted by Susan Hedrich, Educational Technician with the Bridges Program in RSU14.

The Bridges classes at both Windham High & Middle Schools recently went on their first community fishing trip as part of their educational programming. An integrated life skills course, the Bridges program serves students from middle school through independence at the Windham Raymond School District.

Students were greeted at The Pond at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester by registered Maine Guide, Robb Cotiaux, and RSU14 central office staff volunteer, Jack Hedrich, who provided instruction about the mechanics of using a fishing pole with worms for bait.  Despite heavy rain that day, the students enjoyed the fishing lesson immensely and caught three fish.

The Bridges teachers would like to include fishing as part of the students’ community engagement experience in the future and determined that they had a need for their own equipment this spring.  The Trout Unlimited Sebago chapter was contacted about this need and the Conservation Chairman, Mr. Cotiaux presented to the Board a request for a grant for $250 to purchase new fishing gear for the Bridges students.  That grant was awarded this month and will finance the purchase of enough sets of gear for each student on their future trips.

After their fishing lesson was over the students had lunch in the Pineland Café and were treated to complimentary ice cream cones courtesy of the Café Manager, Dore Campbell.

For the fourth year in a row, fourth graders at Carrie Ricker Elementary School in Litchfield assemble around one-hundred homemade parade floats. Such a quantity of floats can fit inside the school cafeteria because each one is little bigger than a shoebox. All spring long these students have been studying Maine culture and history leading up to the Maine Shoebox Parade as the culmination of their learning. This month long project begins in early May when each teacher on the Fourth Grade Team (Beth Pfeffer, Chuck Beganny, Jody Raio, Judy Davidson, and Sarah Radasch) provides their classes with nearly 40 Maine-related topics from which to choose. With each class at around 20 students, the choices are abundant.

For many students at Carrie Ricker this was their first formal experience with research. By introducing students to research-based learning in fourth grade, these students will have abundant background and foundational knowledge for what is to come.

Some of the students who covered local businesses even reached out to the proprietors. One student who researched Fielder’s Choice Ice Cream had the opportunity to interview that business’ owner.  In addition to research and construction, students must write a short informative paragraph about their topic. Either the student (if they choose to read themselves) or their teacher will read their words in front of the assembled fourth grade classes at the parade. A combination of research, writing, creative construction, and public speaking skills make the Maine Shoebox Parade a festival about social studies learning, creativity, and presentation as well as State celebration.  Fourth grade teacher Judy Davidson explained this is why parents, teachers, and students alike get so excited about the project each year.

This year three judges presided over the festivities.  Principal Christine Lajoie-Cameron, Administrative Assistant Keli Terry, and Maine Department of Education Social Studies Specialist, Joe Schmidt were tasked with choosing the best of the floats. One crowd favorite was the Litchfield Diving Horses, a local attraction from the early 20^th Century. Still other projects were made more powerful considering personal student or teacher connections to the topic. The student whose project featured Moody’s Diner was related to the patron family. However, Maxx Crowley took home the Student Choice Award for his lighthouse float.

All judges, teachers, parents, and DOE observers agreed the parade was a display of excellent student behavior and work. The student contenders were respectful and friendly. They demonstrated an appreciation for the hard work of their peers. Each year, following the parade, fourth graders bring their floats through the third grade wing. This reprise of the parade gives younger students a glimpse of life next year, as well as something about which to get excited. After the presentation we walked down a hallway and saw the abundant art on display. It is evident the people at Carrie Ricker value student art and creativity, a tool they use to motivate students and strengthen school community. Ms. Terry, Administrative Assistant, commented how special it was to see students and their work, out from behind the front office desk. All those present look forward to the next annual Maine Shoebox parade, and whatever else the students at Carrie Ricker create.

4th grade teacher Sarah Radasch and student

Student’s Shoebox Parade float about apples

This story was written by Maine DOE Intern Simon Handleman in collaboration with Carrie Ricker School. If you have a story idea or would like to submit a written story for the Maine DOE Newsroom, email Rachel Paling at rachel.paling@maine.gov.