The Channel

Dr. Mary Stevens

Dr. Jerry Schnabel

Congratulations to Dr. Mary Stevens, Executive Director of Special Education and Dr. Jerry Schnabel, Executive Director of Media! Both directors announced this week that they would be retiring effective December 2017. The AEA 267 Board of Directors took action last night at their board meeting to accept the resignations with regret.

The start of the new year is typically a time to set personal health goals and start healthier habits. Why not have some fun and work together with your co-workers while you do it? You are encouraged to join one of the many agency teams being formed as part of a friendly wellness competition for prizes. Teams will be formed by region, department and other configuration as determined by supervisors. Watch for more details for your group!

Here’s how it works:

1. Contest begins January 16, 2017
2. To participate, kick in $2 which goes toward overall prizes. (Participation is voluntary.) Money should be turned in to the designated person for your team as determined by your supervisor/team lead.
3. Designate a name for your group’s team.
4. Identify a measurable personal goal around healthier EATing, increased MOVEment or better SLEEPing habits. (here are some ideas)
5. Identify the action steps that you will take each week over the next 10 weeks to achieve your goal.
6. Report your progress each week on your team’s Google sheet which will be made available by the team lead/supervisor. Use the point system to share your progress.
7. At the end of the 10 week period, the team with the most points* wins! Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place. Points will be averaged by number of team members.

Ask your supervisor or team lead about details!

Please tentatively mark your calendars for August 14 for the all-staff meeting at our new Central Rivers AEA home in at 1521 Technology Parkway in Cedar Falls! Watch next month’s Intersections for a confirmation (or a different date if necessary). Plans will be firmed up in the next few weeks including the start and end time for the day as well as the agenda and speakers.

Thank you to everyone who donated both cash and prizes for the 2016 Food Bank Drive. Together, we were able to raise $1,450 to help stock food pantries in Iowa. What a great accomplishment! View a complete list of donors and prize winners here.

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.