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 12^th and end around May 12^th. 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.

1. 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.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/religion/what-ramadan-six-things-know-about-muslim-holy-month-n586426

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/ramadan

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eid-al-Fitr

This video provides a brief and accessible explanation.

1. 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).

1. 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.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/column-teachers-can-support-students-ramadan

http://www.isre.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Schools-Guide-to-Ramadan-2.pdf

1. 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.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking overall school enrollment and economically disadvantaged student count data from all approved non-public schools across the state.  The Department needs this important data to calculate equitable service levels for non-public schools under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).  Approved non-public schools are encouraged to provide this data as soon as possible, but no later than May 14, 2021. Any approved non-public school that does not provide the Department with this requested data by the May 14, 2021, deadline will not be eligible for equitable services during in the 2021-2022 school year.

The Maine DOE is collecting this data from approved non-public schools through an online survey.  As part of this survey, approved non-public schools will be asked for the following information:

• Overall school enrollment as of October 1, 2020 (required)
• Economically disadvantaged student information (optional for those seeking Title I services)

October 1, 2020, enrollment counts are used to calculate equitable service levels for both Titles II and IV of the ESEA.  Similarly, economically disadvantaged student information is used to calculate equitable service levels for the Title I program.

The economically disadvantaged student data needed for the survey includes each student’s:  (1) home address, (2) grade level, (3) eligibility criteria met (i.e. Free Lunch, Reduced Lunch, TANF, Medicare, or Tuition Assistance based on Free or Reduced Lunch Income Levels); and (4) the SAU District and School the student would have attended based on their residence.  Equitable service levels for Title I include those identified economically disadvantaged children who would have attended public schools that have Title I services.  Children who would not attend a public Title I school do not contribute to the equitable service levels.  Generally, children ages 5-17 can be counted for this data collection.  Please note that the low-income measure used for Title I for current students could be from the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.

For more on the economically disadvantaged student data elements requested within the survey, as well as information about Title I program implementation, please review a snapshot of .

Approved non-public school officials are encouraged to review Equitable Services Guidelines as well as the non-regulatory guidance for Titles I, II, and IV when thinking about possible ways to support the needs of their students through ESEA programs.  Non-regulatory guidance for each program is provided below:

• Title I, Part A Non-Regulatory Guidance (October 4, 2019)
• Title II, Part A Non-Regulatory Guidance (October 13, 2016)
• Title IV, Part A Non-Regulatory Guidance (October 21, 2016)

The information provided by each approved non-public school will be used to calculate the level of equitable services that school would be eligible for during the 2021-2022 school year.

For any questions regarding this data collection process or the survey itself, please contact Title IA Program Specialist, Jackie Godbout, at jackie.godbout@maine.gov

Beginning April 29th, the 6-week MicroPD LIVE MTSS training will be repeated. This professional learning session focuses on strategies for strengthening tier 1 supports for all students by exploring a 4-step problem solving process as it is applied at the tier 1 level.

The goal of the training is to develop both understanding and application strategies for improving supports for all students through tier 1 instruction. Participation in this MicroPD live training will prepare administrators, interventionists, and other support staff/teams with skills to evaluate the tier 1 setting in their school, application of a four-step problem solving process for addressing areas of need, and action planning for initiating the process to better support teachers and students as they round out the school year and begin planning summer and fall professional learning.

This live training will be held on Thursdays from 3:00-4:00 PM for 6 weeks. Unlike other MicroPD offerings, this is a live training and is being capped at 25 participants (or teams, when applicable) due to the highly interactive nature of the training. Individuals may register, but it is recommended that teams of at least 2 join together.

Session dates and topics:

· Session 1: April 29: Exploring effective four step problem solving models

· Session 2: May 6: Goal/Problem Identification

· Session 3: May 13: Problem Analysis

· Session 4: May 20: Instructional/Intervention Design

· Session 5: May 27: Response to Instruction/Intervention

· Session 6: June 3: Implications for leaders/action planning

You MUST register for this new PD series even if you have registered for MTSS MicroPD in the past. Registration for this PD will close on Wednesday, April 28th (or when it is at capacity, whichever comes first). To register for this new professional learning opportunity, click here.

With the evolving state and federal requirements for travel, and the added variables of vaccinations, timeframes, and location, Maine Department of Education has created a “cheat sheet” with relevant links as it relates to travel requirements. Included you will find information about domestic and international travel and any testing or quarantine requirements, and for whom. There are links to additional information included.
You can find this quick reference guide, here, or on our COVID-19 Toolkit, along with other resources, updates and information.

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Kelli Deveaux, Director of Communications

All counties remain green; Androscoggin and Oxford counties closely monitored

AUGUSTA — The Mills Administration today released an update to its color-coded Health Advisory System that classifies counties’ relative risk of COVID-19 transmission to assist schools as they continue with their efforts to deliver instruction and support students safely.

ALL COUNTIES GREEN, although Androscoggin and Oxford counties will be closely monitored. Statewide, both new case rates and positivity rates have increased in the last two weeks, but for the purpose of in-person learning, all counties remain within the green categorization. Androscoggin County has experienced a significant increase in its two-week new case rate, now 51.4 per 10,000, due in part to the outbreak at Bates College. Oxford County’s positivity rate has risen to 6.1 percent and its new case rate to 40.5 per 10,000. As such, trends in these counties will be closely monitored.

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) continue to review evidence that indicates lower transmission of COVID-19 in schools compared to the general population.

Over the last 30 days, the rate of new cases for school staff and students is 37 per 10,000, about 25 percent lower than a new case rate of 50 per 10,000 for the general population.  This continues to demonstrate that in-person learning in schools that follow public health precautions can be conducted safely, without increased transmission of COVID-19, and supports schools’ adherence to the six requirements for returning to in-person instruction and protocols for identifying close contacts that are found in the Standard Operating Procedure for a positive case in schools, regardless of their county color designation.

These designations are provided for the consideration of school administrative units in their decisions on how best to safely deliver instruction.

The county-level assessments are based on both quantitative and qualitative data, including but not limited to recent case rates, positivity rates, and syndromic data (e.g., symptoms of influenza or COVID-19). Those data are publicly posted every week on the Maine CDC website. DHHS and Maine CDC also consider qualitative factors, such as the presence of outbreaks that may potentially affect school-age children. The qualitative and quantitative considerations and data used by the CDC in determining community transmission risk levels for schools can be located here: How County Risk Levels for Maine Schools are Determined

The Health Advisory System categorizations are defined as follows:

• GREEN: Categorization as “green” suggests that the county has a relatively low risk of COVID-19 spread and that schools may consider in-person instruction, as long as they are able to implement the required health and safety measures.  Schools in a “green” county may need to use hybrid instruction models if there is insufficient capacity or other factors (facilities, staffing, geography/transportation, etc.) that may prevent full implementation of the health and safety requirements.
• YELLOW: Categorization as “yellow” suggests that that the county has an elevated risk of COVID-19 spread and that schools may consider additional precautions and/or hybrid instructional models to reduce the number of people in schools and classrooms at any one time.
• RED: Categorization as “red” suggests that the county has a high risk of COVID-19 spread and that in-person instruction is not advisable.

The next update will be provided on April 23, 2021. Updating this advisory on a two-week basis aligns with the incubation period for COVID-19 and allows for greater stability in the trend data for small counties.

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