Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated each year from September 15 to October 15 across the nation. The month is a time to honor Hispanic heritage by celebrating the histories, cultures, languages, and the remarkable contributions of Hispanic people to the fabric of the United States, whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. It is also a time to revisit ways to integrate diverse cultural material into education lessons all year long.

Here are some educational resources that can be used by schools to honor, recognize, and teach students about Hispanic heritage:

Library of Congress – Hispanic Heritage Month Website
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) – National Hispanic Heritage Month: Ideas for Teachers
PBS Learning Media – Latino Americans Share Their Experiences
National Museum of American History: Latina/o Heritage Month Collections
PBS Learning Media: Latino Americans Collection
Iowa Women’s Archives – Migration is Beautiful
Scholastic – 17 Books to Celebrate Hispanic and Latine Heritage
The Smithsonian – Latino Center
ReadWriteThink – Latinx Heritage Month begins today
NEA – Hispanic Heritage Month
LA County Library – Chicano Resource Center
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) – Chicano Resource Center
Institute of Mexico, Washington DC – Mexico Cultural Institute

For further resources and information about integrating diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences into classroom lessons, please visit the Maine Department of Education’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion webpage.

Reminder: Pre-K Expansion Grant RFA Applications Open

Interested in starting or expanding Public Pre-K in your school administrative unit during the 2023-24 school year? This is a reminder that applications are open for RFA #202207106 Pre- K Expansion Grant. The application along with directions can be found on this webpage. To learn more about this opportunity please refer to the recorded Informational Session.

Dates to keep in mind:
September 22nd – RFA Questions due (all questions need to be emailed to RFA coordinator, jane.kirsling@maine.gov)
September 30th– RFA Questions and Answers posted
October 13th– RFA Applications due

12 Maine School Administrative Units (SAUs) were awarded Pre-K Expansion grants totaling $2.2 million for start-up or expansion of Pre-K programming during the 2022-23 school year. Expansions included adding classrooms to accommodate more students as well as moving existing programs from part day/part week to full day/full week programming. SAUs may apply on behalf of one school or multiple schools within their school system. Funding for this round of Pre-K Expansion will amount to approximately 7 million dollars. The second round of funding is for the school year 2023-2024.

Questions about the RFA should be directed to the RFA Coordinator, jane.kirsling@maine.gov.

Other questions about the benefits of Pre-K or program questions should be directed to the Director of Early Learning, leeann.larsen@maine.gov,or Early Childhood Specialist, nicole.madore@maine.gov.

A Moving Child Is a Learning Child: FREE Early Childhood Text Study

“All learning begins with the body…the body is the brain’s first teacher. And the lesson plan is movement.” (Connell, G. & McCarthy, C. 2014)

Join specialists from the Maine Department of Education’s Early Learning Team for a web-based professional development opportunity. Early childhood educators in the Pre-K through Grade 2 span will utilize a virtual text study format each month for 60 minutes. The sessions will be held on Thursdays. The series will utilize the text, A Moving Child is a Learning Child by Gill Connell and Cheryl McCarthy, 2014. Reading will be completed independently between sessions.

A Moving Child is a Learning Child is grounded in best practices and current research. This hands-on resource connects the dots that link brain activity, motor and sensory development, movement, and early learning in an effort to best support and educate the whole child. The expert authors unveil the Kinetic Scale: a visual map of the active learning needs of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and children in primary grades that fits each child’s individual timetable. Educators will find a wealth of information, actionable tips, and games they can use to support the whole child across domains of development. If you’re looking for new ideas to grow your practice, engage children in a way that meets their individual needs and build deeper, more meaningful relationships with your students, then consider joining us for this opportunity.

The text study is set to begin on Thursday, November 3, 2022, from 3:30-4:30pm. and will continue the following Thursdays:

November 17
December 8
January 5
January 26
February 16

Registration will be open through September 28th and limited to 30 participants on a first come, first served basis.

Those interested are encouraged to register. Participants will receive a copy of the book and up to 18 contact hours at the end of the text study.

Registration is free and can be completed here.

For further information, please contact Nicole Madore, Early Childhood Specialist at Nicole.Madore@maine.gov

Maine DOE Update – September 9, 2022

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Recognize Your Outstanding School Staff; RISE Award Now Accepting Nominations

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) invites students, friends, families, community members, educational organizations or associations, co-workers, and supervisors to nominate school employees for the RISE Award. Anyone can nominate! | More

New Guidance on Multilingual Learners with Disabilities

A new guidance manual is now available on Identifying and Serving Multilingual Learners with Disabilities. The appropriate and accurate identification of students who are multilingual learners (MLs) with disabilities is a complex process requiring a team approach. Under- and overidentification of MLs for special education and related services is a persistent challenge nationwide.| More

National Board Salary Supplement and Scholarship Information FY23

Do you have National Board Certified Teachers on your staff? Are you a Maine public school, or a publicly-supported secondary school, or CTE school teacher who is interested in becoming National Board Certified? Both National Board Certified Teacher Salary Supplement Requests and National Board Certified Teacher Scholarship Applications are Due October 15, 2022 | More

Bridging the Gap Between Rural Farms and School Nutrition: Maine Kicks Off First Farm and Sea to School

The Maine Department of Education served alongside many state-wide partners in organizing Maine’s first Farm and Sea to School Institute which launched last month bringing together teams from 3 different school districts at the Ecology School in Saco. | More

United States Senate Youth Program Seeking Nominations from High School Principals

The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) is pleased to announce that the state departments of education nationwide have begun their annual selection processes. Two Maine students will be selected to attend the Washington Week program March 4-11, 2023 and each will receive a $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship. Each high school principal can nominate one student from their high school to be considered. | More

MLTI 2.0 Expands Professional Learning Support by Adding Five New MLTI Ambassadors

The Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) 2.0 is excited to share that the Ambassador program is expanding with an additional five distinguished educators joining the team. | More

Maine Agriculture in the Classroom 2023 Teacher of the Year Applications Open

Each year at its annual meeting, Maine Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) recognizes an outstanding Maine elementary or secondary school teacher who uses agricultural education materials and/or activities in the classroom to teach core subjects. | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

McKinney-Vento Liaison Annual Training

You can receive your 22-23 McKinney-Vento certificate from the Maine Department of Education (DOE) by participating in a Zoom training session with Amelia Lyons. | More

Professional Learning Series: Learn about the WIDA English Language Development Standards for Multilingual Learners

Are you a classroom or content area teacher with multilingual learners (MLs) in your classroom? If you’re looking to enhance your practice, the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards are a great place to start. The ELD Standards are the essential foundation for providing effective instruction for MLs. | More

VIRTUAL TRAINING: New or Recent Maine School Business Manager Training

Please join the Maine Department of Education’s School Finance & Compliance Team for a brief overview of requirements, resources, and contacts useful for all Maine School Business Managers. | More

Pre-K for ME and K for ME Professional Learning Communities Offered

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) along with public school teachers from across the state are teaming up to offer monthly professional learning communities (PLCs) for educators implementing Pre-K for ME and/or K for ME in their classrooms. | More

Virtual Professional Learning Community to Support Educators in Engaging Multilingual Newcomers

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to invite educators to participate in a virtual Professional Learning Community (PLC) which will develop participants’ understanding about the needs of multilingual newcomers, creating a collegial community of support, as well as practices for engaging newcomers for success in the classroom. | More

Free Micro-Credentials and UCLA Graduate Credits on Teaching Multilingual Learners: Information Session on 9.14.22

The Maine Department of Education invites educators of multilingual learners (MLs) to participate in an exciting new professional learning program called ExcEL Leadership Academy, which offers free micro-credentials on many ML-related topics. Whether you’re a classroom teacher who is new to teaching MLs, an experienced ESOL teacher, an administrator, or other educator, you can enhance your practice with one or more targeted micro-credentials. | More

Presentation (In-person and Virtual): U.S. Secret Service Research and Recommendations on the Prevention of Targeted School Violence

Maine’s education workforce is invited to join the U.S. Secret Service and Maine Department of Education’s Maine School Safety Center for a free presentation by the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) addressing strategies to prevent targeted school violence. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities:

View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here

Pre-K for ME and K for ME Professional Learning Communities Offered

These PLCs are provided to promote understanding of program design and to support successful program implementation.  Program components will be explored in greater depth and teachers will be encouraged to share examples of practice/student work. Lead teachers and ed techs using the programs are strongly encouraged to attend, whether you are new to using the programs or have been using them for a while.

This year’s PLC opportunities will be held virtually from 3:30-4:30pm on the following Tuesdays:

October 11
November 1
December 6
January 10
February 7
March 7 and 
April 4

Although it is highly encouraged, teachers and ed techs do not have to commit to attend every session. Registration is now available here. Details about how to access the sessions will be provided after registration is completed. Registrations for the PLCs should be received by September 30, 2022.

For additional information about Pre-K for ME, contact Nicole.Madore@maine.gov, and for K for ME, contact Danielle.m.Saucier@maine.gov.

New Guidance on Multilingual Learners with Disabilities

The manual was developed through the collaboration of Maine Department of Education Special Services and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) staff members. We are hopeful that this guidance will provide educators with the information and resources they need to make the most appropriate determinations for students.

Please join us for an overview on September 19^th at 3:00pm to learn how this guide can support your work with students who are MLs. Register here.

For a deeper dive into different sections of the manual, we are also offering the following series of trainings, and we encourage both ESOL and Special Education staff to attend.

For those who cannot attend, all sessions will be recorded and archived on the Maine DOE YouTube channel for viewing at your convenience. If you have any questions, contact April Perkins, ESOL & Bilingual Programs Specialist, at april.perkins@maine.gov.

Virtual Professional Learning Community to Support Educators in Engaging Multilingual Newcomers

This PLC is based on the WIDA eLearning course “Engaging Multilingual Newcomers,” available through the WIDA Secure Portal. All Maine public school teachers are eligible for a free Secure Portal account by contacting WIDA Client Services. Each PLC session will address one module of the course, which participants will complete before each PLC session.

See the list of PLC sessions below for dates and topics of focus. Sessions will be held from 3:00-4:00pm on Mondays on the dates listed below. Participants should plan to attend all sessions in the series, to the extent possible. Contact hours will be available for participation in the sessions.

The workshops will be facilitated by Rebecca Carey, Maine DOE ESOL Consultant. If you have any questions, contact Rebecca at rebecca.carey@maine.gov.

	Date	Topics
Session 1	Monday, September 26, 2022	Engaging Multilingual Newcomers: The Social and Emotional Needs of Newcomers
Session 2	Monday, October 3, 2022	Engaging Multilingual Newcomers: Building Collegial Relationships
Session 3	Monday, October 17, 2022	Engaging Multilingual Newcomers: Exploring Instructional Strategies for Multilingual Newcomers

Another Successful Year of Maine’s Agriculture in the Classroom Summer Institute

There may only be one place where a teacher can make mozzarella cheese, tend to beehives, and take a virtual farm tour on the same day, the Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Summer Institute. In August, more than 25 educators came together for a 3-day institute at the University of Maine to engage in workshops that focused on including aquaculture facilities, school gardens, the research farm, and more. Educators developed new partnerships and formed ideas for integrating agriculture into their classrooms.

Maine DOE’s MLTI Ambassador, Erik Wade, shared resources on creating virtual tours, demonstrated the usefulness of virtual tours in bringing agriculture into the classroom, and shared resources for educators and students to develop their own tours and engage students in the creation process. Wade’s session also shared resources in agriculture game-based resources that educators can use with students to “gamify” their classrooms and engage students in agricultural simulations.

If you are interested in learning more about virtual tours, game-based agricultural simulations, or integrating technology into your garden or outdoor space, contact MLTI Ambassador, Erik Wade, at erik.wade@maine.gov.

Beech Hill School Team Kicks the Year off as “Agents of Agency”

Beech Hill School teachers and staff have launched the school year as “Agents of Agency.” Each year, Superintendent/Principal Nichole Pothier designs a theme that unifies the year-long work and efforts of their school community. Members infuse the theme into multiple aspects of school life, including morning meetings, team challenges, special activities, and more.

This year, the Beech Hill School team spent their first few professional development days revisiting their school’s mission and how best to organize and leverage their existing systems into a Multi-layered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework. PBIS, RtI, special services, thinking classrooms, and culture and climate were some of the breakout session topics.

Agency is the capacity of individuals to have the power and resources to fulfill their potential. Teachers with agency act purposefully and constructively to direct their professional growth and contribute to the growth of their colleagues, and on those first few days back, teachers planned and facilitated some of the professional development.

Beech Hill School teachers and staff are focused on ensuring that the academic, behavioral and social-emotional needs of each student are met in the most inclusive and equitable learning environment. Student agency relates to the student having an active role in their learning through voice, and often choice, in the process. Nichole Pothier explains how critical agency is since it enables people to play a part in their self-development, adaptation, and self-renewal with changing times.

Yearly school-wide themes not only create partnership at Beech Hill School, they also add excitement and fun to their days. Teachers, staff, and students are already excited about being “Agents of Agency,” because there are lots of ways to incorporate it into learning, daily happenings, and student events. Cues, evidence, I Spy, mystery genre, riddles, super sleuthing, scavenger hunts, geocaching, team missions, Breakout Edu challenges, problem solving, critical thinking—the possibilities are endless!

VIRTUAL TRAINING: New or Recent Maine School Business Manager Training

Please join the Maine Department of Education’s School Finance & Compliance Team for a brief overview of requirements, resources, and contacts useful for all Maine School Business Managers.

September 21, 2022
9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Virtual Training

Agenda: