The Channel

Here’s a quick tip to safely show a YouTube video without the worry of advertisements. 

Type a dash between the t and u in the word “tube” in the URL and the video will enter full screen and eliminate ads. 

For example, instead of sharing this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zerUb9zU1L0 – share this link: https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=zerUb9zU1L0

The vaccine for Covid-19 is becoming more widely available and supply will increase in the weeks and months to come. Central Rivers AEA is working closely with local public health officials and we are optimistic that staff will be included as essential workers and able to receive the vaccine in the near future. 

We are beginning to hear from county health departments that are ready to begin vaccinating some of our staff based on their role. (For instance, OT, PTs, SLPs, and Audiology staff may be considered medical staff and vaccinated earlier.) It’s important to note that county health departments make the decisions about who receives the vaccine and when. However, to ensure that we are in the best position possible to respond quickly when vaccines are available, we are asking all of our staff to respond to this survey by January 12.

The vaccine will not be required but is highly encouraged. The CDC is a great resource for information regarding the safety and effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine. 

The vaccine component will be paid by the federal government; however, the administration of the vaccines will be charged to insurance.  There will be no employee cost share to insured staff as Central Rivers AEA’s insurance plan will pay 100% of the administration expenses. The agency will reimburse mileage for employees that need to travel to a location that is outside of their school assignments to receive the vaccine.

COVID-19 tests and related services will continue to process with no employee cost share. Central Rivers AEA’s insurance plan will pay 100% of the expenses. Please note that this is only for testing completed through doctors’ offices/medical facilities and does not include services like Test Iowa, which does not bill insurance.

This Act previously provided additional paid leave for various COVID related reasons.  As we shift from FFCRA provided leave, employees who are unable to work due to COVID related symptoms/self-care will need to use their own paid leaves, using specific reason “COVID 2021”.

Please contact HR (319-273-8247) if you have any questions and/or have exhausted all of your paid leaves. It is our hope to continue to support our staff members as we deal with COVID-19, while continuing to provide our necessary supports and services.  We will continue to try and identify possible win-win solutions as we face various/unique situations.

Sarah Nelson, Director of Information Technology/Consultant for School Improvement for Region 10, has been named Director of Information Technology and Special Programs, beginning July 1, 2021.

In her new role, Sarah will continue to lead the Information Technology team while also providing instructional leadership for the agency shelter programs and Career and Technical Education in collaboration with Rod Ball. In addition, Sarah will supervise staff carrying out services under Title III, English Learners.   

Sarah has served the agency as a consultant for technology and school improvement for the past four years. Prior to joining the agency, she served the Waverly-Shell Rock CSD for four years as a K-12 tech integrationist and instructional coach. She has also taught literacy, Spanish, and ELL at Waterloo CSD.

Sarah holds a Masters degree in Secondary Education along with endorsements in K-12 English as a Second Language, 5-12 Spanish, Middle School, and Reading. She completed the Advanced Studies Certificate Principalship Program at the University of Northern Iowa in 2016.

“Sarah brings a host of skills to this role,” said Sam Miller. “Her leadership in the areas of technology, teaching, and learning will advance our programming in the areas she will oversee and further integrate our services between general and special education. She’s a great fit.”

Please join us in congratulating Sarah on her new role!

As part of a unified effort with all nine of Iowa’s AEAs, the Central Rivers AEA Creative Services department is proud to roll out a new ordering system. The new system offers several benefits to our customers which include: 1.) the ability to retain a personal order history; 2.) an expanded array of products and sizes; 3.) faster re-orders; and 4.) the ability to view the production status of each order including a notification once complete. The system also estimates the cost of your order based on the information provided. (Please note that this is only an estimate.)

When you are ready to place your next order, please begin using the new system and let us know about your experience! If this isn’t typically a heavy order time for you, we’d be happy to walk you through the system with previous orders in mind so that you have a sense of how it works. Simply contact Deb Hanson, to schedule a time to Zoom and learn more.

To assist you, we have created this set of directions and quick video tutorial to get you started. (If you have ideas for making these clearer for future users, feel free to use the comment feature and offer suggestions!) We will be rolling out the new system to local school districts beginning January 18.

Thank you for your continued partnership with Creative Services. We are excited to create for you in 2021!

Mental health professionals from Iowa’s nine AEAs recently collaborated to create a website for Iowans who are searching for mental health assistance. The website at www.IowaAEAMentalHealth.org came from a request by the state legislature to help educators, parents, and students navigate resources related to mental health and well-being in Iowa. In addition to AEA contacts for the schools, the site provides contacts for the home setting from Iowa’s Mental Health and Disability Services (MHDS).

The website features vetted sources to educate visitors about addiction and substance abuse; anxiety and stress disorders; attention deficit disorder; depression; eating disorders; and self-harm.

A listing of Iowa groups and agencies that advocate for children and families is part of an education component of the site, as well as reducing the stigma associated with mental health.

MHDS employees who work with community partners and clients are encouraged to check out the site, especially the “Find Support” page, in order to demonstrate how to navigate the resources.

The Health Savings Account (HSA) calendar-year limits are set for 2021.  Please email Betty Hesseling, Benefits Specialist, if you would like to change your HSA contributions.  Betty will create a life event on the Portal that will allow you to change your monthly contribution. 

As we look forward to 2021, it’s a great time to review your retirement plan.  Employees contributing to a 403b will want to double check to make sure their contributions do not exceed the maximum contribution limit for 2021.  The table below explains the maximum contribution amounts.  Please complete the salary reduction form found on the Portal > My Benefits > Retirement and submit to Betty Hesseling, Benefits Specialist.

If you don’t have a retirement account such as a Roth IRA or a pre-tax 403b account, maybe this is the year you consider saving a little extra for retirement.  (Note: Those of you on our $3,500 High Deductible Health Plan could consider maximizing contributions to a Health Savings Account as part of your retirement plan as well).