You may have noticed over the course of the past several months that publications and materials being produced by our graphic designers have made use of our agency logo minus the “Extending your reach” tagline. Agency administration made the decision to slowly phase out use of the tagline with the logo, and the time has come to let staff know that we will officially no longer use the tagline with the logo.
Click here to download the Agency logo without the tagline. Going forward, please use this version when using the logo on agency-related materials. The logo is also archived on the Intranet > Communications > Resources & Publications.
The logo minus the tagline will be replaced on templates and other non-print materials in the near future. Current hard copy materials that contain the logo with the tagline do not need to be replaced or recycled, but the revised logo should be used when updating or reprinting the materials.
If you have any questions, contact the Communications Department at comms@aea11.k12.ia.us.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Reminder: 2012-13 Staff & Schools Directory Available
In case you missed it last week, click here to download the 2012-13 Heartland AEA Staff & Schools Directory.
It is archived on the Intranet > Communications > Agency Resources and Publications.
October 2012 School Leader Update
Click here to download the October 2012 issue of the School Leader Update from the Iowa Department of Education.
Wellness Update
Next Step Contest
So far all involved in the next step contest are walking their way to wellness! Just over three weeks into the contest, Heartland participants have walked 29,345 miles, logging over 58 million steps! And remember if you’re doing other activities than walking, you can use the step conversion chart.
Our winner in the best team name contest, beating out Rapid Thigh Movement and Pedominators by a wide margin is....Between a Walk and a Hard Pace! Congratulations—your prizes will be awarded at the end of the contest. There will also be prizes for the top three teams in the contest, as well as prizes for the team with the highest weekly total of steps, as well as the individual with the highest number of steps. So with just ten days left in the contest, you’ll need to kick it into high gear!
Physical and Well-Being Assessment
Don’t forget to plan on getting your physical again this year. As part of the Heartland Wellness Program, we ask that you get a physical and fill out your well-being assessment. There will be more information on this to come. Remember you can only have one physical per calendar year, so if you had one last January or February, you’ll have to wait until 2013 to have another one.
Wellness Resources
Don’t forget about the awesome wellness resources you have at your disposal. The Wellness tab on the Employee Dashboard has links to the well-being assessment and insurance information, as well as wellness articles and tips. The wellness calendar has community events such as local farmers’ markets and run/bike events, as well as Hy-Vee’s recipe of the day. The calendar is located on the left side of your Kerio mail under “Public Folders.”
As a member of Wellmark, we also have access to retail and online wellness deals, including discounted gym memberships. Go to www.blue365deals.com for more information. If you have questions, contact Tony Chiaramonte, Human Resources Generalist, at tchiaramonte@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14534.
So far all involved in the next step contest are walking their way to wellness! Just over three weeks into the contest, Heartland participants have walked 29,345 miles, logging over 58 million steps! And remember if you’re doing other activities than walking, you can use the step conversion chart.
Our winner in the best team name contest, beating out Rapid Thigh Movement and Pedominators by a wide margin is....Between a Walk and a Hard Pace! Congratulations—your prizes will be awarded at the end of the contest. There will also be prizes for the top three teams in the contest, as well as prizes for the team with the highest weekly total of steps, as well as the individual with the highest number of steps. So with just ten days left in the contest, you’ll need to kick it into high gear!
Physical and Well-Being Assessment
Don’t forget to plan on getting your physical again this year. As part of the Heartland Wellness Program, we ask that you get a physical and fill out your well-being assessment. There will be more information on this to come. Remember you can only have one physical per calendar year, so if you had one last January or February, you’ll have to wait until 2013 to have another one.
Wellness Resources
Don’t forget about the awesome wellness resources you have at your disposal. The Wellness tab on the Employee Dashboard has links to the well-being assessment and insurance information, as well as wellness articles and tips. The wellness calendar has community events such as local farmers’ markets and run/bike events, as well as Hy-Vee’s recipe of the day. The calendar is located on the left side of your Kerio mail under “Public Folders.”
As a member of Wellmark, we also have access to retail and online wellness deals, including discounted gym memberships. Go to www.blue365deals.com for more information. If you have questions, contact Tony Chiaramonte, Human Resources Generalist, at tchiaramonte@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14534.
StandardsInsight Tool Now Available
This information was included in Friday’s Administrator Connection.
All school districts now have access to the StandardsInsight Tool, which was developed to provide an in-depth look into the Common Core State Standards. The tool “unpacks” the standards into several categories and has also been adjusted to reflect the Iowa Core Standards. StandardInsights is available thanks to a partnership between the Iowa Department of Education and the Mid-Iowa School Improvement Consortium (MISIC).
A webinar has been developed to provide information on how to access the StandardsInsight Tool. Districts/schools were to identify administrators who will view this initial webinar, as it gives information about how to set up an account for your district/school. http://misiciowa.org/StandardsInsight.html
A second webinar for teachers is also available; this webinar includes information about how teachers can access the district’s account to enter grade level/course specific information about each of the standards. In order for your teachers to have access, you will need to make sure that you have registered your district and set up accounts for your staff.
Note: The Department of Education has had recent feedback about difficulty and confusion regarding district account set-up and access. We expect further information from the Department soon to help address those technical difficulties.
For now, if you have technical questions about accessing or using StandardsInsight, please contact Jamie Morgan at jamie@misiciowa.org. You can also contact Deb Hindman at the Iowa Department of Education at deb.hindman@iowa.gov. If you need support in your district or school with your individual efforts to implement Iowa Core, please work with your regional director from Heartland AEA.
All school districts now have access to the StandardsInsight Tool, which was developed to provide an in-depth look into the Common Core State Standards. The tool “unpacks” the standards into several categories and has also been adjusted to reflect the Iowa Core Standards. StandardInsights is available thanks to a partnership between the Iowa Department of Education and the Mid-Iowa School Improvement Consortium (MISIC).
A webinar has been developed to provide information on how to access the StandardsInsight Tool. Districts/schools were to identify administrators who will view this initial webinar, as it gives information about how to set up an account for your district/school. http://misiciowa.org/StandardsInsight.html
A second webinar for teachers is also available; this webinar includes information about how teachers can access the district’s account to enter grade level/course specific information about each of the standards. In order for your teachers to have access, you will need to make sure that you have registered your district and set up accounts for your staff.
Note: The Department of Education has had recent feedback about difficulty and confusion regarding district account set-up and access. We expect further information from the Department soon to help address those technical difficulties.
For now, if you have technical questions about accessing or using StandardsInsight, please contact Jamie Morgan at jamie@misiciowa.org. You can also contact Deb Hindman at the Iowa Department of Education at deb.hindman@iowa.gov. If you need support in your district or school with your individual efforts to implement Iowa Core, please work with your regional director from Heartland AEA.
October 2012 Board of Directors Meeting Agenda
Click here to download the agenda for the October 9, 2012 Heartland Board of Directors meeting.
Invitation to Contribute to Michael White Scholarship Fund
A scholarship for Newton High School students has been created in memory of Michael White, a longtime Heartland staff member who passed away in May. If you are interested in contributing to the scholarship fund, checks can be made payable to the Michael White Scholarship and sent to Victoria Chiles at the Newton office or to Kelly Tremel at Newton High School.
Access to Student Records by Guardian ad Litem
Click here to download the document signed by Jason Glass, Director of the Iowa Department of Education, on September 21, 2012, regarding Access to Student Records by Guardians ad Litem. This supervisory order explains that any individual appointed by a juvenile court order to serve as a guardian ad litem (GAL) for a child who is subject of the jurisdiction of the juvenile court shall be considered the child’s “parent” for purposes of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and its implementing state and federal statutes and regulations.
Oct. 16 Transition Times Workshop to Feature Panel of Young Adults
Join the Heartland & Des Moines Public Schools’ Parent & Educator Connection for a Transition Times workshop on October 16 with information on planning for successful post-high school experiences. This workshop will feature a panel of successfully employed young adults with disabilities who will share their success stories. Click here for more information.
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