Keith Morin loves watching students grow academically and socially; it’s one of the perks of his very busy job as RSU 18 Assistant Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer. He also loves watching the impact that RSU 18 staff make on students beyond academics, serving as mentors, role models, and sources of guidance and support.
That is why many people find the field of education as fulfilling as they do. And to nurture academic aspirations and cultivate a positive school community, everyone needs to feel safe.
As a school administrator serving the communities of Belgrade, China, Oakland, Rome, and Sidney, Morin knows how incredibly important it is to be knowledgeable and experienced in all aspects of education, especially in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing society. That includes school safety.
“My goals in participating in the school safety specialist program are simple; to enhance my skill set in providing guidance to a platform and culture where students and staff feel safe to attend school,” explains Morin.
Morin finished the Maine Department of Education (DOE) School Safety Specialist course in February of 2023 to help him better understand school safety and its complexities. Maine DOE’s Maine School Safety Center offers the 8-week course every month. It is provided asynchronously through Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Since taking the course, RSU 18 has been hosting annual tabletop exercises for its staff, which include scenarios of real events, where they discuss their emergency plans and responses. They are also implementing student support resources such as the Second Step Program, a social emotional learning program, and Netsmartz, an online safety education program, delivered by RSU 18 district social workers and school resource officers.
RSU 18 is also implementing quarterly school safety committee meetings that include staff members from all departments and stakeholder groups, and they are hosting after-action meetings where RSU 18 staff can refine its safety practices.
Morin has also led RSU 18 efforts to expand partnerships with local law enforcement by hiring a third resource officer to build relationships with students and families. He also states that his district has hired a district safety officer to align safety practices before, during, and after school.
“In addition to making safety improvements identified throughout our consistent school safety review, we are now working on enhancing our already strengthened cybersecurity system,” added Morin. “We continue looking to build on our successes and improve areas to provide an academic environment that is safe and enjoyable.”
The School Safety Specialist course is a program of the Maine DOE’s Maine School Safety Center and is available at no cost to Maine schools. Cohorts start at the beginning of every month and complete in 8 weeks. All work is done asynchronously through Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and takes approximately 20-25 hours to complete.
For more information, visit theMaine DOE website, fill out aninterest form, or reach out to Maine DOE School Safety Training Coordinator Wendy Robichaud at Wendy.Robichaud@maine.gov.
As the state of emergency brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic gradually quelled, the Mt Blue Regional School District nurse team could finally catch their breath and refocus on the projects they had put on hold amidst the crisis.
“As COVID was winding down and we were getting back into our normal routines, it was hard to believe it was really over. We had been living with these high-stress levels for so long that it took a while to adjust mentally to our pre-COVID routines.” Janneke Strickland, BSN, RN, NCSN, RSU 9 Lead Nurse and Cascade Brook School nurse in Farmington, remembers, “But once things settled, it felt good to have time to devote energy to newer projects.”
One of those projects was a concerted effort to increase the number of district staff members certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation/automated external defibrillator (CPR/AED). This endeavor, conceived as a group initiative for the 21/22 school year, resonated deeply with the nurses, who were driven by a shared commitment to enhancing the safety and well-being of their school community.
The team started by conducting polls in each Mt. Blue school building. The results painted a stark picture: a mere four to five percent of staff were certified in CPR/AED in each location. Undeterred by the challenge, the Mt. Blue Nurse team set their sights on an ambitious target – to ensure that at least 10% of staff were CPR/AED trained by the end of 2023.
A Mt. Blue school nurse works on one of the CPR manikins purchased through Newhouse.
With their objectives clear, the nurse team strategically formulated a budget request for the 22/23 school year. This proposal encompassed provisions for CPR training kits and an AED trainer, essential tools needed to equip staff with life-saving skills.
Taking charge of the initiative, Kathryn Clement, a dedicated member of the nurse team and a Nationally Certified School Nurse, spearheaded efforts to explore avenues for Mt. Blue nurses to become certified as Basic life-saving instructors. “Over the summer, the majority of Mt. Blue nurses and some other Maine School nurses trained with Angie Newhouse of Newhouse Training,” explained Clement. “There were lots of moving pieces and a collaborative effort to provide training to our staff.” Through Newhouse, they also found and purchased the feedback CPR manikins they need to train educators.
Next, leveraging the support of the Mt. Blue administration, the nurse team forged a partnership with Franklin County Adult and Community Education. Through the Harold Alfond grant funding coordinated by their Adult Ed partner, the nurses were able to extend CPR/AED classes to staff members at no cost, eliminating barriers to participation.
As the prospect of teaching classes loomed, a few nurses grappled with apprehension. “The apprehension came from being new to teaching BLS and working with larger groups,” explained Strickland, “Usually, nurses teach one-on-one with students or families, so we aren’t used to teaching large groups.”
However, the Mt. Blue Nurse team rallied together, opting to co-teach sessions, honing their skills and fostering confidence. Gradually, their trepidation gave way to assurance, buoyed by the team’s collective expertise. By the end of the school year, Mt. Blue’s nurses not only met their target of 10% CPR/AED certification among staff but surpassed it, with 15% of staff becoming CPR/AED certified. Thanks to this team of dedicated educators, Mt. Blue was safer than ever.
“We have so many tools at our disposal, like defibrillators, out in the public, and it is nice to know our staff now know how to use them,” says Clement. “Now, more people in the public are comfortable administering
From the National Association of School Nurses
emergency response care.”
However, the Mt. Blue nurse team knew their mission for safer schools was far from over. Buoyed by the success of their endeavors, the nurses continue to offer classes to staff members, spurred by an overwhelming interest from the community. Their commitment to the well-being of the Mt. Blue community remains unwavering, underscoring the pivotal role nurses have in nurturing a culture of safety and preparedness within schools.
“School nurses occupy a unique space where education and healthcare converge. There are myriad aspects to this special type of nursing!” says Strickland. “Under guidance from the School Nursing Practice Framework (NASN, 2024) and the Maine
DOE, we strive to collaborate with families, school staff, administration, and the wider community to support the health and safety of our students. This approach, as research demonstrates, leads to improved academic achievement.”
School nurses are the backbone of our schools, keeping students healthy and safe. They deserve to be celebrated every day, but especially today on National School Nurse Day. Celebrate National School Nurse Day today by taking time to thank the school nurses in your community.
During financial literacy month in April, Doug Ware, the Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) Coordinator at Mount Ararat High School, hosted a Financial Fitness Fair for the junior class.
Doug Ware, ELO Coordinator at Mt. Ararat engages with a student working on their financial fitness packet. Around them credit union representatives talk with students about financial literacy.
The school gymnasium buzzed with energy as students navigated through booths and interactive activities. Each station provided a hands-on learning experience related to finances. Students experienced a simulation of their future monthly budget based on their career of interest and gained valuable insight into possible financial challenges they may face in adulthood. The goal for the students was to pay for all of their monthly expenses but without paying more than they earn each month.
“Students have really enjoyed the Financial Fitness Fair events,” said Ware. “They report to have learned much about building credit, managing budgets, prioritizing expenses, and planning for the long term. We are working to ensure that all Mt. Ararat high school students graduate with at least basic financial literacy.”
“This is one of the most enjoyable aspects of working for a credit union,” said Jennifer Anderson, Senior Vice-President of Retail Services at Five County Credit Union and President of the Jeannette G Morin Credit Union Chapter. “I love the fact that multiple credit unions from around the state work together regularly to volunteer at our local high schools and talk to students about budgeting while also sharing our industry knowledge and advice with them. Even though we are each other’s business competition, we believe so strongly in the philosophy of people helping people and financial well-being for all that we bind together as Maine’s credit union industry to bring these events to our communities.”
Credit union volunteers discuss housing options with students based on their income.
Incorporating financial literacy into secondary education is crucial in equipping youth with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the complex world of personal finance. This is an opportunity to instill confidence and empower students to take control of their financial futures.
Credit union volunteers host Financial Fitness Fairs at no cost to schools. Jake Holmes, Director of Outreach and Financial Education at the Maine Credit Union League, shared how, collectively, credit union volunteers have hosted Financial Fitness Fairs for nearly 73,000 Maine students since the program’s inception in 2004. Credit unions that serve the same geographic regions work together to host these money management events.
One of the most popular stations was the “Life Happens” booth, where students could spin a wheel, and the arrow would land on an unexpected life event, ranging from dental work to a car accident. This exercise highlighted the importance of living within one’s means and prioritizing financial goals.
Credit Union Volunteers help students assess the transportation options based on their budgets.
By participating in these fairs, students gain a deeper understanding of the importance of financial responsibility and the long-term implications of their financial decisions. They learn to make informed choices about future savings, avoid debt pitfalls, and plan for major life expenses like college or homeownership.
Financial fitness fairs empower high schoolers to build a solid foundation for their financial well-being and can help set them on a path toward a more secure future.
ELO Coordinators like Doug Ware provide broad connections to the community and hands-on learning experiences for their schools. This event is one example of the immersive educational events that ELO Coordinators across the state help to provide.
Students take a break from the interactive booths to assess their budgets.
“I have worked to support credit-bearing ELO experiences such as internships, independent studies, and work-based studies,” explained Ware. “I have also made an effort to connect students to unique learning opportunities that enhance the great work that is already happening in our classrooms. Many such opportunities arise from relationships that we have developed with members of our business and non-profit communities. The Financial Fitness Fair is one such example. We feel very fortunate to have incredible partners like Jennifer Andersen, Jake Holmes, and their team of generous volunteers from Maine Credit Unions. Their engagement with students has such an important impact. I also credit the Mt. Ararat staff and administrative team. Our school community places value on these enriching experiences, and many are willing to pitch in when needed to make things happen!”
This month, at Nokomis High School, ELO Coordinator Kristine Eisenhour has arranged a Financial Fitness Fair for their students and others are in the planning stages. Mount Ararat High School and Nokomis High School were both awardees of Maine Job and Recovery Plan grants totaling more than $5.6 million, supporting 26 programs across Maine covering 13 counties. In a world where financial literacy is more important than ever, ELO Coordinators and their communities are helping to pave the way for a brighter tomorrow.
This spring, Lincoln Academy hosted its third annual Peter J. Benner ‘92 Job Fair in Nelson Bailey Gym. Lincoln Academy students, as well as students from Wiscasset Middle High School and AOS 93, were invited to meet local employers.
Representatives from local businesses set up tables and spoke with students about immediate job openings and long-term career paths in their fields. Each organization offered entry level jobs for those that want to move right into trades employment after graduation, as well as multiple career pathways in areas like banking, health care, manufacturing, engineering, design, computer science, marketing, and logistics to name a few. Many participating businesses have openings for weekend and summer employment as well.
Participating businesses were: Back Cove Yachts, Bangor Savings, Bath Savings, Bristol Parks and Rec, CLC Ambulance, CLC YMCA, Coastal Counties Workforce Solutions, Darling Marine Center, DiMauro Electric, First National Bank, Hagar Enterprises, Hannaford, Kieve Wavus, Lie-Nielsen Tools, Lincoln County 911, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, LCTV, Lincoln Health, Maine Kayak, Masters Machine, Mid-Coast Energy Systems, Midcoast Federal Credit Union, Mobius, Molnlycke, Padebco Boatyard, Renys, and Washburn Doughty. Lincoln Health brought six current employees who are also Lincoln Academy graduates to talk to students about their career paths at Lincoln Health.
“They came in the uniform that they wear to work, and represent both clinical and non-clinical jobs,” said Jen Kopp, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner. “We wanted students to know that there are many kinds of jobs at Lincoln Health, and not all of them involve direct patient care.”
Senior Mya Bessey is heading to nursing school next year, and she hopes to live outside of Maine for a while. “But I talked to Lincoln Health today, and I know they will hire me if I want to come home,” she said. “I already have an internship with the CLC Ambulance,” said Lincoln Academy senior
Ethan Barter, who joined the Alna volunteer fire department last year as a junior and “realized that I like helping people.” He plans to study paramedics and fire science next year at Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) and hopes to return to Lincoln County to work in emergency services. At the job fair he talked to Central Lincoln County 911 Dispatch, and Lincoln Health, who both had representatives at the fair.
Bill Morgner, President and Owner of Mid-Coast Energy, says his company is constantly in need of young people to enter the trades. Through Mid-Coast’s Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship programs, young people can work their way through professional licenses in the order that they choose. “We try to match young people with mentors based on their interests,” said Morgner. “Pre-Apprentices can start as soon as junior year, and we are always looking for people.”
Lincoln Academy senior Keegan Bond plans to take advantage of the Mid-Coast Energy apprenticeship program after graduation, and work through their junior apprenticeship program, which offers both hands-on experience and pays for apprentices to get licenses in the trades and they’ll pay for certifications over the next ten years. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of his brother Griffen Bond, who graduated from Lincoln Academy in 2022 and is currently pursuing his HVAC certification through the Midcoast Energy apprenticeship program.
“Engaging with adults who aren’t in your immediate sphere can be intimidating and awkward for young people,” Heather D’Ippolito, Director of Community Engagement and Development at Lincoln Academy. “We are so grateful to all of our community partners who made this fair an engaging and welcoming space for students.”
This story was submitted by Lincoln Academy. To submit good news about your school to the Maine Department of Education, complete our Good News Submission form.
Beech Hill School in Otis, Maine, hosted its first-ever Game On! The “Family Gala” event brought together students, staff, and families for a fun-filled community event, with attendees enjoying an evening of classic games and good company. From Checkers to Connect 4, LCR to Battleship, giant versions of Sorry, Candy Land, and Jenga to an UNO tournament, the event had something for everyone. The Beech Hill School gymnasium was transformed into a game room with board games, card games, and other fun activities.
Beech Hill School’s administration and staff organized the game gala to link home and school and create a space for family and community members to gather and connect. Since the Maine Educator Summit in August 2023, the district’s administrative team has been aiming to increase family engagement post-pandemic. Leaders have been strategic about the purpose and design of evening activities to increase family attendance and foster school connectedness.
In addition to the board games and other fun activities, hot meal items, snacks, and drinks were available for purchase at the event. The Beech Hill School Student Council organized a cake and pie auction where families could bid on delicious desserts donated by local bakeries and made by Hancock County Technical Center (HCTC) culinary arts students. Eighth graders hosted BINGO games throughout the evening, with prizes generously donated by local stores and restaurants. All proceeds go toward school-wide initiatives. Additionally, former (high-school-aged) Beech Hill School students returned to lead younger students in creating their own DIY game crafts.
The Game On! The Family Gala was a great opportunity for people of all ages to come together and enjoy a fun-filled evening while supporting the school’s programs. Warmer temperatures and thoughts of spring had already prepared everyone to shake off the winter doldrums and gather for the community event. The evening was a testament to the strong sense of community at Beech Hill School and will be remembered as a highlight of the school year. The school hopes to make this event a tradition and is already looking forward to next year.
This story was submitted by Beech Hill School. To submit good news about your school to the Maine Department of Education, complete our Good News Submission form.
(Pictured: Karen and Adult Education colleagues work with Sam’s Club to develop a workforce program.)
Karen Morin, a long-time resident of Kennebec County, has worked in crisis services, corrections, and risk reduction for the military. For a little over a year now, she’s been a Career Advancement and Navigation Specialist employed by the Adult Ed hub in Kennebec County. She is one of four “Career Navigators” funded by the Maine Jobs Recovery Plan (MJRP).
MJRP has committed $6 million to Adult Education in Maine to address the workforce development needs of those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. The Maine DOE Adult Education Team has been helping eligible adults and employment sectors recover from the pandemic’s stresses through various academic and job training supports, including Career Advancement Navigator Specialists.
In Karen’s first year as a Career Navigator, she has worked with more than 220 people in Kennebec County to help them move forward in their careers, whatever that may be. Her clients are getting employed, participating in workforce training, improving their resumes and interviewing skills, acquiring English language skills, transitioning fields, and more. She’s worked with local unemployed and underemployed people, new Mainers, people coming out of the criminal justice system, and unhoused individuals, among others. She also works with employers and supports them in their hiring needs.
In this photo, Morin and colleagues prepare learners for the process of applying and working at Maine General in their Strengthening Maine Workforce program that provides English classes onsite at Maine General as a part of the employee’s work day as well as opportunities for advancement.
“Take the time to listen to someone’s story—you can learn a lot about someone from a short conversation. Often, if you can’t make a connection with someone in the first ten minutes, you’ve lost them,” said Morin.
She also shared that “talking with people and businesses together reduces the hiring process time between the application and the hiring.”
She provides a direct connection to individuals looking for work and businesses looking for employees. Karen meets people where they are in their career journey through her low barrier and personalized services, including meeting up with them at a convenient location. Though she’s based in multiple local Adult Education programs (Mid Maine Adult Education, Augusta Adult Education, and Winthrop Adult Education), she meets people virtually, at various community agencies or businesses, at the shelter, or even for support at interviews.
She posts on the website What’s Up Waterville, walks into businesses to see what their hiring needs are, and follows job postings on the chamber’s website to make qualified candidates more aware of opportunities. COVID-19 exacerbated problems in Maine that have long existed: transportation barriers, childcare availability and affordability, and housing. Having community-embedded, low-barrier services is deeply necessary. Also of great importance is the collaboration of agencies. Karen collaborates with critical partner agencies and organizations such as CareerCenter, Jewish Community Alliance, Catholic Charities, Capitol Area New Mainers Project, and the local Chambers of Commerce.
In this photo a new Mainer participates in a ride along and information interview with local law enforcement.
There are currently only three other Career Navigators in this role in Maine. Karen’s colleagues include Kate Points, who serves York County; Frank Spurr, in Androscoggin and Oxford Counties; and Cassie Robichaux, who serves multiple counties, including Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox, and Waldo Counties.
At a listening session for the sustainability of these positions, one community member said, “There should be a Career Navigator in each county in Maine.” Collectively they’ve connected with over 1101 people in their communities. However, funding is currently provided by the Maine Jobs Recovery Program, and the future of this program is uncertain.
As IT Director, Dr. David Fournier leads a team of seven people in Regional School Unit (RSU) 71 in Belfast. Together, they manage all aspects of technology in the district, including everything from building and maintaining networks to laptop fleets and much more!
Although Fournier loves the techie part of his job, especially watching teachers and students use technology to increase learning, he knew that involvement in school-related technology could go far beyond the classroom.
“I came into the safety role by working on security cameras, keyless door entry systems, and radios/walkie-talkies,” explained Fournier. “Our district has a safety task force that meets monthly, and I joined to better understand how my role as IT director could help address safety issues in our schools.”
Fournier took the Maine Department of Education (DOE) School Safety Specialist course in January of 2023 to help him better understand school safety and its complexities. Maine DOE’s Maine School Safety Center offers an 8-week School Safety Specialist course, provided asynchronously through Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“Taking the School Safety Specialist course gave me better insights into what could and should be done to keep our staff and students safe,” said Fournier.
The course is free to Maine schools and covers everything from the fundamentals of school safety to climate and culture, including behavioral threat assessment. It also incorporates emergency operations planning, which includes networking with appropriate stakeholders and incident command systems.
Following the training, Fournier’s role as IT Director expanded to include leading the RSU71 District Safety Task Force. Since becoming a school safety specialist, one of his biggest safety enhancements was guiding the district through purchasing and implementing the Share 911 program.
“Share 911 is an emergency notification system that addresses the communication issues we have experienced during emergency events over the past few years,” explained Fournier. “I have also instituted a standard debriefing protocol that is used after any safety event to capture the mistakes made and lessons learned during an event.”
In addition to these two significant changes, RSU 71 has a Parent Safety Page highlighting the district’s safety efforts. You can see the many other safety protocols RSU 71 has in place there.
Looking to the future, Fournier is working on plans to conduct more regularly scheduled tabletop safety exercises to enable school staff to react to an emergency as effectively as possible.
Knowing that a successful and safe school community is almost impossible without great community partners, Fournier has many people to thank.
“I would like to thank Erik Endress, the owner of Share 911 (share911.com), for the top-notch support and training he has personally provided to RSU71 this year,” he said. “I also want to thank Dale Rowley, the Waldo County Emergency Management Director, for his continued training, support, and difficult tabletop exercises to work through!”
Fournier also extended a very special shoutout to the RSU71 Safety Task Force members. They helped “tackle such a difficult, but important, aspect of schooling that goes unheralded,” said Fournier. “They are doing the hard (and scary) work, and I thank them for their continued efforts.”
The School Safety Specialist course is a program of the Maine DOE’s Maine School Safety Center and is available at no cost to Maine schools. Cohorts start at the beginning of every month and complete in 8 weeks. All work is done asynchronously through Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and takes approximately 20-25 hours to complete.
For more information, visit theMaine DOE website, fill out aninterest form, or reach out to Maine DOE School Safety Training Coordinator Wendy Robichaud at Wendy.Robichaud@maine.gov.
(Pictured L to R: Jennifer Babcock, John Bapst Memorial High School, 2024 Claudette & John Brassil Distinguished Educator Award Winner, with Claudette Brassil, retired educator and one of the inspirations for this award.)
The Maine Council for English Language Arts (MCELA) awarded its 6th annual Claudette & John Brassil Distinguished Educator Award to Jennifer Babcock, a 25-year educator at John Bapst who currently teaches American Literature and Composition, British Literature and Composition, AP Literature and Composition, and Creative Writing.
The Claudette & John Brassil Award is administered by the Maine Council for English Language Arts (MCELA) and recognizes exceptional English language arts and literacy teachers who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, contributed to the profession and are committed to the community.
The finalists for the Claudette and John Brassil Distinguished Educator Award for 2024 included Emily Rumble from Marshwood High School, Jake Joy from Lewiston Middle School, Angela Gilbert from Bruce Whittier Middle School, and Jennifer Babcock from John Bapst Memorial High School.
From left to right: finalist Jake Joy from Lewiston Middle School, finalist Angela Gilbert from Bruce Whittier Middle School, finalist Emily Rumble from Marshwood High School, winner Jennifer Babcock, award namesake Claudette Brassil, and MCELA Secretary and award committee head Bre Allard.
Babcock is the English Department Head and mentors new teachers. In addition, she has been a supervising teacher for student teachers from Husson and the University of Maine since 2011. Babcock has been involved in the school community by leading student tours in the United States and abroad, advising the school prom, choreographing the spring musical, serving as a varsity cheerleading coach, and advising the National Honor Society. Babcock is also the State Officer Advisor for the Maine National Honor Society and has been a judge for the Maine Principal’s Association state cheerleading competition.
“Jen’s commitment to her students, her passion for her craft, and her energy are unparalleled…Every student in Jen’s class knows that she cares about them,” said David Armistead, Head of School at John Bapst and Babcokc’s nominator. “They love her and they consistently rise to the high bar she sets for them. She knows her students are capable of great work and she lovingly keeps them growing from the first day to the last, every year.”
Babcock was honored at the Maine Council for English Language Arts state conference in Portland on March 29, 2024, where 350 ELA educators convened to ignite joy in learning.
The Claudette & John Brassil was created in honor of the contributions of two long-time educators who have inspired students and mentored teachers for over eighty combined years in Maine public schools.
In the past, this distinguished educator award has been given to English Language Arts educators Anthony Scott (2023) from Maine School of Science & Mathematics, Audrey Ennamorati (2022) from Medomak Valley High School, Margaret Adams (2022) from Kingsfield Elementary School, Patti Forster (2020) from Camden Hills Regional High School, Stephanie Hendrix (2019) from Bangor High School, and Johnna Stanton (2018) from Morse High school.
The Maine Council for English Language Arts accepts nominations for this award during the fall of each school year for their March in-person conference recognition. Nominees should be full-time English language arts or literacy teachers of students in grades 6-12 and have taught for at least five years in public or independent schools in Maine. Nominees do not have to be a Maine Council for English Language Arts member. ELA educators who demonstrate the same qualities as the Brassils themselves: a commitment to student-centered learning, the inspiration of all students, leadership at school, district, state, and/or national levels, development, and sharing of effective practices, and involvement in the community and school beyond the classroom. More information on nominations is available here.
Maine’s biggest city is home to one of the largest school administrative units in the state, which offers seventeen different schools covering its large and diverse population, ten of which are elementary level. One of these elementary schools, Gerald E. Talbot Community School, sits in the northwest of the city and offers a unique model to serve its high-need population. Recognized as a school that receives Title I support due to the socio-economic status of its students and families, Talbot serves around 370 students from PreK to 5th grade. Their student body comes from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
For these reasons and many more, Gerald E. Talbot applied for state funding and planning for the community school model, which began during the 2019-2020 school year. Eventually, while enduring the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, they hired Community School Coordinator Kristin Rogers, who started implementing strategies during the 2021-2022 school year and beyond.
A community school model, as defined by the Coalition for Community Schools, is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. Community schools exist in all regions of the United States, and their numbers are growing fast.
“We were pretty ideally suited to be a community school because we had a lot of the infrastructure that a lot of community schools have already existing. There’s a branch of the Portland Public Library that exists in our building; we have a dental clinic here, we have a public pool and playgrounds. We are pretty centrally located to our families. So, it’s kind of a natural place to be a hub for the community,” said Gerald E. Talbot Community School Coordinator Kristin Rogers. Principal Terry Young, who works closely with Rogers, adds that their high-needs population is another major reason for the shift.
In Maine, the community school model was first recognized by Maine Legislative Action of the First Regular Session of the 127th Legislature (2015-2016) in the budget bill Public Law 2015, chapter 267. At that time, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) was authorized to fund a limited number of community schools established under 20-A MRSA Chapter 333. Currently, three schools in Maine receive funding from the Maine DOE to support their community school strategies: Old Town Elementary School in Old Town, Cape Cod Hill Community School in New Sharon, and Gerald E. Talbot School in Portland.
Now in its 3rd year of implementation, Talbot has had time to try many different things after its initial needs assessment in 2019/20. They have a robust list of over 50 community partners that assist with everything from housing to physical and mental health, food security and nutrition, general assistance, academics, and enrichment. Their community school programs start before the first bell rings for the day and last long after the traditional school day ends.
Young explains that in addition to meeting students’ basic needs, enrichment opportunities also significantly impact their high-needs families.
“In a middle-class/upper-middle-class school, you have students who get a lot of enrichment opportunities because their parents can afford it. They can drive them to soccer practice, they can take them to basketball, they can take them to the library. Where you are working with a higher-needs population, students don’t have the same access. The difference is, you are bringing access to the children, to the families, into the school,” said Young.
Many of the enrichment (and extended academic) programming can be found in their extensive afterschool opportunities. Rotating on a 6- to 8-week schedule that offers something different each day, designated students stay after school for traditional academic programming like tutoring or language skills and for various enrichment opportunities like choir, yoga, student leadership, and even Nordic skiing, to name a few. Over 100 students participate in the community school afterschool programs and targeted outreach efforts by Rogers, Principal Young, and other staff members help ensure equitable access to these programs for students and families.
Pictures taken during Talbot Community School’s afterschool program, which includes the Nordic skiing club, a partnership with Portland Nordic:
In addition to its afterschool programs, one of its current language programs is a flourishing collaboration with Portland Adult Education, which aims to boost the English-speaking skills of students and their family members. Adult caregivers take language lessons in the mornings through Portland Adult Education, and their children are involved in an after-school program that combines enrichment with language immersion. The group of students and their family members will hopefully move through their respective programming year after year as a cohort, improving their English language skills together in school, at home, and in the community.
Another of the more recent and innovative programs Talbot has created is its walking school bus program, which aims to reduce chronic absenteeism and increase family engagement.
“We have a staff member as well as some community volunteers that go door to door in the morning for students who would benefit from support for their attendance or whose families could benefit from the support in getting kids to the bus stop. They knock on the door, walk them to the bus stop to make sure they get there safely and help improve attendance,” explains Rogers. “It’s both the transportation piece, as well as the mentorship of building that relationship with trusted adults in the community who are showing up every day, they care about you, know about you, and who can chat with parents and build that family connection to school as well.”
The school also hosts several community dinners throughout the school year, inviting families into the school for an educational element and, at the same time, offering a topic-related enrichment activity for students to engage in with their families. The dinners also include food for everyone to eat together and for families to take home. This year, they have hosted community dinners on the topics of internet safety, social-emotional learning, and have upcoming events for math and literacy. They aim to host at least five community dinners per year.
Looking ahead, Talbot hopes to build capacity with the staff to support and expand their community school strategies. They also hope to conduct a new needs assessment, which is something most schools do at the beginning of implementing a community school.
“Our population changes. We have different families and students than we had five or six years ago,” said Rogers. “That is a huge part of being a community school; it’s very dynamic, it’s always changing.”
Talbot is also analyzing all of its data to determine what is working and what new strategies it can incorporate in the future. One of the data points they are most excited about is a student leadership group, which they hope can help gauge how students like the different programs Talbot offers and what ideas they have for improvements.
The duo explains that over the past four years, their successes have also surfaced in the community’s excitement for the activities and programs they have offered. Instead of solely the school reaching out to make community connections on behalf of families and students, people (students, families, and community partners) approach the school.
Rogers details that not only are students approaching her to ask for different clubs and opportunities at school, but that parents are approaching her now looking for specific resources like daycare or other support. In addition, community partners who have caught on to the concept of their community school model have asked to partner with her on program ideas they have.
“When I see Talbot compared to other schools I have worked in, I feel like families see us as a resource, and they see us as a partner,” added Young.
To learn more about Gerald E. Talbot Community School, check out this video interview with Community Schools Coordinator Kristin Rogers and Principal Terry Young.
Maine DOE has welcomed Community Schools Consultant Ann Hanna (former principal of Gerald E. Talbot Community School), who is working on advancing community school strategies in interested schools across Maine by providing technical assistance and support as needed. The Maine DOE is also currently in the process of reviewing applications for community school funding for SY 24-25, and information on that will be shared via the DOE Newsroom in the coming days.
To learn more about community schools in Maine, please contact Ann Hanna, at ann.c.hanna@maine.gov.
RSU 40 staff are finding ways to use robotic technology, funded by the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Maine Teaches CS Initiative, to support interdisciplinary learning across grade levels. The school’s acquisition of Sphero Bolts and Indi cars is making learning experiences playful and engaging for both students and educators.
Holly Doe, Director of Technology for RSU 40, applied for the grant last school year to foster experiential learning through technology for even the youngest students. Sphero Indi cars introduce coding at the simplest level using color tiles to tell the robot what to do. While this is an ideal tool for younger students, it is also great for older students when the goal is not coding itself but supporting other learning outcomes.
By leveraging robotic technology, students in RSU 40 are exploring new ways to retell—or tell—stories.
Students in grades 1-3 used Sphero Indi cars to retell stories they had read in class while seniors in Spanish IV wrote their own stories in the foreign language and crafted narrated films using the Indi cars.
In the elementary classrooms, the robots foster natural collaboration as pairs of students work together to plan a path of color tiles that represent their story summary. Crafting a simple costume for the Indi car and scenery or other characters to be placed along the car’s path engages students’ creativity and requires students to consider symbolic representations. The simple, flexible lesson quickly adapts to accommodate students’ and teachers’ needs.
At the high school, the ease of using the Indi cars allows students to combine story mapping with other technology. Students film the cars in front of a green screen and use Canva’s AI image generator to create backgrounds for their movies which they then narrate in Spanish.
Recently, Heather Webster, RSU 40’s technology instructional coach, shared her experiences using Sphero Indi robots in elementary ELA classrooms and high school Spanish classrooms at the Maine Council for English Language Arts spring conference. Participants were introduced to Indi cars, watched video clips of RSU 40 students engaging in the lessons, and then had the opportunity to try the activity themselves, working collaboratively with their tablemates to retell a familiar story. They left the conference session with a concrete example of how technology like the Sphero robots can support cross-curricular lessons and boost the playful spirit in a classroom.
(Maine Council for English Language Arts spring conference photos curtesy of Katie Kelley Photography)
The Computer Science Mobile Labs Grant has enabled RSU 40 to uniquely support playful learning. Robotic technology has enhanced students’ collaborative skills and their understanding of symbolic representation. Encouraging a playful approach to learning, this technology has increased student engagement and has inspired educators to rethink traditional teaching methods. The immersive learning experiences enabled by Sphero Indi and Bolt robots are set to shape the educational landscape at RSU 40 for years to come. Maine leads the nation in providing interdisciplinary computer science education to all Maine schools at all grade levels.
This story was provided by RSU 40. If you would like to submit good news from your school, fill out our good news submission form.)
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