HCPS 411 Update

Last week, HCPS released the Draft Recovery Plan for the start of the new school year and presented the plan publicly at the July 13 Board of Education meeting. Since the release of the plan, community stakeholders provided extensive feedback. We have determined that the hybrid model proposed in the Draft Recovery Plan does not allow our students and staff to adequately practice social distancing, and it creates an insurmountable logistical challenge for parents in many cases. Additionally, due to several health and safety concerns, many of our educators may not have been able to be present during an in-person model, which would have impacted our ability to provide adequate supervision and instruction.

As such, all instruction during the fall semester will be virtual. Please review the revised Recovery Plan, which includes providing opportunities for students who need a safe and supervised place to spend the school day. To access the plan, click here.

HCPS is hosting a Parent Academy Town Hall to provide an opportunity for parents and community members to engage in a more robust conversation about the details of the newly revised Recovery Plan. Please join us online tonight, Thursday, July 16, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., by clicking here.

If you have not participated in a Teams Live event before, feel free to click on the link ahead of time to ensure you're set up and ready to listen in at 5:30 p.m. If you try logging in on a phone and do not get an option to "watch on the web instead," you may need to use a laptop/desktop/or alternate device to access the event.

The event will be recorded and distributed at a later date for viewing if you are unable to join us live.

Please take a moment to watch a presentation highlighting, in their own words, the year-long journey of our five 2019 Teacher of the Year finalists, also lovingly known as the 'Fab 5.' Paige Milanoski, Rebecca Martinek, Kristie Smith, Kathy Thompson, and Dawn Zipay each share what the experience meant to them.

Stay tuned...next week's HCPS 411 Update will feature this year's Teacher of the Year finalists, the 'QuaranTeam 5!'

Due to COVID-19 safety precautions, the standard in-person, full-day pre-retirement seminar may not be available for the upcoming fall. Therefore, at this time, the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System, through the Community College of Baltimore County, are holding webinars throughout the summer and fall for members who are within eight (8) years of retirement. These webinars will cover the following topics:

• The Maryland State Retirement and Pension System,
• Legal Issues,
• Social Security and Benefits, and
• Financial Planning.
  
  

A webinar is scheduled for Thursday, August 6, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

TO REGISTER:

1. Visit the website http://www.ccbcmd.edu/ceed-preretirement-county
2. Under the headline, How to Register, click the Register Online link.
3. Click the Select button next to the course titled "Pre-Retirement Webinar," towards the bottom of the screen.
4. Scroll back to the top of the screen to click on the button, Register for Selected Courses.
5. If you are not already logged in, you will be redirected to the login page.
1. If you have previously attended a Pre-Retirement Seminar or other class at CCBC, log in using your current username and password. Not sure what your username and password are? You can call CCBC at (443) 840-5059.
2. If this is your first Pre-Retirement Seminar, choose "New Account" on the right-hand side of the screen. Fill out your information (anything in red is required information) and choose Submit.
6. After you have registered for your seminar, choose "Finalize Selection" and print your confirmation. You should receive an email confirmation of your registration within three (3) business days.

As the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System, through the Community College of Baltimore County, schedule more webinar dates, those dates will also be posted in the weekly HCPS 411 Update newsletter for interested individuals. If conditions allow, we may look to have an in-person session in the future, but for now, these sessions will only be offered online. If you are unable to attend this event but are interested in learning more, a shorter presentation about the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System is posted on the Maryland State Retirement Agency website.

If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Miller, Coordinator of Benefits, at elizabeth.miller@hcps.org.

Kepro, our Employee Assistance Program provider, presents the pre-recorded webinar, "Planning a Socially Safe Summer." Many family vacations and children's programs have been canceled this summer due to concerns over COVID-19. In this round table, professionals will discuss resources and activities available to keep children busy in the era of social distancing. Topics covered will include:

• Reviewing various types of child care solutions,
• Locating online options or socially safe in-person activities,
• Tips for assessing risks, and
  
• Discussing safety precautions with children and caregivers.

To view this 35-minute pre-recorded video, please click on the link: Planning a Socially Safe Summer.

Thank you for your feedback. Always.

A small group of you recently provided constructive feedback to CareFirst regarding your medical coverage. This feedback is vital for improving CareFirst’s services. CareFirst and Harford County Public Schools were able to learn that, of those who completed this survey, 99% of you were satisfied overall with your experience with CareFirst.

For those who may have missed or did not see CareFirst’s customer satisfaction survey, please be sure to keep an eye out for this in the future so that HCPS may get a better picture of our total population’s satisfaction.

We thank those that took the time to complete this survey and look forward to more responses to the satisfaction survey in the future. It is good to know that our users feel good about the medical plans they have available to them.

"Meadowvale Elementary School would like to give a HUGE Shout Out to Dan Bink, our awesome computer technician. Dan is a dependable and knowledgeable resource for our school and staff. He has taken the time to create a very clear, five-step process for teachers to be able to come and pick up their new teacher computers. We appreciate all of his efforts. Dan is truly an essential employee in our school!"

-Mark Warfield and Shelby Houseman, administrators, Meadowvale Elementary School

"Meadowvale Elementary School would like to give a SHOUT OUT to our Administrative Support Specialist Rachel Foster. She has really done a great job being available via email and our school-created Google phone number. She has even taken the time to create a registration sign-up process that is easy and accessible for our community. She has truly provided top notch customer service during these unprecedented times!"

-Mark Warfield and Shelby Houseman, administrators, Meadowvale Elementary School

Editor: Lindsay Bilodeau, communications specialist

To submit an HCPS Shout Out or recognize a colleague in the Spotlight on Customer Service, please email the information and photo (if available) to HCPS.411@hcps.org.

Email: HCPS.411@hcps.org
Website: www.hcps.org
Location: 102 South Hickory Avenue, Bel Air, MD, USA
Phone: 410-588-5213