Recent Updates from the Commissioner
- Graduation/End of School Year Ceremonies- Guidance as of 3/3/21
- 2/25/21 Travel Quick Reference Guide
- 2/10/21 Travel Requirements and Template Letter
- 01/27/21 EO 8-A School Budget Processes
- 01/22/21 Updated PPE and Vaccination Info
- 01/14/21 Priority Notice: Resource Reminder for Federal Relief Funds
- 01/13/21 Priority Notice- Update on State Vaccination Plan
- 01/08/21 Update on Federal Relief Funds
- 12/30/20 PRIORITY NOTICE: Update on Federal COVID-19 Funds
- 11/20/20 - PRIORITY NOTICE: Updated Guidance on Group Sizes and Masks/Face coverings
- Governor's EO on mask wearing- no change for schools 11/05/20
- CRF Updates 10/22/20
- 10/22/2020 - PRIORITY NOTICE: PPE Ordering to be Reopened for Maine Schools
- 10/07/20 - Governor's Executive Order #14 (indoor capacity, masks) and flexibilities for bus purchase with CRF
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- More Updates
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PreK-12 School Based Testing for COVID-1
09/24/20 National Guard to assist school nurses with fit-testing, N95 masks
09/23/20 Easing of restrictions on travel to and from MA
9/18/20 Updates from Commissioner Makin to Superintendents
9/18/20 Last Call for PPE for SAUs
9/4/20 County Color Classification Update
Updated PPE Delivery Information & Egress Drill Requirement (8/25/20)
08/20/20 Pre-K considerations during COVID-19
08/20/20 Drinking Water and HVAC considerations for reopening shuttered buildings.
08/14/20 Additional Guidance and Allowances from DPS for Safety Protocols
- Studies on COVID-19 & Schools:
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Scotland Analysis of COVID-19 within their Systems: No direct evidence that transmission of the virus within schools plays a significant role in driving rates of infection among children.
Vermont Study: “School closure alone has minimal effect because disease continues to spread via alternate social contacts in the community.”
Statement from Children’s Hospital of Dartmouth-Hitchcock: Affirms the relative safety and importance of in-person instruction.
- Subscribe to the Maine DOE Newsroom here.
Resources for Schools with Positive Case/s
- Sara Alert Info:
What will I see when I get a Sara Alert notice? (PDF)
Tips to Protect Yourself from Scams When Using Sara Alert™ (PDF)
Sara Alert School Opt Out (Maine DOE | 12.22.20): English | Arabic | Chinese | French | Vietnamese | Swahili | Spanish | Somali | Portuguese | Kinyarwanda | Khmer
Sample Script for Obtaining Sara Alert Consent (updated 12/23/20) - Updated Quarantine Timeline for Close Contacts (updated 12/04/20)
- Updated Protocols for a Positive Case in Maine Schools (Maine DOE | 11/30/20)
- DOE Close Contact Tracing Template (Maine DOE 1-5-21)
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Positive COVID-19 Cases in Schools (updated 12.14.20)
- Additional/Extended SOP for Positive Cases - Guidance for School Nurses/Health Care Staff (Maine DOE | PDF)
- What is Isolation? (Updated 9.29.20)
- What is Quarantine? (Updated 12.8.2020)
Identifying COVID-19 Symptoms
- Pre-screening Tool for School Attendance (Maine DOE Updated 10.9.20): English | Arabic | Chinese | French | Vietnamese | Swahili | Spanish | Somali | Portuguese |
Kinyarwanda | Khmer - COVID-19 Child Feels or Appears Unwell Flowchart: PDF Legal Sized | JPG Legal Sized (Maine DOE Updated 10.9.20)
- COVID-19 Symptom Checker (U.S. CDC)
- Symptoms of Coronavirus (U.S. CDC)
- MeAAP Algorithm (Updated MeAAP Algorithm | 12/11/20)
- State of Maine FAQ for out of state travel
COVID-19 Resources for Communities
- Facts about Covid-19 Vaccine: Helping to Educate Maine
- I've had Close Contact with a Person with COVID-19: What do I do? English | Spanish | Portuguese | French | Lingala | Arabic | Somali | Vietnamese | Russian | Hindi | Farsi | Telugu | Dari | Khmer | Serbo-Croatian | Azerbaijani | Pashto | Japanese.
- I Have COVID-19: What Do I Do? English | Spanish | Portuguese | French | Lingala | Arabic | Somali | Vietnamese | Russian | Hindi | Farsi | Telugu | Dari | Khmer | Serbo-Croatian | Azerbaijani | Pashto | Japanese.
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- More
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CDC Stop the Spread of Germs Flyer English | Translated
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COVID-19 Fact Sheets (translations) (COVID-19 Health Literacy Project)
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Community Care Support Information (Maine DHHS) - services for families that need support in isolation or quarantine: English | Arabic | Azerbaijani | Croatian | Dari | Farsi | French | Hindi | Khmer | Kinyarwanda | Kirundi | Lingala | Pashto | Portuguese | Russian | Somali | Spanish | Swahili | Telugu | Vietnamese
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Airborne vs. Droplet (Video | Medmastery)
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COV-Ed: Mythbusters! COVID-19 Edition (The University of British Columbia (UBC) Medicine - Educational Media).
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Coronavirus Explained To Children (Video | Eurac Research)
____COVID-19 Resources for Children with Special Health Care Needs (The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health)
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COVID-19 Printables (The Health Design Studio | Training & Professional DevelopmentResources available in multiple languages)
COVID-19 School Health Resources
- School Nurse Fit Testing Cadre
- Respiratory Protection Program Information
- Sample Tracking Form for School Absences during COVID (Maine DOE)
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Guidance (Maine DOE | Version 8.6.20)
- Guidance on PPE, Toileting, Restraint & Seclusion (Maine DOE | Updated 8.7.20)
- Guidance for the School Nurse (ME Assoc of School Nurses)
- Resources for the School Nurse (National Assoc of School Nurses)
- Mask Exempt Letter Template (American Academy of Pediatrics,
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- Individuals with Asthma
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People with asthma may be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. The following resources are for individuals with asthma and cover the topics of COVID-19 and asthma management, including both general asthma management information and specific information for managing asthma during the pandemic.
- Asthma & COVID-19 (Maine DOE)
- Information on COVID-19 for individuals with underlying medical conditions, including asthma (U.S. CDC)
- Information about COVID-19 for individuals with asthma (U.D. CDC)
- Managing asthma during COVID-19 (U.S. CDC)
- Controlling asthma (U.S. CDC)
- Reducing asthma triggers (U.S. CDC)
- Asthma Action Plans (U.S. CDC)
COVID-19 Testing
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Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Testing Materials:
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Serial Testing Guidance (DOCX) (Feb. 22, 2021)
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Information for Providers Receiving Abbott BinaxNOW Antigen Tests
COVID-19 Safety Guidelines
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Disinfecting wipes | Updated 11/4/20
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Utilization of alternative sites | Updated 11/4/20
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Use of Tents | Updated 12/29/20
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Use of Hand Sanitizer in Educational Buildings | Updated 11/4/20
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Emergency Egress Drills | Updated 11/4/20
Other Maine DOE COVID-19 Resources
State of Maine COVID-19 Resources
- Updated Maine Portal Site for COVID-19
- MAINE 211 - Free, confidential information and referral services related to COVID-19 - Visit Maine 211
- Maine CDC Coronavirus Updates
Remote Teaching/Learning Resources
- Remote Learning Resources for Schools
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Continuity of Learning Resources
Remote Learning Resources Primary Grades / Remote Learning Resources Upper Elementary Grades - Credit: Maine Curriculum Leaders Association
Career & Technical Education Resource Page
- Content Resources
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Career and Education Development
Career and Technical Education
- Internet Connectivity
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We recognize that not all students in Maine have access to the internet and we are working swiftly to address this. Some companies are offering free internet access options for a limited time to help promote connectivity for remote learning. Nationally, many internet companies have signed the Keep Americans Connected Pledge which allows for flexibility and payment waivers, as well as free access to broadband services for a limited time.
- Resources for Families
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Tips for Talking with Children
Masks, Distancing, and Hand Hygiene
- Printables, Posters, videos, and more!
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- Printable posters that can be used to help raise awareness about hand washing (U.S. CDC)
- Handwashing Demo by a Child (Children's Hospital Colorado)
- Videos to learn how to keep yourself healthy by washing your hands the right way (U.S. CDC)
- Social distancing: Why it’s one of the best tools we have to fight the coronavirus (Video for all ages | The Conversation)
- COV-Ed: The Importance of Physical Distancing During the COVID-19 Pandemic (The University of British Columbia (UBC) Medicine - Educational Media)
- Explaining Social Distancing to Children (Video for younger audiences | Meet the Helpers)
- Social Distancing: A Kid-Friendly Explanation (Video for younger audiences | BrainPOP)
- COV-Ed: PPE a Crash Course (The University of British Columbia (UBC) Medicine - Educational Media)
- COV-Ed: PPE a Crash Course (The University of British Columbia (UBC) Medicine - Educational Media)
- Caregiver tips to make mask-wearing easier for people with autism (Autism Speaks)
- Mask Desensitization techniques (ASERT - Autism Services, Education, Resources and Training)
- Mask Desensitization (The Summit Center)
- Wearing a Mask Social Story (ASERT - Autism Services, Education, Resources and Training)
- How to Wear a Mask: Helping Individuals with Fragile X Syndrome (Cincinnati Children’s Clinical Psychologist Dr. Rebecca Schaffer)
- Strategies for addressing students who are struggling to comply with mask wearing (Birch Lane Strategies)
Elementary School Mask Response Protocols
Middle School Mask Response Protocols
High School Mask Response Protocols
Training & Professional Development
- Maine DOE Professional Development
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Professional Development Calendar (Office hours, networking, training, professional learning, and more all hosted by Maine DOE specialists and partners)
View our Library of Recorded Webinars( Maine DOE) Topics include:
- Administrative Assistants
- Business Managers
- Career and Technical Education
- Digital/Technology Learning
- DOE Data
- Dyslexia
- Early Learning Ed Techs
- ELA - English Language Arts
- ESEA Federal Programs
- ESSER - Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds
- ESOL - English for Speakers of Other Languages
- Essential Programs and Services - EPS
- Funding Family Engagement
- Health Education
- Legislative Guidance, Public Hearings & Briefings
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- MEIS - Certification
- Mental Health
- Multi Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
- Nutrition
- Physical Education
- PBIS
- PreK
- Remote Learning
- Safety
- School Counseling
- School Health Services
- Science
- SEL - Social Emotional Learning
- Social Studies
- Special Education
- Visual & Performing Arts
- World Languages
- Coping with Stress & Trauma
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- Coping with stress (U.S. CDC)
- Trauma Informed Readiness and Response Workshop Brain 101 (Maine DOE)
- A Conversation with Educators about Loss and Grief During COVID-19 (Maine DOE)
- Education Leadership During the COVID19 Crisis (Maine DOE )
- Social Emotional Learning
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- 5 Keys to Social and Emotional Learning Success (Edutopia)
- SEL 101 Professional Development Series (Maine DOE)
- CoRegulation (Maine DOE)
- Mindful Breathing- Audio Kellie D. Bailey SEL Specialist Maine DOE (Maine DOE Audio Recording)
- Mindful Loving Kindness- Audio Kellie D. Bailey SEL Specialist Maine DOE (Maine DOE Audio Recording)
- Candle Visualization for Relaxation - Audio Kellie D. Bailey SEL Specialist Maine DOE (Maine DOE Audio Recording)
- Mindful Body Scan- Audio Kellie D. Bailey SEL Specialist Maine DOE (Maine DOE Audio Recording)
To provide feedback or suggestions about the toolkit, email Rachel at Rachel.paling@maine.gov.