The master calendar for key administrative meeting dates for 2021-22 has been updated. This calendar is where you will find the dates for regional meetings, all-staff meetings and other large agency meetings.
When you click the link, you will be asked if you want to “add” this calendar. Be sure to check back regularly for updates.
Summer office hours went into effect on Monday, June 7 and offices will be open 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Regular office hours of 8:00 a.m – 4:30 p.m. will resume Monday, August 9. Enjoy your summer!
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s retirement celebration! What a fantastic way to send off our teammates who took a leap of faith and dove headfirst into the retirement pool! Living in an almost post-COVID world, it was wonderful to see our teammates creatively interact and experiment with new technologies.
If you were not able to attend the celebration or would like to watch it again, a recording is available below. Please note, you will need the passcode in order to view the video.
To our retirees, best of luck with your new adventures!
Turn off Chrome notifications
Do you have invasive or unwanted notifications appearing on your computer screen from random websites or various apps? That can grow annoying fast, which is why many users want a way to get rid of them quickly and easily.
Mute browser tabs
Have you ever been in a Zoom meeting and been interrupted by a sound notification or audio advertisement for a website or app? Modern desktop web browsers—Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari—all allow you to mute individual browser tabs in just a few clicks.
Join us in thanking our dedicated board members this month during School Board Recognition Month! Serving over 62,000 students, 5,000 educators, and approximately 500 staff members, these nine committed volunteers are the backbone of the agency, setting the course for our work!
A virtual all-staff meeting and retirement celebration will be held on Thursday, May 13, from 9:00-10:30 a.m. Regional Administrators will be sending more information closer to the date regarding specific regional and discipline meetings that will be held after the all-staff meeting.
Please join us in congratulating this year’s retirees and recognizing them for their dedication and years of service to the agency. Those retiring this year include:
The following Zoom information can be used to join the all-staff meeting & celebration:
Kelsey Baker, currently a School Psychologist for Region 6, has been named half-time Assistant Principal for River Hills School. In her new role, Kelsey will serve as an assistant to longtime Principal Mike Lonning, while also serving as a Team Representative for the school.
Kelsey has served area students and families as a School Psychologist with the Area Education Agency system since 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.
Kelsey holds a School Psychologist Specialist 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.
“Kelsey is a perfect fit for the amazing students, staff and families at River Hills School,” said Mike Lonning. “In addition to being extremely knowledgeable and experienced, she is a kind and caring individual with a heart for children. We are lucky to have her.”
Kelsey will begin her new position on July 1, 2021.
Make It OK is a national campaign designed to increase understanding and reduce the stigma of mental illness in the workplace. While work often contributes to mental well-being for many, it can also negatively affect an employee. Central Rivers AEA is partnering with Make it Ok Iowa to bring awareness and provide additional resources to help staff address their mental health wellbeing.
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) available to all agency employees and provides no-cost, confidential help for a wide variety of mental health needs and concerns. Access to trained counselors is available 24 hours a day by calling 866.451.5465. Additional resources can be found on the Portal > My Benefits > Employee Assistance Program/Mental Health Supports.
Together, we are starting the conversation around mental illness and providing help that is supportive and open. Please contact Karl Kurt, Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of HR if you have any questions or would like more information.
Zoom is rolling out a new video background feature called Immersive View that could make video calls feel more like a dynamic learning environment. Immersive View allows hosts to arrange video participants and webinar panelists into a single virtual background, bringing people together into one scene to connect and collaborate in a cohesive virtual meeting space.
Whether you want to create the feeling of being in a classroom, boardroom, or auditorium, Immersive View assembles up to 25 participants in one meeting environment. Hosts will have the option to automatically or manually place participants into a virtual scene of their choosing. Hosts can also easily move participants around that scene and even resize a participant’s image for a more natural experience.
In order to make this new feature available, you will need to be running the latest version of Zoom. If you have any questions or need technical assistance, please contact the Help Desk at 319.273.8231 or helpdesk@centralriversaea.org.
Spring it On is our youth shelter donation drive and a great opportunity for staff to spring into action and provide our shelter youth with basic necessities to make their landing feel just a little bit softer!
Central Rivers AEA provides temporary educational services to students in three youth shelter programs: Four Oaks in Independence, Francis Lauer Youth Shelter (FLYS) in Mason City, and Woodhaven in Waverly.
Our students often come to us with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and if they have a few items, they are usually carried in a garbage bag. Students are typically ages 11-18 and live on-site in a residential facility for anywhere from two to 45 days, sometimes longer.
Students come from a variety of situations including:
Details on items needed and the sign-up sheet can be found on this document. Please consider joining the drive either on your own or with a team (i.e. departments, disciplines, regions) and help us fill suitcases with donated items for the youth shelter kids!
