HCPS 411 Update

Click below for a special message from Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Sean Bulson, and Health Officer of Harford County, Dr. David Bishai. We wish you all a safe, happy, and healthy spring break!

The HCPS Parent Academy Real Talk show is excited to launch a new monthly series, Getting to Know our Board Members. President Jansen Robinson and Vice President Rachel Gauthier sit down with Parent Academy's Mary Beth Stapleton to share their story - a little bit of their background and ties to the community, why they sought a position on the Board of Education, and what serving the students of Harford County means to them. In addition, they answer some questions from the community. Check it out!

To ensure that all employees have the opportunity to hear what Dr. Bulson shares during these monthly system check-ins, we now record the events and will share them in the following week's HCPS 411 Update. If you missed the March Monthly Minute, please watch below.

On Tuesday, March 30, 2021, a Parent Informational Session was held for families who were interested in learning more about the eLearning Blended Virtual Program for the 2021-2022 school year. On Tuesday, April 6, 2021, the recording of the informational session, the Q&A transcript, and the student application will be sent to all families via our mass communication system.

Are you interested in teaching virtual next year but missed the 2021-2022 Blended Virtual Teacher Informational Session? The event was recorded and is available below. In addition, the Q&A from the event is available here.

HCEA-represented employees who wish to be considered for transfer to the eLearning Blended Virtual Program must complete an online application. Program description and application can be found at the following link: https://harford.tedk12.com/hire/Index.aspx. Requests for transfer will be accepted from tenured teachers who meet the certification requirements for the position identified at time of application.

Online applications will be accepted for these vacancies from March 24, 2021, until the positions are filled. Candidates who apply by April 14, 2021, will be given first consideration. Each subject and/or position requested must be submitted separately. The need to fill these positions will be dependent upon student enrollment.

Questions regarding this information should be directed to Shannon Hagan, in Human Resources, at Shannon.Hagan@hcps.org.

The Parent Academy is proud to sponsor the upcoming Thrive by Five Early Childhood Summit for parents/guardians of children ages birth through five and childcare providers. During April 12-15, 2021, registrants will participate in up to 14, 30-minute sessions. For the list of session topics and the summit schedule, please see the event flier on the Parent Academy Facebook page or the Parent Academy page on www.hcps.org. Spots are open to the first 250 registered. Registration for this event closes at midnight on April 6, 2021.

Register now!

HCPS is seeking educators to teach in the 2021 Stars of Summer program! Stars of Summer is a virtual, camp-like summer school experience for rising grade one through grade nine students. We need your ingenuity and creativity in order to provide students with another exciting summer experience. Please see the attached overview to learn more about this paid teaching opportunity. Note that the form used to submit workshop proposals is linked in the overview document. Please be in touch with Diane.Sumutka@hcps.org or Andrew.Renzulli@hcps.org with any questions.

HCPS will also release a catalogue of other summer professional opportunities for educators May 3.

As part of HCPS’ Wellness Recovery efforts, the Office of Student Support Services will be providing a short video each week with some tips, reminders, and things to think about as students and staff return to in-person learning. We hope these videos provide some thoughtful guidance to your work with students and your own personal reflection on wellness throughout the remainder of this school year.

The latest “Get Psyched” newsletter is now available. The topic is Supporting LGBTQ Students. To access the newsletter, please click here: https://www.smore.com/kyrz1.

With principal approval, the ParaPro Assessment will be available to all HCPS employees seeking to meet the highly qualified requirements of paraeducator positions in Harford County, which permits an individual to work with students in the classrooms under the direction of the teacher.

The test measures skills and knowledge in reading, math, and writing, as well as the ability to apply those skills and knowledge to assist in classroom instruction. Test administration is scheduled for May 21, 2021. The test will be from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. at C. Milton Wright High School, located at 1301 North Fountain Green Road, Bel Air, MD 21015. Please sign-up and pay for the assessment on HECTOR.

Additional information related to the test, procedures for reimbursement, test prep/review, and the MD passing score requirements are also available on the HR site here.

Questions regarding this information should be directed to Pauline Timmons, in Special Education, at Pauline.Timmons@hcps.org or 410-588-5246.

Towson University – Graduate Reading Education Program

Cohort opportunities are available in the Graduate Reading Education Program, Master of Education in Reading/Reading Specialist and ESOL Certificate. The purpose of this program is to prepare certified school teachers for reading specialist certification and eligibility for ESOL teacher certification in PreK-12 education. Towson will host an information session on Wednesday, April 14, at 4:30 p.m. Please see flier for additional details.

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Regional Training Center/La Salle Summer 2021 Courses

The Regional Training Center (RTC) will be offering virtual classroom and online course with numerous start dates from May though August in partnership with La Salle University. For more information, please see flier.

Visit theRTC.net or click here to view the Spring and Summer 2021 Schedule and to register!

Questions? They now have a chat feature on their website.

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University of Phoenix

Exciting news for those teachers on Conditional License and in need Professional Coursework courses: University of Phoenix offers a course in human learning, EDUC 518: Psychology of Learning. This course is the same content as the undergraduate course they offer PSY 110: Psychology of Learning.

The EDUC 518 is now available to enroll and will start on April 27 or June 1, 2021. ​

• Graduate-level course from their Continuing Education for Teachers, College of Education Extension
• Three (3) credits in four (4) weeks online
• $472.50 tuition cost with discount + $75 E-book = $547.50 total
• Please click View for Professional Knowledge coursework for certification areas or email for a PDF.

To enroll with the 10% off tuition email: nicole.berkebile@phoenix.edu

EDUC/518 - PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING
Description: The course introduces theories and concepts in psychology that will foster academic success and provide students with opportunities to synthesize and apply that knowledge. This graduate course is three (3) credits and four (4) weeks.

PLEASE NOTE: Attendance and participation are mandatory in all university courses, and specific requirements may differ by course. If attendance requirements are not met, a student may be removed from the course. Please review the Course Attendance Policy in the Catalog for more information.

Prerequisites: None

Growing your pipeline of future teachers
University of Phoenix supports your schools in teacher preparation programs by offering multiple pathways for teacher certification: Single courses needed for Conditional Licensure, Bachelor for teacher certification, Post-Bachelor stand-alone certification, Masters for teacher certification.

Leadership and Administration
Advanced degrees in Education: MAEd/Curriculum and Instruction, MAEd/Administration and Supervision (leads to Principal licensure), Doctoral Degree Ed.D. programs in Education Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction, Education Technology, and Higher Education Administration.

Why does UOPX work for working adults?

• 1 course at a time; 5-6 weeks long

• Attend class on your own schedule

• Practitioner Faculty (avg. of 20 yrs. in the field)

• Locked-in Tuition - pay the same price from start to finish

• Transfer Credits

• Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission

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Through CareFirst, we are excited to announce the LiveWell webinar series for the month of April. Those interested may participate in any of the sessions listed utilizing the access link below. These are live sessions for all interested employees. This month’s topics include:

Making A Sustainable Lifestyle Change

Friday, April 9, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Healthy eating and goal setting looks different for everyone. During this session participants are given guidance on how to achieve their own nutrition goals using sustainable habit-forming techniques.

I Want to Start Working Out, Where Do I Start?

Friday, April 16, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

New to working out? This seminar is for you! Learn tips and tricks on how to start your exercise routine and make it last.

Mindfulness 101

Friday, April 23, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Follow along this presentation that will educate participants on mindfulness techniques and how they can use mindfulness to manage their daily stressors. Afterwards, your instructor will lead you through a mindful activity.

Sleep Solutions

Friday, April 30, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Follow along a presentation that provides tips and tricks on how to get your best night’s rest. Then, your instructor will take you through a guided body scan to help you relax and slow down your mind.

To participate in the above session(s), click on the topic title listed above at the scheduled date and time. The Meeting ID: 991 5827 0491 and Passcode: 431278 will be the same for all four sessions.

If you would prefer to participate by phone, you may do so by calling 301-715-8592 utilizing the same Meeting ID and Passcode listed above.

This spring, BurnAlong is right by your side with a ton of great programming to keep you healthy, well, and fit. First off, a brand new BurnAlong partner, LivFitCo, is now offering upbeat cycling, HIIT, Barre, and breathing practice classes on the platform. Check them out!

You will have the chance to meet some LivFitCo instructors during the next monthly BurnAlong Live Event on Wednesday, April 14 at 12:00 noon. This event will help get you motivated to wake up, re-energize, refresh, and get moving this season. To register for the event, click BurnAlong's Spring Into Wellness with LivFitCo.

Don’t forget, March Mania is still running until April 9, so keep taking classes to reach the final round and for a chance to win some great prizes from BurnAlong. As a reminder, this is a BurnAlong-wide program open to all those with a BurnAlong account.

As a reminder, BurnAlong is our health and wellness partner who provides you and your family with access to 1,000’s of online classes from 1,000+ local instructors. To activate your complementary account, get started by visiting https://fit.burnalong.com/hcps. If you have any trouble accessing your account, contact customercare@burnalong.com.

Find out more about BurnAlong in this brief video.

CLICK HERE to watch this quick two-minute video to help get started with your online member portal.

From budgeting and building an emergency fund to determining your investment options and creating a will, there is something for everyone to learn. Each Retirewise session has different topics that build on each other.

With Retirewise, you’ll be on your way to making smarter financial decisions and creating an action plan that works for you.

Join your colleagues for the complementary Retirewise workshop series. Spouses and partners are welcome!

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT!

Workshop Details:
Session 1: Thursday, April 8, 2021
Session 2: Thursday, April 15, 2021
Session 3: Thursday, April 22, 2021
Session 4: Thursday, April 29, 2021
Time: 5:00 – 6:00 p.m

If asked for company name, enter Harford County Public Schools

Can’t attend but still need help with financial questions? You can still sign up for a free, no pressure, no obligation personal consultation. Click here.

"We would like to send a big “Thank You” to Mary Nasuta, Supervisor of Health Services, and ALL our Nurses! Your dedication and support to our staff, families, and children is unsurpassed! With your support and guidance, we have overcome so many challenges resulting from the pandemic. Your responsiveness, kindness, and expertise have helped us navigate challenges and positively move forward. We truly appreciate all your support!

“Nursing encompasses an art, a humanistic orientation, a feeling for the value of the individual, and an intuitive sense of ethics, and of the appropriateness of action taken.”

– Myrtle Aydelotte

-Department of Special Education

"Big shout out to James Webb, Jeremy Greene, Kaleb Crawford, Sagan McIntyre, Garrett Brace and Josh Oltarzewski in Technology for always being so understanding and patient with me. They always understand what “doohickey,” “thingymabob,” and “you know that wire coming out of that plug thing with a light on it” that I am talking about when a team member or I have an issue. They are always willing to help, always solve our problems and always have a great attitude when they do it even though they are very busy. Thank you, guys."

-Tiffany Sawyer, Work Order Coordinator, Facilities Department

Please help us welcome the following new employees to our HCPS family:

• Victoria Layman, Administrative Support Assistant, Aberdeen Middle School
• Tayler Pickle, Administrative Support Specialist, Prospect Mill Elementary School
• Alexis Winder, Inclusion Helper, Magnolia Elementary School
• Colleen Winter, Speech Language Pathologist, Forest Hill 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