Year: 2013

Please be sure that you have read and are familiar with agency policy regarding the use of agency equipment (including technology) for personal use. Although we typically have few problems stemming from the violation of this policy, it’s important to stay familiar with it and aware of daily actions that may be in violation. Questions? Contact Kathy Enslin.

Wapsie Valley CSD was recently recognized by KWWL-TV for their implementation of PBIS and the Olweus Bullying Prevention program. The story featured the tremendous progress the district has made due, in large part, to support provided by AEA 267 staff members.

For more information about PBIS or Olweus, please visit the AEA 267 Learning Supports website.

River Hills School held their annual open house on Thursday, October 3. The event was a huge success with students and their families, friends and staff enjoying a fun night of fellowship and great food. The highlight of the evening was the students’ pumpkin decorating contest.

Each classroom created a decorated masterpiece to proudly display in the front lobby of the school. There were scary pumpkins, funny pumpkins and even a Papa Smurf pumpkin!

What a talented and creative group of students!

As you may know, staff members in our Information & Technology service area have been reviewing three and five year trends in how we deliver materials to the classroom. Physical delivery of materials has gone down 39% in the past five years; with a total of 90,000 items shipped from the lending library last year. Two million items were accessed or downloaded electronically this past year, which is an increase of 43% in the last three years.

Given the undeniable trend toward digital delivery of classroom materials, it has become apparent that we could better serve our schools by spending more resources on enhancing digital services and fewer resources on van delivery by moving to weekly physical delivery of materials. Thus, beginning the week of October 21, AEA 267 will move to once a week van delivery to our school buildings.

The new van delivery schedules for our school buildings have been posted to our GetMedia web page.

Two school districts have exceptions to the once-a-week delivery. The Cedar Falls CSD has a contract with our print/production services that requires a daily pick-up of materials and the Waterloo CSD buildings will receive media items 3 times a week.

For more information about this transition, or to provide feedback, please contact Dr. Jerry Schnabel, AEA 267 Director of Information & Technology.

As you work through your first time submitting mileage and expense reimbursements in the new Infinite Visions system, you may experience some frustrations if you haven’t taken time to review the screencast or written instructions provided within the portal. Please take a few minutes to use these important resources to assist you in the process. If you find that it would be helpful to have someone personally walk you through the process, please contact any administrative secretary, Cindy Fry or Sarah Brown in the Business Office.

Please be aware of a recent change to the email addresses of Heartland AEA staff members. The protocol for email is now first initial, last name @heartlandaea.org.

You may wish to make changes to contacts from Heartland AEA in your email address book.

As you use the Infinite Visions system to submit leaves, mileage/expense reimbursements and to access other tools and resources, please be sure to double-check your personal information and make any necessary updates. Use the “My Personal Information” menu within the system.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met October 2, 2013 at 6 p.m. at the AEA 267 Clear Lake office for their regular meeting. During the meeting, board members were recognized for their dedicated service to AEA 267 this past year. The board then adjourned the final meeting of the 2012-13 Board of Directors.

Immediately following, the board called to order their first meeting of 2013-14 during which time the board:

• Elected Charlotte Upah as President and Roberta Kraft-Abrahamson as Vice President and Kerri Wilson administered the oath of office for all members.
• Appointed Kerri Wilson as board secretary and Dave Nicholson as board treasurer and administered the oath of office to each.
• Heard a program review from Dave Nicholson, AEA 267’s Director of Finance, regarding a financial update and the final Certified Annual Report.
• Set meeting dates and times for the 2013-14 board meetings. Meetings will be held the first Wednesday of each month with the exceptions of December 2013, January and August 2014, which will be held the second Wednesday.
• Approved appointments to the AEA Legislative Committee, the AEA Executive Committee, the AEA Audit Committee, the IEC Committee, and the IAEP Committee.
• Approved Wells Fargo Bank as the depository bank and established financial limits.
• Appointed Steve Weidner as legal counsel for 2013-14.
• Approved reciprocal transportation agreements for the following school districts:
  1. Clear Lake and Forest City
  2. Clear Lake and Ventura
  3. Central Springs and Osage.
• Approved an agreement with Marshalltown Community Schools for assistance with the Ladders to Learning program for 2013-14.
• Approved a contract with Waste Management for services at the Clear Lake office.
• Approved the first reading of the following board policies:
  1. 507.1-Student Wellness
  2. 401.3-Employee Background Checks
• Approved a contract with Solution Tree for RtI Coaching Academy.
• Tabled a request to accept bids and approve the purchase of Media vans.
• Heard a variety of reports from directors and board members.

(The following message is shared as a courtesy to the United Way. Pledge consideration is completely optional.)

United Way is changing lives of children, seniors, families and individuals in our community. By focusing on education, income and health—the building blocks for a good quality of life—United Way is making this a better community for us all.

Data tells us the investments United Way is making in our community are working. Thanks to your donation, families are more stable, teen pregnancies are down and child abuse has decreased. But the work is not done. United Way wants to do better, and you can help.

By giving what you can, you can change our future, and make our community better. Please give. You can do so online with your local United Way. There you will also be able to find information on your local United Way and its funded partners and programs, as well as other ways you can be involved in making your community stronger.

• Cedar Valley United Way
• Marshalltown United Way
• United Way of North Central Iowa (Mason City)
• Waverly-Shell Rock Area United Way