St. Croix Regional Technical Center

During February's CTE Month celebration, Director Stanley Sluzenski showcased St. Croix Regional Technical Center programs at the Maine State House. For the full article go to the following link: https://mainedoenews.net/2025/02/26/maine-celebrates-career-and-technical-education-month-in-february/ #StCroixTech #MaineCTE

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT Students and Parents, I wanted to inform you that the National Technical Honor Society Ceremony has been rescheduled for March 6, 2025, at 6:00 pm. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and hope to see you there next week. Thank you for your understanding.

Advocating for Change in Early Childhood Education: Participating in the event at the State House allows early childhood educators and students to engage directly with lawmakers. This connection demonstrates the impact of advocacy in shaping policies that affect education. By sharing personal stories and experiences, participants can influence legislation that supports quality child care, highlighting how their roles as advocates matter in creating positive change for future generations. Building Professional Networks: Attending the advocacy day serves as a valuable opportunity for early childhood educators and CTE students to network with other professionals in the field. This connection emphasizes the importance of collaboration and teamwork in education. By forming relationships with other educators, leaders, and legislators, participants can share resources, ideas, and strategies that enhance their practices and benefit their students' learning experiences. Understanding the Legislative Process: Joining fellow educators at the State House provides insight into how laws and policies are created and the role of education professionals in that process. This real-world connection highlights the importance of civic engagement and understanding government functions. By participating in discussions with legislators, educators can advocate for the needs of children and families, illustrating how their involvement contributes to building a stronger foundation for early education and care. Join St Croix Regional Technical Center Early Childhood Program and others for a powerful day of advocacy and engagement as educators, leaders, and CTE students come together at the State House to emphasize the critical importance of early education and care. This event provides an opportunity to connect with legislators, share impactful stories, and highlight the value of quality child care in shaping our future. Let’s champion early childhood education and ensure every child has a strong foundation for success! 📆April 8, 2025 📍State House, Augusta Register here: https://www.maineaeyc.org/events-calendar

Due to the impending storm, we are postponing our National Technical Honor Society Induction Ceremony. We have rescheduled it for Thursday, March 6th, at 6:00 pm in the Calais High School cafetorium.

Exploring Career Paths in Culinary Arts: Engaging in a culinary activity allows children to gain insight into potential career paths in the culinary arts and hospitality industry. This field trip serves as an introduction to various roles such as chefs, bakers, and restaurant managers. By experiencing this hands-on activity, students can envision themselves in these careers, making the connection to their education more tangible and motivating for their future aspirations. #StCroixTech #MaineCTE

Correction for date: today, Thursday, Feb. 13, the Calais School Dept will be closed due to weather. Stay warm and safe.

Today, Thursday, Feb. 14 the Calais School Dept will be closed due to weather. Stay warm and safe.

"Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play, children learn how to learn." – O. Fred Donaldson #StCroixTech

Due to the coming storm, today, Thursday 2/6, CSD will be releasing CMHS @ 12pm and CES @ 12:15pm.

Absorbing Heart Stem Activity (This was a class favorite) Students will be able to enhance their hand-eye coordination by practicing the transfer of water using droppers to color paper hearts. This lesson aligns with the following Maine Early Learning Developmental Standards: Physical Development: Developing fine motor skills through the use of droppers. Creative Expression: Engaging in artistic activities by mixing colors and creating designs. Cognitive Development: Understanding cause and effect through color mixing and hand-eye coordination activities. #StCroixTech #MaineCTE

Due to weather conditions, CSD will be closed today, Tuesday, January 29.

Real World Connections: Art in Our World: When children create art, they are expressing their feelings and ideas, just like artists do in galleries and studios. This helps them learn that art can be found everywhere in the world, from the colorful murals in their neighborhoods to the designs on their favorite toys. By exploring different materials and techniques, children can see how art reflects their experiences and emotions, which ties directly to their own creative expression. Standards Addressed: Maine Early Learning Developmental Standards: Creative Arts: Children will explore and express ideas through art and other creative forms. Social and Emotional Development: Children will develop social skills through cooperation and sharing during group activities.

Due to a significant amount of staff at CES being out due to illness, the Calais Elementary School will have no school tomorrow, Tuesday, January 21. All other schools will remain open (CMHS, CAS, and SCRTC will be open).

Due to a significant amount of illness in our communities which has negatively impacted our student and staff attendance, the CSD will be closing all schools on Friday, January 17th. We kindly ask you take advantage of this day to take care of our students’ and staff wellness. Schools will remain in session today.

Real World Connections: Community Engagement and Support: Understanding the importance of community support can be vital for future educators. By recognizing how local businesses like Walmart, Pratts, and Waltons Creations contributed to the success of the class trip, students can appreciate the role of partnerships in education. This connection highlights the significance of building relationships with community stakeholders, which can enhance resources and opportunities for students in their future careers. Teamwork and Collaboration: The successful planning and execution of the class trip involved collaboration among various individuals. This experience taught our students about the value of teamwork and communication in achieving common goals. In their future careers, whether in education or other fields, they will encounter projects that require collaboration, making this lesson crucial for their professional development. Experiential Learning and Memory Creation: The life lessons gained from the trip emphasize the importance of experiential learning in early childhood education.Our students can reflect on how hands-on experiences help solidify knowledge and create lasting memories for young learners. This connection serves as a reminder of how engaging, real-world activities can enhance educational outcomes and foster a love of learning in students, shaping their approach to teaching in the future. #MaineCTE #StCroixTech

January 10, 2025 Dear Calais Schools' Family – We are writing to make you aware of a recent cybersecurity incident involving PowerSchool, a software vendor which provides our Student Information System (SIS), and the schools they serve. On Tuesday, January 7, 2025, PowerSchool informed our school department that they experienced a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to certain PowerSchool SIS customer data. Unfortunately, they have confirmed that the information belongs to some of our Calais Schools families and educators. PowerSchool informed us that the taken data primarily includes parent and student contact information with data elements such as name and address information. Across their customer base, they have determined that for a portion of individuals, some personally identifiable information (PII), such as social security numbers (SSN) and medical information, was impacted. They are working with urgency to complete their investigation and determine whether PII belonging to our students was included. To clarify the Calais School Department does not include student or staff social security numbers in the PowerSchool system. Protecting our students and staff is something we take seriously. With PowerSchool’s help, more information and resources (including credit monitoring or identity protection services if applicable) will be provided to you as it becomes available. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Sincerely, Mary Anne Spearin, Superintendent of Schools

I hope this message finds you well! I wanted to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your support in our early childhood education program. I am thrilled to share that we had the wonderful opportunity to join Mrs. Remington in Boston, where she was recognized as the first teacher in Maine to be announced as a Monster finalist through the Wasabi Fenway Bowl! This achievement to be able to join Mrs. Remington is a testament to the incredible teamwork from our students and the entire community, and we truly can't thank everyone enough for their contributions. They created a fun video as well, we hope you enjoy... https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTYvfWq2q/ #stcroixtech #MaineCTE

I hope this message finds you well! I wanted to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your support in our early childhood education program. I am thrilled to share that we had the wonderful opportunity to join Mrs. Remington in Boston, where she was recognized as the first teacher in Maine to be announced as a Monster finalist through the Wasabi Fenway Bowl! This achievement to be able to join Mrs. Remington is a testament to the incredible teamwork from our students and the entire community, and we truly can't thank everyone enough for their contributions. They created a fun video as well, we hope you enjoy... https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTYvfWq2q/ #stcroixtech #MaineCTE

📢 We are thrilled to announce the launch of our Quarterly Newsletter! 🌟 This edition will highlight some of our excellent programs and update you on upcoming events. Be on the lookout for our next edition. #StCroixTech#MaineCTE

On December 18th, the Early Childhood program at SCRTC joined forces with a local Girl Scout Troop 2253 led by Tomi Ellsmore and had the joy of delivering 72 gifts to our local assisted living and nursing homes. Our students not only shared the spirit of giving but also sang Christmas carols during the visit, which brought smiles to many faces. Additionally, I would like to highlight the culinary program at SCRTC, which prepared 10 boxes of delicious Chex mix for the occasion. We are incredibly thankful for this opportunity to engage our students in such a meaningful experience.