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Do you still have a 2015 “Top Workplaces” logo in your email signature? If so, just a friendly reminder that it’s probably time to remove it given that the award is now two years old. Need help? Please contact someone in Information Technology or refer back to the original instructions shared in the September 2015 edition of Intersections for accessing your email signature. Instead of adding a logo, you are simply deleting.

There have been minor revisions made to the Time Clock Regulations, which can be accessed in the portal at My Toolbox > TimeClock Resources > Regulations.  The main change is that once leaves are posted by Human Resources, they are now automatically transferred to the Time Clock system.  This will allow staff to view total hours in Time Clock Plus on a daily basis. Time Clock staff are encouraged to check their hours on a regular basis in order to minimize problems later.

The Business Office will be mailing W2 and 1095-C tax information to all employee’s homes toward the end of the month. Please verify your address information in the iVisions portal under My Personal Information > Contact Information. The forms will also be available through the iVisions portal under the My Compensation menu item. The 1095-C is a tax form that reflects yearly insurance coverage. It is required as a part of the Affordable Care Act. Please save and share with your tax preparer.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met Wednesday, January 4, 2017 in the Cedar Falls Conference Center. The board packet is available online and the minutes will be published online after approval at the next month’s board meeting.

Traveling around the area in December? Join your colleagues at one of the three regional offices for their annual holiday potlucks! The Clear Lake  potluck will be held on Monday, December 12, Cedar Falls on Tuesday, December 13, and Marshalltown on Thursday, December 15. ‘Tis the season for good food and fellowship.

Beginning July 1, AEA 267 Media services (including the lending library) will be operated from the Marshalltown Office. The move will create greater efficiencies in both staffing and van routes. Locating the program in Marshalltown should not significantly impact services to either AEA staff or our LEA partners given that van delivery will still take place weekly. However, ordering cut-off times may need to be adjusted. (Details about changes to van routes and ordering cut-off times will be communicated later this spring.)

Along with changes to Media, Creative Services will be based in Cedar Falls with some on-demand availability for print in both the Clear Lake and Marshalltown offices. Keep sending your print orders as the same great service is in place; however, please be mindful of quick turnarounds where possible. The more planful you can be about your order, the better. Due to decreased visitor traffic over the years, the Production Lab in the Clear Lake Office will be closing on June 30. Lamination and letter cutout (die cut) services will still be available by sending orders to Creative Services.

Please change your voicemail greeting and set an away message to your email during the holiday breaks so that callers and/or e-mailers will know when they can expect to hear from you.

Voice mail example:

“Hello, this is (your name). Our office will be closed beginning Monday, December 26 and will reopen on Tuesday, January 3. Please leave your name, telephone number and a detailed message and I will call when I return. Thank you!”

Email “away” message example:

“Thank you for your email. I will be out of the office beginning Monday, December 26 through January 2 and will respond to your email upon my return. Thank you and have a wonderful holiday!”

If you need assistance with either task, please visit with your supervisor or administrator.

Last month, ten AEA 267 staff members participated in No Shave November and in the spirit of fun, each put up $10 for the man who was able to grow the best beard in 30 days. It was a difficult decision, but the ladies of Ad Cabinet, the business office, and HR determined that one man, above the rest, grew the best beard!

Congratulations to the winner Dean Baldwin, Lead Custodian/Maintenance in the Marshalltown office! And kudos to Sam Miller, Karl Kurt, Dave Nicholson, Jerry Schnabel, Chad Pinkston, Greg Ehrig, Bryan Knecht, Matt Webber, and Shane Wolf for helping raise awareness of men’s health!

Of special note is that Dean is graciously donating all the money he won from the other men to the memorial fund for the fallen Des Moines police officers. Way to go Dean!

According to Food Bank of Iowa, one in five Iowa children do not have enough food to eat. For every $1 donation, four meals can be provided to needy families in our area. From now until December 16, AEA 267 staff members are invited to donate funds to support area food pantries. For every $1 you donate, your name will be entered into a raffle for prizes donated by the AEA 267 administrative staff.

To participate, take your monetary donation to Lori Thomas in Cedar Falls, Laura Rinnels in Clear Lake, Jennifer DuVall in Marshalltown, or Joan Coffin at River Hills School. Prizes include gift cards to places like Casey’s, HyVee, Kohls, Target and Walmart, along with incredible gift baskets.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met Wednesday, December 7, 2016 in the Cedar Falls Conference Center. The board packet is available online and the minutes will be published online after approval at the next month’s board meeting.

Uncommon Sense, a project rooted in Iowa stories about Iowa families and communities affected by life on the spectrum, is premiering January 21 & 22,  2017 at the Gallagher Bluedorn on the University of Northern Iowa campus in Cedar Falls. This three-year collaboration began with interviews of Iowans and captures the stories of the people in the narrative of the play with humor, love, and understanding. Uncommon Sense has been valued for its capacity to affect a vast audience and is devoted to elevating public awareness of neurodiversity through its story.

For more information and to request your complimentary tickets, visit UNI’s Uncommon Sense website and select, GET TICKETS.

To support a timely staff replacement process and assist in budget planning, a retirement incentive is being provided for Certified and Administrative Staff who provide early notification of their intent to resign or retire at the end of the 2016-17 work year.

The proposed incentive would be administered as follows:

Commitments of separation by resignation or retirement at the end of the 2016-17 work year submitted by Certified or Administrative Staff, and received in the Human Resources Office between October 3, 2016, and December 2, 2016, and accepted by the Board no later than the regular meeting on December 7, 2016, will receive an early notification incentive payment of $1,500 to be payable June 30, 2017 subject to the employee fulfilling their individual employment contract obligations for the 2016-17 work year.

This incentive is only being offered to Certified and Administrative staff due to the challenge in securing replacement licensed staff in these categories.

 In an effort to raise awareness for men’s health issues, as well as have a little fun, 10 AEA 267 team members are joining with countless others by participating in No Shave November.

The rules are simple, on November 1st the men agree to shave their faces and then put down the razor for an entire month. At the end of the month, the women of Ad Cabinet, the Business Office, and Human Resources will be the judges as to who was able to grow the best beard.

The winner will be announced in the December edition of Intersections.

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!