Every other week, RSU #4’s Superintendent Andrew Carlton and Director of Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction, Kathy Martin, have been hosting an online community forum.  In order to create two-way communication with families, students and other community members, the two district administrators have been hosting a zoom meeting to allow constituents the chance to get information, ask questions, give comments and provide feedback on various topics that have affected our students during this COVID-19 pandemic.

RSU #4 started these zoom meetings during their first phase of the continuity of education plan as part of their communication efforts.  It was an opportunity to discuss food distribution, device pick-up procedures, and explain the educational plans for that phase of skills maintenance efforts.  During this meeting, parents could better understand responsibilities for parents, students and teachers during each phase of the plan. The meeting also allowed parents to give suggestions on how to support the learner with creating a daily schedule, for example.

By the second meeting, the district was in the Phase II portion of the continuity education plan.  Topics included questions about new learning in a remote setting, expectations for a typical school day, how to pick up personal belongings in our school buildings, and discuss what April vacation will look like.  In addition to discussing topics related to the remote learning plan, it was also a chance to discuss some business as usual events. For example, there was a discussion about the budget, the budget process and how the district will proceed over the next few months.    

All the zoom meetings have been recorded and shared through the district’s website and social media sites so community members could view the recording if they could not attend the actual meeting.  In addition, parents and students could send questions, comments or feedback ahead of time to ensure their questions or concerns would be addressed during the zoom.

The community forums are going to continue as one measure to open communication between the school system and community.  The zoom meetings can also leverage opportunities to better support and continue the vision of “inspiring our learners for future success” even in these unprecedented times.

This article was submitted by RSU 4 Superintendent Andy Carlton as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit a story or idea, email it to rachel.paling@maine.gov.

Bonny Eagle High School Students Council, Dawna Cyr and School Nurse Jen Dow, RN created this wonderful PSA for COVID-19 called “We are all in this together” with the hashtag #BEHealthy. The PSA talks about what you can do right now to take care of yourself and also provides information about how to access more resources. The group says they are working on more public service announcements.

The tight knit school community of Prescott Memorial School in Washington Maine is really missing their students now that schools are conducting learning remotely. To make sure students know just how missed they are, the teachers and staff worked together to create a this very special message.

The image of educators and school staff holding up signs from their homes says: “Dear Prescott students and families, we miss you very much and hope that you’re staying happy and healthy at home. Be kind and stay positive.”

Prescott Memorial Principal Nancy Stover says they got the word out to students and families by posting the message on the school’s Facebook page and send it out through school messaging system.

Maine Teachers of the Year and County Teachers of the Year are keeping their professional and social relationships strong by scheduling regular social hours through online video conferencing. Since the COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools around the state to close their doors and continue providing learning opportunities remotely, the meet-ups provide the teachers with a bit of professional and emotional solace from the challenges and changes caused by the pandemic.

A program of the Maine Department of Education, the Maine State Teacher of the Year program is administered by Educate Maine and the Maine State Teacher of the Year Association (MSTOYA), who have both been instrumental in keeping educators of the program connected by scheduling a time and providing a virtual space for the meetings.

Among the topics discussed in the most recent meeting was practicing work/life balance while teaching from home. Suggestions from the group included taking the weekends off, checking in regularly with other educators and each other, getting exercise, and taking breaks every day. The educators also discussed conducting remote classes outdoors if possible and scheduling virtual lunches with students as a way to stay connected, social, and to lift the spirits of themselves and their students.

The group plans to continue the virtual meet ups for as long as needed. The next meeting topic is going to be effective strategies for engaging students in remote learning.

MSTOYA says that the meet-ups are open to its members and to anyone who is seeking a supportive team at this time. For more information, contact Karen MacDonald macdok235@gmail.com.

 

The doors of our schools may be locked, but our students are still learning and growing in powerful ways; they are also finding meaningful methods to give back to the community.

Grace Soares, a Windham High School Senior, is using this time to continue encouraging people to give blood. She says “the need is incredibly high right now, particularly because drives have been cancelled and fewer people are willing to come out to donation centers given everything going on in the country. Maine’s donations are down, but the need isn’t.”

Grace chose to do her Senior Capstone Project on the Red Cross, and was proactive enough in her shadowing and interviewing to complete most of her project before schools shut their doors and people were forced inside.

Grace has been volunteering with the Red Cross since she was 16 and saw the Senior Project as a chance to learn more about blood and the blood giving process overall. She jumped through the necessary hoops with Red Cross at the corporate level and gained permission to go beyond the normal scope of her volunteer work to conduct interviews as well.

The interviews with volunteers were one of the most meaningful parts of the project for Grace. The volunteers were able to speak to a number of common questions asked from people who are considering donation, including how safe it is in the middle of our pandemic; “Giving blood is a very safe process and the centers do a fantastic job of ensuring the comfort and safety of anyone generous enough to give. If you are healthy and looking for a way to support our community, giving blood is such a need!”

More information about giving blood is available at redcross.org

A few of the common questions asked about giving blood:

1. Does it hurt? Volunteers say not really; the actual portion of giving blood is about 5 minutes and fairly painless.
2. How long does it take? About 45 minutes for whole blood, closer 2 two hours for power reds. If you want to speed up the process, you can get the Red Cross Rapid Pass app on your phone that allows you to read all the paperwork beforehand.
3. What if I have covid and don’t know it yet? Can I pass it on? No. While a number of screenings for all sorts of things are done at the site, all blood collected goes through additional screenings after collection.
4. How can I make sure it goes well? Volunteers say to have a snack before you go, and drink plenty of water the night before (this helps ensure you have big veins) and right before as well.

This article was submitted Lanet Hane, Director of Community Connections at RSU14 as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit and idea or an article, email rachel.paling@maine.gov.

During this Difficult Time Filled With Great Uncertainty- Please remember to take moments each day and Breathe On Purpose. As HUMAN BEINGS, it’s critically important to check in with ourselves especially now.  Ask yourself- “How Am I Feeling Right This Moment?” and “Where Do These Feelings Live in My Body?”

These questions posed to ourselves help us to slow down the business of our lives and to self-reflect. This is important because this helps human beings (who are far too often existing in a state of automatic pilot) to build our emotional intelligence. Self-Awareness takes practice and requires our concentrated effort. All other emotional intelligence skill development requires a solid foundation of self-awareness. Without being self-aware of our thoughts, feelings, needs- we are not able to fully self-regulate, form meaningful relationships, cope with life difficulties or make responsible, ethical and reasonable decisions.

Collectively, across the planet- we have been given this opportunity to sit in the moment. We are obligated to take care of ourselves in a mindful and compassionate way, as our lives depend upon the choices we make right now. Together, separately we can weather the seas of this storm as we mindfully attune to our basic human survival needs with attuned hearts and minds.

Educators- take care to check in with your sense of urgency to get lessons prepared and sent out to your students. Be aware that we’re all in this together and each of us can only do the best we know how with the resources we have available.

When we get to the other side of this- our students will not remember the science, math, reading or writing lessons we asked them to do. They WILL remember your kind words of support, your smiles, your encouragement, your calm and centered presence and most of all your love.

Take care of yourselves today and everyday so that you can continue to take care of others (family, friends, students) and BREATHE ON PURPOSE.

With Great Gratitude-

Kellie D. Bailey, Maine DOE SEL Specialist
Bear Shea, Maine DOE Mental Health / School Counselor Specialist

Join Kellie or Bear during their Brain Centered Emotional Support Sessions that are available twice daily as part of the Department’s virtual meetings.

Students of Narraguagus High School’s FFA Chapter (formerly known as “Future Farmers of America, with designation abbreviated to reflect the diversity of modern agriculture/natural resource management) worked with their advisors during the month of March to address the issues of local food insecurity and homelessness.

With over 700,000 members enrolled in secondary and middle school agriculture and natural resources education, the National FFA Organization and its local chapters have long valued assisting communities through volunteer efforts, donations and grants. Under a “Living to Serve” grant from the National FFA Organization, the Narraguagus FFA chapter completed activities related to a statewide effort by the Maine FFA Association.

Megan Smith, Community Resources Coordinator at the Maine Seacoast Mission food pantry in Cherryfield spoke to students about the complicated issues of homelessness and food security and how they affect Maine communities.  From funds provided by the National FFA and with support of the Walmart Supercenter in Ellsworth, Narraguagus FFA purchased $1,000 in priority items for the food pantry.

Narraguagus FFA members have additional planned activities to support the food pantry that they hope to pursue in the fall when they return to school.  Advisors Caroline Foote, Kathy Howell and David Riddle are proud of their students’ accomplishments and welcome other students to become involved in their FFA chapter.

For additional information on starting an FFA chapter, please contact Doug Robertson, Maine FFA Advisor, Maine Department of Education, doug.robertson@maine.gov, 207-624-6744.

 

The 74th annual Maine State Science Fair (MSSF), organized by The Jackson Laboratory and Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, was held virtually on March 28, 2020, and included 199 students representing 32 schools in 11 Maine counties. From this group, 142 finalists were selected to virtually present their research or engineering project to a panel of judges, in competition for coveted state titles and over $640,000 in scholarships and awards.

The Maine State Science Fair was originally scheduled to be held at The University of Maine, but the in-person event was moved online in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Maine high school students have been working on their projects for months, with support from many dedicated teachers and mentors,” said Stefany Burrell, STEM Education Specialist, Maine Math and Science Alliance. “We knew we had to shift gears, and quickly, to ensure students still had the opportunity to present and potentially be rewarded for their work.”

“Despite the obvious difficulties, Maine students and teachers are creative and resilient,” said Michael McKernan, Program Director, STEM and Undergraduate Education, The Jackson Laboratory. “All of our scholarship partners, led by UMaine, stuck with us, and with the students.”

The winners were announced during a virtual award ceremony.

This year’s Grand Award winners include:

• 1st Grand Award – Vetri Vel, Bangor High School, “Real-time Fall Detection System for the Elderly Using Deep Learning and Thermal Imaging”
• 2nd Grand Award – Amara Ifeji, Bangor High School, “Using Biofiltration Media and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) to Enhance the Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals from Stormwater Reconstructed Wetlands”
• 3rd Grand Award – Patrick Wahlig, Falmouth High School, “Precision and Relative Accuracy of Striped Bass Age, Proportional Length, and Origin Estimates from Both Scales and Sagittal Otoliths of Maine Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis)”

In addition to the above awards, over $640,000 in scholarships, including several full-tuition scholarships, from The University of Maine, College of the Atlantic, University of Southern Maine, University of New England, St. Joseph’s College of Maine, University of Maine at Augusta, and Husson University were distributed to students who demonstrated creativity, innovation, aptitude and great scientific potential.

The following students received full tuition four-year Top Scholar awards from The University of Maine:

• Meaghan Caron, Bangor High School
• Hannah Dunn, Bangor High School
• Nicholas Geiser, Bangor High School
• Matthew Hafener, John Bapst Memorial High School
• Grace Kessler, Maine Coast Waldorf School
• Rachel Kingsley, South Portland High School
• Ariel Larrabee, Hancock County Technical Center
• Alexander Maker, Washington Academy
• Alexandria Morgan, Washington Academy
• Lilian Nowak, Bangor High School
• Swetha Palaniappan, Cape Elizabeth High School
• Vetri Vel, Bangor High School

The following students received a $20,000 four-year scholarship from the College of the Atlantic, renewable for four years.

• Aniela Holtrop, Maine Coast Waldorf School
• Ariel Larrabee, Hancock County Technical Center

The following students received full tuition four-year scholarships from the University of Southern Maine:

• Josephine Ek, Robert W. Traip Academy
• Adam Taddia, Baxter Academy for Technology and Science

The following students received a $5,000 four-year scholarship from the University of New England, renewable for four years:

• Beau Briggs, Nokomis Regional High School
• Jenna Drake, John Bapst Memorial High School
• Marian Easton, Nokomis Regional High School
• Josephine Ek, Robert W. Traip Academy
• Natalie Shields, Medomak Valley High School

The following students received a $2,500 four-year scholarship from St. Joseph’s College of Maine:

• Owen Arsenault, Noble High School
• Natalie Shields, Medomak Valley High School

The following students received a $1,500 four-year scholarship from the University of Maine at Augusta, renewable for four years:

• Alexandria Morgan, Washington Academy
• Wade Wahlig, Falmouth High School

The following students received a $1,000 scholarship from Husson University:

• Meaghan Caron, Bangor High School
• Ariel Larrabee, Hancock County Technical Center
• Alexandria Morgan, Washington Academy
• Patrick Wahlig, Falmouth High School
• Wade Wahlig, Falmouth High School

Acadia Institute of Oceanography and the Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership offered experiential awards, including scholarships to attend residential summer camp programs.

The following students earned experiential awards for STEM enrichment programs in Maine:

• Acadia Institute of Oceanography: Hannah Dyer, George Stevens Academy
• Hurricane Island: Erin McCarthy, Bangor High School

The JAX Promising Scientist Award for outstanding research and engineering projects by 1st year students, given by The Jackson Laboratory:

• Margaret Kastelein, Lincoln Academy
• Anthony Ayer, Harpswell Coastal Academy
• Jett Lindelof, Islesboro Central School
• Aleah Sebrey, Medomak Valley High School
• Hazel Van Dis, Islesboro Central School

The Reach Award for students from schools who are new to the Maine State Science Fair, given by the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance:

• Kylie Brown, Boothbay Region High School
• Collin Peterson, Islesboro Central School
• Thomas DiPhilippo, South Portland High School
• Elizabeth Chattley, Hancock County Technical Center
• Adam Nussbaum, Brunswick High School

MSSF Category Winners

• Animal Sciences – Behavior and Ecology: Alexander Maker, Washington Academy
• Animal Sciences – Nutrition and Development: Patrick Wahlig, Falmout High School
• Behavioral Sciences – Cognitive Psychology: Molly Hale, Greely High School
• Behavioral Sciences – Sociology and Mental Health: Isabel Harkins, Boothbay Region High School
• Biomedical and Health Sciences: Ijeoma Obi, Bangor High School
• Chemistry: Ogechi Obi, Bangor High School
• Computer Science and Mathematics: Micah Pietraho, Brunswick High School
• Engineering: Vetri Vel, Bangor High School
• Environmental Sciences – Water Quality: Jordyn Miller, Bangor High School
• Environmental Sciences and Engineering: Leila Davids, Bangor High School
• Materials Science: Jaylee Rice, Nokomis Regional High School
• Microbiology: Melissa Tian, Bangor High School
• Plant Sciences: Amara Ifeji, Bangor High School

Additional winners of special awards from the Maine State Science Fair, include:

American Meteorological Society Award

• Naomi Noack, Bangor High School
• Chloe Grant, Addison Bracken, Rachel Kingsley, South Portland High School
• Ogechi Obi, Bangor High School
• Melissa Tian, Bangor High School

Association for Women Geoscientists Award

• Ginny Hunt, Bangor High School
• Jordyn Miller, Bangor High School

Society for Science and the Public Community Innovation Award

• Isaac Burtis, Brunswick High School

Office of Naval Research Naval Science Award

• Sydney Sheehan, Old Town High School
• Vetri Vel, Bangor High School
• Nathan Chatterton, Boothbay Region High School
• Oscar Hennin, Morse High School

Stockholm Junior Water Prize

• Jordyn Miller, Bangor High School
• Rain Bugado, Noble High School
• McKayla Kendall, Bangor High School
• Mia Wang, Gould Academy
• Amber Halligan, Medomak Valley High School
• Liulu Yue, Gould Academy

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Award

• Amara Ifeji, Bangor High School
• Ogechi Obi, Bangor High School

Download results from the 2020 MSSF, including scholarships, category awards, special awards, and the Maine ISEF Finalists.

Maine State Science Fair is further supported by Texas Instruments, Maine Space Grant Consortium, and the Maine School of Science and Mathematics.

The Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance supports educators to teach STEM in more meaningful ways through professional development resources for K-12 educators, research and evaluation of STEM learning experiences, and building relationships and networks to sustain systemic statewide improvement.

The Jackson Laboratory offers educational programs for scientists throughout their careers — from STEM education for high school students and training for science and math teachers to courses and conferences for experienced researchers defining the cutting edge of genomics research and specialized training for physicians interested in incorporating genetics and genomics into their practices.