November 9, 2022 edition

The Apple Staff Bulletin will pause the week of All-Staff (November 16th edition) and resume after the fall break on Wednesday, November 30th.

Shout Outs

Share appreciation and gratitude for a fellow CIS employee. Giving a shout out is a great way to recognize an individual or group for their extra effort and talent, and to contribute to a culture of appreciation, community, and kindness.

Click here to submit a Shout Out

Read this week's Shout Outs

Fall All-Staff Event

The Fall Staff event is next Tuesday!

Free parking
Dress code is business/smart casual
In an effort to be responsive to feedback received after the CIS All Staff in August, we will offer a Wellness room for anyone who needs to take some time for self-care in a quieter space. If you have any items you would like to share to enhance this space please send an email directly to Dorothy Garza, and she can coordinate pickup and return. Examples might be portable massage chair (like the one at the Central Office Wellness room), sound machine, etc.
Click the link below to see the agenda, read about breakout sessions, and find links to reserve your spot in a breakout session - sign up in Auzmor.

All about the All-Staff

Employee Excellence Nominee Spotlight: Maria Rodriguez

"Maria kept the Performance Measures Dept. going during a period of transition, vacancies, and challenges. Maria remained calm under pressure and continued to support staff, answer questions, problem solve, and keep the department going. Maria juggles many responsibilities, navigates district policies and procedures, and generally makes things work despite what is thrown her way. Maria opened CIS NAV on her own for the first time this year and successfully learned to migrate data from a tracker into CIS NAV. She problem solved, offered solutions, pointed out challenges and impacts, and generally made a really difficult and time consuming process work as best it can under the circumstances. I want to thank Maria for being such a dedicated employee, and for demonstrating that she is student-centered, and mission-centered. Thank you Maria for your knowledge, insights, and commitment to customer service. You are appreciated. "

Nominate someone for Employee Excellence. Click here for the form and here to learn about employee recognition & appreciation at CIS of Central Texas.

Communications Update

Send photo and submission for "The Apple" to [email protected]

Updates from the Apollo Launch Committee:

We’re kicked off and in motion! The Apollo Launch Team consists of staff across program(s) and team(s) who are coming together to share insight and feedback on our Salesforce database processes as we prepare to launch for the 2023-2024 school year.
The team meets weekly to discuss components of the case management process through the Salesforce lens. So far we have:
built group norms and identified our roles in change management
reviewed the recommendation process, and
started working on the intake process
Each week we are exploring a step of the case management process through a practical application lens. If you are interested in hearing more, please reach out to a member of the team! We will continue to communicate updates in the Apple as we have them.

Apollo Launch Team:

Mental Health and Wellness Update

Regarding Interns: If you are needing support regarding process recordings, final evaluations, or any other intern related questions; please reach out to us via email at [email protected] with subject line "Question."

Take the Input Survey

Internal Job Posting:

Program Manager Oak Springs Elementary

Our next Collaborative Learning Space (CLS) is this Friday, Nov. 11th from 8:30am-12:30pm. We will be discussing Attunement & Revisiting Goals/Setting Sessions. Sign up here on Auzmor for the Zoom invite and calendar hold . This is our last CLS for the Fall Semester. CLS will start up again in January. If you believe your AmeriCorps Member needs additional training before then, please let the AmeriCorps Team know ASAP.
In the interim as we await a new AmeriCorps Program Director, you can contact Johanna Hosking-Pulido (Sr. PD of Innovation) for any issues that you may not feel comfortable bringing to the AmeriCorps Team (Ali, Casey, Felicia, Sara).

RSVP For Member Recognition:

Scholarship Application now Open:

High school seniors from Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties who want to pursue careers in healthcare and plan to attend college in Texas are eligible to apply for up to $60,000 in financial aid over the course of their higher education.

In addition to this funding, Neal Kocurek Scholars have access to a range of emotional and educational supports, including free mental health counseling, tutoring options, professional mentorship, and a close-knit community of peers.

Scholarship applicants will be evaluated on the basis of academic merit as well as financial need. The deadline to apply is Jan. 6, 2023.

Questions? You can reach the St. David’s Foundation Neal Kocurek Scholarship team at [email protected].

Apply Now

A family (5 kids, 4 adults) at Bowie Elementary is in need of:

* Linens, pillows/pillowcases, and blankets (They have 3 Twin Beds and 2 Full)

* Winter clothing for the whole family (Jackets, pants, long sleeves, flannels)

* Household items (trash bags, disinfectant sprays)

* Hairbrushes

* Baby wipes (Scent Sensitive)

* Dog and cat food

Clothing Sizes Needed:

* Boy 10-year-old - 10/12 Pants 10-16 Shirts

* Girl 15-year-old - 6 Pants Medium Shirts

* Boy 2-year-old - 3 T, Size 6 Diapers

* Girl 14-year-old - Medium Pants Large shirts

* Girl 8-year-old - 5T/6 Tops and pants (elastic leggings)

Please reach out to Renelle Cruz @ [email protected] if you have items to donate.

The winner in last week's Apple drawing for a CIS Hoodie was Dani Vanoye!

Click to enter this week's drawing for a CIS Hoodie

Program Manager Carolyn Midboe at the Mina Elementary fall fest cotton candy and very cold dunk booth

Gina Naccarella, EAO did "Read Aloud" on Literacy Day at Rodriguez Elementary!

Program manager Carolyn Moreau participating in Literacy Day at Rodriguez Elementary. She did "Read aloud" with the 1^st graders.

Nicole Partin at Sanchez Elementary Trunk O’Treat!

We're thankful for our community partners that provide volunteers and basic needs supplies to area campuses. Program managers Enrique Legarreta (Allison Elementary) and Nissa Wood (Widén Elementary) attended a luncheon hosted by Good Shepherd on the Hill this past Saturday.

The Ofrenda at Wallace Middle School. Students created artwork for Dia Los Muertos.

November is Mina Elementary annual Kindness Month. The focus this year is kindness to ourselves and others. We are visiting the classrooms to teach students about Enoughie Buddy through a puppet show, art activity, and dance party. During this time, teachers are encouraged to practice self-care and take time for themselves.

Communication Material Request Form

Communities In Schools of Central Texas surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.