HCPS 411 Update

Serving as a principal allows me to do what drives me, which is helping others. No matter what role I’ve been in over the years - teacher, coach, department chair, assistant principal, and now principal - I’ve been fortunate to work with great people, which has also allowed me to learn from them along the way.

Being new to this role, what I have really enjoyed is the variety of people I get to interact with daily. During a typical day (if there is such a thing), I have the opportunity to work with students, parents, faculty, and staff from all over HCPS; community organizations; among so many more. Despite working with so many groups, the driving factor with every interaction is, “What is best for our students?”

As a teacher, I always enjoyed figuring out how people think and what their strengths and weaknesses were. I’d use that information to figure out how I could best help them achieve whatever their goals were. I still get to do that as a principal, but now that includes working with so many others whose goals are to help our students as well. Seeing a student take pride in their accomplishment is what continues to drive me every day.

Please share the word about our upcoming Parent Academy events! All events are FREE, open to the public, and include child care (pre-registration for the child care service is required). Information about upcoming events may be found on the Parent Academy page on hcps.org and on the Parent Academy Facebook page. Registration is requested; visit https://survey.hcps.org/rws5.pl?FORM=ParentAcademyWorkshops.

It takes all of us to create the kind of change we want to see. United, we can do more in the community, help more families, create more long-term change. Your gift to United Way could:

• Move families from a homeless shelter into permanent housing.
• Provide nutritious meals for hungry individuals, children and families in our county.
• Support students in need to keep them on the path to high school graduation and a bright future.
• Answer more than 112,000 calls for help through the 2-1-1 Maryland United Way Helpline.

It’s not too late to contribute to this year’s United Way collection- look for a “last call” email on Monday, October 21, containing your personal donation link. Please contact your school/office United Way Coordinator or the Office of Communications and Family Outreach (communications@hcps.org x5203) with any questions. Change doesn’t happen alone – You IGNITE CHANGE!

Pictured: Shout out to Mike Zipay, Joppatowne High School United Way coordinator, for hosting a successful Jeans Day that not only raised funds for United Way, but also recognized Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

The Offices of Safety and Security and Professional Development will provide another ACRT training on November 7, 2019, at the CEO. This training will be for staff members who have not been trained in the initial ACRT. Newly hired staff, employees returning from FMLA, and student interns (student teachers) are asked to register on Hector for this training date. Heather Kutcher will be communicating this information to our university partners for dissemination to our current student interns. Sub coverage will be provided. An account code will be provided to participants on the day of the training. Questions regarding this information may be directed to Jackie Tarbert, in Professional Development, at Jacqueline.Tarbert@hcps.org or x5621 or Donoven Brooks, in Safety and Security, at Donoven.Brooks@hcps.org or x4242.

HCEA-represented employees and inclusion helpers who are represented by HCESC that wish to be considered for a voluntary transfer must submit their request online prior to the deadline date stated in the applicable negotiated agreement. The Voluntary Transfer Request site may be accessed by clicking on the following SharePoint link: Human Resources - HR Information. Each subject and/or position requested must be submitted separately. It is important to note that the Voluntary Transfer Request site is only accessible from a HCPS device connected to the HCPS network. The Voluntary Transfer Request site is not accessible from home. Please note that only online requests completed on the voluntary transfer request site will be accepted.

Transfer requests are accepted on a year-round basis. Although transfers are accepted on a year-round basis, decisions will be based on the existing vacancy/transfer timeline. To review the 2019-20 School Year Employment Timeline, please click on the following SharePoint link: Staff Management Department.

All Other HCESC Represented Employees

For all other HCESC-represented positions, applications, including transfers, MUST be done through the online application process. All positions within the unit, which offer promotional and transfer opportunities, will be posted for at least one week prior to the close of the application deadline. You MUST apply online for consideration.

Questions regarding this information should be directed to the Human Resources Staff

Management Department.

The Department of Special Education is excited to once again offer a one day mini-conference for all paraeducators and inclusion helpers on November 4, 2019, at Bel Air High School.

This conference is a mandatory professional development day. It is a full work day, and participants are expected to attend all four sessions. Any absences must follow the standard absence policy and procedures for HCPS and your school.

Registration will begin on Monday, October 28, 2019, at 7:30 a.m. through HECTOR, under Special Education Workshops and Trainings, and will continue through November 3, 2019. All sessions will be on a first come, first served registration system.

Full-day sessions are available on this day in courses that allow for certification in Youth Mental Health First Aid. The Youth Mental Health First Aid course is a seven-hour course, so participants are asked to bring lunch and eat at the school, in order to complete the full training.

A link to the schedule will be posted on October 21, 2019. Any sessions that do not appear on HECTOR when you log in, are full and can no longer be accessed.

Questions regarding this information should be directed to Pauline Timmons, in Special Education, at Pauline.Timmons@hcps.org or x5246.

See the attached flier to learn more about planning for your future as we celebrate National Retirement Security Week. Check out www.LincolnFinancial.com/Retirement or talk to a plan representative listed on the flier.

The Harford County Education Foundation is accepting applications for funding of innovative projects to enhance learning in the classroom. Applications will also be accepted for schoolwide projects. Grants are awarded up to $500 for classroom projects and up to $1,500 for team/schoolwide initiatives. The total number of awards is dependent on available funding. Applications can be completed online at https://form.jotform.com/harfordeducation/classroomgrant. Questions about the grant can be emailed to HarfordAchieves@harfordeducation.org.

The Professional Development Office is pleased to announce a partnership with the American College of Education (ACE). Please see the flier announcing the grants available to our faculty and staff. To talk with an ACE enrollment counselor, call 1-800-280-0307, option 2.

BGE is now accepting applications for the 2019 Bright Ideas Teachers' Grants program. All kindergarten through 12th grade in-classroom teachers within the BGE service area that focus on innovation, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the environment or energy efficiency are eligible to apply at www.bge.com/giving. Applications must be received by Oct. 31, 2019.

Eligible teachers can receive a grant of up to $500 for in-classroom use to fund eligible projects. The grant program launched in 2017 and has awarded a total of $43,000 to over 90 teachers. Some previous winners include Mary Moss at J. Albert Adams Academy in Annapolis, Md., which built a miniature recording studio that encourages creative problem-solving techniques, and Hillcrest Elementary in Catonsville, Md., which used the grant funds to make a weather station that allows students to check rainfall totals and log daily temperature changes.

Click here for more information on the Bright Ideas Teachers' Grants program.

When it comes to customer service related to substitutes, William Paca/Old Post Road is NAILING IT! At this school, they refer to their subs as guest teachers. On the guest teacher’s first day, he or she is accompanied by other teachers to parts of the building, such as the cafeteria and playground. During collaborative coverage time, teachers partner with the guest teacher to help go over lesson plans and routines. The teacher in charge, Mary Kayhoe, keeps lines of communication open with the school’s staff to ensure full-time teachers are checking in and providing support to the guest teacher. It is a great team effort to ensure the guest teachers come back, and their efforts are certainly paying off! Below is a message from a guest teacher regarding her experience at William Paca/Old Post Road Elementary:

“Ms Mary, I wanted to personally take the time to say that your school is by far the most courteous, friendly, helpful school that has a special, unique character that makes you stand far above the other elementary schools I’ve ever worked for and visited. Thanks, as always, for being so kind in every way to make the subs who visit feel right at home. I really appreciate everything!”

#HCPScustomerservice

Please help us welcome the following new employees to our HCPS family:

• Maryann Forgan, inclusion helper, Joppatowne High School
• Nicolas Hosza, inclusion helper, Bel Air Middle School
• Samantha Kelleher, paraeducator, Fallston High School
• Kelly Sehlhoff, English teacher, Magnolia Middle School
• Andrew Yoell, custodian II - shift 2, Dublin Elementary School

• "I'd like to shout out Amadelis Mattei for exhibiting extraordinary customer service with our students at Havre de Grace High School! During my planning period, I caught Ms. Mattei sitting on the floor outside her classroom with a circle of students and a whiteboard. These students needed some re-teaching and review, and Ms. Mattei was willing to literally meet them where they were to help them be successful! She does this for each and every one of her students every single day." -Samantha Brown, English teacher at Havre de Grace High School

• "I recently visited Edgewood Middle School to drop off textbooks. They were extremely heavy. I met the custodian Mark outside while he was doing other duties. He came to my rescue. He got a cart and he picked every box of textbooks out of my car and delivered them into the school. He was very polite and nice. I would like him to get a gold star for customer service. He went above and beyond his duties." -Renee Mozingo, administrative support technician in the Science Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

• "I would like to give a shout out to Eltwone Beard, chief custodian at the CEO. While facilitating a PD, the door of the room I was using got jammed shut. Eltwone was quick to react, had a sense of humor, and was able to get the necessary help to unstick the door. He went above and beyond, checking on me throughout the day. Thank you for your kindness and sense of humor!" -Laura Knapp, teacher specialist - Instructional Technology

#HCPScustomerservice

Editor: Lindsay Bilodeau, communications 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