HCPS 411 Update

Click below to watch Dr. Bulson's latest message. If you watched the live version of this month's Monthly Minute, you may notice a few additions by watching this recording!

This month Dr. Bulson highlighted the following:

• Thank you to our building maintenance team for all of their hard work!
• Two Food and Nutrition employees were recognized by the Maryland School Nutrition Association (MdSNA):
• Shenna Morrison of North Harford High School was named MdSNA Employee of the Year
• Mary Moore of Fallston High School was named MdSNA Manager of the Year
• Congratulations to Havre de Grace Elementary, our December Family Friendly School!
• Our business casual dress code will now include jeans. Employees are allowed to wear jeans in a professional manner.
  

To view a complete archive of all past Monthly Minute videos, visit the Monthly Minute page on our website by clicking here.

The Board of Education voted to approve the 2024-2025 Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) school year calendar at the December 18, 2023, Board business meeting.

The calendar may be viewed on the calendar page of hcps.org. As approved by the Board of Education, the first day of school for students will be September 3, 2024. The last day of school, if all six (6) inclement weather days are utilized, will be Monday, June 23, 2025. If no inclement weather days are needed, the last day of school for the 2024-2025 HCPS school year will be Thursday, June 12, 2025.

The calendar presentation and Board discussion can be watched here, in the Board of Education meeting archive.

The HCPS Limelight program celebrates school-based employees who consistently demonstrate outstanding service to others. Honorees are nominated by their administrator. HCPS Limelight events are held virtually once a month during the school year and are sponsored by a different community business partner each month. Congratulations to all of the December honorees highlighted below for serving BIG this month!

A special thank you to this month's Limelight sponsor, Har-co Credit Union. This month's lucky grand prize winner was Jean Buttitta of North Harford High School who received a $100 gift card. In addition, five more honorees won a branded Yeti mug:

• Madeline Virgilio, William S. James Elementary School
• Peggy Lauer, Emmorton Elementary School
• Miguel Liranzo, C. Milton Wright High School
  
• Kara Cheek, Edgewood High School
  
• Jennifer Nealy, Darlington Elementary School
  

We would also like to give a shout-out and heartfelt thank you to Mike O'Brien and Dr. Dyann Mack, Executive Directors of Secondary and Elementary School Instruction and Performance, respectively, who took the time to be with us that morning to help celebrate our staff and spread some holiday cheer!

HCPS Parent Academy, in partnership with Chick-fil-A of Harford County, is proud to announce that Havre de Grace Elementary School is the Deecmber winner for the school system’s Family Friendly School Award program!!

This month, 28 schools were nominated and 1,705 unique votes were cast by the community among the nominated schools, naming Havre de Grace Elementary the winner with 335!! Not only does the school earn the coveted title of Family Friendly School for the month of December, but the entire school staff will be treated to a luncheon by the program partner, Chick-fil-A of Harford County.

We want to also recognize this month's runner-up schools:

• North Bend Elementary School
  
• Riverside Elementary School
• Deerfield Elementary School

Keep up the great work!

HCPS is deeply grateful for its generous Chick-fil-A partners at the Aberdeen, Bel Air, Constant Friendship, and Forest Hill locations for their tremendous support of this program.

This morning a breakfast was held in celebration of Shenna Morrison of North Harford High School and Mary Moore of Fallston High School! Shenna was named Employee of the Year and Mary named Manager of the Year by the Maryland School Nutrition Association (MdSNA) in November 2023.

Shenna is a production center assistant and has been a valuable member of the HCPS Food and Nutrition department for 29 years. She always demonstrates extraordinary leadership skills and seeks ways to improve our program. She incorporates taste testing and adds student favorites to our menus! As the MdSNA Employee of the Year, Shenna is recognized for her contributions made throughout her nutrition career.

Mary is a food and nutrition manager who provides invaluable leadership to Fallston High School. She is always supportive of her team and students, going above and beyond to ensure her team understands their tasks and has the tools and supplies needed to perform them. Her positive attitude is contagious - she never stops smiling! Mary is a quick thinker who responds to challenges with ease, developing a plan a, b, and even c to ensure her students meals are not impacted. As the MdSNA Manager of the Year, Mary is recognized for her notable contributions to the success of the school meals program and provides an exemplary model for others in the state.

Join us in once again congratulating Shenna and Mary for these distinct honors!

Roye-Williams Elementary School Principal Rose Martino and Assistant Principal Stephanie Harris share how teachers are communicating with parents through a weekly video series ensuring updates about student learning and well-being are ongoing, actionable, and equip parents with concrete and specific ways to engage with their child’s learning.

We are excited to announce a students-only "Engage for Education Listening Session" at Harford Technical High School on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. This is an opportunity for Harford County Public Schools students to meet face-to-face with our Student Member of the Board, Board Vice President Hahn, and Board President Poynton and have their voices heard.

Help us spread the word to our student community!

It’s time to shine a light on the incredible staff members who go above and beyond! The nomination window is open for the 2024 Celebration of Excellence in Education!

This year, in addition to the Teacher of the Year, we’re celebrating many aspects of education. We’ll honor one of our dedicated custodians, a technology wizard, a support staff star, a facilities employee who keeps the lights on, a cafeteria Superhero, and an outstanding principal and assistant principal! This is our opportunity to honor those who make a difference in students’ lives each and every day!

Go to hcps.org, click “learn more” on the banner on the front page, and nominate that special staff member you want to recognize this year!

Nominations close on January 4, 2024, so don’t wait! Submit your nomination today!

The Board of Education of Harford County is seeking applications from interested county citizens to fill an opening on the school system’s Ethics Panel. The Ethics Panel reviews inquiries concerning potential violations of ethics on the part of school employees or Board members, provides advisory opinions regarding ethics issues, and reviews financial disclosure forms required to be filed by Board members and certain Board employees.

Ethics Panel members serve for a term of five years appointed at staggered intervals. Members are appointed by the Board of Education and may serve two full terms. Ethics Panel members serve without compensation but are reimbursed for travel and other expenses related to their service.

Applicants should send a letter of interest accompanied by a biographical sketch either by USPS mail to: Kimberly H. Neal, Esquire, General Counsel, Board of Education of Harford County, 102 S. Hickory Avenue, Bel Air, Maryland, 21014, or by email to Diana.Rasinski@hcps.org, before close of business on January 12, 2024.

For more information, please email Diana Rasinski, Administrative Support Coordinator for Legal Counsel, at Diana.Rasinski@hcps.org.

Mark your calendar 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. Invitation to follow in an upcoming issue of the HCPS 411 Update.

Employees who cover a spouse and/or child(ren) on their medical and/or dental plans through HCPS have begun to receive the 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.

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.

Video Visit Users: Download your health history report by December 31, 2023, so you have a record for your files. Click here for your guide.

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.

December is All About Self-Care for a Healthy Holiday Season at CareFirst

The holiday season is officially here! While it is a joyous time of year, it can also be difficult with added demands such as hosting holiday parties and financial obligations causing more stress than usual. It may be time to reassess if you are stressed about supposedly fun things. Check out the self-care tips and resources in this month’s CareFirst Wellness Newsletter to consider implementing a few this holiday season to feel your best mentally and physically. To learn more, click here.

December CareFirst Wellbeing Challenge – Practice an Act of Gratitude Challenge

As another year ends, it’s the perfect time to reflect on everything you are grateful for. It can be something big, like your family, job, home, or something that pleases you. A daily gratitude practice can help you become a happier, healthier person. Click here to learn more about the CareFirst Wellbeing challenge and how to join.

Presented by Acentra Health Employee Assistance Program

Change is a natural part of life, but for some, it can cause significant discomfort, anxiety, and depression, while others seem to handle it in stride. This month’s session will help participants learn how to make positive changes and discover tips to embrace the discomfort of change. Click here to learn more.

Date: Available on demand beginning December 19, 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.

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.

What makes HealthyWage challenges more fun than the rest? The carrot – studies show that financial incentives increase the likelihood of weight loss 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 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.

"Thank you to Laura Bayne (WPES), Pete Hicks (NBES), Katrina Ruby (HXES), Kelly Shepherd (HGES), Liz Stamas (RFES), Cindy Stiemly (MVES), and Brenda Walenczyk (ABES) for sending all their Patricia Polacco books to my 4th-grade team so all their students can have books in hand for an upcoming project! HCPS librarians are the best!"

-Kaylie Mikkonen, Media Specialist, North Harford Elementary School

"I would like to make a shout out to Ralph Williams. He is one of a kind. Ralph works hard to take care of his Bel Air area and is always pleasant with a smile to greet you. I can always rely on him to help out where ever he is needed. HCPS was surely blessed when he came to work for the system. He is good at what he does. He is an awesome HVAC technician."

-Sherrie A. Hutton, HVAC Crew Chief

"We would like to give a huge shout out to Jan Abbott, Administrative Support Coordinator here at Facilities. She is always willing to assist us with anything we need done online. She takes her time to make sure all our paperwork is in order since some of us are not good with computers. She is always willing to step in to help other departments as well. She is a very caring and supportive person, and we appreciate all she does for us. We are fortunate to have her here at Facilities."

-Andy Montville, Byran Winesett, and Keith Meyers, Facilities

"I would like to give a big shout out to Ms. Jeanne Mackowiak for leading the charge to help our evening shift custodians. Thank you to all the teachers and students who are contributing to keeping our school building clean. Your efforts not only create a more pleasant and hygienic learning environment but also foster a sense of responsibility and community and definitely do not go unnoticed. It's inspiring to see everyone coming together to maintain a clean and welcoming space for education. Keep up the excellent work, and thank you for making a positive difference in our school community!"

-Monisha Thomas, Principal, Edgewood Middle 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:

• Alexis Rivera, Special Education Teacher, Old Post Road Elementary School
• Philip Topper, English Teacher, North Harford Middle School
• Tara Hough, Kindergarten Teacher, Riverside Elementary School
• Heather Cornbrooks, Inclusion Helper, Edgewood High School
• Danielle Dawson, Custodian I - Shift 2, Magnolia Middle School
• Nakita Finch, Administrative Support Assistant, Swan Creek School
• Jeremiah Watkins, Custodian I - Shift 2, Aberdeen Middle School
• Corey Williams, Custodian I - Shift 2, Aberdeen Middle School
• Alexandra Coudon, Paraeducator, Forest Hill Elementary School
• Raynita Briggs, Custodian I - Shift 2, Hickory Elementary School
• Emily Grafton, Inclusion Helper, Church Creek Elementary School
• Brittani Hylock, Paraeducator, Fallston Middle School
• Russell Youngblood, Custodian II - Shift 2, Aberdeen Middle School
• Luis Mercado, School Bus Attendant, Transportation
• Stephanie Nunn, School Bus Attendant, Transportation
• Sherry Bryner, School Bus Attendant, Transportation
• Joseph McGrain, School Bus Driver, Transportation
• Teresa Harris, School Bus Attendant, Transportation

Editor: Lindsay Bilodeau, Innovation Specialist

Email: HCPS.411@hcps.org