Our Mission
To
provide services and leadership, in partnership with families, schools
and communities, that improve the learning outcomes and well-being of
all children and youth.
Our Goals
• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success
The Des Moines Youth Council’s College Prep Day is one of its signature programs. Grand View University will host the event this year on Dec. 5, 2015, beginning at 9 a.m.
The Council is looking for facilitators who can present sessions on time management and college campus safety. They are also looking for alumni as presenters from the following colleges and universities: Grand View, Drake, University of Northern Iowa, University of Iowa, Central, Simpson, DMACC and Grinnell. If you are interested in volunteering for this event, contact Gilmara Mitchell or Samantha Perry.
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
On Jan. 1, 2016, Wellmark will welcome a new pharmacy benefit manager – CVS/caremark. As part of this transition, Wellmark will have a new mail order vendor – CVS/caremark Mail Service Pharmacy. Learn more from this flyer.
CVS/caremark will mail a letter encouraging all Wellmark members who currently use mail order pharmacy to register for CVS/caremark Mail Service Pharmacy on Jan. 1, 2016.
Items to note:
- Mail order prescriptions will transfer to CVS/caremark with certain limitations. All existing mail order prescriptions that can be transferred to CVS/caremark will be automatically transferred in December 2015. Certain medications are unable to be transferred, such as controlled substances, expired prescriptions and prescriptions without a refill.
- Members whose prescriptions cannot be transferred will be required to obtain a new prescription through Caremark.com or by calling Customer Care at 1-866-611-5961. Members may also obtain a new prescription through the “Request a New Prescription” tool through Caremark.com.
- This Q & A document will help address questions you may have about this change.
If you have any questions, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, at ext. 14315.
Does a school or district you work with have literacy successes or interventions you think would be beneficial to share with other educators? If so, you’re invited to encourage them to apply to be a presenter at “Celebrating Iowa’s Success,” a one-day literacy event on Jan. 13, 2016, sponsored by Collaborating for Iowa’s Kids (C4K), a collaborative comprised of the Iowa Department of Education, Area Education Agencies and Iowa districts.
Applications to present are due Nov. 20!
Registration for the event is due Dec. 18. District and building administrators, reading specialists, classroom teachers and instructional coaches are invited to attend.
If you have any questions, contact Mary Jane Stites or Mark Crady, coordinators of C4K Training Cadre.
Dec. 9, 2015 and Feb. 23, 2016
8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center
Register Now
Target Audience: Teachers, parents, associates, administrators and AEA staff who work with students whose intellectual, conceptual and functional skills are in the 0 to 2-year range of development. The assessments and interventions require a great deal of collaboration in order to determine how the materials should be applied for a given student, so it is recommended a student’s learning partners – parents, school and AEA staff – attend the training as a team.
A&E Network will premiere the new original docu-series “Born This Way,” following a group of seven young adults born with Down syndrome along with their family and friends in Southern California. The six-episode, hour-long series premieres Dec. 8, 2015 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Cameras follow the young men and women of “Born This Way,” as they pursue their passions and lifelong dreams, explore friendships, romantic relationships and work, all while defying society’s expectations. In their willingness and courage to openly share their lives, through a lens that is not often shown on television, we learn they have high hopes just like anyone else. The series also gives voice to the parents, allowing them to talk about the joy their son or daughter brings to their family, and the challenges they face in helping them live as independently as possible.
A&E has partnered with celebrated global non-profit organization Best Buddies International and committed to an on-air PSA featuring Anthony K. Shriver and Best Buddies program participants in support of promoting opportunities and increasing awareness for people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
According to the U.S. Census, one-in-five Americans have a disability. Currently 70 percent of working-age people with disabilities are not working – even though most of them want jobs and independence. The numbers are even worse for people with Down syndrome, as many studies show that people with disabilities, including those with Down syndrome, can work successfully and live relatively independently.
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
How to Safely Clean Your Computer Screen
Just like any equipment that is used extensively, your computer can get dirty. If you notice your computer screen needs cleaning, we recommend that you:
- Use a clean cloth, slightly damp with water. Be gentle as you wipe the screen!
- Please do not use any chemicals on the screen.
If you have questions about how to best clean your computer screen, contact Marquis Jones, Technology Support Specialist or Judy Cleveland, Technology Support & Inventory Control Specialist.
Regional Technology Seminars
We will be offering another round of technology seminars in our Adel, Knoxville and Guthrie Center regional offices in December. This is an informal opportunity for you to receive assistance with the Google core technology training skills pre-assessment or the digital citizenship online learning modules described below. Mande Gamble, Technology Training Specialist, will be available in the offices on the dates below from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and from 1:00-3:00 p.m. There is no need to sign up ahead of time. If you have any questions about the seminars, contact Mande. Additional dates at regional offices will be offered in the spring, and those dates will be published in The Connection as they become available.
Dec. 1 -- Guthrie Center regional office
Dec. 15 -- Knoxville regional office
Dec. 17 -- Adel regional office
Digital Citizenship Core Technology Training
We anticipate the online digital citizenship learning modules will be available at the end of November. The importance of digital citizenship is described well in The Teacher’s Guide to Digital Citizenship from Edudemic:
“Providing an overview of digital citizenship for our staff means we are embracing the reality that we’re all interconnected through the Internet, and that we therefore need to understand the responsibilities and risks that come with life online. The horror stories of people not grasping the reach and influence of the content they put online are familiar to all of us. From the loss of job opportunities due to unprofessional pictures or comments on social media, the illegal use of copyrighted materials, sharing confidential student data, sharing personal financial information over non-secure public wifi networks, to the more serious long-term threats of identify theft and physical and emotional harm, the stakes are extremely high for all of us.”
To educate and to help prevent any of the scenarios mentioned above happening to our staff, Heartland AEA will be addressing three important areas of digital citizenship this year through our online training. They are:
- Digital Literacy
- Digital Branding and Netiquette
- Digital Security
