Author: lthomas

This summer, Iowa School Alerts (the weather notification system that brings you text and email alerts regarding office closings and professional learning cancellations) switched over to a new system. This means that everyone who wants to receive alerts must register to continue. 

Simply visit the Iowa School Alerts website to subscribe. You may choose email or text alerts from the drop-down menu; however, please note that in order to receive both, you must go in and subscribe separately for each preference.

The agency will continue to post office closures to the front page of our website and also using our alerts line at 866-923-1089, but it is important that you re-subscribe to the new system to receive an alert by email or text message.

In addition, please be sure that you take time to thoroughly review the information on the inclement weather page of our staff website. (Use your email login and password to gain access.)

This page provides all of the details you will need to learn about cancellations and office closures as well as updated procedures and answers to your most frequently asked questions about weather-related travel. If you have questions after reviewing this information, please visit with your supervisor. Stay safe and please exercise good personal judgement at all times!

Walking workstations are now in place at each of our office locations to help encourage more movement throughout the day and it is great to see staff taking advantage of their benefits.

Copies of Eat, Move, Sleep are available for check out to any staff member interested in reading the book. This book is full of great information on improving one’s health by taking small specific actions. Please contact Lori Thomas if you would like to check out  a copy.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met Wednesday, November 2, 2016 in the Cedar Falls Conference Center. The board agenda and packet is available online and the minutes will be published online after approval at the next month’s board meeting.

Melissa Ford, AEA 267 School Social Worker was selected by the Iowa School Social Workers Association (ISSWA) as the 2016 Iowa School Social Worker of the Year.  Melissa will be honored at the annual ISSWA Conference in Des Moines on November 11. She will also be recognized at the Midwest School Social Work Conference in Chicago on October 27.

Melissa has been with AEA 267 since 2008 and serves in the Grinnell Community School District. Nominated by several staff members at Grinnell High School, her nomination letters highlighted Melissa’s work there and in the community with the Poweshiek County Dental Coalition.

Heidi Durbin, Dean of Students summed up the reasons why she recommended Melissa for this prestigious award: “In addition to all the day-to-day responsibilities Melissa performs, it is her willingness to jump in and make things happen and her wealth of knowledge about school and community resources that is unparalleled and makes her most deserving of this award.”

Please join us in congratulating Melissa on this well-deserved honor!

The agency is making available walking workstations in each of our office locations to help encourage more movement throughout the day. These workstations are being delivered and set-up, however, we are still in the process of putting a system into place for their use.

Look for details to be sent within the next week. Please do not use the workstations until further guidance has been provided.