Week of the Young Child: Tasty Tuesday

Every year, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) hosts Week of the Young Child. This year’s celebration is happening between April 2nd through April 8th. Members of the Early Learning Team at the Department of Education are sharing a video each day highlighting early childhood educators across Maine enhancing high-quality experiences for young children ages birth through eight.  Each day’s video is focusing on NAEYC’s theme of the day. Today is Tasty Tuesday!

Today’s video highlighting health and nutrition in early childhood settings can be found here:

The resources linked within the video are below:

 

You can find the daily videos and resources posted on our Early Childhood Professional Learning and Resources page here.

Thank you to those who have contributed to the videos and photos. We enjoy highlighting your work and sharing your commitment to young children with our colleagues throughout Maine.

Throughout the week, be sure to share additional photos and ideas using #WOYC2022 and #MEWOYC2022. Tomorrow, we’ll share another video for Work Together Wednesday.

Any questions regarding the Week of the Young Child can be directed to our Early Childhood Specialist, Nicole.Madore@maine.gov.

SAVE THE DATE: School Safety Summit – June 21-23

Save the date for the first School Safety Summit hosted by the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Maine School Safety Center (MSSC).

Windham High School & virtually on Zoom
June 21-23
9:00 am – 3:00 pm

There will be classes and breakout sessions designed for school administrators, staff, school board, and social workers, as well as JCCOs, SROs, Police Officers, front line supervisors, and administrators.

For more information, contact Rob Susi, Maine DOE MSSC School Safety & Security Manager at robert.w.susi@maine.gov.

Nominations Are Now Open for 2022 Curriculum Leader of The Year &  2022 Instructional Coach of The Year

Each year, the Maine Curriculum Leaders Association (MCLA) honors two inspiring leaders who bring their passion and dedication to their work in ways that empower others and elevates the work of the Maine education community. Do you know a curriculum administrator or an instructional coach who

  • is a champion of student-centered learning?
  • nurtures collaborative relationships to support student learning?
  • empowers others to grow and share their knowledge?
  • joyfully shares their own knowledge?

Then you might know the next MCLA Curriculum Leader of The Year or MCLA Instructional Coach of The Year!

To learn more about the nomination process, and to nominate a colleague, please visit the CLOY and ICOY page at mainecla.org or email director@mainecla.org for more information.

Auburn Teacher, Lisa Coburn Honored with 2022 Jacqueline Mitchell Mathematics Educator Award

During their annual spring conference, the Association of Teachers of Mathematics in Maine (ATOMIM) honored Lisa Coburn for her outstanding contribution to mathematics in the state of Maine with the 2022 Jacqueline Mitchell Mathematics Educator Award. This award is given annually to an outstanding educator who demonstrates a commitment to Maine’s mathematical community through dedicated service. 

Currently a mathematics coach at Auburn’s Washburn School, Lisa is a leader in math education in Maine. She is a graduate of the Maine Mathematics Coaching Project at UMF, attends and presents at ATOMIM and national mathematics conferences, and is a current member of the ATOMIM Board. She helped plan and implement the “Podcast in Pajamas” sessions and was instrumental in securing Pam Harris as a presenter at both the “Podcasts in Pajamas” and the 2022 ATOMIM Annual Spring Conference.  

Her colleagues say the following: 

“Lisa works with all the teachers in the building. She is a resource for the staff and is always bringing something new for the teachers to think about and helps them add to their teaching toolbox. Lisa is dedicated to providing students with quality mathematics instruction. Lisa is also working closely with another math coach in the district – helping her as she grows into the math coaching role.” 

“When it comes to quality pedagogy, Lisa is the person that comes to mind. She encourages and supports teachers to improve mathematical practices in the classroom and engages students in rich meaningful learning experiences that promote strong mathematicians.” 

Congratulations, Lisa Coburn, for all your work in mathematics and mathematics education! 

Do you know an outstanding educator who, through dedicated service, has demonstrated a commitment to Maine’s mathematical community?  If so, consider nominating them for the 2023 Jacqueline Mitchell Mathematics Educator Award by filling out this form. Nominations for the 2023 award close on Friday, January 13, 2023.

To learn more about the award visit: Jacqueline Mitchell Mathematics Educator Award. 

Week of the Young Child: Music Monday!

Every year, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) hosts Week of the Young Child. This year the celebration will occur from April 2nd through April 8th. Members of the Early Learning Team at the Department of Education plan to share a video each day highlighting early childhood educators across Maine enhancing high-quality experiences for young children ages birth through eight.  Each day’s video will focus on NAEYC’s theme of the day. Today is Music Monday! 

Today’s video highlighting music in early childhood settings can be found here: 

The resources linked within the video are below: 

You can find the daily videos and resources posted on our Early Childhood Professional Learning and Resources page here.  

Thank you to those who have contributed to the videos and photos. We enjoy highlighting your work and sharing your commitment to young children with our colleagues throughout Maine.  

Throughout the week, be sure to share additional photos and ideas using #WOYC2022 and #MEWOYC2022. Tomorrow we’ll share another video for Tasty Tuesday. 

Any questions regarding the Week of the Young Child can be directed to our Early Childhood Specialist, Nicole.Madore@maine.gov. 

 

Maine DOE Update – April 1, 2022

 

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

Important Notice: Quarter 3 (Q3) Truancy, Behavior, Attendance and Bullying Data Review Due Date Approaches; Webinar Available

The review period for Quarter 3 (Q3), which includes truancy, behavior, attendance, and bullying, opens April 1st and review and submission is required by April 15th. While certification is not required until the final, Quarter 4 (Q4) report, review and submission is necessary for Q3. For students to potentially receive Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) benefits, it is especially important for attendance data to be uploaded, reviewed, and submitted for all quarters through Q3 by April 15. | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Maine’s 2022 Presidential Awards State Finalists for Grades K-6 Mathematics and Science Teachers (PAEMST)

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to announce five Maine educators who have been recommended to national selection committees for the 2022 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) program for grades K-6. | More

Foreign Language Association of Maine Announces Recognition Awards

As part of its work to promote and improve the teaching and study of languages and cultures of the world, the Foreign Language Association of Maine (FLAME) recognizes Maine educators and students annually for their outstanding work in a number of areas including student recognition, leadership, lifetime achievement, and their two teacher of the year awards, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Teacher of the Year and FLAME Teacher of the Year. They recently announced their 2022 award recipients. | More

Honoring and Celebrating All Languages Spoken By Maine Students With the Shift to Multilingual Learners Terminology

Maine is home to students and families who speak a multitude of different languages in their homes and communities. Recognizing and celebrating the linguistic and cultural assets they bring starts with using asset-based language. | More

Considerations for Schools Supporting Observances During School Year- Ramadan Begins

Other than the Christian observance of Christmas, Maine school calendars do not currently include days off from school for religious holidays. As a result, those of other faiths must navigate their observances around the expectations of schools – including expectations regarding attendance and participation – which may conflict with the traditions of the observance. | More

Maine DOE and Holocaust and Human Rights Center (HHRC) of Maine Announce New Project-Based Lessons Now Available to Maine Educators

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the Holocaust and Human Rights Center (HHRC) of Maine have partnered to support the many educators working to develop robust and relevant, project-based learning content for the MOOSE (Maine Online Opportunities for Sustained Education) platform. | More

Celebrating Week of the Young Child April 2-8

Every year, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) hosts Week of the Young Child. This year the celebration will occur from April 2nd through April 8th. Members of the Early Learning Team at the Maine Department of Education plan to share a video each day highlighting early childhood educators across Maine who are enhancing high-quality experiences for young children ages birth through eight. | More

MLTI Student Conference Sessions Announced!

The 19th Annual MLTI Student Conference will be held virtually on Thursday, May 26, 2022, from 8:30am-2:00pm, and will be open to all MLTI 7th and 8th grade students. MLTI is excited to share the conference sessions for this exciting and innovative day! | More

Nominations are Being Accepted for the 2022 MAHPERD Teacher of the Year Awards

Nominations are being accepted for the 2022 Maine Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (MAHPERD) Teacher of the Year awards. | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

Spring Training Continues in April – Check Out This Lineup of MLTI Professional Learning Offerings

Active learning, student engagement, technology integration, digital instructional design, and digital citizenship and online safety are the main topics for an ongoing professional learning series offered by the MLTI Ambassadors. This series features daily offerings that can be attended live via Zoom and are open to all interested educators. | More

MLTI 2.0 Summer Professional Development Opportunity – In Person at Nokomis June 27-29th

Combine creative thinking with the right equipment and you can build opportunities that go beyond traditional education. In this FREE professional development event, Kern Kelley guides educators through the process of developing classroom environments that use teamwork, technology design, prototyping, and production. Teachers leave the program with $2,000 kits with everything from power tools, 3D printers, robotics, and virtual workspaces. | More

Launch of Online Training from the Children’s Safety Partnership

With Child Abuse Prevention Month coming up in April, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is helping to spread the word about a new way to access the Children’s Safety Partnership (CSP) training, “Understanding and Responding to Child Sexual Abuse”. | More

Register Now for April 5th Math4ME Interest Session

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Special Services, in collaboration with the Maine Math and Science Alliance (MMSA), is pleased to announce a new Math4ME cohort for the 2022-2023 school year. | More

Reminder: Register NOW for Conducting K-12 Site Assessments with SITE ASSESS Train-the-Educator

Don’t miss your chance to register for next week’s training brought to you by the Maine School Safety Center and the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center. Registration closes Friday, April 1st. | More

REMINDER: Public Pre-K Technical Assistance Sessions Available April – July, Register Now

As a reminder, members of the Early Learning Team will be providing an opportunity for new and expanding Pre-K programs to come together to learn and discuss the components of high-quality programming. | More

Webinar: Understanding the Role of Information Technology Specialists in Supporting School Safety Before, During, and After an Emergency

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools and its Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center will host a Webinar on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. This Webinar will highlight the role of information technology (IT) specialists in supporting school safety efforts at the local and state levels. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here

 

Spring Training Continues in April – Check Out This Lineup of MLTI Professional Learning Offerings

Active learning, student engagement, technology integration, digital instructional design, and digital citizenship and online safety are the main topics for an ongoing professional learning series offered by the MLTI Ambassadors. This series features daily offerings that can be attended live via Zoom and are open to all interested educators. The sessions are now available as asynchronous versions through our website. To attend one of the live sessions via Zoom, be sure to register through this April calendar. Please note that the times of these offerings vary from day to day. Asynchronous versions of these sessions will be available through MLTI Professional Learning as well as the MLTI Youtube channel. 

Some topical offerings:  

MondayMonday – Technology Integration with Rob Dominick 

The Technology Integration series has dug into some data describing the effect of technology in the classroom, discussed the foundational integration strategies of TPACK and SAMR, and introduced three other useful strategies of TIM, PICRAT, and Triple E.  

Coming up in April, we will continue to discuss those strategies by analyzing each one and looking into what they actually look like in practice in the classroom. The series will culminate in the last week of April by evaluating some example lesson plans which integrate technology so that participants can apply that skill to their own planning. 

To find the previous professional development sessions in this series, and receive contact hours for them, please visit our YouTube playlist. 

TuesdayTuesday Tech – Student Engagement with Erik Wade 

The student engagement series has been engaging audiences far and wide with professional development about integrating graphic design, inquiry, citizen science, and 3D design and printing. If you would like to view these past professional development opportunities, you can find them by clicking this link.  

Coming up in April, we will explore engaging students through virtual reality, math and science simulations, and the use of technology in outdoor education and agriculture.    

WednesdayWednesdays with Werner – Digital Citizenship & Online Safety with Jonathan R. Werner 

This six-part series on Digital Citizenship and Online Safety will draw on the incredible resources Common Sense Education (CSE) has curated to provide educators with a framework for and tools to teach students about Digital Citizenship. April will include the last two offerings: Relationships and Communication (Week 5) and Cyberbullying, Digital Drama, and Hate Speech (Week 6).

Please note, educators can choose any or all of these sessions and do not need to be able to attend all six. After April Break, we will tackle the sixth CSE focus area, News and Media Literacy, in a multi-week series focusing on issues such as Finding Credible News, the Four Factors of Fair Use, and Creator’s Rights and Responsibilities. 

ThursdayThursday – Digital Instructional Design with Kate Meyer 

This series of workshops will explore the creation and implementation of high-quality, engaging, interactive digital learning experiences for your students. Each week we will explore a new digital strategy that you can easily implement into any unit of study. This month we will be exploring Digital Poetry, Design Thinking Infographics, and Podcasting. 

If you missed March’s workshops on Hexagonal Thinking, Silent Discussions, or Curation Projects, you can view them asynchronously on MLTI’s YouTube channel on the Digital Instructional Design playlist. 

FridayFriday – Active Learning with Holly Graffam 

The first series of workshops focused on integrating Problem-Based Learning in the classroom, including an overview of Problem-Based Learning as well explored applications across a variety of content areas from literacy to science.  

Beginning in April, Computer Science across the curriculum will be the subject of the second series of workshops. Sessions will discuss the critical need for computer science in our classrooms and examine engaging, creative ways to integrate computer science into your existing curriculums. 

 

Celebrating Week of the Young Child April 2-8

Every year, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) hosts Week of the Young Child. This year the celebration will occur from April 2nd through April 8th. Members of the Early Learning Team at the Maine Department of Education plan to share a video each day highlighting early childhood educators across Maine who are enhancing high-quality experiences for young children ages birth through eight. 

Each day’s video will focus on NAEYC’s theme of the day as follows: 

April 4th: Music Monday  

April 5th: Tasty Tuesday  

April 6th: Work Together Wednesday  

April 7th: Artsy Thursday  

April 8th: Family Friday  

The daily video will provide brief information and resources, showcase how related activities are already happening throughout our state, and celebrate the work educators are doing across a variety of early childhood settings. Each video will also challenge viewers to explore new activities in their classrooms, and to share their experiences through social media using the hashtags #WOYC2022 and #MEWOYC2022. 

You can find the daily videos and additional resources posted here as well as through the DOE Newsroom. Thank you to those who have contributed to the videos and photos thus far. We can’t wait to celebrate young children with you! 

Questions can be directed to Early Childhood Specialist Nicole Madore at nicole.madore@maine.gov.  

MLTI Student Conference Sessions Announced!

The 19th Annual MLTI Student Conference will be held virtually on Thursday, May 26, 2022, from 8:30am-2:00pm, and will be open to all MLTI 7th and 8th grade students. MLTI is excited to share the conference sessions for this exciting and innovative day!

Registration
Registration for the 2022 MLTI virtual student conference is now open until April 8, 2022. Please select a lead teacher from your MLTI school to fill out the online registration form. We will be asking for lead teacher contact information, school information, as well as a physical shipping address so we can deliver or ship conference materials directly to the attending school. We will also need the total number of students attending in each grade, and the totals for shirt sizes. We ask that schools complete the registration form by April 8, 2022. For questions regarding registration please reach out to Brandi Cota at Brandi.M.Cota@Maine.Gov.

Session Information Now Available
For a list of the sessions available to MLTI students, please visit our website! Once you have registered for the conference, we will send you a link to sign up for the sessions of your school’s choice the week of April 11th. If you have questions about sessions, please join us on Wednesday, April 6, at 3:30pm for a session Q&A. Sign up here!

Session Style
We have redesigned the conference to be classroom-based. Workshop leaders will teach your class new skills, provide time for students to practice these new skills, and then support them as they create something new with what they have learned. This new design will allow students to work together as they explore new resources and applications, create with new digital mediums, and collaborate to complete tasks. For more information on our new conference model please watch our video!

This virtual conference, as with past years, will be hosted on Zoom. The sessions will be 90 minutes, with the morning session running from 9:30am-11:00am, and the afternoon session running from 12:00pm-1:30pm. All necessary materials will be provided to schools before the conference so students will have them to create with during the conference.

Important Dates

  • March 10th Registration Opened
  • April 1st Sessions Announced
  • April 6th Session Q&A with MLTI
  • April 8th Registration Closes
  • April 11th Session Sign Up Opens-Form will be sent to registered schools
  • April 28th Session Sign Up Closes
  • May 12th Session Assignments Finalized

Further Information
For more information, please visit the MLTI Student Conference page or contact Brandi Cota at Brandi.M.Cota@Maine.Gov.

Considerations for Schools Supporting Observances During School Year- Ramadan Begins

Other than the Christian observance of Christmas, Maine school calendars do not currently include days off from school for religious holidays. As a result, those of other faiths must navigate their observances around the expectations of schools – including expectations regarding attendance and participation – which may conflict with the traditions of the observance. To assist schools in understanding the timing, traditions, and possible impacts of some religious holidays, the Maine Department of Education has shared a calendar and considerations for major religious observances that may occur during the school year.

Islam is the second most populous religion in the world, and Maine is home to many Muslim families. Maine Department of Education would like to provide some general information about Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr to schools, so they can support their Muslim students and community members as they enjoy this very special time of year.

Ramadan is a month-long fast observed by Muslims around the world. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. To wish someone a happy Ramadan, you can say “Ramadan Kareem” or “Ramadan Mubarak.”

This year, in the United States, Ramadan will start around April 1st. The official beginning and end of the month of Ramadan will not be announced until the sighting of the new moon. Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, Ramadan happens about 11 days earlier each year.

During Ramadan, most Muslims fast (i.e., consume no food or water) from dawn to dusk. Many Muslims also pray more frequently, recite the Quran (Islamic book) and make special efforts to be kind, generous, and compassionate. This is a joyous time of year, and each Iftar (post-sunset meal to break the fast) is a celebrated opportunity to gather with friends and family. Muslims may also wake before dawn to eat Suhoor (a pre-dawn meal), which helps give them energy to endure the day’s fast. (Iftar and Suhoor timings can be found here.) For some Muslims, the typical patterns of sleep are shifted so that more waking hours occur during the night, which can make it difficult to wake up early and stay alert during the day.

After Ramadan, Eid-al-Fitr (the festival of breaking the fast) is a three-day celebration with feasts and gatherings of families. This is an extremely important and cheerful time of year for Muslims, and students will likely be absent for all or part of the three days. Children often receive a new outfit or a small amount of money as a gift from their family for the holiday. To wish someone a happy Eid, you can say, “Eid Saeed” or “Eid Mubarak.”

Here are a few tips for supporting students during Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr.

Learn about Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr.

There are many resources available online that can help you understand how and why Ramadan is observed. Keep in mind that practices may vary depending on culture, so your students and their families are the best sources of information about their Ramadan traditions. Here are a couple of articles that give a general overview.

Encourage cultural sensitivity for all school community members.

Fasting can have many physical and mental effects, such as fatigue, lack of concentration, and irritability. For your students, your understanding and support can help ensure that they continue to learn and make the most out of their time at school while fasting. Teachers, school nurses, sports coaches, bus drivers, cafeteria staff, and all other staff who interact with students will need to know how fasting can affect students.

Talking with staff and students about Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr helps encourage an atmosphere of cultural awareness and sensitivity for the whole school community. Sensitivity towards fasting students includes avoiding consuming food and beverages in front of them whenever possible. Consider holding any celebrations that include food, such as awards banquets, after Iftar (breaking fast at sunset).

Ask students and their families how you can best support them.

Some schools may choose to offer a place for students to go during lunchtime, alternative options for physical education, or dedicated prayer spaces. Schools may also avoid scheduling assessments or other required activities during Eid-al-Fitr, when students are likely to be absent. The best way to ensure that your school is a supportive, culturally-aware learning environment is to involve students, families, and other community members in planning and policy creation. Check out these two articles for some practical ideas that may benefit fasting students.

Have a clear, well-communicated policy on tardies and absences.

Maine’s statute on excused absences is Title 20-A, Section §3272. It states that an absence is excused when it is for “observance of a recognized religious holiday when the observance is required during the regular school day and the absence has prior approval.” Fasting during Ramadan is a required religious observance, and the physical and mental demands of fasting may cause students’ tardies and absences to increase. Eid-al-Fitr celebrations are also religious observances. Districts will need to share clear expectations for attendance with students and families. It is highly recommended to develop these expectations in collaboration with your community members, recognizing that interpretation and translation may be necessary to ensure meaningful communication.