HCPS 411 Update

Click below to watch Dr. Bulson's latest message. To view a complete archive of all past Monthly Minute videos, visit the Monthly Minute page on our website by clicking here.

Dr. Bulson was recently appointed by Governor Wes Moore to serve as a member of the Professional Standards and Teacher Education Board (PSTEB) for a term ending July 1, 2025. On September 27, Dr. Bulson took his oath of office.

The PSTEB is composed of 25 members and together with the State Board of Education share the authority to:

• Develop rules and regulations for the certification of teachers and other professional personnel.
• Develop requirements for the preparation of teachers and other education personnel.

The mission of PSTEB is to establish standards designed to guarantee that educational professionals meet threshold levels of knowledge and skills required to prepare all students for success.

Congratulations, Dr. Bulson, on this prestigious appointment to further education in the state of Maryland!

For more information about PSTEB, please click here.

In this Real Talk, Mary Beth Stapleton talks with Dyann Mack and Thomas Smith, Executive Director and Director of Elementary School Instruction and Performance, respectively, about parent engagement at the elementary level and creating a community of belonging for the families of our youngest learners. Dr. Mack shares our commitment to open communication with families and tips for parent/guardians to ensure their child is successful as they start their educational career with HCPS. Mr. Smith shares information about Learn with Me opportunities and what our parents/guardians can expect regarding those upcoming events.

HCPS Parent Academy, in partnership with Chick-fil-A of Harford County, is proud to announce that Joppatowne Elementary School is the September winner for the school system’s Family Friendly School Award program!! This is our first school to be named a TWO-TIME WINNER!!!!!

This month, 36 schools were nominated and 7,940 unique votes were cast by the community among the nominated schools, naming Joppatowne Elementary the winner with 1,531 votes!! Not only does the school earn the coveted title of Family Friendly School for the month of September, but the entire school staff will be treated to a luncheon by the program partner, Chick-fil-A of Harford County.

We want to also recognize this month's runner-up schools:

• North Bend Elementary School
• Hall's Cross Roads Elementary School
• Emmorton Elementary School

Keep up the great work!

Nominate your school for the October award! The nomination window will open Monday, October 2, 2023, on the Parent Academy page of hcps.org. If your school is nominated, our community can show how welcoming your school is by casting their vote October 11-18, 2023.

More information may be found on https://www.hcps.org/parents/parentacademy/familyfriendlyschools.aspx.

HCPS is deeply grateful for its generous Chick-fil-A partners at the Aberdeen, Bel Air, Constant Friendship, and Forest Hill locations for their tremendous support of this program.

Edgewood Elementary School couldn't be more excited to share about a collaboration with their colleagues and the students at Edgewood High School!

This week, student-athletes from Edgewood High walked to Edgewood Elementary to participate in Block Parties, the elementary school's monthly celebration of positive behavior. Teachers reported that the high school students were patient, respectful, and helpful and did a fantastic job working with the younger students. And, the elementary students shared that the big kids were "really cool."

This partnership between the two schools will continue throughout the year. High school students will visit each month on the early dismissal days to participate in the Block Parties.

Earlier this month, Army command staff from the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command visited students in the Joppatowne High School Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program. Students had the opportunity to hear directly from and engage with the high-ranking officials.

Seats Still Available in Fall Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Course

Seats are still available for the Laboratory Safety Practices for Career and Technology Education CPD course. Please see the course catalog for details. Registration is available on HECTOR.

Questions should be directed to hcpsprofessionallearning@hcps.org

Nominations for the Support Services Superstar Award are being accepted until October 13, 2023. APG Federal Credit Union (APGFCU) is the proud sponsor of HCPS Support Services Superstar Awards. All Harford County Public Schools regular support staff employees are eligible for the award. Program information and nomination forms may be downloaded at 2023 Support Services Superstar Award.

Questions regarding this information should be directed to Ben Richardson, in Human Resources, at Benjamin.Richardson2@hcps.org or 410-588-5226.

The Office of Student Services is accepting nominations for the STUDENT SERVICES STANDOUT AWARD (S.T.A.R. AWARD). This award is presented once per semester (biannually) to a nominated member of the Student Services staff. The nominee must currently be an employee budgeted under Student Services who is based in a school or Central Office. This would include staff under the offices of School Counseling Services, School Health Services, Psychological Services, Social Workers, or Pupil Personnel Services. Any person, regardless of position or relationship to the nominee, including students, may make the nomination. The nomination form and supporting narrative must be submitted by December 1, 2023. Please see the links below to access the nomination form and the rubric used by the judges and consider nominating someone today!

Link to Student Services S.T.A.R. Award

Questions regarding this information should be directed to Lawanda Brown, in School Counseling, at Lawanda.Brown@hcps.org or 410-588-5251.

Join us again this school year as we continue to shine the light on how HCPS celebrates diversity all year long. Each month, we will highlight a cultural/organizational holiday. We invite you to share how your school or office celebrates the contributions we all make to HCPS.

This month, we are celebrating:

Hispanic Heritage

International Week of the Deaf

To share your celebrations with the HCPS community, please email your pictures, videos, and a brief write-up to Sherron Foster-Moore, Diversity Retention & Recruitment Specialist, at Sherron.FosterMoore@hcps.org by Thursday, October 5, 2023. This month’s submissions will be shared in the October 12th edition of the HCPS 411 Update.

To access a printer-friendly version of the Monthly Celebrations calendar, please click here.

Application deadline is October 1, 2023!

Harford County Public Schools students, staff, and families looking for help with mental health or substance use can call Care Solace at 888-515-0595 for 24/7/365 personalized and confidential help finding a therapist, or you can search on your own at www.caresolace.com/harford.

Getting healthy and holistically feeling your best can be fun and easy with help! That's why HCPS wants to provide a health and wellness program to help you live healthier and to provide resources to support your overall well-being while making it a program that works for employees. Please take a few moments to click the link below to complete the survey to help us shape this year's program by letting us know which health issues are important to you.

Click here to complete the survey.

Harford County Public Schools announces a pre-retirement webinar for HCPS employees and their spouses through the Maryland State Retirement Agency and the Community College of Baltimore College. This webinar provides vital retirement information to all members and is recommended for those within eight (8) years of retirement, whether normal service or early retirement. Discussion topics include:

• HCPS Retiree Benefits
• State Retirement Pension Benefits
• Legal Consideration
• Social Security Benefits
• Financial Planning

This year's pre-retirement session will be held virtually on Saturday, November 4, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Watch future HCPS 411 Update for more information on registering and obtaining a day of event link.

REMINDER: HCPS has transitioned dental insurance carriers from Delta Dental to CareFirst. Unless you elected to change your plan, those enrolled in the Delta Dental PPO Comprehensive plan transitioned to the CareFirst Dental PPO Comprehensive plan on July 1, 2023. Likewise, members who were enrolled in the Delta Dental Premier Standard plan transitioned to the CareFirst PPO Standard plan as of the same date if an active change election was not submitted during the open enrollment period. Please contact your dentist's office to verify if your provider participates with the new dental plan.

NEW ID CARDS: Every employee enrolled in a dental plan had new dental and vision, if elected, ID cards mailed to them in late June. If you did not receive an ID card, you can request new ID cards be mailed to your home through your online member portal at www.carefirst.com. Members can call CareFirst at (866) 891-2802 to request ID cards.

To find an in-network dental provider, members can visit BlueCross BlueShield BlueDental Lookup. On this page, please be sure to adjust the location of the search area on the page before entering your provider's name. Please Note: You must search by your dentist's name and not the dental practice's name; the search tool will not return results for group dental practices.

If you have any questions, contact the Benefits Office at benefits@hcps.org.

September is Self-Improvement Month at CareFirst

Financial well-being is one of the key players in whole health. It includes understanding the financial processes related to savings, income, and debt and learning to live within your means while setting short- and long-term goals to improve. This month's wellness newsletter features factors that impact your financial health and tips to improve your financial health. To learn more, click here.

September CareFirst WellBeing Challenge – The 7 Days of Savings Challenge

Many people think of exercise or nutrition when it comes to improving their well-being, but worrying about finances is Americans' leading cause of stress. September is Self-Improvement Month and the perfect time to start changing your spending habits to help ease your mind. Click here to learn more about the CareFirst WellBeing challenge and how to join.

Access the Dave Ramsey SmartDollar Financial Wellness Solution by clicking here: SmartDollar Financial Wellness Solutions.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month at CareFirst

It's that time of year again, time to think pink! Every October, we come together to show support and spread awareness for the second most common cancer among women in the United States – breast cancer. While anyone can be diagnosed with breast cancer, most cases are found in women above 50, with one in eight who will be diagnosed at some point during their lifetime. Creating awareness, knowing risk factors and symptoms, and available resources are critical to proper detection and treatment. To learn more, click here.

October CareFirst WellBeing Challenge – Relationship Rejuvenation Challenge

People are social creatures, and relationships allow us to interact with the people we care about. They also influence our health and longevity in various ways, ranging from sleep and stress to diet and exercise. Healthy relationships can improve well-being, while poor relationships can weaken our body's immune systems and impair mental health with increased anxiety and depression. Click here to learn more about the CareFirst WellBeing challenge and how to join.

1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Click here to learn the signs, get regular exams, and how to minimize your risk.

Keep track of your financial and digital life with MetLife.

Placing your financial and digital life together for a resource for your loved ones in the event of your passing or unexpected illness or injury seems like such a big job, and it is difficult to know where to start. The best way to start is to break it into smaller parts and take it one step at a time.

MetLife has provided access to an excellent resource for all employees, regardless of whether you carry life insurance benefits through Harford County Public Schools. This resource can help you gather all your information to provide to your beneficiary(ies) so they know how and where to start managing your financials if you can no longer. To access this tool, follow this link: Personal-Financial-Profile-2021-Digital-Home-print-exp0823.docx (live.com)

BurnAlong, HCPS' virtual health and wellness partner, is hosting a challenge that began on September 15. Those who enroll or share at least one sub-account will be entered into a raffle through BurnAlong to win one of three BuenAlogn Swag Gift Boxes. To participate:

• Create an account at https://join.burnalong.com/hcps or scan the QR Code between September 15 and September 30.
• If you already have enrolled, share at least one sub-account with a family member or friend between September 15 and September 30.
• If you have already created an account and shared all four sub-accounts, you will automatically be entered into BurnAlong's raffle.

Adding family and friends is easy! Go to your profile and select Sub Accounts. Select "Add Sub Account." Complete the required fields and select "Add."

For assistance with registering or sharing a sub-account, contact BurnAlong at customercare@burnalong.com.

BurnAlong, HCPS' virtual health and wellness partner, is hosting a fall wellness challenge beginning September 25. You and your family can participate in this five-week expedition. As you participate, members will earn badges for each milestone completed and find new secret milestones along the way to earn exclusive badges!

Journey Milestones: Earn a badge for each milestone you complete!

Start Your Journey: 1) Join the Fall into Wellness Challenge through your online member account at https://well.burnalong.com/login. 2) Participate in each milestone during the identified period above to earn badges. For every milestone completed, unlock a new adventure to earn exclusive badges. 3) Anyone who participates and completes the challenge has a chance to win their choice of an all-terrain backpack or a mystery Travel Box. Those who complete all 100 minutes will be entered into a drawing to win their choice of an annual pass to US National Parks or a Mystery Adventure Box.

For assistance with registering for the challenge, email BurnAlong at customercare@burnalong.com.

Employees who wish to provide feedback on their experience(s) obtaining medications through CVS retail pharmacies are advised to complete the CVS/Caremark Service Reporting Tool, available on SharePoint. This report is monitored bi-weekly by a member of the Benefits Office for further assistance and tracking of member service feedback. To access this form, visit the Harford County Public Schools – SharePoint Home Page.

As always, if there is an immediate need or concern when obtaining medication, please email benefits@hcps.org so that a member of the Benefits Office can assist you more quickly.

The Maryland State Retirement and Pension System and the Community College of Baltimore County are providing State Pension members the opportunity to participate in pre-retirement webinars. These sessions provide vital retirement information to pension system members, including the Maryland State Pension, Legal Issues, Social Security Benefits, and Financial Planning. The seminar/webinars will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Webinars:

• October 16 & 17 (CRN 73283) *Two evenings
  
• November 2 (CRN 73299)
• November 29 (CRN 73303)
• December 19 (CRN 73288)

Seminar:

• December 7 – Harford Community College (CRN 73279)

To register, please visit https://www.ccbcmd.edu/ceed-preretirement-county. You will receive an email with site-specific information for those participating in person. Those participating in the online events will receive a separate link to join the date-specific event.

Please Note: These sessions are not affiliated with HCPS and will not include HCPS-specific information, such as retiree healthcare.

Designed for Early Career and Mid-Career Members

The Maryland State Retirement and Pension System (MSRPS) now offers members a Retirement Readiness First Steps webinar, which will provide a general overview of the survivor, disability, and retirement benefits administered by the MSRPS. The session includes descriptions of service retirement eligibility rules, vesting criteria, and ways to obtain additional qualifying service credit. The MSRPS will host a live session on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Interested parties can click this link to register: First Steps Webinar Registration (gotowebinar.com).

Presented by Acentra Health (Formally KEPRO) Employee Assistance Program

Starting a new habit can be transformative. Choosing gratitude can help improve your optimism and appreciation. This session will cover how to build a gratitude habit in your life. Click here to learn more.

Date: Available on demand now

Broadcast Length: 50 minutes
How to Access: Go to your EAP website: www.EAPHelpLink.com. Enter your code: HCPS and look for Online Seminars in the lower left-hand corner of this homepage, or you can search for them by title.

The Employee Assistance Program is available to employees and their families any time, any day, and is a free, confidential program to help you balance your work, family, and personal life.

Employees and their family members can call Acentra Health 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, toll-free at (866) 795-5701 to visit their website online at www.EAPhelplink.com.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law enacted in 1993 that allows eligible employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave for certain family and medical reasons. Eligible employees include:

• Have worked for the employer for at least 12 months, which do not have to be consecutive, and
• Have worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12-month period immediately preceding the start of the FMLA leave.

The FMLA was designed to balance the demands of the workplace with the needs of employees to attend to their own health and well-being, as well as the needs of their families. The FMLA provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave* in a 12-month period. This leave can be used for various reasons, such as:

• The birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child,
• Caring for a spouse, child, or parent with a serious health condition or
• A serious health condition that prevents the employee from performing their job.
• Qualifying exigencies arising out of the fact that the employee's spouse, child, or parent is on covered active duty or called to covered active-duty status as a member of the National Guard or Reserves.

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), a serious health condition is defined as an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves one or more of the following:

• Inpatient Care: Any period spent in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility, including any subsequent treatment in connection with the inpatient care.
• Incapacity and Treatment: A condition that causes the employee to be unable to perform their job functions or attend school or other regular daily activities, along with the requirement of ongoing treatment by a healthcare provider. The treatment may include but is not limited to visits to a doctor, physical therapy, or prescription medication.
• Chronic Conditions Requiring Periodic Treatment: A condition that requires periodic visits to a healthcare provider for treatment, such as asthma, diabetes, or epilepsy. These conditions may cause episodic rather than continuous periods of incapacity.
• Pregnancy or Prenatal Care: Any period of incapacity due to pregnancy, prenatal medical care, or related conditions. This includes incapacity due to severe morning sickness or the need for prenatal rest. Please note that using this leave before a child's birth impacts the FMLA entitlement for recovery and child bonding.
• Chronic Conditions Requiring Supervision: A chronic condition that requires supervision by a healthcare provider but may not necessarily involve active treatment. Examples include Alzheimer's, severe arthritis, or a severe stroke with residual effects.
• Permanent or Long-Term Conditions: Any period of incapacity due to a condition that is not expected to improve significantly or has an indefinite duration, such as terminal illnesses.

The determination of a serious health condition is based on the professional judgment of a healthcare provider and will require medical certification to support the need for FMLA leave.

There are two types of leave under FMLA: continuous and intermittent.

• Continuous FMLA leave refers to taking an uninterrupted block of time off for a qualifying FMLA reason. HCPS requires that employees who are absent for more than five consecutive duty days apply for continuous FMLA.
• Intermittent FMLA leave refers to taking FMLA leave in separate blocks of time rather than in one continuous period. It allows employees to take leave in smaller increments or on an as-needed basis due to their own or a family member's serious health condition. Intermittent FMLA leave can be taken in hourly, daily, or even shorter increments, depending on the employer's policies and the employee's needs. Care, recovery, or treatment should be scheduled outside regular business hours when possible so as to not unduly impact HCPS operations.
  
  SPECIAL NOTE FOR INSTRUCTIONALLY RELATED STAFF AND INTERMITTENT LEAVE: Under FMLA, instructional personnel can take no more than 20% of their scheduled work time off, which equates to about one day per week or about four (4) days per month. If more leave time is needed, you must arrange to take continuous FMLA leave.

During FMLA leave, eligible employees are entitled to maintain their group health benefits and have the right to return to their same or equivalent job upon their return to work. The FMLA also prohibits employers from retaliating against employees for exercising their rights under the law. Under the FMLA, eligible employees have several rights and protections, including:

• The right to take FMLA leave for qualifying reasons without fear of losing their job.
• The right to maintain their group health benefits during FMLA leave.
• The right to be reinstated to their same or equivalent position after FMLA leave.
• Protection against retaliation for exercising their rights under the FMLA.

Should you feel that your circumstances and work/life balance require the use of FMLA, please follow the steps outlined here: https://hcps365.sharepoint.com/sites/HumanResources/Benefits/INFO%20%20FORMS/FMLA%20and%20Leave%20of%20Absence%20Information/FMLA%20Instructions%20to%20Apply/Steps%20to%20apply%20for%20FMLA.pdf.

If you have additional questions, contact the HCPS Benefits Office at (410) 588-5275 or benefits@hcps.org.

Department of Labor FMLA Eligibility Poster: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/legacy/files/fmlaen.pdf

*HCPS requires employees to utilize their available paid leave to cover their absence.

"I want to give a HUGE Shout Out to Christine Allred at C. Milton Wright High School. She is our Apprentice and Workforce Development Teacher Specialist. Christine brings so much knowledge, enthusiasm, and opportunity into our building for students who are exploring life after High School. She works tirelessly within the classroom to promote apprenticeship opportunities for students, engaging them with fun activities, and listening to their concerns. She's been moving mountains outside of the school finding and pursuing new apprenticeship opportunities to help expand this amazing program. She has such remarkable attention to detail, charisma, and inspires the students she works with. I always hear the saying 'teaching is often a thankless job,' but I think that's even more appropriately applied for Apprentice and Workforce Development Teacher Specialists! So I want to recognize her with a very big thank you!"

-Caitlin Guadagno, Business Education, C. Milton Wright High School

"A heartfelt thank you to our Tech Heroes. As we all know, a smooth start to the school year isn't just about textbooks and timetables—it's also about making sure our tech is up to snuff. That's why I want to take a moment to give a massive shout-out to the extraordinary Technology Support Specialists (TSS) who've gone above and beyond at Youth Benefit, Jarrettsville, North Bend, and Norrisville elementary schools.

• At Youth Benefit Elementary, I couldn't be prouder of Noah Belt, Carol Armiger, and Jessica Davenport. Your commitment to resolving every tech hiccup thrown your way is nothing short of legendary.
• Over at Jarrettsville Elementary, kudos to Ashley Thrasher and Emily Riemer. You both make juggling a myriad of tech tasks look easy—and we all know it's anything but!
• To the dynamic duo at North Bend Elementary, Pete Hicks and Kathryn Moore, your tireless work has made "tech troubles" a term of the past.
• Last but by no means least, a big salute to Jessica Keller at Norrisville Elementary. It's a one-woman show over there, and Jessica, you're the star of it.

To each of you—your dedication doesn't just keep our schools running; it propels them into the future. So here's to you, the unsung heroes who make our daily grind possible and our futures brighter."

-Ben Sloboda, Endpoint Technician, Office of Technology

"Shout out to Sarah Brucksch, Paraeducator at Jarrettsville Elementary School. Sarah is always kind and welcoming to every student as they enter the building in the morning, with personal hellos and waves. She also helps in every aspect of the school, willing to do extra or help wherever needed! She is an asset and a blessing here at JVES!"

-Kathleen Franz, School Nurse, Jarrettsville Elementary School

"I wanted to give a shout out to Ms. B. at Swan Creek School for the excellent behavior support she provides her students. When conducting observations at SCS, I witnessed Ms. B. doing an amazing job pairing/relationship building with students, providing affective statements and behavior specific praise using an enthusiastic/genuine tone, providing positive reinforcement and choices to students, and appropriately responding when students presented challenging behavior. I believe the students at SCS greatly benefit from MS. B's dedication, positive attitude and support!"

-Greg Willison, Behavior Intervention Coach

"Wanted to give Oscar Perez and Dave Filbert a shout out for their amazing work laying out and installing our feature wall. It was our great fortune to have Oscar and David assigned to our work order! Both were so easygoing and a pleasure to work with. They listened to my vision for a feature wall and delivered it perfectly!! We are beyond thrilled to have this feature wall for display of artwork created by current students. It is absolutely stunning, and we are getting so many compliments!!"

-Denise Stone, Library Media Specialist, Fallston High School​ ​

*To submit a Shout Out for inclusion in an upcoming issue of HCPS 411 Update, please email it to HCPS.411@hcps.org.

Please join us in welcoming the following new employees to the HCPS family:

• Barbara Nebenfuhr, School Counselor, Swan Creek School
• Elizabeth Manning Gohlinghorst, School Counselor, Aberdeen High School
• Courtney Gurrera, Spanish Teacher, C. Milton Wright High School
• Caroline Holderman, Administrative Support Assistant, Aberdeen High School
• Robert Rinker Jr, Custodian I - Shift 2, Bel Air Elementary School
• Michael Saddler, Grounds/Equipment Maintenance I - Facilities Department
• Michelle Tauson, Inclusion Helper, Youth's Benefit Elementary School

Editor: Lindsay Bilodeau, Innovation Specialist

Email: HCPS.411@hcps.org
Website: www.hcps.org
Location: 102 South Hickory Avenue, Bel Air, MD, USA