July 2021 | Monthly news for and about the staff of Northwest Education Services (formerly TBAISD)
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Summer fun... more to come!
Grab your tracksuits and sweat bands, someone is going home with gold on Opening Day! Well, maybe not “real” gold, but a medal of some sort.
I am excited to announce this year’s Opening Day event will feature an Olympic theme and will take place at Thirlby Field in Traverse City. Save the date - September 1, 2021 at 8:00 a.m.! Planning is underway and we hope to have a number of fun games and activities to kick off the 2021-22 school year, along with some informative presentations about our organization and the people who make it successful.
More information about our Opening Day plans can be found below, and we will communicate additional details in the coming weeks as they become available.
Our team at Northwest Education Services (North Ed) is truly remarkable and you have accomplished so much together for our students, their families and our local districts. Opening Day is always a celebration of those efforts and a warm reunion of colleagues and friends, and I am looking forward to seeing many of you in-person for the first time in a long while.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be an evolving situation, we will inform you of any changes to our plan that may be needed due to new guidance or requirements provided by health experts and medical professionals.
For now, I hope all of you can find time to enjoy the wonderful summer weather we’ve been fortunate enough to get and remember to stay limber for the upcoming Opening Day Olympic games!
Respectfully,
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Dr. Nick Ceglarek
Northwest Education Services Superintendent
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Jonathan Ames Custodian, New Campus
Previous work: Oleson's Market
Education: Suttons Bay Virtual School, CTC Precision Machining
Honors: Suttons Bay Student of the Month
Interests: Hunting, fishing, wood carving, fly tying
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Riley Denison Supervisor, New Horizons (formerly Traverse Heights)
Previous work: Montcalm Area ISD Supervisor
Education: Boyne City High School, Grand Valley State University
Interests: Gardening, hiking, painting, going to the beach and time with family
Fun Fact: Adopted a son in March 2021
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Nick Kandrot
Secretary, Life Skills Center
Education: Central Michigan University, History/Political Science
Interests: Playing the clarinet, video games, pursuing a master's degree in public administration
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Miles Eugene Bedore
Born June 16, 2021
7 lbs. 11 oz. to
Beth Bedore, Teacher
New Horizons (formerly Traverse Heights)
Brooks Michael Deering
Born June 23, 2021
9 lbs. 0 oz., to
Kristen Deering, Service Area Supervisor
Knox Lee Nichols
Born July 7, 2021
7 lbs. 15 oz., 20" long to
Angie Nichols, Engagement/Behavior Specialist
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Rebranding Update
We hope you enjoy the new design of our monthly newsletter, Check It Out.
Thank you all for your patience over the past several months as we continue to work through this significant rebranding effort toward our projected launch on Opening Day.
Production of several items – like printed materials, swag, display signage and other wearable goods – are in progress, and we are working with our consultant, Nielsen Design Group, to finish other outstanding design tasks in the next few weeks.
One major milestone we are proud to announce is the completion of our renaming effort. Several special education center-based programs, Career Tech programs and other department services have been renamed. You can find that all online by visiting North Ed Brand on our Staff Intranet.
As always, we’ll keep you informed of our efforts and appreciate your support!
~ North Ed Communications Department
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Talk is Cheap, but Communication is Key!
If you haven’t already, complete our Internal Communications Survey! It should only take about 10 minutes and your input will be greatly appreciated as we work to establish an effective structure of communication here at Northwest Education Services.
The survey will close July 31, 2021, so there’s still time to complete it!
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Opening Day:
Sign up to be an Olympian!
Northwest Education Services (formerly TBAISD) will host its 2021 Opening Day event for employees at 8 a.m. Wednesday, September 1 at Thirlby Field in Traverse City.
With an Olympic theme, North Ed employees will make up several teams and compete in games for prizes to be awarded to the top three finishing teams. All North Ed Olympians will also receive additional unique swag items for participating in the games.
A total of 10 teams made up of four or five people will represent our center-based programs, Career Tech, Instructional Services and other departments yet to be determined. If you are interested in participating as an Olympian, please click the button below and let us know.
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Hiring Referral Bonus
Want to earn $500? We have a number of open positions at North Ed, so employees are being offered a $500 bonus for successfully referring someone who joins our team as a teacher assistant! Now through September 30, 2021, simply email the name of your referral to HR Generalist Jaime Lewis. If that person is hired, you’ll get a $500 bonus in your paycheck! It’s that easy!
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HSA Changes
North Ed employees who have Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) with TCF Bank will soon have a new provider of that service. More details will be provided in the coming weeks as we prepare to begin transitioning those employee HSAs to our new provider, Lake Michigan Credit Union, around the end of July.
TCF Bank is merging with Huntington National Bank and will no longer administer employee HSAs for Northwest Education Services. As a result, Lake Michigan Credit Union has been identified as the best option and will work closely with North Ed’s Human Resources Department to transition HSAs.
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North Ed COVID-19 Protocol
Fully vaccinated employees who do not work around students are no longer required to wear masks or subject to social distancing guidelines. Masks and social distancing are required for unvaccinated employees and those who work in areas where students are present – regardless of their vaccination status. All students are also required to wear masks and follow social distancing protocols, whether they are vaccinated or not.
This guidance will be in effect for the remainder of our summer programming. Details regarding the 2021-2022 school year will be provided when more information is available.
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Special Education Teacher Tuition Reimbursement Grant
Utilizing $700,000 in federal IDEA Part B funds, this MDE grant is available beginning May 14, 2021 until the available funds are used. The application deadline date has been extended to September 30, 2022. Read the full memo
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Dean Transportation
Now hiring bus drivers, attendants and mechanics!
Apply in-person at 800 Parsons Road, Traverse City
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Thank you all!
We wanted to thank all of you at Northwest Education Services (formerly TBAISD) for your patience and support these past few months. There have been some big changes in technology recently and it could not have been possible without the cooperation of all our staff.
We are extremely grateful for the Tech Services crew who worked extra hours, late nights and early mornings to guide us through this transition. Their expertise proved invaluable and their ongoing dedicated service is greatly appreciated.
If anyone has issues with technology, please visit one of the open house hours listed below, or connect with the Tech Services Help Desk at 231.922.6307.
Brandi Reynolds
Director of Technology Services
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Tech Support Open House
North Ed’s Tech Services will host an Open House from 7:30-10:30 a.m. on July 28 and August 18 at Career Tech and the Arnell Administration Building. Employees can get assistance joining the new NorthwestEd.org domain, setting up multifactor authentication for Gmail, and support with Google applications and other technology issues. No registration needed. Click below for other technology intranet resources.
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North Ed Bookmark Folder
You may notice a “North Ed Bookmarks” folder on the bookmark bar when using the Google Chrome internet browser. Earlier this year, the former TBAISD Portal was decommissioned, and this new North Ed Bookmarks folder contains all the links employees would have found on the Portal, including the MyInfo – Direct Deposit link where employees can access paycheck information.
However, PowerSchool web addresses are changing, so if you created bookmarks for those, they will need to be updated.
For assistance with your MyInfo password contact Teresa Whitscell at 231.922.6493. For assistance with all other technology issues, contact the North Ed Help Desk at 231.922.6307.
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Register Now for WIREDTC 2021!
Registration is now open for WIREDTC, scheduled for August 9-12 (plus an epic mountain bike ride at the VASA on Saturday, Aug. 14). The event is FREE to area educators in Northwest Education Services’ region, but this virtual learning experience has limited seating and is only open to the first 250 registered guests.
Year six of #WIREDTC features another dynamic professional learning conference. Check out the schedule below. All of the learning sessions are virtual. Choose only the days or topics you wish to attend and GET INSPIRED.
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June SAIL(ORS) on Deck
Congratulations to CTC teacher consultant Rachel Walmer who was honored on July 7 for her dedication to Excellence as recognized by her North Ed colleagues through the SAIL Organizational Recognition System (ORS). In June, the system generated 13 submissions in 4 SAIL values, within 8 different staff groups.
Recognize a staff member TODAY!
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Happy Birthday!
See who celebrates in AUGUST!
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Year-end Celebrations
In June, Northwest Education Services celebrated with families and friends the accomplishments of senior students exiting our special education and career tech programs. Learn more below:
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Community Partnerships
Career Tech Agriscience and Mechatronics students finished the school year strong by volunteering their time and labor in a landscaping project on the TART Trail. The project was coordinated in partnership with local landscaper Bob Dompierre of Dompierre Design, providing students the chance to explore additional career opportunities in the GREEN industry.
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Board of Education Links
General Resources
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COVID-19 Resources
Communication Links
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Northwest Educational Services
(Formerly TBAISD)
1101 Red Drive, Traverse City, MI 49684
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