June 2022 | Monthly news for and about the staff of Northwest Education Services
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Seize the Summer Sunshine
Dear North Ed Staff,
Can you feel the beach sand between your toes and the sunshine on your face? Maybe not yet, but many of you will depart for summer break today and I know we are all ready for some rest and relaxation after another busy school year. You have certainly earned it.
When we started in September, it was unclear what the 2021-22 school year would bring. Without doubt there were challenges and difficult times, but perseverance and diligence are evidently abundant characteristics among our staff members. You worked together to overcome obstacles in service to our students and schools, and I am yet again honored to be a member of this extraordinary team of educators.
It appears most North Ed staff members share that sentiment, according to our SAIL 2.0 staff survey. Nearly 98% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they were proud to be a North Ed staff member. This feedback is incredible to hear, and I wanted to share a few other positive highlights from that survey:
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98.3% agree/strongly agree that you enjoy your work
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96.9% agree/strongly agree that your colleagues care about you
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97.3% agree/strongly agree that your colleagues treat you with respect
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97.9% agree/strongly agree that North Ed has/supports a positive public image
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92.1 % are satisfied/very satisfied overall as a North Ed staff member
This summer, we will begin a closer analysis of the survey data and determine areas of needed improvement going forward. As we reunite next school year, we’ll continue to dive deeper into those areas and establish goals and committees to further our strategic planning efforts for the next three years.
For now, I encourage you to seize the sunshine and enjoy some much-needed time with friends and family.
Respectfully,
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Dr. Nick Ceglarek
Northwest Education Services Superintendent
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Opening Day
Northwest Education Services will host its Opening Day for all staff on Aug. 31! Watch your email for more details as we approach that date.
Summer Programs
Substitute teachers and teacher assistants are still needed for summer programs. Programs will be held in five-hour days generally on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Breaks for Cherry Festival and the Fourth of July holiday will be observed. Below are the upcoming summer program dates:
- June 21, 22, 23, 28, 29 (5 days)
- July 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28 (9 days)
- Aug. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 (6 days)
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Our Top Priority
Following the events that took place earlier this week at Creekside School, we wanted to reassure you that the safety and security of our students and staff will always be our top priority. Click the link below to read the letter we shared with our school community:
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Celebrating Pride Month & Juneteenth
June is Pride Month when we recognize the LGBTQ+ community and the past experiences (often difficult and heartbreaking) those individuals have had in a fight for equality that continues today.
It is also a celebration of Juneteenth, or June 19, when Union soldiers in the
Civil War arrived in Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War had ended
Celebrate Pride Month by participating in events [See above image] and learning more about the LGBTQ+ community by exploring the resources below:
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Trivia!
Tom Hanks won an Oscar for playing a gay man in what film?
A. A League of Their Own
B. Philadelphia
C. That Thing You Do!
D. The Green Mile
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Ava Marie & Hazel Mae Huffman
Born May 14, 2022
4 lbs. 3 oz. AND 3 lbs. 7 oz. to
Marie Huffman, Technology Support Specialist
Abigail Lois Saylor
Born May 30, 2022
8 lbs., 20" long to
Kristen Saylor, Speech Pathologist
Ellis Marie Toporek
Born June 7, 2022
7 lbs., 7 oz., 19" long to
Kendelle Toporek, Speech Pathologist
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Things to do before leaving for the summer |
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Update your Voicemail Message
If you haven't already, update your voicemail message with North Ed lingo and remove references to TBAISD. Here is a LINK that explains how to change your voicemail message. If you will be out of the office for the summer, record an "Out of Office message" to redirect incoming inquiries while you are away.
Update your Email Signature
Last year we asked all North Ed staff to update email signatures in Gmail to establish unity in how staff members represent the organization. If you have not made changes in over a year, it is important to update your email signature to meet the brand standard. A SAMPLE is provided in the staff intranet where you can copy and paste a template into your settings and edit your contact information accordingly. Again, if you will be out of the office for the summer, create an "Out of Office message" to redirect incoming inquiries while you are away.
Network File Storage
If you store documents on the network L:drive, move those items to another location on the North Ed network, into cloud storage or to another storage device by close of business TODAY. The L:drive will be eliminated this summer.
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North Ed NETWORK NEWS
Learn more about North Ed programs, services, students and colleagues in all the latest newsletters linked below!
DATES TO REMEMBER - Opening Day for Staff - Aug. 31!
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Be sure to get ALL the news!
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If you read the newsletter in your email inbox, you may be missing the full story! |
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Communicate Facility Needs Here
Facilities Needs Form - One of the outcomes of the SAIL Strategic Plan phase 2 was to Explore, Assess and Identify Facility Needs. As a result, all staff members are encouraged to communicate facility needs as they identify ideas or opportunities that can support their role in the organization. Completed forms are monitored by district administrators and will be included with information gathered from the initial survey data to inform facility decision-making into the future.
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A sign
of good things
to come!
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Summer Hours
For employees working during the summer, North Ed’s summer hours will be from June 13 to Aug. 26. Year-round staff will also have the opportunity to work four-day weeks by working longer hours each day, if approved by their supervisor.
Employees interested in following the four-day week schedule should work with their supervisor to determine if that is possible. Departments must ensure employee coverage and services are available Monday through Friday.
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$500 Referral Bonus Applies to TAs and Parapros
North Ed staff can earn a $500 bonus for successfully referring someone who joins our team as a teacher assistant or paraprofessional. Due to an ongoing need to fill vacant TA and parapro positions, this opportunity will remain in place until vacancies are filled. Simply email the name of your referral to HR Generalist Jaime Lewis. If that person is hired, you will get a $500 bonus in your paycheck.
SPECIAL NOTE: Teacher assistants and substitutes are still needed for summer programs. See "Important Dates" above for more information!
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Spread the Word!
Spread the word about additional job opportunities within your own personal networks! While it may not get you $500 like the referral bonus mentioned above, we know there are people in your circles who may be a perfect fit for some of our open positions. The full list can be found online ( search for North Ed in the search bar), but here are a few openings we have right now!
- Payroll Manager – Business Office
- Accountant – Business Office
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Teachers – LSC and Bridgeway
- Medicaid Coordinator – Arnell Administration
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Outstanding Persons In Education
(aka the OPIE Awards)
Each year the Michigan Education Association Coordinating Council celebrates Outstanding Persons in Education (OPIE) Awards. This year, the members of North Ed's Education Association and the Educational Support Personnel Association named Connie Gallegos and Karen Shoskey as their 2022 OPIE recipients. Congratulations to both of these outstanding educators! These honorees and retirees will truly be missed!
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Outstanding Educator Awards
Please help us congratulate this year's regional Outstanding Educator Award recipients. In partnership with TBA Credit Union and Traverse Connect, we honored 10 individuals from across the North Ed service region, including Career Tech instructor Brian Matchett and LSC Speech Therapist Molly Straebel, at the City Opera House on June 1 during a community celebration.
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May SAILOR on Deck!
North Ed early childhood services staff member Amy Branco will be honored by the Board of Education on June 14 for her dedication to the value of Equity as recognized by her North Ed colleagues through the SAIL Organizational Recognition System (ORS).
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Happy Birthday!
See who celebrates in July
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Season 3: 'Live from the Opera House: It's Storytime!' |
Tune in to Season 3 of “Live from the Opera House: It’s Storytime!” and you may recognize a couple familiar faces: Superintendent Nick Ceglarek and Peter Milne from North Ed REMC 2C are featured in two different episodes of the show, which will air on the Michigan Learning Channel at noon on Mondays between June 20 and Aug. 15. Episodes are rebroadcasted at noon on Thursdays. The episode “Heroes” featuring Milne will air July 4 and 7, while Dr. Ceglarek’s episode “When I Grow Up” will air Aug. 1 and 4. Episodes can also be watched online now at www.tcaps247.com and www.MichiganLearning.org. Each show features area professionals reading children’s stories and leading local students in activities that can be done at home or in the classroom. In the episode “When I Grow Up”, Superintendent Ceglarek reads the book “A Bad Case of Stripes” by David Shannon. In the episode “Heroes”, Milne leads the student activity of creating a homemade stethoscope, a device used by medical professionals to measure heartrates.
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Class of 2022
Eleven Life Skills Center graduates and their families gathered on June 3 to celebrate the years of hard work and accomplishments each student made during their time with North Ed. Congratulations to these amazing graduates!
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Making Moves
Setting goals, trying new experiences and tackling challenges is a typical day in the life of Adult Community Experience (ACE) students. This year, we celebrate four amazing students who are moving on with great confidence to exciting adventures. Congratulations JoJo, Andrea, Kris and Justen!
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The class of 2022 is looking bright as North Ed Career Tech students take their talents out into the world. The annual scholarship awards night was held on May 31 to present academic, Tools of the Trade Awards and memorial scholarships that will continue to open doors and expand learning experiences for this year's Career Tech graduates. |
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Cherry Festival Commemorative Poster
Congratulations to North Ed Career Tech Graphic Arts program students who received awards in the 2022 National Cherry Festival art competition. Traverse City Central senior Monicca Keys received first place in the commemorative poster competition for her piece
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titled The Pollination of Cherries. Other North Ed art students honored for their talents included:
Ayla Sharp, Home Schooled, 3rd Place Commemorative Poster
Josee Hanna, Traverse City Central, Best use of Theme, Fine Art
Jazryel Freeland, Traverse City Central, Best Use of Theme, Digital Art
Click HERE to learn more about the long-standing tradition of the NCF art competition or to purchase limited edition prints of this year's poster.
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Summer Tech-Checklist
Review this end-of-year technology checklist to find out how Tech Services can help you have an easy summer away with your tech and get things prepped for your return in the fall.
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WiredTC Registration is Open
Check out the session descriptions for 2022’s WiredTC! Registration for this professional learning opportunity is still open and SCECHs are available. The event is free to all educational staff in North Ed’s region who register with a promo code. Refer to an April 27 staff email for the code or contact NorthEdNews@NorthwestEd.org. To register and see more information about the conference, visit www.WiredTC.net.
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MiStreamnet to Replace Ensemble Video Network
North Ed will transition its video storage platform to MiStreamnet, a service offered through the REMC Association of Michigan. Following this transition, we will no longer support the Ensemble platform. Please contact REMC 2C Support Specialist Peter Milne ( pmilne@NorthwestEd.org) to receive assistance in transferring files to the new platform. For more information and video tutorials on how to use MiStreamnet, visit North Ed’s REMC 2C webpage. |
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North Ed TECH HELP
Need help with a technology issue? Try this:
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Research common problems and solutions through North Ed's Help Desk Shared Google Drive.
- Call the Help Desk at 231.922.6307. Leave a message if your call goes unanswered.
- Submit a Help Desk ticket online by clicking the link below.
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Provide feedback or offer comments via the Help Desk Survey instead of responding with a final note of appreciation through the system ticket (which re-opens the service request).
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North Ed Apparel Store Now Open
At long last, North Ed swag is now available for purchase! Order direct from our approved supplier. It's easy! Browse the North Ed online catalog TODAY!
Website link location:
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Getting the Lingo Right
As you talk about Northwest Education Services (shortened to North Ed, not Northwest Ed), it is important that we all use the correct words and represent the organization in unified fashion. Brand integrity depends on each of us. If you have brand questions or need logos for an event, document or presentation, contact the Communications Department at NorthEdNews@NorthwestEd.org.
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Board of Education Links
General Resources
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COVID-19 Resources
Communication Links
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Trivia Answer: B. Philadelphia
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Northwest Education Services
1101 Red Drive, Traverse City, MI 49684
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