February 2023 Staff Newsletter - Please See Revised Version (Linked In Staff Portal)

What's the buzz at MCPASD

February 2023

A Message from Superintendent, Dr. Dana Monogue

Greetings MCPASD Staff!

February has been an unusual month with inclement weather! While the weather is beyond our control, there are many things t we do have an impact on and professional development is one of those things. I want thank and acknowledge everyone who had hand in designing and facilitating profession development and training activities on February 20th and 21st. We h wellness and learnin available over these our very diverse sta learning and trainin here is something t

Thank you for your providing honest fe experiences so we can continually improve.

Thank you for all that you do!

With fondness, Dr. Dana E.

Monogue, Superintendent

Must Know On The Go

On a time crunch? Check out this page for all your 'need to know' information this month. We invite you to read further when you are able to check out all of the awesome things happening within our District!

Key Dates 2023

MCPASD Celebrates Black History Month

February 1 - March 1st is Black History Month! Students and staff across the district joined in to celebrate the success and contributions of the Black community

We would like to take this moment to honor and recognize our staff of color and challenge you to reflect and seek opportunities to learn more about communities and cultures outside of your own

Thank you to our staff who continue to educate and advocate for the Black community outside of Black History Month!

Superintendent Monogue's favorite part of filming the Monthly Update With Monogue, is spending time with our students! She recently visited her friends from the Glacier Creek Black Student Union for the upcoming February episode

During her time spent with the students, they discussed the importance of celebrating Black History Month and all the great things they are doing in their school!

Superintendent Monogue also made space for students to speak openly about ways our District can continue improving and make our schools feel safe and welcoming for everyone. Thank you again to our friends at Glacier Creek Black Student Union!

Superintendent Monogue Visits Glacier Creek Black Student Union During Monthly Update With Monogue

Articles

MCPASD Celebrates Black History Month

Director Of System Improvement Percy Brown Hosts Black History Month Educational Video Series

Tune in to the multi-part video series hosted by Director of System Improvement Percy Brown! He is a strong advocate for equity in education and as a historian himself, he has take this opportunity to research the way we have learned about the contributions and success of the Black Community throughout history and up to the present His hope is that the series inspires personal reflection and critical thinking about what we know about the contributions of the Black Community.

View the series here!

Click here to view episode one!

Kromrey Middle School Principal Dom Ricks Speaks On The Power Of Representation In Books

Recently Principal Ricks and two Kromrey students spoke with NBC 15 News about the diverse collections of books in their library, many of which were on display during Black History Month.

During the interview, Principal Ricks explained how books are either like a mirror or a window. Students can learn about someone new or can see themselves represented in a story.

View the full news story here!

Thank You SAFE Team!

We would like to share a special shout out to our SAFE team for making our students feel welcomed, motivated and supported!

Articles

2023 MCPASD Education Foundation Inspiration Grant

The Education Foundation Inspiration Grants support MCPASD teachers and staff, offering inspiring learning opportunities to students in the district and also supporting efforts to create equitable access to those inspiring opportunities

All teachers and staff in the district are encouraged to submit applications. Grants range from $250 to $2,500 and can cover the full cost of a project or partial costs. The Foundation has awarded over $130,000 to 130 grant winners since 2013.

The Foundation is looking to fund grants that are inclusive, innovative and inspiring If you have a great idea, consider applying today!

Click here to view the application

Check-in with 2022 Recipient: Colleen Johnson | Sunset Ridge Elementary

Colleen is a 4th-grade teacher at Sunset Ridge Elementary. In her application last year, she requested grant funding to provide all grade levels and the art room with a variety of coloring supplies that represent the different skin tones in our world.

At the start of the year, students often share their identities and interests This year, students were able to (as closely as possible) accurately represent themselves and others in their drawings by using diverse coloring supplies. Teachers noted that students were excited to use the new supplies and took pride in their work. The funds were used in full for this project and teachers have developed systems to ensure they can be used with their students for years to come.

Staff Lunches Now Available Through Nutrition Services

We are excited to announce that Nutrition Services will once again offer our staff lunch meals! These meals are available to all staff in the district, ordered through your MyPaymentsPlus account and delivered directly to you! Orders can be placed at any time, but must be placed by 8:30 am for delivery the same day We offer a variety of options from sub sandwiches, salads, egg and tuna salad, sausage, cheese and cracker plate, fruit, veggie, chips and desserts New this year we will be offering a chicken bacon ranch salad, hummus plate and yogurt parfait. Items can be customized to your tastes.

If you do not have a MyPaymentsPlus account, please click here and register. When you are asked to enter the student ID#, use your district staff ID# found in Skyward.

Please make sure you complete the ordering process and receive a confirmation number and confirmation email To complete the order, you will need to click on the Staff Lunch Order Form under Events & Activities, click add to cart, fill in the information on the form, click save and add to cart. You will then click on the checkout cart symbol in the upper right hand corner of the screen, click proceed to checkout and the final step is click on pay for the order All totals will be zero throughout the process Meals are charged to your account on the day meals are delivered.

Please make sure you have funds in your account.

Contact Rhonda Kalscheur at rkalscheur@mcpasd k12 wi us or ext 12343 if you have any questions

Try the southwest salad!

MCPASD Summer Academy Hiring

We are excited to start the 2023 hiring process for the Summer Academy! The MCPASD Summer Academy (click here) focuses on providing students with projectbased and literacy-focused learning in a small group setting Summer Academy will run Monday through Thursday, June 19th through July 27th from 8a -12:30p. Many positions are available You can find those positions and descriptions here (click here)!

Interested educators can apply for positions in two ways. For internal and returning staff, please complete the MCPASD Interest form before April 30th, 2023; We STRONGLY encourage MCPASD Student Teachers to apply (Summer Academy placement can offer new teachers recommendations for future MCPASD placement) All other applicants must visit WECAN and complete the application form. We understand that unplanned absences are bound to occur, but for staffing purposes, we ask that you withhold from applying if you have two or more planned absences.

Please direct any and all questions to Mr Percy Brown, Summer Academy Director, at pbrown@mcpasd.k12.wi.us.

Retirment Benefits Survey

Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District is proud to offer a total compensation package that includes salary, active benefits, and retirement benefits

We seek feedback, in the form of an anonymous survey, from all employees, including support staff, certified staff and administrators/supervisors, on our third component, retirement benefits.

This anonymous survey aims to understand your engagement, knowledge, and prioritization around the retirement benefit programs provided by MCPASD. The deadline to send us your feedback is Friday, February 24, 2023.

Click here to view the survey

Director of Finance & Operations, Erin Wheeler, has broken down the importance of participating in our Retirement Benefits survey in this short video

Infosec IQ’s PhishNotify tool

In response to an uptick in Phishing and malicious emails, the MCPASD is partnering with Infosec IQ to educate the district about cybersecurity risks and how we can help prevent cyber-attacks.

We are also rolling out Infosec IQ’s PhishNotify tool, which allows you to report suspicious emails from your inbox to our Help Desk for analysis in lieu of forwarding the email and opening a ticket.

To use the PhishNotify tool - when you open a suspicious email, click the red fish icon on the right side toolbar (see complete directions below) on your inbox to report. A message will appear to let you know that the email was sent to the MCPASD Help Desk for review The email in question will then be put in your SPAM folder

Please contact the help desk (helpdesk@mcpasd.k12.wi.us) if you need further assistance or if you have any questions.

Celebrations

Welcome Talent Recruitment and Retention Personnel Specialist Sherry Smith

Smith comes to MCPASD from Northeast Wisconsin with educational experience in the Green Bay, Southern Door, and Anchorage, AK school districts. She has served as the Gifted and Talented Coordinator in Green Bay and also was on special assignment within the human resources department in Green Bay During her time in HR, Sherri recruited educators and substitutes, and facilitated the centralized support for initial educators, student teachers, and mentors. She received her BS in Elementary Education with a minor in Social Studies from Cameron University and her MA in Public Administration and Educational Leadership from UW-Madison.

Read the full article here!

You Deserve a Shout!

Seham Akkawi & Mindy Sabol | Glacier Creek Middle School

Seham, a paraeducator at GCMS, came to Pope Farm Elementary to be an interpreter for a new student and family who moved to the US from overseas Her care and assistance made the whole family feel welcome and helped to make our new student's first day less daunting, inclusive, and off to a great start. Seham wants to continue to be of assistance if needed and we are so grateful for her dedication and kindness. We would also like to say a huge thanks to Mindy Sabol at GCMS who connected Seham to us! Mindy is always so helpful and we appreciate her too! It was wonderful to see a new family welcomed into our school district with such thoughtfulness and compassion It really does speak to what our school district stands for.

Give your coworker a well deserved shout-out using our survey here!

Living Healthy Rewards process has changed Dean Health Plan Members: Claim your $150 in Living Healthy Rewards

The process has changed slightly from last year. The major change is that you cannot add all of your extra activities all at once, instead you can earn up to 75 points each month This means you will need to log in each month and do the (short) well-being activities under. You still get $50 just for completing an online self-assessment and after that, some rewards are based on claims therefore are automatically emailed to you. Dean Health Plan members can earn up to $150 in rewards by completing some simple steps. Members are eligible for up to $150 every calendar year. To access your Living Healthy Rewards account, click here.

February Wellness Care Package from Dean

This resource and programs list are open to all, regardless of insurance, unless otherwise noted*

REALiving Monthly Newsletter & Friday Facts

November EAP Newsletter: Bring on the Laughter

Friday Fact: Fix Your Broken Funny Bone

Friday Fact: What's your Type?

Friday Fact: Taking Humor to Work

Friday Fact: Yuk it up with Yoga

Employee Personnel

Support Staff: Thinking Of Retiring?

If you are thinking of retiring at the end of this current school year, and you are part of our District Support Staff and work less-than 12 months per year, this message is for you

As we begin to look at staff assignments for the upcoming 23-24SY, we need to know who is planning on returning and who is planning on resigning/retiring. Having staff assignments finalized sooner rather than later ultimately determines who receives Letters of Reasonable Assurance for the upcoming school year. We have started to receive a couple for next year already. As sad as we are to receive notices of retirement, we do appreciate those who let us know as early as possible Waiting to let us know until after the Letters of Reasonable Assurance have gone out causes re-work and stress for all involved.

We have heard from prior colleagues that they waited to let us know in August because of fear that they wouldn't keep their insurance through the summer months This is not correct It is important to emphasize with each of you that as long as you have finished your work year for the 2022-2023 school year, your insurance benefits that you are enrolled in will run through August 31, 2023, regardless of when we are notified of any possible change for you. We really need to know of planned retirements from the Support Staff by Monday, April 17th to be able to most efficiently complete the staffing moves that need to occur for 2023 - 2024. You can turn in your notice to us by simply sending an email to employeeservicesmailbox@mcpasd.k12.wi.us to let us know.

This deadline will allow us to plan for the continuing staff and get everyone assigned to positions in the new staffing needs for next year If you have any questions about this, let us know

Barb's Corner

“Your energy flows where your attention goes ” is a message shared in one of my yoga classes If your attention is focused on something negative or a negative thought, then that is where your energy is spent. If you are like me, you’ll want to cherish all the energy you have! It is empowering to think that I get to choose where my energy flows. Remember, I am imperfect, so I am consistently working on myself and reflecting. I want my energy to flow toward the positive and give energy to positive thoughts and actions as that energy spreads joy. I try and control my energy flow through my breath (inhale) and acknowledge what maybe steering my energy away from the positive Once I acknowledge it, I breathe (exhale) and redirect my energy back to the present and something positive. So remember no matter what, you will always have your breath to help ground you.

I can “ see ” the sun and feel the “thaw” that is coming our way! Be gentle with yourself.

Hand Book Updates

The Support Staff handbook committee has met 3 times so far and we have reviewed the support staff feedback for themes and trends. We discussed holidays, time off, and other post-employment benefits (retirement benefits). The committee meets again on February 20th from 2-4pm at the DOC. We will be focusing on vacation days, a catastrophic leave bank, and leaves of absences

The Certified Staff handbook committee has had two meetings so far and during the first meeting we reviewed feedback from the certified staff and the teacher roundtable The group identified themes and trends as well We meet on Wednesday evenings (4:15-5:45pm) through February and March. Our 2nd meeting focused on sections 4 & 7 of the certified handbook. We have also outlined the rest of the meetings with the areas of the handbook that will be discussed. Again, these meetings are open to the public

Teacher Roundtables

The teacher Roundtable met on February 16th That meeting focused on summer or future PD opportunities, as well, as engaging our current employees in our recruiting efforts.

Congratulations to MCPASD Certified Retirees!

Congratulations to the 15 teachers who are retiring at the end of this school year. We are so grateful for over 464 years of collective service to education! Retirees will be recognized at the Inaugural 2023 Retirement Recognition Dinner on April 26, 2023, at the Holiday Inn Express.

Educator Licensing

It’s that time of the year! Thank you to staff who have maintained their DPI educator licensing! If you are wondering when your DPI educator license expires, please go to License Look-Up to check your license status.

If your license expired 6/30/2022, you should have received an email from me and your attention to remedy your license is critical If your license expires 6/30/2023, then please put a ticker on your calendar for in April 2023 to apply for your license renewal.

For Employment Verification form PI-1613, please complete the top portion of the form and email that to Lee Wilson and she will get that completed and sent back to you.

If you are enrolled in a Wisconsin approved certification program and have a one-year provisional license with stipulations, then please review the renewal tip sheet for more documentation details, such as a PI-1624-PROG form from a program certification officer if renewing with approved program coursework

If you have specific questions about your license renewal, please contact Educator Licensing and have your Entity number ready as that has proven to be a faster turnaround time from DPI.

Once you receive your updated license, please email it to the Employee Services mailbox and they will get your Skyward profile updated.

Employee Benefits

Updates From Dean Health Plan

Dean West Clinic expects a new internist to join the group in February. Dean Clinic Waunakee has three physicians who are accepting new patients Dean East Clinic is recruiting for additional providers and expect added capacity within the year.

Most office visits in primary care can be scheduled within 2 months, with availability for acute (sick) visits within the week. Wellness physicals should be scheduled ahead at least six months before due, as the number of these visit types are typically limited per day, to allow for consistent access for all medical care needs Variances to this is dependable on location and your flexibility between clinics

2023 Health Risk Assessment

It’s time for the 2023 Health Risk Assessment (HRA) process. What is this?

MCPASD requests that staff members and their spouses that are on the group health insurance plan connect annually with a health care provider. As an incentive, we offer a 3% rate differential on health insurance premiums for the following plan year if the HRA process is completed. The 3% rate differential is a difference of $19 64 per month for a single plan or $49 11 for a family plan during 2023

What does this year ’ s process entail?

Choose ONE of the following options:

PWP appointments are available February 20 through July 31, 2023

There will be extra appointments available on PD days and during Spring Break

Group health plan members can complete a Personal Wellness Plan with a Health Transformation Consultant at a virtual appointment. OR

Members can submit a Preventive Health Form completed by their Primary Care Provider (PCP) between January 1 and July 31, 2023

Member is responsible for submitting the form to Dean Health Plan Form needs to be submitted before July 31, 2023

Key Information:

If you need to complete the HRA to receive a 3% rate differential, you should have received an email from Chris Acker Please contact Chris if you have questions

If you have a spouse on the health plan, both the employee & spouse must complete the HRA to receive the 3% rate differential

Deadline for completion is Monday, July 31st, 2023

You will receive a confirmation email when your 2023 HRA process is complete (note that MCPASD receives reports once a month, so your confirmation could take up to a month to receive)

Instructions on how to complete Health Risk Assessment

2023 HRA Guide - Click Here

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Chris Acker, Support Staff Benefits Specialist (cacker1@mcpasd k12 wi us or 608 829 9027)

Employee Personnel

Skyward Tip: Password Reset

Every morning the Employee Service team resets any account that has been locked due to failed attempts to log into Skyward. If you are still unable to log in after 10am it may be time to try and reset your password.

Please know that after you change your password, you need to wait approx. 10 minutes for the new password to sync with all of our systems. So after about 10 mins retry accessing Skyward. In the event that you are not able to reset your password, please contact Employee Services and we will be happy to assist you.

If you are using a District Computer: Select CLT+ALT+DEL and select 'change password' and go through the regular process of changing your password.

If you are not using a District Computer: Go to our District Website- click on Menu- then staff portal. Scroll down to Employee Applications & Links, then go to the 'Technology Services' section: where you'll click on the drop-down by 'Technology Services' and will see the menu which will include 'Click to Change Password' and follow the steps.