HCPS 411 Update

Were you unable to join the Monthly Minute earlier today? No worries - we have you covered! Click below to watch Dr. Bulson's message. To view a complete archive of all past Monthly Minute videos, visit the Monthly Minute page on our website by clicking here.

This February, Harford County Public Schools celebrates Black History Month! Celebrating Black History Month during February became a recognized tradition in 1976 as part of the nation's bicentennial celebrations. It aims to honor the past, present, and future contributions of African Americans. #HCPSBlackHistoryMonth

On February 2, seven Harford County educators braved the cold at Sandy Point Park to volunteer and support the Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge for Special Olympics.

The group headed south as part of a Communi-Team adventure. Led by our Teacher of the Year, Ashley Gereli, the Communi-Team will be taking adventures throughout the year focusing on specific aspects of education. Along with our Teacher of the Year finalists, other staff members nominated by Central Office Staff will be invited to join, while the nominating Central Office staff member substitutes for their nominee.

This adventure’s focus was on inclusion, and the adventure included:

• Ashley Gereli (Teacher of the Year), Title 1 Behavior Intervention Coach at HXES, JOES and HDGES
• Amanda Scearce, Special Education Teacher, Havre de Grace Elementary School
• Susan Birchfield, Special Education Teacher, Norrisville Elementary School
• Karen Gonzalez, Special Education Teacher, Magnolia Middle School
• Stephanie Bartholomew, 1st Grade Teacher, William S. James Elementary School
• Amy Wolff, Reading Specialist, Swan Creek School
• Dre Neal, Paraeducator, Halls Cross Roads Elementary School

The group had a blast and were in awe of the amazing number of young Marylanders who turned out to support this awesome cause!

Future U Academy for aspiring principals and assistant principals began on Monday, January 23, 2023, and it was an exciting night! This academy is an opportunity for current HCPS staff and leaders to take the next steps in their leadership journey. During the academy, participants will uncover their leadership strengths and discover the core leadership competencies and strategies they can use in their current placements. HCPS staff: If you are interested, stay tuned! Future U Academy will be available again in Fall 2023.

Senior Judge Mimi Raffel Cooper recently shared her leadership wisdom, strategies, and tips with the HCPS IMPACT principal group. She visited the group at Fountain Green Elementary School and shared how she makes the many choices and decisions that come her way. Her visit was part of a leadership series that includes speakers sharing their journey and expertise with HCPS leaders.

The Planned Program Beyond the Master’s Degree (M30) and the Master’s Plus 60 (M60) programs recognize and compensate eligible employees who have completed coursework that bring value to themselves and HCPS.

To be eligible for the M30, the following requirements must be met:

• Courses must be taken following the completion of the master’s requirements.
• A minimum of fifteen (15) credits must be graduate and the remaining fifteen (15) credits can be graduate or undergraduate, of which a maximum of six (6) credits can be MSDE Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits.

The M60 Requirements are as follows:

• Employees must have completed Master’s +30 (M30) requirements prior to submitting a M60 application.
• Courses for consideration must be completed post M30
• Courses completed within the recent 5 years from the date of application may be considered.
• Coursework must consist of; A minimum of 24 Graduate credits (on an official college/university transcript) & 6 MSDE CPD credits, undergraduate credits, or additional graduate credits.
• Personalized learning courses where credits earned are based on logging hours for work previously completed will not be accepted.

Please note that all coursework must be listed on a plan and approved in advance. The M30 and M60 Plan can be found on the following website:

https://hcps365.sharepoint.com/sites/HumanResources/Certification.

If you have any questions, please contact Aretha Young at Aretha.Young@hcps.org or certification@hcps.org.

Calling all nominations for the February Family Friendly School Award!

Nominations for the award are being accepted now through 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. ONLY nominations submitted during this window will be considered for this month's award.

It takes just a few minutes to nominate a school...access the link to nominate here: https://www.hcps.org/parents/parentacademy/familyfriendlyschools.aspx.

Please spread the word! Help your school be celebrated for their efforts to communicate well, engage and welcome all families, and support student success.

Winning schools receive the positive coverage of the award, a custom banner to display in the school, and a complimentary staff luncheon from Chick-fil-A of Harford County.

Harford Academy

Randy Geyer, Principal

The magic continues at the Harford Academy! Here we see one of our Special Education Rockstars working with her student Anderson to explore various types of Braille and tactile items in class. Anderson is using his hands to look at his math books with his tactile/Braille number blocks. The daily accomplishments of our teachers and students continue to amaze! Special shout out to Ms. Rachel Otremba.

Church Creek Elementary School

Harley Main, Principal

At Church Creek Elementary, teachers are always working to help our students with visual impairments to go above and beyond. Pictured here is one of our students we would like to celebrate, Hoven Hawkins! Hoven is always challenging his mathematical brain to learn new concepts. Here you see him working with other students to develop reasoning about what makes a number prime and composite, using manipulatives to build visual models! Special shout out to the amazing team of educators supporting and challenging our students: Ms. Janiski, Mrs. Haines, Mrs. Still, Mrs. Matos, and Mrs. Idy.

Join us as we continue to shine the light on how HCPS celebrates Diversity all year long. Each month, we will highlight a cultural/organizational holiday. All we ask is for you to take a picture or two and share the wonderful things your school or office is doing to celebrate the contributions we all make to HCPS.

This month, we are celebrating:

Black/African American History

Please email your celebration pictures and a brief write up regarding your event to Sherron Foster-Moore, Diversity Retention & Recruitment Specialist, at Sherron.FosterMoore@hcps.org by Friday, February 24, 2023. February celebrations will be shared in the March 2nd issue of the HCPS 411 Update.

Check out the schedule to the right to see our upcoming celebrations.

Mark your calendars for April 3-4, 2023, as we Cruise into Learning! This two-day professional learning conference will provide HCPS Staff with innovative, relevant, and flexible options for learning, connection, and reflection. To meet the diverse staff needs across our system, participants will have the option to engage remotely. Look for additional conference details in a future HCPS 411 Update.

CALL for Presenters: Embark on the journey by sharing your expertise! Whether you share your learning from a conference, your experience, or research, you have something to offer! We invite you to submit a proposal for a choice session—ALL are welcome aboard! Click here or on the flyer below—deadline is February 12! Presenters will be notified of approval by the first week of March.

The Career and Technology Education (CTE) Office will host an informational event for students and families interested in learning about the programs of study within comprehensive high schools, as well as HCPS signature and magnet programs on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Patterson Mill Middle/High School. This event is geared toward families of students currently in second to seventh grade.

The following Maryland State Department of Education recognized programs of study will be represented: Arts, Media and Communications; Business Management, Finance and Entrepreneurship; Health and Human Services; Natural Resources and Agricultural Science: and Science, Engineering and Technology.

Information on CTE magnet and specialty programs, such as the Academy of Finance, Information Technology Oracle Academy, the International Baccalaureate Program, PTECH, Project Lead the Way Pre-Engineering, and the Teacher Academy of Maryland, will also be available.

Questions regarding this event should be directed to Rob Limpert, in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, at Robert.Limpert@hcps.org or 410-838-5244.

Many of our positions are filled by word of mouth by our employees. Help us share our employment needs!

• In School Suspension Tech - Edgewood Middle School

• Procurement Agent II - Purchasing Office

• Maintenance and Operations I - Youth Apprenticeship Program - Facilities Department

Follow us on social media @hcpsrecruiter and share our employment posts. To find a full list of our available positions, visit hcps.org and click on the sun!

Applications are now being accepted for Summer Programs. For immediate consideration, interested candidates should submit an online application by March 1, 2023. Please note that current employees should use the designated internal application. We anticipate initial offers to occur after April 1st and additional offers will be made until all vacant positions are filled.

To access an employment application, please visit the “Employment Opportunities” section of the HCPS website at www.hcps.org, or click here. Summer Program Employment Information can also be accessed on the HCPS website under the About Us banner. Select Current Vacancies/Summer Program.

Positions:

• Audiologist
• Braille Transcriber
• Inclusion Helper
• Interpreter for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired
• Paraeducator
• School Counselor
• School Nurse
• Speech Language Pathologist
• Summer Swim Instructor
• Teacher

Programs:

• Special Education Infants & Toddlers
• Special Education ESY Elementary & Early Interventions Programs
• Special Education ESY Secondary
• Special Education ESY Harford Academy
• Special Education Child Find Test Center
• Elementary Summer School Learning Program for Mathematics and Reading – Pre-K through Grade 5
• Middle School Summer Learning Program for Mathematics and Language Arts
• High School Summer Learning Program for Mathematics, English, Science, and Social Studies
• High School Physical Education Summer Learning Program
• Summer Swim Program

Gallery Walk of Senior Capstone Projects – Class of 2023

CareFirst WellBeing – A Personalized Digital Connection to Your Healthiest Life

Health and wellness is intensely personal. It's a product of everything, large and small, that goes into making and living life. It's constantly evolving. And it's different for everyone. To help you find and maintain your own sense of well-being in an increasingly complicated world, CareFirst is building a better wellness resource.

Beginning on January 1, 2023, the current ShareCare wellness app available to all HCPS staff members will transition to CareFirst WellBeing. The new site will feature all the tools, resources, and support you rely on but in a more clear and cohesive platform. To download the app, visit CareFirst.com/WellBeing. To access CareFirst WellBeing, you can register with the new program using your current ShareCare credentials on or after January 1, 2023. After that, you can start using all the excellent resources available – there's no waiting period. All of your data will carry over, too. You can view the Introduction Flier here to learn more about the new CareFirst WellBeing app.

Presented by KEPRO Employee Assistance Program

Shorter days, colder weather and increased time spent indoors in the winter can lead to feelings of moodiness and depression. Even if you live in a warmer climate, you may still feel the effects of some sadness in winter, especially after the holidays pass. In this session, participants will explore the benefits of getting outdoors as a part of their self-care routine. Click here to learn more.

Date: Available on demand beginning January 17, 2023

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 KEPRO 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, toll-free at (866) 795-5701 to visit their website online at www.EAPhelplink.com.

Have b! help you with your wellness goal(s). Where do you plan to grow? Is it your physical or mental health? How about building meaningful connections with friends and family that fill your cup? Or maybe you want to grow your career or pay off your debt. Let's do this together! Click here to choose your b! in the Let's Grow Together community.

Check out b! 's Mindset, Gratitude, and Intention Setting Playlist. Check out the final playlist from the Holiday Thrive Guide: Mindset, Gratitude, and Intention Setting. These classes are all about helping you approach a positive mindset, reduce stress, and boost gratitude during the holiday season. Click here to view the playlist.

Are you looking for class ideas? Here are a few suggestions for top classes to start in January:

• Yoga Flow (25 minutes) with Maria Finnegan -- Level 1
• Meditation Basics (20 minutes) with Ryan Redman -- Level 1
• Making Healthy Habits Stick (3 minutes) with Jessica Beard -- Level 1
• Power Breakfast Cookies (7 minutes) with Kate Watkins, RDN -- Level 1
• Beginner Core Stabilization Floor Workout (14 minutes) with Tina Fritsch -- Level 1
• Standing Abs (15 minutes) with Monte Sanders -- Level 3

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 long. Help someone start their 2023 off on the right foot. 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.

Presented by the Wellness Committee and CareFirst

Join CareFirst and the Wellness Committee on Thursday, February 9, 2023, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. for a live virtual cooking demonstration. Shaped to inspire nutritious meals at home, the live virtual demonstration will have participants learn techniques for making their meals healthier and receive recipes to practice their new culinary skills in the comfort of their homes. This Virtual Heart Smart Cooking Demonstration will focus on a three-course heart-smart meal.

The evening's menu will feature Cajun Honey Grilled Chicken with Spanish Rice and Sauteed Peppers. For dessert? Warm Chocolate Pudding.

To join the session on Thursday, February 9, at 5:30 p.m., save the following link and access code to your calendar:

Event Link:https://bhsonline.zoom.us/j/82692080796?pwd=TlFjRjV3YlExbTU1Qm5BZ0NqdGxYdz09

Access Code: 308929

February is American Health Month

Why is this Health Observance so important? Well, every year, more than 600,000 Americans die from heart disease, making it the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. A few key risk factors for heart disease include:

• High Blood Pressure
• High Blood Cholesterol
• Smoking
• Diabetes

Luckily, by taking an active role in our well-being and incorporating daily heart-healthy habits, we can reduce the risk of heart disease. To learn more, click here to view CareFirst's February Wellness Newsletter.

February CareFirst WellBeing Challenge – Jumpstart Your Heart Challenge

Your body constantly sends you signals, and while some are easy to interpret, like the twinge of a paper cut, others are harder to understand. During this challenge, earn green days through your CareFirst WellBeing app by engaging in healthy behaviors, with the goal being to earn 21 green days in February. Click here to learn more about the CareFirst WellBeing challenge and how to join.

Join Blue365 and Start Saving Today!

With the Blue365 wellness discount, great deals are yours for every aspect of your life – like 20% off at Reebok.com, discounted nutrition products, or a gym membership for only $29 a month. To take advantage of Blue365, register now at carefirst.com/wellnessdiscounts and have your CareFirst member ID card handy. You will be registered and ready to shop in a couple of minutes. CareFirst will send a special deal to your inbox every week.

Employees who have received the primary vaccine series and at least one (1) booster can submit verification of their vaccination status through an online employee survey to be eligible for COVID Breakthrough Leave for the 2022-2023 school year. Individuals who already submitted both their primary vaccine series and booster information during the 2021-2022 school year will not need to complete this survey again. Information collected from the COVID Breakthrough Leave survey will be utilized for the 2022-2023 school year to determine COVID Breakthrough Leave eligibility. The survey can be accessed by clicking here.

The complete MOU specific to your bargaining unit can be found on the Staff Relations SharePoint page. Questions about COVID Breakthrough Leave can be directed to Staff and Labor Relations Office at (410) 588-5311.

The Maryland State Retirement and Pension System and the Community College of Baltimore County will provide State Pension members the opportunity to participate in pre-retirement webinars and seminars. These sessions provide vital retirement information to pension system members, including the Maryland State Pension, Legal Issues, Social Security Benefits, and Financial Planning. The seminar/webinars will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Webinars:

• February 7 and 8 (CRN 37248)*Two Evenings
  
• February 23 (CRN 37250)
• March 8 and 9 (CRN 37277)*Two Evenings
• March 28 (CRN 37274)
• April 19 (CRN 37255)
• May 24 (CRN 37264)
• June 28 (CRN 37262)

Seminars:

• March 3 – Harford Community College (CRN 37279)

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

Please Note: These sessions are not affiliated with HCPS and will not include HCPS-specific information, such as retiree healthcare. HCPS will be hosting a condensed pre-retirement seminar in February. More information about this seminar will be announced in future HCPS 411 Update newsletters.

"Shout out to the Bel Air Middle School front office! Sherry Hurley, Renee Cullum, Cindy Loskot, and Chris Elliott are invaluable. Great teamwork, exceptional support, and always there when needed. These ladies are so helpful during emergencies and keep their calm during stressful situations. One of the best teams in HCPS! Thank you for all your assistance with the Health Suite. We couldn’t do it without you. 😊"

-Much love from your school nurses, Chelle & Wendy

"Shout out to the Health Service team at Central Office. Mary Nasuta, Linda Hicks, and Trish Schoen are an amazing group of women who define teamwork. Between the three, they manage, support, and guide the 60+ school nurses within HCPS. Thanks to them, the nurses can provide the best of care and services to the students of Harford County. Could not ask for better leadership and support!"

-Much love from your Bel Air Middle School nurses, Chelle & Wendy

"Great job to Tiffany Wheeler. You are an awesome inclusion helper! Thanks for taking pride in your work."

-Tracey Smith, bus driver, Transportation Department

"I want to shout out our Lead Secretary, Sonya Janouris. She is incredibly helpful, generous and patient. If I ever need anything, Sonya is there to assist in ways that make my job run so much more smoothly. Because of her, I am able to help the students I work with when their needs exceed my capabilities. She does so with no hesitation. Basically, she ROCKS!!!!"

-Jennifer Deckman, Check & Connect Mentor, Havre de Grace High School

"Shout out to Ms. Pam and John from the bus garage! When our bus broke down on the side of Route 40 first thing in the morning on Friday the 27th, they greeted us with a warm smile and a Good morning! amid the stress! Then, when Ms. Pam returned our fixed bus; she returned it with a full tank of fuel and DEF. Thank you to everyone in the bus garage!! Especially Ms. Pam and John in this situation!"

-Amber and Shykia, Bus 415

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

• Kyle Andersen, Public Information Specialist, Communications Office
• Elarnda Hill, In-School Suspension Technician, Magnolia Middle School
• Myla Lawhorn, Inclusion Helper, Edgewood Elementary School
• Ashley Maszkiewicz, Custodian I - Shift 2, Hall's Cross Roads Elementary School
• Kelly Murphy, Paraeducator, Darlington Elementary School
• Erica Myles Webster, Custodian I - Shift 2, Bakerfield Elementary School
• Morgan Seiss, Special Education Teacher, Dublin Elementary School
• Rachael Zimmerman, Paraeducator, Norrisville Elementary School

Editor: Lindsay Bilodeau, Innovation 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