According to ID Tech, research indicates that approximately two months of reading and math skills are lost over a single summer. Often referred to as ‘summer slide’ or ‘summer learning loss,’ the students most affected by this educational shortfall are in grades 1 through 8. Many elementary school teachers across the nation find that they need to re-teach basic math and reading skills when students return to classes in the fall.

However, that is not the case for many students at Windham Primary School (WPS) who have participated for the past three years in the free Summer Technology Program. The students not only gain learning targets once school begins in the fall but develop a love of learning and can easily engage in the regular classroom setting.

WPS Instructional Interventionist Debbie Greenlaw has led this summer program since its inception. She stated that students who participate in at least 35-60 minutes a week of reading and math exercises during the summer months continue to make great educational strides.

“Since starting this program, I have noticed that students are more inspired to stay engaged in the classroom and the overall testing scores have improved,” she said. “Students have also increased in phonemic awareness, meaning they can recognize and master the spoken parts of words, syllables, etc.”

Students can choose to participate from among one to three online summer curricula. Two include reading programs, one known as Lexia and the other as Raz-Kids, and one math program known as I-Ready.

“Part of the reason why the Summer Technology Program works so well is because the three online curricula promote fun learning adventures with computer-generated animation that young students love. They don’t even know they are learning, improving their math and literacy skills. Also, each program creates personalized learning paths for students with scaffolding activities to use at their own pace.”

There were several reasons parents encouraged their children to participate in the program. One parent, Beth Leighton had both of her daughters, WPS second-grade student Addison, and her sister Leah, a fourth-grade student at Manchester, join the summer program because they were receiving additional help during the school year and had made considerable progress.

“I didn’t want them to lose it over the summer and thought this would be the best way to keep them going since they both enjoy the online programs,” Leighton said.

Leighton believes the summer program prevented her daughters from summer learning loss.

“I do believe the program helped them when it comes to being excited and engaged at the start of the new school year,” she said. “In the past years there were a lot of anxious feelings about starting back up and struggles in getting back on track with the reading and math, and this year they were both excited to start school and so far, no emotions over school being ‘too hard’.”

WPS Principal Dr. Kyle Rhoads initiated the idea for promoting the Summer Technology Program and reached out to Greenlaw to lead it.

“We experienced that during the school year, the use of academic technology programs by many of our learners was a motivating learning tool,” he said. “Many of our learners were engaged by the gamified nature of the programs. We believed there was an opportunity to expand the use during the summer and at home. We felt strongly that we would need a staff member to oversee and facilitate the use by families and Mrs. Greenlaw was just right for leading this program.”

Greenlaw enjoys observing the feeling of triumph the students experience.

“Every student has their own unique way of learning, and it is my personal goal to figure a way to help the students become more confident with their reading,” she said.

Greenlaw is quick to point out that the success of the summer technology program is a team effort.

“I had a lot of support and assistance from the WPS Technology Department and teachers Matt Calder and Rebecca Miller. I couldn’t have done it without their assistance. I also want to give a big shout-out to Kellie Sampson at Central Office who helped me stuff all the envelopes with gifts for the students and mailed them out for me so efficiently. And of course, the parents who supported their children along the way. But most of all, it was the students themselves who worked so eagerly on their own literacy and math skills during the summer months that moved me most of all.”

This story was provided by Lorraine Glowczak, Director of Community Connections & Storytelling Ambassador for RSU 14. To submit a story or an idea, email Rachel Paling at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is excited to launch, “What Holds Us Together,” a new podcast celebrating Maine schools. Each month, Commissioner Pender Makin will highlight the inspiring and amazing things happening in Maine schools through conversations with educators, school staff, and students across our State.

Public education is a precious and profound common good we share. Join us as we explore and celebrate the ways that local schools impact students and build connections with the community around them.

Be on the lookout for our first episode, as Commissioner Makin talks with 2023 Maine Teacher of the Year Matt Bernstein and the newly named 2024 Maine Teacher of the Year Joshua Chard about what they love most about teaching and Maine schools.

Listen to the podcast trailer here:

Subscribe today on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and stay tuned!

St. George Municipal School Unit (MSU) was recently selected as one of the 32 national semifinalists for the national Yass Prize, recognizing the “contemporary, inventive, and diverse in-district offerings” provided by St. George School. The small, rural St. George School was chosen among nearly 2,000 applicants representing 27 million students from every sector in education and every grade across all 50 states. Other applicants for the prize included private schools, education technology companies, national school networks, and educator recruitment programs.

The Yass Prize is a national competition with a mission “to identify and support more best-in-class education providers who can tackle the big education challenges of the day and deliver an education for students that is Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding and Permissionless.” As a semifinalist, the school receives $200,000, and the grand prize is $1,000,000.

The school was selected first as a quarterfinalist and now as a semifinalist because of its innovative CTE/Makerspace Project, a partnership between St. George MSU and Mid-Coast School of Technology (MCST) to construct a PreK–8th grade Career Technical Education (CTE)/Makerspace building. The new building will include a shop space for boatbuilding, woodworking, and metalwork as well as a Makerspace with 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC routers, robotics, and sewing machines.

“The CTE/Makerspace Project grew from the requests of teachers, parents, and community members in 2016 to bring shop back to St. George School. It connects to the legacy of the Grace Institute, a local nonprofit that provided culinary arts and shop classes to St. George students from 1936-2011,” said Superintendent Mike Felton. “It took shape as the Makerspace Initiative in 2016. And it’s rooted in the generations of St. George educators, staff, families, and community members who prioritized hands-on/minds-on learning that engaged students and connected them to their community.”

St George has also received funding from the Maine Department of Education (DOE) to support the CTE/Makerspace efforts through a Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) grant. RREV funding is provided through the US Department of Education and has allowed Maine to invest in education innovation across the state. You can read more about RREV here.

Governor Janet Mills and Maine DOE Deputy Commissioner Dan Chuhta visited the school last spring to learn more about the project and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree selected the CTE/Makerspace Project as one of only fifteen projects her office submitted for Community Project Funding in the federal budget.

Down the road in Port Clyde, Herring Gut Science Center was chosen as a Yass Prize quarterfinalist. This year, Herring Gut received funding through the Maine DOE’s Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative, a statewide initiative created by Governor Mills to offer immersive, hands-on, outdoor learning to middle and high school students across Maine during the summer. Read more about the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative here. Maine DOE Commissioner Pender Makin joined students at Herring Gut over the summer as they learned about coastal habitats and species.

View news coverage of the Yass Prize from News Center Maine, Pen Bay Pilot, and The Courier-Gazette.

You can vote for St. George MSU to receive the Yass Parent Choice Award, which will provide the school with another $100,000.

Augusta Adult and Community Education’s Director, Dr. Kayla Sikora, and Career Navigator, Karin Morin, participated in the State Refugee Advisory Council meeting recently. Hosted at the UMA Bangor campus, this participation demonstrates Augusta Adult and Community Education’s commitment to refugee education and integration.

In addition, Augusta Adult and Community Education has announced that they are a recipient of the Refugee Adult Education grant, generously awarded by the Office of Maine Refugee Services, Catholic Charities of Maine to provide essential educational support to refugees in the Augusta community.

“We intend to allocate additional capacity and staff hours to enhance the services we offer and to expand our Career Navigation services,” said Sikora. “In addition to expanding our Career Navigators schedule, AACE feels that it is important to hire an interpreter,” Sikora explained that hiring an interpreter for 10 hours a week will have several benefits for their organization as well as for the multilingual learners and the Career Navigator. By increasing the instructional hours provided for multilingual services, they will be able to provide learners with 45 instructional hours each semester, including career navigation services and interpreter services.

At the meeting, Dr. Sikora and Mrs. Morin received crucial updates from various stakeholders in refugee services, including the state refugee coordinator, healthcare coordinator, and resettlement agencies. This collaborative effort ensures that Augusta Adult and Community Education remains at the forefront of refugee education, responding effectively to the evolving needs of the refugee population.

In a show of solidarity and commitment, Dr. Sikora and Mrs. Morin posed for a photograph alongside members of the Maine Catholic Charities team and the Refugee Advisory Council. This partnership reinforces Augusta Adult and Community Education’s unwavering commitment to fostering a welcoming environment and providing educational opportunities for refugees in Maine.

Dr. Sikora expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “We are honored to be recipients of the Refugee Adult Education grant and remain dedicated to empowering refugees through education. This meeting strengthens our resolve to continue serving our diverse community.”

Augusta Adult and Community Education is looking forward to an ongoing partnership with the State Refugee Advisory Council and related agencies as they work together to create pathways to success for refugees in the Augusta area.

Feeling a sense of security is crucial to childhood development and educational success. This includes having trustworthy adults one can turn to when feeling unsafe or apprehensive. Parents and teachers are a perfect example. At RSU 14, adding a School Resource Officer to the mix to introduce police officers as friendly adults who are here to help, not to punish or threaten, has added to that sense of security.

That is one of the many factors considered by adding School Resource Officer (SRO) Windham Police Officer Robert Hamilton, as a new presence at the Windham Primary School (WPS) and Raymond Elementary School (RES), building positive interactions with students.

“I am here to help ensure the safety of the kids and staff to create a safe and positive learning environment while building a connection and positive relationships with students,” said Hamilton. “We want students to feel comfortable with who we are and what we provide for the community. We want them to know we are people who can be trusted.”

WPS Principal Dr. Kyle Rhoads says that Hamilton has been a visible and welcoming role at the primary school, offering a sense of safety.

“Officer Hamilton will continue to assure our community that WPS is a safe place for learning and that we continue to attempt to improve the safety of our school,” Rhoades said. “When children feel safe, they can do their best learning.”

RES Principal Beth Peavey said that Hamilton’s presence will offer a positive, inclusive school community and a necessary resource.

“It is the hope that the SRO will serve as a mentor and provide educational programs to educate students on safety, bullying prevention, and the importance of making positive choices,” she said.

Manchester School has always shared an SRO with Windham Middle School, but Officer Hamilton will be making his appearances with the fourth- and fifth-grade students there as well and Manchester Principal Danielle Donnini also welcomes him into the fold.

“Some of us remember Officer Hamilton as a student and we are so happy to welcome him back into our school community,” she said. “Having a depth of understanding of our local communities will be a real asset for the students, the school community, and our families.”

Indeed, Hamilton has always been an invested member of the school district. Having lived in Windham all his life and having graduated from Windham High School in 2012, he has worked for the Windham Police Department for the past five years. He says there was something about serving on the police force that drew him to the occupation.

“I was always drawn to the idea of protecting and serving,” Hamilton said. “I am also a big people person so getting to interact and communicate with the public daily while also doing my part to keep them safe was a big influence in me wanting to become a police officer.”

Hamilton said that he is looking forward to the opportunity to interact with the younger students.

“I love that I get to be a part of helping the kids grow and develop as people and not just students,” he said. “I love that I get to see all the hard work kids put into the school year pay off at the end of the year as kids move on to the next grade. I love that I get to hang out and just have fun with the kids.”

Hamilton says that his hope for the students is that he can work to build positive relationships through teaching and mentorship with them. He also said that he hopes the students and faculty to help him learn and grow within his new position.

Peavey spoke for the entire school district in welcoming Hamilton to his new role.

“His presence is a valuable addition to our school community,” she said. “We look forward to working with him to ensure safety within the school community as well as to build positive relationships with our students, families, and staff.”

When Officer Hamilton is not at work protecting and serving RSU 14 and the Windham community, he can be found playing golf, softball, fishing, and spending time with his family. He lives with his wife and two dogs in Windham.

This story was provided by Lorraine Glowczak, Director of Community Connections & Storytelling Ambassador for RSU 14. To submit a story or an idea, email Rachel Paling at rachel.paling@maine.gov.