HCPS 411 Update

Board President Aaron Poynton and Board Vice President Melissa Hahn are hosting a Listening Session on Monday, December 11, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Patterson Mill High School in the auditorium. District C Board Member Carol Mueller will also join them. This particular Listening Session is for HCPS Staff ONLY. You are invited to come out for a casual conversation addressing your questions or feedback related to your role as an HCPS employee. Don't miss this opportunity to get to know the Board officers a little better and to engage for the future of Harford County Public Schools.

The Autumn Blueprint Newsletter has important updates, member spotlights, and celebrations. This information packed newsletter reviews activities in the five Blueprint pillars of Early Childhood, Elevating Educators, North Star/ College & Career Readiness (CCR), Student Supports, and Accountability. A few newsletter highlights include: the newly proposed CCR standard, Spanish language mental health resources, and open access to a Harford County Community Health Needs Assessment. For all things HCPS Blueprint, you can also go to hcps.org for the Blueprint Website.

The HCPS Benefits Office, in partnership with Alight Solutions, will conduct a mandatory Dependent Eligibility Verification Audit. Employees who cover a spouse and/or child(ren) on their medical and/or dental plans through HCPS will be required to verify continued eligibility for those dependents on their healthcare plan. This audit is designed to help HCPS ensure the accuracy and integrity of its employee benefits programs.

The audit will begin on November 15, 2023. Employees will receive mailings to their homes from Alight Solutions outlining the dependents for which you need to verify continued eligibility. If you cover a dependent on your healthcare plan, a 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. Until then, here are a few steps you can take to prepare for the upcoming audit:

1. Review and Gather Documents: Take the time to gather all necessary documents well before the submission deadline. To find out more about the required documentation, click here.
2. Understand Eligibility Criteria: Familiarize yourself with the dependent eligibility criteria outlined in the full announcement and the Employee Benefits Reference Guide.
3. Seek Assistance: If you have any immediate or preliminary questions, contact the Benefits Office at benefits@hcps.org. Beginning November 15, questions regarding documentation and submissions may be directed to the Alight Solutions’ Dependent Verification Center at 1-8000-725-5810.

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

The HCPS Bowtie Breakfast program celebrates Central Office employees who consistently serve others in a BIG (Bold, Invested, Genuine) way and go above and beyond in their roles. Honorees are nominated by colleagues to attend Superintendent Bulson’s virtual event held each month. Congratulations to the November 2023 honorees! Join us in celebrating our awesome HCPS staff!

We'd also like to give a BIG thank you to our program sponsor, Freedom Federal Credit Union! We are able to provide our honorees with a special treat courtesy of their generosity.

The Communi-team Adventure is back for the 2023-2024 school year with a few new features! The 2021-2022 Teacher of the Year finalists, collectively known as the “Communi-Team,” have planned two carefully curated adventures for this school year! There will be one adventure in February and another adventure in May! This year, any HCPS staff member in any role can nominate another HCPS staff member in any role that demonstrates one or more of the following values:

For each adventure, a selected group of nominees will go on the Communi-Team Adventure! Additionally, ALL nominees will be recognized in an upcoming HCPS 411 Update and will receive their nominator’s words of affirmation, which some may consider the best gift of all!

Please understand that nominators who are able may be requested to stand in for their nominee on the day of the adventure as coverage. We understand that not all nominators will be in a position that allows them to stand in for their nominee - please still nominate and if needed we will work to find coverage for your nominee should they be selected!

Nominate for the Communi-Team Adventure now!

Beginning tomorrow, Friday, November 10, visit the Parent Academy page on hcps.org to vote for one of this month's nominated schools for the Family Friendly School Award. Cast your vote once between tomorrow and midnight on Friday, November 17, to help name the winning school. Good luck to all schools in the running this month!

In this episode, Mary Beth talks with Kathy Griffin, Coordinator of Early Childhood Education, about how parents can help their child(ren) learn to read. In addition, she talks with Jennifer Brosh, Early Childhood Teacher Specialist, about how to understand progress reports and how to best support our youngest learners at home.

Recently, with the help of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, Aberdeen Middle School unveiled their new STEM cart for students to use. Check it out!

Although HCPS offices are closed Friday, November 24, 2023, banks will be open. Therefore, the actual pay date remains November 24, 2023.

Checks (for employees who are not on direct deposit) will be mailed to the employee’s home address (per LAWSON Employee Self Service, ESS) on Wednesday, November 22, 2023. Please verify the address shown on your October 27, 2023 pay stub is your current address. If the address is incorrect, log into ESS and update your address (click on Life Events and then Move). Please note: To access ESS, you must be logged onto an HCPS computer/HCPS network. The username and password for ESS is your network username and password. See the DSS and ESS Instructions for all you can do in DSS/ESS.

For questions regarding this information, please contact your Payroll Coordinator. Click Here to find the Payroll Coordinator for your location.

Not sure who to contact? Send your question to the general email at Payroll@hcps.org.

HCPS Spring 2024 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Course Offerings

The Spring 2024 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Course Catalog is now available. Registration for these MSDE credit courses is available on HECTOR. Register early for the best course selection.

HECTOR Directions

Need assistance HECTOR?

• Registering for courses
• Checking Registration and History
• Changing or Canceling Registration

Please see the Instructions for HECTOR.

All certification requests must be processed through The Educator Application and Certification Hub (TEACH) For those who have a Maryland teaching certificate that is expiring DECEMBER 31, 2023, if you have not done so already, please log onto TEACH and request a renewal of your certificate. In order to renew certificates in a timely manner, please have your request completed by November 1, 2023.

Questions regarding this information should be directed to CJ Harbach, Certification Administrative Support Technician, or Aretha Young, Certification Coordinator at Certification@hcps.org or 410-588-5258.

Join us as we continue to shine a light on how HCPS celebrates the contributions we all make throughout the year. This month we are celebrating Native American Heritage and Veteran's Day. To join in on the fun, simply:

1. Capture Your Celebrations: Take pictures or videos of the various activities, events, or decorations in your school or office that celebrate Native American Heritage and Veteran's Day.

2. Write a Brief Description: Write a brief description of the activities or decorations you captured in your photos or videos. Describe how your school or office is honoring these important occasions and the significance of the celebrations.

3. Submit Your Contributions: Send your pictures, videos, and the accompanying write-up to Sherron Foster-Moore, Diversity Retention & Recruitment Specialist, at Sherron.FosterMoore@hcps.org.

4. Deadline: Make sure to submit your materials by Thursday, November 30, so they can be included in the December 7 edition of the HCPS 411 Update, allowing you to share your celebrations with the HCPS community.

By sharing your celebrations with the larger HCPS community, you continue to foster healthy, supportive working and learning environments for all.

For a complete list of shows and for information on how to get tickets, please visit our website here.

Challenge Begins Monday, November 13!

The HCPS Wellness Committee, in partnership with CareFirst, is excited to announce Nourish, a new well-being challenge that helps turn healthy eating intentions into lifelong habits. Wrapped in a captivating garden theme, Nourish lets you choose the activities most meaningful and motivating to you. Grow virtual veggies, fruits, and grains from around the world by recording health activities. Then try delicious recipes with ingredients from your garden — seven (7) new recipes each week! Those who log a minimum number of participation days throughout the program will be entered into a prize raffle.

Learn how you can increase energy, lift mood, and sharpen focus by eating more nutrient-rich food and less nutrient-deficient food in Nourish. Click here to learn more about Nourish: Healthy Eating Challenge.

The program will begin on Monday, November 13, 2023! To register, click the following link: https://hcps.thenourishgarden.com/.

Pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes are largely preventable. About nine in ten cases in the U.S. can be avoided by making lifestyle changes. These same changes can also lower the chances of developing heart disease and some cancers. The key to prevention can be boiled down to five words: Stay lean and stay active.

The Wellness Committee, in partnership with CareFirst, is offering employees the opportunity to participate in a 4-week webinar series. Employees will learn how to implement lifestyle behavior changes to improve overall health and wellness and decrease the risk of Type 2 diabetes onset. Sessions are scheduled throughout November on the dates below, 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.:

• 11/7: Building a Plate for Blood Sugar Management
• 11/14: Nutrition Basic for Pre-Diabetes
• 11/21: Physical Activity and Pre-Diabetes
• 11/28: Sleep, Stress, and Their Impact on Blood Sugar Management

To register, click the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZclf-CrrTMpEtbc1aG-BgxgmsNwrJC7V0Cn#/. This registration link will register you for all four classes.

Those who register and attend three out of the four classes will be entered into a raffle for a Spout Garden.

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. The seminar/webinars will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Webinars:

• November 29 (CRN 73303)
  
• December 19 (CRN 73288)

Seminar:

• December 7 – Harford Community College (CRN 73279)

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.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month at CareFIrst

Did you know that while over 37 million Americans have diabetes, one in five don’t even realize they are walking around with the disease? American Diabetes Month is an annual health observance highlighted each November to raise awareness about the risk factors, symptoms, and types of diabetes. Chances are, you know someone with diabetes. Because the best way to prevent or manage any chronic health condition is to be informed, we want to help by providing you with information and resources available through your medical plan with CareFirst. To learn more, click here.

November CareFirst Recipe of the Month: Baked Broccoli-Cheddar Quinoa Bites

November CareFirst Wellbeing Challenge – November Healthy Plate Challenge

A poor diet can impact your overall health. Balanced meals are the perfect formula for sustaining energy throughout the day. So, whether it’s choosing mini meals or three square meals a day, make sure you have the right combination of health sources of low fat, protein, and high fiber. Click here to learn more about the CareFirst Wellbeing challenge and how to join.

Presented by Acentra Health Employee Assistance Program

People who experience caregiver stress can be vulnerable to change in their own health. In this month’s webinar we explore how to cope with caregiver stress while supporting our loved ones. This session will provide tips for participants on how to notice signs of stress and how to help reduce caregiver stress. Click here to learn more.

Date: Available on demand beginning November 21, 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 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.

Harford County Public Schools students, staff, and families looking for help with mental health or substance use can call Care Solace at 888-515-0595 for 24/7/365 free, personalized, and confidential help finding a therapist, or you can search on your own at www.caresolace.com/harford.

"To Patie Meyer, an amazing co-teacher, mentor, mathematician, and friend who is the definition of a highly effective teacher. She is always kind, helpful, and supports her students through every problem they encounter. She works tirelessly to make sure her students remain engaged and establish comprehension of the content before they leave her room each day. She goes out of her way to make sure that her students feel wanted and supported on a daily basis. She is truly someone you admire, look up to, and learn from. Fallston Middle School, and the students, are so lucky to have her."

-Kim Ramer, Special Education Teacher, Fallston Middle School

"A huge shout out to one incredible English teacher, Terry Davis. This man shows true compassion in his profession, establishes trusting and respectful relationships with his students, and makes the students feel excited to come to his class. He facilitates thought provoking and engaging discussions with his students and demonstrates his level of expertise in the subject. He is fun to collaborate with, a great co-teacher, and someone you enjoy having a laugh with. Fallston Middle School is lucky to have had him for the entirety of his career."

-Kim Ramer, Special Education Teacher, Fallston Middle School

"Julie Smith brings her high school English experience to the 8th grade English curriculum flawlessly. She builds respect and rapport with her students through daily conversations she facilitates with them while also showing true compassion, empathy, and kindness towards them on a daily basis. She creates thought provoking discussions and allows her students to collaborate with one another. She is a fabulous co-teacher, friend, and confidant. An overall amazing educator to work with at Fallston Middle!"

-Kim Ramer, Special Education Teacher, Fallston Middle School

"A sincere thank you for the generous collaboration from the Transportation Department, especially those supporting the coordination of our Special Education students. Matthew Bedsaul, Danielle Bedsaul, Tina Dolan, and Joyce Levee all set aside time to meet with multiple related service departments in the past two months, offering a genuine moment to share knowledge from each disciplinary lens as it relates to the TRSS forms and the ultimate safety of each student they care for daily. Thank you all for the collective investment and partnership for student transportation safety. You are greatly appreciated!"

-Carey Reise, Coordinator of Special Education

"Huge Shout Out to Brandon Beyer, Anna Becker, Andrews Stevens, Woodworking Club, and our entire Tech Department for designing, building, painting, and decorating a Barbie Box photo booth for our “Barbie World” Spirit Day. Your work made the day so enjoyable for students and staff alike. In the words of Barbie, you helped make the day full of “dreams, imagination, and sparkle.”

-Jess Jeffries, School Library Media Specialist, Havre de Grace High School

*To submit a Shout Out for inclusion in an upcoming issue of HCPS 411 Update, please email it to HCPS.411@hcps.org.

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

• Vernon Fuller, School Safety Liaison, Safety and Security Office
• Stephanie Holley, Paraeducator, Bakerfield Elementary School
• Andrew Smith, Paraeducator, Youth's Benefit Elementary School
• Amanda Hewitt, Paraeducator, Prospect Mill Elementary School
• Victor Stewart, Custodian II - Shift 2, Edgewood High School
• Pamela Burton, School Nurse, Swan Creek
• Allison Aro, Paraeducator, Abingdon Elementary School
• Angela Weilert, Inclusion Helper, Hickory Elementary School
• Angela Reynolds, Paraeducator, North Bend Elementary School
• Isaiah Amos, Inclusion Helper, Edgewood Middle School
• Ronald Archibald, Plumbing/Heating I, Facilities Department
• Dorcas Lowe, Special Education Teacher, Edgewood Elementary School
• Mary Gipprich, Special Education Teacher, Abingdon Elementary School
• Heatherleigh Braun, Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher, North Harford High School
• Rachel Rosenzweig, Kindergarten Teacher, Ring Factory Elementary School

Editor: Lindsay Bilodeau, Innovation Specialist

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