GHAEA Voice

Ron Russell, Val Giegerich, Brooke Lamp and Meghan Wilson were part of the tree decorating crew.  Here are just some of the ways GHAEA staff are making spirits bright for others! Atlantic Regional Office employees got in the holiday spirit as they decorated a tree for the town's Festival of Trees. This annual event is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society that features decorated trees, wreaths, quilts and vignettes for the public to enjoy.  The theme for their tree piggybacked the theme from the agency's opening day --  Champions for Kids -- and included decorations that featured 150 Ways to Show Kids You Care . Lora Hight and Shawna Fletcher joined other staff from the Creston Regional Office to deliver gifts to families in need.  Lora Hight and Shawna Fletcher The Midlands Humane Society was pleasantly surprised to see all the donations from Halverson/CBRO.  Halverson and CBRO staff came up with the purr-fect way to help our furry friends this

David Sutherland, IASB board member, with  Karen Thomsen.   At the Iowa Association of School Boards’ (IASB) Annual Convention on Nov. 17, Karen Thomsen was honored with an Individual Award of Achievement for 2015-16.      Thomsen represents District 3 (Atlantic, CAM, Corning, Griswold, Riverside, Stanton and Villisca) on the GHAEA board, a position she has held since Oct. 1987.      The IASB Better Boardsmanship Awards Program highlights board members who have put forth extra time and energy to strengthen their boardsmanship abilities. IASB offers a range of activities that board members can participate in to earn credits for this award, such as learning events in person and online, as well as advocating with legislators and serving on board-appointed committees.      IASB Board President Amy Jurrens commended Thomsen for her hard work. “These board members have shown dedication and commitment to professional growth, to ensure they are prepared to make a difference at the boa

Kellie Peterson  12/18 Rebecca Boswell  12/19 Kimberly Joyce  12/19 Joe Woracek  12/19 Holly Miller  12/22 Cindy Menendez  12/27 Rana Thomsen  12/28 Sarah Wiberg  12/29 Debra Katzer  12/31 Jordan Laughlin  12/31 Sameena Noetzel  12/31 Jennifer Christensen  1/1 Casey Abler  1/4 Kim Wise  1/4 Susan Himes  1/6 Nancy Boswell  1/8 Janice Hughes  1/8 Eunice Bohanan  1/9 Leah Olson  1/9 Michael Peters  1/10 Jennifer Reed  1/10 Amy Mendoza  1/13 Lori Durand  1/14 Karen Meiers  1/14

GHAEA offices will be closed from 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 23 through Monday, Jan. 2. Enjoy the break and we'll see you next year! 

Pat Perkins Pat Perkins is no stranger to GHAEA. "I got bored after retirement of four months so decided to come back to work," she said. Her previous position with the agency was an audiometrist; now she is a speech teletherapy facilitator, Red Oak.  "This will be a new job for me so I am excited to learn more," Pat adds.   Pat and husband, Richard, have two sons and four granddaughters. They love to travel, in particular wine tours. All kids are close to Pat's heart. That's why she started Adopt a Family during the holidays and another program at her church, The 5th Quarter, where meals  and a safe place are provided for kids after every home football game.  Jessica Powers Jessica Powers , literacy consultant, Osceola, is engaged to Dennis, a teacher in Bondurant, MO. She has two children, Conson and Trig, and a dog named Briggs. She finds her job rewarding for impacting professional practices in the state of Iowa. In her spare time, Jessica e

The December meeting of the GHAEA Board of Directors will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 5 p.m. at Halverson Center. If you have any questions, contact Linda Perdue . 

Healthy Challenge Iowa kicks off Jan. 23 and runs through March 17, 2017.  Over the course of 10 weeks, teams (2-10 people) track activity minutes and/or weight loss through the Live Healthy Iowa website.  This simple and affordable challenge provides Iowans an opportunity to improve their health while engaging in fun, friendly competition. Click here to access the Live Healthy Iowa website or here for a list of FAQ s. Keep in mind that if you are unable to form a team of 2-10 persons, Live Healthy Iowa can help connect you with a team! 

If one of your goals for 2017 is to become a morning person, then here's an article for you! " How Traditional Chinese Medicine Can Help You Become a Morning Person " was recently published in Mind, Body, Green and it may have a few tips to help you wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed! 

Did you know that 3-D can help teachers teach core vocabulary to students with significant cognitive disabilities? And did you know the GHAEA Media Center has 3-D printers on hand?       Recently, school psychologist Brandi Krakowski contacted Julia Hood (supervisor, media support services) about creating 3-D tactile symbols.               “The use of core vocabulary is important for teaching students with significant cognitive disabilities and complex communication needs to communicate symbolically with a variety of people for a variety of purposes,” says Brandi.      She explains that a set of 36 core vocabulary words have been identified that are useful for a wide range of communicative purposes in a variety of contexts and topics. Core vocabulary words are primarily composed of pronouns, verbs, descriptors, and prepositions (very few nouns). “The use of augmentative and alternative communication is often used to teach this vocabulary and may include words, pictures, tactile

The holidays are a time of joy and cheer, but with gift shopping, parties and entertaining, it can also be stressful. GHAEA employees have access to a free 24-7 help line through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).The EAP  is designed to help  identify the early signs of a potential problem and  assist in resolving concerns before they become a  physical, emotional and financial burden. Call 402-398-5566 or 888-847-4975. If you have questions, contact the Human Resources Dept. 

In appreciation of School Psychology Awareness Week (Nov. 14-18), Denise Volker (CBRO) received a bouquet of flowers and a pumpkin bundt cake from the special education staff at Hoover Elem., Council Bluffs.        The theme for this year's School Psychology Awareness Week was  Small Steps Change Lives which  highlighted how taking small steps can build greater successes and develops the academic and social-emotional skills students need to promote personal achievement, growth, and resilience, as well as a sense of belonging and well being.       Thank you to all our school psychologists for your service: Amanda Arkfeld, Brittney Bills, Mary Carstens, Jennifer Christensen, Brooke Dornack, Ellen Dosen, Stephanie Dredge, Colleen Dupuis, Lori Durand, Rachel Eikenberry, Staci Emerton, Amanda Halstead, Theresa Jozwiak, Amy Kading, Kristine Kelly, Jane King, Brandi Krakowski, Brooke Lamp, Nancy Lindgren, Molly Masat, Leslie McCaslin, Mary McLaren, Catelyn Newman, Sameena Noetzel, Nico

Congratulations to Rachel Eikenberry (school psychologist, Missouri Valley) for being named the Iowa Girls Coaching Association 2A Southwest District Coach of the Year 2015.       Rachel has been the head girls volleyball coach for Tri-Center CSD for two years. "Our record this year was 32-2 and it was due to a great staff (all native Southwest Iowa women, of course)," Rachel said. "My daughter Allison was a senior this year and made 2nd team All-State, which made it extra fun to coach her and her friends"     The Iowa Girls Coaching Association gives out All-District awards based on class sizes. Tri-Center is 2A and all the coaches in southwest Iowa select players and a coach for All-District awards."We had three players picked and I was selected as the 2A Southwest Coach of the Year by my colleagues," she said.       "I am really grateful to the AEA for letting me be flexible and adjust my work days and calendar to allow me to coach volleyball

Dan Merriam is a school based interventionist, Council Bluffs. His wife, Cynthia, is a para and librarian at Heartland Christian School. Their family includes Andrew and his wife, Melissa, who have Luke, Sam and Kate. Daughter, Sarah, is a TAG coordinator at Abraham Lincoln High School. She and husband, Justin, have Hannah, Grace and Ava. Dan spent 32 years at AHSTW and eight  years at Thomas Jefferson High School. He enjoys golf, hunting, fishing, football and travel which has included trips to Europe, NYC and Washington, D.C.   "Collaborating as a team to figure out what is best for students" is the most rewarding aspect of Trisha Payne 's job. Trisha is a special education consultant (Glenwood) who enjoys reading, gardening, family time and traveling. Her most memorable trip was to Kenya with her best friend.  Jasmine Zeitner (formerly Perdue) and husband, Justin, have an "adorable" Puggie named Zoey. Jasmine is a school psychologist (Red Oak). "Be

"Code Iowa" works in partnership with " Hour of Code ," which is an opportunity for every student to try coding for one hour during  Computer Science Education Week , Dec. 5-11. The national campaign comes after an obvious job demand: Currently,  only roughly 43,000  computer science graduates are trained and available to fill more than  500,000  computing jobs in the nation ( Code.org ).       The “Code Iowa" partnership — thanks to a $40,000 gift from Google and Verizon this year — helps generate interest and participation from Iowa educators, school districts, community organizations, parents and students with the hopes of establishing a continued interest to incorporate computer science into schools and after-school learning environments across the state.      Plus, all of the programming is hosted for   free on Code.org   year-round and expands beyond just one hour of coding for those interested. Just trying it out might light the spark in the next Stev