Nine's Lines Newsletter

Responding to a Pandemic

Drew Harris

On March 3, ESU 9 hosted a briefing presented by the South Heartland District Health Department (SHDHD). It was intended for area schools to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic. The first case in the United States was reported on January 20, and it was spreading to other states—we knew it would just be a matter of time before it made its way to Nebraska. Indeed, just 3 days later on March 6, the first case was confirmed in Nebraska.

During the first part of March, we prepared for what was coming, as guidelines were put out for area businesses and schools. By March 19, all ESU 9 schools were closed for normal business, and on March 23, ESU 9 implemented its reduced building staffing and remote work plans.

It’s difficult to believe that we are just starting our sixth week of this altered schedule. It has been so surreal and certainly seems longer than just 5 weeks. At first, information was coming out rapidly and seemed to be changing daily, if not hourly, but now we have gotten into a semblance of altered routine and have adjusted to the current norm, though we may be impatient for a return to normalcy.

Our member schools have done an excellent job of altering their delivery format and responding to needs created by the pandemic; through quick thinking, collaborative brainstorming, and just plain hard work, they have provided their students and families with opportunities such as continued food service, availability of technology, and delivery of remote instruction.

At a virtual all-staff meeting on the afternoon of March 19, we discussed how this was an opportunity to demonstrate the value of ESU 9 to our schools and our communities. I am proud to say that I believe we have stepped up to that challenge. In this edition of Nine's Lines, you will find an outline of the efforts of ESU 9 called Supporting Our Schools During the Pandemic. Every department of ESU 9 has been involved in providing leadership and support to our member schools, their staff members, and even to our community. I have received many comments from our schools regarding their appreciation for those efforts, and I am very proud of the response from the staff of ESU 9—thank you all for your efforts!

With Sincere Appreciation

Drew Harris

We have two retiring staff members I would like to recognize for their distinguished service to ESU 9—Cindy Paczkowski and Karol Pickerill. Cindy has served as an accounts payable clerk since 1981 and has been a valuable part of ESU 9 for 39 years. Karol has worked for ESU 9 as an employee or as a contractor for 13 years in her role as a speech-language pathologist. We sincerely appreciate the service and dedication of these two excellent employees and individuals, and we wish them the best in their retirement.

Also moving on at the end of this year are Madeline Svoboda (school psychologist intern), José Tores (language paraprofessional), and Megan Welch (LMHP). We thank them all for their service with ESU 9 and wish these fine young people the best of success in their future endeavors.

Finally, I would mention that we have two board members that have resigned from the ESU 9 Board. Dr. Don Burling of Aurora resigned his position from the board in March after serving faithfully for 16 years. Jodi Graves is leaving the board after 3 years after receiving an appointment to the BOE at Hastings Public Schools, which is where her children are students. We sincerely appreciate the service of these two outstanding people and wish them well.

Supporting Our Schools During the Pandemic - ESU 9

ESU 9 - Pandemic Goals

Provided for the health and wellness of our ESU staff and support the well-being of students and staff in our member districts.
Provide resources and best practices for educators including collegial discussion opportunities.
Support the availability and operations of technological services to support remote learning; working to ensure e-rate and document privacy compliance.
Support the educational opportunities of students with special needs in this new learning environment; working to ensure federal compliance.
Facilitate opportunities for school leaders to communicate and stay abreast of critical issues to promote informed decision making.
Maintain fiscal operations to provide employees, the unit, and member school districts appropriate support and financial security.

Leadership Support—Drew Harris

Host and facilitate weekly updates for member schools and area day care facilities with the local health departments; assist with implementation and understanding of DHMs
Host and facilitate weekly superintendent meetings to discuss current issues, strategies, and leadership during the pandemic
Participate in Adams County briefings and the Adams County Executive Committee as a school representative
Participate in the ACNW (Adams, Clay, Nuckolls, Webster Counties) briefings as a school representative
Participate on the ACNW Crisis Assistance Committee
Collaborate with ESU Coordinating Council

Finance—Emily Burr

Create employee schedules and employee documentation logs
Make presentations to staff on FFCRA program and guidelines
Host bookkeeper meetings for area schools to discuss coding, new employment laws, payroll, and other changes due to COVID-19
Present new financial and employment information at superintendent meetings

Technology—Gary Needham

Create new accounts (over 150 for our service region) and assist with use of Zoom video conferencing for staff and member school districts, including implementation, best practice, meeting control, and telehealth therapy and related guidelines
Assist schools in communicating with telecommunication providers regarding student Internet access, to secure connectivity at little to no charge for unconnected families
Provide tech support for users, negotiating the telecommunications services, filing e-rate, and planning budgets and upgrades for next year
Use the downtime in school facilities to work on facility server and wiring projects

Teaching and Learning—Jackie Ediger

Host and facilitate meetings for grade-level and content-area groups, serving over 785 teachers
Host and teach teachers on tech tools
Support staff with technical issues as they work remotely
Share resources with K–12 teachers in our region
Connect teachers to support each other

Special Education—Joe Haney

Early Childhood Educators: Support students and families through a combination of texts, phone calls, emails, and Zoom meetings to continue to be compliant with IFSP and IEP meetings
Visually Impaired Educators: Support schools, teachers, students, and families by continuously finding ways to communicate with our students, often using unconventional strategies and responding to family needs and concerns
Speech Language Pathologists: Provide direct therapy through video conferencing, phone conferencing, and providing enrichment packets; communicate with parents through emails, texts, Zoom meetings, packets, and via phone, enabling us to continue to conduct IEPs and MDTs to meet state regulations
Mental Health Consultants: Support resource teachers in developing individualized plans for students, assisting teachers with finding and utilizing resources; LMHPs use technology to meet one-on-one with students virtually to continue mental health services and continue to support educational teams
18+ Program: Communicate through a combination of texts, phone calls, emails, and Zoom meetings; stay compliant with MDT and IEP meetings through the use of technology
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teachers and Sign Language Interpreters: Educate teachers, parents, and students on how to access captioning on technology; add captions or sign language support (signs) to videos and messages teachers and administrators are sharing.

ADVISER 2019-20 End of Year Workday

Lois Hafer

The ADVISER 2019-20 End-of-Year Workday hosted by ESU 9 on May 27, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. will still be held. To comply with COVID-19 health directives, the VENUE has CHANGED from on-site to VIRTUAL.

Tentative schedule for the day:
9:00 - 10:30 NDE Presentation
10:30 - 11:00 SRS Presentation & time for questions
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch break (on your own)
1:00 - 4:00 Work time with NDE and vendor support available
(Times may vary slightly depending upon questions.)
Target audience: Data stewards, SIS admins, SRS admins, IT
Please register online by May 22, 2020:
https://connect.esu9.org/workshops/SectionDetails.aspx?SectionID=1152

Updates to Summer Professional Learning

Due to COVID-19, the Professional Learning Team has made some changes to the summer schedule. Please visit our online flyer for updated information: https://www.smore.com/ym3n5.

30th Year of Invention Convention Canceled

Laura Ochsner

Due to COVID-19, ESU 9's 30th Year of Invention Convention was canceled. The Professional Learning Team was very excited to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of one of our favorite youth events. We had several exciting things planned for the event that we will carry over to next year's Invention Convention. We look forward to celebrating 30 years of Invention Convention with students and teachers in April 2021!

Quiz Bowl Results

Laura Ochsner

ESU 9's Annual Quiz Bowl was held February 4-6, 2020 at North Shore Church in Hastings. That is 61 rounds, 94 elementary, junior high, and high schools teams, 800+ students, a LOT of questions and some really great challenges! We are already looking forward to next year's competitions! These are the winners from each division:

Elementary:

1st Place – Kenesaw - Coach: Tessa Kuehn; Students: Kami Kennedy, Helen Keiser, Sylvia Schneider, Adam Denkert, Kendri Petersen, Brylee Petersen, Mackenna Edmondson, Morgen Kauk
2nd Place – Sutton Red - Coach: Justine Anderson; Students: Keith Kliewer, Gavin VanderLey, Angelina Cloet, Creighton Jones, Lincoln Friesen, Connor Hinrichs
3rd Place – Hastings Middle School Black - Coach: Mary Beave; Students: Sam Tunks, Chandler Carlson, Dilsia Conlindres, Emmet Kelley, Zane Thomsen, Isaac Russell, Nick Kvetensky

Junior High:

1st Place – Giltner - Coach: Stasia Most; Students: Kylon Jurgens, Hailey Eastman, Marshall Humphrey, Chase Kaczor, Wyatt Bartunek, Sophie Faltys, Logan McKay
2nd Place – St. Cecilia - Coach: Marilyn Zysset; Students: Thomas Thomas, Emily Greenquist, Killian Heckman, Sam Hoops, Colten Javins, Izzy Kvols, Lindsey Parr, Brynn Weeks
3rd Place – Hastings Middle School Orange - Coaches: Raleigh White, Karen Valdes, Diane Biere; Students: Camden Mullen, Leo Redler, Liam White, Jesus Hilario, Bailey Quinn, Jenna Ochsner, Blake Schiffbauer

High School:

1st Place: Hastings High 1 - Coach: Faye Friesen; Students: Carter Wenburg, Christine Jongertham, Landon Power, Mary Ferrone, Oliver Dunbar, Tagg Pershing, Kevin Pham, Hannah Tunks, Meredith Brandt
2nd Place: St. Cecilia Blue - Coach: Thera Fisk; Students: Carson Moritiz, George Arthur, Bodie Belz, Leo Bykerk, Lainey Swanson, Abby Schaefer
3rd Place: Adams Central Patriots - Coach: Jill Houghtelling & Kate Portenier; Students: Colton Bradenkamp, Chris Carp, Gabe R, Kieren Feeny, Eli Odey, Drake Vorderstrasse, Gabe Conan, Micah.