Member Newsletter
December 2019
2019-20 Supervisory Basics Leadership Series
What?
This is a workshop series designed to build confidence and expertise in managing and supervising others. It is delivered in a practical format including face to face and web conferencing. It is relevant for new supervisors in school districts, cities, counties and other governmental agencies.

When?
Webinars : Monthly October through May

There are three strands: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced.  View more details on workshop flyer.
Annual School Law Seminar
Registration is open for SWWC’s Annual Law Seminar for School Administrators!
 
Date/Time : Monday, February 24 from 9am – 2pm
Location : SWWC – Marshall Office
Registration Fee : $85 (includes lunch)
Presenter : Kristi Hastings from Pemberton Law, PLLP
Topics :
  • Hiring Practices
  • The Importance of documentation for Supervisors And Managers
  • Managing Performance – PELRA, Performance Reviews, Discipline, Termination and Discrimination

Education Solutions
2019-20 Student Enrichment Opportunities
Be sure to add these dates to your calendars:
Project SEARCH Accepting Student Applications!
Project SEARCH is an opportunity for students to transition from high school to community employment by working Monday to Friday, generally from 8am to 3pm, during the school year. Students are provided an opportunity to participate in three 10-week internship rotations at the hospital that best meet their interests, experiences and abilities. A job coach, program instructor, and department staff work with the students (and IEP team) to help them develop the necessary interpersonal and job skills to gain meaningful employment. 

Applications for the 2020-21 school year are due January 10, 2020. You can find information on eligibility requirements and the student application at www.swwc.org/ProjectSEARCH. You can also contact Mary Kay Lacek at marykay.lacek@swwc.org with any questions.
New Grants for Smaller Projects!
Launch Your Future Today (LYFT) is a rural career and technical education (CTE) pathway initiative with the purpose of rebuilding CTE in the 18-county service region of southwest and west central Minnesota. The goal of LYFT Pathways is for every secondary student in the region to gain marketable skills through meaningful CTE opportunities that lead to further education and careers that match our region’s labor market needs.

The LYFT Pathways Advisory Committee has developed an additional grant application process, the Career Innovation Grant. This application form is for grants of less than $10,000 that provide opportunities for businesses and schools to partner for hands-on career exposure and experiences for students in grades 7 through 12. This is a more streamlined application process that can be submitted any time a partnership is ready. Applications must be submitted before June 30, 2020. To date, the LYFT Pathways initiative has funded 33 projects and has created partnerships between schools, colleges, and hundreds of businesses across southwest and west central Minnesota. By the end of the 2019-20 school year over 2,000 students will have received CTE courses and experiences that would not have happened without the funding that was received through the 2017 Minnesota Legislative session.

For more information about the Career Innovation Grant Application and to see previously funded projects go to www.LYFTpathways.org.
Apply for Cohort 16!
School building and district teams can apply for Cohort 16 School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Training now!

Cohort 16 runs from Summer 2020-Spring 2022. Applications are due February 10, 2020.

For more information, contact Liz Deen, Southern Regional Coordinator
P: 507-529-7531; E: liz.deen@swwc.org   

Administrative Solutions
Are You Prepared? Cyber Threats Are REAL!
I think we would all agree that technology is a great thing. It enables and empowers us to be able to do things that we were not able to do 30 years ago. However, with advancing technology, come advancing hackers.  Even though you hear on the news about all the big businesses getting hit with cyber attacks each year, does not mean that they cannot attack our schools, cities, counties, or other governmental agencies. Any and all of our members are at risk for a cyber attack at any time. SWWC, along with the our partners statewide - the Minnesota Service Cooperatives, have partnered with Hausmann-Johnson to help protect our members. 

This valuable insurance offering being offered at preferred pricing is only available to SWWC members. I encourage you to go to https://www.hausmann-johnson.com/msccyber where you can learn more about the program, watch free webinars, and can also do a breach cost estimator. If you have any additional questions or if you are interested in talking more about this program please contact Mari Wagner at (507) 706-0471 or by email mari.wagner@swwc.org.
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Health and Safety Update - Safety Sing-Along
(Sing to the tune of Deck the Halls)
 
Deck the halls with boughs of holly!!!! Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Keep it safe so there’s no fire! Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Nothing says “Holiday cheer” like holiday decorations! Studies have shown that decorations can improve your mood, so what better way to keep morale up at school than decorating?? While we are spreading our cheer to the boys and girls, let’s take a moment to remember how we can be joyous while still following Fire Code and OSHA rules and regulations.
  • Electrical cords must NEVER go through doorways
  • Door decorations must be limited to 50% of the door (or less)
  • Extension cords must be temporary only and should be unplugged at the end of each class period/school day
  • Power strips and extension cords must be plugged directly into a wall outlet.

Don’t forget to remove decorations! Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
  • Decorations must be removed per district policy, or after the holiday has passed (whichever is first)

Enjoy the season while staying safe! Fa la la la la, la la la la
Mark Your Calendars for the Technology Leadership Workshops
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
IT 2 2020 - March 15-16, 2020
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Contact David for more information on technology integration solutions for your school!
Partner News
Strategic Facility Maintenance Planning
Today’s buildings account for roughly 40% of the world’s energy consumption. By reducing energy consumption, the industry can move from being part of the problem to being part of the solution. ICS can assist school districts with energy monitoring, efficiency management, and the newly-adopted requirements related to monthly energy consumption data in the Department of Commerce’s B3 benchmarking system. To find out more, contact Karen Olson at 651-728-1880 o r karen.klein@ics-builds.com.