HCPS 411 Update

Please join us for a special community event to honor and celebrate Dr. Sean Bulson for having been named Maryland Superintendent of the Year! All HCPS staff and the larger HCPS community are invited to come together on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Havre de Grace Middle/High School. Havre de Grace Mayor Bill Martin will host as we welcome performances by HCPS students and hear from a few key speakers. Guests will enjoy lite fare by our culinary students.

Click here to RSVP now.

Please join us on Thursday, January 18, at 6:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the A.A. Roberty Building to contribute your voice as the FY25 proposed operating budget continues to develop.

County Executive Cassilly will give his State of the County Address at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 9, 2024. He will report on his progress during his administration’s first year and highlight plans for the year ahead. You can watch this year’s speech live or archived on the county website, or watch the HarfordTV cablecast on Wednesday, January 10, starting at 8:00 p.m. and then again on Thursday, January 11, starting at 2:00 p.m.

For an update on where the county budget stands now, please watch the video message from County Executive Cassilly below.

What matters most to you as we plan the next county budget? Let County Executive Cassilly know your priorities by participating online or in-person at his town hall meeting on the FY25 budget. This year’s event will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 23, in Darlington Hall on the campus of Harford Community College and broadcast on HarfordTV. Your comments are welcome starting now on social media, by email at igovharford@harfordcountymd.gov, or U.S. Mail. During the live event you can also send them an email or give them a call at 443-412-2700. For more information, visit their budget town hall webpage.

The next "Engage for Education Listening Session" will be held at North Harford High School on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. This is an opportunity for staff and out community to meet face-to-face with Board Vice President Hahn and Board President Poynton and have their voices heard.

Employees who cover a spouse and/or child(ren) on their medical and/or dental plans through HCPS have received a second notification from Alight Solutions, whom HCPS has partnered with to conduct a mandatory Dependent Eligibility Verification Audit. This notification advises members from whom they need to verify continued eligibility, what documentation is required, and how to submit the documentation to Alight for verification.

Please pay attention to this notification, as your response to the documentation request is required by the January 15, 2024, deadline to avoid any disruption in your dependent’s eligibility for benefit coverage. If you do not have dependents on your healthcare plan, you will not be required to do anything for this audit.

Any questions regarding documentation or issues with documentation submission may be directed to Alight Solutions’ Dependent Verification Center at 1-800-725-5810. A resource page has been created on the Benefits SharePoint site.

Click here to read the full announcement about the upcoming dependent eligibility verification audit.

Harford County Public Schools reimburses employees at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) standard mileage rate for business use of personal vehicles. The IRS announced a change in the mileage reimbursement for 2024. Beginning January 1, 2024, the standard mileage rate for use of a personal vehicle will be 67 cents per mile for business miles driven. Employees who are approved for mileage reimbursement should download an updated Employee Expense Reimbursement Voucher for mileage incurred on or after January 1, 2024. (This form is posted to the Business Services’ Accounts Payable SharePoint page.) Please submit a separate form for July 2023 through December 2023. Additional details may be found in the Employee Memo Also, be sure to save the form to your own computer. The default folder is saving information to Share Point. Click here for detailed instructions.

Instructional ESPs (paraeducators, inclusion helpers, techs, etc) are invited to participate in choice professional learning opportunities during the early dismissal next Friday, January 12. Click Here for a list of the sessions and to preregister. This information is also being shared through an email from your building office team.

Questions? Reach out to HCPSProfessionallearning@hcps.org.

Are you a paraeducator or inclusion helper interested in a teaching career? If you currently hold an associate’s degree and have an interest in becoming a teacher, please see the flyer below for information about our new partnership with Towson University. This is a part-time pathway for individuals interested in earning their bachelor's degree in Elementary Education or Special Education.

If you are interested in learning more about this program, please attend our information session with Towson University on January 10, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. Please use this link to join the session.

For more information, please contact Maranda Scott at maranda.scott@hcps.org

The Maryland Retired School Personnel Association, through its MRSPA Foundation, is offering three (3) $2,000 scholarships to public school employees in Maryland who are enrolled in a program leading to teacher certification or certification as a school counselor, speech and language pathologist, physical or occupational therapist, school social worker, administrator or supervisor, media specialist or school psychologist. Applicants must hold a high school diploma or GED certificate.

The scholarship is also available to certificated teachers who are pursuing certification in another area or level of teaching or to become qualified as one of the above-listed education specialists. Applicants must be current employees of the Board of Education and must intend on working in a Maryland public school while working toward certification and upon completion of their requirements for certification.

Please review the MRSPA Scholarship FAQ’s regarding this opportunity prior to submitting your online application.

Applicants apply online between January 2, 2024, and January 19, 2024. Winners will be notified by March 30, 2024.

In just a few days, a handful of HCPS students will be joining our legislators in Annapolis for the 2024 Legislative Session as Pages.

Hear what they had to say about the program, and join us in wishing them luck next week!

The nomination window for the January Family Friendly School Award is open until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, January 9, 2024. Visit the Parent Academy page of hcps.org to submit your nomination.

If your school is nominated, our community can show how welcoming your school is and help you earn this honor by casting their vote January 11-18, 2024!

More information may be found on https://www.hcps.org/parents/parentacademy/familyfriendlyschools.aspx.

The Retirement Coordinators of HCPS, via the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System (MSRPS), announce a pre-retirement seminar for HCPS employees. This seminar will provide vital retirement information to all members within eight (8) years of retirement, whether regular or early service retirement. Please note: this seminar is a condensed version of our annual pre-retirement seminar held each fall. Discussion topics will include:

• State Retirement Pension Benefits
• HCPS Retiree Benefits

This year's pre-retirement seminar will be held in person at Bel Air High School on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Due to limited seating, we may not be able to accommodate spouses. To register, please click the following link: Click here to register for the Winter Pre-Retirement Seminar.

How can you be more intentional with your goals in January?

Intentional goal setting is a powerhouse for transformation, especially as the new year dawns. With BurnAlong by your side, you have the tools and support to turn those aspirations into powerful, achievable actions, making every year a step closer to your best self. To help those beginning this process, BurnAlong is hosting live events throughout January:

• January 11 at 12:00 p.m.: Setting Goals and Finding the Motivation to Achieve Them
• January 17 at 12:00 p.m: Building Good Habits and Routines That You Actually Stick To
• January 25 at 12:00 p.m: Visualizing Your Wellness Journey

Looking for More Class Recommendations?

Click on the calendar below to access suggested classes for January:

Did you know BurnAlong is free for you and your friends?

You have access to four (4) free family subaccounts, so you can start sharing today! It takes just a minute to send one, and they'll get free, unlimited access to BurnAlong all year. Click here to invite a subaccount.

Take BurnAlong with You!

Join thousands of others on their health and wellness journey by downloading the Mobile App. Available in iOS and Android, take BurnAlong with you by downloading the app today!

What is BurnAlong?

As a reminder, BurnAlong is our health and wellness partner who provides you and your family with more than 23,000 live and on-demand online classes from 5,000+ credentialed instructors at no cost to you.

To activate your complimentary 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.

CareFirst Virtual Care Offering Update

Starting January 1, 2024, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) members will be able to access a full suite of services through CloseKnit. CareFirst Video Visit will no longer be available to members after December 31, 2023. This change does not impact your ability to use telemedicine offerings from other providers in the CareFirst network.

CloseKnit is a full-service virtual health offering designed around you. Services include:

• Primary care (ages 18+)
• Urgent adult/pediatric care (ages 2+)
• Behavioral and mental health therapy
• Psychiatry*
• Lactation consulting*
• Nutritional counseling*
• and more!

*Available January 2024

Download the CloseKnit app from the Apple App Store or Google Play, or visit closeknithealth.com. Ensure your member ID card is handy when setting up your account.

Employees who wish to provide feedback on their experience(s) obtaining medications through CVS retail pharmacies are advised to complete the CVS/Caremark Service Reporting Tool, available on SharePoint. This report is monitored bi-weekly by a member of the Benefits Office for further assistance and tracking of member service feedback. To access this form, visit the Harford County Public Schools – SharePoint Home Page.

As always, if there is an immediate need or concern when obtaining medication, please email benefits@hcps.org so that a member of the Benefits Office can assist you more quickly.

The Maryland State Retirement and Pension System and the Community College of Baltimore County are providing State Pension members the opportunity to participate in pre-retirement webinars. These sessions provide vital retirement information to pension system members, including the Maryland State Pension, Legal Issues, Social Security Benefits, and Financial Planning.

Webinars:

• January 30 (CRN 77175)

• February 12 & 13 (CRN 77177)
• March 14 (CRN 77185)
• April 6 (CRN 77192)
• April 17 (CRN 77194)
• May 2 (CRN 77198)
• May 29 & 30 (CRN 77265)
  
• June 7 (CRN 77205)
• June 26 (CRN 77209)

Seminars:

• April 5 – Harford Community College (CRN 77189)
• June 25 - Harford Community College (CRN 77203)

To register, please visit https://www.ccbcmd.edu/ceed-preretirement-county. You will receive an email with site-specific information for those participating in person. Those participating in the online events will receive a separate link to join the date-specific event.

Please Note: These sessions are not affiliated with HCPS and will not include HCPS-specific information, such as retiree healthcare.

January is All About Refreshing Routins and Implementing New Healthy Habits at CareFirst

A new year is the perfect opportunity for employees to refresh their daily routines and implement new healthy habits that will ultimately improve their overall quality of life. The new year often feels like a fresh start, which is why it is the ideal time to establish new routines and implement daily healthy habits that will ultimately improve your overall quality of life. Think about your intentions for 2024, and click here for more information to help you reach your health and wellness goals this year!

January CareFirst Wellbeing Challenge – Fresh Start Green Days Challenge

As the new year begins, commit to invest in your overall well-being and improve your quality of life. Start by identifying any pain points and then try to be more mindful of how stress, diet, exercise, and sleep habits affect how you feel. It helps to track your habits each day and monitor your progress. Click here to learn more about the CareFirst Wellbeing challenge and how to join.

Presented by Acentra Health Employee Assistance Program

Discover how emotions can influence spending, lead to procrastination with decisions, and impact your long-term financial health. Participants will walk away from this training with strategies to take control of their finances. Click here to learn more.

Date: Available on demand beginning January 16, 2024

Broadcast Length: 50 minutes
How to Access: Go to your EAP website: www.EAPHelpLink.com. Enter your code: HCPS and look for Online Seminars in the lower left-hand corner of this homepage, or you can search for them by title.

The Employee Assistance Program is available to employees and their families anytime, any day, and is a free, confidential program to help you balance your work, family, and personal life.

Employees and their family members can call Acentra Health 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, toll-free at (866) 795-5701 to visit their website online at www.EAPhelplink.com.

Presented by the HCPS Wellness Committee in partnership with HealthyWage

The HCPS Wellness Committee is excited to announce its partnership with HealthyWage in its $10,000 School Team Weight Loss Challenge that kicks off on January 26, 2024. This challenge brings people together and provides support with coaching, education, and an exciting team-based approach.

Participating in the $10,000 School Team Challenge can offer several advantages. Benefits include accountability, social support, healthy competition, various perspectives and ideas, emotional boots, and long-term lifestyle changes. Working together allows you to explore various strategies, learn from each other's experiences, and build a foundation for long-term success.

What to Know:

• Compete against other teams from organizations to lose the greatest percentage of weight in 12 weeks to win the GRAND PRIZE of $10,000! Organizations that have at least 50 total participants will receive a top team prize of $1,500 (as long as they aren’t the grand prize-winning team).
• Create a team of five (5) coworkers, friends, and/or family members. Don’t have a team? No problem – HealthyWage will match you up with one!
• There is a participant registration fee of $84 (individuals can elect to pay this fee in three payments of $28). However, you will earn back your registration fee by achieving a weight loss of 10% or more in 9 months!
• Not looking to lose weight but want to participate? Register as a team cheerleader for free and support your five teammates (limit one cheerleader per team). If you’re on a winning team, you’ll win an equal share of the cash prize!

The challenge starts on January 26 and ends on April 19, 2024. For questions, contact HealthyWage at info@healthywage.com or 888-636-3832.

The Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) is completed every three years. It is a collaboration between the Harford County Health Department and the Hospital.

The CHNA gathers the anonymous community feedback about the health needs of Harford County. The survey data is used for needed program development, applying for grants to support needed programs, and allocating funds…putting the money in the right places. One of the best examples of how the CHNA and the data collected has been used is the Klein Family Center. The CHNA identified the need for intensive and more behavioral health resources, and the data collected was used to apply for grants to support the one of a kind mental health facility.

Scan the QR code, enter the url address or click the image above to access the survey and be entered to win a Samsung computer tablet.

Please join us in welcoming the following new employees to the HCPS family:

• Nicholas Westerman, Spanish Teacher, Aberdeen High School
• Samantha Marzullo, Science Teacher, Central Office
• Wanda Boulware, Social Studies Teacher, Aberdeen High School
• Dani Fujimoto, Special Education Teacher, Swan Creek School
• Antionette Moore, Inclusion Helper, Edgewood High School
• Caroline Gaydos, Inclusion Helper, Bel Air Elementary School
• Gloria Trupe, School Nurse, Student Services
• Kathryn Harrington, Paraeducator, Deerfield Elementary School
• Jaime Kennedy, Paraeducator, Forest Hill Elementary School
• Margaret Keech, Paraeducator, Jarrettsville Elementary School
• Tamara Sherrill, Inclusion Helper, Roye-Williams Elementary School
• Kathleen Solomon, Inclusion Helper, Harford Academy
• Kimberly Plant, Paraeducator, Bel Air Elementary School
• Zachary Frank, HR Specialist - Info Systems, Human Resources
• Luke Furgason, Custodian I - Shift 2, Havre de Grace Middle School

Editor: Lindsay Bilodeau, Innovation Specialist

Email: HCPS.411@hcps.org