The Maine Department of Education and the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children (MaineAEYC) invite you to join us in celebrating the Week of the Young Child®, an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), during the week of April 1-7, 2023.  While the Week of the Young Child is still a couple of months away, the Maine DOE and MaineAEYC are providing a couple of informational sessions in early February to help schools and communities start to plan for how they will celebrate.

Consider registering to attend one of the following virtual informational sessions:

• February 2nd, 3-4 pm – Register here
• February 9th, 1-2 pm – Register here

NAEYC is the world’s largest early childhood education association with close to 60,000 members and a network of 52 Affiliates, committed to promoting high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8.  Their collective vision is that all young children thrive and learn in a society dedicated to ensuring they reach their full potential.

The purpose of Week of the Young Child® is two fold.  First, it aims to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families while recognizing the early childhood programs, services and providers who meet those needs.  Second, it calls on citizens and communities to consider and plan how we can better meet the needs of young children and families at the local, state and national levels.

Week of the Young Child® is an exciting series of fun filled daily themes that celebrate young children, their families, their teachers and the communities that support them.

It is our hope that programs serving young children and their families will plan and participate in activities that support the daily themes and call attention to the important work you are doing.  This is a great opportunity for schools, child care centers, home child care programs, before & after care programs, public libraries, museums, and community organizations to come together to collaborate and organize celebrations in communities across the state. MaineAEYC and the DOE have several activities planned for the week, including ECE STATE HOUSE DAY in Augusta on April 5^th from 8:00am to 12:00pm.  We hope to see you there!

Want to learn more about the Week of the Young Child (WOYC)? Interested in being a part of WOYC, but not sure how? Want to plan a WOYC event, but looking for ideas? Want to learn more about WOYC mini grants being offered by MaineAEYC?

Join MaineAEYC and the Department of Education for a Week of the Young Child Informational Session on: February 2nd, 3-4pm OR February 9th, 1-2pm

You can find Week of the Young Child®  resources, including a guidebook and mini-grant opportunity, at the MaineAEYC, DOE and NAEYC websites.  For more information please feel free to contact:.

Morgan Hart Tolin, M.Ed
Professional Learning Director
Maine Association for the Education of Young Children
morgan@maineaeyc.org                                                                                        

Nicole Madore
Early Childhood Specialist
Maine Department of Education
Nicole.Madore@maine.gov

Marcy Whitcomb
Public Pre-K Consultant
Maine Department of Education
marcy.r.whitcomb@maine.gov    

Sue Gallant
Pre-K Expansion Consultant
Maine Department of Education
Sue.Gallant@maine.gov                                                               

(Pictured: Maine DOE Staff Amelia Lyons Rukema at Fenway with friends and family at the 2022 Fenway Bowl Honor Roll.)

The Wasabi Fenway Bowl, in partnership with Moderna, Amica Insurance, CVS Health, Samuel Adams, Extra Yard for Teachers, and Boston Globe Media, recently honored 30 people working in the education workforce in New England, 6 of the people recognized are from Maine’s education field.

The Wasabi Fenway Bowl Honor Roll is a charitable program focused on recognizing and thanking educators who have gone above and beyond to support their students and respective communities.

2022 Honor Roll Honorees from Maine:

Amelia Lyons Rukema – Finalist
McKinney-Vento Specialist
Maine Department of Education

Amelia has worked tirelessly to promote resources for students experiencing homelessness. During the pandemic, she worked with schools and teachers across the state of Maine to link them to support for students and their families.

Susan Capwell
Technology Integrator
Searsport District Middle & High School

“Susan is a passionate educator who goes the extra mile. She has supported students by creating a safe, accessible class culture and engaging students through creative STEM activities. ‘As the head of the tech lab and robotics team, she serves as an inspiration for girls to get involved with tech’ her nominator writes.”

Allison Leavitt
Nutrition Director
Lisbon School Department

“Allison ensures her students have access to fresh and nutritious by partnering with local farms and businesses in the Lisbon community. As the Present Elect and Education Committee Chair of the Maine School Nutrition Association, she also creates training opportunities for school nutrition staff across Maine.”

Emily Poland
School Nurse Consultant
Maine Department of Education

“She has been a pillar of strength throughout the pandemic, tirelessly advocating for school nurse,” her nominator writes. “Using her vision, creativity, and persistence, Emily Poland, MPH, RN, NCSN built a team to honor the needs and time of school nurses, assisting in deciphering the changing guidelines and mitigation strategies.”

Bonnie Robbins
Athletic Director/Community Outreach Coordinator
Brunswick Junior High School

“Bonnie provides amazing support for students’ mental health and well-being, not only at her school, but also by volunteering her time to collaborate with the Department of Education to provide weekly meetings with other school-based mental health professionals across the state.”

Juana Rodriguez
Executive Director
Mano en Mano

“Juana plays an integral role in the work of the Blueberry Harvest School, where the goal is to meet the needs of each student through culturally responsive learning. Juana is a member of the Board of Directors of Healthy Acadia, The Women’s Health Resource Library, and Friends of the Milbridge Public Library. She is also a Commissioner on the Status of Racial, Indigenous, and Tribal Populations of Maine.”

Over 200 teachers, administrators, and staff were nominated for the Fenway Bowl Honor Roll this year. See the full list of 30 honorees from across New England.

Honorees and their friends, families, and supporters were invited to Fenway in December to be recognized at a nationally televised college football game being hosted there. Maine DOE’s Amelia Lyons Rukema, a finalist in the Fenway Bowl Honor Roll, was present along with Maine educator Bonnie Robbins and many other honorees, and their fans from across New England.

To learn more about the Wasabi Fenway Bowl and its commitment to equitable and quality education across New England, visit FenwayBowl.com.

The Office of Maine Refugee Services is hosting events in both Portland and Lewiston for teachers, school administrators, and school districts that are serving Maine’s newly arrived Afghan students and their families. The workshop will be focused on cultural advisement, student success, and whole-family engagement. There will also be culturally and linguistically appropriate training for Afghan parents and guardians on parenting, school, and school engagement in the US.

The workshops with be held in Portland (March 6th) and Lewiston (March 7th). The morning workshop (10 am-12:30 pm) will be geared towards teachers and schools and will cover cultural advisement and particular challenges schools have identified in serving new populations, offering practical strategies to support refugee and immigrant students in school. The afternoon session (1-4 pm) will be the culturally and linguistically-appropriate workshop for Afghan parents and guardians on parenting, school, and school engagement in the US. Any teachers and school staff are welcome to attend the parent workshop as well. A free lunch will be provided. While these workshops are geared toward Afghan student success, the workshops will be applicable for teachers and schools working with students and families from any refugee background.

Where: Portland Jewish Community Alliance
When: March 6, 10 am-4 pm
Register here

Where: Lewiston Public Library
When: March 7, 10:30 am-4:30 pm
Register here

About the facilitator: Freshta Taeb is an Afghan-American cultural advisor, facilitator and behavioral health specialist who has worked with large and small schools and school districts across the country, non profits, and government entities including as a lead cultural advisor for DHS. She has worked as an interpreter, domestic violence interventionist and is a former teacher.

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