Five Town CSD to Host Innovation Conference July 2020

Submitted by Trina Schroeder, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent & Communications Director at Five Town CSD / MSAD #28.

The Hatchery at the Five Town CSD invites you to SAVE THE DATE for our Innovation Conference: The Intersection of Education and Industry, July 1-2, 2020 at Camden Hills Regional High School in Rockport, Maine.

This exciting two-day conference will bring educators and students interested in innovation together with entrepreneurs, business owners and industry leaders who are interested in education. Featuring a wide variety of presenters covering 15 sessions, Design Sprint, Open Minis, and countless networking opportunities.

Registration will open January 2, 2020.

Visit our website regularly for up-to-date information and the announcement of our keynote speaker. https://csd.fivetowns.net/innovationconference

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/20141475/admin/

The Five Town CSD, serving students in grades 9-12 from Appleton, Camden, Hope, Lincolnville and Rockport is widely known as a top-notch secondary school district. This well deserved reputation is made possible by the considerable support of all of the member communities, and strengthened by the strong effort and talent of the students, staff, and administration.

Maine Music Educators Help Root Modern Band Curriculum into Maine Schools

Educators from across the state gathered at Orono High School recently for their Modern Band 102 lesson, a second professional learning opportunity available through the Maine Kids Rock Program. Delivered by Little Kids Rock Educator Spencer Hale, the class gave educators the opportunity to fine tune their technique, and to build upon what they had learned in the previous modern band lessons they’ve been participating. Through the Maine Kids Rock program, each of these educators accepted $5,000 worth of modern band instruments, along with resources and hands-on learning opportunities to help them run modern band programs in their schools, an opportunity they would otherwise not be able to give to their students.

There are currently 35 Maine schools offering modern band programs through the Maine Kids Rock program. To be eligible for participation, districts agreed to offer modern band – taught by a certified music teacher, with priority given to schools who serve 50% or more free or reduced meals to eligible students.

During introductions at Modern Band 102, educators in attendance shared their name, school, the age group they are teaching, and the music the kids are working on. Their students were learning a wide-range of modern music selections, of their choosing, like Lost Boy by Ruth B., Count on Me by Bruno Mars, Best Day of My Life by American Authors, Ho Hey by The Lumineers, and Happy People by Little Big Town, on a variety of modern band instruments provided through the Maine Kids Rock Program.

Orono High School Music Teacher and Band Director Jen Acosta, who has been hosting the modern band professional learning in her music room for the past 3 years as a central location in Maine, only recently joined the program and currently offers modern band programming and instruments to her students.

“This is revitalizing [music] programs,” said Acosta. “It gives people the opportunity to use whatever resources they have to get kids playing music,” she added. Acosta went on to explain that it also serves as a gateway to music education in general. Being able to play and sing the songs they are listening to on the radio and on TV gets so many more students interested in music education than otherwise would be. Once they learn how to play one instrument, they most likely will pick up another she explained.

“The approach is so open it gives teachers a lot of autonomy,” added Maine DOE Visual and Performing Arts Specialist Jason Anderson. New to the Department, Anderson recently came from his long-time position as Vocal Music Director at Houlton High School, one of the original 10 pilot schools awarded instruments and modern band resources when Maine Kids Rock was created.

Developed between the Maine Department of Education and national nonprofit Little Kids Rock in 2017, the Maine Kids Rock program is funded through a combination of Little Kids Rock donors and a portion of the State of Maine’s education budget, which is approved each year by the Maine State Legislature.

“I think the biggest standout – from top down – is that it represents the ‘do’ approach. Getting them [the kids] to do something,” said Acosta. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” She went on to explain that music education like this is going to change music culture. While students are still in the midst of learning modern band right now, they will eventually graduate and move on to post-secondary options and careers, having learned modern music at a much earlier age than students have been able to previously. This will more than likely result in new and innovative music creations and performances to come from our next generation of musicians.

Maranacook Community Middle School Learns About Gravity Through a Pumpkin Drop!

Submitted by Kristen Levesque, Principal at Maranacook Community Middle School.

Each year some of Maranacook Middle School’s students participate in an annual gravity experiment! Through a collaborative effort from Central Maine Power (CMP) and Acadia Team teacher, Mr. Dan Holman. This exercise was a fun, educational opportunity for students to learn about the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Students learn about Newton’s work-energy principles as they watched pumpkins drop from the CMP bucket trucks!

School Bus Driver Expands Winter Clothing Drive, “Keeping Kids Warm ♥️ Hudson”

Lewiston school bus driver Ivy Corliss is expanding her local winter clothing drive in hopes of gathering and providing warm winter gear to give to kids across the Maine who need it. She says she hopes to help kids “stay warm so they can focus on learning and enjoying time with friends at recess.”

I love being a bus driver but sometimes we have heavy hearts when we see kids who don’t have basic winter gear to keep warm. There was a young child in tears on my bus whose hands and face were beat red because they had no winter hat, mittens or boots. So I was able to find them what was needed at home and now they are nice and warm. This is just one of the many children and young adults that don’t have warm winter gear.

By teaming up with schools nurses, local businesses, and many “big hearted” people across Maine, Ivy has created a clothing drive through her Facebook Group, Keeping Kids Warm ♥️ Hudson. She hopes to expand those efforts to more schools to help ensure that kids around the state have access to winter gear.

Any schools that are interested, can contact Ivy Corliss directly. She hopes to communicate with schools directly when winter gear is needed so that she can get the word out to potential donors.

If you would like to get in contact with Ivy Corliss she can be reached at (207) 320-9507 or ivycorliss741@gmail.com.

MSAD 13/RSU 83 Valley Junior High School Students Perform The Prince and the Pauper

Submitted by Sandra J MacArthur, Superintendent of Schools MSAD 13/RSU 83.

Valley Junior High School presented The Prince and the Pauper on Nov 22^nd. Approximately 50 Valley Junior High School students practiced Nov 18^th – Nov 21^st under the direction of Children’s Stage Adventures.

It was amazing to watch the students’ progress throughout the week. The students’ self-esteem, pride in their accomplishments, and confidence increased on a daily basis. Their week of hard work ended with them presenting their production twice on Nov 22^nd to the students, staff, parents, and community members.

The Windham Eagle Lifestyles: Manchester school students celebrate National Farm to School Movement

This article was written by Maine student Joe McNerney.

Hands were washed and chef hats were on as fourth and fifth grade students entered the cafeteria. In the middle of many tables, freshly grown carrots were set and ready to be used. This is what the scene looked like on Monday, November 4 at Manchester School. In a recent press release, it was announced that the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry and the Maine Department of Education teamed up with the Manchester School to promote the growing farm-to-school movement in Maine.

“The students participated in a day of activities to celebrate growing, harvesting and eating local food. The event was designed to raise awareness about the importance of local food, school gardens and the relationship schools are developing with local farms to provide fresh, quality fruits, vegetables and produce to Maine schools,” stated the press release.

Stacey Sanborn, fourth grade teacher, explained how the food is grown by the students. “We tend to the hoop house all school year,” she said. “Students help maintain and pick vegetables and sometimes we are able to send the food home that has been produced by the student for students in need.”

Briefly, a hoop house is a form of greenhouse that consist of a series of large hoops or bows—made of metal, plastic pipe or wood covered by heavy plastic. It is heated by the sun and cooled by the wind. Although winter is coming, and some students may be less than thrilled to trudge through snow, they will none the less keep up on the hoop house.

Ryan Roderick, head chef and nutrition coordinator for and Jeanne Reilly, director of school nutrition,
led the educational sessions with the students. During the class, students from fourth and fifth grades made fresh curried carrot soup and carrot muffins.

Students had the opportunity to wash, peel, chop carrots and onions as well as sauté the vegetables. For the muffins, students grated carrots, measured and mixed the ingredients and portioned them into muffin cups. At the end of the class, students and teachers all were able to try the soup and muffins made with carrots from their school garden and fully experience what the farm-to-school experience is all about.

“It was refreshing to see young faces so excited about cooking,” stated Pam Lanz who had worked with the school for 21 years as a guidance counselor prior to taking up her post as garden leader. “Many of the students are hesitant to try most of the vegetables. However, when peers try, they are more likely to give it a chance.”

Once the ingredients were ready, some students prepared muffins while the others prepared the carrot curry soup. Which was garnished with Greek yogurt and chives.

Students all agreed and said with pride after eating the food they had prepared, “The food tasted better because we cooked it.”
Teaching kids at a young age that there is value to growing and making your own food is outstanding. It teaches the art of horticulture and self-sustainability. “Many of our students tale home what they learn,” Sanborn said. “They share it with parents and hopefully they in turn will start gardening more.”

Lanz quickly agreed, “We want to make backyard farmers out of them all.”
The Manchester School is one of the more than 400 Maine schools that participate in a farm-to-school program. The event was designed to raise awareness about the importance of local food, school gardens and the relationship schools are developing with local farms to provide fresh, quality fruits, vegetables and produce to Maine schools.

Portland High School Partner Spotlight: Tyler Karu

Submitted by Andrea Levinsky, Extended Learning Opportunities Coordinator, Portland High School. Each month we will feature a community partner. We are excited to open this series with Tyler Karu!

Tyler Karu of Tyler Karu Design and Interiors has been an incredible partner of Portland High’s Extended Learning Opportunities since November of 2016. She has participated in every possible opportunity including hosting students for job shadow day and internships in addition to serving on career panels and doing mock interviews for 9th graders.

Tyler was inspired to start working with Portland High because she wanted to set an example of a strong woman in business. She says, “I wanted to be example of someone who can make a mark in my own little community…[I wanted to show that] women have a seat at the table and can do anything we want.”

She has continued to work with Portland High School over the years because she is inspired by the students. She finds that the student body is interested and engaged. She says, “There aren’t a lot of high schools that prepare students for real life. I think Portland High just does such a good job with that and it makes kids more interested in job and professional life and learning about careers and future directions. I think Portland High is preparing the students for life skills.”

To other businesses that want to get involved, she says that, “It is our responsibility as business owners and professional people to reach back out into the community and offer help and support. What better group to reach out to than high schoolers who are thinking about the next step in their lives?”

Through Extended Learning Opportunities, Tyler is able to “make a difference on a fundamental and pragmatic level,” she says. “there’s nothing more valuable.”

Business partners make a profound impact in students as well. In her internship with Tyler, Gloria Sanchez was able to solidify her passion for her chosen career path of interior design. She gained experience in creating designs and working with clients. Gloria was even hired by the company for a summer job following her internship!

We are so grateful for Tyler’s continued partnership and her leadership in supporting our students. If you are interested in getting involved with Portland High School’s Extended Learning Opportunities program through job shadows, mock interviews, internships, or career panels. Please contact Andrea Levinsky, Extended Learning Opportunities Coordinator at levina@portlandschools.org.

Reaching for the Stars Starts with a Strong Ground Crew

Jessica Meir declared in first grade that she wanted to be an astronaut – and she meant it. Meir made history with the first all-female space walk from the International Space Station nearly 25 years after graduating from Caribou High School. While it may seem to have been a certainty in the rear view, getting to the ISS wasn’t always a sure thing. Meir was denied acceptance to the space program on her first application. Perseverance paid off and Meir eventually became the astronaut she had always envisioned.

When Caribou High School principal Travis Barnes learned in January that Meir was likely to be going to space, he wanted his students to get involved. No one knew then that Dr. Meir would be making history as a member of the first all-female spacewalk, but Barnes knew his students had a rare opportunity to participate in a space talk. He began the monumental work required to secure a NASA “uplink” to provide students in RSU 39 the opportunity to speak to Meir in real time.

Being an astronaut’s alma mater is not reason enough to be accepted. The application had to demonstrate extensive support and involvement of the whole community and significant impact on student learning and aspirations. Developing the application for NAS meant Barnes and his teachers had to develop a myriad of opportunities to both inspire and support RSU 39 students to dream big in a small town. The RSU 39 ground crew had to include staff, students, and community to meet the rigorous requirements set by NASA. The space talk was only part of the big day.

Assembling the Ground Crew: Staff

Middle school teachers Kim Barnes, Susan Keaton, Arik Jepson, Twyla Learnard, Cheryl Pelletier, Jennifer Crawford and high school teachers Shannon Sleeper, Jessica Bell, Kayla Brown, Peg Conologue, Jessica Doucette worked with students through an inquiry process to develop a deeper understanding of the International Space Station, the current mission and tasks, issues facing the space program, and Jessica Meir’s personal journey into space. Motivated by the opportunity to speak to Meir, students worked to review and revise the questions forwarded to NASA. See those questions here.

Assembling the Ground Crew: Community

CHS Alum

CHS alum visited the school and provided students other lenses into career development and goal setting. While Jessica Meir stayed focused on her goal throughout her life, many others meandered to find their pathways and develop careers, some never considered or even known. Dustin Damboise and Jamie Corrigan created a trivia game with facts about their high school, college, and work experiences, asking students to match the facts with the person. With more than two majors listed and neither matching either job title provided, Damboise and Corrigan demonstrated to students how exploration and an open mind can lead to identifying a gratifying career. CHS alums Dan McCormack (’91), CEO of InterMed, and Darcie McElwee (’91), Assistant United States Attorney, also shared their “space walks,” encouraging students to take advantage of different opportunities, such as an internship or the military. McCormack and McElwee stressed how perseverance learned at Caribou High School shaped their journeys to career success. In total, more than a dozen graduates of CHS returned to the launch pad to support student aspirations.

Caribou and All of Maine

Other activities during the day demonstrated the importance of staying healthy despite rigorous work, sessions that focused on health and wellness, and sessions to explore potential career paths in the medical field. Denis St. Peter, PE President and CEO of CES, Inc. as well as a 1986 CHS graduate, brought three engineers with him to expose students to new experiences in the engineering world including: Game of Drones with Josh Maker (Survey Technician, Surveying Division); Watershed Down with Justine Drake (Engineer, Engineering Division); Go with the Flow with Andrea Dickinson (EI, Senior Project Engineer, Environmental Division). Students learned about the science behind protective gear, research about creating jet fuel from wood, coding, outdoor survival and much more thanks to support from agencies such as the Caribou Fire Department, Maine Emergency Management, and the Maine Forest Service. [insert photo here?] See a complete list of all the companies, agencies, organizations who were part of the RSU 39 Ground Crew.

Blast Off: Uplink with the International Space Station

Middle and high school students assembled in the auditorium of the Caribou Performing Arts Center as NASA prepared the uplink. Selected students presented questions directly to Dr. Meir. Dr. Meir was appropriately impressed by the demonstration of understanding of her work on the ISS and of other issues regarding technology and the environment as well as Dr. Meir’s personal journey to the ISS.

Students in grades K-5 remained in their respective buildings, remotely watching Jessica Meir talk to students at Caribou High School. Their day included student choice STEM activities led by classroom teachers designed to develop student creativity and problem-solving skills. Some of the sessions included Sphero rockets, designing space helmets, virtual reality, catapult execution, launching straw rockets, and trying astronaut ice cream.

A tremendous amount of time and planning was involved in making this day such an overwhelming success. The “ground crews” ensured everyone who participated had a blast!

This article was written by Maine DOE English Language Arts Specialist, Morgan Dunton in collaboration with school staff from Caribou schools. The article is part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. For ideas or submissions for Maine Schools Sharing Success, email Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

Maine Forest Collaborative Brings Together Rural Students for Resource-Based Educational Opportunity

Maine students from rural communities came to the Maine State Capitol last week as part of a unique learning opportunity offered by The Maine Forest Collaborative. The collaborative, created and administered by the Rural Aspirations Project, is a cooperative of rural schools embedded in forest industry communities in rural Maine, which aims to give students in rural communities the opportunity to develop deeper connections to their community through participating and contributing in ways that make it stronger.

In its first cohort, with around 30 students participating last week, there were students from Buckfield, Forest Hills, Jackman, and Greenville, and more on deck to start in the next semester. The learning opportunity provides students with a three-unit curriculum: Identifying Challenges, Rapid Prototyping Solutions, and Investigating Solutions. Grounded on the question, “How can we use natural resources to positively impact local communities,” the lesson invites students to work together to identify challenges that their community is facing, and then find solutions to those challenges by using resources available within the community.

students standing with poster presenting

person presenting in front of a large audience

list of challenges written on chart paper

The second unit, Rapid Prototyping Solutions, is what students were working on last week at the Maine State Capitol’s Fall of Flags. The location was chosen as a way to raise awareness about the project, but also to show participating students the impact they have on decision making at the State level, as they work among lawmakers and politicians who grapple with many of the same challenges and problem solving, whether they are rural and community-based or State level.

Students started the day by presenting the story of their community, with posters they made ahead of time. Their presentations included information about the geography of their community, the natural resources present, who they are, what is amazing about their community, their hopes and dreams, and questions they still have. After the presentations, they began working in groups to identify challenges, pick a challenge to work on, and brainstorm a solution to that challenge. Maine forest industry professionals were also present to help facilitate the group work and lend a helping-hand. lending their years of work experience in Maine’s forest industry with Maine’s many natural resources.

Students left the State House last week with a deep appreciation for not only their own community, but for their rural neighbors was well. They also got to participate in an interdisciplinary, project-based learning experience that strengthens their connection to their own community and the State as a whole, and aims to tackle a community challenge that they care deeply about.

Following last week’s lesson, students will embark on unit three, which will identify the economic, environmental, and social impacts of the solution they came up with, and they will also make a plan to communicate the solution to the public.

For more information about the Maine Forest Collaborative, the curriculum, or how to participate in this unique learning opportunity, please contact the Rural Aspirations Project.

WCC Washington County Educator Profile: Mary Anne Spearin

Submitted by Sarah Woog, Executive Director at Washington County Consortium.

Meet Mary Anne Spearin, Principal of Calais High School

I first met Mary Anne when we were Middle School teachers together at Indian Township School. We connected pretty quickly, and would often share our books, our ideas, our practices, and our struggles. It was clear the way Mary Anne engaged with me as her colleague was not accidental or incidental. Mary Anne, then and now, has professional habits learned and practiced over time. Life-long learning and commitment to personal and professional growth are essential values that define how she teaches, how she leads, and how she engages with colleagues. I asked Mary Anne if I could interview her for a profile because I wanted to understand how she developed these habits, and how they impacted her steep trek up the professional ladder, from Ed. Tech, to teacher, to principal.

Mary Anne began her career in education as an Ed. Tech I at Charlotte Elementary School. She had previously substituted in schools and had about 2.5 to 3 years of coursework behind her. Once an Ed. Tech at Charlotte Elementary, she gained two invaluable mentors, who served to push her, help her expand her vision of what is possible, and to understand professional growth as a welcome and wonderful professional responsibility. These mentors, Principal Peggy White, and Teacher Ann Luginbuhl supported Mary Anne in deciding to go back to school and she began accessing coursework at the Washington County Community College. They also encouraged her to learn and grow outside of the coursework and fostered a supportive community of educators who learned and grew together. Mary Anne soon went from Ed Tech I to Ed Tech III and began to believe she could become a teacher. When a teacher was out for medical leave, Mary Anne stepped in as a long term substitute, and realized that not only could she be a teacher, but that she loved it too. She enrolled at the University of Maine at Machias and finished her Bachelor’s degree in 2007, ten years after she first stepped into the classroom as an Ed Tech.

Mary Anne caught the learning and growing bug. Charlotte Elementary Principal Peggy White tapped her to start a Master’s cohort together immediately after Mary Anne finished her Bachelor’s degree, which they completed two years later, in 2009. Soon thereafter, Mary Anne was at it again, and completed a Certificate in Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) from the University of New England. With this degree, Mary Anne also became a certified principal in 2011. She didn’t stop there, and she hasn’t stopped yet. Mary Anne participated in Educate Maine’s Education Leadership Experience Beta Class in 2012/2013, and achieved her Superintendent’s certification in 2017. To this day, Mary Anne continues to engage in educational learning communities and still lends me books (and advice and support, too).

I admire Mary Anne. She is clearly admirable. I’m grateful she is my friend and colleague and I know a lot of other educators and students who are grateful for her too. She is a model of ambition and growth, collegiality and camaraderie. But Mary Anne’s career trajectory also imparts some important lessons we can all stand to gain from. I asked her what she attributes her trajectory and success to. First, she said, she attributes it to her colleagues, supervisors and administrators who supported her professional growth. Let’s be those colleagues. Second, she attributes it to the lesson she learned from Peggy and Ann, “that there is no finish line.” Let’s share that lesson with our students and in our professional communities. And, last, to an understanding she’s developed over time: “If we are going to work in education, we need to support education.” Let’s be those supporters. Let’s also take moments to express gratitude to those who have supported us along our paths, too. Thank you, Mary Anne, for giving me what others gave to you.