May 2022 | Monthly news for and about the staff of Northwest Education Services
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Nearing the Finish Line
Dear North Ed Staff,
It is remarkable that another school year is already coming to a close. We are immensely grateful for each of you and the work you have put in this past year.
Thank you for attending many of the year-end events for staff and students, including the breakfast at Career Tech on May 3, and Staff Recognition Night last week at the Historic Barns Park.
The breakfast offered a great opportunity to connect with colleagues and show our appreciation for all of your efforts in service to others, and Staff Recognition Night was a wonderful occasion to celebrate the many accomplishments of our teammates. Congratulations again to this year’s Standard School Award of Excellence recipient Audrey Strait, a member of our special education team whose commitment to service and our organization made her an excellent candidate for the honor.
And to those who are leaving us for the greener grass of retirement, thank you again for your combined 400-plus years of outstanding service to our students and communities. You will be sorely missed, and we wish you all the best in your next chapter.
Looking ahead, summer is quickly approaching. We have several upcoming events to honor our students, and we encourage you to help us celebrate:
- May 31 – 6:30 p.m., Career Tech Awards Night at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, Michigan Ballroom
- June 1 – 10 a.m., ACE Exit Ceremony at Life Skills Center
- June 3 – 10 a.m., Life Skills Center Graduation Ceremony at LSC
Please know that your work with our students and educators in the region has a tremendous impact, and I am humbled to work alongside you as we strive for excellence in all that we do. North Ed is full of outstanding professionals who care about student success, and I am proud to be a part of it.
Respectfully,
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Dr. Nick Ceglarek
Northwest Education Services Superintendent
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There's Still Time to Set SAIL!
As part of our SAIL (Serving, Achieving, Inspiring, Learning) strategic planning efforts, North Ed is collecting input from our students, school families, educational partners and our staff. The responses will be used to define goals to help our organization improve. If you haven’t already taken the survey, click the link below to offer input.
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Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month in May
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Oakland Schools has compiled several resources that may be useful to educators as we celebrate AAPI Heritage Month. Additionally, the Traverse Area District Library, with support from E3 and the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, is hosting several AAPI-focused events. See below for more details and register by visiting the Traverse Area District Library's website or call 231.932.8502. Following events begin at 6 p.m., with food service starting at 5:30 p.m.
- May 16 – Watch the documentary “Vincent Who?” about the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin in Detroit and talk about themes from the film and how they relate to experiences in our local community.
- May 23 – Community panel discussion with Sakura Takano, Amy Yee, Craig Hadley, Tony Vu and Denny Nguyen, along with moderators Judy Chu and Holly T. Bird. Come hear about living and working in Traverse City from another point of view.
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Lunch & Learn
With many of us experiencing busy spring schedules and preparing for summer break, the Lunch & Learn series is being paused. The North Ed DEIB Committee is looking ahead to reintroducing the series in the fall. Look for more details as we get closer to the 2022-23 school year!
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Trivia!
Beginning as early as 1765 and continuing through the 1800s, which AAPI group is credited as establishing the first AAPI communities in what is now known as the continental U.S., specifically in the Louisiana bayous?
A. Filipinos
B. Chinese
C. Hawaiians
D. Japanese
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Madeline Crawford
Custodian, Career Tech
Previous work: Northland Foods
Education: Elk Rapids Schools
Interests: Listening to music and playing video games
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Melanie Crawford
Custodian, Career Tech
Previous work: Siren Hall
Education: Elk Rapids Schools
Interests: Drawing, listening to music and watching Vampire Diaries
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Creekside Plant Sale May 19 |
Be sure to stop by Creekside School on Thursday, May 19 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and stock up on a wide variety of annuals, perennials, vegetable plants and herbs. |
- Herbs - $1 cell pack
- Annuals/Perennials - $2 cell packs
- 4" pots - $3 each
- 6"/8"/10" pots - $5 each
- Whole flats - $20
- Hanging Baskets - $15 each
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Things to do before leaving for the summer |
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Update your Voicemail Message
If you haven't already, update your voicemail message with North Ed lingo and remove references to TBAISD. Here is a LINK that explains how to change your voicemail message. If you will be out of the office for the summer, please be sure to record an "Out of Office message" to help redirect incoming inquiries while you are away.
Update your Email Signature
Last year we asked all North Ed staff to update email signatures in Gmail to include revised structure and content designed to create unity in how each staff member represents the organization. If you have not made changes in over a year, it is important to take a moment to update your current email signature to meet the new standard. A SAMPLE is provided in the staff intranet where you can copy and paste an entire template into your settings and edit your contact information accordingly. Again, if you will be out of the office for the summer, please create an "Out of Office message" to help redirect incoming inquiries while you are away.
Tech Device Return or Scheduled Updates
As you prepare to leave for the summer or if you are ending your employment with North Ed, please speak with your supervisor for instructions regarding the return of technology devices assigned to you. Create a Tech Support Help Desk Ticket if you need software updates, general tech service or if you are experiencing hardware functionality issues. Your effort to schedule service in advance will help our tech staff plan for the months ahead.
Network File Storage
If you store documents on the network L:drive, please move those items to another location on the North Ed network, into cloud storage or to another storage device before June 10. The L:drive will be eliminated this summer.
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Getting the Lingo Right
As you talk about Northwest Education Services (shortened to North Ed, not Northwest Ed), it is important that we all use the correct words and represent the organization in unified fashion. The integrity of the brand depends on each of us. If you have brand questions or need logos for an event, document or presentation, contact the Communications Department at [email protected].
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North Ed NETWORK NEWS
Learn more about North Ed programs, services, students and colleagues in all the latest newsletters linked below!
YOGA Class - All skill levels welcome! Reach out to Marisa Hrbal ([email protected]) for more details!
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Learn How to 'Talk the Talk'
North Ed’s strategic planning process identified a goal of developing an effective system of communication. To help with that, survey data was gathered from our staff and community to guide the creation of the North Ed Communications Plan. You’ll find steps you can begin taking right now, and things to watch for in the future as we put that plan into action. Please take a few minutes to read it! |
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Be sure to get ALL the news!
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If you read the newsletter in your email inbox, you may be missing the full story! |
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A sign
of good things
to come!
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Summer Hours
For employees working during the summer, North Ed’s summer hours will be from June 13 to Aug. 26. Year-round staff will also have the opportunity to work four-day weeks by working longer hours each day, if approved by their supervisor.
Employees interested in following the four-day week schedule should work with their supervisor to determine if that is possible. Departments must ensure employee coverage and services are available Monday through Friday.
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$500 Referral Bonus Applies to TAs and Parapros
North Ed staff can earn a $500 bonus for successfully referring someone who joins our team as a teacher assistant or paraprofessional. Due to an ongoing need to fill vacant TA and parapro positions, this opportunity will remain in place until vacancies are filled. Simply email the name of your referral to HR Generalist Jaime Lewis. If that person is hired, you will get a $500 bonus in your paycheck. |
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Spread the Word!
Spread the word about additional job opportunities within your own personal networks! While it may not get you $500 like the referral bonus mentioned above, we know there are people in your circles who may be a perfect fit for some of our open positions. The full list can be found online ( search for North Ed in the search bar), but here are a few openings we have right now!
- Payroll Manager – Business Office
- Accountant – Business Office
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Teachers – LSC and Bridgeway
- Medicaid Coordinator – Arnell Administration
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Standard School
Award of Excellence
Please help us congratulate this year's Standard School Award of Excellence recipient Audrey Strait. This exemplary special education teacher exudes leadership, innovation and passion in her work. She is masterful at recognizing students' strengths and areas of need, helps others grow in their role as teaching assistants, and is an outstanding communicator that is admired by many. Congratulations Audrey!
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April SAILOR on Deck!
North Ed early childhood services staff member Kristine Roush was recently honored by the Board of Education for her dedication to the value of Relationships as recognized by her North Ed colleagues through the SAIL Organizational Recognition System (ORS).
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Happy Birthday!
See who celebrates in June
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On May 10 we gathered at the Historic Barns Park for a wonderful gathering to celebrate the work of our staff and the many accomplishments of this year's retirees. We wish the best to those who are moving on and share our gratitude toward the ongoing work of all who remain to carry the torch into the future. |
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Fresh Water Fishing
Adult Community Experience (ACE) students recently met with representatives from the Department of Natural Resources to learn about fish in Michigan lakes and rivers, fishing safety, rules and proper equipment.
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Lansing CTE Showcase
This year, our North Ed Film & New Media program was selected to participate in the career and technical education (CTE) showcase at the Capitol Building in Lansing on April 28. Traverse City West seniors Josephine Miller and Camden West represented North Ed and spoke with lawmakers to highlight the value of CTE to the Michigan talent pipeline.
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Career Tech Spring Advisory |
Around 250 regional business representatives, educators, students and community members gathered on April 20 for the annual North Ed spring advisory meeting. Elk Rapids junior Abigail Petersen spoke to the group about her experience in the Agriscience program and how it has opened so many new doors and tested her willpower in ways she never imagined. She looks forward to another year of learning at Career Tech. |
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Walk 4 Hunter
On Friday, May 13, Career Tech students and staff rallied together in a fundraising walk to support Career Tech Electrical Occupations program alumni Hunter Javin who is awaiting a heart transplant.
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MiStreamnet to Replace Ensemble Video Network
In the coming weeks, North Ed will transition its video storage platform to MiStreamnet, a service offered through the REMC Association of Michigan. Following this transition, we will no longer support the Ensemble platform and videos previously uploaded to that platform will no longer be available. REMC 2C has migrated much of that content to MiStreamnet; however, employees who have uploaded videos to Ensemble should review those videos to determine which, if any, they would like to be hosted on the new MiStreamnet platform. Please contact REMC 2C Support Specialist Peter Milne ( [email protected]) by June 10 to receive assistance in that process. For more information and video tutorials on how to use MiStreamnet, visit North Ed’s REMC 2C webpage. |
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WiredTC Registration is Open
Registration is now open for WiredTC, which will be held Aug. 16 at Traverse City West Senior High. This year’s keynote speaker is Aisha Crumbine, who has more than 20 years of experience in education serving a wide variety of students. The professional learning opportunity offers SCECHs and is free to all educational staff in the Northwest Education Services region. Area educators must register with a code to receive a free ticket. Refer to an April 27 staff email for the code or contact [email protected]. To register and see more information about the conference, visit www.WiredTC.net.
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North Ed TECH HELP
Need help with a technology issue? Try this:
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Research common problems and solutions through North Ed's Help Desk Shared Google Drive.
- Call the Help Desk at 231.922.6307. Leave a message if your call goes unanswered.
- Submit a Help Desk ticket online by clicking the link below.
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Provide feedback or offer comments via the Help Desk Survey instead of responding with a final note of appreciation through the system ticket (which re-opens the service request).
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North Ed Apparel Store Now Open
At long last, North Ed swag is now available for purchase! Order direct from our approved supplier. It's easy! Browse the North Ed online catalog TODAY!
Website link location:
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Board of Education Links
General Resources
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COVID-19 Resources
Communication Links
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Trivia Answer: A. Filipinos
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Northwest Education Services
1101 Red Drive, Traverse City, MI 49684
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