Monday, August 6, 2012

August School Leader Update From Iowa Dept of Education

Click here to download the August 2012 issue of the School Leader Update from the Iowa Department of Education.

All-Staff & Regional Meetings Information

You should have all received via U.S. mail a letter about the August 13 morning all-staff meeting and afternoon regional meetings as well as a flyer with details about the benefits & wellness fair to be held before the all-staff meeting. To recap:

August 13
Benefits & Wellness Fair
7:30-9:00 a.m.

All-Staff Meeting
NEW STARTING TIME: 9:00-11:30 a.m.

Location: Performing Arts Center at Urbandale High School, 7111 Aurora Avenue, Urbandale

Click here to download a map of the high school grounds. The parking lot you are to park in is on the left side of the page and is highlighted in orange. While there is a large parking lot, we encourage you to carpool if possible. Please enter the high school through the doors marked Urbandale High School. The doors marked Performing Arts Center will be locked.

• This year we will have a Benefits & Wellness fair from 7:30-9:00 a.m. before the start of the meeting. This is a great chance to meet one-on-one with some of our benefit representatives, learn more about wellness options and to test your vision and hearing.
• We will have a classroom set up outside of the auditorium for badge photos to be taken before the meeting begins. If you haven’t had your photo updated since 2007 (which many of you haven’t!), we encourage you to update your photo. It’s important that your photo looks like you!
• We will be recognizing our years of service award recipients for 2012. Even though awards have already been handed out, we will recognize the year’s recipients as a whole group.
• Send in your photos! We want to show off you, your family and friends. We want to see photos of babies, pets, weddings, anniversaries, graduations, winning teams and over achievers from the past year. Send your photos to comms@aea11.k12.ia.us BY AUGUST 7.

August 13 – All-Staff Activities
Benefits & Wellness Fair
7:30-9:00 a.m.

All-Staff Meeting
9:00-11:30 a.m. Performing Arts Center at Urbandale High School
(7111 Aurora Avenue, Urbandale)

Lunch on your own • 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Regional Meetings
1:00-4:00 p.m. Regional Directors will determine office meeting content with some common messages for everyone in the Agency.

Note:
Shelter Care & Operations Staff – no afternoon meeting

Region 1 Stoney Creek Inn, Meadows Room (5291 Stoney Creek Court, Johnston)
Region 2 Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center, Conf. Rooms 3 & 4 (6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston)
Region 3 Zion Lutheran Church (4300 Beaver Avenue, Des Moines)
Region 4 Heartland AEA Administration Center, Board Room (6445 Corporate Drive, Johnston)
Region 5 Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center, Conf. Rooms 13A/B (6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston)
Region 6 Johnston Lions Club (6401 Merle Hay Road, Johnston)
Region 7 Stoney Creek Inn, Pioneer Room (5291 Stoney Creek Court, Johnston)
Region 8 Holiday Inn & Suites (4800 Merle Hay Road, Urbandale)

2012-2013 Composite Calendar Now Available

Click here to download the 2012-2013 Heartland area schools composite calendar. We have included all of our public districts, non-public schools and year-round schools in this year’s edition. The calendar lists our districts’ start dates, teacher workdays/in-services, parent/teacher conferences, early dismissals, holidays/no school days, breaks, semester ending dates and year-end dates. School schedules are subject to change throughout the year. It is in Excel format for easy viewing and printing.

Staff Space

Star Staff
In this space you can read about the great things Heartland staff members are doing professionally, to support our schools or to support their co-workers! Please send these types of good news messages to comms@aea11.k12.ia.us.

Some positive comments were submitted by Denise Krefting (Instructional Technology Consultant/AD) from the Teaching & Learning With Technology Summer Academy held in June in Panora.

“The conference was such a great experience! I have so many new ideas, and I am excited about getting organized with all of these ideas before school begins. Thanks so much for your work in coordinating such an amazing learning experience for us!

“Thanks so much to you and all the other tech people at the AEA for putting this together. If you would be kind enough to also express my great appreciation to the superintendent of Panorama and their staff for hosting us in their beautiful facility, I will appreciate it. I really feel empowered to make technology a more integral part of my professional teaching practice.”

“This has been a great way to be introduced to different tools and to have time to get some practice with them. Working next to other teachers with various levels of expertise is such a benefit to be able to pick each other’s brains. I really appreciate this sort of opportunity to learn something new.”

“This has been the most informative opportunity, and I have time this summer to develop materials before classes begin in August. I look forward to attending this again next June. Absolutely the best program I attended.”

New Employees
Annie Almquist (School Psychologist/AD)
Chris Arend (Regional Administrative Assistant/JO)
Vickie Borich (Curriculum Consultant-Mathematics/AD)
Brittney Cates (School Psychologist/NE)
Angela Christenson (School Psychologist/IN)
Kelli Churchman (Early Childhood Special Education Consultant/AD)
Jill Crees (Production Facilitator/JO)
Shanna Edmondson-Burke (Speech-Language Pathologist/JO)
Kristine Gabrielson (Speech-Language Pathologist/AD)
Abigail Goldenstein (Speech-Language Pathologist/KN)
Samantha Gregory (School Psychologist/AD)
Dawn Grimes (Special Education Consultant/AM)
Kendra Halferty (Regional Administrative Assistant/NE)
Emily Hoerman (School Psychologist/NE)
Deborah Humpal (Instructional Designer/AEA System/JO)
Kara Ihde (Speech-Language Pathologist/AD)
Kim Johnk (Physical Therapist/GC)
Brigitte Johnson (School Psychologist/AD)
Jenna Kessel-Pankow (Speech-Language Pathologist/KN)
Julie Lauridsen (Special Education Consultant/AD)
Jessica Luhman (Speech-Language Pathologist/GC)
Tracy Molitor (Speech-Language Pathologist/AM)
Molly Off (Speech-Language Pathologist/GC)
Lisa Peterson (Special Education Consultant/NE)
Liz Roling (Speech-Language Pathology Assistant/IN)
Marlene Shaw (Substitute Special Education Nurse/JO)
Meghan Schemmel (School Psychologist/AD)
Jana Schneckloth (School Social Worker/JO)
Lauren Vanderhorst (School Psychologist/GC)

Names Changes
Alicia Rasmussen from Alicia Zadow

Office Changes
Julie Brightman to JO from IN
Chris Pierson to NE from JO
Karla Jones to JO from NE

Position Changes
Rob Brookhart to Instructional Designer/AEA System from School Psychologist
Valerie Hubert to Regional Administrative Assistant/AM from Audiometrist/JO
Cindy Sturtz to Speech-Language Pathologist from Speech-Language Pathology Assistant
Courtney Whittington to School Social Worker/AM from SCEP Title 1 Teacher Associate/PCDC

Rehired Employees
Kelly Gauck (School Social Worker/AM)
Jennifer Gilmore (School Social Worker/IN)
Deanne Horning (Substitute Consultant/AD)
Lucille Moen (Substitute Speech-Language Pathologist/AM)

Title Changes
Wendi Acri to School Social Worker from Challenging Behavior & Autism Consultant
Jennifer Adkins to School Psychologist from Assessment Consultant
Sherise Ahlers to Central Office Administrative Assistant from Secretary
Sandy Anderson to Regional Administrative Assistant from Secretary
Annis Austin-Woods to Regional Administrative Assistant from Special Education Clerk
Donna Bachman to Occupational Therapist from Program Assistant, Occupational Therapy
Teresa Bellinghausen to Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant from Consultant, Teaching & Learning, Secondary Education
Tim Blakeslee to School Psychologist from Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant
Mary Kay Borts to Speech-Language Pathologist from Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant
Angela Bosworth to Regional Administrative Assistant from Regional Secretary
Chrissy Bradley to Human Resources Specialist from Human Resources Data Specialist
Janet Brown to Regional Administrative Assistant from Secretary
Mary Jo Brown to School Psychologist from Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant
Tori Carsrud to Itinerant Teacher – Hearing from Program Assistant, Hearing/Itinerant Teacher – Hearing
Colleen Chalfant to Regional Administrative Assistant from Regional Secretary
Pam Childers to School Psychologist from Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant
Victoria Chiles to Regional Administrative Assistant from Regional Secretary
Nicole Craun to School Psychologist from Challenging Behavior & Autism Consultant
Beth Dedic to School Social Worker from Program Assistant, Special Education
Marsha Donohue to Regional Administrative Assistant from Secretary
Emily Donovan to School Social Worker from Challenging Behavior & Autism Consultant
Jill Dunn to School Social Worker from Challenging Behavior & Autism Consultant
Nancy Dunn to Occupational Therapist from Assistive Technology Specialist
Sheila Fay to Special Education Consultant from Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant
Laura Frescoln to Regional Administrative Assistant from Special Education Clerk
LaRon Garlock to Special Education Consultant from Program Assistant, Special Education
Sue Garvey to Regional Administrative Assistant from Secretary
Jessica Hagist to Early Childhood Special Education Consultant from Early Childhood Consultant
Shannon Harken to Special Education Consultant from Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant
Sherri Haupert to Early Childhood Special Education Consultant from Program Assistant, Early Childhood Consultants
Gwen Hoffmann to Regional Administrative Assistant from Special Education Clerk
Trent Holmberg to School Psychologist from Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant/School Psychologist
Suzanne Holmes-Bunde to School Psychologist from Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant/School Psychologist
Laura Howell to Shelter Care Educational Program Title 1 Teacher Associate from Shelter Care Educational Program Teacher Associate
Linda Hoobin to Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant from Teaching & Learning Consultant – Core Curriculum
Julie Hukee to Curriculum Consultant – Math from Program Assistant, Curriculum & Instruction
Tammy Hulsing to Speech-Language Pathologist from Assistive Technology Specialist/Speech-Language Pathologist
Mary Johnson to Regional Administrative Assistant from Secretary
Angela Johnston to School Psychologist from Program Assistant, Special Education
Carolyn Jones to Human Resources Assistant from Human Resources Secretary
Tracey Kreis to School Social Worker from Challenging Behavior & Autism Consultant
Joy Lyons to Speech-Language Pathologist from Assistive Technology Specialist
Jeri Messenger to Regional Administrative Assistant from Secretary
Anne Manahl to School Psychologist from Program Assistant, Special Education
Andrea Matheson to School Psychologist from Assessment Consultant
Lynn McCartney to Instructional Technology Consultant from Program Assistant, Instructional Technology
Sara Mercer to School Psychologist from Program Assistant, Special Education Accountability
Colleen Miller to Central Office Administrative Assistant from Secretary
Sue Mostek to Regional Administrative Assistant from Secretary
Kristin Orton to School Psychologist from Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant
Teri Paulson to Regional Administrative Assistant from Secretary
Kelly Polich to Early Childhood Special Education Consultant from Early Childhood Consultant
Carol Price to Special Education Consultant from Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant
Alecia Rahn-Blakeslee to School Psychologist from Program Assistant, Innovation
Kathy Randel to Regional Administrative Assistant from Secretary
Berrett Rice to School Psychologist from Assessment Consultant
Michelle Richardson to Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant from Instructional Materials Consultant
Cheryl Risen to Special Education Consultant from Program Assistant, External Professional Development
Carrie Roose to Regional Administrative Assistant from Special Education Clerk
Marla Roush to Regional Administrative Assistant from Regional Secretary
Brenda Royer to Regional Administrative Assistant from Secretary
Brianna Sayre Geiser to Early Childhood Special Education Consultant from Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant
Kathy Scebold to Special Education Consultant from Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant
Mary Schmidt to Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant from Consultant, Teaching & Learning, Talented & Gifted
Veretta Schuyler to Regional Administrative Assistant from Special Education Clerk
Jenny Schwery to Shelter Care Teacher Associate from Shelter Care Title 1 Teacher Associate
Sue Severson to Special Education Consultant from Program Assistant, Special Education Consultants
Kathy Sexton to Speech-Language Pathologist from Assistive Technology Specialist
Donna Simpson to Regional Administrative Assistant from Secretary
Sue Smith to School Social Worker from Program Assistant, Special Education
Mary Ann Squires to Regional Administrative Assistant from Secretary
Janet Steinkamp to Regional Administrative Assistant from Secretary
Katie Streff to Central Office Administrative Assistant from Regional Education Center Secretary
Vicki Stumme to School Psychologist from Program Assistant, Special Education
Jennifer Sumner to Special Education Consultant from Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant
Emily Sweeney to Physical Therapist from Program Assistant, Physical Therapy
Kathy Teigland to Regional Administrative Assistant from Special Education Clerk
Kim Thomas to Speech-Language Pathologist from Speech-Language Pathologist/NICU Liaison
Stephanie Ver Helst to Special Education Consultant from Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant
Stacy Volmer to School Psychologist from Program Assistant, Challenging Behavior & Autism/Challenging Behavior & Autism Consultant
Donna Wagner to Regional Administrative Assistant from Secretary
Janice Walter to Central Office Administrative Assistant from Secretary
Susan Ward to School Psychologist from Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant
Natalie Welter to Early Childhood Special Education Consultant from Early Childhood Consultant
Denise White-Staecker to School Social Worker from Challenging Behavior & Autism Consultant
Bess Wood to School Psychologist from Program Assistant, Special Education
Christina Allen Woodland to Regional Administrative Assistant from Secretary

Births
Congratulations to Amy Federer (Speech-Language Pathologist/AD) and her husband, Erik, on the birth of their son, William Erik Federer. William was born July 9 and weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz. and was 20.1 inches long. We are all doing well and are so happy he is here.

Congratulations to Meghan Rupiper (School Psychologist/JO) and her husband, Nic, on the birth of their daughter, Kynlee Roxane Rupiper. Kynlee was born May 30 and weighed 11 lbs. 1 oz. and was 21 3/4 inches long.

August Birthdays
2 Bryce Chidester
2 Marilyn Goertel-Breen
2 Andrea Richmond
4 Linda Moehring
5 Christine Esser
5 Meghan Rupiper
6 Diane Niederhauser
7 Jennifer Etnyre
7 Keri Steele
8 Vicki DeMoss
9 Jennifer Gilmore
10 Jean Vesely
11 Kristi Allison
11 Candice Green
11 Thanh Le
12 Mary Cabeen
12 Martea Engelson
12 Jana Schneckloth
13 Teri Hazen
13 Hope Johnson
14 Brenda Fisher
14 Carla Grasty
14 Patty Shelton
15 Bob Brown
15 Valerie Hubert
15 Carol Kuhn
15 Amy Pickering
17 Brenda Pierce
17 Rhonda Weiss
18 Cindi Ballard
18 Kris Larsen
18 Jennifer Riedemann
21 Shannon Harken
21 Linda McAtee
22 Sheri Haupert
22 Liz Uhl
23 Lisa Lumbard
24 Jessica Pottebaum
24 Jennifer Sumner
25 Vicki Sanders
26 Faye Allen
26 Kathy Clubb
26 Stephaney Jones-Vo
27 Tim Blakeslee
27 Sandy Darveau
27 Linda Wegner
28 Rachel Allen-McHugh
28 Kristin Kimber
28 Kristin Orton
28 Judy Sofen
29 Mary Heaberlin
29 Robin Heuser
30 Lesley Stucker
30 Kurt Subra
31 Sharon Kurns

HeartBeat will resume in September!