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BCSD Staff Newsletter November 2018
Superintendent Letter to Staff


Dear Colleagues,

This summer I read the Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels (Jon Meacham) and was inspired to look at our country's current divisiveness through the greater lens of presidential history.  This book reminded me of the many gifts the United States of America has given to the world as we have struggled to achieve the ideals of our nation through tumultuous and angry times, as well as through inspiring and unified times.

What are some of the things that unify both our country and our community? I believe that one of our country's greatest gifts to the world is that of public education for all.  Or as Horace Mann said, "The public school is the greatest discovery made by man." He saw public education as "the great equalizer....the balance wheel of machinery." Over our history, as a nation, we have strived to ensure that a good education is a right for all children from the inclusion of girls with the opening of the Young Ladies Academy in Philadelphia in 1787 to Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka in 1954, to BCSD's efforts in 2018 to close the achievement gap.  

Yes, our work in BCSD to ensure all of our students master the rigorous Idaho Content Standards is a gift to our community, our country and the world. We are committed to ensuring that all of our children, regardless of background or circumstances, achieve at the highest levels and leave us ready and able to do whatever life calls them to do.

This work is not for the faint of heart.  It is difficult work and requires complete belief and dedication to this high ideal.  Thank you for your relentless belief in the possibility for all of our students and your tireless dedication to make it happen.

You are greatly appreciated.

With gratitude,

GwenCarol
Teaching and Learning

Thank a school psychologist today!

Blaine County School District is very fortunate to have three very talented school psychologists who work with our students and teaching teams. In fact, our very own Jami Delgado was recently awarded at the Idaho School Psychologists Association conference with the Idaho School Psychology Association (ISPA) School Psychologist of the Year Award . We are so proud of the honor they have bestowed upon her!

Please meet BCSD's School Psychologists:
Lauren Thomas
Lauren Thomas works at Bellevue Elementary, Ernest Hemingway STEAM School and with our Early Childhood Special Education Department located at Hailey Elementary.







Nick Pettinger
Nick Pettinger is part of the teams at WRMS, Carey and Alturas.








Jami Delgado

Jami Delgado connects with the special education teams at WRHS, SCHS and Hailey Elementary.






You may be wondering what our school psychologists do during their work day. Although special education assessment and eligibility determination is a big part of their job, they have skills that go far beyond this. Did you know that they also interview/counsel students, assist with the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) team, provide guidance for RTI teams, converse with parents, assist with threat assessments, and work with some of our most vulnerable students? Yes, they are superheroes.

The Week of November 12 - 16 is School Psychology Awareness Week. This is a great time to look for these heroes of ours and give them a heartfelt thank you for all that they do.
Technology

Up and Coming Tech

Office Hours with Paul  - Just in time support when you need it! Paul Zimmerman has regularly scheduled times to be at your school to help with any immediate needs. Shoot him an email if you want him to stop by your classroom during this time. Google questions?  Ideas for incorporation into Google Classroom? Wonder how to integrate AR/VR into a lesson? No question is out of the question.

Calendar

Cybersecurity  continues to be a hot topic in educational circles. We all need to be uber aware of our online presence and practices. How many online accounts do you have? How many passwords?  Are you still using the default password? Many people say  "I don't care about getting hacked, there's nothing valuable in my email."  Think again. Email is an extension of our daily life. Email inboxes contain a wealth of personal and business information. Contacts, password resets, photos, contracts, not to mention confidential employee and student data. Your email address may be used to access a variety of other online websites such as banks, medical providers, insurance companies, Paypal, Facebook, Amazon and other online retailers where your credit card is stored. Cyber criminals can sell your account credentials on the dark web or use your identity to apply for loans and credit cards.

What can I do to be safe online?  Think before you click. Use a password manager. Consider setting up two-factor authentication for increased safety. In addition to username and password, two-factor authentication uses another device such as cell phone or USB key to verify you are the one logging in. Yes, it is inconvenient and will take more time. Criminals are counting on lazy humans to leave the front door open. Here is a video from Google for details.
Buildings and Grounds

The Voice ll project at the Community Campus is nearly complete.   The Buildings and Grounds Department took on the task of renovating the space to accommodate the curricular needs of students enrolled in the program.   The new design layout includes large kitchen, laundry, and living areas to help hone the skills of these young men and women as they prepare to transition from school to a worldly paradigm.  It is a wonderful open space with an abundance of natural light and warmth, creating a very inviting homey atmosphere. Although it took considerably longer to complete than originally planned, we feel the outcome was worth the wait.  We appreciate Jamie Ellison, Voice ll Special Education Teacher, for his patience and upbeat attitude as he basically squatted in the old Art Room for an entire year. The new location will encourage partnering and collaboration with other entities within the Community Campus to provide enhanced opportunities for these students.
  
A ribbon cutting will take place on Tuesday November 13, at 5:30 pm, prior to the regular November Board meeting.  


World Language Teachers Play a Key Role in State Leadership

Teachers 
The Idaho Association of Teachers of Language and Culture (IATLC) celebrated their 2018 fall conference, "Language and Culture in Motion" on October 4th and 5th at Columbia High School in Nampa, Idaho. Wood River Middle School World Language educators played prominent roles in leadership and professional development at this year's conference. They will continue to do so at next year's state conference as it will move from the Treasure Valley to Hailey's Community Campus on October 3rd and 4th, 2019. Full Press Release
Envelopes
FREE!  Thousands of envelopes.  5 1/2x 4 ΒΌ. Pick up at district office.
Community Campus

Did you know that walking indoors is available at the Community Campus?  14 laps around the gym or 10 laps around the center core of the Community Campus equals one mile.  The CCB is open 7 days a week during the school year except for major holidays.

Are you interested in taking college classes for credit or Adult Enrichment Classes?  CSI Blaine County Center Class information can be found at www.csi.edu/blaine

Calendar of November events!
  • WRMS Play will be November 2nd and 3rd.  Check with the WRMS for times
  • Elections are November 6th
  • Robotics Tournament for Middle School and High School competitors November 9th 9AM to 5PM.  The event is open to the public.
  • SV Realtors Holiday Basket Sign Ups will be Saturday, November 10th 9AM - 1PM and     Monday, November 12th 3PM - 7PM
  • NAMI Open House November 10th
  • VOICE II Ribbon Cutting, Tuesday, November 13th 5:30PM followed by the Board of Trustees Meeting
  • The Hunger Coalition Thanksgiving Basket Distribution, Monday, November 19th 4-6PM
  • The Community Campus will be closed Thanksgiving Day, November 22nd
Finance

Holiday pay schedule
With the upcoming holiday season we will see pay dates for November and December shifted to accommodate the vacation schedule.  

November pay date - 11/16/18
December pay date -  12/18/18
January pay date - 1/25/19
February pay date - 2/25/19

Please verify each pay date that you have received your check.  If you have questions staff will be in-house on 11/19/18, 12/19/18 to assist.  However beyond those dates staff will not be in the office during the scheduled holiday time off.  Please call x5000 to reach the front desk and ask for payroll assistance.

This is so important it is worth publishing for readers who may have missed it in previous newsletters. Important warning - Please read!!!  

The Idaho State Tax Commission requested all Districts to get the word out to our employees about updating their state and federal withholding.  For the latest W-4 information, visit tax.idaho.gov/w4.  

W-4 Changes for Employees - Act NOW!

Recent tax laws have changed the amount of income taxes withheld from employee paychecks. If you don't withhold enough tax, you could have an unexpected tax bill when you file your 2018 income tax return. The Idaho State Tax Commission urges all employees to review and update their Form W-4 withholding allowances for both federal and state taxes.

Make sure you have the right amount of taxes withheld from your paycheck. Act NOW to avoid a tax surprise LATER!

Steps to Take:
  1. Use the withholding calculator at IRS.gov to estimate your federal withholding.
  2. Use the 2018 W-4 Worksheet for Idaho to estimate your Idaho withholding.*
  3. Make any needed changes to Form W-4 and give it to your employer.
  4. Share this information with family and friends.
*Note: Use the federal Form W-4 to update both your state and federal withholding. Idaho doesn't have a separate W-4 form. If you've already updated your federal withholding, you should also update the withholding for Idaho. Using the federal allowance number for Idaho could cause miscalculations for your Idaho withholding.

More Information:

Visit tax.idaho.gov/w4 to find:
  • Recorded video on how to use the 2018 W-4 Worksheet for Idaho
  • Guidance for retirement and other sources of nonwage income
  • Examples on how the law changes affect withholding for a typical family and a single person
For Questions:
Idaho State Tax Commission, Taxpayer Services
taxrep@tax.idaho.gov   (208) 334-7660 in the Boise area or toll-free at (800) 972-7660

I strongly encourage each of you to discuss this with your tax preparer if you have questions about your personal tax situation.  If you would like to read more on this from a source that is in everyday language (NOT IRS-ease) please see the two links below which provide a person on the street perspective of the above information.


Human Resources

Sign-on & referral bonus of up to $1,000 for Bus Drivers

Employee Assistance Program - KEPRO
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays.
www.eaphelplink.com use company code: eapnow or call 1-800-999-1077

Certified Staff
Your official transcripts for salary movement are due to HR by October 15th.

PERSI offers the National Conference of Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS) Group Voluntary Life Insurance Plan to active employees of its participating employers.  
Nationally, the NCPERS Life Plan currently insures over 150,000 public employees, retirees and their dependents. It has been offered for nearly 50 years. Last year alone, it paid over $13 Million in life insurance benefits to beneficiaries of public employees. Insured by Prudential, the Plan is financially sound.

We wanted to remind you that the Plan is doing open enrollment from October 1 - November 30th. Please go to https://www.ncpers.org/forms for a brochure and an enrollment form if you are interested. The cost is $16/month.

How Many Credits or Which Credits Have I Turned In?
You can view this information in Employee Access. Go to Employee Information: Personal Information: Personnel: Prof Development.

When Does My Teaching Certification Expire?
You can view this information in Employee Access. Go to Employee Information: Personal Information: Personnel: Certifications.

New Employee Perks
New Financial Wellness Resources for household finances, student loan help, credit building and more. Follow this link to take advantage of several free financial counseling and education programs from a nonprofit community resource in Idaho, as well as exclusive discounts on confidential debt management and other services.


Blaine County School District has registered with Hotelogical to help you provide your employees or members with free access to members-only unpublished rates + other discounts and special offers at 400,000+ 3, 4, and 5 star brand-name, boutique and independent hotels & resorts around the world. Check out incredible member-only, unpublished rates in some of the world's most popular destinations including Las Vegas, Orlando, New York, London, Paris, the Far East and beyond.


As we continue to look for new and innovative ways to show appreciation towards our employees, we are offering this complimentary perk that gives you access to 20 - 60% off on movies, hotels, shows, concerts, sporting events and more. This is just a small token of our appreciation for your hard work. Please take 2 minutes today, and sign up for these complimentary perks.

        1. Go to Tickets at Work
        2. Fill out the information to become a member (use your work email address)
        3. For Company Code, use " BCSD61"

Enjoy these great perks!
Board of Trustees
School Board
Board Advisory Committees

The Board of Trustees currently has four advisory committees working hard to provide the Board with feedback regarding policy, future school year calendars, finance, and student wellness.

Board advisory committees are composed of appointed staff and community members who meet regularly throughout the school year. These meetings are all subject to Open Meeting Law, which dictates that the work being done during meetings that are open to the public. If you are interested in providing feedback to these committees you may attend their meeting and provide public comment or email Board Clerk Amanda LaChance at amandalachance@blaineschools.org and she will forward your comments to committee members in accordance with  Policy 262 .

The Board has tasked each committee with the following responsibilities:

Calendar:  Create school year calendars with the following guiding principles: 1) Maximize student learning by providing significant stretches of uninterrupted weeks for teaching and learning. 2)  Maximize student attendance to support student learning. 3) Propose a calendar that provides support for the Board's priority of closing the achievement gap. 4) Propose a calendar that supports student participation in a wide range of school related activities including competitions, extracurricular programs, dual credit opportunities, etc. 5) Ensure the calendar meets with Idaho Statutes, including 33-1009 and 33-512. 6) Recognize the importance of professional development for staff. 7) The calendar will be done on a 3-year cycle (2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22). For more information on the Calendar Committee including agendas and meeting minutes, please go to the  Calendar Committee webpage .

Finance : Review the Plant Facilities Levy next steps to include a review of upcoming projects which are impacted by these funds. For information on the Finance Committee including agendas and meeting minutes, please go to the  Finance Committee webpage .

Policy : Continue to review and update existing and new District policies. For information on the Policy Committee including agendas and meeting minutes, please go to the  Policy Committee webpage .

Wellness :   Review the District's physical fitness programming. The Board has also tasked the Wellness Committee to review the District's suicide awareness and prevention efforts. For information on the Wellness Committee including agendas and meeting minutes, please go to the  Wellness Committee webpage .