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Updates and Announcements: November 2022
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We're gathering feedback about how we communicate as an organization. Learn more below and take our short survey for a chance to win a $20 VISA gift card!
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ADMINISTRATION & TECHNOLOGY
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- Thanks to everyone for their help and flexibility over the past couple of weeks as parts of our M Cubed transition ramped up. This is the busiest week in our transition process and we will be through to the other side soon!
- On Friday, November 18th our email server migration will begin. This is projected to be seamless with M Cubed working behind the scenes to transition aspects of our work from the physical server to cloud-based servers. Please reach out ASAP if your computer/files/email doesn’t look right during this time.
- XDrive cleanup and migration is underway. Prior to the final transition to SharePoint, we are cleaning up our Xdrive folders, working to reduce the number of clicks to get to the important documents we need, and all around improve access. Please see the attached document/cheat sheet showing where documents and common folder paths will be in the new system. Please refer to Anna Douglas-Rose or Bobbie Jo Ray with any questions you have or if you can’t find something during the move.
- We will be scheduling a cyber-security training for all staff before the end of the year and have a couple of options for timing so that everyone can attend when it works best for them. Information will be coming soon! This training will also be recorded and pushed out through our LMS system to anyone that is unable to attend.
- Don’t forget to submit your help tickets at the following email: support@mcubedtechnologies.com
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- Fall/Winter Holidays 2022 (Admin Staff Only – Student Support Coordinator will follow their school calendars; Personnel Manual 5.01.2)
- Thanksgiving Holiday (day before, of, and after): 11/23-11/25 – the Central Office will be CLOSED each of these days
- Christmas Holiday (day before, of, and after): 12/23-12/27
- When a holiday falls on a Saturday, it moves to the Friday before (24th to the 23rd), and when it falls on a Sunday, it moves to a Monday (25th to the 26th). In this case, the “day after” holiday moves from the 26th to the 27th.
- New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day: 12/30-1/2
- When a holiday falls on a Saturday, it moves to the Friday before (31st to the 30th), and when it falls on a Sunday, it moves to a Monday (1st to the 2nd).
- Paycor has had updates and navigation has changed slightly. This shouldn’t impact most users day to day, however some users or supervisors might have their display looking differently. The system remains fairly intuitive but if you have questions you can reference the attached document that compares the old navigation to the new navigation. Don’t hesitate to reach out to CISHR@cismidamerica.org with any questions.
- As we get close to the end of the year and W-2 time, please take a moment to review your address in Paycor and submit any necessary address updates to CISHR. Don’t forgot that you also have the option to opt-in to electronic W-2s via Paycor as well.
- Open Enrollment is coming soon! We have finalized our options and plans with our insurance broker and are preparing to launch open enrollment as soon as possible. Please keep an eye on your email for next steps.
- Open Positions: We are still hiring for the Community Partnerships Specialist (Pittsburg) and Auburn-Washburn Student Support Coordinator (Topeka). Please help us spread the word! Share with building contacts and community partners or on your social media: http://cismidamerica.org/careers
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- October performance check-in has been extended to November 30th: Supervisors, remember to complete a performance check-in with your staff this month. The performance check-in is a 1-on-1 template in Paycor and it may be completed during a regular check-in or scheduled separately.
- Many of you have voiced the desire for additional opportunities to connect with the rest of the network. For this reason, we are excited to announce the very first Winter Engagement Summit! Our agency’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee will be hosting this virtual and engaging event centered on topics of DEI. We will come together to learn and inspire each other. The content will be applicable to any role, so all staff members are expected to attend. The agenda and Microsoft Teams meeting link will be shared closer to the date.
- Nominations are being accepted for December’s Employee of the Month. Don’t forget to get your nominations in by November 25. Click here to fill out the nomination form or get more information on SharePoint in the Staff > Bulletin Board > Employee of the Month Info folder.
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- Don’t forget to submit any expense reports and reimbursement requests WEEKLY!
- The annual audit is still underway – please be aware there might be a delay in correspondence with team members. Do not hesitate to reach out again if you haven’t received a response within 48 hours of your initial email.
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- Alumni Allies – Leslie Harmon is with two alumni attending the CIS National DEI Summit starting tomorrow. The conference has specific programming for alumni students. Our new Communications AmeriCorps VISTA member Maci Johnson is also attending on the invitation of CIS National to continue her participation as a member of the National Alumni Network.
- POPS - The Programs team held their first in-person Directors Meeting last week. We spent a day connecting as a team and focusing on data analysis (using fantastic new data visualizations from the D&E team) and learning about the Appreciative Inquiry framework. We are already looking forward to our second in-person meeting in the Spring!
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- The Strategic Evidence Plan Project is making good progress with our planning partners at Project Evident. Many thanks to the Student Support Coordinators, Program Directors, and other staff who have participated in focus groups and interviews to support gathering comprehensive information about our data and evaluation efforts. This kind of perspective-sharing is critical for the project. We are on track to have our Strategic Evidence Plan and Road Map completed in February.
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- We are going through existing CIS of Mid-America promotional materials inventory and will be dividing up items equally among interested programs operations teams in advance of the December holidays. Program Directors, stay tuned for more information and reach out to development@cismidamerica.org with questions.
- On November 29, 2022, our community will come together for 24 hours of unprecedented giving to support the amazing work of Communities In Schools of Mid-America through #GivingTuesday. You can show your support by sharing the company's social media posts with your friends and family. Visit our website to learn more about #GivingTuesday.
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- We are excited to welcome Maci Johnson to the communications team as our AmeriCorps VISTA! Maci has experience with both Communities In Schools of Mid-America as well as our national offices, and she brings a wealth of enthusiasm and interest in our programs. Maci has already begun working on a podcast that will highlight our CIS of Mid-America Alums, and we can't wait to see what she does next!
- Our flagship podcast, Letters from the Lunchroom, has a new home! We're excited to launch the podcast under the banner of Empower Podcasting Company, part of the CIS of Mid-America family of services. Empower Podcasting will work with non-profit organizations and other purpose-driven people and businesses to offer podcast production and editing services. The best part? All proceeds return to CIS of Mid-America to help in our mission to be #AllinforKids! Know an organization that might benefit? Let us know! Check out our recently re-branded site at www.empowerpodcasting.com.
- Need to order print materials? Good news! Our print items, including promotional materials, brochures, holiday cards, and more are now available at the CIS of Mid-America online store! We'll continue adding to the store, and you can now order directly from your account. Please consult with your director about budget availability for store items.
- Don't forget to take the communications survey! We're gathering feedback about the tools we use and how we keep in touch as an agency. We're also scheduling upcoming events that bring us together and your ideas are needed and appreciated. Plus, enter to win a $20 VISA gift card after completing the survey. All feedback is anonymous.
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- November Employee of the Month: Michael Williams, Student Support Coordinator at Highland Park High School. Here's what the nominators had to say about Michael:
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“I am nominating Michael Williams for several reasons. Michael, also known as "Coach Mike," has stepped up this year as one of the veteran SSCs for the team. He has already run several Tier 1 groups, Tier 2 groups, and several Tier 3 supports for his kids at Highland Park High School. Coach Mike has taken several initiatives to assist his colleagues especially the new ones this year. Mike gives great advice during team meetings and always is willing to lend a hand of assistance. Last month Coach Mike ran a Future Now Finance two-day event in which he added his own twist to the event where he also ran the DJ booth and provided background music. This element may seem like not a big deal, but it set the tone for his event for getting the kids to have structure. One of Coach Mike's volunteers is a former alumnus who graduated over 50 years ago, and her grandchildren graduated 18 years ago wrote a letter to the principal complimenting the event and Mike. She was so thankful to be asked to volunteer again and looks forward to it in the future.”
Congratulations, Michael!
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