The Apple Staff Bulletin

November 15, 2023 edition

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

Click here to read Shout Outs!

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

Finance Update

Hello CISCT’ers,

All Divvy transaction through 11/10 should be completed and approved by 11/14. Please reach out to Veronica at [email protected] if you are having any issues such as moving your transaction out of “complete” stage. Thank you to those who complete transactions in a timely manner and thank you to everyone’s attention to this matter.

HR Department Update

2024 Open Enrollment November 15, 2023- December 15, 2023

If you are a CIS employee working at least 30 hours per week, this important message about open enrollment is for you!

Please read the attached document for important information about insurance benefits for 2024.

The open enrollment period for our 2024 employee benefit plans will be November 15, 2023 – December 15, 2023.

Our benefit plans will renew on Jan. 1, 2024. We are pleased to let you know that we will continue with the same Blue Cross Blue Shield plan options in 2024. The 2024 Benefits Enrollment Guide can be viewed by clicking the link below:

https://www.flipsnack.com/ajggbs/communities-in-schools_enrollment-guide_20240101-c8yxaefk9s/full-view.html

Enrollment & Change Form and additional information about coverages and options will be available early next week in Sharefile/Members Only/Human Resources/Benefits_2024.

All eligible employees are required to elect coverage, make changes to coverage, or waive coverage no later than December 15, 2023.

Employees who are not making changes are not required to take any action; unless you select have the Flexible Spending Account (FSA).

Don’t hesitate to reach out to HR with any questions you have about open enrollment and employee benefits. The last virtual information session takes place on:

November 16, 2023, 3pm-4pm

Our AFLAC broker will also be available at all sessions.

AFLAC One-Pager can be viewed here.

Additionally, the one pager attached has a QR code made specifically for your group. If anyone would like to enroll, they can email Stephanie Hobbs a best time to contact or you can call her directly on the cell number provided.

https://www.aflacenrollment.com/CommunitiesInSchoolsofCentralTexas/U98673005520

Click here to see the FFT photobooth gallery.

ASPIRE Family Literacy Program !

DATA DEEP DIVE DASHBOARD ACCESS

The 'Program Requirements' tab on the Homepage has been replaced with a 'Data Deep Dive' tab, which has your regional team's Data Deep Dive Dashboards. You can view the entire team's data or use the filters at the top of the dashboard to filter down to your campus specifically. Watch a video overview on how to navigate around this dashboard.

2022-2023 CAMPUS OUTCOME REPORTS

Campus-level Outcome Reports for the 2022-2023 school year are now available! They are linked at the top of the Principal Report page in Apollo, along with a Conversation Guide that defines each metric for you and your campus administration.

UPCOMING PMD TRAININGS & WORKSHOPS

Check out our sweet flyer covering all that is coming up in the next few weeks including registration links.
If you feel pretty comfortable in Apollo or are in a role where you need to look at aggregate data, definitely consider attending the Apollo 201: Reports and Dashboards training to learn how to pull your own reports and utilize dashboards.
If you have feedback on our Stakeholder Survey or want to be a part of the redesigning of this tool, please consider attending a workshop on 11/28! Food provided!

RESOURCES & SUPPORTS

PMD Office Hours are Mondays 3-4pm and Fridays 8-9am via Teams.
Email [email protected] if you need support, have questions, or have a feature request/suggestion.
Apollo FAQs.docx is a document that contains answers to commonly asked questions. PMD updates this on a weekly basis.
Video Walkthroughs of common Apollo functions (everything covered in 101/102 and then some!)

Social Committee wants to hear from YOU! What social events do YOU want next? Give us your feedback and enter to win 2 tickets to a glass bottom boat tour in San Marcos https://forms.office.com/r/4aa2EGAff7

CISCT Job Openings

Click here for a list of available positions!

RESOURCES

Opportunity for High School Students

Through Student Leaders®, Bank of America recognizes high school students who lead and serve in their own communities and beyond. We connect Student Leaders to tools and resources to help make communities better.

As a Student Leader, you'll:

Work as a paid intern at a local nonprofit for eight weeks
Attend the weeklong Student Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C.
Develop leadership and career skills
Connect with like-minded students from your own community and across the country

Current Juniors and Seniors: Apply from October 16, 2023 – January 17, 2024

Visit our Student Leaders page for more information.

Learn more here:

We are thrilled to announce the launch of CIS Connect, your all-new, dedicated community forum created exclusively for members of our CIS network!

What is CIS Connect

CIS Connect is the online community platform for Communities In Schools^® (CIS^®). CIS Connect is a dynamic hub designed to foster collaboration, networking, and continuous learning among CIS community members.

How to Get Started

Joining CIS Connect is easy! Simply follow these steps:

Log into CIS Community.
Click on “CIS Connect” on the top navigation bar.

Click on “Login to CIS Connect” button to opt-in.

Platform Features

CIS Connect offers a range of features to enhance your experience within the CIS community:

Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration

Share your thoughts, experiences, and insights through posts.
Engage with posts by liking, commenting, and sharing.

Search Directory

Access a comprehensive directory of CIS network members.
Search by organization names, job functions, and states to discover relevant connections.
Expand your professional network and find potential collaborators.

Direct Messages

Connect with any member of the CIS community directly through private chat.
Foster one-on-one relationships, seek advice, or initiate collaborative efforts.

Who Can Access CIS Connect

CIS Connect is designed for the entire CIS Network and is hosted within the CIS Community. All you need to do is log in to the CIS Community, and then click on "CIS Connect" at the top of your navigation bar to access the platform.

Want to learn more about CIS Connect? Check out this CIS Connect Overview & FAQs document.

Free Yoga eBook

Are you thinking of trying yoga for fitness and well-being or to help you manage a health problem?

Many people practice yoga for health-related reasons, such as for fitness and well-being, to help control stress, or to help manage or prevent a health problem. This 40-page eBook provides an overview of what the science says about yoga for health, including its use by children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with health conditions. You’ll also find information on how to practice yoga safely, as well as a summary of national survey findings about the use of yoga in the United States.

Our 40-page eBook, “Yoga for Health,” can help you decide whether yoga is right for you. It provides an overview of what the science says about yoga for health, including its use by older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with health conditions. You’ll also find tips on how to practice yoga safely.

Download the National Center for Complementary Integrative Health

Yoga eBook here (Published: September 2023)

2023 Serving Survivors Training Series

Texas Council on Family Violence, the TX BoS CoC will be hosting a two-part information and training series on serving survivors of domestic violence. Please see below for session details, registration, and recommended session prerequisites.

Part 1: TX BoS CoC Serving Survivors Q&A Session

December 5th from 10-11am

Please join Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) and Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care (TX BoS CoC) staff for a live Question & Answer session on December 5th from 10am-11am. In this session, TX BoS CoC and TCFV staff will field questions related to serving survivors and victims of domestic violence (DV) within the housing crisis response system. As survivors engage in both DV-specific and mainstream resources, service providers of all backgrounds and tenure are encouraged to attend and ask questions. This is part one of a two-part training series on serving survivors of DV in the TX BoS CoC.

Prepared attendees will have successfully completed the Serving Servings Litmos Course in advance of the session and come prepared with questions. Click here to sign up for the Serving Survivors Litmos Course.

Click here to register for the December 5th Serving Survivors Q&A Session.

Part 2: TX BoS CoC Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Training

December 12th from 10-11:30am

Please join Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) and Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care (TX BoS CoC) staff for a live VAWA training webinar on December 12th from 10am-11:30am. In this session, attendees will learn about the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization Act of 2022 and considerations for housing-focused service providers and programs working with survivors and victims of domestic violence (DV), with a focus on those working in programs funded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This is part two of a two-part training series on serving survivors of DV in the TX BoS CoC.

Click here to register for the December 12th VAWA Training

Talking with Children About War and Other Humanitarian Crises

November 20, 2023 | 5:30- 7:00 pm

On Monday, November 20, 2023, we offer a special session, led by Dr. David Schonfeld, director of the National Center for School Crisis & Bereavement, to enhance our skills in supporting children. We offer this session during a season in which many families are gathering and discussions of charged issues can be challenging.

Current and ongoing wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, coupled with a wide range of humanitarian and other major crises in the U.S. and abroad, pose numerous challenges to children and adults alike. Educators and caregivers may not feel prepared to explain such complex, evolving crises, especially when they are associated with strong emotions and differing opinions.

This session will provide information on how children understand – and misunderstand – crises and how best to explain it to them in order to promote their understanding and adjustment. Group discussions (such as within classrooms) pose unique challenges; advice on how to address anger and blame in group settings will be discussed.

Dr. Schonfeld will offer 45 minutes of training followed by a 45 minute interactive workshop for participants to debrief, process, peer resource, and discuss how to integrate these practices.

Free resources, including guidance documents for parents/caregivers and websites with related information on supporting children in the aftermath of crisis and loss, will be shared. Ample time will be provided for questions and discussion.

1.5 continuing education credits are available at no cost through full participation in this training. Register Here.