Announcing a GATHERING of all members -

The Connection

1136 N. Military Ave.

Green Bay, WI 54303

920-496-2440

800-472-5582

March 20, 2020

WEAC Region 3 represents public education employees in a large territory stretching from Florence to Port Washington,

and from Menominee to Washington Island.

Member Teachers Making a Difference

WEAC Region 3 and Fox Valley Technical College-Faculty Association member Kristin Biekkola-Verstegen believes making a difference is a priority for her. Kristin made the front page of the March 16 issue of The Business News. Kristin is the manager of the Teaching & Learning Center at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton.

One of her efforts is her involvement with the National Alliance on Mental Health on-campus Chapter at FVTC. She's also involved with Junior Achievement, introducing students to the business world, and FVTC's Adopt-A-Family program during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Thank you Kristin for all you do for your students!

Denmark United Educators find that when teachers and education support professionals join together, they are stronger for students and their schools.

Congrats to Kathy Kurowski, Northeast Wisconsin’s Remarkable Woman of 2020

ASHWAUBENON, Wis. (WFRV) – Congratulations to Kathy Kurowski, Northeast Wisconsin’s Remarkable Woman of the year! Read her full story below and watch the big reveal here .

It’s storytime for kindergarten students at Cormier Early Learning Center in Ashwaubenon, and longtime teacher Kathy Kurowski has all eyes on her. For 27 years, she has taught kindergarten students; five-year-olds who are new to the school and eager to learn. It’s a job she loves. Says Kathy, “I want to instill the love of learning in these kids, and have the kids view themselves as readers and writers and lifelong learners.” Read more .

All WEAC and Region 3 In-Person Meetings have been CANCELLED or Postponed for the next few weeks (still making decisions about the WEAC RA and the Region 3 RA).

If you have a question about a particular meeting, check WEAC's webpage:

https://weac.org/2020/03/13/questions-about-weac-conference-meeting-cancelations/

You are Invited!

WR3's First ALL-MEMBER Virtual Gathering

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

4:00 - 5:00 pm

Agenda:

1) Latest updates on school closings.

2) Time for sharing! What's going on in your area?

Click to join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://weac.zoom.us/j/159908823

or dial by phone: 646 558 8656 or 312 626 6799

Meeting ID: 159 908 823

We're looking forward to SEEING you!

Keep Up to Date with the Latest Coronavirus News

http://weac.org/2020/03/16/your-job-covid-19-resources/

Important Dates for WTCS Locals:

April 1 - 21, 2020

Voting period (complete details coming later this month).

The WTCS Recertification Election

WILL NOT

be Postponed or Cancelled!

Live Webinars Scheduled for April 2020

ETF is offering a series of 30-minute, live, interactive webinars designed to increase your understanding of Wisconsin Retirement System benefits. Individuals can also ask questions at the end of these sessions. Visit their webinar page to learn more.

This FANTASTIC website has all the info you need. Are you registered? Do you want to request an absentee ballot? What does your ballot look like for April 7? Do you want to know WHERE to vote early? Search by name to view your registration information, voting history, vote absentee, or make updates to your registration. Click on the image above to get started.

VOTE APRIL 7th!

You Can Vote Absentee!

Your application must be received by the clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday before the election (Thursday, April 2nd) in order for an absentee ballot to be SENT to you. You will also need to provide a copy of your acceptable photo ID with your request.

You Can Vote Early!

You can go in person to your local municipality to vote early-p ossibly through April 5, 2020. The deadline for In-Person Absentee-Voters to request and vote an absentee ballot in-person in their municipal clerk’s office is possibly April 5, 2020, also. However, office hours vary by municipality. Some municipal offices may not offer additional in-person absentee hours Please contact your municipal clerk for absentee voting hours .

I went to Florida March 6-14, just when the seriousness of the Coronavirus was taking hold of the American imagination. I saw people in the airport with face masks on, but touching the escalator handrail with their bare hands. This week, I successfully convinced my 80-year old mother that she didn't need an oil change or a haircut and that she couldn't come to my house for lunch (I self-quarantined after my ride in a germ tube). We've got a lot of learning to do.

What I hope we learn is how much we need each other. We need to stay connected. I'm calling my mom every day. I've gotten random phone calls this week from friends I haven't talked to in months. And now that the reality of no school is setting in, I hope we all realize how much we miss each other.

JOIN us on Wednesday, March 25 for our first-ever (but hopefully not the last) all-member virtual meeting. Lots of stuff is going on and if you have questions about online learning, hourly paid status, or, "can the District make me do that?," then our virtual meeting is the place to be.

We'd like your feedback - how often and at what time of the day should we host these meetings? Jumping on to the first one will be a great chance to see how encouraging and empowering our togetherness can be. We'll SEE you then!

Kathy Rohde

Regional Director

WEAC Region 3