On February 2, our Board of Education honored the collaborative efforts of our medical community, health department, and county officials. We are grateful for the first education-specific vaccination clinics which were held on January 29 and 30. As we have communicated, the second school-specific clinic is scheduled for February 19 and 20 with no school on February 19. In preparation for the second dose, please remember to bring your vaccination card, school ID or employment letter. Linked here, we share helpful information from the CDC about what to expect after receiving your second vaccine.

We thank members of our Safety Committee for their unanimous recommendation and our Board of Education for their approval of amendments to our COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan to re engage in-person instruction five days a week at the Career-Tech Center. Current community data metrics indicate positive cases are the lowest we’ve seen since September and with the introduction of vaccinations for school staff, the committee felt strongly that the appropriate next step would be to provide students with as much hands-on instruction as possible. We will continue to monitor the data and collaborate with medical professionals, reserving the ability to be flexible should the guidance change.  

This year, virtual Town Hall meetings have been utilized to give in-person updates from Dr. Ceglarek and to provide two-way communication opportunities for TBAISD personnel. If you have missed the first two events, you can find past recordings on the Staff Intranet COVID Resources web page. We will continue to keep you informed as future event dates are scheduled.

If you read our Check it Out staff newsletter from your Gmail inbox, you might miss some important news! To see it all, click "view entire message" at the bottom of the email or "view in web browser" at the top of the email.

Also, this newsletter might appear in your "promotions" inbox rather than your "primary" inbox. Learn how to fix this in Tech Tips further down in this newsletter.

On February 17, from 6-7 p.m. the Career-Tech Center extends an invitation to all prospective tenth grade students and their parents/guardians to attend a Virtual Open House and learn about all the exciting opportunities and resources made available through career and technical education.

This opportunity will provide a new facet to traditional recruiting efforts by welcoming parents and students to explore together, ask questions of program instructors, and see our programs and facilities from the convenience of their own homes.

Do you know someone who may be interested in learning more? No need to register. Simply go to tbactc.org to attend the event on February 17, or call 231-922-6273 in advance for more information.

Assistive Technology resources:

January 2021 Newsletter - NEW!

mzell@tbaisd.org | jdillon@tbaisd.org

For more information about Farm to School please reach out to our TBAISD Farm to School Coordinator Elena Mosher emosher@tbaisd.org

The TBAISD Health and Wellness webpage, located on the TBAISD staff intranet, contains resources and links to a variety of supports and weekly activities. Log into this secure side of the TBAISD website by using your standard network login information. New resources will continually be added, so be sure to check back regularly.

This month we included a quick NEW Staff Check-in survey to understand how connected people are feeling with weekly wellness resources and to gauge how people are doing in general as we continue to navigate the pandemic. We look forward to your feedback!

There are some exciting changes happening in the Human Resources department. While these changes are being solidified, if you have any questions about your benefits please contact Jamie Lewis at jlewis@tbaisd.org.  

TBAISD has extended the FFCRA benefits through March 31, 2021. Please contact Jaime Lewis at jlewis@tbaisd.org with any questions. 

School Staff COVID-19 Grant Update

For those classroom teachers and support staff that were eligible, the Michigan Department of Treasury has estimated that grant checks will be mailed on or about February 25, 2021 to the address of residency provided on the eligibility lists by the school district or nonprofit nonpublic school. For additional information please visit the Michigan Department of Treasury website www.michigan.gov/TSSC19Grants

MDE has send a reminder to TBAISD to begin the annual review of staff credential expiration dates. Educators with a certificate expiration date of June 30, 2021 are encouraged to log into the Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS) and begin updating account information. This includes those with teaching certificates and administrator certificates. Read the full memo.

Please help with outreach and awareness by sharing the current TBAISD job opportunities with others in your social circle. All current job openings are listed on the TBAISD website under Employment. Just Click Here and find "Available Jobs" listed on the right side of the page.

TBAISD and TCAPS staff are once again offered a reduced rate preschool opportunity at Oak Park for the 2021-22 school year. The program will run Monday - Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at a cost of $145 per week. Early registration runs through April 9, 2021. Click here for more information or contact Kelly Gignilliat at 231-933-1759.

Pick-up or delivery is available by contacting Brittany Dalzell, bdalzell@tbaisd.org