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

Heartland AEA COVID-19 Dashboard for the Week Ending March 19, 2021

We will provide you with COVID-19 case and quarantine data each Monday in The Connection. The numbers will fluctuate on a weekly basis, and our report will show what is current as of the previous Friday. If you have any questions, contact Nia Chiaramonte, Director of Human Resources. 

Heartland AEA COVID-19 Dashboard

March 22-26 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Iowa

The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEMD), National Weather Service (NWS) and Iowa Emergency Management Association (IEMA) have joined together to promote Severe Weather Awareness Week, March 22-26, 2021.   

Severe weather is a frequent and unwelcome visitor to Iowa. With spring right around the corner, now is an ideal time to increase our awareness of, and preparedness for, severe weather.   

For each day during Severe Weather Awareness Week a different subject will be highlighted: 

• Monday – Severe thunderstorms
 
• Tuesday – Weather warnings
 
• Wednesday – Tornadoes
 
• Thursday – Family preparedness
 
• Friday – Flash floods
 

The annual statewide tornado drill will take place on Wed., March 24, beginning at 11 a.m. during the weekly NOAA Weather Radio test (please note the time change from past years). 

For those who wish to participate, keep in mind COVID-19 safety guidelines, including: 

• Staying at least 6 feet from other people outside of your household in your shelter location, if possible
 
• Wearing a mask
 
• Washing your hands often, covering coughs and sneezes
 
• Avoiding touching high-touch surfaces, such as handrails, as much as possible
 

These guidelines also apply if you must go to a public shelter or stay with family or friends during, or following, severe weather or other emergencies.   

Severe Weather Awareness Week is a good time to review your family’s emergency plan and to check the contents of your emergency kit. Be sure to include in your emergency kit items you may need if you must shelter outside of your home, including masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes.

Reminder: Registration is Open for Our Next Group Wellness Challenge -- Walk the Walk!

Do good for others and do good for yourself! This six-week challenge encourages you to get involved in your community and provides best practices for making the most impact. Along the way, you’ll also receive tips for boosting your daily step count. Get up and get moving to help others and to improve your health!    

Registration is Open: March 8 - April 2, 2021 

Challenge Begins: March 29, 2021 

Join Now!

Back in 2021! Online Wellness Apparel Store Open for All Staff; Still Time to Use Your Wellness Incentive for Apparel

The Heartland AEA online store where staff can redeem their Wellness incentive for agency logo apparel is open for ALL staff today through March 31, 2021! Staff who have earned their $40 coupon towards logo apparel will receive a separate email with specific ordering information once Navigate Wellbeing Solutions has notified us.    


 

All employees can purchase any items in the store (and shipping) at their own cost during the two-week period when the online store is open monthly through June 2021. Important reminder: if you are not ordering apparel with your Wellness credit, you’ll need to pay for shipping using Spee-Dee Delivery or UPS.  
    

Still Time to Use Your Wellness Incentive  
 

If you missed your assigned month to use your coupon code for logo apparel for your Wellness incentive, and/or you haven’t yet ordered, please visit the online store and place you order this month using your previously emailed coupon code.  
      

P&M Apparel Heartland AEA Online Store    





If you have any questions, contact Britini Jones, Human Resources Assistant.

Reminder: Leave a Message for Our April Retirees

As we let you know in the March 12 HeartBeat, Rod Howell (Information Systems Manager/JO) and Lisa Lumbard (Library Assistant/JO) will both be retiring at the beginning of April. In lieu of retirement receptions, please record a short video message for Rod and Lisa to wish them well on their retirements! Click on the links below and sign in with your Google account to access the Flipgrid site.

Rod Howell 

Lisa Lumbard

Certified Staff: Consider Welcoming and Supporting New Staff by Being a 2021-22 Mentor

As a mentor, you share your time and welcome and support new staff by building their capacity as they join our Heartland AEA team. Mentoring is a personally and professionally fulfilling experience that also helps our agency retain great employees. Our Heartland AEA Mentoring Guide is available here for your review. Note that this program is for mentors and mentees who are Certified Union staff members.  
  

• Mentors of first-year staff provide 20 hours of one-on-one coaching and support for their mentee, are provided with mentorship training and in return will receive a $1,300 (gross) payment and the personal satisfaction of knowing that they’ve made a difference in the career of the mentee.   
 
• Mentors of second-year staff provide 15 hours of one-on-one coaching and support for their mentee, are provided with mentorship training and in return will receive a $1,000 (gross) payment and the personal satisfaction of knowing that they’ve made a difference in the career of the mentee. 


  
 

It’s easy to sign up to be considered for a match with a first or second-year staff member! Please complete the online Mentoring Application by April 16, 2021. If you are a mentor this year and are interested in mentoring again, you need to complete the Mentoring Application to be considered as a mentor again in 2021-22.    

After receiving applications, more information will be provided to selected mentors for next year’s Mentoring Program. 

If you have any questions, contact Martha Condon, Director of Professional Learning.

Iowa Mobile Crisis Outreach Map: Find Help For Anyone Experiencing a Mental Health Crisis

Mobile Response is an on-site, face-to-face mental health service for individuals experiencing a crisis. Mobile response staff is able to intervene wherever the crisis is occurring. With Mobile Crisis Outreach, mental health counselors are dispatched to homes, schools, emergency rooms or public places where a mental health crisis is occurring. Response time is within 60 minutes of dispatch. Anyone who is experiencing or is concerned about someone experiencing a mental health crisis can call. 

Mobile Crisis Outreach Map

Zoom Phone Tech Tip: Ability to Record Multiple Voicemail Greetings

If you have updated your Zoom Phone Settings to set your business hours, this is a reminder that you can set multiple voicemail greetings. This will allow you to customize what voicemail greeting someone will hear, based on the time of day they call your Zoom Phone number. 

If you log onto the zoom.us web portal, go into your Phone > Settings section, and you will see that you have a “Business Hours” and a “Closed Hours” field for Call handling. Here you can record and set custom voicemails for each.  Be sure and title the recordings accordingly, which will make them easier to identify. 

If you have any questions, contact the Zoom Phone Team.