Honoring RISE Award Finalist Rebekah Stephens From Lewiston

Rebekah (Becca) Stephens is a hard-working Ed Tech at McMahon Elementary School in Lewiston Public Schools. She was recently nominated for the RISE Award and honored by the Maine Department of Education (DOE) as a finalist. The RISE Award (Recognizing Inspirational School Employees ) honors classified school employees who provide exemplary service.

Rebecca Fournier, a colleague nominated Becca. Here are a few thoughts from Rebecca about why she nominated Becca.

“Becca demonstrates that Ed Techs are skilled professionals, by lesson planning, implementing curriculum, and being a liaison between the community and school for parents and families.”

“Becca is a part of the after-school programming at McMahon- through 21st century and routinely engages in community and school activities. She is actively involved in many committees including the Union and helped create a clothing closet for students in need in our school.”

“Becca garners support from our school administrators due to her exemplary work. Many coworkers seek Becca out for her advice on Union and family/community matters.”

When asked what she loves most about her job, this is what Becca had to say:

“What I love most about my job is the growth I get to see in my students. Not only academically but socially and emotionally. I also enjoy making connections with students and working with the students one on one.”

Honoring RISE Award Finalist Jim DuDevoir From Auburn

Jim DuDevoir is a dedicated School Custodian at Sherwood Heights Elementary School in the Auburn School District. He was recently nominated for the RISE Award and named a finalist by Maine Department of Education (DOE). The RISE Award (Recognizing Inspirational School Employees ) honors classified school employees who provide exemplary service.

Breann Crocker, an educator at Sherwood Heights Elementary nominated Jim. Here are a few thoughts from Breann about why she nominated Jim.

“Jim goes above and beyond to help everyone at school. From moving furniture, fixing sinks, hanging curtains, whiteboards, and more, he is always there when we need him.”

“Jim makes it a point of coming to school events. He helps get everything set up for these community events ahead of time and cleans up after.”

“He comes in on the weekends if a teacher is having an issue with the school alarm. He comes in at all hours to fix water leaks and anything else that needs repair. He makes sure we are safe and well taken care of in our school.”

“Everyone in our building loves Jim because he truly shows he cares about everyone. He is always there when we need him. He never complains and he makes it so that we can focus on teaching the children and not have to worry about the building itself. Our school would not be what it is without him.”

When asked what he loves most about his job, this is what Jim had to say:

“Here at Sherwood, I feel like I make a difference. I do my best to keep things running smoothly for the staff and help out as much as I can. If they don’t have to worry about all the little things, then they can concentrate on teaching the kids, and that’s why we’re all here: to make sure the kids get what they need.”

Honoring RISE Award Nominee Bonnie Fortin From Moscow

Bonnie Fortin is a dedicated Administrative Assistant for Moscow Elementary School in MSAD 13. She was recently nominated for the RISE Award and selected by the Maine Department of Education (DOE) as one of Maine’s Nominees. Her story was submitted to the U.S. Department of Education for consideration for the national level RISE Award. The RISE Award (Recognizing Inspirational School Employees ) honors classified school employees who provide exemplary service.

Wendy Belanger, a colleague from MSAD 13 nominated Bonnie for the award. Here are a few thoughts from Wendy about why she nominated Bonnie.

“Bonnie is someone that is always willing do the extra. We are a very small district and I often ask Bonnie to make posters, signs, coversheets, etc for district plans, handbooks. She prepares district staff and student handbooks on an annual basis. She monitor’s the Moscow school budget to the penny. We have completed many parent survey’s in last 6 months regarding internet connections, free meals, etc. Bonnie takes the time to call each parent to ensure that the district has accurate data.”

“Bonnie organizes our school food pantry. She coordinates with the local town food bank to distribute our leftover food so they may share it with the general community. She has even taken food donations to local elderly resident. The students look to her for security and comfort.”

“Bonnie is a veteran and takes time out of her workday to assist the fourth grade students with learning about the proper care of the flag and shares her vast knowledge. She is a true role model for our students.”

“There are very few people that make an impact in the way Bonnie does in a school. She is the core of our school community. She is so approachable and often after a child has moved on from our school, parents and caregivers will still reach out to Bonnie for information and assistance with numerous things. She is always willing to assist them. Moscow Elementary is very lucky to have her.”

When asked what she loves most about her job, this is what Bonnie had to say:

“I cannot quite pinpoint, it’s not as simple as the joy I get in creating documents to simplify someone’s day or putting together databases to show them how much their job means. I’m fortunate enough to wear many hats in my position; I love assisting staff, students, and parents in any way possible to make their lives a bit easier. I enjoy seeing how each of us within the school touches the lives of students, and the positive impacts made in the simplest of ways. I love connecting with parents, letting them know their children are respected, and watching how fast they grow.

Again, I am honored to be submitted for the RISE Award for Inspiring School Employees, this honor to me is a true reflection of the teamwork at Moscow Elementary.”

Honoring RISE Award Nominee Betty Newman From Baileyville

Betty Newman works tirelessly as the Director of Food Services for Woodland Elementary and Woodland Junior/Senior High School in AOS 90 in Baileyville. She was recently nominated for the RISE Award and selected by the Maine Department of Education (DOE) as one of Maine’s Nominees. Her story was submitted to the U.S. Department of Education for consideration for the national level RISE Award. The RISE Award (Recognizing Inspirational School Employees ) honors classified school employees who provide exemplary service.

Janice Rice, a colleague from the school nominated Betty for the award. Here are a few thoughts from Janice about why she nominated Betty.

“Betty Newman has worked in the Baileyville School system for many years; she started working in the food service department when her mother was the food service manager and she just slid into the position when her mother retired. She has the respect of everyone in the school. We all see this commitment to the families and students and admire her for that. In her spare time, Mrs. Newman is writing grants to improve her program and this kind of dedication does not go unnoticed.”

“Mrs. Newman has always been an extremely hard worker for our school but when the school had to go remote learning because of Covid-19, she stepped it up. She had the ability to transform her two-school service for grades pre-k – 12 into a program that went mobile, serving over 200 children 14 meals a week. With only a staff of three to cook and package meals, she seamlessly transformed her school-based food serve program into a program that fed the families of Baileyville.”

“Another example of Mrs. Newman’s commitment to the students and the school is this summer when the school was able to continue feeling students in the summer months. Betty unselfishly gave up her summer vacation time to continue feeding families in the Baileyville area. Because we have a small food service staff, she worked 12 straight months, without time off.”

“Betty Newman is a dedicated mother, having adopted several children; she is a loving grandmother. She is working with administration to design and build a cafeteria. She has worked for over 30 years in a pieced together kitchen that is spread out over four rooms to feed students in pre-k thru 12 in two different buildings. This takes dedication, leadership, time management skills, multi-tasking, and the ability to lead and work well with a team.”

When asked what she loves most about her job, this is what Betty had to say:

“What I love most is the kids and to be able to provide a service for them and maybe make a smile in their day.”

RISE Award nominations were submitted from across the state by local educational agencies, school administrators, educators, professional associations, nonprofits, parents and community members this fall. Finalists and Maine Nominees were announcement recently in the Maine DOE Newsroom and they are being featured individually in the Newsroom this month. National RISE Awardees are expected to be named in the Spring of 2021. More information on the Maine RISE Award can be found here and the national RISE Award can be found here.

Moscow Elementary School Connects with Families Through Video

As the holiday season approaches and the COVID-19 pandemic continues present ongoing challenge for school communities across the country, the staff at Moscow Elementary School in MSAD 13/RSU 83 have strived to find creative ways to share with parents and community members. In a recent effort, the staff created this heart warming video featuring students in Kindergarten through 4th grade holding up signs saying what they are thankful for this year and they have shared it with the surrounding community.

It is a wonderful reminder of how important positive relationships are, both between schools and the committees they serve but also between students and the people around them.

Enjoy!

This video was submitted Sandra MacArthur, Superintendent of MSAD 13/RSU 83 as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit a story or an idea, email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

Helping Young People Find Their Voice Through Public Media – An article by Mid-Maine Technical Center Instructor David Boardman

Mid-Maine Technical Center (MMTC) Instructor of Mass Media Communications David Boardman recently contributed to an article in the the national Association for Career & Technical Education (ACTE) magazine, Techniques.

The article, “Helping Young People Find Their Voice Through Public Media,” is about the power and importance of student-led media projects with a focus on a team of students from Boardman’s class at MMTC that produced a four-minute story for Maine Public Television on a student-led groundwater testing study that found high levels of arsenic in drinking water.

Boardman writes, “Not only did students contribute to the ‘participatory culture’ of our media-rich society, but, as young consumers, they gained a sense of how to watch news with a critical eye. They learned to seek out connections where they exist and about what good journalism looks like, as a producer and as a consumer.”

The article is an enthusiastic nod to how important project-based learning and student led initiatives are to student learning and pays tribute to the amazing things happening within the learning communities of career and technical education programs all over Maine and across the country.

To read the article, scroll to pages 24-28 of this digital version of Techniques magazine.

This story idea was provided by MMTC as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit a story or an idea email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

RSU 22 Arts Educators Transform Curriculum to Provide Safe and Meaningful Music Education

Music is alive and well in RSU22. Let me start by saying that from the very beginning, the teachers of the arts and the administration never thought of cutting the arts during the pandemic. The question was, “How do we deliver these subjects to our students with quality?”

Before COVID-19, our music program included general music K-5, choruses and bands 5-12, with before or after school jazz ensembles and show choirs 6-12, and Tri-M Music Honor Society at the high school.

During the pandemic, our offerings are the same with the addition of remote classes. However, they look a bit different. Our system is operating under a hybrid system. Half of the students attend in-person Monday and Thursday with asynchronous assignments on Tuesday and Friday. The other half attends in-person Tuesday and Friday with asynchronous assignments on Monday and Thursday. AP classes also meet on Wednesdays remotely and chorus and band students have 1 to 1 sectionals/lessons on a rotating basis on Wednesdays via google meet. The high school ordinarily has 4 blocks per day every other day for 8 total blocks on an A/B day system. This year we are running 4 blocks (A day) every day for 1st and 3rd quarters and the other 4 blocks every day for 2nd and 4th quarter. This is not ideal for skills based classes, but it is better than splitting it by semester and makes things easier to keep track of for both teachers and students.

Elementary music classes are meeting every other week and posting activity choice boards reinforcing musical concepts on the opposite weeks. All music teachers who teach elementary classes have divided up our districtwide remote classes, each of us having 1 or 2. Each elementary student has their own white board, marker, and eraser. Some classes have been given rhythm sticks. Older students are playing melodic instruments such as boomwhackers, tone bells, and glockenspiels that must be wiped down after each class.

Chorus classes are singing outside 14 feet apart unmasked as long as the weather is 40 degrees or higher and not raining. When it is raining or too cold to be outside, we are learning basic piano skills, ear training, humming softly distanced with masks, music theory, listening examples, discussions about song texts, artistry, etc. Their asynchronous lessons include sight singing with “thepracticeroom.net“, learning tracks with practice log, recording themselves for teacher critique, music theory, listening examples, etc. We are also working with our technology department to allow our high school students to work in small ensembles virtually through the Jacktrip foundation. We have rhythm sections rehearsing in person after school. We have been working with composer Kris Berg. He has written several high school arrangements for small jazz ensembles which include interchangeable parts for various instruments. Students can also play along with the mp3 files of each song Kris has arranged. Horn players and vocalists have been assigned to each group and are practicing their songs at home. We are hoping for adjustments to be made to allow our students to play in person using the required PPE.

Bands are learning similar concepts. Some of our bands are playing outside 14 feet apart unmasked. Those not going outside are studying music as it relates to social issues, music history, music theory, rhythm using sticks and drums, ear training, listening to musical examples, recording themselves for critique by teachers, etc.

In the music department, we start on Wednesday mornings together discussing our successes and struggles for the week in order to pass on any things we have learned or to get help with our hurdles. Our K-2 classes all use Seesaw and our 3-12 students all use Google classroom for their work and our district has decided that we will all use google meet for our virtual classes and meetings. We regularly use Google slides, Screencastify, Padlet, Quicktime Player, YouTube, VideoLink, Soundtrap, and now we are exploring Jacktrip to use for virtual teaching with very little time lag.

For our subject area, this is anything but ideal. However, our focus continues to be on how we can foster musical growth in our students and supporting their musical goals.

This story was submitted by Heidi Corliss, Choral Music Teacher at RSU 22 Hampden Academy Visual and Performing Arts Team Leader, with support from Jason Anderson, Maine DOE Visual and Performing Arts Specialist as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. So submit a story or an idea email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

Everyone Has a Story: Lewiston Mom Finds a New Passion and Career Through Local Adult Education Program

A podcast called “We All Have a Story” features standup comedian Dawn Hartill, who got her start by taking a Lewiston Adult Education class called “Standup Comedy Workshop.” Check out her story and how she got stated on We All Have a Story – A podcast about people @WAHASpodcast. Here is a link to where you can listen to her story (She mentions adult education at 4:13 during her interview).

Now teaching the standup class at Lewiston Adult Education, Dawn’s story exemplifies how important education can be at any age, and how trying something new through a wonderful local resource can change your life in so many positive ways.

To learn more about the Lewiston Adult Education Program, check out their website, or you can contact your local school system to learn more about the Adult Education classes available near you.

Finding Creative Ways to Extend Career Development: Portland High Internships Go Virtual

More students than ever are participating in Portland High School’s internship program despite its alternate format

While the coronavirus pandemic caused many of Portland High’s regular partners to be unable to offer internships, some organizations got creative in offering safe internship opportunities for PHS students.

A record 20 PHS students are participating in virtual or socially distant internships this fall. Students are interning with organizations including Maine Audubon, The Portland Press Herald, Planned Parenthood, Cultivating Community, Maine Youth for Climate Justice, Little Chair Print Shop, multiple professional photographers, SMRT Architects and Engineers, Tetra Tech, and the New England Historical Society. More students and internship sites are matched daily.

The pandemic has sparked some creative partnerships, such as between Maine Audubon, PHS, and the Portland Press Herald photography team. Neddie Clews, a senior at PHS will be honing her photography skills to tell the stories of the various Audubon trails. Not only will she be mentored by Melissa Kim, the Director of Communications and Marketing for the Audubon; Michele McDonald, photo editor for the Portland Press Herald, and her team will provide guidance.

Clews reflects, “Being able to do this internship with Maine Audubon is allowing me to pursue some of my top interests while at the same time getting me great work experience, working as a trail photographer I get to have free range of the outdoors while improving my photography skills.”

“We’re always looking for ways to connect with young people, and that’s been challenging this year,” said Melissa Kim, Maine Audubon’s Director of Communications. “This project allows for collaboration, learning, creativity, and content, all within the confines of pandemic restrictions. Having Neddie explore and photograph trails at our sanctuaries, and help us create visual stories of each trail, will give us new ways to engage our supporters and provide reasons for people to come visit and connect with wildlife and habitat.”

If your organization is interested in hosting an intern, contact Andrea Levinsky, Extended Learning Opportunities Coordinator at levina@portlandschools.org.

An Innovative Approach to School Drama: Filming Begins on the MDI High School’s Fall Musical

BAR HARBOR – MDI Drama began principal photography on its 2020 fall musical, “Ruddigore; or The Witch’s Curse,” this weekend in Acadia National Park. Determined to provide an authentic and safe drama experience for students and the community, the staff and senior student representatives of the Mount Desert Island High School’s drama program decided that filming the show would create opportunities for innovation and new learning while adhering, not only to the school’s COVID-19 protocols, but to the state’s regulations on live performances and the MPA’s guidance on co-curricular activities.

The Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, which is in the public domain, has been adapted by director Frank Bachman and music director Anne Leonardi and trimmed to approximately forty minutes. Jeff Zaman, who teaches filmmaking and design thinking classes at the high school, is the director of photography.

MDI Drama staff members were aware throughout the spring and summer that flexibility might be required in order to produce MDIHS’s annual fall musical, particularly after the cancellation of the Maine Drama Festival and the school’s annual two spring plays. They did not want to cancel a fall production if they did not have to. Casey Rush, the director of MDI Drama, began online discussions with the adult staff and senior representatives of student actors and tech crew members in late summer to brainstorm possibilities when it became evident that they would not be able to proceed with the fall season in the usual way. On the basis of the experiences of livestreaming the drama department’s annual Bravo Awards and the high school’s successful drive-in graduation in the spring, and with the support of the school’s administration, the team decided that the most interesting and safest option would be to film the production and present it as a drive-in movie at the high school.

Filming the musical outdoors on location has enabled the actors to abide by safety protocols while experiencing a different kind of acting. A closed set limits the number of people present, and actors only unmask when they are about to film their scene and are appropriately physically distanced from the crew and other actors. The tech crew is learning about the different creative considerations for sound, lights, and set design in filmmaking while incorporating Covid-19 mitigation protocols as well as the intricacies of creating safe sound recording situations for the singers and “MacGyvering” sound booths in cars, as well as how to use new equipment and computer programs.

Some scenes will be shot indoors on the stage of the MDIHS Higgins-Demas theater, where physical distancing and sanitizing protocols are in place. Group numbers will be created in post-production using footage of individual actors and dancers. Rehearsals are primarily online, with some in-person rehearsals held outdoors, weather permitting. The tech crew meets once a week for physical builds, following the school’s protocols on mask wearing, hand sanitizing and physical distancing, and has online sessions to learn the principles of designing for theatre and the computer-based programs they will have to use.

This story was submitted by Chris Dougherty, Learning Center, Mount Desert Island High School in partnership with Jason Anderson, Maine DOE VPA Specialist as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit a story or an idea email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.