Rocket Roundup
October 23, 2024
Info Sessions Scheduled for Health Insurance Changes
If you would like to meet representatives from our new health insurance carrier, Network Health, and ask questions about changes in coverage, please mark your calendars for the following virtual sessions:
Tuesday, October 29 - 4:00 p.m.
Health Plan Choices with Network Health, for current employees.
Tuesday, October 29 - 4:45 p.m.
Health Plan Choices with Network Health, for retirees.
Monday, November 4 - 4:00 p.m.
Wellness Program Q&A for current employees and retirees.
The sessions will be recorded and shared with all employees.
Open Enrollment Season is Imminent
Soon, all eligible employees will receive a link to their Skyward portal which will contain their Open Enrollment form for 2025 insurance benefits. This is a mandatory function for all eligible employees, even if you do not currently participate in the District’s Health Insurance plans. Each employee working a 0.75 FTE assignment or greater is required to complete this form, even if you plan to waive health or dental insurance coverage. Open Enrollment will run from November 4 - November 15, 2024.
Health Insurance Costs - More Than Just the Premium
To help employees better understand their true cost of health insurance coverage, the District has developed an estimator tool. This tool looks at actual charges for healthcare services plus the premium an employee pays. While we did our best to develop a tool that will give an accurate estimate of a person’s total cost, individual situations may vary. If you get stuck using this estimator tool, please contact Dr. Mike Cyrus for assistance ( phone x10112 or email).
To best use this tool, you will need to access your premium/deductible information on the UHC app. This will tell you how much the insurance company has been billed for the medical care you consumed from January until the present. If you know that you have claims pending, just add them to your total. The estimator looks at what has been billed this year and will give you an idea of what you will pay next year based on a new premium, what you tell it you will expect to be charged for services, and the health plan you choose. The estimator will then give you what your estimated cost is likely to be once a new premium is applied.
Click here to make a copy of your own Insurance Cost Estimate tool
Wellness Program Continues with Changes for 2024-25
The District’s Wellness Program will continue forward. Employees and spouses on the District’s health insurance plans will still need to reach certain targets in order to maintain or capture the lower, wellness premium payment. Going forward all activities related to the Wellness Premium incentive will be recorded on the District’s Navigate portal (www.njsdwellness.com) and/or app. This is a continuation of what we already use so we hope that you are already familiar with this website and app.
As before, there are three objectives to reach in the wellness program, to capture or keep a reduced insurance premium:
Complete the Navigate Well-being Survey
See your personal physician for an annual check up OR do a biometric data collection.
Earn 500 points/Silver Status on Navigate (employees only)
Covered employees (retirees) and spouses will now complete a well-being survey on Navigate. This was previously known as a Health Risk Assessment or Health Survey. Spouses of employees must log on to Navigate in order to access this assessment. Stay tuned for specific information on this assessment. You will also earn points toward Silver Status for completing this assessment.
In lieu of the formerly required biometric data collection, an employee, retiree and spouse (if applicable) will need to visit his/her personal physician for a check-up by August 31, 2025. This form will verify your visit and you and your spouse will upload a PDF of this to your Navigate accounts. The District will look backward up 12 months from the August 31 deadline to determine whether you have completed your primary physician visit requirement. In addition to meeting this objective, you will earn points in Navigate for taking care of this.
You may still submit biometric data, if you choose. There is financial incentive for doing this (more on this later!) and you will earn points on Navigate for doing so, but collection appointments on our campuses will no longer be offered. In order to get credit for this, you must arrange this with your personal physician. There is a special form (see HR website) on which the physician will record your results; either you or the physician can send these results to the Network Health Insurance Company.
The final target in the wellness premium incentive program is for EMPLOYEES to earn 500 points toward Silver Status on Navigate. The well-being survey, annual check up, and biometrics will earn you points toward this target. A multitude of activities are on Navigate that you can access to reach this target.
W-2 Mailing Opt Out Forms Available in Skyward
If you are interested in receiving your W2 Electronically you will go in and follow the instructions. Receiving your W-2 electronically can offer several advantages. Here are some reasons why you might prefer this method:
1. Convenience: Accessing your W-2 electronically allows you to view and download the form at your convenience without having to wait for it to arrive in the mail.
2. Notifications: You will receive an email notification when your W-2 is available. This is usually 7-14 days prior to them being available for pick up or put in the mail for delivery.
3. Immediate Access: You can receive your W-2 much faster than the traditional mailing process, which may be delayed due to postal services.
4. Environmentally Friendly: Choosing an electronic format reduces paper waste, making it a more sustainable option. You do not need to print the form on a special type of paper.
5. Easy Storage and Retrieval: Electronic copies can be easily stored on your computer or in cloud storage, making it simple to keep records organized and accessible for future reference.
6. Reduced Risk of Loss or Theft: Electronic W-2s eliminate the risk of documents getting lost in the mail or stolen from your mailbox, which can compromise your personal information.
7. Lower Chance of Errors: When you use an electronic format, there's often less chance of data entry errors when submitting your tax return, especially if you can import the information directly into tax software.
8. Ability to Access Anywhere: You can access your W-2 from any device with internet access, making it easy to retrieve your tax information while traveling or away from home.
Overall, receiving your W-2 electronically can streamline the process of filing your taxes and
keep your personal information more secure.
Certified Staff Reminded to Clear Out Frontline
Certified staff are reminded to remove any information entered into Frontline during the 2024-25 school year by the end of the school day today (October 23). Any data entered into Frontline prior to this school year will remain in the archived section of the system. Access to the system will be restricted after today. Employees who have not entered anything into Frontline in 2024-25 may disregard this message. You can find detailed instructions below to assist with the process: Instructions
Authentically Celebrate Cultural Heritages
This week's Equity and Inclusion Department newsletter provides tips on how to authentically celebrate cultural heritage. The heritage and contributions of many cultural groups are celebrated in October. The newsletter describes using collective efficacy and tokenism to celebrate these cultures in the classroom, along with links to lesson plans.
This infographic includes links to information, articles, and teaching materials related to this observance.
November 4 Professional Learning Day Schedule
Happy October! Although November 4th PLD is still a few weeks away we’re hoping to get you excited by sharing all of the offerings! After a focused district message from our district administrators on the Effectiveness Project (CESA 6 Model) — a key requirement for all certified staff— the day is all about YOU and your choice. You’ll have the opportunity to sign up for two sessions that spark your interest, with a wide range of engaging topics to explore. Missed a session you're curious about? No worries! The same offerings will be available at a future PLD.
Be sure to click the links in the elementary or secondary schedule to sign up, and check out the session descriptions to find what excites you the most. The sign-up closes on Monday, October 28th, so don’t wait to secure your spot! We’ve also built in processing time with an optional protocol to reflect on and apply what you’ve learned.
Wishing you a fantastic day of learning and growth! — Your Learning and Leadership Team
Any specific questions, email Ashley Kolb
More Links Open for Upcoming Flu Shot Clinics
Flu shots will be offered at sites throughout the District on a variety of dates over the next several weeks. Individuals on District insurance may receive the shots free of charge with proof of insurance. Those not on District insurance can request their insurance carrier be billed when scheduling. Signup links are currently in the document attached to the clinic dates. Please note, the links to sign up don't go live until 10 days before the clinic date, so there is a note attached when registration for each event opens.
Update Your Computers to a New Printer Driver
All staff must update their Mac’s print driver from FOB-Print to NJSD-FOB-Print as soon as possible. We have learned that those Mac’s whose drivers have not been updated are causing issues for the rest of their building’s ability to print. Users printing using the old driver is causing our printers to become unresponsive for all users.
Currently, approximately 250 staff members have successfully completed this update, but we still have around 450 individuals who need to take this essential step.
Action Required:
Please follow the directions provided to complete the update to NJSD-FOB-Print. If you have any questions or need assistance with the process, do not hesitate to reach out.
From our network (NOT at home), visit Self Service and search for "FOB." Install NJSD_FOB_Print.
3. You will need to re-authenticate using your District email and password.
Please note that our typically issued printing presets will not work; however, you can create your own presets. If you have any questions or need assistance, please create a Service Desk ticket though your ClassLink LaunchPad.
Middle School Hosting Winter Coat Drive
Expedition Academy at Neenah Middle School is hosting its inaugural Winter Coat Drive. The group is collecting gently used or new winter coats, hats, mittens, and gloves for students of the Neenah Joint School District.
Donations may be dropped off at Door 1, Door 3, Door 6, or Door 7 before school from 7:30-8 a.m. through Friday, October 25.
All sizes are welcome! Donations will be used at Neenah Middle School, Neenah Joint School District Elementary Schools, and area donation centers such as the Community Clothes Closet in Menasha and Salvation Army in Neenah. Let's keep our community warm this winter!
Helping Hands Art and Craft Fair is November 2
The 2024 Helping Hands Art and Craft Fair will be held on Saturday, November 2 in its traditional location at the Ron Einerson Fieldhouse at Neenah Middle School from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
The event features over 100 vendors of handmade items as well as food, a raffle and a used book sale. Music will be provided by the high school Touch of Class orchestra. Admission is $2 per person. All funds go directly to NJSD families in need as well as a yearly scholarship.
Tickets Needed for Postseason Athletic Events
Fall tournament season is here and this weekend is a busy one at Neenah High School. Everyone ages 6 and older attending WIAA events must purchase a ticket. Activity passes and staff ID badges will not be valid for admission to postseason contests. Tickets for every event are available in advance on GoFan at this link. Tickets may also be purchased at the gate with a credit card only. The full schedule of this weekend's events is listed at the bottom of the Rocket Roundup.
Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) Webinars Offered
The Wisconsin Retirement System has several webinars scheduled regarding a number of different topics related to contributions, annuities, retirement and understanding your statements. The full schedule and details of all the webinars are available by clicking here.
Honoring Our Veterans on Veterans Day
November 11 is Veterans Day. The American Studies classes are beginning preparations for the annual Veterans Day ceremony at Neenah High School. The theme this year is "Celebrating Hometown Heroes". We would like to honor NJSD employees who are or were a member of the Armed Forces and we would also like to honor other local heroes.
Please email Deb Gauthier at dgauthier@neenah.k12.wi.us if you would like to be recognized and if you have a family or community member to be honored. Thank you!
NEA Informational Social Scheduled for November 4
The Neenah United Educational Association will host a social for all certified and non-certified new hires as well as anyone else interested in learning more about the association and its membership. The event is set for Monday, November 4 (after the PLD) from 4:15-5:30 p.m. at Willie Beamon's. A presentation begins at 4:40 p.m. Light beverages will be served and all attendees receive one free beverage ticket. Please RSVP by clicking here.
NJSD Social Event Set for November 9
The NJSD social committee is hosting a social gathering for all district staff and a guest on Saturday, November 9 from 5-8 p.m. at the Fox Club at the Timber Rattlers Stadium. There is no agenda as this is simply a time to gather, mingle, and enjoy each other's company. Free hors d'oeuvres will be served and a cash bar will be available. RSVP here for data purposes.
Additionally, mark your calendars for the district golf outing on May 3, 2025. More info to come.
This Week in NJSD Activities
Thursday, October 24
Girls Volleyball - WIAA Regional Home vs. Sheboygan North, 7 p.m. (NHS Competition Gym)
Friday, October 25
Girls Tennis - WIAA State Quarterfinal vs. Green Bay Notre Dame, 4 p.m. (at Madison)
Boys Volleyball - WIAA Regional Home vs. Kaukauna, 4:30 p.m. (NHS Competition Gym)
Football - WIAA Level 1 Playoff Home vs. Milwaukee Hamilton, 7 p.m. (NHS Rocket Stadium)
Saturday, October 26
Girls Tennis - WIAA State Semifinal vs. Arrowhead or Monona Grove, 9 a.m. (at Madison)
Girls Diving - Neenah Invite, 9 a.m. (NMS Pool)
Cross Country - WIAA Sectional, Girls 11 a.m., Boys 11:45 a.m. (at Standing Rocks Park, Stevens Point)
Boys Soccer - WIAA Regional Home vs. Sussex Hamilton, 1 p.m. (NHS Soccer Field)
Girls Tennis - WIAA State Final, 2 p.m. (at Madison)
Girls Volleyball - WIAA Regional Home vs. Oshkosh West or Hartford, 7 p.m. (NHS Competition Gym)
Tuesday, October 29
Boys Volleyball - WIAA Sectional at Kimberly or Home vs. Appleton East, 7 p.m.
NHS Orchestra Concert, 7:30 p.m. (NHS Performing Arts Center)