Maine
Maine educators share their excitement for the new school year
Maine schools have opened their doors for a new school year, and educators have welcomed students back with excitement, care and a deep commitment to helping them. Back to school is a time of hope, joy and renewed connection.
Whether it’s hands-on outdoor learning exploring Maine’s beautiful outdoors, innovative computer science and STEM education, internships and extended learning opportunities connected to student passions, vibrant career and technical education opportunities or opportunities for pursuing sports and the arts, Maine schools offer students engaging and enriching learning opportunities that expand their minds, help them achieve their dreams, support their wellbeing, prepare them to tackle challenges and create joy. And Maine’s educators are constantly innovating to further their students’ curiosity, engagement, and preparedness.
“Maine schools are filled with talented educators and school staff who strive every day to make a difference in the lives of the young people of Maine,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “Happy new school year to all of the educators and school staff in the state. You all have my immense gratitude for the work you do.”
She added, “Whether you are the first person who greets a child with a smile as they board the bus, or you serve them delicious food at lunch or teach them something awe-inspiring, you will likely be remembered as that one educator or school staff member who checked in on them when they most needed it, made them feel safe, inspired them, fueled their curiosity and courage and helped them persevere when it mattered most.”
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) asked teachers across our great state to share their excitement for the new school year.
“We have a lot of new things coming up this year, with an outdoor learning space being completed and all the students having science units attached to it. We’ve made some new hires this summer, which will bring some really good energy, and we are in our third year of a new math program, which means we’re coming into it with more expertise and ability to utilize past data.” – Principal Heather Blanchard of Harriet Beecher Stowe in Brunswick
Back to school is a time of hope, joy and renewed connection. Provided by Maine DOE
“I’m excited for all the laughs that happen in the classroom. I’m excited for kids to connect with something new and be proud of themselves and their work.”– Art teacher Naomi Ellsworth of Harpswell Community School and William-Cone School in Topsham
“I have gained so many great insights and so much inspiration from my County Teachers of the Year cohort this summer, and I can’t wait to pour that energy and enthusiasm into my classroom. This summer has been a time for dreaming big, but sharing with my kids will make those dreams a reality.” – Hancock County Teacher of the Year Ryan Lowell, an English Teacher at Ellsworth High School
“It’s the promise of all the new connections I’m going to make in a school year that gets me so excited every September. I love looking out at a room full of new students and thinking: ‘We are going to connect so much this year that in June when school is over, we are going to miss each other so much.’” – Bangor High School English Teacher and Penobscot County Teacher of the Year Emilie Throckmorton
“As the 2024 Androscoggin County Teacher of the Year, I am excited for a year of fresh starts. The 2023-2024 school year was difficult for the Lewiston community, and the resiliency within my students carried them through. I can’t wait to see the smiling faces of my students as they start fourth grade with this same remarkable resiliency and optimism for a new year of learning and growth.” – Leah Boucher, Androscoggin County Teacher of the Year and fourth-grade teacher at Farwell Elementary
“I am looking forward to welcoming a new group of learners into my classroom. We are about to embark on a journey together, creating a community that is stronger by the end of the year than we were at the start. Making connections with my students and helping them to reach their fullest potential is my favorite part of being an educator.” – Danielle Pelletier, third grade teacher at the CK Burns School in Saco and York County Teacher of the Year
“Each student is unique, and discovering how to connect with and inspire students is always rewarding. I also love the opportunity to try innovative teaching methods and collaborate with my colleagues. I’m excited to get things started!”– Kaley Brown, social studies teacher at Skowhegan Area High School and Somerset County Teacher of the Year
“I’m looking forward to engaging my students in more impactful learning disguised completely as fun! I’m also really excited to see how much my students have grown over the summer, what experiences they’ve had and want to share, and revel in our mutual excitement that comes with starting a new school year.” – Windsor Community School Librarian and Kennebec County Teacher of the Year Kristel Anuszewski
“This school year, I’m most excited about creating an engaging and supportive classroom environment where students feel empowered to ask questions and explore new ideas. I’m looking forward to building stronger connections with my students and helping them develop the skills they need to succeed, both in and out of the classroom. It’s all about fostering a love of learning and seeing my students grow in confidence and curiosity!” – Ally Gilbert, Sagadahoc County Teacher of the Year and Mt. Ararat High School Science teacher
“I look forward to getting to know the wonderful families that share their children with me.” – Vickie Lailer, Franklin County Teacher of the Year and Second Grade Teacher at W.G. Mallet School in Farmington
The Maine DOE provides support and resources to support the hopes and aspirations that Maine’s educators have for this new school year and beyond. Educators can learn more about how the Maine DOE supports innovative teaching and learning practices, can help them create safe and welcoming learning environments, and find resources and professional learning opportunities here.
Many Maine municipalities will open cooling centers this week with the National Weather Service issuing a variety of heat advisories covering the next few days.
The Maine DEP also issued an air quality alert for Wednesday with ground-level ozone expected to reach levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups.
All of York County, interior Cumberland and Androscoggin counties, and the southern half of Oxford County will fall under an extreme heat warning from 11 a.m. Wednesday to 8 p.m. Friday.
The warning calls for “dangerously hot conditions” that could feature heat index values of up to 110 degrees, with overnight lows only expected to fall into the 70s, according to the weather service’s office in Gray.
The rest of the state — save northern Aroostook, Piscataquis and Somerset counties — falls under a heat advisory from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday. However, the weather service has also placed much of the state under an extreme heat watch for Thursday.
Heat index values, which measure how hot it feels to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature, are expected to reach up to 104 degrees during the heat advisory period, the weather service warns. They could reach 110 degrees Thursday, when the extreme heat watch is in effect.
Northern Oxford and Franklin counties, and central Somerset County, can expect a heat index value of up to 99 degrees Wednesday, according to the weather service.
The weather service advises people to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned rooms when possible, avoid extended periods in the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors. It also warns not to leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles, as “car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.”
Cooling Centers
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has also issued an air quality alert from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Wednesday along the coast from Kittery to Acadia National Park. The agency warns that ground-level ozone concentrations are expected to reach levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Ozone levels may reach “moderate levels” further inland, according to the Maine DEP, including in all of Androscoggin and Kennebec counties, as well as parts of Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, Penobscot, Sagadahoc, Waldo, Washington and York counties.
Elevated ozone levels can pose a risk to children, older adults and people suffering from respiratory or heart diseases, according to the Maine DEP. Anyone exerting themselves outdoors may also experience health effects, which could include coughing, shortness of breath, throat irritation and mild chest pain.
Ozone levels were already climbing in southern New England on Tuesday, according to the Maine DEP, and winds are expected to bring those conditions to Maine on Wednesday.
The Maine DEP recommends that vulnerable populations avoid strenuous outdoor activities, keep windows closed, and circulate indoor air with fans or air conditioners. Those with asthma are also advised to keep quick-relief medication handy.
Particle pollution levels are also expected to be moderate across the state on Wednesday due to wildfire smoke, the Maine DEP said in its announcement Tuesday. Wildfires in Colorado, which have claimed the lives of three firefighters, had burned nearly 90,000 acres as of Tuesday, according to the Denver Post.
Maine could face up to $50 million in penalties next year due to errors in its payments for federal food benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Newly released data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture find that Maine’s error rate last year was nearly 11%, the bulk of which were overpayments. That’s in line with the U.S. average. But starting in October of next year, states with error rates above 6% must cover a portion of the SNAP benefits.
Anna Korsen, executive director of Full Plates, Full Potential, said the overpayments aren’t fraud — they’re human error. She said this new cost-shifting policy enacted last year under the Trump administration further complicates the SNAP application process.
“Instead, we could make this program more accessible and more efficient,” Korsen said. “And that would reduce the number of errors and also ensure that Mainers who are eligible for SNAP have access to it.”
She’s urging Congress to delay or reverse the policy under the farm bill that’s currently under consideration.
Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services said it’s taking steps to reduce the error rate, including modernizing its systems and hiring an additional 40 eligibility specialists.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
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