|
|
| |
Issue #56
SCPS Employee Newsletter
March 27, 2015
|
From Our Superintendent - Dr. Walt Griffin
Dear SCPS family and friends,
On the evening of March 12
th, Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS) proudly named its 2016 Teacher of the Year, Mr. Brian Furgione of Milwee Middle School!
As part of this prestigious award, Mr. Furgione received a Teacher of the Year ring from Herff Jones; a Mousecar from Walt Disney World Resort, their version of the Oscar, a Disney Annual Pass; and $1,000 from the Foundation for SCPS. Plus, Mr. Furgion received a year's lease of a 2015 Buick courtesy of Carl Black Chevrolet/Buick/GMC. He will now go on to represent Seminole County in the state Teacher of the Year competition.
Bio: Mr. Brian Furgione has taught Civics at Milwee Magnet Middle School for the past four years. He has taken the lead in innovation by developing blended learning experiences for his students and incorporating the use of technology utilizing a variety of unique methods. Mr. Furgione has also served as the school's New Teacher Mentor for the last three years, assisting teachers with acclimating themselves to the school's climate and culture. He also serves as a member of the district Digital Learning Team, Boys & Girls Cross Country Coach, and mentor to at-risk boys as a facilitator of the Milwee Basketball Association (MBA).
Special thanks to this year's Presenting sponsor: CFE Federal Credit Union, our Golden Apple sponsors: Bright House Networks Business Solutions, Hilton Orlando/Altamonte Springs, and UCF, and our Red Apple sponsors: Carl Black Orlando, Cigna, CPH, Inc., Duke Energy, Nova Southeastern University, Scholastic
Book Fairs, Seminole State College, and Wharton-Smith. Plus, our Media sponsors: Lake Mary Life Magazine, Altamonte Wekiva Springs Life Magazine, Oviedo/Winter Springs Life Magazine, the Orlando Sentinel, and our Master of Ceremonies, Bob Frier, Fox 35 News.
Attention Educators! As Dr. Griffin discussed in the March 13, 2015 edition of @ the Core, we are excited to provide you with the "Power of You" conference. This three-week event, held July 13th - July 30th at various sites across the district is designed to meet the diverse professional needs of Seminole County educators. With hundreds of opportunities for promoting collegiality and innovation, educators are sure to find something to appeal to their professional goals and interests. For more information on "Power of You" and a catalogue of course offerings, CLICK HERE or visit the SCPS Professional Development page under the "Departments" tab of the district site.
Do not delay, register now! We currently have less than 40% of the available seats remaining.
"Power of You" is your opportunity to plan your personalized professional development path. After all, ePathways are not just for students.
|
Fundraiser for the Marie Taylor Fund 
Please join us in celebrating March as Social Work Month The Dining Services of SCPS will be conducting a fundraiser for the Marie Taylor Fund. SCPS staff members can participate in this fundraiser by donating 75 cents at your school's restaurant as well as the ESC Cafe. 100% of the proceeds goes to the Marie Taylor Fund. Your support will go a long way!
CLICK Here
for the Flyer
In collaboration with SCPS Dining Services and SCPS School Social Workers
|
Workplace
Learning Partnership Spotlight
Through the ePathways Workplace Learning initiative, approximately 50 high school students are completing internships this semester with Seminole County employers. For the next few weeks, we will be featuring our student interns and their employers.  Allison Huss, a junior at Seminole High School, is currently interning with The McLean Insurance Group (MIG) in Lake Mary. Mike McLean, Owner/President of the firm, shares his perspective on the program: The McLean Insurance Group handles home, automotive and business coverage. We are long term participants in the OJT program at both Lake Mary HS and Seminole HS. The benefits of the district's new program for high school interns are many. Allison brings a combination of youthful enthusiasm, impressive technology skills and a pleasing personality! Along with her office management and marketing responsibilities here at MIG, Allison has been, and will in the future, be involved in the Chamber Business Expo, attending the Seminole Port Authority Board meeting, visiting the Seminole County Regional Chambers Board of Directors and tagging along on various client calls! MIG could not be more satisfied with Ms. Huss and the SCPS intern program. We look forward to Allison's contributions to MIG from now through the program's conclusion in May and perhaps beyond!
|
|
McDonald's Feature Teacher
Rock Lake Middle School
Karen Grundal, 4th and 5th Grade Teacher
My name is Karen Gundal and I have been an Educator in Seminole county for twenty-seven years. During this time, I have had the honor of being selected as a Seminole County Math Teacher of the Year, and have won two Disney Teacheriffic awards. I earned my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Massachusetts, my Master's degree in Math and Science Education from the University of Central Florida in the Lockheed Martin program, and my Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Florida.
|
Mary Alice Lane
Non-Instructional Employee Recognition
Mary Alice Lane is a kind, gentle lady with a heart of gold. She has shown amazing dedication to the students of Rock Lake Middle School for 11 years. Not a day has gone by that she doesn't greet everyone she meets with a huge smile. She consistently encourages students to be the best that they can be. Mrs. Lane is always willing to assists where ever there is a need. She is a team player who always puts the well-being of the children first. We are fortunate to have Mrs. Lane, whose professional ethics are impeccable, as a member if the Rock Lake family.
|
Rock Lake Middle School
Super Student
- Caden Reeves
Caden Reeves is a positive and enthusiastic young man who takes the initiative to lead activities in the school. He is always coming up with ideas to help promote positive interactions among students. One of his inspirations is a bulletin board where students can leave positive messages to their peers. He models the characteristics of integrity, responsibility, respect, and courage. He is a member of Beta club and the Leadership group. As a member of the Beta Club, he has taken the initiative to get out into the community and seek out sponsors to donate to the cause of Relay to Life. He goes to both Beta Club and Leadership meetings loaded with new ideas to share to make a project a success. Caden was instrumental in the success of the Relay for Life Survivor dinner last year. He helped setup the event, volunteered to DJ, and rallied the other students to reach out to the survivors and welcome them with open arms. This year, Caden won second place in essay and second place in speech at the Beta Club State Convention. His speech was entitled "How Are You Rockin" the Country?" Caden ended his speech with these motivating words, "We are Betas! We can Serve! We can Help! We can make a difference! Challenge yourself, what are you going to do to ROCK the country?" Caden's positive and enthusiastic attitude is contagiously motivating to other students to participate in positive activities. Caden rocks at "The Rock".
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Seminole Association School Administrators SASA Scholarship  As a continuing affirmation of its support of Seminole County and its youth, the Seminole Association of School Administrators has established a program that annually awards three scholarships for graduating seniors. Each one thousand dollar ($1,000) scholarship award is open to any senior graduating from a Seminole County public high school who will be attending a Florida public institution and whose parent is a full-time employee of the Seminole County Public School district. The completed scholarship packet MUST be received in the District Human Resources Department, attention Carolyn Hevey by the end of the day, April 10th. Scholarships are awarded on financial need and academic performance. Candidates should have an overall 3.0 GPA in those subjects related to their area of academic pursuit. Please announce to your faculty and staff the availability of the SASA scholarships. The scholarship packets are available in the high school front offices or Guidance office. If there are any questions please contact Carolyn Hevey-Human Resources Administrator by e-mail or call ext. 50083. Thank you for your support of this scholarship opportunity offered by the Seminole Association of School Administrators!
|
|  Biblionasium- where kids flex their Reading muscles https://www.biblionasium.com/ BiblioNasium was named as a Best Website for Teaching and Learning by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).  COPPA Compliant and free to use, this social networking site promotes and supports independent reading. It safely connects students to their friends, teachers, librarians, and parents to explore, share book reviews, and book recommendations. Teachers can setup favorite books and recommended lists on virtual bookshelves available to their students. Fun challenges and rewards will encourage students to keep reading, and provide access to a reading list that the students can't lose. Students can email teachers their reading logs instead of handing them in on paper! Students can also connect with friends to share and recommend their favorite books. With the challenges feature, teachers can select which students to add to a reading challenge and select books for them on an individual and/or group basis. English, ELL, and Reading teachers will appreciate the inclusion of Lexile ranges. Flipping your classroom? Try Biblionasium to encourage independent reading. Reading 20 minutes a day = 1.8 million words a year = 1000 new vocabulary words
|
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS:
 Are you prepared for the 2016 Plan Year?
The biometric screenings have begun. Make sure you sign up for your screening to count toward
one of the three requirements for the 2016 plan year.
Need to make your screening appointment? Visit the SCPS website/departments/Employee Benefits and click on the link under Summit Health Biometrics Registration or call 877-304-7055.
Having your labs done somewhere other than the onsite event? Then.....
if you have blood work completed at a facility other than the SCPS onsite biometric/lab screenings at your location, once your physician receives the results from your screening, then you will need to have the Cigna Wellness Screening Form completed by your physician, returned to you for your records and YOU fax it to the Cigna number on the form. This ensures you have a completed copy for your records. The form is located www.mycigna.com. Go to Manage My Health tab, Related Links, Wellness Screening Form.
Are you wanting to know if you have met any of the THREE requirements for the 2016 Plan Year? Sign on to www.mycigna.com, Manage My Health, Incentive Awards.
REMEMBER
August 31, 2015 is the deadline
to meet all three requirements.
 Health Fair - March 13th at the ESC and April 9th at the Winter Springs Transportation Compound.
Don't miss out on this annual event. A lot of great information, screenings, massages, and much more!
FOR YOUR BENEFIT
- Sugars
Keeping your total sweetener intake low is a winning formula for health, however we need to educate ourselves as to the best sugars to use when the need arises.
- Honey is sweeter than table sugar so a little goes a long way.
- Fruit-juice concentrate removes some of the valuable nutrients in the processing so consume in moderation. Baked goods, jellies, jams and some frozen desserts have fruit-juice concentrate as an ingredient.
- Agave nectar syrup is extracted from the agave plant. Watch for increased levels of blood triglycerides when using this sweetener.
The best advice is everything in moderation. Read your labels and educate yourself on the best solution for your situation.
Are you Expecting?
Cigna's Healthy Pregnancy, Health Baby Program may be for you.
UPCOMING EVENTS!
- April 9th - Health Fair at the Winter Springs Transportation Compound
- April 10th Biometric Screening at the ESC building
- April 12, 2015-EA SPORTS Riverside Dash - More Info at www.EASPORTSRiversideDash.com
- April 16, 2015 -IOA-5K
SOMETIMES WE NEED A LITTLE EXTRA HELP. Your Employee Assistance Program is there for you 24/7. It is a simple phone call away - 1-877-622-4327. You have three free visits.
|
UPCOMING EVENT... Mark Your Calendar...
Come One, Come All...
Walkers, Runners and Wellness Enthusiasts
IOA CORPORATE 5K Walk/Run
Seminole County Public Schools will be participating in the Annual IOA Corporate 5K Event.
Seminole County Public Schools will have a Team Tent and much more in celebration of this wellness event.
Register
TODAY for
the Annual IOA Corporate 5K Event
Thursday, April 16, 2015,
7:15 p.m.
Lake Eola, Downtown Orlando
Time is running out..
Registration under SCPS is still open - 80% Full
The last day to register with SCPS at the discounted rate is Wednesday, April 8th.
The cost for Seminole County Public School employees will be $10.00 for the first 400 participants.
Type in the password
SCPS#1.
Look for additional information forthcoming. For questions, contact 407.320.0033 or 407.320.0095.
|
UPCOMING EVENT... Mark Your Calendar...
Seminole 5k and Health & Fitness Expo on Saturday, April 11 at Sanford Riverwalk.
|
Welcome to the Coach's Corner
Reading Food Labels: Tips for Healthy Eating
Choosing the healthiest food product can be a challenge; here are quick and easy tips to make the best choice for your health!
Salt Intake- Low salt intake helps with lowering blood pressure and preventing heart disease
- 5%DV (120 mg) or less of sodium per serving is a low salt food item
- 20%DV (480 mg) or more of sodium per serving is a high salt food item
Fat Intake- Low fat intake can help with high cholesterol and prevent heart disease and other chronic conditions
- Look at the calories from fat also called Fat Cal. If 50% or higher of the calories in a food are from fat, it's a high-fat food.
- For example:
- Calories 100, Calories from fat 50. It is a high fat food.
Sugars- Low sugar intake can help with preventing and managing pre diabetes and other chronic conditions
- If sugar is one of the first ingredients listed on the food label, it means sugar is one of the main & highest ingredients in that food.
- Sucrose, glucose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, and fructose are different words for sugars.
This week's raffle question;
Which of these fats raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol?
- Saturated fats and trans fats
- Polyunsaturated fats
- Monounsaturated fats
- Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats
Send your best answer to laura.ward@cigna.com to enter into the raffle for a Cigna backpack.
Last week's raffle question;
True or false:
The list of ingredients lists ingredients from high to low. The higher it is on the list, the more that ingredient is in the food.
Last raffle winner is Principal Ricky Carver of Eastbrook Elementary School with the answer of true.
|
'Separate resistance to change into two categories: Obstacles and Objections. The obstacles are things that people can't control. The objections are emotional barriers. Remove as many obstacles as possible and have one-on-one discussions about objections." Eric Harvey
Dr. Ron Pinnell, Leadership Pathways Director
|
|  School Connects Parent Notification Tips: Tip #5:
Synrevoice "School Connects" E-mail Tips Check your Reports for bad email addresses In addition to checking call reports for bad phone numbers, also check SchoolConnects reports for bad email addresses. Most bad email addresses are due to typos. Check the email address for spaces, commas, bad domains (e.g. "htomail.com" instead of "hotmail.com") before reaching out to a parent for a correct email address. Determine Your Limit On average, SchoolConnects schools send out 2 -3 email messages a month. Our highest volume user sends out on average 5 - 8 emails per month with minimal complaints. Most parents are open to receiving messages from the school. However, you do need to pay attention to the number of complaints you receive regarding too many messages being sent home, and adjust the frequency accordingly. Personalize Your Email When Possible SchoolConnects provides the ability to insert variables into your email messages, which will then be substituted with values (e.g. <Student Name>Jennifer, when sent to Jennifer's home). The Tags feature in the email module allows you to insert variables. Attachments You can attach as many attachments to an email message, but, collectively, they cannot exceed 2MB in size. When including attachments, try to use recognized and standardized formats, like Adobe PDF- files that are less likely to be infected by viruses. Sending email messages with attachments takes longer to deliver. Make sure that you give a large enough window to deliver all of your emails with attachments. At least 12 hours is recommended. Emergency Messages If you are sending out an emergency message, do not rely on just email. Phone messages have a much higher chance of being received than email messages do. People do not always check their email in a timely manner. Send a call and an email emergency message if you want to include email. Email Providers can be slow at times Email providers have been known to be slow at times to deliver emails. When a large volume of emails is being sent to a particular provider through SchoolConnects, providers will often start to throttle or limited the pace at which emails SchoolConnects are being delivered. While most emails will be sent in minutes, throttling can extend this period-sometimes significantly. Keep the email end time at the default time of 23:59.
Michael Lawrence, APR Communications Officer
|
|
|
Copyright 2015 Seminole County Public Schools
|
|
|
| |
|
