New Professional Learning Series: Welcome to Public School ~ Building High-Quality Kindergarten Transitions

The Maine Department of Education’s Early Learning Team, in conjunction with the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet and the Office of Child and Family Services, is pleased to announce a new professional learning opportunity: Welcome to Public School – Building High-Quality Transitions to Kindergarten. Recognizing the significant milestone that transition to kindergarten is for children and families, this series explores strategies for positively engaging children, families, caregivers, educators, and community providers in the process, including ideas for building transition teams and plans. School administrators and educators who support this critical period in children’s lives are encouraged to register for the series, preferably as teams to learn together. This 4-part series will be held over Zoom, on the dates listed below:

Module 1: An Overview of Kindergarten Transitions, March 10th, 3:30-4:30
Module 2: Student and Family Engagement: Thursday, March 17th, 3:30 -4:30
Module 3: Engaging with Your Community: Thursday, March 24th, 3:30-4:30
Module 4: Being School Ready-Building Transition Teams and Plans: Thursday, March 31st, 3:30-4:30

Please register for this 4-part series through this link. Participants are encouraged to participate in teams inclusive of those who support and partner in leading kindergarten transition planning and activities within their communities. This can include, but is not limited to, School Administrative Unit administration, teaching staff, community preschool and childcare providers, and parents/caregivers

In conjunction with this learning series, the Kindergarten Transition webpages have been enhanced. These pages contain valuable resources for both parents & caregivers and educators & providers. The professional learning modules featured in this series will be available through this website and will include a facilitator guide to support use of the module content.

For more information, please contact Marcy Whitcomb, Early Childhood Program Monitor at marcy.r.whitcomb@maine.gov.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Training Provider Registry Now Open to Public

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Training Provider Registry (TPR) list of registered training providers is now open to the public.

Here are the steps to access the list of registered training providers:

Go to the FMCSA Training Provider Registry website.
From the TPR landing page, scroll down to “Do you need to find a training provider?”
Click on “Download the list of registered training providers” – the list can be sorted by state.

School administrative units can determine if their TPR registration is complete by reviewing the list of registered training providers and when a confirmation message is received from FMCSA.

As FMCSA is the authority for Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) and TPR, please direct questions about TPR registration to FMCSA by using the “contact” button that is located in the upper right of the TPR landing page or review the frequently asked questions (FAQs) link at the top of the landing page.

As a reminder, the compliance date for ELDT regulations is February 7, 2022.

For more information, reach out to Maine Department of Education Transportation/Facilities Administrator Pat Hinckley at Pat.Hinckley@maine.gov.

Maine Farm and Sea to School Institute 2022 – 2023

The Maine Farm and Sea to School Institute is a unique opportunity to impact your entire community! The Maine Farm and Sea to School Institute is a year-long professional opportunity for Maine schools/districts to develop a Farm and Sea to School (FSTS) program.

The Institute begins with a virtual orientation and pairing with an FSTS Coach, followed by an August 2022 Academy Program where teams learn about the 3 Cs of a FSTS program (cafeteria, classroom, community); discover the opportunities and resources in Maine; develop a vision for their FSTS program; create an action plan to implement that vision; and network with other FSTS champions!

For more information including a timeline and commitment, FAQ, contact information, and how to register visit https://www.mainefarmtoschoolnetwork.org/new-page-4.

FORUM: Emotional Well-Being During a Pandemic

Sponsored by Maine Community Action Partnership (MeCAP), this is a forum, open to all and at no charge, to connect and explore coping strategies.

Panelists:

Dr. Nirav Shah, Director of Maine Centers for disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Eric Eisele, E-COVID Project Director, Office of Behavioral Health, Maine Department for Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Arabella Pares, Trauma Informed Certificate Coordinator, University of New England (UNE)
Abigail Young, Junior at Ellsworth High School

Thursday, January 27, 6:00pm – 7:15pm

For more information, contact MeCAP: https://mecap.org

Digital Forum on Prevention: Digital Ecosystems for Student Security, Safety, and Well-Being

Co-hosted with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) School Safety Task Force and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology (OET).

When:

Tuesday, January 25: 11:00 a.m. ET to 3:30 p.m. ET and;
Wednesday, January 26: 11:00 a.m. ET to 3:30 p.m. ET.

Where: Zoom

This forum will feature two days of online panels and workshops of experts, researchers, technology experts and practitioners. Attendees will learn about a public health-informed strategy to prevention, online safety, multidisciplinary approaches to student and educator well-being, and learn about solutions that support prevention, including how to improve digital literacy and critical thinking skills and cybersecurity resources to build resilience.

School administrators, educators, school safety stakeholders, prevention practitioners, including threat assessment and management professionals, state and local agencies, law enforcement, mental and behavioral health services, social services, technology companies, civil society organizations, cybersecurity experts, and all federal and international partners that have an interest and benefit in learning more about navigating student safety online are encouraged to register.

Full agenda and link to registration

Professional Development Series with Liz Kleinrock, nationally-recognized author with Teaching Tolerance on Anti-racist and Anti-bias Education.

Are you interested in learning about anti-racist and anti-bias education? If so, register for this no-cost training with Liz Kleinrock, the anti-racist and anti-bias educator who won the 2018 Teaching Tolerance Award for Excellence in Equity. She will share her expertise about having difficult conversations in the classroom about race and ethnicity. Don’t miss this three-part professional development series, to how “Education is Everywhere” (2019 Ted Talk).

Sponsored by the Maine County and State Teachers of the Year Association, this series is offered at no cost.

When:

Session 1: February 8, 2022, 7-8:15 pm
Session 2: March 15, 2022, 7-8:15 pm
Session 3: April 5th, 2022, 7-8 pm.

Where: Zoom (a link will be sent to registrants prior to sessions).

To receive four contact hours, please commit to all three sessions.

Register here

Register Now: Maine Collaborative Child Abuse Prevention Online Conference February 2-4

This event is co-sponsored by Cumberland County Children’s Advocacy Center, Maine Department of Education’s Office of School and Student Supports, Trauma-informed Prosecutor Project (TiPP), and Portland Pump Company.

Trainings are designed to provide cross disciplinary education, advocacy for systemic legal change, guidance for survivor support and leadership on emerging technologies, education and training around how to recognize and address the intersecting forms of child maltreatment in connection with child sexual abuse is the focus of all.

FEBRUARY 2-4, 2022 – 8:30AM TO 4PM

Day 1:

Essentials of Trauma-Informed Care
Essentials of Adverse Childhood Experiences
Empowering Survivors To Understand The Impact of Childhood Trauma… Getting Through, Not Over
Vicarious Trauma & Self-Care Strategies

Day 2:

Understanding the Impact Of Trauma On Boys
Strategies, Tips, & Activities for The Classroom: Building Connections & Developing Empathy
Personal Safety Building Blocks: Consent, & Empathy for Parents
Personal Safety Building Blocks: Consent, & Empathy for Professionals

Day 3:

Trauma-Informed Approaches to Victims of Technology-Facilitated
Abuse No Perfect Victim: Combating Issues & Overcoming Jury Bias in Cases with Difficult Kids
Smoke & Fire: Trauma, ACEs, How They Impact Child Abuse Investigation & Prosecution
Creating Trauma-Informed Spaces for Victims & Families Throughout the Justice System

REGISTER HERE.

Help promote this event – Download the flyer.

WEBINAR: Resources to Address the Mental Health Impact on Students, Families, and Staff

Please join the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse on January 20 at 3:00 PM EST for an informational webinar on the latest resources to address the mental health impact on students, parents, teachers, and school personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The session will feature guest speakers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network, which is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Presenters will provide an overview of national COVID-19 guidance for K-12 schools and share resources to address the mental health impact on students, parents, teachers, and school personnel.

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

When: January 20, 2022, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Adobe Connect (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 Management; Parents and Guardians; and Students
Registration: https://schoolsafetycovidandmentalhealthwebinar.eventbrite.com

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

Maine School Safety Center to Offer School Emergency Planning Virtual Office Hours

Melissa Condon, the Emergency Operations Planning Officer for the Maine Department of Education’s Maine School Safety Center will be offering virtual office hours for anyone working in Maine’s education workforce who is interested in talking about School Emergency Planning.

Sessions will be offered Weekly on Mondays & Wednesdays from 8:00am – 10:00am starting on Monday, January 19th and ending on Monday, February 28th

If you are interested in registering to attend any of the Office Hours, email Melissa.A.Condon@maine.gov for a link to join the virtual meeting.

Description:

Available for personalized discussions for School Administrative Units (SAUs) related to various areas of emergency management and planning to include mitigating against, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from various threats and hazards that exist both to the school and surrounding community.

This is an opportunity to ask questions and/or seek technical assistance for topics such as:

The development of a Comprehensive Health and Safety and Emergency Management Plan
Identifying and planning for all hazards and potential hazards that could reasonably be expected to affect a SAU
Forming a collaborative, multi-disciplinary planning team
Developing and enhancing MOUs/MOAs with community partners
Physical site assessments
Emergency management training and education opportunities
Emergency exercises/drills
Continuity of Operations

For further information or questions, contact Melissa Condon at Melissa.A.Condon@maine.gov.

SAVE THE DATE: Maine Collaborative Child Abuse Prevention Conference February 2-4

Save the date for an 3-day free online conference for Social Workers, Law Enforcement, Educators & Prosecutors.

This event is co-sponsored by Cumberland County Children’s Advocacy Center, Maine Department of Education’s Maine School Safety Center, Trauma-informed Prosecutor Project (TiPP), and Portland Pump Company.

FEBRUARY 2-4, 2022 – 8:30AM TO 4PM

Day 1:

Essentials of Trauma-Informed Care
Essentials of Adverse Childhood Experiences
Empowering Survivors To Understand The Impact of Childhood Trauma… Getting Through, Not Over
Vicarious Trauma & Self-Care Strategies

Day 2:

Understanding the Impact Of Trauma On Boys
Strategies, Tips, & Activities for The Classroom: Building Connections & Developing Empathy
Personal Safety Building Blocks: Consent, & Empathy for Parents
Personal Safety Building Blocks: Consent, & Empathy for Professionals

Day 3:

Trauma-Informed Approaches to Victims of Technology-Facilitated
Abuse No Perfect Victim: Combating Issues & Overcoming Jury Bias in Cases with Difficult Kids
Smoke & Fire: Trauma, ACEs, How They Impact Child Abuse Investigation & Prosecution
Creating Trauma-Informed Spaces for Victims & Families Throughout the Justice System

Learn more here.

Help promote this event – Download the flyer.