 October 5, 2022
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In This Issue:
- Cybersecurity Awareness Month
- Staff Affinity Groups
- SFS Log-In
- Staff Drop-In Conversations: Date Changes
- Flu Vaccination Clinics
- October: Why Happiness Matters
- Choices' Day is Back!
- Data & Assessment
- Dyslexia Specialist Edition
- Shout Outs!
- Apollo Boys Soccer Celebrates Historical Season
- InStep Fall Sale
- Omada: Accept Your Invitation
- Upcoming Events
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Cybersecurity Awareness Month
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and a good time to remind everyone to be alert for phishing scams. How to Spot Phishing:
- Any email that has originated outside of our email domain will include the following indicator at the bottom of the message. Emails from outside our district should be handled with caution.
CAUTION: This email originated outside the organization. Use caution when replying and opening attachments/hyperlinks. ISD742 IT Dept.
- Does the name of the person sending the email match the anticipated email address? For example, if a message appears to be sent by a principal, does the email address match our domain (@isd742.org).
- Are there any unusual grammar or spelling mistakes in the message itself along with a sense of urgency?
- Finally, if you think you may have been hacked, check your Sent Folder to see if a number of messages have been delivered from your account.
If you have concerns about phishing, contact your media specialist.
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Staff Affinity Groups
Staff Affinity Groups are forming again this year, and a Kickoff Gathering is planned for Oct. 25 at Quarryview Education Center. Staff will soon receive an invitation and an interest survey. For more information, contact Ayan Omar in Equity Services at ayan.omar@isd742.org or ext. 8105.
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SFS Log-In
Just a Reminder: HR does not set nor have access to a list of passwords for staff. Instead, staff enter their emails and follow the instructions below to set their own passwords.
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Date Changes
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We recognize that this time may not work for all staff, including some non-licensed staff. Your voices are important and Superintendent Putnam welcomes direct outreach or individual conversations.
Hourly or exempt employees who are on duty during the time of this meeting and who can attend without significantly disrupting school business, are welcome to attend during their duty time with the approval of their supervisor.
Schedule:
Apollo: Nov. 15, 3:45
Clearview: Oct. 6, 2:30
Discovery: Oct. 18, 2:30
District Administration Office: Nov. 17, 11:30 (recently added)
District Services Building: Nov. 3, 11:30 (recently added)
Katherine Johnson: Feb. 2, 3:45
Kennedy: April 4, 2:30 (new date and time)
Lincoln: Jan. 10, 2:30
McKinley-ALC: March 21, 3:45 (recently added)
Madison: Jan. 26, 2:30
North: Jan. 12, 3:45
Oak Hill: Dec. 13, 2:30
Quarryview: Feb. 23, 2:30
Roosevelt: March 16, 3:45
South: Feb. 7, 3:45
Talahi: Nov. 29, 2:30
Tech: Feb. 23, 3:45
Westwood: March 2, 2:30
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October Theme: Why Happiness Matters
7 Reasons Happiness Matters
Everyone everywhere wants to be happier. It ranks up there on the top of most people’s lists of what they most want for their children. But happiness is not only a desirable emotional condition, it produces better human beings.
As a matter of fact, happiness is a moral obligation, as much as kindness and integrity are moral obligations.
You can even think of happiness as our own radioactive spider turning us into nothing less than superheroes. Okay, perhaps overstated slightly, but read on to see why I rank happiness up there with mutant genes, cool utility belts and radioactive insects.
1. Happiness is the purpose of life.
2. Happiness makes us better parents.
3. Happy people give more.
4. Happy people are better people.
5. Happiness leads to great life satisfaction.
6. Happy people are healthier and live longer.
7. Happy people bounce back. Read more!
Download the Optimistic October Calendar from Action for Happiness.
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Choices' Day is Back!
This year Choices' Day will be on Nov. 8, and we are looking for YOU to share your skills and knowledge by offering a 90-minute session. This is always a popular staff development day, and we need many presenters to make this day successful and to continue to provide this opportunity. Presenters are compensated for their prep time per the SCEA/742 Teacher Agreement; 90 minutes for each different session topic you are presenting or 2 hours for an offering that is 2 sessions long.
Presentation proposals are due by Friday, Oct. 18. We are asking that all proposals indicate how the session connects with our Strategic Plan. A subcommittee will review the proposals and notify you if your session has been accepted. Please follow the directions found at the link below to submit your proposal.
Also - encourage your peers who you know would facilitate great sessions to submit a proposal!
Proposal Form
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Data & Assessment
The window for Winter Wonders Running Records is open through the end of October. Please review the two-minute video on eduClimber Headquarters for directions on entering your running record scores and score details. Once your scores are entered, you will immediately be able to filter and search your students by their instructional reading level.
Kindergarten Assessments will be ready by the end of the week. Please check back for a short video on how to enter your Kindergarten Assessment scores for Letter Recognition and Sounds.
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Dyslexia Specialist Edition
My top 3 accommodations in the classroom for the dyslexic brain and ALL brains:
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When asking a student to complete a task or an assessment, organize the questions from easiest to hardest. Once the brain is able to successfully do the task, it will more than likely keep going even if the task becomes more difficult. If the brain is asked to do something difficult right away, it will simply shut down.
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Any form of directions or tasks is simply best when they are written step-by-step with check boxes next to it, so the brain can clearly see what it needs to do, and can stay focused as it checks off what they have already completed.
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Calculators for simple math problems.
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Check out this quick video to learn more about the amazing dyslexic brain.
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Going Above & Beyond to Set the Bar!
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A huge shout out to Bill Sininger and his outstanding staff out at McKinley Alternative Learning Center. The vision is very clear that all the staff want what is best for these students in and out of the building. Bill continues to provide his students, every Friday, with real-life skills and activities to help enrich their minds, including a career fair with local businesses. Students and their families had an opportunity to connect with local employers with potential jobs and learn about places they could work at. Without a doubt, the bar is set very high at McKinley and success is surely on the horizon for these extremely talented and gifted students!
Keep up the great work!
Submitted by Mike Mathiason
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Teresa Szymanski is Retiring!
The counseling team would like to send a shout out to one incredible woman! She joined District 742 in the fall of 1990 and has been serving children in our community ever since. She is a compassionate, empathetic, supportive counselor and an advocate for all children. Her love and care for others is evident in the work that she does. Lives have been greatly impacted by her commitment to our young people! Thank you Teresa for your years of service and the life-changing impact you have made on our community and children.
Teresa’s last day is Oct. 13 if you would like to reach out to her!
Submitted by Kristen Tatge
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Do you know a person or a group of people who have gone above and beyond and deserve kudos? Submit a Shout Out by email to communications@isd742.org and we'll get your message out in the next Notebook.
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Apollo Boys Soccer Celebrates Historical Season
Never before has the Apollo High School’s boys soccer team had quite a season like this one. The team has a new outlook with an all-new coaching staff and an eye on the State Tournament after a devastating loss to crosstown rival Tech High School in the section playoffs in the 2021 season.
The season started off with a loss against conference contender Willmar Cardinals in a hard-fought game. However, the team thinks the loss helped put their potential into perspective. Since then, the Eagles have been on a winning streak leading the Central Lakes Conference and earning a sixth place ranking overall in the state of Minnesota.
Head Coach Luqman (Nasri) Ali gives all the credit to the team. “We have good athletes and good communication between players and coaches. They work hard and put in a lot of effort.”
Junior captain and goalie Dylan Coulter says, “I think we’re playing amazing! Every team has their flaws, but I think we’ve found those flaws and attacked.”
Defense player and junior Tristan Hoel adds, “I like the fact that our team has really grown. We’ve found our mistakes and refined them. Even when teams appear better than us, we manage to pull through.”
And there have been some nail-biters throughout the season.
Senior captain Ethan Christiansen thinks the season is strong is due to an all-new coaching staff. Four new coaches were hired this season to lead the program. Continue reading.
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InStep Fall Sale
The students at InStep will be selling a variety of items this fall. We will be selling candy bouquets, bath bombs, therapeutic rice warmers, sun butter dog treats and pine cone fire starters. There will be a limited number of candy bouquets so order yours early. We will be making deliveries to any District 742 school before Oct. 28.
Place your order using this order form.
If you have any questions, please email cari.hansen@isd742.org.
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Accept Your Invitation!
Great news: You may be eligible for an exciting new program to help improve your health. All at no cost to you!
Introducing Omada®: A personalized program that surrounds you with the tools and support you need to reach your health goals, whether that's losing weight, managing diabetes, lowering your blood pressure, or improving your overall health.
If you or your adult family members are enrolled in a HealthPartners® health plan and eligible for any of the Omada programs, verify benefit coverage by contacting the Member Services phone number on the back of your ID card.
You’ll get secure, 24/7 access to:
- An Omada health coach to keep you on track
- Devices you need like a scale and/or glucose meter
- A personalized dashboard to guide your journey
- An online community tailored to your interests
Reach your health goals, one step at a time.
- We’ll create a personalized path to help you get there.
Lose weight
- Ongoing one-on-one health coaching
- Connected scale to monitor progress
- Nutrition tips, ideas, and recipes
Stay on top of diabetes
- Specialized coaching from a certified diabetes specialist
- Connected devices you need to monitor your glucose
- Immediate feedback on glucose readings
Take control of your blood pressure
- Specialized health coaching for hypertension
- Connected blood pressure monitor
- Feedback to help you make sense of your readings
Improve your overall health
- Strategies to sleep better and manage stress
- Interactive lessons to build healthy habits
- Techniques to overcome challenges
Don’t wait to grab your spot! It only takes a few minutes to get started.
Get started: omadahealth.com/isd742
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