Author: Beth Strike

Julie Miller, Consultant for School Improvement/Special Education Consultant has been selected to fill the role of halftime Regional Administrator for Region 7. In her new position, Julie will help oversee team members including assisting with evaluation and region activities.  Julie will assume her new duties in January 2018.

Julie’s experience in the Waterloo School District and her knowledge of Special Education will make her a great addition to the Administrative team that supports Waterloo.

Julie began working for the agency in August of 2015. She previously held positions at Grant Wood AEA as a special education consultant and with the Cedar Rapids Community School District as a special services program coach. Julie is a graduate of UNI holding a BA in elementary education and a music teaching minor as well as special education certification through Morningside College. Julie earned her Master of Arts in Education and her Administration/Special Education Supervisor certification through Viterbo University.

She and her husband, Sam, live in Cedar Falls. They have two children: Ally 23, a dental assistant in North Liberty and Sam 21, a student at UNI. Julie enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband, family, friends, and the family dog Bella.

Welcome, Julie!

The Federal Government Rate for in-state lodging has increased to $109. The regulations to board policy 603.4 have been updated to reflect the new amount. Board policy does allow for exceptions to the $109 limit, but it has to be for extenuating circumstances and you need to get preapproval from either Sam Miller or David Nicholson. Request approval in an email in order to attach a copy of the email to the requisition request for payment.  

Regarding out-of-state travel, while there is no limit, the policy states that employees must be prudent in selecting hotels when traveling.

Do you know someone who has made outstanding contributions to education and Iowa’s Area Education Agencies (AEAs)? Please take a few minutes to nominate this person for recognition by Iowa’s AEAs.

Iowa’s AEAs bestow three awards annually to outstanding candidates for their contributions to education and the work of the AEA system. To submit a nomination, please complete this application by Feb. 2, 2018. Anyone is welcome to submit a nomination.  The nominations will be reviewed by a selected group of AEA personnel in February. Both the nominating individual and those who are selected to be recognized will be notified the first week in March Awards will be presented during the Boards of Directors’ Conference for Iowa’s AEAs and will begin at 6:30 p.m. on April 5, 2018 at HIlton Garden Inn in Johnston.

The three awards and criteria can be found below. Each nomination should include examples of why your nominee should receive the award.

• Friend of the AEA Award
  Acknowledges contributions by policymakers, citizens, board members, school district partners, businesses, and organizations who have been great partners and demonstrate strong support for furthering the mission of Iowa’s AEAs.  Open to all policymakers, citizens, board members, school district partners, businesses and organizations.
• E. Robert Stephens Award
  Dr. E. Robert Stephens, better known as “Dr. Bob” and the father of the AEA system, acknowledges contributions in the area of innovation and support to local districts, AEAs, the Department of Education and other partners/organizations. There should be evidence of outstanding contributions to the wellbeing of the educational community including:
  • Benefits of this individual’s leadership;
  • Creative leadership in inspiring and motivating others to achieve and contribute;
  • Strong commitment to the profession by active participation in professional activities; and
  • Evidence that the individual is respected by his/her colleagues and the community.

Open to AEA staff who serve in an administrative role and AEA board members.

• Innovative Creator
  Celebrates amazingly innovative and creative thinking and actions to get results for students, educators, the AEA system, school districts, and other partners.  Open to all AEA staff, board members, educators, policymakers, students…all of us are creators!

For more information, please contact Connie Johnson, Communications Director for Iowa’s Area Education Agencies, at 712-335-6044 or cjohnson@plaea.org.

Everyday life can be stressful and can affect your health, well-being, and performance. Many times a person with a mental health condition does not know where to turn to for help. Fortunately, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can be your first step in finding guidance and solutions.

The agency’s EAP is 100% confidential and offered to employees at no cost. Help can be found for a variety of needs:

• Symptoms of anxiety, depression, or stress
• Marital or relationship difficulties
• Parenting, child care, or elder care concerns
• Alcohol or drug dependence
• Eating disorders
• Financial concerns

Information regarding the EAP can be found in the portal under My Benefits > Wellness > Employee Assistance Program. Employees may also call toll-free 1-866-451-5465 or visit the EAP website. The online password is: NISenhanced.

Just a friendly reminder that staff can use this form to order business cards through Creative Services. Using the form, in lieu of placing a general order through the Creative Services ordering system, ensures that all of your information is accurate and placed correctly on the card. Thank you!

Need some incentive to keep those new year’s resolutions? Central Rivers AEA staff can now receive a 10% discount off their membership at the Cedar Valley Sportsplex. For more information about sign up, inquire when setting up your membership.

The Board of Directors met on Wednesday, January 3 at 6:00 p.m. in Cedar Falls. The agenda can be viewed online and the minutes will be available after approval at the following month’s meeting.

A friendly reminder that all regional team members should plan to attend the December 21 staff meeting in Cedar Falls. The day will begin with registration and social time at 8:30 am and conclude for most by 3 pm. (Please note that some team members may finish earlier than 3 pm. This may impact carpooling arrangements.) Dress for the day is festive! “Ugly” Christmas sweaters, Santa hats, etc. are all fair game. Please bring your laptop to access documents and other resources that day.

This day was originally communicated as an “all staff” meeting which may have created some confusion. Please take note that the following staff members DO NOT need to attend unless specifically directed to by their Administrator:

Audiometrists, Early Access Service Coordinators, SLP Assistants, Secretaries, Custodians, Information Technology, Creative Services, Media Clerks, River Hills & Detention Center Staff

A light breakfast will be served by student baristas from the Cedar Falls High School Tiger’s Den. Coffee, hot chocolate, and a healthy snack will be served from 8-9:05 am in Central Perk. The Tiger’s Den is a coffee shop that was developed as an on-site work experience program. The program helps students develop the essential work skills they need before transitioning to a community-based work experience. Although the agency has covered the actual costs associated with this venture, student baristas do accept free will donations which are later donated to a charity of the students’ choosing. We’re grateful to have them be the first baristas hosted in our new facility!

Lunch is being provided compliments of Farmer’s State Bank. Staff members in outlying offices who aren’t part of the All-Region meeting will also receive a complimentary lunch at their location. Many thanks to Farmer’s State Bank for offering to provide all of our staff with lunch!

Maps of both the upper and lower levels are available to download for your convenience.

Schedule for the day (including room locations for individual team meetings).

Although the weather so far has been unseasonably warm and dry, winter weather is most certainly just around the corner. Need a refresher on how decisions are made with respect to office closures and professional learning cancellations? Check out the staff website under Resources>Inclement Weather & Emergency Closing Information. Please understand that administration has no control over the weather and how many times a regional office may be closed due to unsafe circumstances. Our priority is always staff and LEA partner safety!

Fly Your Colors: Friday, December 8

Swish! Zoom zoom! It’s hoop & loop time! Show your support for your favorite basketball/Nascar team by wearing your favorite team gear or colors. If you’re not a basketball/Nascar fan, feel free to wear your favorite school, college or sports team of your choice.

Ugly Sweater Contest: Thursday, December 21

Similar to the Halloween costume contest, we dare you to wear your best/most festive or if you desire, ugliest Christmas Sweater, during the Administration/Regional meetings.  A reminder to tread lightly with your colleagues as there might be a fine line between most festive and ugliest   

Don’t forget our holiday giving opportunities! There are still spaces available to give in all locations.

Students representing the vocal music department from Union Community School District will perform on Thursday, Dec 21 at 8:40 a.m. in Room B in Cedar Falls. The performance will last approximately 20 minutes and staff members in the Cedar Falls building are welcome to attend! The group is comprised of 16 students who perform for various organizations. Another great opportunity to have students in our new building!

The Technology Integration team will be hosting Hour of Code events for CRAEA staff in celebration of Computer Science Education Week which is the week of December 4th. You’re invited to complete an Hour of Code!

What is it? The Hour of Code is a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries. Anyone, anywhere can organize an Hour of Code event. One-hour tutorials are available in over 45 languages. No experience needed. Ages 4 to 104.

Why? With technology changing every industry on the planet, computing knowledge has become part of a well-rounded skill set. But fewer than half of all schools teach computer science! Come learn how computer science connects to your work with schools and gain general knowledge about what coding and the impact of computer science.

Also, there is a Senate File requiring schools to offer the following computer science experiences for students by July 1, 2019:

• every elementary school will offer instruction in the fundamentals of computer science;
• every middle school will offer exploratory computer science; and
• every high school will offer at least one high-quality computer science course.

Where & When? Please join us in person at one of our three agency locations:

• Clear Lake 8-9:00 am Tuesday, December 5, Room H
• Cedar Falls 12-1:00 pm, Wednesday, December 6, Central Perk
• Marshalltown 12-1:00 pm, Thursday, December 7, Room A

Complete an Hour of Code on your own using this link: https://www.smore.com/s1fyt

What? Please bring a device (laptop or tablet), headphones/earbuds, and be ready for some fun!

Please let the Technology Integration Team know if you have questions!

Michelle Cowell; Sarah Nelson; Lea Ann Peschong; Corey Rogers; Kay Schmalen; and Cari Teske.

Join us for Central Rivers Assistive Technology Conference: Leveling the Playing Field for all learners. This one-day conference will be held in Cedar Falls on February 23, 2018 from 8:00 am -3:10 pm.

Questions? Contact one of the Central Rivers AEA Assistive Technology conference planning team members:  Lea Ann Peschong; Abby Martin; Lisa Jellum; Shira Gebel; or Sarah Nelson.

Are there exciting and innovative programs going on in your school related to family and school partnerships? Would you like to be recognized by the Iowa Department of Education for these programs?

Application for this recognition involves four steps:

1. Select a Promising Practice based on the criteria outlined in the Overview document
2. Complete the narrative application and save as a PDF
3. Complete this Google form
4. Upload the PDF copy of your application materials at the bottom of the form

Resources

• Information about the Promising Practices
• Review the timeline for Promising Practices
• Application requirements for Promising Practices
• Additional Promising Practices resources (including law and definitions) to assist with your application

If you have questions, please contact Kim Drew, Family and Educator Partnership Consultant or Deb Chiodo, Family and School Partnership Project Coordinator, ASK Resource.

The federal agency known as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was established in 1971 to set national standards in order to ensure the safety and health of America’s workers. Since OSHA was created, occupational deaths have been cut by 62% and injuries have declined by 42%. While this is great news, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, problems still exist in that approximately 2.9 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses were reported last year alone.

Prevention of workplace injuries is the duty of all employees and there are several ways we can protect ourselves and our fellow co-workers.

• Be on the lookout for possible dangers.  Keep the work area neat, clean, and free of safety hazards.
• Notify a supervisor immediately of any possible dangers. (Icy parking lots or sidewalks)
• Remediate potential safety issues. If you see water on the floor, wipe it up.
• Get up and move. Employees need to take small breaks and move around regularly during the work day to combat the physical problems staying in a static position can cause.
• Pay attention to ergonomics. Use ergonomically designed office furniture and arrange the workspace to allow for easy reach.
• Team up. Ask for help when you need it and willingly help others.

Aside from the physical suffering workplace injuries can cause an employee, they also place a financial hardship on the employer. By law, the AEA is required to pay an insurance premium; however, the cost of the premium is something that can be controlled by reducing workplace injuries. The agency also has the added cost of hiring a substitute to fill the injured employee’s position while he or she is unable to work.

With proper work environments and addressing safety issues, not only will the incidences of workplace injuries decrease but the associated agency costs will be reduced, thus benefiting both staff and those we serve.