HCPS 411 Update

The Baltimore Sun released their 25 Women to Watch 2023 earlier this week. These women were recognized for being the Baltimore area's leading voices in business, activism, advocacy, research, and more. This year, Vicki Jones, HCPS Talent Pathways Project Manager, Havre de Grace City Council member, and Harford County NAACP president was recognized. Congratulations, Vicki!

Look for the 25 Women to Watch in a special magazine insert in some editions of The Baltimore Sun this Sunday, October 15, 2023. Honorees were celebrated at the Baltimore Museum of Art on Wednesday, October 11.

To read the full Women to Watch article, click here.

In this Real Talk, Mary Beth Stapleton talks with Natalie Holloway, Director of Middle School Innovation, about the importance of the middle school years, and the work her office is leading to transform HCPS middle schools.

Franklyn Baker, President, and CEO of United Way of Central Maryland, talks about challenges facing families and communities in Harford County, and what his organization is doing to help.

This year's HCPS United Way campaign kicked off on Monday, October 2 and will conclude on Friday, October 27, 2023. For more information on the HCPS United Way campaign, click here.

On Friday, October 20, 2023, HCPS staff have the option to attend the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) Convention or other state conferences. Teachers attending must provide a certificate of attendance to your direct supervisor upon your return.

HCPS staff not attending should report to their work site for school-based professional development. If your schedule allows, HCPS is sponsoring several Health & Wellness sessions you can choose to join virtually. These are open to ALL HCPS staff members:

• 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.: The Self-Care Playbook
• 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.: Financial Planning 101
• 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.: Healthy Lunches At Home & on the Go
• 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.: HCPS Benefits & Retirement Overview

Click here for more information and for the links to register and join.

Instructional Educational Support Professionals (paraeducators, inclusion helpers, techs, etc.) are invited to participate in the following professional learning activities on Thursday, October 19, 2023 during the early dismissal day:

1:30 – 2:15 p.m.: HCPS GET More Program: Earn Your Teaching Certificate

For ESPs interested in pursuing a teaching degree, HCPS offers employees benefits to support you in your goal. Join this session to learn more with Maranda Scott (Career Counselor, Human Resources). Click here to join the Teams session at the designated time.

12:45 – 4:00 p.m.: PreK Paraeducators

PreK paraeducators are encouraged to use this time (as well as Friday, October 20) to continue working toward their Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate. If you would like support in your work during this time, please contact Tracey Brady (Tracey.Brady@hcps.org) to schedule.

For the 2023-2024 school year, all HCPS professional learning experiences on early dismissal days as well as systemwide professional learning days (Friday, October 20, 2023, Friday, November 3, 2023, and Monday, March 25, 2024) will take place onsite in school buildings. When sessions need to be offered virtually, these will be accessed from school sites to allow for team collaboration and learning around the content. The one exception to this will be Tuesday, March 26, 2024, where all staff may choose to work offsite.

If you have questions regarding professional learning days, please email HCPSProfessionallearning@hcps.org.

The voting window to name the October Family Friendly School Award winner is NOW OPEN!

Click here to vote once before 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, October 18, to let us know which nominated school should win the coveted title of “Family Friendly School” and a staff Chick-fil-A luncheon!

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 are shared in the HCPS 411 Update and on the Parent Academy Facebook page throughout the school year.

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

Nominations for the Support Services Superstar Award are being accepted until TOMORROW, October 13, 2023. APG Federal Credit Union (APGFCU) is the proud sponsor of HCPS Support Services Superstar Awards. All Harford County Public Schools regular support staff employees are eligible for the award. Program information and nomination forms may be downloaded at 2023 Support Services Superstar Award.

Questions regarding this information should be directed to Ben Richardson, in Human Resources, at Benjamin.Richardson2@hcps.org or 410-588-5226.

The Office of Student Services is accepting nominations for the STUDENT SERVICES STANDOUT AWARD (S.T.A.R. AWARD). This award is presented once per semester (biannually) to a nominated member of the Student Services staff. The nominee must currently be an employee budgeted under Student Services who is based in a school or Central Office. This would include staff under the offices of School Counseling Services, School Health Services, Psychological Services, Social Workers, or Pupil Personnel Services. Any person, regardless of position or relationship to the nominee, including students, may make the nomination. The nomination form and supporting narrative must be submitted by December 1, 2023. Please see the links below to access the nomination form and the rubric used by the judges and consider nominating someone today!

Link to Student Services S.T.A.R. Award

Questions regarding this information should be directed to Lawanda Brown, in School Counseling, at Lawanda.Brown@hcps.org or 410-588-5251.

Next week is National School Bus Safety Week!

Check out these fun facts from the HCPS Transportation Department and help them lead the recognition of our every day “Safety Heroes.” Our Safety Heroes consist of approximately 700 school bus drivers and attendants who keep our students safe while on the road!

• There are approximately 500 general education and special needs buses that service the students at HCPS.
• 383 of these buses are general education school buses and are owned and operated by contractors throughout Harford County.
• 112 of these buses are special needs buses that are owned and operated by HCPS.
• Over 35,000 students are transported daily on one of these buses.
• The buses travel 42,000 miles A DAY! That is 7.6 million miles annually.
  Another way to look at this is that the buses travel from Bel Air, MD to San Francisco, CA (round trip) 7.42 times A DAY! One way mileage to San Francisco, CA from Bel Air, MD is 2,831 miles and can take 42 hours to drive.

The schools that all the buses service include:

• 54 Harford County Public Schools
• 22 out-of-county schools/non-public schools
• In addition to regular bus routes to and from schools, the HCPS buses provide transport for 29,000 field trips, sporting events, and extracurricular activities, annually.

The HCPS Transportation Department would like to congratulate all of our drivers for driving safely every day and our attendants for taking care of the special needs students on the buses.

We have big news from Joppatowne Elementary! The school just scored a $9,000 grant for a SUPER exciting adventure in the 2023-2024 school year!

Joppatowne 4th and 5th graders are diving headfirst into the FIRST LEGO League Challenge. They'll be researching, problem-solving, building, and programming their very own LEGO robot to conquer epic missions in a robotics game!

Thanks to this generous grant, our students now have challenge class packs, LEGO Education SPIKE sets, and engineering notebooks.

A HUGE shoutout to the DOD STEM Program and DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center for making this possible. We couldn't be more grateful for their support in helping us inspire our students to sharpen their critical thinking skills.

Hispanic Heritage Month

Fountain Green Elementary School

Mary Ann Clinton, Principal

At Fountain Green Elementary our artists were inspired by Molas from Panama, Coqui frogs from Puerto Rico, Hispanic Guitars, and the artist Joan Miro. Our first graders read books about different Hispanic cultures. Our musicians learned folk songs from Spain and Mexico while talking about the various genres of music and instruments found in these countries.

Magnolia Middle School

Laurie Namey, Principal

The proud Vikings of Magnolia Middle celebrated the beauty of Hispanic Heritage by highlighting the works of amazing Hispanic authors.

Old Post Road Elementary School

Ron Wooden, Principal

Old Post Road (OPR) Elementary continues to do things in a BIG way! This year, two OPR teachers Kelsey Clayton (kindergarten) and Sara Shoemaker (EL) launched “Spanish Club.” "Spanish Club will help to build bridges within different cultures in our school and neighborhood communities by sharing cultural activities. Not only will it encourage participation and communication between English speaking and Hispanic families, but it will also build engagement within the population of Hispanic families. The engagement is designed to create a deeper level of comfort when participating in school events outside of Spanish Club. The first meeting of Spanish Club was held earlier this month. WAY TO GO, OPR!!

Join the Harford County Health Department in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month on Saturday, October 14, 2023 with food, music, kid activities, community partners, health education, and more! See more information in the flyer below.

Click here to view the below flyer in Spanish.

Join us as we continue to shine a light on how HCPS celebrates diversity all year long. Each month, we will highlight a cultural/organizational holiday. We invite you to take a picture or two and share how your school or office celebrates the contributions we all make to HCPS.

This month, we are celebrating:

• ADD/ADHD Awareness
• Filipino American Heritage
• German American Heritage
• Italian American Heritage
• Polish American Heritage

To share your celebrations with the HCPS community, please email your pictures, videos, and a brief write up to Sherron Foster-Moore, Diversity Retention & Recruitment Specialist at Sherron.FosterMoore@hcps.org by Tuesday, October 31, 2023 . This month’s submissions will be shared in the November 2 edition of the 411.

Local veterans, all military, and their families are welcome to attend Harford County’s one-stop event for information about veterans’ healthcare and benefits, printed guides to resources and local businesses that offer veteran discounts, and more. Harford County veterans can also enter a drawing for two Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers tickets or one of eight $50 gift cards, courtesy of APGFCU! A free lunch will be provided, catered by Mission BBQ.

Free transportation can be reserved from Edgewood and Joppatowne by calling 443-966-4518.

This year’s fair will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 21, 2023 at the Bel Air Armory, 37 N. Main Street, Bel Air, MD, 21014.

This month, think about creating a future worth celebrating. Click here for ways to improve your financial well-being.

The Maryland Retired School Personnel Association, through its MRSPA Foundation, is offering six grants, up to $300, to classroom teachers across Maryland. The grants may be used on special projects or activities that are not funded through the school system or Parent Teacher Organization. Additional information and the grant application can be found at https://www.mrspa.org/community-service.

All applications must be received by MRSPA no later than 4:00 pm, Wednesday, November 1, 2023.

Applications are now being accepted for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers programs, to be held at Aberdeen Middle, Edgewood Elementary, Edgewood Middle, Magnolia Elementary, Magnolia Middle, and Old Post Road Elementary schools. The program will run from November 2023 through May 2024.

We are currently looking to fill the following positions at each site:

Site Coordinators

• 14 hours per week/3.5 hours per day, Monday through Thursday

Teachers

• 6 hours per week/1 hour per day of instruction and two hours per week of lesson planning, Monday through Thursday

To access an employment application and learn more about the positions, please visit the “Employment Opportunities” section of the HCPS website at www.hcps.org, or click here. Search under “Certificated Positions” to view the postings listed by school.

Questions can be directed Becky Pensero, Coordinator of Supplemental Instruction, at Rebecca.Pensero@hcps.org.

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.

For World Mental Health Day on Tuesday, October 10, Church Creek Elementary School welcomed Luna, a therapy dog through Pets on Wheels, into their classrooms! Staff at Church Creek were so grateful for this boost in their student’s day!

Zeus, another therapy dog with Pets on Wheels, visited STRIVE students at Patterson Mill Middle/High School!

Getting healthy and holistically feeling your best can be fun and easy with help! That's why HCPS wants to provide 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. 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.

Click here to complete the survey.

Harford County Public Schools announces a pre-retirement webinar for HCPS employees and their spouses through the Maryland State Retirement Agency and the Community College of Baltimore County. This webinar provides vital retirement information to all members and is recommended for those within eight (8) years of retirement, whether normal service or early retirement. Discussion topics include:

• HCPS Retiree Benefits
• State Retirement Pension Benefits
• Legal Consideration
• Social Security Benefits
• Financial Planning

This year's pre-retirement session will be held virtually on Saturday, November 4, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Watch future HCPS 411 Update for more information on registering and obtaining a day of event link.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month at CareFirst

It's that time of year again, time to think pink! Every October, we come together to show support and spread awareness for the second most common cancer among women in the United States – breast cancer. While anyone can be diagnosed with breast cancer, most cases are found in women above 50, with one in eight who will be diagnosed at some point during their lifetime. Creating awareness, knowing risk factors and symptoms, and available resources are critical to proper detection and treatment. To learn more, click here.

October CareFirst WellBeing Challenge – Relationship Rejuvenation Challenge

People are social creatures, and relationships allow us to interact with the people we care about. They also influence our health and longevity in various ways, ranging from sleep and stress to diet and exercise. Healthy relationships can improve well-being, while poor relationships can weaken our body's immune systems and impair mental health with increased anxiety and depression. Click here to learn more about the CareFirst WellBeing challenge and how to join.

1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Click here to learn the signs, get regular exams, and how to minimize your risk.

Embracing the Essence of Community

This month, join BurnAlong as they celebrate the power of community and its profound impact on our well-being. Discover how coming together can create a supportive environment for positive change, fostering connections that uplift us all.

Coming to Your Live in October!

This month, learn how to make a lasting impact on your loved ones' personal health journey by offering support, encouragement, and practical strategies. During the sessions below, BurnAlong will provide tips to inspire those around you to thrive and embrace a healthier lifestyle.

• October 18 at 12:00 p.m.: Positively Impacting Others
• October 26 at 12:00 p.m.: Ask Health Coaches Heather and Jon

Have You Taken Your BurnAlong Break Today?

Take time to stretch, breathe, and move your body. All you need is a few minutes. BurnAlong has created a playlist of 15 classes, all under five minutes. Scan the QR code to view the classes on the playlist. Recommended classes on the playlist include:

• 4-minute Desk Stretch: Wrists & Shoulders
• 5-minute Meditation: Loving-Kindness
• 5-minute Movements: Spine Mobility

Looking for More Class Recommendations?

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

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.

BurnAlong, HCPS' virtual health and wellness partner, is hosting a fall wellness challenge beginning September 25. You and your family can participate in this five-week expedition. As you participate, members will earn badges for each milestone completed and find new secret milestones along the way to earn exclusive badges!

Journey Milestones: Earn a badge for each milestone you complete!

Start Your Journey: 1) Join the Fall into Wellness Challenge through your online member account at https://well.burnalong.com/login. 2) Participate in each milestone during the identified period above to earn badges. For every milestone completed, unlock a new adventure to earn exclusive badges. 3) Anyone who participates and completes the challenge has a chance to win their choice of an all-terrain backpack or a mystery Travel Box. Those who complete all 100 minutes will be entered into a drawing to win their choice of an annual pass to US National Parks or a Mystery Adventure Box.

For assistance with registering for the challenge, email BurnAlong at customercare@burnalong.com.

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:

• October 16 & 17 (CRN 73283) *Two evenings
  
• November 2 (CRN 73299)
• 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.

Presented by Acentra Health (Formally KEPRO) Employee Assistance Program

Although it feels like the primitive brain is trying to take over, by practicing a more intentional response to situations, you can take control of how you act under pressure. This session will provide tips for participants on how to notice your thoughts and how you choose to react to them. Click here to learn more.

Date: Available on demand beginning October 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 any time, 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.

"Jennifer Doyle, Literacy Leader at Abingdon Elementary School, has done a phenomenal job getting our entire school building up and running as a pilot school for Benchmark Advance. From distributing ALL of the materials to each classroom teacher to answering ALL of our many questions, Jen is always smiling, easily approachable and ready to lend a helping hand. Our pilot year is off to a great start due to Jen’s dedication and hard work. Our school is so very lucky to have her and her many talents!"

-Colleen Patzer, 5th Grade Teacher, Abingdon Elementary School

"This morning, I had a conversation with a student about how she wishes that Magnolia Middle School was a boarding school because of how much she loves it here. She shared about some other schools that she has been shuffled around between and her experiences. I think this is an example of the AMAZING relationship-building and expectation teaching that I see from team 7B. This student speaks to the hard work put in by Mr. Aasen, Ms. Sebastiani, Mr. Rickey, Ms. Elias, and Mrs. Parra in developing relationships with students and using those relationships to propel students to high expectations."

-Jennifer Gusso, Literacy Teacher Specialist, Magnolia Middle School

"Shout out to the SE team at Bakerfield Elementary School! During the in-school PD session on September 22nd, the team created activities and information packets to assist the general education teachers in better understanding the IEP process, including how to best support the unique learners within their classrooms! I am so proud of you-Saige Phoebus, Kelly Borowiak, Samantha McBee, Courtney Bennett, Stephanie Correll, Jen Nice and Alison Cullum, pictured below standing left to right."

-Terri Castelli, SE Elementary Teacher Specialist, Student Support Services

"We would like to give a shout out to Kayla Fruhling. Kayla is a paraeducator at Jarrettsville ES in the CSP program but currently on loan to our Special Education Dept as a 1:1 for a challenging student. Every student with whom she works is met where they are, with what they need. No matter how challenging their behavior is, Kayla responds with respect, patience, and a positive attitude. She is their own personal cheerleader, acknowledging successes and encouraging progress. Kayla works tirelessly and goes above and beyond to help the students and staff in any way that she can. She is the ultimate team player and an invaluable member of our CSP team!"

--The Jarrettsville CSP Team

"Shout out to Mr. Paul Single, PPW for the Joppatowne area. Mr. Single has stepped into this role with such enthusiasm, energy, and positivity. He is always available and willing to go the extra mile to support the students, families, and staff of Joppatowne Elementary. From transporting students to supporting families experiencing homeless, Mr. Single does it all. We thank him for working tirelessly to ensure students are coming to school and coming to school ready to succeed. Thank you, Mr. Single!"

- Jessica Hichkad, Principal, and Ashley Gereli, Assistant Principal, Joppatowne Elementary 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:

• Katy Cameron, Inclusion Helper, Emmorton Elementary School
• Joseph Castillo, Paraeducator, Hickory Elementary School
• Nicholas Degand, Custodian I - Shift 2, Joppatowne High School
• Michelle Denny, Administrative Support Specialist, C. Milton Wright High School
• Carlee Galbraith, Paraeducator, Harford Academy
• Jinah Garrison, Paraeducator, Riverside Elementary School
• Tiffany Miller, Inclusion Helper, Deerfield Elementary School
• Brian Moore, Custodian I - Shift 1, Red Pump Elementary School
• Janice Shell, 5th Grade Teacher, Deerfield Elementary School
• Amanda Somji, School Nurse, Aberdeen Middle School
• Jaime Tennant-Pistor, Paraeducator, North Harford Elementary School
• Danielle Trageser, Inclusion Helper, William S. James 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