The Channel

While it’s been an unseasonably mild winter so far, undoubtedly a major weather event is in our future. Please be aware that the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for inclement weather have been updated on the staff website and in the portal under My Toolkbox>Inclement Weather.

If you use a Windows computer you may have received notifications from Microsoft encouraging  you to upgrade to Windows 10. We do not recommend an upgrade at this time, so please disregard all notifications to upgrade to Windows 10 until further notice.

Kathy Enslin, AEA 267 Assistant Chief Administrator & Director of Human Resources

The AEA 267 Board of Directors accepted, with regret, the retirement notice of Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of Human Resources, Kathy Enslin, effective June 30. Enslin has served the agency since 2013 when she took the position on an interim basis. Prior to taking the position with AEA 267, Enslin served as the superintendent at Denver and North Kossuth Community School Districts.

The agency will begin the search process for a new Assistant Chief/Director of Human Resources later this month. It is anticipated that Enslin’s replacement will be on board by July 1.

“I have truly enjoyed the time I spent at AEA 267,” said Enslin. “I have great admiration for the expertise and experience of the staff here and I have found the work to be highly rewarding. This has been an incredible place to finish out my career.”

Thank you to everyone who donated both cash and prizes for the 2015 Food Bank Drive. Together, we were able to raise $1,633 to help stock food pantries in Iowa. What a great accomplishment! Special thanks to Kerri Wilson, Jane Boyle, Beth Strike, and Lori Thomas for their support and assistance with this process.

On December 21, a random number generator was used to pick the winners of the prizes donated by our administrative staff. The winners were:

Cari Teske, AEA 267 Integrated Learning Specialist, will be hosting several sessions to improve your skills and confidence in using Google Apps for Education. During the workshop participants will be organizing and creating files in Google Drive and working through a Google Doc including sharing privileges and linking information.

This course is intended for AEA 267 staff who are just getting started with Google Apps. Register online through My267. (Course #15360)

If you are unable to attend any of these sessions, additional training may be scheduled at your convenience. Please contact Cari to set up an alternate date.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met Wednesday, January 6, 2016 in the Cedar Falls AEA 267 Conference Center. The board held a work session at 4 pm to discuss the professional development plan update for the Chief Administrator. The regular board meeting took place at 6 pm.
The agenda for the January meeting can be found on the agency website under About Us>Board of Directors>Board Meetings & Agendas. Official minutes will be posted the following month after board approval.

Traveling around the area in December? Join your colleagues at one of the three regional offices for their annual holiday potlucks! The Marshalltown and Cedar Falls Offices will hold their potlucks on December 16, while the Clear Lake Office potluck will be on December 18. ‘Tis the season for good food and fellowship.

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 18, 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 Kerri Wilson in Cedar Falls, Lori Thomas in Clear Lake, Jane Boyle in Marshalltown, or any satellite office or special school secretary.

Prizes include gift cards to places like Casey’s, HyVee, Kohls, Target and Walmart, along with incredible gift baskets.

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 Thursday, December 24 and will reopen on Monday, January 4. 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 Thursday, December 24 through January 3 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.

The new “Flex Room” in the remodeled conference space provides new opportunities for the use of technology in instruction.

The remodeling of the Cedar Falls Conference Center is now complete and staff have been settling into their new space. An open house is being held on Wednesday, December 16th, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Please stop in to take a look at the new areas while you are here for the holiday potluck. 

While this had the most direct impact on people in the Cedar Falls office, everyone was touched in some way by the remodeling. Thank you all for your patience, understanding and good humor through the process!

Interested in seeing the final product? Check out this gallery of photos!