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: Your Feedback on the All-Staff Meeting and Let Us Know If You’d Like Your Dream Sheet

Survey 

In the charts below and the open-ended responses, you’ll find the results of the 2021 All-Staff Meeting survey. Thank you to the 244 staff who responded to the survey. We take your responses into consideration as we plan for future meetings. Feedback this year is guiding us to look at possible August dates for 2022. 

Here's What You Said About the 2020 All-Staff Meeting: 

Click on the graph to view a larger image.

Dream Sheets 

Many Dream Sheets were left at the end of the All-Staff Meeting. If you did not take your dream sheet at the conclusion of the All-Staff Meeting and are interested in receiving a copy of your dream sheet, email comms@heartlandaea.org. We can look up your number and will scan your sheet and email it to you.

Don’t Forget: You Need to Complete ALICE Training by the End of Each School Year

As Heartland AEA continues to make improvements in our agency’s safety and security, all staff are required to complete the online ALICE training once each school year. By the end of the 2021-22 school year (June 30, 2022), all Heartland AEA staff members should take the hour-long online training to become familiar with the ALICE program and the techniques it teaches in response to an armed intruder event. 

ALICE stands for: 

• Alert: Get the word out! “Armed Intruder in building” instead of “Code Red,” or “Bring the purple folder to the office.” Use clear, concise language to convey the type and location of the event. 
• Lockdown: Good starting point. We will continue to lockdown in secure areas. Inform: Communication keeps the intruder off balance and allows for good decision-making. 
• Counter: Apply skills to distract, confuse and gain control. 
• Evacuate: Reduce the number of potential targets for the intruder and reduce the chances of victims resulting from friendly fire when help arrives. 

In short, using the ALICE method will give you more tools to use in the event of an armed intruder/active shooter. We want to provide you with the knowledge that if faced with a life or death situation there are methods that can be applied to enhance your chance of survival. 

 

 

 

Again, you are expected to complete the ALICE online training by the end of June 2022. 

The training has been assigned to all Heartland AEA employees in the AEA Learning Online Learning System. 

Access the Training

Visit the AEA Learning Online training site. Enter the email and password used for your AEA Login and click log in. 

Assistance 

If you need assistance accessing the site, contact Dawn Peitzman, Professional Learning Assistant
. If you have any questions about the training or the ALICE program in general, contact Dustin Gean, Operations Manager, Emergency Response & Safety Team Lead and Certified ALICE Trainer.

Reminder: We Need You! Will You Consider Being a Member of the Polk & Jasper County School Reunification Response Teams?

What is Emergency Response and Reunification? 

An essential component of school emergency response is the reunification of students with their parents or primary caregiver after an emergency has taken place. A well-organized and timely reunification process is critical to reducing emergency-based trauma in children and is often the only mental health crisis intervention needed following an emergency. The sooner children are reunited with caregivers, the less likely they are to exhibit traumatic stress. 

How are Schools Managing Their Reunification Plans? 

As schools across Iowa develop and exercise reunification plans, they have discovered that most lack the resources to effectively and efficiently complete the associated tasks. This is especially true in instances involving significant trauma such as active shooter, weather, chemical and other emergencies. In these types of events, research indicates that children are best left under the supervision of their teacher, who they trust and seek for safety. This leaves very limited school and district staff available for carrying out the reunification plan. This also requires school personnel directly impacted by the emergency to carry out complex reunification tasks that they may not be able to emotionally manage. 

How Can Heartland AEA Help? 

Heartland AEA is in a unique position to assist schools in Jasper County (Baxter, Colfax-Mingo, Lynnville-Sully, Newton and PCM) and schools in Polk County (Bondurant-Farrar, Des Moines, Johnston, North Polk, Saydel, Southeast Polk, Urbandale, West Des Moines) by establishing a response team to reunify children with caregivers in an emergency. Should an emergency requiring reunification of children occur, Heartland AEA staff would deploy to the identified reunification site and assure the school that families are quickly and accurately reunified. 

How Can You Help? 

Volunteer! All Agency staff in any role are invited to volunteer. A variety of individual skills sets are needed to fill the roles and responsibilities associated with the reunification team: 

• Logistics staff is needed to see that the necessary equipment, signage and supplies are delivered and set up at a reunification site should the team be requested for deployment.
• Administrative staff must carry out accurate record collection and verification of identification to assure students are safely reunified with the proper caregiver. 
• Mental health services and support staff are needed to assure that both children and adults receive assistance in a supportive and empathetic environment while they await reunification. 
• Security staff is needed to assist law enforcement by identifying potential areas of concern and assuring the safety of everyone seeking reunification services. 

Will You Serve on a Reunification Response Team? 

At this time, regional reunification response plans are being organized in the counties of Jasper and Polk. If you have the desire to volunteer on a reunification team, complete this Reunification Response Volunteer Recruitment Form by Nov. 19. NOTE: Even if you previously indicated your interest in serving on a response team, you need to sign up again. This call for volunteers will be conducted on an annual basis. 

What are the Next Steps? 

The Agency’s Reunification Response Organizing Team will conduct reunification workshops to learn and practice the Reunification Response process. Volunteers will be expected to attend one workshop session. 

Workshop Dates 

Nov. 30, 2021 from 12:00 - 3:30 p.m. 

Jan. 4, 2022 from 8:30 a.m. - Noon 

Registration

Select ONE Workshop to Attend 

HL - Emergency Response and Reunification Team Training, (Course # 202625) 

Nov. 2021 Iowa Board of Educational Examiners’ Newsletter Available

The Nov. 2021 issue of the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners newsletter is available. In this issue: Renewal Tips, Substitute Licensure, December Graduates, Hints for School Administrators, Holidays, Ethics – Inappropriate Relationships and Recent Cases.

Dependent Care FSA Enrollment is Now Open Through Nov. 30! If You Don’t Want to Enroll, You Don’t Need to do Anything

Online enrollment for 2022 Dependent Care FSAs will be open to eligible employees from Monday, Nov. 1 through Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, at 4 p.m. 

Full-time employees and Certified Union employees working a 96-day contract are eligible to participate. Eligible part-time CU employees with a 96-day contract must contact Juliette Houseman to enroll via paper.

 
 

A Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is a pre-tax benefit account used to pay for eligible dependent care services, such as preschool, summer day camp, before or after school programs and child or adult daycare that you incur in order to allow you (and your spouse, if married) to work. If married, both spouses must be working to claim dependent care expenses. 

A dependent is defined as: 

• A dependent of the employee who is under 13 years of age 
• A dependent or spouse who is physically or mentally disabled 

The maximum amount your family may flex per calendar year is $5,000 ($208.33 per pay period). 
All dependent care expenses for the 2022 plan year must be incurred by Dec. 31, 2022, and must be submitted to BRI for reimbursement by March 1, 2023. 

To Enroll 

• Log in to Employee Online. 
• Select Benefits. 
• Select Enroll in Dependent Care (Nov 1-30). 
• Select the checkbox to select Flex Dependent Care, then enter the dollar amount of automatic deductions you want to designate from each paycheck (between 0.01 and 208.33). 
• Select the Save button to save your Flex deduction amount. 
• The main benefits page redisplays and Dependent Care status is "Unsubmitted." You must click Submit to change the status to "Pending Approval." 

For more detailed instructions and screenshots to guide you through Enrollment, view How to Enroll in Dependent Care. 


 

NOTE: IF YOU ENTER AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN “0” IN EMPLOYEE COST PER PERIOD, THEN THAT AMOUNT WILL BE DEDUCTED FROM YOUR PAYCHECK PER PAY PERIOD. 

Here is a helpful BRI worksheet to help you determine whether or not to participate. 



If you have any questions, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist.

Holiday Streakers Registration is Open! Sign Up for Exercise and Giving!

Registration is officially open for the 9th year of Holiday Streaking! The Holiday Streakers Board (including Eric Weichers, School Psychologist/JO) is hoping to build on the 750+ participants and over $28,000 donated to last year's recipient families. With over $98,000 total donated over the last five years, you can be a part of breaking the $100K threshold this year! 

Streaking is easy (and not quite as risque as it sounds!): Run/Walk 1 mile or complete 15 minutes of intentional exercise of your choice each day from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day. Not only will you be creating healthy habits to end 2021 right, you will roll right into 2022 knowing you did something good for yourself and others. 

Holiday Streakers is again supporting some incredible families during the holidays; our recipients will be revealed the week of Nov. 15-19.

 Join us in providing them with much-needed financial, emotional and spiritual support! For just $30 (less than $1 a day!), you get a t-shirt with this year's Gingerbread theme, as well as access to Streaker Central, our online community and recording platform. 

But thanks again to COVID's effects on the mail system, you will need to register by Nov. 12 to get your shirt by Thanksgiving. All registrants will receive a shirt, but if you want to start your Streak with shirt in hand, register now! 

Check out the Holiday Streakers website for additional details or go straight to Streaker Central to register. Remember, Holiday Streakers was the original: they were virtual well before it became so trendy! Whether you are an original Streaker or just stripping down to give it a try, join Streaker Nation by registering today! 

Remember: Holiday Streakers will be reimbursable under the Wellness Program for up to $20 and would be a GREAT donation/exercise opportunity that can be done through social distancing during our continued pandemic times!

Dependent Care & Medical FSA and HRA Participants: Reimbursements Are Now Through BRI!

DON'T FORGET:

• 
  121 Benefits was bought by Benefit Resources (BRI) and all account-based plans and administrative services have now transitioned to BRI’s platform. 
• Employees with an HRA, flex medical account or dependent care account must now use BRI. 
• Learn more: BRI Account Resources 

How Do I Login to BRIWEB and Create an Account? 

Participants accessing the site for the first time will be required to register a Custom Login ID. On the BRIWEB Login page, select Employee from the Yellow "Log-In" button and then select the blue “Register an Account” link. Follow the instructions provided. 

The following are required during registration: 

Company Code: heartland 

Member ID: Employee PEID# (Use FULL number, including E and zeros, your PEID # is located on your Pay Stub.) 

Personal Info: First name, last name, zip code 

Access to email or phone number on file with Benefit Resources 

Beniversal Cards 

If you have a flex medical account, you will now be able to use your Beniversal Card. To activate your Beniversal Card, follow the instructions that were mailed to you along with your card. If you didn't receive a card, please contact BRI directly at the number provider below. (You do NOT get this card if you have an HRA.) 

BRIMOBILE App 

The BRIMOBILE app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play. 

Direct Deposit Information 

If your Direct Deposit banking information is already filled in then you don't need to re-enter, unless it is empty, incorrect or needs updated. 

Questions 

To address any further questions you may have, please go to the Participant Migration FAQ, for resources including FAQs, educational videos and information about managing your accounts. If you have additional questions or need additional assistance, reach out to Participant Services at the following: 

Email: participantservices@benefitresource.com 

Phone: (800) 473 – 9595 (Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM CT) 

If you have any problems or questions, you can also contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist.

Reminder: Disclose If You’re Related to an Agency Employee, Board Member or Anyone Within Your District Assignment

As part of Heartland AEA’s board policy, all Heartland AEA staff are asked to certify that they are not currently related to any Heartland AEA employee or board member or anyone within their district assignment. If there is no such relationship, there is nothing you need to do. If such a relationship exists, please disclose the relationship to Human Resources using this form. Only relationships within your immediate family (spouse/partner, child, sibling, step-child, in-law) need to be disclosed.

 If you have any questions, contact Nia Chiaramonte, Director of Human Resources.

FYI: CDC Expands Eligibility for COVID-19 Booster Shots; Education Considered High-Risk Setting

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has made a recommendation for a booster shot of COVID-19 vaccines in certain populations. The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) authorization and CDC’s recommendation for use are important steps forward as we work to stay ahead of the virus and keep Americans safe. 

For individuals who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the following groups are eligible for a booster shot at 6 months or more after their initial series: 

65 years and older 

• Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings 
• Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions 
• Age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings 

For the nearly 15 million people who got the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, booster shots are also recommended for those who are 18 and older and who were vaccinated two or more months ago. 

There are now booster recommendations for all three available COVID-19 vaccines in the United States. Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received, and others may prefer to get a different booster. CDC’s recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots. 

Millions of people are newly eligible to receive a booster shot and will benefit from additional protection. However, today’s action should not distract from the critical work of ensuring that unvaccinated people take the first step and get an initial COVID-19 vaccine. More than 65 million Americans remain unvaccinated, leaving themselves – and their children, families, loved ones, and communities– vulnerable. 

Available data right now show that all three of the COVID-19 vaccines approved or authorized in the United States continue to be highly effective in reducing risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, even against the widely circulating Delta variant. Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and reduce the spread of the virus and help prevent new variants from emerging. 

The following is attributable to Dr. Walensky: “These recommendations are another example of our fundamental commitment to protect as many people as possible from COVID-19. The evidence shows that all three COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States are safe – as demonstrated by the over 400 million vaccine doses already given. And, they are all highly effective in reducing the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, even in the midst of the widely circulating Delta variant.”

Altoona, Indianola and Knoxville Staff: You Can Now Access Your Offices with Agency Keycards

We’re happy to have added the ability for you to access the Altoona, Indianola and Knoxville regional offices with agency ID keycards! If you already had access to the Johnston REC, Administration Center or Adel and Ames regional offices, you can now access three more locations. 

If you haven't tried your keycard at these offices yet, please do. If you have any issues, email Colleen Miller with photos of the front and back of your card, and she will help you get access. 

We also would like to point out that if you also have other keycards, please keep them separate when trying to use them to open the door. Having more than one card can confuse the card reader and end up denying you access.

This Week’s Mission Monday: Schedule Some Time to Organize Your Desk, Desktop or Google Drive; October Winners Listed!

Mission Monday is the creation of Mark Johnson and Sam Stecher. As teachers, coaches and leaders, they desired a way to consistently create connections and a sense of community in their school buildings. 

Heartland AEA and our Development Team for Safe, Supportive, Welcoming Environments want to bring this idea to our settings. Use the “Mission Accomplished” form to indicate when you have accomplished a mission, and you’ll be put in a monthly drawing for cool prizes! 

Mission for Week of Nov. 1: 

Schedule Some Time to Organize Your Desk, Desktop or Google Drive 

Mission Accomplished Form

October Winners!

In October, there were 76 Mission Monday entries! Names were put into the "Wheel of Names" to randomly pick three winners.

Congratulations to:

Faye Allen (Physical Therapist/JO)

Sherise Ahlers (Administrative Assistant to Special Education Leadership/JO)

Sonia Nulle (Regional Administrative Assistant/CA)

Tech Tip of the Week: How to RSVP "Attending Virtually" in Google Calendar

Reminder: Update Your Computer’s Operating System and Antivirus; Slight Change in Instructions

Please remember to upgrade your computer's operating system to macOS Big Sur by Nov. 12, 2021. 

For anyone who hasn't already done the upgrade, please use the instructions below. There is a slight change in step 9 that you need to pay special attention to. If you have any questions or concerns, contact Mike Permann (515) 473-6705 in the Internal Technology Department. 

NOTE: If you don’t have your Time Machine drive with you, DO NOT attempt to do the upgrade until you have access to it. 

Details

You need to perform a Time Machine backup and restart your computer before starting the upgrade. It’s very important that you restart your computer prior to attempting the upgrade as it may not run properly if you don’t. We will be using the Self Service application to deploy macOS Big Sur to your computers. The process has been customized and looks slightly different than what you would experience if installed from the Mac App Store. There are 3 basic phases to the process. 

• Download Phase - download the installer using Self Service. (20 minutes to 180+ minutes - depends on the speed of your connection - e.g.10 Mbps internet takes about 180 minutes to download) 
• Preparation Phase - preparing your computer for macOS Big Sur. (1 to 5 minutes - depends on the age of your computer) 
• Installation Phase - installing macOS Big Sur. (20 to 40 minutes - depends on the age of your computer) 

The amount of time the entire process takes depends on the speed of your connection and the age of your computer. For example, if a new computer is being upgraded and the needed “Install macOS Big Sur” installer is already located in your Applications folder, the process could take as little as 20 minutes. While updating an older computer from your internet at home could take more than 2 hours. No matter where you attempt the upgrade from, you must connect your power adapter to your computer if you have a laptop before starting the process. Don't use your computer for anything else during this process. Don't interrupt or force power off your computer during the process as unexpected things can occur. You need to perform a Time Machine backup and restart your computer before starting the upgrade. Do NOT perform the upgrade without a current Time Machine backup. 

Please watch the short (4 minutes 5 seconds) video of the upgrade process before attempting the upgrade. Portions of the video have been edited to shorten the overall length of the video. 

Basic Instructions 

1. Open the Self Service application located on your dock or in the Applications folder. 
2. The macOS Big Sur upgrade can be found under the OS Categories section on the left side of the Self Service window. 
3. Click the Upgrade button and read the short description. Click the Upgrade button to begin the process. Download Phase - (If the current macOS Big Sur installer is already on your computer this part will be skipped) 
4. Wait patiently for the download to complete. 

Preparation Phase 

5. Wait patiently while the preparation phase completes. The computer will restart once the preparation has been completed and the installation phase will begin. If the computer is at the preparation phase for more than 5 minutes, something is wrong. Press the Command and Q keys on the keyboard to abort the upgrade. Then Quit Self Service and restart your computer and return to step 1. If the process fails again, contact the IT Department for assistance. 

Installation Phase 

6. The installation process shows an estimate of the amount of time remaining. The computer will restart at least one time during the upgrade process. If needed, firmware upgrades may be automatically installed on your computer forcing additional restarts. 

7. After the Installation Phase completes, log into your computer and choose About this Mac from the Apple menu to verify macOS Big Sur was installed. 

8. In Self Service, click the Update button on the Update Casper Inventory task located under the Utilities category to update your computer's inventory with Casper. 

9. Quit Self Service then open it back up so the program refreshes. Click on the Utilities category and click the Install button on the Symantec Endpoint Protection Install Big Sur policy to install the new version. If you see some dialogue boxes appear saying “System Extension Blocked”, just ignore those messages. Once the installation completes, you will be presented with a dialogue box telling you the software was installed and your computer will restart. Click the OK button to proceed with the restart. Be sure to click the OK button and NOT the Restart button. 

10. After the computer restarts and you log back into your computer, go to the Symantec Endpoint Protection menu item located at the top of your screen on the menu bar and choose Open Symantec Endpoint Protection. It can take a couple minutes before that icon appears. Verify that it says “You are protected” then Quit Symantec Endpoint Protection. That completes the upgrade to macOS 11 (Big Sur) and Symantec Endpoint Protection installation. 

If anything unexpected happens during installation or you receive any sort of error message, please record the error message completely, or take a photo of the message and contact Mike Permann for assistance. When you've completed updating the OS, you should check Self Service for any application-specific updates that need to be installed. If there are, you should install them for best compatibility with macOS Big Sur. 

A notification will appear shortly after the upgrade to macOS Big Sur is completed. You can click that for information on what’s new. Or you can click here to see some more information about macOS Big Sur.