Category: Good News from Schools

RSU 16 Initiates Annual District-Wide Outdoor Learning Day in Maine

On October 16, students and teachers at all five Regional School Unit 16 (RSU 16) schools in Mechanic Falls, Minot, and Poland participated in the first annual “Drop Everything and Get Everyone Outside (GEO) Day.” The new initiative involves integrating an outdoor learning activity into nearly every content area for students’ daily lessons.

This effort comes as research continues to demonstrate the many benefits of outdoor learning, including improved focus and academics, increased cooperative learning and social interaction, better physical and mental health, and the fostering of an appreciation of and love for nature.

Jessica Harvey, a second-grade teacher at Elm Street School and the 2021 Androscoggin County Teacher of the Year, is one of the educators who has helped RSU 16 to realize its vision of outdoor learning. She and a team of other RSU 16 teachers participated in outdoor learning sessions through The Ecology School to develop a vision and progression of outdoor learning at RSU 16.

Following this professional learning opportunity, teachers held a casual lunch meeting to connect and share successes and challenges related to outdoor learning. That’s how they created the Get Everyone Outside (GEO) initiative, which they decided would be brought to life with a Drop Everything and Get Everyone Outside (GEO) Day across the district to promote outdoor learning.

“Great things happen when teachers have time together,” Harvey said.

The teachers worked with RSU 16 Curriculum Director Jill Mathieu, to establish a representative at each school to help promote and support outdoor learning. Eventually, a plan was put in place for the first annual Drop Everything and GEO Day.

“Outdoor learning is for everyone, and we are proud to see how many educators took their students outside for learning that day,” Harvey said.

Through grants and the district’s Tri-Town Education Fund, RSU 16 has acquired outdoor learning seating and other materials to help teachers and students start teaching and learning outdoors.

RSU 16 hopes to continue to grow outdoor learning district-wide, making it a natural part of the curriculum for years to come.

Information for this story was provided by RSU 16. To share good news from your school, please fill out the Maine DOE good news submission form.

Massabesic Middle School Students Focus on Renewable Energy Through Interdisciplinary Class

Seventh-graders at Massabesic Middle School recently held a debate about renewable energy sources as part of an interdisciplinary class project. This is part of a new program after six teachers at the school—two at each grade level—transitioned from roles as content teachers in areas like science, math, and English Language Arts to Interdisciplinary Studies teachers. Now, they teach interdisciplinary, student-centered units based on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Erik Wade, Maine Department of Education (DOE) Interdisciplinary Instruction Specialist, has been serving as a resource to teachers who are trailblazing this new educational path in Maine.

“Massabesic has taken the idea of student-centered learning and run with it,” Wade said. “The school has restructured its teams, so that every student has a year-long opportunity to engage in authentic inquiry projects.”

As part of this new model, seventh-grade Interdisciplinary Studies teachers Michelle Turner and Christian (Bailey) Daigle created a teaching unit on sustainable energy sources, focused on practical ways that Massabesic Middle School itself could transition to using more of this kind of energy. Turner and Daigle divided each of their three classes into two groups per class and tasked them with choosing, researching, and building an argument about why a specific type of sustainable energy could be used to power the school.

While most groups chose solar panels or wind turbines, one group chose geothermal energy, and another chose biomass. They then presented their debates in front of an audience, including Maine DOE Director of Green Schools Glenn Cummings and co-founder of Maine-based ReVision Energy Phil Coupe. The pair listened to students’ opening arguments and provided feedback, giving them more information about the renewable energy sources they were researching and a few tidbits of information about renewable energy in general in Maine and its current use.

“Does anyone know of any schools in Maine that currently use solar panels?” Coupe asked after one of the opening arguments. That question led to a fruitful discussion, including some on-the-fly research about districts like Mt. Blue Regional School District (RSU 9), Camden Rockport Schools (Five Town CSD), and Gorham School District, which all currently use various sources of renewable energy to power their school buildings.

Cummings asked the students if they had considered how Massabesic in particular would use a renewable energy source. He asked where the school would put a wind turbine or solar panels, and whether the students had considered connecting to a local turbine farm in Maine. Again, this sparked conversation and further questions among students.

Following the debate, students had an opportunity to come back together to revisit their arguments and do some additional research to formulate rebuttals. They then presented and shared their rebuttals and closing statements with one another during class.

To close out the lesson, the teachers followed up with an end-of-unit discussion, during which students could discuss, after hearing the debates, what they think is the best option for Massabesic Middle School is and why.

“Much of their feedback revolved around the fact that they didn’t know where energy came from, how current practices can be harmful, and the abundance of alternative sources that are starting to be used both globally and locally,” Turner explained.

While these seventh graders have only just begun to scrape the surface with their research on renewable energy, they have been given an opportunity to engage in a real-world issue that will inevitably be a part of their future—a future in which their help and knowledge could bring solutions to our state and beyond.

A growing number of schools across Maine are embracing Interdisciplinary Instruction, including cross-content projects and restructuring of teacher roles, similar to Massabesic Middle School. The flexibility allows Massabesic students to drive their learning based on their interests and has enabled Interdisciplinary Studies teachers to develop projects and ideas that apply standards from multiple disciplines without a set curriculum.

“We feel incredibly fortunate that we get to engage our students in such a unique way, allowing for authentic learning experiences that align with both their interests and our own,” Turner said. “Designing and building our curriculum around relevant topics and real-life problems is truly a wonderful opportunity.”

Check out a short video about the project on Maine DOE social media sites:

To learn more about Interdisciplinary Instruction, visit the Maine DOE website. For further questions and resources, please contact Maine DOE Interdisciplinary Instruction Specialist Erik Wade at erik.wade@maine.gov.

Andover Elementary School Students Learn Homesteading Techniques Through New School Garden 

Since the spring of 2024, staff members at Andover Elementary School (AES) have been volunteering their time to a large garden project behind the school building. School secretary Amanda Beliveau and teachers Rachael Wyman, Brooke Harris, and Sarah Woodbury have been instrumental in bringing this exciting initiative to fruition. 

AES is a small, rural school in western Maine with fifteen staff members and twenty-six students. Several of these staff members have farms of their own and are eager to pass down the traditional skills of gardening and food preparation—including canning—to students. The garden project is designed to embody the school’s vision of AES as place that fosters a positive and personalized learning environment and allows for relationship-building in a respectful and inclusive setting.  

Last fall, after getting approval from their school board, Beliveau, Wyman, and Harris applied for a $3,000 Whole Kids Garden Grant through the Whole Kids Foundation to bolster this effort. They were awarded that funding on August 1, 2024, and since then, even more volunteers have stepped forward to help with the garden project. 

This fall, as part of their daily classroom routines, AES students have been spending time outside preparing, planting, weeding, and harvesting the garden. That work continues with the Andover After-School Program. AES has purchased garden tools and wheelbarrows for students, and staff members and volunteers are working to build and till twenty raised beds. These will be used for strawberry and raspberry plants, as well as other crops that grow in the spring, like asparagus, dill, and daffodils. 

AES hopes that the garden project will eventually include a bird-watching element and a section of pollinator plants to attract more birds and bees to the area. In the future, students will also learn to can and ferment food. Additionally, AES has purchased sewing and knitting machines, and community volunteers are ready to share these additional homemaking skills with students. 

Information for this article was provided by Andover Elementary School. To submit good news from your school, fill out the Maine Department of Education (DOE) good news submission form. 

 

Portland High School Students Watch World-Famous Cellist Yo-Yo Ma Rehearse at Merrill Auditorium

On Thursday, Oct. 10, world-famous and Grammy Award-winning cellist Yo-Yo Ma visited Merrill Auditorium for a performance with the Portland Symphony Orchestra, celebrating its 100th anniversary season. Thanks to some enterprising educators, Portland Public Schools (PPS) high school orchestra students had a unique opportunity to watch Ma rehearse earlier in the day before the concert.

Ashley Terison, an orchestra educator at Lyman Moore Middle School and various elementary schools, spearheaded this unique effort.

“Tickets for the actual concert sold out within minutes, so it is extremely unlikely that students would have had the opportunity to see this performer otherwise,” Terison said.

Other teachers in the PPS orchestra department—Kim Robison, who teaches at King and Lincoln Middle Schools and various elementary schools, and high school orchestra teachers Audrey Cabral and Abby Hutchins—worked with Terison to ask Portland Symphony Education Coordinator McKenzie Blanchard for permission for students to attend the rehearsal. Attendance was approved for all PPS high school orchestra students and their teachers.

“We are extremely grateful to Mr. Ma and the Portland Symphony Orchestra for this extraordinary opportunity for our students,” Cabral said.

Cabral and a PPS music student were interviewed about this opportunity for a story by the Portland Press Herald. You can read more here.

This article was provided by Portland Public Schools. To submit good news from your school, fill out the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) good news submission form.

St. Croix Regional Technical Center Celebrates Instructor Lauren Remington as a 2024 Marcia Lovell Awardee

The St. Croix Regional Technical Center in Calais is celebrating instructor Lauren Remington as a 2024 Marcia Lovell awardee.

Administered by Maine Roads to Quality, the Marcia Lovell Award honors eight outstanding early childhood practitioners from across Maine every year. Awardees embody innovation in early care and education through the significant contributions they make to the children, families, and communities that they serve.

Remington is a St. Croix Regional Technical Center instructor for the Early Childhood Occupations program. Over the past nine years, she has worked to rebuild this once-dormant program into a thriving Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunity for high school students interested in working in early childhood care settings. Remington carefully trains students by giving them real-life learning experiences and responsibilities through the many connections she has garnered in the Washington County region.

“Lauren is a wonderful teacher and mentor to her students. She gets to know each of her students individually to provide them with the best educational experiences,” said St. Croix Regional Technical Center Director Stanley Sluzenski. “Lauren is also a great team member here at St. Croix Tech, always willing to share her expertise with the rest of the staff.”

You can learn more about Lauren Remington through this Q&A segment by Maine Roads to Quality, published in the August issue of the SHORTcuts newsletter.

What words of wisdom or advice would you give someone starting out in the field?

Some words of wisdom I would give someone starting out in the field is to learn with the children. Being curious and modeling statements such as “I wonder” or “What if “ shows the children you don’t know everything, and you are there to learn with them. The other most important things are to be positive, love what you do, know you are not alone, and take care of yourself.

Is there a favorite quote about children or education?

Maria Montessori once said, “The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the child’s own natural desire to learn.”

What made you choose a career in Early Childhood Education (ECE)?

Ever since I was a young girl, I had a dream of becoming a teacher. You could find me helping out in the church nursery, participating in the babysitting club, or helping out in the local community for families in the summer. I was always being told, ”You are such a natural with kids” and I loved that I felt confident in my work when it came to providing for children and their families.

When I was in college, I was also asked the question of what made me choose a career in ECE and found my reason had changed. As I grew in the field and gained more experience, I found that it wasn’t just about feeling confident in my work but because I loved to watch children learn and thrive. It’s incredibly rewarding to see a little one build a tower with blocks, complete their first puzzle, learn to draw, or laugh with joy as I read a story. As an ECE instructor, I have a front-row seat to all those “I can do it!” moments.

When thinking about this question as the years go on, I find myself often reflecting on this question. I find there isn’t just one answer for me, and there isn’t just one time in my life I can say I chose the career in ECE because it’s a career I continue to choose every morning I wake up. I realize that as the years change, so does my answer, and that’s because it’s a career that is ever-changing, but the one thing that will never change is my love for working with young children.

What are you most proud of in your career?

When reflecting on my career, I can say without hesitation I am most proud of my students. When I started at St. Croix Regional Technical Center nine years ago, the program had been closed for two years, and I was able to start with a blank canvas. In those nine years, a lot has changed, but those changes have come from the motivation my students have given me. No matter if they are current students or former students, they have shown up time after time eager to learn and make a difference in our community. I have added behavior health professional [credentials] into our coursework. I have worked on creating three concurrent agreements with Washington County Community College, and I have also added in two concurrent agreements with the University of Maine in Farmington. We have hosted multiple teddy bear clinics; we have volunteered in the Witches of Eastport Festival; and we have volunteered in the Hokey Pokey Fair. The students accepted and excelled in these changes with a smile on their face every time. Without my students and their readiness to enter the workforce and wanting to always be one step ahead, none of these changes would have been possible.

What are your goals?

My goal is to create an environment where both children and my high school students feel safe and thrive. I want them to look forward to coming to school, explore their interests, and succeed. I currently serve on a Maine CTE grant advisory board, where we aim to bridge Maine Roads to Quality credentials and CTE Early Childhood programs, ensuring our students have the best opportunities for success upon leaving the classroom and entering the workforce, so they are able to provide the best care for the young children in the community.

The Marcia Lovell awardees represent Maine’s eight Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) districts. The full list of 2024 Marcia Lovell awardees is as follows:

  • District 1: Melisa Elson, Family Child Care
  • District 2: Leslie Hayes, Town of Bridgton
  • District 3: Katie Connors, Western Maine Center for Children
  • District 4: Eva Lowerre, Waterman Community Laugh and Learn Preschool
  • District 5: Jennifer Stevens, Happy Days Childcare and Learning Center
  • District 6: Justin Ouellette, Watch Me Shine Inc.
  • District 7: Lauren Remington, St. Croix Regional Technical Center CTE
  • District 8: Angeleia Kummer, Little Learners Child Care Preschool

To learn more about the Marcia Lovell Award, contact Maine Roads to Quality.

Information for this article was provided by St. Croix Regional Technical Center. To submit good news about your school to the Maine DOE, fill out our good news submission form.

 

 

New Yurt at Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences Provides Creative Outdoor Learning Space for Students

Nestled in the campus green area at Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences in Gray is a new yurt, serving as a unique outdoor learning space for students. For the school, it also represents something more: the power of creativity and community.

“Lovingly crafted by the local artisans at Your Community Carpenter LLC in Bridgton, this hand-built structure reflects the spirit of collaboration that makes our school so special,” said Fiddlehead School founder Jacinda Cotton-Castro.

This summer, Fiddlehead School was on a tight deadline to get the yurt up before the start of the 2024-2025 school year. As a result, community members volunteered to help by sanding down boards for the yurt’s floor and then lifting the structure into place.

“We were honored to bring this unique space to life, knowing that it would soon become a canvas for the imaginations of our students,” said Cotton-Castro. “We are also very lucky to have incredible families and volunteers who help us in many different ways.”

The yurt serves many purposes throughout the school week as a flexible environment. On Mondays and Tuesdays, it hums with the sounds of young artists at work, painting, drawing, and engaging in hands-on projects that let their creativity soar. The yurt’s circular design fosters a sense of togetherness and curiosity during expressive Spanish classes. There’s also time for students to have quiet reflection. Even after the final bell of the day has rung, the yurt is a lively hub of choice and exploration where students come together to collaborate, dream, try, and grow as part of Fiddlehead School’s after-school enrichment program Whether students are running outside of the structure or working on projects inside of it, the yurt gives them the freedom to learn and play in ways that feel meaningful.

Excitingly, the yurt isn’t meant just for Fiddlehead School students. It will also be used as a gathering place for the wider community, hosting local authors for story readings, art auctions, and other events that celebrate the creativity and talent within the wider community.

Above all, the yurt is more than just a building; it’s a new chapter in Fiddlehead School’s story—one to be written by the students, families, and community members who are helping to bring it to life.

“We look forward to the connections, creativity, and shared experiences that will unfold within its walls,” said Cotton-Castro.

Information for this article was provided by the Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences. To submit good news from your school, fill out our good news submission form.

Caribou Technology Center Criminal Justice Students Host 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb

On Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, students in the Caribou Technology Center’s Criminal Justice program collaborated with the Caribou Fire Department to hold a 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at the Caribou Community School.

The event began with an opening ceremony held outside by a tapestry of ladder trucks, American flags, and antique fire trucks. Among the crowd of community members and school district staff were first responders in full dress uniform, federal agents wearing ballistic vests, and students dressed in turnout gear. Special guests included Caribou Community School teacher Rodney Deschaine, who conducted the opening blessing; Civil Air Patrol for the Presentation of Colors, AJ Mierzwa, who sang the national anthem; Chief Brian Lajoie of the Caribou Fire Department, who made opening remarks; Boy Scout Troop 184, who did the flag-folding presentation; and community member Tammy Soucy, who played taps.

After the ceremony, the crowd moved inside the school, where the sound of recorded air traffic control transmissions played in the hallways, decorated with pictures from that horrifying day. The main staircase, covered in glowing lights, represented the climb that 9/11 first responders had to make to get to the top of the World Trade Center towers. On Wednesday, each Caribou participant clung to tags with the names of fallen heroes, as they began their trek up and down the staircase for the equivalent of 110 flights.

“Emotions were bittersweet, as we witnessed children, first responders, students, teachers, parents, and community members pay their tribute by climbing this staircase,” said Caribou Technology Center’s Criminal Justice program instructor Amanda Baker.

Criminal Justice students knew climbers would need help counting, so they created a system. At the base of the stairs was a table with a pool of rocks. Every time a climber completed five flights of stairs, they would take a rock. Once they earned 11 rocks, they knew their climb was complete.

Those who attended the ceremony recognized this event would not have been possible without the many hours of work the Caribou Technology Center’s Criminal Justice students dedicated to this class project.

“As their teacher, I’m so incredibly proud of their focus on details and the pride they demonstrated in the end product,” said Baker.  “They were professional as individuals and worked together as a team to make sure everything went as planned. I look forward to watching them thrive this school year.”

Caribou Technology Center provided information for this story. Complete the Maine DOE Good News submission form to submit good news from your school.

Moscow Elementary Summer Outdoor Club Engages Students with Community Garden

This summer, Moscow Elementary School in MSAD 13 launched a new summer program for students in grades 2-4. The program, which took place three mornings per week for four weeks, allowed participating students to work in a community garden. Through it, they learned about garden maintenance, fresh vegetables, and more.

Moscow Elementary School educators, staff, and students started the garden this spring, getting seeds planted in preparation for the growing season. When summer rolled around, Outdoor Club students painted the raised beds, participated in some additional planting, and took on the task of weeding and watering the garden every time the Club would meet. Students participated in related activities outside of the garden, too, like cooking, field trips, and even some fishing.

“Some of my favorite memories from the summer were the cooking activities we did with the students. Their faces when they tried the food and how excited they were was priceless,” said Jacqueline Abraham, Outdoor Club and Moscow Elementary School pre-K teacher. “The students made one of my favorite childhood desserts and took it to the lake for a snack during our fishing trip. We also went on a beach trip to Reid State Park, and we made the rolls for the sandwiches. The students loved every bit of it.”

With a few of the herbs and vegetables harvested from the garden over the summer, students learned how to make various Mexican foods from scratch, including guacamole and salsa. Amy Cates, Outdoor Club, and Spanish teacher brought in Tajín, a Mexican spice mix, for the students to try on fresh cucumbers and watermelon. Cates said later that she heard from families that students would see Tajín while grocery shopping and convince their parents to buy it to try at home.

“By the end of the program, parents told me their entire family now enjoys Tajín on a variety of snacks, and their children are practicing Spanish at the dinner table, using Alexa to settle disputes on how to say certain words,” said Cates.

Cates also said the students’ enthusiasm and fearlessness in trying new things was infectious and made the program that much more fun.

The Outdoor Club hosted a family picnic on the last day of the program. Students participated in much of the planning, from organizing the menu, grocery shopping for ingredients, cooking the food, and making decorations for the event.

“At the picnic, a student ran up to me, gave me a big hug, and said, ‘Thank you for making my summer so much fun,’” said Abraham.

Cates said she experienced equally enthusiastic parents, families, and community members who expressed joy in seeing kids outside and away from technology, socializing, and using their hands. One parent even remarked, “This is the best summer program!”

Upon returning to school in the fall, students brought ripened vegetables home to share with their families. Moscow Elementary School has continued the garden into the academic year and plans to do it again next summer. Abraham, Cates, and the school’s principal, Wendy Belanger, said they are collaborating with the high school outdoor program and will expand the garden using their greenhouse.

This story was submitted by MSAD 13 and Moscow Elementary School. To submit good news from your school, fill out our good news submission form.

 

Western Maine Superintendents Celebrate 20 Years of Collaboration and Impact

(Pictured: Some of the early founding members of WMEC, whose leadership played a key role in shaping WMEC’s mission and vision. [L-R: Mona Baker, David Murphy, Michael Cormier, & Susan Pratt])

The Western Maine Education Collaborative recently celebrated its 20th anniversary with a dinner among past and present superintendents who have participated in the collaborative.

Founded in 2005, the Western Maine Education Collaborative (WMEC) is a non-profit organization that provides a structure for cross-district collaboration and the development of shared programs, services, and resources for its members.

WMEC began as a grassroots initiative by educational leaders from 11 school systems who sought to pool resources and engage in collective problem-solving. Since then, WMEC has grown into a robust collaborative with 17-member school districts which serve over 50 schools across five counties.

“WMEC is not good because we’re old. We’re old because we are good,” said Pam Doyen, RSU 56 Superintendent and WMEC President, underscoring the collaborative spirit that has driven WMEC since its inception. “We are member-led and work to strike an important balance between having enough structure to be effective and enough flexibility to be able to tailor our work to meet the needs of our members. In our case collaboration is truly a tool, not a goal.”

The celebratory evening event featured a special video presentation. WMEC partnered with Foster Career and Technical Education Center’s Digital Media Program to develop a film to capture WMEC’s evolution from its early days to its current status as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The video also honored the leadership of Mona Baker, WMEC’s first Executive Director (2005-2016), who was instrumental in guiding the development of a sustainable regional collaborative. Her efforts, along with those of the founding members, laid the groundwork for what WMEC has become today.

The evening also provided attendees the opportunity to share their own “WMEC Moments,” reflecting on the organization’s influence and legacy. WMEC’s enduring success is attributed to the unwavering commitment of its members to continuous improvement, accountability, and collaboration.

As WMEC looks to the future, it remains dedicated to positively impacting students and educators throughout the region. To learn more about WMEC, visit their website.

This story was submitted by the Western Maine Education Collaborative. To share good news from your school, please fill out this form.

 

Common Threads of Maine Partners with Westbrook Adult Ed Program to Expand Workforce Training

When Common Threads of Maine, a nonprofit school specializing in Maine’s textile industry, made the difficult decision to close recently, owner Dory Waxman reached out to the Westbrook Adult Education program to see if they would be interested in taking over their sewing classes as part of their workforce training program.

“We gave a very enthusiastic YES! to that question and they have since moved into Westbrook Regional Vocational Center (WRVC), which is where our adult education office is located,” explained Jen Mull-Brooks, Director of Westbrook Adult Education.

Common Threads of Maine sent several sewing machines of all kinds to support starting the sewing class and former owner Waxman continues to support the transition by mentoring Mull-Brooks through continuing relationships with existing financial support for the class.

In addition to this, Westbrook Adult Ed. received special permission to run the program during school hours to help break down childcare barriers since school-aged children will be in school. Students in the adult education sewing program will be learning alongside WRVC high school students after passing background checks to ensure it is an appropriate and safe fit.

Apphia Mpay
Apphia Mpay

Waxman has introduced the Adult Ed team at Westbrook to Apphia Mpay who taught at Common Threads. Mpay is from the Democratic Republic of Congo and is a fashion designer, from a family of artists. Mpay talks about her love of training others and teaching them hand skills with kindness and patience in her biography on the Common Threads website.

“We have hired Apphia to continue teaching with us, as she comes with an incredible reputation for her teaching, stitching, and design skills. We’re so excited to have her as part of our team!” said Jen Mull-Brooks.

To learn more about the courses offered through Westbrook Adult Education, visit their website. Search the Maine Adult Education Class Search, or look for Adult education programs near you.

This story was submitted by Westbrook Adult Education Program. To share good news from your school, please fill out this form.