Instructions for interpreter requests and interpreter phone service

September 26, 2018September 28, 2018 / susangifford

Hand holds up a world globe to represent different languages spoken in OSD and need for translation services With conferences coming up in October, the Student Support department has documents that remind people how to request an interpreter and how to use the interpreting phone service (Language Link).

Please contact Becky Paxton, administrative assistant in Student Support, with any questions. She can be reached at Ext. 7546.

Translation requests should be directed to the Communications department at Ext. 6103.

Nominate a colleague for Classified Employee of the Year by October 4

September 26, 2018September 26, 2018 / susangifford

A mirrored image of colored pencil points supports a request to fill out a form nominating a colleague as Classified School Employee of the Year The Olympia School District is accepting nominations for one or more staff members to be honored as OSD Classified School Employee of the Year. The program recognizes the work of classified staff members who have made a positive difference in their profession. All school and support building employees who are categorized as “Classified” staff are eligible for nomination. Nominees should be employees who consistently demonstrate outstanding work performance, professional leadership and collaboration.

Please include in your written nomination specifics of how well the staff member meets the following state Classified School Employee of the Year criteria:

1. The educator (classified employee) has the respect and admiration of their colleagues.
2. The educator (classified employee) collaborates with colleagues, students and families to create a school culture of respect and success.
3. The educator (classified employee) is a leader who makes connections between their daily work and student achievement.

Please complete this online nomination form and submit by 4 p.m on Thursday, October 4, 2018. A committee will review the applications and select the individual(s) to be recognized. The individual(s) chosen will be eligible to compete for the regional Classified School Employee of the Year selection process. The winner at that level advances to the state Classified School Employee of the Year selection process.

Submit your nomination

Staff may earn clock hours for attendance at parenting workshops

September 26, 2018September 26, 2018 / susangifford

Parent educator Candyce Lund Bollinger works with children at a workshop, one of many offered in the district and described in accompanying article The Olympia School District is pleased to offer free parent education workshops with Candyce Lund Bollinger during the 2018-19 school year. Workshops will be offered on a variety of topics, each geared to elementary or middle and high school parents.

Staff may earn clock hours for attendance at the two-hour workshops, which are offered on a variety of dates throughout the year (minimum of three hours of attendance to qualify for clock hours).

Each workshop is held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Olympia Regional Learning Academy (ORLA). OSD staff will learn skills to help students succeed in the classroom. Visit the Parenting Workshop page for a full list of workshops.

Bollinger is a parent educator and private parenting counselor in Washington State and has been practicing for more than 35 years. She provides classes and consultations for schools, colleges, civic groups, private organizations and has a private practice. She is the mother of four children and has two grandchildren.

Learn how to create a teacher webpage on October 22

September 26, 2018 / susangifford

Certificated staff interested in creating a teacher webpage on their school’s website are invited to attend a two-hour class on October 22. During the class, teachers will learn how to use the tool to create content, post photos and more. Note: This is not a Schoology training.

The SchoolMessenger teacher website training is from 4 to 6 p.m. in Computer Lab 308 at the Knox Administrative Center, 1113 Legion Way S.E., Olympia. Please bring your district-issued laptop. Desktop computers and Chromebooks will also be available.

If you have not already watched the 1.5 hour Website Accessibility Webinar, you will need to do so prior to the training. The webinar is located in Safe Schools under the “Policy” section. Safe Schools can be accessed through the OSD Portal.

To sign up for the class, go to pdEnroller and search for event #83355 in the “Olympia” region. The event title is “SchoolMessenger Webpage Training for Teachers.” Teachers who take this two-hour training on how to create a teacher webpage and watch the 1.5 hour Website Accessibility webinar may use Technology Professional Development hours for 2018-19, General Staff Development hours for 2018-19, or Curriculum Rate at the 2018-19 school year rate. Time slips will be provided at the end of the training.

Please note, staff may only be paid once for the 1.5 hour Website Accessibility Webinar.
Also, teachers who have already taken the 2-hour Teacher Page Training and want to take it again as a refresher may use Technology PD or Staff PD, but not Curriculum Rate, for reimbursement.

This Friday, September 28, is Benefits Open Enrollment deadline

September 26, 2018September 26, 2018 / susangifford

This Friday, September 28, is the Benefits Open Enrollment deadline for the 2018-19 school year.

Employees may log on to http://digital.alight.com/wea to review coverage and make changes.

To view detailed benefit information by employee group, please visit the OSD Staff Intranet Payroll/Benefit page. To access the page, go to https://osd.wednet.edu, then LOGIN, select “Sign in with Google,” Intranet, Departments, Payroll, 2018-19 Benefits.

Congratulations to this week’s Everyday Hero; send us yours!

September 26, 2018September 26, 2018 / susangifford

Everyday Heroes Logo with the words: Celebrating OSD Employees

As we start our new year, remember to submit names of employees districtwide who have done something deserving of encouragement and praise. Give a shout out to one of your colleagues at your school or support building and watch for it to appear in an upcoming Everyday Heroes blog post.

Here is our newest honoree:

Everyday Hero
Denise Morrison, Speech Language Pathologist at LP Brown Elementary
“My hero is Denise Morrison, who works as our building’s SLP here at LP Brown Elementary. Denise goes above and beyond every day to support our students and staff by wearing many different hats, as a stand-in cert for a class without a sub, our OEA building rep, and an amazing speech therapist. She genuinely cares for students and staff members and is highly invested in helping us all to be successful. She takes the time to listen and always know just what to say. Her office is my favorite place to visit in the building, a spot of calm in the storm of the day to day when I am feeling overwhelmed and need to reset. She is always welcoming, even when she is busy. Thank you Denise, for being a supportive colleague I know I can always turn to to help me be my best.”
Submitted by Janelle Holbein, LP Brown Elementary

How to nominate an Everyday Hero

Email the Communications and Community Relations Department (communications@osd.wednet.edu) a few sentences, and no more than 200 words, about why the person deserves recognition. It’s easiest to write as if speaking directly to the colleague, such as “Thank you for helping with…” or “I really appreciated when you…”
Write Everyday Heroes in the subject heading of the email.
Include your first and last name as the person submitting the comments.
Include the first and last name of the OSD employee you are recognizing.
Include the job title and work location (school or department) of the person you are recognizing.

All submissions will be posted in this blog on a weekly basis and archived each week.

We can’t wait to hear about all of our Everyday Heroes, because we know that every day our bus drivers, child nutrition staff, custodial employees, teachers, paraeducators, school and district office staff, and others are doing amazing work on behalf of students.

A reminder to be cautious of phishing scams

September 26, 2018September 26, 2018 / susangifford

Person holds cell phone to emphasize need to avoid fraudulent callers participating in phishing scams This is a reminder, as we posted in our blog earlier this month, that we have received several reports of employees being contacted this week at their schools by phishing scams. Phishing is the fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, credit card details and money, often for malicious reasons, by someone disguising as a trustworthy entity. Common phishing scams include people impersonating as representatives of the Internal Revenue Service, law enforcement or the courts.

Callers inevitably demand money to resolve “outstanding debts” or “legal issues” and often demand payment on reloadable gift cards, other prepaid credit cards, or wire transfers. Sometimes, they direct the person who answers the phone to a nearby store or bank to get and send money. A reminder that these are fraudulent calls. Hang up on these fraudulent callers.

Phishing scams can come in all forms, including phone calls, emails, letters and more. If you are ever unsure about the credibility of a call or other communication, you may always contact local law enforcement. You can also block future calls from a particular number on your mobile devices.

For calls of people impersonating the IRS, you may also report the scam to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration website. The website includes a list of scam alerts at the top of the Home page and a link to report fraudulent calls.

Nominations sought for OSD Classified School Employee of the Year

September 17, 2018September 18, 2018 / susangifford

sharpened colored pencils lined together to encourage readers to fill out Classified School Employee of the year nominations The Olympia School District is accepting nominations for one or more staff members to be honored as OSD Classified School Employee of the Year. The program recognizes the work of classified staff members who have made a positive difference in their profession. All school and support building employees who are categorized as “Classified” staff are eligible for nomination. Nominees should be employees who consistently demonstrate outstanding work performance, professional leadership and collaboration.

Please include in your written nomination specifics of how well the staff member meets the following state Classified School Employee of the Year criteria:

Please complete this online nomination form and submit by 4 p.m on Thursday, October 4, 2018. A committee will review the applications and select the individual(s) to be recognized. The individual(s) chosen will be eligible to compete for the regional Classified School Employee of the Year selection process. The winner at that level advances to the state Classified School Employee of the Year selection process.

Submit your nomination

September 28 deadline is approaching for Benefits Open Enrollment

September 17, 2018September 17, 2018 / susangifford

Pen points at calendar to show importance of keeping a date, in this case deadline for Open Enrollment is Sept. 28 Benefits Open Enrollment for the 2018-19 school year continues through September 28, 2018.

Employees may log on to http://digital.alight.com/wea to review coverage and make changes.

Applications due Oct. 19 for elementary teacher mini-grants

September 17, 2018 / susangifford

The Thurston County School Retirees’ Association is accepting applications for its elementary teacher mini-grant program for the 2018-19 school year.

The deadline to apply for the elementary mini-grants is October 19, 2018. The grants are designed to provide an opportunity for elementary school teachers to enhance the education of their students.

Fill out the one page application, which is also available on the Thurston County School Retirees’ Association website.

For additional information, contact Jo Edwards at fastwalker1000@comcast.net.

Thurston County School Retirees’ Association is a chapter of the Washington State School Retirees’ Association.