The Channel

The virtual all-staff meeting to honor our retirees has been rescheduled to Friday, May 27 due to a conflict on May 20. Please note this change on your calendars and join us as we celebrate those retiring! The celebration will begin at 9:00 am and more details will be available in an upcoming newsletter. 

Thank you to those who were able to join Chief Administrator Sam Miller virtually this morning for an update on agency events and current trends in K-12 education.  These informal meetings are a great place to get any questions you might have answered and an opportunity to express your thoughts & concerns.

Today’s recording is available to view online. Please note the passcode (1J@8XbqR) must be used to enable viewing.

The next update will be held on Friday, April 1, 2022, beginning at 8:00 am.

• https://centralriversaea.zoom.us/j/83459443089
• Meeting ID: 834 5944 3089
• One tap mobile +13126266799,,83459443089#

W-2s for calendar year 2021 were handed out to office staff or mailed to your home during the week of January 24. If you need another copy, please visit the IVisions portal under My Compensation and download the form. Questions should be directed via email to Shane Wolf or by calling 319-273-8203.

Wellmark is now reimbursing members for FDA approved over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 tests that are purchased on or after January 15, 2022. Other insurance benefits relating to the virus include: 

• No-cost COVID-19 testing related to the diagnosis of COVID-19 when ordered by your healthcare provider.
• Same out-of-pocket cost to see your healthcare provider in an office setting or a virtual visit.
• Wellmark members can get the COVID-19 vaccine, including booster shots, at no cost.

To find more information, please visit the Wellmark website .

The 2022-23 All-Staff Kickoff meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 17, 2022. Please add this date to your calendar. The meeting will be held in the Cedar Falls Conference Center and attendance is mandatory for all employees. 

Thank you to everyone who completed the Accessibility Self-Paced Training Course! We wanted to continue to provide you with some examples as well as some tips and tricks to ensure content that you create digitally will be accessible to everyone. We will continue to explore and address as many of your questions as possible. You can always return to the Accessibility Self-Paced Training to review the different ways you can make documents more accessible. For more examples and feedback, please view the Accessibility Follow-Ups document. If you have any questions or need support, please contact the CRAEA help desk at helpdesk@centralriversaea.org. 

Reminder of CRAEA’s expectations regarding accessibility: Digital accessibility is not only a legal requirement, but an obligation to ensure everyone can utilize our products and services.  Creating an inclusive digital environment will provide access to our resources and limit barriers while enhancing participation among those we support and serve. 

Important to note: When creating content digitally, always consider the audience. You cannot assume your content regardless of the format (Documents, Slides, Sheets or the web) will not be accessed by someone who has a disability. Our job is to create opportunities, not obstacles. 

Google Calendar RSVP Options

To make Google Calendar more flexible in the hybrid workplace, they’ve introduced new RSVP options for Calendar invitations. Now you can indicate how you plan to join a meeting – in the meeting room, or virtually. Both the organizer and guests will be able to see how attendees are planning to attend the meeting in the event detail. This will help meeting attendees know what to expect when joining a meeting and prepare accordingly.

Google Calendar Hacks

On the outside, Google Calendar may look like any other standard online calendar. But dig a little deeper and you’ll unearth a wealth of features and functions. You’ll be amazed at how organized your work and personal life can be with Google Calendar. To make the best use of it, check out some Google Calendar hacks and see how your productivity and performance can boost to the next level!

Interested in saving a few extra dollars in the new year? Check out two discount programs available to CRAEA employees:

Blue365

• Offers access to many health and wellness deals.
• Available at no cost to members of Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield.
• Member-benefits include discounts on fitness, hearing and vision products, nutrition and personal care tips, travel deals and so much more!
• Registration is simple, so don’t miss out on the many great offers!

Cell Phone Discount

• There are personal cell phone discounts available to Central Rivers AEA employees through a State of Iowa contract with four wireless providers: AT&T, Sprint-Nextel, U.S. Cellular and Verizon.
• Eligibility, discounts and identification requirements vary with each cellular provider.
• For specific details on educational discounts, please visit the above cell phone providers’ websites for more information.

Mike Lonning, River Hills School Principal

After 35 years of service to the children and families served by the Area Education Agency (AEA) system, Mike Lonning will retire from his position as principal of River Hills School, effective August 31, 2022.

The Central Rivers Area Education Agency Board of Directors acted on Lonning’s resignation during their regular meeting on January 5, and appointed Kelsey Baker, currently serving as an Assistant Principal for River Hills, to the position.

Lonning started his career with AEA 7 in 1987 as a Teacher of Behavior Disorders at Van Eaton School. He later held several positions including Interim Principal at River Hills, Evaluation Facilitator Interventionist Specialist, and Administrative Intern with Four Oaks  before becoming principal of River Hills School in 2008. 

“I sincerely appreciate the great support the agency has provided me over the years and for taking a chance on me over 13 years ago as a new principal at River Hills,” said Mike. “It’s been an honor to have the opportunity to be part of the incredible multidisciplinary team at River Hills. Though team members have changed from year to year, their inspiration and motivation had as much of a positive effect on me personally, as they undoubtedly had on the students, families, and districts we serve.”

“Mike has been an incredible leader for this agency,” said Sam Miller, Chief Administrator. “He is deeply respected by the River Hills community of educators and families and has demonstrated unwavering commitment to the students. We wish him all the best in retirement but know that Kelsey will bring the same level of passion to the role. We are grateful for the time Kelsey has spent learning under Mike’s tutelage.”

Prior to serving as assistant principal, Kelsey Baker has served area students and families as a School Psychologist with the Area Education Agency system beginning in 2007. She has also served as a clinician with the Malcolm Price Lab School as well as worked one-on-one with children through Exceptional Persons, Inc. (See related story about her appointment to the role of Assistant Principal at River Hills School in 2021.)

She holds a School Psychologist Specialist and Masters degree from the University of Northern Iowa, a Masters in Education degree through Dordt University, as well as a Bachelors of Education degree from Wartburg College. She was named Iowa School Psychologist of the Year in 2020 and authored the book, “Our Special Family” which highlights family diversity and uniqueness.

“I’ve seen firsthand that River Hills makes a difference for our amazing students every day. Our staff is dedicated to students and embodies an individualized education for each student. I am excited to continue learning and be a part of such excellence!”

Kelsey will begin her new position on July 1, 2022.

The Equity Committee met on January 6 to further plan for the upcoming focus groups to take place later this month. Much of the conversation centered around how to ensure that we have accurate representation in the groups, including increasing the number of staff of color and support staff who participate.

As a reminder, focus groups will…

• Take place during the span of January 5 -19  (8:30 – 10:30 am or 2 – 4 pm)
• Be conducted via Zoom
• Consist of 10 – 12 participants per focus group – that’s 100+ participants! 

If you are interested in participating in a focus group, please sign up on the CRAEA Equity Audit: Focus Group interest form ASAP!

In the survey above, please select all times that would work for you. All feedback will be reported anonymously and will greatly inform our understanding of the work the agency needs to do to become a more equitable organization. 

Please understand, we will be prioritizing participants who represent varied roles and populations which have been traditionally underrepresented within the organization. We will notify you by email if you have been selected for participation.

If you choose not to participate in focus groups, or if you are not selected based on availability or other determining factors, we would encourage you to provide feedback in survey form. A link to the survey will be emailed to all staff in the near future.

We greatly value your input and strongly encourage you to consider participating. As we aspire to be a more equitable and inclusive Agency, we are seeking your insights and feedback.  

Please reach out to Karl Kurt if you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding our Equity Audit and/or the process. 

Thank you to everyone who completed the Accessibility Self-Paced Training Course! We appreciate the time and effort each of you put in to expand your knowledge and skills regarding accessibility. Based on feedback from the course reflection, we wanted to provide you with some examples as well as some tips and tricks to ensure content that you create digitally will be accessible to everyone. We will continue to explore and address as many of your questions as possible. If you have any questions or need support, please contact the CRAEA help desk at helpdesk@centralriversaea.org.

Reminder of CRAEA’s expectations regarding accessibility: Digital accessibility is not only a legal requirement, but an obligation to ensure everyone can utilize our products and services. Creating an inclusive digital environment will provide access to our resources and limit barriers while enhancing participation among those we support and serve.
When creating content digitally, always consider the audience. You cannot assume your content regardless of the format (Documents, Slides, Sheets or the web) will not be accessed by someone who has a disability. Our job is to create opportunities, not obstacles.

Examples of assistive technology in action

• Using Braille Display
• Accessible PDF Screen reader demo is a good example of how headings are utilized by a screen reader.

Tips and tricks for you to try!

Did you know that you can adjust the speed of almost any video by clicking on the gear in the lower right hand corner of the video and selecting a speed that is comfortable for you. This works not only on YouTube videos, but also videos that are in your Google Drive, from Screencastify, Flipgrid videos, Vimeo, etc. When watching a video, look for a gear, three dots, etc. in the lower right corner and see if adjusting the playback speed is available.

playback speed options.

Did you know?

Approximately what percentage of the population between the ages of 18 and 44 have some difficulty hearing to a lot of difficulty hearing, even with a hearing aid? (according to data compiled by the CDC in 2019)

1. 2%
2. 5%
3. 7%
4. 12%

CORRECT ANSWER- 7%!
See this graph below for more info.

Figure 1. Percentage of adults aged 18 and over with difficulty hearing even when using a hearing aid, by age group: United States, 2019

NOTES: Hearing limitation is based on responses to the survey question, “Do you have difficulty hearing, even when using a hearing aid? Would you say no difficulty, some difficulty, a lot of difficulty, or you cannot do this at all?” Estimates are based on household interviews of a sample of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population

The board of directors approved the office calendar for 2022-23 during their meeting this week. The calendar contains the required 260 workdays and lists holidays and office closed days for the school year. A downloadable copy of the calendar can also be found on the staff website under Resources.

Plan now to join Chief Administrator Sam Miller on Friday, February 4, at 8:00 am for a virtual update on agency events and current trends in K-12 education. This is a great opportunity to get any questions or concerns you have have answered.  So grab a cup of coffee or your favorite morning beverage and join us!

Zoom information to join:

• https://centralriversaea.zoom.us/j/81908784702
• Meeting ID: 819 0878 4702
• One tap mobile  +13126266799,,81908784702# US

Mistakes – we’ve all been there!  Have you ever been working in Chrome and accidentally closed a browser tab?  Here are two easy ways to get your tab back:

• Use the Ctrl + Shift + T keyboard shortcut on a PC and Cmd + Shift + T on a Mac, or
• Right-click on your Chrome tab bar > Reopen closed tab

• Another very common frustration is working on a project and you accidentally make a mistake that could potentially undo all your great work. Happily, you can reverse the mistake with one easy keyboard shortcut: 
  • Ctrl + Z on a PC and Cmd + Z on Macs. 

Most programs have an Undo command that reverts back to the last change you made to your current project.  This can come in handy and just knowing the feature is available can be a big relief!

A newly launched learning center now available from Zoom!  The Learning Center, a free online platform that educates and empowers users to confidently use Zoom through a series of short, on-demand online courses and videos.  The Learning Center currently offers courses on Zoom Phone, Meetings, Webinars, and Rooms, along with being continuously enhanced and updated with the launch of new features and products.  With engaging content for new and experienced Zoom users, there is truly something for everyone so that you can work and collaborate more effectively on Zoom.

To get started with the Learning Center, please follow the link, sign-in with your Zoom account, and choose “Start Learning”.  Users will automatically be enrolled in the “Getting Started with the Learning Center” and “Getting Started with Zoom” courses.  We recommend that you start here to get acquainted with the platform and general layout of the courses.  From there, you can explore different learning paths, learn more about the products Zoom offers, and become an expert on all things Zoom.

If you have any questions or need technical assistance, please contact the Help Desk at: 319-273-8231 or helpdesk@centralriversaea.org.      

Roberta Kraft-Abrahamson

Congratulations and happy retirement to Roberta Kraft-Abrahamson, former Director District 1!

During her time at Central Rivers AEA (CRAEA), Roberta served 19 years on the board and 25 years at CRAEA in various roles including:

• Speech-Language-Pathologist (SLP)
• Parent Educator Coordinator
• Sector Coordinator
• School Social Worker

“Roberta was always a knowledgeable, solution-focused and caring board member,” said Sam Miller. “She constantly used her AEA experience to further our mission.”

Thank you for your 44 years of service to Central Rivers AEA, Roberta!  You will be missed!