Our Mission 
To improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth by providing services and leadership in partnership with families, schools and communities. 

Our Goals 
• Increase learning growth for students 
• Decrease the gap in achievement 
• Increase annual graduation rates 
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success

Reminder: Chats With the Chief Coming to a Location Near You

Have a question, comment or concern? Grab a co-worker and join chief administrator Jon Sheldahl for a “Chat With the Chief!”

Date	Regions and Location
March 6, 2019          3 – 4 p.m. Zoom option	Region 8 Newton Regional Office Room 248B
March 7, 2019           3:30 – 4:30 p.m.	Region 3 Smokey Row Coffee House Pleasantville
April 26, 2019                   2:30 – 3:30 p.m.	Region 1 Lake Panorama Conference Center Panora
April 17, 2019       3 – 4 p.m.	Shelter Care Program Johnston REC Conf. Room 125
April 19, 2019                2:30 – 3:30 p.m.	Region 2 Adel Regional Office Large Conference Room
May 6, 2019                3 – 4 p.m.	Regions 4 & 5 and Central Support Staff Johnston REC Conf. Rooms 107A/B
May 7, 2019                  3 – 4 p.m. Zoom option	Region 8 Cross Creek Fellowship Hall Altoona
May 13, 2019                8 – 9 a.m.	Region 7 Ames Regional Office Conf. Rooms A & B
May 20, 2019                3 – 4 p.m.	Region 6 Johnston REC Conf. Rooms 152 A/B/C

Feb. 2019 Educator Connection Newsletter Available

Last week the Communications Department sent out the third issue of the Educator Connection newsletter for the 2018-19 school year. The Educator Connection is intended to keep educators in the Heartland AEA service area better connected to our agency and to the many programs and services we offer to educators, students and families. The newsletter is emailed to educators and automatically archived on our agency website. Anyone can also subscribe to the newsletter via the webpage.   

Feb. 2019 Heartland AEA Educator Connection

• School Administrators: Up Your Leadership Game by Attending the Iowa Leadership Academy! 
• Ordering Printing, Lamination & Graphic Design from Heartland AEA Just Got Easier! 
• New Year, New Student Planners! Order Your School’s Today! 
• NEW! Benchmark Education Kits Available for Checkout 
• ELPA21 Online Trainings for 2018-19 Are Now Available 
• Independent Sight Word Practice for Young Readers? Using This New Resource from Heartland AEA - Yes! 
• Your Students Will Love These New Ebooks and Digital Audiobooks from MackinVia 
• Heflebower to Present Next Strand of Standards-based Learning on Targets, Scales and Rubrics 
• Expect to Go Absolutely ALL IN on Learning During Trevor Ragan’s Growth Mindset Workshop 
• Honeycutt Event: Helping Educators Recognize Poverty, Empowering Students to Improve Academically 
• Educators: Don’t Delay! Register Today for These Professional Learning Opportunities! 
• In April: Linking Alternate Assessment, Essential Elements and Quality IEPs for Literacy Training 
• Need Help with Grade 3-5 Literacy STEM Instruction? Watch This! 
• Are You Ready for Something New in Tech Integration? Announcing Heart of Innovation Summer Summit!

Get the 511 on Iowa Roads With This App

Iowa 511 is the Iowa Department of Transportation’s (DOT) official traffic and traveler information app. The Iowa 511 app provides statewide up-to-date traffic information for interstates, U.S. routes and state highways in Iowa. It does not include information for county roads or city streets. (Darn!) It is available to download from the App Store or Google Play, and all the information is also available on the 511 website. 

Features:


• Hands-free, eyes-free audio notifications of traffic events while you drive
• 
A zoom-enabled map with selectable traffic event icons and surrounding camera views
• 
Near real-time updates on winter road conditions, traffic incidents, construction, and road closures

• Access and create Your 511 personalized saved routes and alerts (e.g. Home to Work).

• Travel time delays associated with traffic reports (look for the orange glowing icons)

• Current traffic speeds

• Traffic camera images and streaming video
• 
Snow plow camera images and locations 
• Towing prohibited (tow ban) events for winter storms
• 
Citizen reports via Waze
• 
Electronic roadway sign messages
• 
Highway rest area locations



But remember, while traveling, mobile communication devices should be used only when the motor vehicle is at a complete stop off the traveled portion of the roadway. Do not text and drive (it's against the law) or use this app while driving. 

Take the “Mission: My Community” Challenge -- We Promise, It’s Not Impossible!

Next up in our Wellness Challenges: Mission My Community. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to learn more about your community. What do you know about the community that you live in? What year was it established? Where can you volunteer? This challenge asks you to make it your mission to know your community better! 

To successfully complete this challenge, you will select from a variety of actions to help you learn more about your community. Once you complete an action, you will simply track your completion in the Wellness Center. It’s that easy! Don’t wait – register today! 

Registration
Feb. 6 - 27, 2019 

Duration of Challenge
Feb. 13 - March 12, 2019

Iowa’s AEAs Legislative Update Available

Each week during the Iowa legislative session, we will bring you an AEA Legislative Update from the Iowa’s AEAs legislative advocacy team. 
 

Feb. 8, 2019 Legislative Update

Feb. 2019 Board of Directors Meeting Agenda Available

The agenda for the Feb. 12, 2019 Heartland AEA Board of Directors meeting is available. Due to inclement weather, there will be no work session, and the meeting will begin at 4:30 p.m.

To Do: Read Trauma-Sensitivity Resource to Build Background Knowledge on Topic

“Growing awareness of the prevalence and impact of childhood trauma has prompted educators to consider their roles in addressing this public health issue...Consensus is growing among educators that universal, whole-school approaches are needed to address the magnitude of trauma affecting youth.” -Trauma Sensitive Schools Training Package Implementation Guide, National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments; June 2018   

Heartland AEA recognizes the need to support our partners in building trauma-sensitive schools. A trauma-sensitive learning environment is safe, healthy and caring, and trauma sensitivity is integral to building relationships and providing emotional and physical safety. This is represented within the foundation (bricks) portion of Heartland AEA’s MTSS - Social Emotional Behavior Mental Health (SEBMH) pyramid, and as with all the bricks, is crucial for the additional tiers to be implemented effectively.   

Our agency is planning to provide learning opportunities to schools in this area, and we want to make sure you are aware of this information in order to partner most effectively.   

We ask that all Certified staff read this foundational “Understanding Trauma and Its Impact: E-Resource for Educators” and share your questions via this Google Form. We anticipate this task will take approximately an hour to complete. Your questions will be compiled and addressed during future agency learning opportunities.   

At this time, you are not being asked to change practice. We are sharing this resource with you to provide common background knowledge for future learning sessions. Please review the resource and provide the SEBMH Leadership team with your questions by March 1, 2019.   

If you have any questions about this resource or filling out the form, contact your regional director.