February 2024 Staff Newsletter (English)

FEBRUARY 2024

STAFF NEWSLETTER

BUSINESS OFFICE UPDATES ● A quick reminder that Skyward will receive a facelift and will be inaccessible to users from late March until early April. Please consider getting your W2 forms sometime this month, before we switch over to the upgraded system. More information will come as the date approaches for the changeover.

Micheal DeBartolo Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Operations/CSBO micheal.debartolo@ccsd21.org Tel. 847-520-2707

HUMAN RESOURCES UPDATES

Robert Gurney Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources robert.gurney@ccsd21.org Tel. 847-520-2724

● 2023-2024 Seniority List: The Seniority Years column was created taking several factors into account, including that seniority years do not include the current school year. You can read more about the other factors here. Please review your seniority years and endorsements carefully. If you have questions or believe that corrections should be made, please email Tanya Henry in Human Resources by Thursday, Feb. 8. You can also review the 2023-2024 Seniority List here. ● HealthCheck360 Wellness Platform: We are excited to share we are continuing the HealthCheck Wellness program this year! We had more than 300 staff members participate in the program last year, and are hopeful our numbers for 2024 exceed that! You can read more about the platform here. This year, we will also incorporate one Wellness Champion at each school. These individuals will be responsible for promoting health and wellness throughout your school year-round and encourage staff engagement in the program. If you are interested, read this flyer and let your principal know! ● HSA Contributions: Staff members on the PPO Core plan have access to a Health Savings Account (HSA). In your Jan. 31 paycheck, you will find the annual contribution to your HSA under the “Benefits” portion of your pay stub. In the past, this contribution was spread out over 12 months. Read more here. Read the 2024 insurance premiums here. Please reach out to Jan Connick with any questions.

EQUITY & LEARNING UPDATES

Beatrice Reyes Childress Assistant Superintendent for Equity & Learning beatrice.childress@ccsd21.org Tel. 847-520-2743

● Get Your ESL and Bilingual Endorsement! We are excited to continue the partnership between CCSD21, the Illinois Resource Center and National Louis University to provide a CCSD21 ESL and Bilingual Endorsement Cohort. This enriching opportunity directly aligns with several of the CCSD21 Strategic Plan Goals and Strategies. Read more here, and complete this interest form by Friday, Feb. 9! ● Please take the 5Essentials Survey: This survey provides valuable information about a school’s learning conditions and organizational culture. To receive this data, at least 50 percent of teachers must participate in the survey. Read more here, and take the survey here. ● Our students take federally required assessments every spring. These assessments help us understand how our students are growing academically, compared to their peers across the state. The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) assesses students in grades 3-8 in both English language arts and math. The spring testing window for IAR is March 4-22. Additionally, the Illinois Science Assessment is slated to be administered to all fifth and eighth grade students this spring. The testing window for the ISA is April 8-16.

Let’s Celebrate!

Did You Know… As a district we are proud to celebrate the diversity of our learning community! Some of the celebrations taking place during the month of February include: Groundhog Day, Chinese New Year, Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday, Ash Wednesday/Lent Begins, Valentine’s Day, George Washington’s Birthday, Mardi Gras, President’s Day. If you’d like to learn more, click on the links! If there is a celebration that we missed, don’t hesitate to reach out and share it with our Language Services Department.

SUPPORT SERVICES & SCHOOL SAFETY UPDATES

Kim Cline Assistant Superintendent for Support Svcs. & School Safety kim.clilne@ccsd21.org Tel. 847-520-2717

● Any interest in district safety response team training?

CCSD21 continues to expand emergency preparedness and partnership with other districts. As part of this effort, we have compiled the following survey to learn which staff are interested in being trained in the standard reunification system to support an event that may happen within our district, or to support another district in need.

Please fill out this survey if you are interested in this training, and thank you!

INFORMATION SERVICES UPDATES

Mike Frantini Chief Technology Officer mike.frantini@ccsd21.org Tel. 847-520-2732

● The February issue of the Information Services Newsletter is now available! This month’s topics include: ○ Tech training opportunities ○ A ParentSquare tutorial playlist ○ Email best practices ○ Activity inspiration ○ And more!

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COMMUNITY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT 21 959 W. Dundee Road Wheeling, IL 60090 Tel. (847) 537-8270 www.ccsd21.org

Empowering Every Student, Every Day