HCPS 411 Update

Last week, several HCPS Senior Staff and their team members participated in onboarding our newly-elected Board of Education members by inviting the Board members to their workspace and providing an overview of their department and the significant projects or issues at hand.

Then, on Monday, December 5, 2022, at 5:30 p.m., the new members were officially sworn in and Dr. Carol Mueller was named President and Wade Sewell was named Vice President.

Take a moment to hear a little bit about them in the introduction video below. Learn more about them by visiting our Meet the Board Members page on hcps.org.

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) approved the HCPS application to conduct asynchronous virtual instruction on up to three (3) inclement weather days.

We are diligently working to prepare a “practice” of what this will look like. That very brief practice is scheduled for the evening of Monday, January 9, 2023. Prekindergarten students will receive a bag of supplies when the bags are delivered. Students in kindergarten through grade 12 will bring their device home January 9, 2023; as part of their homework, they must log into their inclement weather tile, which will appear on Canvas, and send a confirmation message to the teacher. The Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment is creating the assignment that every single student will do that will be a quick confirmation that they were able to get in. If a school needs to adjust the systemwide asynchronous virtual instruction plan, they will reach out to their community directly.

Please note: If there is a need to close HCPS for inclement weather PRIOR to January 9, HCPS will NOT utilize virtual instruction. Following the practice on the evening of January 9, HCPS plans to conduct asynchronous virtual instruction on the first three closures for inclement weather.

Families can expect additional details on the Inclement Weather and School Closings page on hcps.org as soon as possible.

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

• Administrative Support Assistant (10-month) - Magnolia Elementary School

• Substitutes!

• Teacher/Certificated Staff Pool applications go live 1/2/2023!

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!

Mark your Calendar:

Resume Development Workshop:

• When: Wednesday, January 18, 2023, at 4:00 p.m.
• Where: Join Via Teams (Meeting Link will be Provided closer to Workshop Date)

If you are interested in resume or cover letter support prior to this workshop, please contact Maranda Scott at maranda.scott@hcps.org.

Effective December 14, 2022, Lincoln Financial will be going paperless for their 403(b) accounts. (457(b) accounts will be implemented at a later date.)

Here is what that means for our participants:

• Participants can request a loan or withdrawal 24 hours a day, seven days a week via a user-friendly, secure online interface.
• Once logged into your account and make a loan or withdrawal request, you will only see the transaction options available to you based on the plan’s specific provisions. Some information such as your name and address will automatically be pre-filled on the screen.
• Participants will directly upload required documentation, such as spousal consent or hardship information, removing the need to fax, email, or mail it.
• Lincoln Financial will conduct automated fraud checks throughout the process, including real-time bank account verification, event-driven rules, and business logic application. A participant will provide an e-signature for a transaction via DocuSign.
• Lincoln will accept paper-based requests for about 90 days after paperless loans and withdrawals are activated for your plan.
• If a participant doesn’t have access to an electronic device to submit the request themselves or they prefer not to use the online process, a representative in the Lincoln Customer Contact Center can initiate a request on behalf of a participant. The participant will still be required to digitally sign the request via DocuSign and provide documentation to support their transaction.

Click here for more information on paperless loans and withdrawals. For information about the secure online process, click here.

The window is now open to nominate your favorite teacher from this year, or years past, for the 2023 Teacher of the Year!

Visit hcps.org and click “learn more” in the Teacher of the Year banner at the top of the page to share 3-4 sentences on why you want your school to consider nominating your favorite teacher this year! The program will look slightly different this year as HCPS will celebrate a night of excellence in education when the Teacher of the Year is announced. In addition to announcing the 2023 Teacher of the Year, we will honor retired or former teachers who will be inducted into the HCPS Hall of Fame.

We want to thank HarfordTV who is planning to broadcast the culminating event on April 12, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. (mark your calendar now!) via their Facebook Live as well as recording for later viewing. Local businesses and community members continue to play an integral part in showing our appreciation for our educators and we look forward to celebrating with everyone again this year!

Nominations are due by January 4, 2023. Don't delay- submit your nomination here as soon as possible.

Questions regarding this information should be directed to celebrationofexcellence@hcps.org.

Love your bus driver and bus attendant?! Now's your chance to let them know! Submit a nomination on the website as soon as possible to see your favorite bus driver and attendant be named Bus Driver and Attendant of the Year!

Click here to submit your nomination.

The voting window to name this month's Family Friendly School Award will open tomorrow, Friday, December 9! There can only be one winning school each month… now is your time to weigh in!

Beginning tomorrow morning, visit hcps.org to vote once before 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, December 15, to let us know which nominated school should win the coveted title of “Family Friendly School” and a staff Chick-fil-A luncheon!

As a reminder, if “your” school isn’t in the running this month and you feel it should be, nominate it next month! One winning school will be named each month through May, and schools may win multiple times. Reminders about nominating and voting windows will be shared in the HCPS 411 Update and on the Parent Academy Facebook page throughout the school year.

We look forward to announcing the December winner later this month!

The Communi-Team Adventure is comprised of five carefully curated adventures for teachers outside of their classrooms. Teachers will be nominated by coworkers within HCPS for their dedication and commitment to the students of Harford County. For each adventure, six nominees will be selected at random to spend the day with their peers and one member of the Communi-Team. The first adventure is coming in January of 2023!

Harford Technical High School Principal Jim Reynolds and 2020 Teacher of the Year and PACE Liaison Beth White talk about best practices for engaging parents and families at the high school level, specifically related to effective two-way communication. Principal Reynolds shares his school’s vision to encourage teachers to provide positive, proactive outreach with parents/guardians, sharing good news about students’ academic progress, as well as regularly published newsletters to the school’s families and community stakeholders to keep them informed. Mrs. White elaborates on the teacher-parent communications by sharing about the school’s PACE Challenge, developed to offer teachers new ways to engage with parents, categorized by time commitment. Harford Tech teachers are actively taking part in the challenge and providing feedback about how proud and appreciative parents are about the increase in engagement and how it has created a renewed investment in their student’s education.

The Harford County Education Foundation is giving our Littles University scholars one more book before the new year! Visit their website and register for "The Snowy Nap" by Jan Brett as soon as possible; registration will close on December 16, 2022! Then, Mrs. Lader will share a special message on December 27 that parents/guardians can watch with their Littles U scholar anytime!

Join us as we continue to shine the light on how HCPS celebrates Diversity all year long. Each month, we highlight a cultural/organizational holiday. All you have to do is 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: Foreign Language Appreciation Month.

Please email your celebration pictures and a brief write-up regarding the event to Sherron Foster-Moore, Diversity Retention & Recruitment Specialist, at Sherron.FosterMoore@hcps.org by Friday, December 23, 2022. This month’s celebrations will be shared in the January 5, 2023, issue of the HCPS 411 Update.

All certificated staff will now have to request initial certificates and changes to their existing certificate through the TEACH system - https://certificationhub.msde.maryland.gov.

Directions for requesting an initial certificate, a certification renewal, and/or an endorsement to your current certificate can be found on the Certification site in SharePoint. Please see links below:

• Applying for an initial Certificate
• Requesting a Certificate Renewal
• Requesting an Endorsement

For those who have a Maryland teaching certificate that is expiring DECEMBER 31, 2022; if you have not done so already, please log onto TEACH and request a renewal of your certificate. More information regarding this process can be found in the MSDE TEACH INFORMATION 9-2022 document on SharePoint, Human Resources, Certification, under Certification Forms & Information.

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

*Administrators interested in an in-person or virtual presentation on the TEACH system for their staff should contact the Office of Certification.

Focus on growing and thriving with BurnAlong this season!

Stay centered and balance with four (4) BurnAlong video playlists:

• b-NOURISHED: Enjoy healthy takes on seasonal favorites and learn intuitive eating tips.
• b-GENEROUS: Master gift-giving and save money with financial wellness tips.
• b-MOVIN': Find movement practices that bring you joy.
• b-GRATEFUL: Build your foundation for 2023 with gratitude and goal-setting.

The Transformative Power of 10 Minutes of Stretching a Day

Did you know that after a month of 10 minutes of stretching three days a week, studies1 show a 10-30% increase in range of motion? (1) Here are three quick classes you can schedule this week to help you relax and unwind.

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.

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!

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

Are you caring for an older parent in addition to raising your child or financially supporting a grown child? If so, you are part of the sandwich generation, the 47% of adults nationwide, ages 40-59, who face multiple responsibilities and competing demands as they support older and younger family members. This session will help participants to find practical and effective strategies to balance your work and personal life as the sandwich generation. Click here to learn more.

Date: Available on demand now

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, seven days per week toll-free at (866) 795-5701 to visit their website online at www.EAPhelplink.com.

Getting healthy and holistically feeling your best can be fun and easy with help! That's why HCPS wants to launch a health and wellness program to help you live healthier and to provide resources to support your overall well-being while making it a program that works for employees. If you haven't done so already, please take a few moments to click the link below to complete the survey to help us shape this year's program by letting us know which health issues are important to you so that we may develop a program that meets the needs of all staff.

Click here to complete the survey.

This December, Focus on Prioritizing You this Holiday Season

It's almost that time of year again! As the holiday season approaches, it often brings a side of stress. Between the demands of cooking meals, entertaining, cleaning, and shopping for gifts, alongside the regular day-to-day duties, it can become overwhelming. While stress is a natural part of life and, in small doses, is a good thing, excessive stress can negatively impact our mental and physical health. During this time, it is essential to make sure we are making our own health and well-being a top priority. To learn more, click here to view CareFirst's December Wellness Newsletter.

December Recipe of the Month: Tasty Gingerbread Pancakes

Pancakes are fun any time of the year, especially during the holidays when you can add your favorite spices. These gingerbread-style pancakes will fill you up without busting your diet. Click here to try this tasty recipe this holiday season.

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.

"I want to give a shout out to Sandy Carter, the counseling secretary at Harford Technical High School. Sandy always goes out of her way to help all staff in the school. She is kind and creates a warm and friendly environment for anyone who comes to the counseling office. And, will make tons of extra effort to help the teachers. We appreciate you Sandy!"

Mr. Steven Tanribilir, Social Studies Teacher, Harford Technical High School

"We would like to give a big THANKS!!! to Nurse Kara Barlow at Forest Hill Elementary School (FHES). Nurse Kara is a wonderful, caring, kind, and patient person who treats our STRIVE students with respect and love. Whenever we call the health suite, she will tell us to come down immediately or she will come to our classrooms. Nurse Kara knows that sometimes our students need that extra care or time and she always provides it. We are very lucky to have her at FHES and want her to know we appreciate everything she does for the entire FHES community."

-The STRIVE staff at Forest Hill Elementary

"Charlie Jones will be retiring from Bel Air Middle School (BAMS) this month. He has been with HCPS for 31 years and BAMS for six years. He is always a professional to all his staff.

His humor is dry but his heart is huge. We will all miss him so much. Charlie's work ethics are like no others. He works any hour of the day when called. Charlie is quick with a joke or funny story. Let’s all wish Charlie a happy retirement enjoying family, friends, and his love of hunting and riding his Harley!"

-Wendy Kraus, School Nurse, Bel Air Middle School

Please join us in giving a warm welcome to the following new members of the HCPS family!

• Julie Weiner, ESOL, Edgewood Middle School
• Gabriel Shleifer, Special Education Teacher, Forest Lakes Elementary School
• Myleka Ebron, Inclusion Helper, Havre de Grace Elementary School
• Kayla Green, Inclusion Helper, Hall's Cross Roads Elementary School
• Carmela Noriega, Paraeducator, Abingdon Elementary School
• Katie Rohrbaugh, In-School Suspension Technician, Magnolia Middle 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