Presentation (In-person and Virtual): U.S. Secret Service Research and Recommendations on the Prevention of Targeted School Violence

Maine’s education workforce is invited to join the U.S. Secret Service and Maine Department of Education’s Maine School Safety Center for a free presentation by the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) addressing strategies to prevent targeted school violence.

Date: October 5, 2022
Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Location: UMA–Jewett Hall in Augusta or Virtual
Intended Audience: Education Administrators, Teachers, School Psychologists/School Counselors, Law Enforcement, Crisis Intervention Units, Counselors & Mental Health Specialists, Social Workers, Anyone who may potentially be involved in risk detection/management position

This presentation will focus on past events of school violence, averted attacks of targeted school violence, and discuss how schools and communities can utilize a multidisciplinary approach to school safety with specific focus on identifying, assessing, and intervening with students who exhibit concerning behavior as early as possible. This is NOT active shooter response training.

Register here – This event is offered both in person and virtually. In-person attendance is limited, so please register asap to ensure your attendance.

Please reach out to Karen Barnes at karen.a.barnes@maine.gov with any questions.

WEBINAR: Getting Started with Interdisciplinary Instruction

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) invites educators to participate in a webinar focusing on how to get started with interdisciplinary instruction. The goal of this session is to give educators a sense of the planning process. Although not required, educators are encouraged to come with an idea in mind.

This 60-minute workshop-style webinar will

Give a brief overview of what interdisciplinary instruction is and how it supports students and educators
Cover how to write a driving question, create a project or product, and align learning activities to MELDS/MLR standards
Give practical tips to get started with interdisciplinary instruction in your classroom

Additional virtual PLCs will begin in October and November for those educators who wish to continue their work. Attendance at this workshop will not be required for the PLCs.

When: Tuesday, September 13, 2022. 3-4

Where: Register HERE to receive the Zoom link

The workshop will be facilitated by Jaime Beal, Interdisciplinary Instruction Specialist. If you have any questions, contact Jaime at jaime.beal@maine.gov.

WEBINAR: The Role of School Nutrition Directors in School Safety Efforts

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools and its Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center will host a Webinar on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET. This Webinar will highlight the role of school nutrition directors in school safety, security, emergency management, and preparedness activities, including emergency operations plan (EOP) development.

The objectives of this 60-minute Webinar are to

Demonstrate the importance of a collaborative planning team, as outlined in Step 1 of the six-step planning process detailed in the Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans.
Discuss the role that school nutrition directors play in implementing the National Preparedness System mission areas before, during, and after an emergency.
Reinforce how school nutrition directors can enhance EOP development and serve as key stewards in the efforts around food contamination outbreaks, continuity of operations, recovery, and more.
Share relevant resources to be used by school nutrition directors and core planning teams.

Register on the REMS TA Center Website to participate in the Webinar!

Presenters:

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service
- Charlsia Fortner, Chief, Food Safety Branch
- Brian McCall, Director, Office of Emergency Management
REMS TA Center
- Alison Curtis, Director of Information and Product Management

Web Chat

Immediately following the Webinar, you are invited to participate in a Twitter Chat where presenters will continue to answer your questions. No Twitter account is necessary to view questions, only to pose questions and engage in tweets. Follow @remstacenter and tune in at 1:00 p.m. ET on September 13.

Questions

Contact the REMS TA Center Help Desk at 1-855-781-REMS [7367] or info@remstacenter.org from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. Can’t make the live event? This Webinar will be archived on the REMS TA Center’s Website within 7 business days.

WEBINAR: The Role of Public Health Officials in Supporting School Safety Efforts

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools and its Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center will host a Webinar on Tuesday, September 6, 2022, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET. This Webinar will highlight the role of public health officials in supporting school safety efforts at the local level.

The objectives of this 60-minute Webinar are to

Demonstrate the importance of developing a collaborative planning team to support emergency operations plan (EOP) development, as outlined in Step 1 of the six-step planning process detailed in the Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans.
Discuss the role that public health officials in the local community play in implementing the National Preparedness System mission areas — prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery — at K-12 schools as well as their role in the before, during, and after phases of a potential emergency at a school or an emergency that involves a school.
Share resources to support education agencies in preparing for all hazards and all threats during National Preparedness Month and beyond.

Register on the REMS TA Center Website to participate in the Webinar!

Presenters:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Lisa Barrios, Senior Advisor for School Preparedness

REMS TA Center: Janelle Hughes, Project Director

Web Chat: You are invited to participate in a Web chat, immediately following the Webinar, on the REMS TA Center’s Community of Practice (CoP) where presenters will continue to answer your questions. Create a CoP account now, and tune in at 1:00 p.m. ET on September 6.

Questions About the Event? Contact the REMS TA Center Help Desk at 1-855-781-REMS [7367] or info@remstacenter.org from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

Can’t make the live event? This Webinar will be archived on the REMS TA Center Website within 7 business days.

WEBINAR: Preparing for a Safe School Year – Back-to-School Safety for K-12 Schools

Please join the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse on August 30 at 2:00 PM EDT for an informational webinar on back-to-school safety featuring guidance, best practices, and resources for kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) schools.

The session will be held in coordination with the U.S. Department of Education and the Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety.

The webinar will provide an overview of various topics that school personnel should consider when welcoming students back to school while looking to support the safety, security, and wellbeing of all students.

The discussion will feature additional school safety-related resources available through SchoolSafety.gov, as well as a Q&A session.

When: August 30, 2022, 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT
Where: Webex (access link to be provided one day in advance of the event)
For: K-12 School Superintendents and Principals; School and District Administrators; Teachers and School Staff; School Counselors and School Psychologists; Emergency Managers; Parents
Registration: https://FSSCbacktoschoolwebinar.eventbrite.com

If you have any questions, please contact the School Safety team at SchoolSafety@hq.dhs.gov.

eWorkshop: Virtual Professional Learning Community for Administrators

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) welcomes all school and SAU-level administrators to participate in an eight-part virtual professional learning community (VPLC) this fall. The VPLC will center on the WIDA asynchronous eWorkshop “School Improvement Planning for the Equitable Education of Multilingual Learners.” This eWorkshop will introduce school leaders to leadership principles and practices to provide equitable educational opportunities for multilingual learners, based on a distributive leadership model.

Participants will complete the eWorkshop independently and then come together with their colleagues and facilitator Robin Fleck, ESOL Consultant, to reflect and discuss what they have learned. The eWorkshop includes eight modules that take about 45 minutes each to complete.

During the eWorkshop, participants will have an opportunity to explore effective leadership practices that aim to:

create and maintain an inclusive, school-wide learning environment focused on multilingual learners;
promote effective instructional practices for multilingual learners;
leverage multiple resources and build capacity for staff to meet the needs of multilingual learners; and
collaborate with families and the local community to enact school improvement solutions.

Videos, readings, and opportunities for reflection, as well as suggestions and resources for team planning activities are included. At the end of the eWorkshop, participants will be introduced to the WIDA SIS, an online- school improvement assessment tool that can be utilized in the school improvement process to prioritize learning opportunities for multilingual learners.

If you’re interested in participating in this VPLC, submit your contact information and scheduling preferences here. Recognizing the challenges of an administrator’s calendar, we will schedule the sessions between mid-September and mid-November, according to the availability of everyone who would like to participate.

There must be a minimum of eight registrants in order for the VPLC to be held. If you have any questions, contact Robin Fleck at robin.fleck@maine.gov.

Extended Learning Opportunities Conference Hosts Over 120 Attendees from Across the State

The Maine Department of Education (DOE), in partnership with JMG, recently held an Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs) Conference at the University of Maine Orono for Maine ELO Grant recipients. Over 120 professionals from 57 different districts, community organizations, and business partners attended the conference, which took place over the course of three days. Attendees had the opportunity to attend sessions on how to develop their ELO programs, reflect on their current programs, and network with others in the field each day.

Attendees learned important skills throughout their time at the conference, attending breakout sessions, activities, and meetings that provided them with the skills necessary to build or strengthen their ELO programs. Breakout sessions covered a wide range of topics including how to market ELOs as a community wide initiative and build connections with other schools, how to build strong pillars that can lead to a sustainable, supportive program, the best strategies for supporting students in virtual ELOs, and best practices for building a network of community partners. Breakout sessions also covered concrete skills such as building ELO syllabi that retain school culture, standard achievement, and skill mastery, how to assess ELO and student success, and how to use the ELO learning management system.

Educators in breakout sessions

Educators working in small groups during breakout sessions

Educators in breakout sessions

Some attendees expressed the value provided to them by taking part in the conference, sharing they now feel more comfortable and confident in helping students take on ELOs. One educator shared that they look forward to bringing this opportunity back to their Special Education students, while another was grateful to feel validated in their work thus far and to have gained new perspectives on ELOs. Many attendees also shared their appreciation for the new network of people and resources they now have access to, thanks to the conference.

Virtual Workshop Series for New ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) Teachers

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) invites educators to participate in a series of virtual workshops on topics related to serving multilingual learners and managing an English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program. While the sessions will be targeted to the needs of new ESOL teachers, all are welcome! More experienced ESOL teachers, and others whose work relates to the topics listed, will also find information of value and benefit from connecting with colleagues across Maine.

See the list of sessions below for dates and topics of focus. Sessions will be held from 3:00-4:00pm every other Thursday. Participants should plan to attend all sessions in the series, to the extent possible. Contact hours will be available for participation in the sessions. Ideally participants, as a cohort of learners, will develop and sustain a professional connection beyond the bi-weekly sessions.

The workshops will be facilitated by Rebecca Carey, Maine DOE ESOL Consultant, and will feature guest speakers during some sessions. If you have any questions, contact Rebecca at rebecca.carey@maine.gov.

Register HERE to receive the Zoom links.

Session 1 – Thursday, September 1, 2022

Welcoming newcomers and families
- Ways to support your registration process/registration staff
- Ways to access interpreting and translating services
- Elements of a culturally responsive school setting
- Essential information to share with newcomers
Identifying English learners
- Language Use Survey
- ELP screeners
- LAC meetings
- Entering multilingual learner data into the student data system
  - Steps and important dates
Reviewing state expectations
- Timeline for identification
- Service provision guidance

Session 2 – Thursday, September 15, 2022

How to effectively use the LAC meeting
- Timeline
- Members
- Gathering information
- Learning opportunities for the team
ILAP
- Purpose
- Examples
- Using the WIDA ELD Standards
How to have effective parent conferences/communications
Student data system revisited for October 1st student count readiness

Session 3 – Thursday, September 29, 2022

Supporting Multilingualism
- Leveraging primary languages in the classroom
- Asset-based approach
  - Creating student profiles
  - Activities: Getting to know students
- Uses for instruction
Identifying available resources
- Maine DOE multilingual learners webpages
- Maine DOE ESOL & bilingual programs resources Padlet
- Maine DOE ESOL Listserv
- Free WIDA self-paced eWorkshops

Session 4 – Thursday, October 13, 2022

Understanding acculturation and how to support students in this process
- Strategies for culturally responsive teaching
Questions/needs of the group

Session 5 – Thursday, October 27, 2022

Preparing students for ACCESS for ELLs and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs testing
Preparing your colleagues, administrators, and testing space for ACCESS for ELLs and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs administration

Maine DOE Hosts Early Elementary Educators for Summer Instructional Program Training

Over a four day period from August 1-4, the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Early Learning Team, in collaboration with seven Maine teacher leaders and a consultant from the Boston Public Schools, hosted over 130 Maine educators in two day trainings on the Maine DOE’s interdisciplinary instructional programs: Pre-K for ME, K for ME, and 1st Grade for ME. During the trainings, teachers learned about and explored the program components through hands-on simulations and interactive activities.

1st Grade for ME pilot teachers explore studio components

1st Grade for ME pilot teachers create science journals

1st Grade for ME pilot teachers explore studio components

Over the past 5 years, the Maine DOE has worked with a consultant from the Boston Public Schools and Maine educators to pilot Boston’s Focus Curriculum–an interdisciplinary, developmentally appropriate, whole child focused instructional program. The pilot process has enabled the Maine DOE to align the programs with Maine’s Early Learning and Development Standards (MELDS) and Learning Results and to make enhancements to the programs that support Maine’s context. Pre-K for ME and K for ME are open-source and available on the Maine DOE’s website. 1st Grade for ME is being piloted in 5 schools during the 2022-23 school year during which time 14 first grade teachers will be implementing the program and providing feedback to guide adaptions. Additionally, 2 Maine educators are writing the science portions of 1st Grade for ME. 1st Grade for ME should be available as an open-source resource in August of 2023.

K for ME training participants experience the story telling/story acting component of K for ME

Boston Public Schools consultant, Melissa Luc, working with Kindergarten teachers

For more information about Pre-K for ME, K for ME, and/or 1st Grade for ME, please reach out to Nicole Madore, Early Childhood Specialist (Nicole.Madore@maine.gov) or Lee Anne Larsen, Director of Early Learning (leeann.larsen@maine.gov).

Maine DOE Consultants and Teacher Leaders at the Pre-K for ME training

WEBINAR: The Role of School Administrators in Supporting School Safety Efforts

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools and its Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center will host a Webinar on Friday, August 26, 2022, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET. This Webinar will highlight the role of school administrators in supporting school safety efforts at the local level.

The objectives of this 60-minute Webinar are to

Demonstrate the importance of developing a collaborative planning team to support emergency operations plan (EOP) development, as outlined in Step 1 of the six-step planning process detailed in the Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans.
Discuss the role that school administrators — including principals, vice principals, and other school leaders — play in implementing the National Preparedness System mission areas before, during, and after a potential emergency.
Share resources to strengthen efforts around overall plan development.

Register on the REMS TA Center Website to participate in the Webinar!

Presenters: