5. Integrating SEL into Academic Learning Grant:
The Department has posted a new funding opportunity to help schools and districts build upon efforts to implement and sustain safe and supportive learning environments by:
- Engaging in explicit teaching and learning of social and emotional skills and competencies that are integrated throughout all subject areas using service learning; and/or
- Measuring students’ social and emotional skills and competencies and then using data to identify areas of need and to support students to develop specific skills and competencies within a tiered system of support.
Applications are due Tuesday, November 10. Please register online for one of the scheduled grant information sessions (from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20 or from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 21) to learn more about this opportunity.
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6. Elementary Principals PD Series:
In collaboration with the Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association and the Massachusetts Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators, DESE’s Early Learning team invites elementary school principals to participate in the 2020-2021 statewide kick-off convening for the early childhood and elementary principals' year-long, virtual professional development series. The kickoff will be from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27 and will include a keynote from Dr. Nicole Christian-Brathwaite on addressing the social and emotional well-being of elementary school staff. This year’s series is Creating a Caring Community: Caring for Ourselves and Our Staff Using a Trauma-Informed Lens (download). Please register for the convening online if interested. Other aspects of the series will include a webinar, regional networking sessions, book discussion groups, and a culminating statewide convening. Download the flyer posted on DESE’s early learning website for more dates and details.
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7. Career and Technical Education Partnership Grants:
The Department’s Office for College, Career, and Technical Education is pleased to announce the creation of a new funding opportunity to encourage creative collaborations resulting in increased access to vocational technical education.
Federally funded, competitive Career and Technical Education (CTE) Partnership grants will support regional and local expansion and/or development of programs and initiatives that increase student access to CTE opportunities. Eligible students include secondary and other students served under the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. The funding opportunity will include a two-part grant process – Planning (Stage 1) and Implementation (Stage 2). Applications for the planning stage are due at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 28.
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8. Additional Vendor for Screener and Diagnostic Assessments:
In an effort to help educators better understand their students’ academic needs in the 2020-2021 school year, DESE requested proposals from assessment companies for no-cost screening and/or diagnostic assessments. The Department has approved the following assessments and will update the list on a rolling basis. The list now includes Advanced Assessments: LinkIt! assessments for K-12 mathematics and English language arts (including select high school courses).
The Department’s master agreement allows districts to use DESE-approved vendors without the district having to do their own procurement. Districts can directly contact the vendor they choose. The vendor may require signing an agreement, and the district may require that the vendor sign a contract or other procurement form. Districts should check with their business officer to verify the process for acquiring the tool, even though it is free. Districts interested in using one of these tools this school year should email Nechama Goldberg at Nechama.D.Goldberg@mass.gov with the name of the selected vendor in order to receive the vendor documentation.
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9. October is Fire Prevention Month:
October is Fire Prevention Month, and the Department of Fire Services is happy to provide parents and teachers with links to activities that support this year’s theme: Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen. Educators and parents can begin by visiting the Department of Fire Services’ Fire Prevention Week website for fire safety tips, a calendar of suggestions, and links to activities. Children can stir up some ingredients to keep their home safe by using the Hunt for Home Hazards: A Grade 4-6 Activity, which teaches children to become home fire safety inspectors. The Department of Fire Services encourages participants to send photos of themselves testing their alarms or practicing their home escape plan to their fire department using the hashtag #makesomenoiseforfiresafety.
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10. DPH Survey on COVID-19’s Impact:
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is committed to better serving communities by learning about their experiences through the COVID-19 Community Impact Survey. The survey will help DPH learn about needs across the state so the agency can plan resources and supports. The survey takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. It is for anyone ages 14 and older and is completely anonymous. It is offered online in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese. The survey is available at: www.mass.gov/COVIDsurvey.
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11. School Immunization Surveys:
The state Department of Public Health’s Immunization Division has opened the window for schools to complete the annual School Immunization Surveys for kindergarten and grade 7. The kindergarten and grade 7 surveys must be completed on the Massachusetts Immunization Information System. (The MIIS Helpdesk can be reached at MIISHelpDesk@mass.gov or (617) 983-4335.) The deadline to finish the survey is Friday, January 8. Anyone with questions about the kindergarten and grade 7 immunization surveys, please contact the Immunization Assessment Unit at immassessmentunit@mass.gov.
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12. Food Security Grants:
The Baker-Polito Administration recently announced more than $5.5 million in grants to address urgent food insecurity for Massachusetts residents as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven of the 33 grant awards were to school districts. Congratulations to all!
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