GHAEA Voice

    As shortages in the field of education continue to increase, the Agency would like to identify potential vacancies as early as possible so we have the opportunity to interview the brightest and best applicants to fill those vacancies. Therefore, at the recent October 2018 GHAEA Board meeting, the Board adopted an early notification resolution for certified staff.     The resolution authorizes a $1,500 payment to certified staff members who submit an original, signed retirement or resignation letter no later than January 11, 2019, effective for the end of the 2018-19 contract year. Disbursement of the payment will happen with the June 28, 2019 payroll, and will be subject to applicable payroll taxes, but is not IPERS eligible. Any questions can be directed to Lori Kinyon , Director of HR.

Dr. Haws and the Admin team have begun their "ride alongs" with various groups of staff. The ride alongs provide the admin team an overview of a day in the life of each of the various roles of our staff. See Glenwood Regional Administrator, Linda Spencer, below on a few of her ride alongs. Lisa Magneson, Special Ed Consultant - South Page Jessica O'Dell, Speech-Language Pathologist - Kreft Elementary Kari Olson, Special Ed Consultant - Titan Hill

Have you noticed a colleague that has been striving to have a positive impact on someone's life, someone who truly demonstrates what it takes to "be the one" or someone who is dedicated to serving the whole child? Tell us about them HERE ! Nominations will be featured in the next edition of the Voice.

Reminder that this year's United Way campaign will be wrapping up shortly. We are currently only at 16% of our goal... But don't worry, there's still time! Our goal this year is $1,500. We currently have raised $250  If you would like to help us reach our goal, please contact Devin Laughlin for a form. The campaign closes on November 9th!

This past week there has been some cement work being done at the Halverson center. As part of previous tradition, Dr. Haws left her initials in the cement among former Chief Administrators.

The 2018-19 Getting to Know You publication has been added to the Staff Portal under the Communications/Media/Logo tab. Access this year's Getting to Know You HERE ! * Note that staff highlighted in yellow are new staff (not in last year's edition)

Each of our Regional Offices has a video conferencing tool called Meeting Owl. This device has multiple mics, speakers and cameras capable of covering the entire room. It is best used whenever a group of people are around a table setting connecting with remote locations via zoom or hangouts. To use Meeting Owl all you need to do is to plug it in to the power source and plug in the USB cable  from the Meeting Owl to the computer used for video conferencing. Hint: you may need to select the Meeting Owl Mic/Sound/Camera sources within your zoom or hangouts app. Folks in the remote locations will be able to see a panoramic view of the room on the top with the most active speakers below. If people inside the room where the Meeting Owl is, need to see the remote sides, the person controlling the video conferencing session (zoom, hangouts) can project the image using our Google Cast devices. Below is the list of Meeting Owl locations and who controls them or who to conta

  Iowa's AEAs Chief Administrators recently addressed the topic of increased collaboration around print services. In reviewing the current data collected along with data collected from previous studies, there was consensus around the notion of moving forward. What does “moving forward” look like? Developing a common catalog of products and services that all LEAs have access to Developing a common pricing structure for products and services Pilot partnerships are being explored to begin working through the challenges of collaboration The development of a steering committee comprised of representatives from the Chief Administrators, Media Directors, and Chief Financial Officers. What won’t happen as we move forward? Moving ahead does not mean the abandonment of individual AEA print shops. The model that seems to make the most sense relies on a print shop in each AEA offering a base level of services.  An abrupt disruption of equipment contracts, staffing or operations in

Remember that all Green Hills AEA offices will close at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 21st.  Offices will remain closed on Thursday, November 22nd and Friday, November 23rd. They will open at regular time on Monday, November 26th.

All nine of Iowa's AEAs have adopted the following policy regarding registering and/or withdrawing from an Agency-wide sponsored course for credit. Please read through this policy  so that you are aware of any changes.

An online depository  titled " We Want to Hear From You " resides in the staff portal for any comments, concerns, questions or suggestions staff may have. All submissions will be brought to cabinet for discussion and then communicated out via the Voice newsletter. There was one submission last week. Click here to view

Green Hills AEA employee badges are out and about! If you have not received your new badge, please contact Jamie Reid . If you have not updated your staff photo, please contact Devin Laughlin . A topic brought up in several staff chats was low community awareness of Green Hills AEA. The vibrant green lanyards are just one way we can help increase awareness by being visible and identifiable while serving in homes, schools and offices. The lanyards also help to ensure security and safety to all employees, visitors and those we serve. Green Hills AEA staff are encouraged to wear their new green lanyards and badges, however it is understood that there are certain situations where that may not be conducive. To the best of your ability, please help Green Hills AEA get its face out there to help ensure all children, families and educators are aware that we are here to support every child in southwest Iowa in achieving a successful future.

   A $213,464 research grant was awarded from the Institute of Education Sciences which will allow funding for the research Iowa's Early ACCESS and The Communication and Early Childhood Research to Practice Center have been exploring.    This study allows the project’s Co-Principal Investigator with the Iowa Department of Education, to evaluate the impact of the internal coaches on their peers’ use of Family-guided Routines Based Intervention (FGRBI). “We are excited by this study, because learning more about how states can invest in professional development for EIs is important to all Part C programs who serve infants and toddlers.” Principal Investigator, Mollie Romano, explains, “The findings from this study will give us information about whether the dosage and content of the internal coaching intervention was enough to support EIs change in practice, and also whether families and children learned new skills from their EI’s use of FGRBI. This kind of field-based research is re

It was decided in cabinet that the employee phone directories will no longer be printed. This informaiton may be obtained on our website by selecting "Staff Listing" under the "Contact" tab.

Judy Griffin kicked off this year's Lunch and Learn series with a presentaion on Digital Learning and the Iowa Authentic Learning Network (ALN). Don't miss out these learning opportunities! If you can't attend live, you can watch the recorded session on the staff portal . Mark you calendars for the next Lunch and Learn on October 24th with presenter, Amy Liddell speaking about the Family and Educator Partnership!

Have a comment, question, suggestion or concern? Please submit them HERE ! No email addresses will be collected to allow for anonymity. Topics shared through this electronic depository will be brought to Cabinet for discussion regularly.

Every fall, Green Hills AEA holds a United Way campaign. Today marks the start of our campaign! Last year we were able to raise $1,200. Help us reach this year's goal of $1,500 before November 9th! You can donate: Through Payroll Deduct (ask Devin Laughlin for a form) One Time Donation Check your email for more information coming soon!

10/1      Leslie McCaslin 10/3      Pat Perkins    10/5      Cynthia Juhl 10/7      Jonathan Skarin 10/11    Kim Madsen 10/13    Cheryl Case 10/14    Donna Dannar 10/17    Michelle Hicks 10/19    Angie Bramman 10/22    Roxanne Matzen 10/22    Eunice Bohanan 10/22    Darek Madejski 10/24    Donal Welch 10/25    Billie Jo Clausen

Listening posts are being hosted at locations across Iowa on behalf of the Children’s System State Board established by Gov. Kim Reynolds in April. The board will review the information gathered from these listening posts as part of its charge to review existing resources and develop a strategic plan with specific recommendations to implement a better approach to help children with mental health issues. This report is due to the legislature on Nov. 15. Green Hills AEA's listening post will take place at the Green Hills AEA Creston Regional Office, 257 Swan St., Creston on  Oct 10 from 5:30-7:00 pm An additional opportunity has been created for parents/children unable to attend: A survey is available for those unable to attend a listening post at  https://goo.gl/GM8S8y  The deadline is Oct. 12 For more information, contact Jeff Herzberg at 515-570-2601.

As election season nears, please keep in mind the Green Hills AEA  internet policy  when posting on your social media accounts. As a rule of thumb, please avoid posting on work time, on an Agency device or through an account associated with your Agency email.

Here are the scheduled days and times that Visiting Nurse Services will be giving  flu   shots  in each of our offices. These are provided at no cost to anyone covered with agency insurance, and may also be free for other family members with other insurance and/or medicare. Please be sure to bring insurance cards with you, and complete this consent form .  If these dates don't work, you can also get the vaccine at other locations with our insurance, but may incur a small co-pay. 10/10/18 Creston AEA: 7:30-8:00am 10/12/18 Red Oak AEA: 3:45-4:15pm 10/17/18 Osceola AEA: 7:30-8:00am 10/17/18 Council Bluffs/HCE: 3:00-4:00pm 10/18/18 Glenwood AEA at the Glenwood CSD: NE elementary 7:00am-8:30am,                 Glenwood HS: 3:00-4:00pm 10/19/18 Missouri Valley AEA: 3:30-4:00pm 10/22/18 Avoca AEA: 3:30-4:15pm

10/1      Leslie Dickinson 10/2      Jenna Hucka 10/4      Jesica Williar 10/7      Jessica O'Dell 10/9      Kristi Kelly 10/11    Rebecca Hamilton 10/12    Andrew Prine 10/13    Michala Pedersen 10/13    Patsy Schimmel 10/13    Amy Whipp 10/15    Cheryl Case 10/18    Danelle Glidden 10/22    Kendra Peitz 10/23    Jeri Fyock 10/23    Jasmine Zeitner 10/24    Sandra Schmitz 10/27    Hannah Walsh

Elena and Skylar would like to thank Marsha Guttau and Lois Hartje for all their hard work assisting with projects in the Print & Design Center these past few months. Your dedication and hard work is greatly appreciated! A special thanks to Jenny Barnett for the thoughtful gift/goodies, we appreciate your generosity!

Iowa School for the Deaf's Leid Multipurpose Complex is available to Green Hills AEa employees! Through a partnership with Iowa School for the Deaf, staff are able to utilize the facility's offerings including: weight room and cardiovascular area, gymnasium, swimming pool, racquetball courts, and meeting rooms for a low fee.    Individual employee fees are $15 per month and the employee/spouse fee is $20 per month. It is asked that employees who use the facilities pay the fees quarterly.    If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Nancy Nelson.

Kathy Hanafan was recently inducted into the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Council of Champions. Read the full article here ! Congratulations, Kathy!

After changes in Chapter 20 by the Iowa Legislature, many previous bargaining topics are no longer mandatory subjects of bargaining, and as a result are no longer included in the Certified Master Contract. Instead they are now found in the brand new Certified Staff Handbook, which can be found at this link on the Human Resources page of our website .

9/8      Steve Martin 9/9      Kelly Gerhardt 9/11    Michele Harrison 9/12    Ruth Rust 9/15    Diane Hoskinson 9/15    Daniel Kenkel 9/16    Carrie Powders 9/16    Andy Raczynski 9/20    Kathleen Tague 9/23    Jennifer Bakkerud 9/28    Lynn Killpack 9/29    Lois Hartje 9/29    Cathy Mann

9/1      Teresa Johnsen 9/1      Kathleen Tague 9/3      Amanda Crees 9/4      Katie Hensley 9/4      Monica Weber 9/8      Michelle Custer 9/8      David VanHorn 9/9      Rachel Eikenberry 9/11    Joan Finck 9/12    Marjorie Armstrong 9/12    Christine Watkins 9/14    Katie Collins 9/15    Melanie Andersen 9/15    Lori Helgevold 9/16    Stacy Buresh 9/17    Lea Ann Huckins 9/20    Roxanne Matzen 9/20    Tera Schechinger 9/20    Beth Torneten 9/23    Kathy Hanafan 9/23    Jamie Ptacek 9/27    Jenna Hoesing 9/27    Meloanie Van Dyke 9/28    Amanda Halstead 9/29    Jason Plourde 9/29    Naomi Sharp 9/30    Kim Madsen

Professional Learning is inviting you to Grow With Green Hills! Follow, like and share the "Grow with Green Hills" post on our social media accounts for a chance to WIN a professional learning book! *Contest ends October 1st

Thank you all for driving through the rain to Greenfield on Monday. It was wonderful getting to see you all! We had a "whole" lot of fun and hope you did too! Below are just a few things from Opening Day that you may want to check out: Don't forget to  Sign up for a Staff Chat  near you! Review  Dr. Haws's Entry Plan  for 2018-2019 and beyond. Shop  Land's End  products modeled by GHAEA Regional Administrators. If you took a new staff photo and wish for it to only be shared in certain areas, please complete a  Photo Opt Out Form  if you have not already done so and send it to Devin Laughlin. If you did not get your photo taken, please be on the lookout for an opportunity to take a new photo at your regional office! Thank you again for all of the time and effort you dedicate to ensuring that we teach the whole child. Just one brief interaction with a caring adult can positively influence a child's life. This year, take the challenge.. Be the one!

  As we start fresh with a new year, I would like to thank all of you at GHAEA for your kindness as I went through breast cancer treatment the last 10 months. My great team of doctors are confident that they got everything through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. I greatly appreciate all of your gracious words, emails, offerings, and support through this journey. Everyone at GHAEA has shown me what it means to be part of an incredible family and I sincerely treasure that! Thank you and I hope all of you have a positive and fulfilling year! Jordan Laughlin Speech-Language Pathologist

We are so happy to have this great group joining us this year! We wish them nothing but the best as they begin this new journey. Take a moment and reach out to a new GHAEA employee and get to know them this fall.

Check out the GHAEA apparel in the staff portal ! Not sure what's right for you? Stick around for a sneak peak on Opening Day!

Professional Learning is inviting you to Grow With Green Hills! Follow, like and share the "Grow with Green Hills" post on our social media accounts for a chance to WIN a professional learning book! *Contest ends October 1st

See Dr. Lolli Haws's Entry Plan located in the staff portal. She will be walking all staff and Board members through this plan at Opening Day on August 20th.

Please note that the staff portal has been updated to include a new look. You will still have access to the same information and resources, they have been just slightly rearranged.

Join a "Staff Chat" at your regional office and meet Dr. Lolli Haws, our new GHAEA Chief Administrator! Lolli is excited to meet YOU and learn about your work, successes, perspectives and questions. 8/21   Missouri Valley RO @ 3:00 p.m. 8/24  Osceola RO @ 3:00 p.m. 8/30  Creston RO @ 3:00 p.m.  8/31   Avoca RO @ 1:00 p.m. 9/24   CBRO/Halverson @ 3:00 p.m. 10/1   Red Oak RO @ 3:00 p.m. 10/5   Glenwood RO @ 3:00 p.m. Click HERE to register * A zoom link will be provided for those who are unable to attend on site. Follow Lolli's journey across Green Hills on Twitter @GHAEAChief

Dave Gute (Superintendent at FM and Stanton) and Shannon Smith (School Board Member) accepting the Fremont County 4H Meritorious Service Award for their generous support of 4H and Extension in Fremont County. Gary and Mary Walter (Speech-Language Pathology Assistant) received the 4H Hall of Fame Award from Fremont County.

Open Position: One full-time or possibly two part-time Speech Teletherapy Facilitators For the Fremont-Mills and Sidney schools This position is a Grade 3 on the classified salary schedule If you are interested in applying for this opening, please submit a completed application via Teach Iowa no later than July 27, 2018. Transfer Notice: 1.0 FTE SPED Rep. in the North Region  Could be filled by a School Psych., Sped. Consultant or Social Worker If you are interested in this transfer, please contact Lori Kinyon by July 30, 2018.

8/1      Kerry Aistrope 8/1      Michelle Catterson 8/1      Jill Clayton 8/1      Leslie Dickinson 8/1      Jennifer Dillon 8/1      Stephanie Dredge 8/1      Lori Helgevold 8/1      Jenna Hoesing 8/1      Julie Honan 8/1      Lea Ann Huckins 8/1      Teresa Johnsen 8/1      Ami Leath 8/1      Stephanie McDonald 8/1      Catelyn Newman 8/1      Jessica O'Dell 8/1      Kari Olson 8/1      Leah Olson 8/1      Jason Plourde 8/1      Patrick Rabbitt 8/1      Meagan Ross 8/1      Angie Shindelar 8/1      Linda Spencer 8/1      Sheree Tomasek 8/1      Amy Whipp 8/1      Meghan Wilson 8/1      Kim Wise 8/1      Joe Woracek 8/1      Amber Zimmer 8/2      Faith Bessire 8/2      Eric Doty 8/2      Dorene Driver 8/2      Danelle Glidden 8/2      Molly Masat 8/2      Sameena Noetzel 8/2      Jessica Williar 8/3      Jenny Barnett 8/3      Carrie Champine 8/8      Kristen Johnsen 8/3      Brooke Lamp 8/3      Melody Osbahr 8/3      Sandy Williams 8/4   

8/1      Brittney Haskell 8/2      Val Giegerich 8/3      Wendy Aanonson 8/5       Kristen Johnson 8/5      Debbie Norman 8/5      Katie Wells 8/6      Tonya Billingsley 8/6      Blair Holman   8/6      Cindy Lefeber 8/6       Carol McMahon-Kain 8/8      Lori Kinyon 8/9      Michelle Lidgett 8/10    Jennifer Thormodsgaard 8/11    Nicole Owen 8/12    Diana Emsick 8/12    Trisha Payne 8/13    Elena Anson 8/13    Courtney Clement 8/14    Kari Bloom 8/15    Madellyn Heimbaugh 8/20    Amy Liddell 8/20    Leslie McCaslin 8/28    Pat Perkins 8/29    Cathy Mann

It's mid-July and that means the start to another school year is just around the corner. We have a fun and energetic Opening Day planned for you this year and can't wait to see you in August! We ask that all staff represent their regional office by wearing the color listed below: Avoca: Blue Council Bluffs: Pink Creston: Purple Glenwood: Yellow Halverson: Black Missouri Valley: Orange Osceola: Green Red Oak: Red The attire for the day is business casual, however you may wear a Tshirt in the color of your regional office. Please no jeans or shorts. Remember to sign up for the regional office talent show here! Check out our speaker, Tasha Schuh here! * We will be taking new staff photos on this day as well. These may be used on the agency website, in the Getting to Know You publication, on your name badge, and/or for your agency email.  Click here for more information about the day!

Jasmine Zeitner, School Psychologist out of the Red Oak office, welcomed a baby girl, Zaylee Jolynn Zeitner on July 13th at 12:11pm weighing in at 7lbs 7oz and 20 inches long!

Thursday, June 28th, was Lane Plugge's last day as Green Hills AEA Chief Administrator. We thank him for his leadership and dedication and wish him the best on his retirement. Today, Dr. Lolli Haws will begin to serve as our new Chief Administrator. 

7/1    Susie Rensch 7/1    Julie Stessman 7/1    Beth Torneten 7/1    Laura Williams 7/3    Tim Redd 7/5    Lynn Hockenberry 7/5     Jennifer Seuntjens 7/6    Murray Fenn 7/14  Jamie Reid 7/20  Mary Korver 7/20  Katie Wells 7/24  Cheryl Mulligan 7/27  Nancy Nelson 7/30  Andrea Danker

7/2    Malorie Thompson 7/4    Melody Osbahr 7/5    Colleen Dupuis 7/5    Kelly Gerhardt 7/6    Katie Olson 7/6    Angelia Shindelar 7/8    Donna Dannar 7/9    Katie Berg 7/10  Eric Doty 7/10  Kerry Jahnke 7/10  Sandy Williams 7/11  Pam Elwood 7/11  Judy Griffin 7/12  Lynn Hockenberry 7/13  Hilary Brummer 7/13  Lois Schreur 7/14  Julie Stessman 7/17  Amanda Arkfeld 7/18  Catelyn Newman 7/19  Michelle Mullenix 7/19  Ruth Rust 7/20  Brooke Dornack 7/20  Murray Fenn 7/21  Michelle Catterson 7/21   Shawna Fletcher 7/21   Lisa Magneson 7/22  Angela Mittan 7/26  Lesley Ehlers 7/26   Connie Terry 7/27  Emily Ramsey 7/27  Sandi Sickels 7/29  Jill Clayton 7/31  Jennifer Seuntjens

Verizon and US Cellular are offering discounts for Green Hills AEA employees! Receive an 18% discount at Verizon! Two ways to validate: By email address Visit verizonwireless.com/discounts Enter your mobile phone number or My Verizon User ID in the Existing Verizon Customer Field Click Login and Validate by Email with your work email By paystub Visit  verizonwireless.com/discounts Enter your mobile phone number or  My Verizon  User ID in the  Existing Verizon Customer  Field Click Login and Validate by Paystub and follow the instructions to upload your paystub Check the status of your validation at verizonwireless-employmentvalidation.com Not a Verizon customer yet?   Go to verizonwireless.com/discounts and under "Not Yet a Verizon Customer?" enter and confirm your work email addess. you will receive an email allowing you to begin browsing plans that are right for you! Receive a 20% discount on a large variety of plans at US Cellular! Follow t

Atlantic, Avoca and Missouri Valley Glenwood and Red Oak HCE and CBRO Creston Osceola

For the past few years, Bravo Sports has worked with Iowa college football teams offer discounted tickets to games for AEA employees. If you are an Iowa Hawkeyes fan, you're going to want to check this out! Click here for details.

The 2018 Burst Your Thirst Challenge kicks off on June 11, just in time for summer! This fun, team-based challenge encourages healthy hydration and physical activity habits within a friendly competition. Throughout the six-week event (June 11-July 20), teams of 2-10 people track and report water consumption and minutes of activity. With the flexible format and friendly approach, participants are motivated by each other and kept accountable for achieving team and personal goals.  Gather your team and REGISTER TODAY!

Earlier this year, Green Hills AEA updated its agency goals to include: Goal 1-  Every Iowa child in the area served by GHAEA will be proficient in reading and mathematics by the end of third grade. (As measured by the state assessment.)  Goal 2-  The percentage of students on IEPs showing "ambitious rate of progress" in the areas of mathematics and literacy will increase by 10% each year. Goal 3-  Through collaboration with Local Education Agency (LEAs) and in partnership with students, families, businesses, community agencies, and the Iowa Department of Education, Green Hills Area Education Agency (GHAEA) will ensure every student graduates from high school “Future Ready.” For a summary of the previous agency goal data, please click here.

Green Hills AEA has the following positions open for next year: Special Education Rep. in the East (could be filled by a School Psych., Sped. Consultant or Social Worker) Special Education Rep. in the West (could be filled by a School Psych., Sped. Consultant or Social Worker) Service Coordinator assigned to the Glenwood office (Contact Lori Kinyon by June 8th) If you are interested in one of these transfers, please contact Lori Kinyon (lkinyon@ghaea.org, ext: 3203) by June 4, 2018.

6/1    Jordan Gearheart 6/3    Devin Laughlin 6/5    Julia Hood 6/5    Steve McPhillips 6/8    Diane Hoskinson 6/8    Nancy Nelson 6/8    Kelsey Peters 6/13  Sarah Esser 6/15  Kari Olson 6/16  Lynsi Perkins 6/16  Angie Williams 6/18  Pat Rabbitt 6/18  Lynn Thompson 6/19  Cindy Juhl 6/20  Joanne Farmer 6/21  Maureen Lonsdale 6/21  Donal Welch 6/26  Meagan Ross 6/27  Pat DeLaCastro 6/27  Nancy Sudmann 6/27  Julie Williams 6/27  Meghan Wilson 6/29  Mary Dick 6/29  Lolli Haws 6/29  Amanda Juhl 6/30  Linda Streicher

Laura Williams (Science and Technology Consultant) and husband, Brennan, welcomed their first child on May 8th at 7:51. Elaina Karen  was born at 21 in. 8lb. 2 oz. Baby, Mom, and Dad are doing well! They're currently trying to get use to the baby grind and are definitely in love!

Green Hills AEA has a the following positions available:  Certified Early Access Specialist position in the East open for next year. If interested, please contact Lori Kinyon by 5/23. Certified SLP position in the West Region open for the 18-19 school year. If interested, please contact Lori Kinyon by 5/24. Current certified staff member who would be interested in having a Specially Designed Instruction assignment with a Literacy focus for the 2018-19 contract year. We are looking for 1.0 total FTE dedicated to this assignment, serving schools mostly in the North and East regions. Any certified staff member with interest in this assignment area may be considered. If interested, please contact Lori Kinyon by 5/25.

   As the end of a school year closes, we begin to prepare for the upcoming school year (I know that may be difficult to think about in May). With that preparation, comes updates in our agency "Getting to Know You" book.    Please review the current 2017-18 book here . If you would like anything changed, please contact Devin Laughlin with your revisions. We also encourage you to update your photo if it was taken more than 4 years ago. New photos may also be sent to Devin.    If you were hired this year and have not been included in a previous "Getting to Know You" book, first of all, welcome! We'd love to get to know you better. Please fill out this form for inclusion in the 2018-19 edition this fall. Thank you all!

One final reminder before the summer! Our agency Opening Day will take place on August 20, 2018 at the Adair County Fairgrounds in Greenfield, IA. Registration will begin at 8:30 with the program beginning at 9:00. Dress will be business casual. No jeans please. We are excited to highlight the work that you do at Green Hills AEA, so if you have any photos or videos that you would like to share please send them to Devin Laughlin . We also encourage you to show off some of your talents at the Talent show. Each regional office will be given 5 minutes for their performance. Sign up here!

As many of you may already know, the agency is making some changes to our health insurance plans for the new fiscal year which starts on July 1, 2018.  We anticipate there may be questions about how this change may affect your personal situation, so we brought in Cathy Allen, our ISEBA agent, for a zoom informational meeting on April 20th. You can access the recording here   on in the Staff Portal under Human Resources/Emergency Information.

Green Hills AEA employees can receive discounted tickets for Adventureland in Altoona, IA this summer with the 2018 Fun Card!  Click this link  and choose the "Individual Use Coupon" to download to your phone or computer. You may use the coupon on your phone or print a copy to show at the ticket window.

Please be on the lookout for a new Wellmark ID card to arrive in your mail shortly. The new card will contain your new Wellmark ID number. It is important to put the new card in your wallet and destroy any old ID cards with effective dates prior to 07/01/2018. If you use an old card, your benefits may not apply correctly and the payment of your claims could be delayed or possibly denied. Using your Wellmark ID card: Always show your most up-to-date ID card when you see a provider or get a prescription filled at the pharmacy. To make sure you are using the most recent card, look for the print date shown in the lower-left corner on the front of your ID card. Rather get your Wellmark ID card on your smartphone?  It’s simple with the Wellmark mobile app! Here’s what you can do: 1.     Download the mobile app from any of the app stores, or visit Wellmark.com/GoMobile. 2.     Open the app and select myWellmark. 3.     Log in using your myWellmark user ID and password. *If you ar

On April 21st, Devin Laughlin (Communications Specialist) and her boyfriend, Kevin Herrick got engaged at Waubonsie State Park. They plan to have the wedding in September 2019.

   The 2017-18 Carla J. Nigro Spirit Award was presented to Kristi Kelly, school psychologist out of Glenwood. Kristi has worked with the agency since 1989. She was nominated by several people, including LEA and AEA staff. Quotes from her multiple nominations include the following: “She is often referred to as the child whisperer as she has such a calming spirit, but can be very direct  with students who need that extra push to do their best each day.” “She pushed me to go the extra mile when I was ready to give up on parents or was feeling hopeless with  students.” “Kristi has a magical way of building relationships, especially with the most challenging parents.” “Her level of patience and persistence is like none other I have ever seen.” “Kristi made me a better professional and for that I will be forever in her debt.” “Everyone loves Kristi – she brightens everyone’s day.” “She is very positive and never gives up on a child.”    The Carla J. Nigro Spirit Award is an an

The Iowa Family & Educator Partnership (FEP) is gathering information that will them understand the needs of AEA staff as they expand the Universal Tier supports within the AEA. The survey has been distributed to SER’s, EA, EC, OT, PT, SLP,s and Adminstrators and will be available until April 30th. Here is the link:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DX8ZZMJ

As an agency, we cover a large geographical area. We often rely on meetings via zoom or Hangout to keep us connected. Lately, we have received some questions regarding best practices for video conference meetings. Whether you're meeting from home or your office, here's a list of do's and don'ts that we recommend using to ensure quality, professional meetings. A good rule of thumb is to treat a video conference meeting just like you would a face to face meeting. Do: Test your microphone before your video conference meeting. Nothing is worse than trying to share something critical and not being able to communicate clearly due to poor audio quality or volume.  Do: Mute your microphone whenever you’re not speaking. Background noise can often be a distraction and interrupt a meeting’s flow. Be sure to unmute before speaking.  Do: Be aware of your video’s settings. Test your camera before the meeting and make sure it is on during the meeting.  Do: Make sure your room is w

Gavin Sickels , son of Sandi and Thad Sickels, is graduating from Creston High School. His future plans are to attend South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD and major in Mechanical Engineering. Joni Laughlin , sister to Devin Laughlin, will be graduating from Iowa Western Community College on May 12th with her Associates of Arts Degree. Nathaniel Laughlin , brother to Devin Laughlin, will graduate from Fremont-Mills High School and plans to study Agribusiness Technology at Iowa Western Community College. Dustin Finck , son of Gary and Joanie Finck, will graduate from Nodaway Valley High School. He participated in band, vocal music, cross country and basketball for all 4 years, while maintaining perfect attendance. He was also a member of the 3-time State Championship Cross-Country team. Dustin plans to study Diesel Technology at Iowa Central Community College. McKenna Johnson , daughter of Kristen (Math Consultant) and