HCPS 411 Update

The HCPS Customer Service Task Force is excited to announce the launch of Grati-Tours! Task Force members, Board members, and Senior Staff members will board a bus once a month to travel around the county to visit select schools and offices to celebrate and thank HCPS staff. But wait – there’s more! Chick-fil-A is sponsoring the HCPS Grati-Tours! At each tour stop, we will be leaving a sweet treat from Chick-fil-A for staff to enjoy. Administrators will be notified when the tour is scheduled to stop at their school. Look for pictures from the Grati-Tours in issues of the HCPS 411 Update throughout the school year.

Many thanks to our community partners at the Bel Air, Forest Hill, Abingdon, and Aberdeen Chick-fil-A locations!!

A video announcing a schedule of events November 18-21 (in lieu of the former American Education Week observations) was introduced at the Board of Education meeting on Monday, November 4. Staff are encouraged to watch the video that has also been released on Facebook and sent to parents/guardians via a Connect5 email to ensure they are aware of the opportunities being provided by the Parent Academy, along with the Harford County Council of PTA, and the Harford County Public Library, in lieu of the former American Education Week observations. While “Learn With Me” provides individual opportunities for parents and guardians to be a part of their students daily learning experience, the Parent Academy events the week of November 18, allow us to come together as an education community to enrich the long-term education of our students. For more information, visit the Parent Academy page on hcps.org or visit our social media pages for specific dates, times and locations.

Harford County Education Foundation has scheduled a Teacher Shopping Day for Wednesday, November 20 at the Tools for Schools resource center. The Tools for Schools resource center is a place where Harford County Public Schools educators can shop free for school supplies for their classrooms and their students! Registration is required to attend. You can register at https://harfordeducation.org/programs/tools-for-schools/teacher-shopping-days/.

Remember to register with your HCPS email and bring totes to carry your free school supplies! We ask that if you attended the Teacher Shopping Day in October that you do not register for this event to allow the opportunity for all teachers who wish to participate.

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) has designated November 11-15, 2019, as School Psychology Awareness Week. This year’s theme, "Find Your Focus," highlights how school psychologists can help students identify strengths and areas of interest, develop persistence, see ideas and situations more clearly, and attend to important information in academic and social settings. Throughout the week, our HCPS school psychologists will be taking part in events and activities designed to highlight how school psychologists, teachers, and other school personnel work with students to help them find their focus. Please join us in this celebration!

Shout Out to our AMAZING HCPS school psychologists - THANK YOU!

Are you interested in becoming a teacher? The Growing Exceptional Teachers More (GET More) Program is a program that provides tuition reimbursement equivalent of the negotiated tuition reimbursement rate for instructional staff (currently $300 per graduate credit hour) for employees who are represented by HCESC or AFSCME. The purpose of this tuition reimbursement assistance is to allow program participants to complete a teacher certification program in a high needs area of teacher education, with the ultimate goal of receiving their teacher certification and returning to work as a teacher in HCPS. This program is open to employees who have been employed with HCPS for five (5) or more years of service with HCPS. More information is available by clicking the provided link: GET More Application. Questions on how to apply for this program should be directed to Benjamin Richardson, in Human Resources, at Benjamin.Richardson2@hcps.org.

There is an upcoming ED Games Expo on Thursday, January 9, 2020, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It is the U.S. Department of Education’s annual public showcase and celebration of educational learning games and innovative forms of learning technologies for children and students in education and special education. The Expo is free and open to students, families, and staff. RSVP online to gain entry. In addition, during the week of the expo, Monday, January 6, to Friday, January 10, 2020, 26 teams of education technology developers in town for the Expo are available to visit Washington, D.C.-area schools to lead classroom demonstrations of their learning game or technology and deliver auditorium-style presentations on the many careers that it takes for development. There is no cost to schools for the visits. For a Registration Guide with information on the developers available or questions, contact Susan.Falconer@ed.gov. The HCPS contact for more information is Rob Limpert, supervisor of Magnet and CTE Programs, at x5244.

The MD Online IEP Newsletter is a resource for case managers and IEP team members. The newsletter provides links to important resources and reminders to support IEP Teams with actions needed to ensure compliance with local, state and federal regulations. MD Online IEP Newsletters can be found on the Special Education SharePoint site under the Compliance/Resources for IEP Development tab. The October 2019 MDOIEP Newsletter, Volume 11, Issue 2 contains information to support case managers with accessing information on SharePoint, file management, form completion, and reporting progress. Questions regarding this information should be directed to Colleen Sasdelli, in Special Education, at Colleen.Sasdelli@hcps.org or x5359.

The Sandwich Generation: Meeting the Challenges of Multigenerational Caregiving

The November 2019 KEPRO Employee Assistance Program (EAP) communication resources are here! The theme is Support for Caregivers.

• Monthly Online Seminar Title: The Sandwich Generation: Meeting the Challenges of Multigenerational Caregiving
• Description: Identify common family dynamics, gain insight on knowing when it is time for additional caregiving support resources, and explore self-care techniques.
• Date: Available on demand beginning November 17, 2019
• Broadcast Length: 50 Minutes
• How to Access: Go to your EAP web site: www.EAPHelpLink.com Enter your code: HCPS and look for 'Online Seminars' in the lower right-hand corner of this homepage, or you can search for them by title.

Available anytime, any day, the EAP is a free, confidential program to help you balance your work, family, and personal life. Call them toll-free at 1-866-795-5701 or visit us online at www.EAPHelpLink.com.

Mr. Charles Brenneman, fifth grade teacher at Meadowvale Elementary School, was named 103.7 WXCY's Teacher of the Month! Each month, the radio station rewards one teacher for all that they do every day with a $100 VISA gift card for supplies needed in their classroom. The winners are announced on the first of every month during the morning show. Congratulations, Mr. Brenneman!

"Great idea from the administrative staff at Southampton Middle School. Their staff members write ‘pro’ferrals to recognize students for their great work. They also follow it up with a phone call to their parents."

-Eric Davis, chief of administration

#hcpscustomerservice

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

• Eric Archibald, school bus attendant, Transportation
• Claudell Barne, school bus attendant, Transportation
• Charlotte Cantler, paraeducator, William S. James Elementary School
• Sandra Dowell, inclusion helper, Meadowvale Elementary School
• Kayla Foy, paraeducator, Riverside Elementary School
• Larry Garvin, inclusion helper, William Paca/Old Post Road Elementary School
• Kellie Logan, custodian I - shift 2, North Harford Middle School
• Brian Myers, bus routing associate, Transportation
• Pamela O'Connor, administrative support assistant, Aberdeen High School
• Natassja Pizzini, paraeducator, Joppatowne Elementary School
• Mary Salembene, school bus attendant, Transportation

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