Early College High School Student First to Earn Required Credits for University of Maine at Augusta Degree while Attending High School

Amber-Rae Pesek, a senior graduating from Ellsworth High School in June of 2022, is the first student ever to complete the necessary credits to earn an Associate’s degree from the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) while simultaneously completing her high school career. Pesek, who marched in the May 14^th UMA Commencement Ceremony, will be officially awarded her degree in Liberal Studies in Summer 2022 following the completion of her high school career.

Pesek earned 74 credits college credits as a high school student in the UMA Early College Program and as a Bridge Academy of Maine student through Hancock County Technical Center. Credits were accumulated across the University of Maine System campuses with the majority of her credits earned through UMA. She also transferred credits for her UMA degree requirements from Eastern Maine Community College.

Christine Knight, UMA’s Director of Early College said, “(Amber-) Rae is one of the most extraordinarily driven students I have ever had the pleasure of working with in this program. She put in countless hours in the coursework itself, while also being actively involved in the Bridge Academy of Maine Program as well as student life at Ellsworth High School.”

Sarah White, Ellsworth High School Counselor, said Pesek took full advantage of Early College opportunities. “She did this on top of balancing a regular high school course load, as well as co-curricular activities and athletics. Her diligence and perseverance paid off in spades and we are so proud of her! We are so excited to see what her future holds!”

Hancock County Technical Center Student Services Coordinator, Hope High, and Director, Amy Boles, also recognized Pesek’s efforts. “As a student in our Biomedical Sciences program and a member of our Bridge Academy, Amber-Rae has shown immense leadership and taken advantage of every opportunity she has been given. We are so proud of her efforts in earning the necessary credits for her Associates Degree from the University of Maine at Augusta while also taking a full academic course load and being an active high school citizen.”

Mason Brewer, Program Director for Bridge Academy of Maine, agreed. “Especially during these unique and challenging times, she displayed an impressive ability to maintain a substantial course load. She is a shining example of what is possible with strong personal drive, advocacy, and planning. We are excited to follow where Rae goes from here!”

At the University of Maine System (UMS), Early College (or dual enrollment) refers to all programs in which high school students enroll in college courses. Students earn both college and high school credit when they successfully complete the course. High school students who enroll in early college courses are more likely to enroll in college, have higher grades, and have a better chance of earning a college degree. Courses are free (or at significantly reduced costs) to high school students.

The most recent data from the UMS Institutional Research and Planning Office (Spring 2022) reveals the outlook for all Early College programs is strong, with 457 high school students enrolled this spring just within UMA (2,501 system wide). This represents an 81% increase from 2018 for UMA, and a 55% increase overall for all seven institutions. Fall enrollments are typically stronger across all demographics, and data for Early College support that. The Fall 2021 statistics show that more than 3,600 students across Maine’s public universities were enrolled in Early College, with 1,056 enrolling in UMA courses.

Like her colleagues, UMA’s Knight is also very optimistic of Pesek’s future as she took advantage of Early College, and also recognized how much family support contributes to student success. “Rae is a remarkable student, and she had unending support and guidance from her family. I know she will go on to do incredible things. Once again, Rae demonstrates that with Early College, high school students can be not only college ready, but college proven!” Pesek is already exploring options for the fall at UMA and several other Maine public universities.

UMA transforms the lives of students of every age and background across the State of Maine and beyond through access to high-quality distance and on-site education, excellence in student support, civic engagement, and professional and liberal arts programs. For more information, please visit https://www.uma.edu/. For information about UMA’s Early College Program, visit https://uma.edu/earlycollege.

Retired Bowdoin College Professor Brings Music to Lewiston Adult Education

At Lewiston Adult Education, music is an exciting new aspect of learning. The sounds of bows on strings fill the halls as Mary Hunter, a retired Bowdoin College music professor teaches beginners how to play violin. The program began in March and, after a ten-week course, most of the students can play “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” an impressive accomplishment after such a short amount of time.

This course may have been the first like it, however, Hunter plans to continue the program through next year. Her course is the first regularly scheduled musical program at Lewiston Adult Education, and she hopes students continue to enroll as she continues to advertise. Hunter believes that music is an important element of education, especially for adults. “For people who have never had the opportunity to take music lessons,” she says, “just giving it a try for a few weeks might offer a somewhat new angle on their identity.” She also shared that the concentration that comes with practicing provides a cathartic release and a bit of mindfulness. The sense of achievement that comes with learning a repertoire is important, too, she says, as it opens to the door to collaboration with others.

A big difference between adults and children, Hunter says, is that adults choose to learn. Oftentimes, adults are persistent and determined to succeed because of this choice. A few undaunted students who took her class this spring look to continue learning and will be joining a new group of students who will take Hunter’s course this summer, which will run from mid-June to mid-August. Another diligent student of Hunter’s, who took prior lessons in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is working up to a big performance. They have been working one-on-one together to create a program to perform at the school’s graduation on June 14th. There, they will be playing three songs together to show off their hard work and honor this year’s graduates.

Further, while adults grasp concepts quicker than children, Hunter says they are also physically less adaptable. This presents a bit of a struggle, especially because they need to be treated like grownups, and the material they are presented with needs to be geared towards adults. However, even with these challenges, Hunter looks forward to her students, and the program, progressing past these beginning stages to grow and overcome these obstacles in the future.

Maine FFA State Convention Back in Person

The Maine FFA State Convention returned—following two virtual years due to COVID-19, as an in-person event on May 12-13, 2022. Formerly known as “Future Farmers of America,” FFA is the largest student-led organization in the country. Attended by over 250 FFA members, judges, guests and family members, this event, normally held at the University of Maine in Orono, was conducted for the first time in Presque Isle.

The Presque Isle location highlighted numerous agricultural opportunities of that area and relied on the joint hosting of both the University of Maine at Presque Isle and Northern Maine Community College. The two-day event featured competitions, agricultural and natural resources tours, community service events, a social event at Gentile Hall (the University of Maine at Presque Isle gymnasium and field house), and a chance to recognize the many achievements of middle and high school FFA members from throughout the year as well as at Convention.

Maine’s FFA State Officer team, Nickie Deschaine (President), Delaney McKeen (Vice President) and Ryder Brewer (Secretary-Treasurer), all originally from Central Aroostook High School, led the program, assisted by Clark Condon (Ashland High School), Lane McCrum (Central Aroostook High School) and Noah Rooney (Presque Isle Tech Center). Events were conducted and assisted by staff from the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Northern Maine Community College, the University of Maine, Orono, the University of Maine, Augusta in Bangor, the Maine Department of Education, teachers from local high schools and technical schools, former student FFA Officers, Northern Maine FFA Alumni, State FFA Officers from Connecticut, and representatives from a number of local agricultural and natural resources businesses and organizations.

Student competitions ranged from areas of environment and natural resources management, forestry and horse evaluation to agribusiness, employment skills, agricultural technology and mechanical systems and safe tractor driving. Students involved in public speaking events gained monetary prizes for their achievements. Tours included the hosting colleges, the Presque Isle Tech Center farm and greenhouse, the Penobscot McCrum potato plant in Washburn, Columbia Forest Products and Aroostook Truss in Presque Isle and Huber Engineered Woods in Easton. Community service events included work in the Presque Isle Community Garden, assisting the Presque Isle Recreation Department in yard work and trail work, and working on the University of Maine at Presque Isle community garden and greenhouse.

Jackson Sylvester, National FFA Secretary, Awards Banquet Speaker

Head Table, Maine FFA 2021-2022 State Officers Ryder Brewer (Secretary-Treasurer), Delaney McKeen (Vice President) and Nickie Deschaine (President)

Dan Chuhta, Maine Department of Education, Awards Banquet Speaker

Gentile Hall Social Event – Students on Rock Wall, one of available activities

Students received over $15,000 in awards, prizes and scholarships, with 9 students receiving $1,000 scholarships to attend the 2022 National FFA Washington Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C.. Convention participants gained professional skills related to agriculture and natural resources, practiced team work, and enjoyed the insights shared by their retiring State FFA Officers and by President Raymond Rice of the University of Maine at Presque Isle, President Tim Crowley of Northern Maine Community College, Deputy Commissioner Dan Chuhta of the Maine Department of Education, and National FFA Secretary Jackson Sylvester, from Delaware. Students left the event energized for the coming FFA year and with many positive memories of their events and the students they got to meet from other schools. Newly elected officers for the coming year include the re-election of Nickie Deschaine as President and the selection of Lane McCrum as the 2022-2023 Vice President.

For more information on FFA and on establishing a Maine FFA chapter, please contact: Doug Robertson, FFA State Advisor in the Maine Department of Education, doug.robertson@maine.gov 207-624-6744.

More Cowbell: Augusta Adult and Community Education Celebrates Students’ HiSET Completion

The sound of the cowbell that rings through the halls of Augusta Adult and Community Education (AACE) sends a burst of excitement and a rush of relief through the air along with its music. Here, the cowbell signals another life that has been changed by education.

In fall of 2021, the school’s administrative assistant, Heidi Lynch, wished there was a bell that students could ring when they had completed their HiSET testing. Completing the HiSET and getting a diploma is a huge accomplishment that Director Monique Roy believes should be celebrated in the moment, so she began to look for a bell. Early on in her search, she stumbled across a cowbell, and laughed. However, what started as a chuckle quickly turned into something amazing as her colleagues and students supported the idea of the cowbell and the order was placed.

Now, as soon as students know that they have passed their HiSET, they get to ring the cowbell, letting out the physical rush of joy and relief that comes with completing their tests. “We’ve had students cry and hug teachers and we’ve had students who are just like…woohoo! The bell ringing is their moment,” Roy says. No matter the response, the bell ringing indicates a changed life and an important milestone – one that the team at AACE is happy to play a role in.

Roy and her team are constantly promoting high school completion. They encourage all adults without a high school diploma to complete the HiSET, talking about it wherever they go. They also attend partner programming to ensure they can provide opportunities for high school completion, and are willing to meet everyone where they are, whether they have started their completion journey or not.

As for the bell, the “ritual” as Roy calls it, is here to stay. When students start their programs, they are shown videos of other graduates ringing the bell as a motivator. Roy says that for some, ringing the bell is a goal they look forward to throughout the entirety of their program. This ritual has certainly made a positive impact in the AACE, and the team is excited to see how many other students they can help get their diploma.

To see AACE’s students ringing the cowbell, watch this video.

This article was written by Maine DOE intern Alexa Bryant as part of the Maine DOE’s Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign and the 2022 #HiSET4ME Campaign.

South Portland Educator Honored with Excellence in Extended Learning Opportunities Award

The Community Coordinator’s Collaborative (C3) recently named the recipient of Maine’s first annual Excellence in Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs) Programming Award during its end-of-year celebration.

The award was given to Sheree Inman, the Cooperative Work Coordinator at South Portland High School. Sheree was selected for her outstanding commitment to student-centered practices, her understanding the necessity of equitable and accessible options, and her ability to showcase the importance of relationship-driven partnerships and interactions in her work.

ELOs are hands-on, credit or credential bearing experiences outside of the traditional classroom with a community-based career exploration component. They frequently take the form of internships, work-based learning, or a series of job shadows connected to academic learning standards. These valuable learning opportunities are becoming available in more Maine schools each year, and C3 developed the award alongside these programs to highlight the quality work being done by those in the field.

The C3 group collectively includes staff from more than 50 educational institutions across the state and is responsible for spearheading the statewide Virtual Career Fair, a widely successful virtual option for students to explore careers when in-person options became unavailable to them.

The recent statewide virtual event is one of the key factors in Sheree’s nomination for the 2021-2022 Excellence in ELO Programming Award. The 2-day, virtual event included community support from more than 110 businesses offering career presentations, 2500 registrations and approximately 10,000 staff and students participating from more than 50 schools.

“Due to her ELO work, collaboration with MaineC3 and work with the virtual career fair, she has been a huge asset to not only her own district but many teachers, programs and students across the state,” said someone who nominated Sheree for the award.

Sheree Inman is the Cooperative Work Coordinator at South Portland High School. She has been in this role for 3 years and an educator for 21 years. Please join us in congratulating Sheree in this well-deserved award!

Captain Albert Stevens Elementary Journalism Club Visits State House, Learns Their Beloved Teacher is Being Honored

Excitement was certainly in the air on May 12th as people filled the Hall of Flags in the Maine State Capitol Building for an announcement to be made by the Maine Department of Education. Among the guests were several 4th and 5th graders from the Captain Albert Stevens Elementary School (CASS) in Belfast, part of RSU 71. The students are part of 4th grade teacher Nancy Nickerson’s Journalism Club and what they don’t yet know is that their teacher Mrs. Nickerson was about to be named a County Teacher of the Year, along with 15 other educators from across Maine.

Nickerson, who had only known for a short time herself, wanted her students to join in the excitement by being there for the wonderful surprise that afternoon. So, she invited them to come to the State House to write a story about something cool that was going on in the Hall of Flags, for their school newspaper, The CASS Times.

Nickerson started The CASS Times during the 2020/2021 school year as a way to let the community know what it was like going to school during the pandemic. “We started a small class paper to begin with.” Nickerson explained that her 4th graders would publish an article a month in the Republican Journal, a local paper, about what it was like at CASS. “Every student in the class got a chance to write an article, and interview teachers and classmates for the Republican Journal. It was amazing,” said Nickerson.

After great success with “COVID Classroom” the students decided that they wanted to keep The CASS Times going by expanding the initiative into an after-school club and inviting other fifth graders and fourth graders to join. The students now create a monthly 24-page newspaper with an assortment of articles, and one article in particular, slated for the next issue was going to be about this big announcement.

“It really means a lot to me that you are here,” Nickerson said to her students as they looked around the Hall of Flags wide-eyed with anticipation. Prior to the announcement Nickerson had arranged for the students to get the chance to meet and interview Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin has part of their article.

Students interviewing Commissioner Makin — The Journalism Club interviewing Commissioner Makin in the Hall of Flags.

When the event began the students took their place in the crowd to watch the announcement unfold, notebooks and pencils in hand. As each of the 16 teachers were announced and honored, cheers and applause filled the room. When the 2022 Waldo County Teacher of the Year was announced as Nancy Nickerson there was big roar of excitement from the back of the room where Ms. Nickerson’s students could be seen cheering with their hands in the air and big smiles on their faces.

“When I heard Mrs. Nickerson’s name being called I screamed, ‘That’s my TEACHER!’,” said 4th grader Maggie Maheu.

“Sounds like Nancy has some fans,” said 2022 Maine State Teacher of the Year Kelsey Stoyanova who was emceeing the event. She then paused the announcement to acknowledge the students in the back. “Welcome to Nancy’s fans,” she said with a smile and a wave before continuing the announcement.

“When I saw the Maine County Teacher of the Year pin on Mrs. Nickerson’s shirt, I knew she had won the award,” said 5th grade Eliot Fowler who is editor of the The CASS Times. “I was really excited and proud of Mrs. Nickerson for all of her hard work and amazing teaching.”

Guided by their fearless and dedicated editor and fellow journalist Eliot, the students went on to publish an article for their May issue of The CASS Times which included their interview with Commissioner Makin: read the article here.

A little more about the Journalism Club:

Nickerson tells us that between 15 and 20 kids show up every week to write, eat snacks, play outside, listen to journalists to talk with them, and go on special field trips like the State House visit. The group also recently did a bake sale for Ukraine, raising close to $900.00. “The kids baked everything and took turns ‘manning’ the bake sale for an entire morning,” said Nickerson. “We even had some community members come in to purchase items. I’m pretty proud of them,” she added.

Mr. H’s Math Show Helps Poland Community School Second Graders Show off their Math Skills

RSU 16 Second Grade Teacher Philip Hodgkins, or Mr. H. as his students call him, has been producing and starring in a weekly gameshow style math show to supplement math lessons for this 2nd grade students.

“During class I’m always hyping something up–birthdays, school assemblies, whatever the next big thing may be,” explains Mr. H. Extending that same level of enthusiasm into a new project, Mr. H uses his exciting game-show style voice, that his students love so much, in a new video series about math, providing an opportunity for his students to engage with math in fun and exciting ways.

“This is a really fun thing to do with the kids and it gives my 2nd graders a chance to show off their math skills,” said Mr. H. The shows are available as an option to his 2nd grade students in class after they have completed their regular math lesson. He explains that the show is a bonus for the students and supplements what they are working on.

With a little help from family members and friends, The Mr. H. Math Show has been uploading a new episode on YouTube every Friday at 7:00 p.m. successfully ever since February break and continues to evolve as the show’s audience expands.

“It’s awesome to see how excited students are to solve the new math questions every week,” said Mr. H. “It’s always great to hear their ideas for future episodes.”

The success of the show has spread to a few other classes at Poland Community School with the Functional Life Skills class and some of the 1st graders and 2nd graders now getting the chance to watch the Mr. H. Math Show too. Mr. H. hopes to expand his audience even further. “I’d love to have math fans watching around the world, tuning in with their families to show off their math skills,” says Mr. H.

In the meantime, he continues to look for ways to add cool new features. Recently he has been looking into adding a musical element to the show with math rap songs.

Check out The Mr. H. Math Show on his YouTube Channel:

For further questions about The Mr. H. Math Show, contact Philip Hodgkins at philiphodgkinsvideos@gmail.com.

Exploring the History of Maine Through Robotics

In the fall of 2022, Ann McClellan asked Maxx Pillsbury, a student of the Sphero Bolt coding program at Mt. View Middle School, how he might use the Bolt to tell a story. Both interested in Maine history, Ms. McClellan and Maxx began exploring using the Bolt to tell the story of ten historically significant places in Maine.

Maxx coded his Bolt to be Samuel de Champlain, an explorer who traveled the coast of Maine. Maxx and Ms. McClellan used a rope to model the nooks and crannies of Maine’s rugged coastline and painted designs on paper to represent characteristics of the area being explored.

Once they planned the layout, Maxx programmed the Bolt. While working, Maxx decided he also wanted the Bolt to narrate the history locations. He wrote a script, chose sounds to enhance the audience’s experience, and found music to play.

You can view a video of the robot moving through the project here:

The final product is impressive and took perseverance and critical thinking to problem solve through challenges that presented themselves throughout the process. For instance, placing the Bolt just right was imperative to its success.

“If the angle was just slightly different when it was set down, then it could mess the whole thing up,” Maxx said.

Ms. McClellan agreed, “Directionals and movement controls were challenging. These had to do with speed, angles, and time. We maintained humor, flexibility, and perseverance, so we got through the programming!”

Maxx is eager to apply what he learned from this project to his other classes. “In my history classes, I will already know some history about early explorers in Maine, and in math class, I can use what I learned about ratios with distance, speed, and time.”

For more information about the Sphero Bolt coding program or other ways to integrate computer science into your curriculum, reach out our computer science specialist, Emma Banks at Emma-Marie.Banks@maine.gov or visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/ltt/computerscience.

Portland Public Schools Developing Culturally Important School Lunch Menu

The Portland Public Schools Food Service Department, in partnership with local nonprofits and consultants, is working to introduce culturally important menu items to the school lunch options served at the district’s high schools.

This spring, students at Deering, Casco Bay, and Portland high schools are taste-testing food items adapted from traditional Central African cuisine and providing feedback that will help the district decide if the new food items will be incorporated onto the high school lunch menu for next school year. Another goal of the project is to encourage more student engagement and participation in school lunch.

This project is funded by Full Plates, Full Potential, and led by Food Service Director Jane McLucas and local food justice nonprofit Cultivating Community. It is being implemented by several community partners that include FoodCorps, Cumberland County Food Security Council (CCFSC), Good Shepherd Food Bank, and the University of Southern Maine (USM).

“We are Maine’s largest and most diverse school district, and this project is an important – and delicious – way to help us acknowledge and celebrate our diversity,” said Superintendent Xavier Botana. “All our students should have the opportunity to enjoy a wider variety of culturally diverse menu items, which could encourage more students to participate in our nutritious school lunch program. We are very grateful to the wide variety of community partners working with us on this and other projects to ensure food security for all our students.”

This initiative was born from Food Fuels Learning, a network of school and community partners working to build food security in the Portland Public Schools. It is made possible due to the recipe development work done by Khadija Ahmed and Chef Samantha Cowens-Gasbarro with Westbrook Public Schools’ Nutrition Director Mary Emerson.

Ahmed is the owner-operator of Food For All African Mobile Market and the Community Impact Manager for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at Good Shepherd Food Bank. Cowens-Gasbarro is the executive chef for Healthy School Recipes and a school nutrition consultant. These two adapted traditional Central African cuisine into meals that meet federal nutrition guidelines. Replicating the recipes developed in Westbrook, Ahmed and Cowens-Gasbarro are now working with district high school cafeteria staff to test similar recipes in Portland, while also educating staff about the importance of cultural representation in school food.

Food service staff are learning how to cook these new dishes this spring. Every high school student in the district will also have the opportunity to try and provide feedback on potential menu items. This work aims for students to see more familiar dishes offered at school and encourage higher participation in school meals – a proven strategy for increasing food security and reducing stigma around accessing these nutritious foods.

FoodCorps Service Member and Deering High School graduate Mercia Ckaba-Thomas created posters to educate students about the event: “We share a bond through food that creates better connections between cultures, and celebrates the many differences that exist in the Portland community.”

The first taste test took place on March 24. A meal of smashed kidney beans, spiced beef, and cabbage slaw was offered to students, with great success. Taste test coordinators Mercia Ckaba-Thomas (FoodCorps), Zoe Grodsky (CCFSC), Lily Chaleff (Cultivating Community) and Cowens-Gasbarro offered samples and collected feedback from over 250 students with the support of students from USM Professor Jamie Picardy’s “Food, Power, and Social Justice” class and Food Fuels Learning (FFL) high school interns, Anna Behuniak (Portland) and Leaticia Hannah (Deering).

“I would absolutely be more interested in school lunch, especially if this dish was served.” reported one Casco Bay student. Other recipes expected to be tested are chickpeas and chicken over jollof rice and a chicken and spinach stew. A second student taste test is slated for May 19.

In addition to voting and short-form feedback on the day of the taste tests, students are able to sign up to participate in one-hour focus groups. These sessions aim to gather more in-depth insights on cultural representation in school meals and how to better create an inclusive cafeteria environment that is reflective of the diverse student body here in Portland. The three focus groups are coordinated by Kristina Kalolo (CCFSC) along with facilitation training and support for the FFL interns so they can lead their peers in these conversations.

Professor Picardy’s USM students will conduct data analysis of the feedback to help inform the next stages of the project. Youth leadership and youth voice are centered in each step as an important part of the long-term success of this work. Last year, FFL interns conducted a survey on school meals that received feedback from over 800 students. A main takeaway was that there is a strong desire for more culturally representative and culturally important foods in school meals. This project is an extension of the findings that emerged from this student-led research.

Project members Chaleff, Kalolo, and Cowens-Gasbarro recently presented at a Maine Farm to School Network meeting about this work, with the hope that other districts across the state will be inspired and take on similar work to build more equitable and representative school meals. To learn more about how this work unfolds, you can subscribe to the FFL newsletter at foodfuelslearning.org and follow Food Fuels Learning on Facebook.

If the project is successful at the high school level, the district would consider adding culturally important menu items in the middle and elementary school lunch program in the future.

Third Grade Students Send Hygiene Kits to Ukrainian Refugees in Poland

Third grade students from MSAD 72’s Molly Ockett School collected and assembled hygiene kits for Ukrainian refugees in Poland recently as part of a school project. Assisted by their teacher Brian Cushing, the students assembled the kits and sent them with friends who are traveling to volunteer at the World Food Kitchen and can deliver the kits to a nearby Ukrainian Refugee Center in Poland, which is ten miles from Ukrainian border.

“I am so proud of my students and their international outreach,” said Cushing.

Pictured is a collection of student artwork and messages, in Ukrainian that students included with the two suitcases of care kits.