March 2024 | Monthly news for and about the staff of Northwest Education Services

March is Reading Month

Reading creates opportunities and can help us overcome barriers. We can discover new ideas and concepts that were otherwise unimaginable to us.

It can deepen our knowledge and understanding of diverse cultures and places we may never set foot, but by reading about these people or places, we can see their clothing and hear their voices, smell the dirt, taste the spices and feel the wind.

Reading can connect us to others, and keep us informed of current events. It has the power to change hearts and minds, and influence global developments.

Reading can open our eyes.

There are countless new worlds to explore and new dreams to inspire through the act of reading, and I want to thank the many educators who have instilled a love of reading in the young minds of students.

As we enter March for National Reading Month, student literacy is coming into clear focus as a priority in the State of Michigan. I am confident our region stands ready to address this concern with expertise and compassion for our young readers. After all, that is how we approach any challenge our students and schools face.

I truly enjoy seeing students’ faces light up when they read a book themselves or hear a story read by someone else, and I would happily make time in my schedule for any classroom that would allow me to join them for a reading activity. If you are interested, please reach out to Renee Childers to schedule a visit. 

There is excellent work being done right now by teachers, literacy coaches, consultants, facilitators and early education professionals that is having a positive impact every day in our students’ lives. This work is creating an infinite number of new possibilities for students, helping them discover new ideas and ways to overcome new challenges and obstacles in their lives.

Thank you for doing what you do to support student success. 

Respectfully,

Welcome to North Ed

Kelsey Dean

Job Coach

Transition Campus

Previous work: English teacher in Turkey and South Korea

Education: Pioneer High School, Grand Valley State University

Interests: Writing, traveling and language learning

Fun Fact: Has traveled to 27 countries so far!

Ashley Pinkelman

Adapted PE Teacher

Previous work: COPESD occupational therapist

Education: Bowling Green State University, B.S.; Colorado State University, M.S.

Interests: Making pottery, alpine & Nordic skiing, kayaking, hiking and backpacking.

Fun Fact: Her grandmother was a proud 1945 grad from Traverse City High School

Beth VanHouten

Secretary, Easy IEP

Previous work: TCAPS West Middle School

Education: TC West High School, Western Michigan University

Interests: Reading, embroidery, crocheting, weaving and art.

Fun Fact: Has a daughter in high school and twin boys in middle school

Welcome the new arrivals!

Lydia Renee Kowalski

Born February 12, 2024

8 lbs., 21" long to

Erin Kowalski, Speech Pathologist

Cooper Paige Wicklund

Born February 16, 2024

8 lbs. 10 oz., 21" long to

Bradi Wicklund, Creekside teacher

SAILORS On Deck!

Nominate Someone TODAY!

SAIL(ORS): Serving, Achieving, Inspiring and Learning Organizational Recognition System

Congratulations to Kaitlyn Larabee,

North Ed School Psychologist, who was honored by the Board of Education on Feb. 6 for her dedication to the value of Equity as recognized by her colleagues through SAILORS on Deck.

Nominate a colleague who has gone above and beyond in their work. That colleague will receive an email copy of your nomination. One person is selected from the pool of nominees each month to be recognized by the North Ed Board of Education. 

Be sure to get ALL the news!

Click here to view in a web browser

Celebrations

March: Women's HERstory Month

Women’s HERstory (“History”) Month dates back to 1978 in Santa Rosa, California, when the Education Task Force of Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women planned a “Women’s History Week” celebration around March 8 to correspond with International Women’s Day. This weeklong celebration highlighted women’s contributions to American History, culture and society through presentations at dozens of schools throughout Sonoma County. The event soon became an annual celebration, and in March 1987 Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9, proclaiming March as Women’s History Month. 

Did You Know?

Women make up nearly 80 percent of K-12 educators but hold only 24 percent of the superintendent positions.

North Ed wants to play a role in helping to reverse that longstanding trend through programs such as our Future Leaders Academy and the Leadership Support System. These programs are designed to foster skills aspiring principals and administrators will need as they lead our schools and support student and staff success. While these programs are open to both men and women educators in our region, we hope to see more women seeking these pathways to provide for a more comparable representation of the staff and students who fill our schools.



Did You Also Know?

For the first time in our organization’s history, the seven-member board is made up of a majority of women.

This is important in the sense that women offer a distinct voice and perspective that men do not, and only by listening to all voices can we strive closer toward excellence in service and meeting the needs of all students and staff members. Our North Ed team and the students and schools in our region deserve nothing less.  

Resources

Check out our Regional Resources for March to use both inside and outside of the classroom!

Want more? Visit our CRE website: www.NorthwestEd.org/services/cre/

Who Said This?

See if you and/or your students can match each quote with the amazing woman who said it. Answer key below.

1. “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”
2. "The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any."
3. “I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall.” 
4. “Don’t ever make decisions based on fear. Make decisions based on hope and possibility. Make decisions based on what should happen, not what shouldn’t.” 
5. “If you're always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” 
6. “People think my life has been tough, but I think it has been a wonderful journey. The older you get, the more you realize it's not what happens, but how you deal with it.” 
7. “I just have to be myself. I’m not perfect, and I am going to make mistakes; I might say the wrong thing. I have to be responsible to my community, and I feel like I am, but then I have to not be so hard on myself.”
8. "Everybody is sitting around saying, 'Well, jeez, we need somebody to solve this problem of bias.' That somebody is us. We all have to try to figure out a better way to get along."
9. “People talk about this 'bucket list': 'I need to go to this country, I need to skydive.' Whereas I need to think as much as I can, to feel as much as I can, to be conscious and observe and understand me and the people around me as much as I can.”
10. “Tolerance ought only to be a preliminary step which allows us to get to know other people, and which prevents us from setting up bars, just because they may be of a different race or religion. The real value of any relationship is the fact that we learn to like people in spite of our differences.”

ANSWER KEY: 1. Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani female education activist, Nobel Peace Prize laureate.; 2. Alice Walker, novelist, short story writer, poet, social activist.; 3. Serena Williams, Former American Tennis Player; 4. Michelle Obama, Former First Lady; 5. Maya Angelou, Pulitzer-prize nominated poet; 6. Tina Turner, Queen of Rock and Roll; 7. Laverne Cox, American actress and LGBT advocate; 8. Wilma Mankiller, Native American activist, social worker, community developer and the first woman elected to serve as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.; 9. Amy Tan, American author of Chinese heritage, best known for the novel The Joy Luck Club; 10. Eleanor Roosevelt, Former First Lady

For Your Awareness Calendar

March is also: Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month & Gender Equality Month

March 8: International Women’s Day

March 14: Equal Pay Day

March 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

World Down Syndrome Day (WHY DO WE WEAR CRAZY SOCKS?)

March 25: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

March 31: International Transgender Day of Visibility

Dinner & Discussion: Creating Community Through Conversation

The North Ed Culturally Responsive Education Group (CREG) welcomes you to join Dinner & Discussion: Creating Community Through Conversation beginning at 4:30 p.m., Thursday, March 14, at the Filling Station, 642 Railroad Place, Traverse City. These events serve as a time for anyone to join important discussions happening in our schools and communities and learn more about culturally responsive education. March’s theme is Women’s HERstory Month, and we expect to be joined by special guest State Rep. Betsy Coffia.

Check out this flyer for more information. Please consider reviewing the information for our Dinner & Discussion:

• Women Leaders of Culturally Responsive Education
• Lily Singh: A “seat at the table” isn’t the solution for gender equity
• Emily Pilloton-Lam: What if women built the world they want to see?

Here are some questions to consider, that may help guide our conversation:

• Who are the women in your life who have inspired you, and why?  
• What changes can be made in schools to support equity and equality for girls and young women?

Take the Plunge!

The Grand Traverse Bay Polar Plunge is approaching on March 9, 2024! Join your colleagues and take the plunge to raise money for the Special Olympics. There is no cost to register. You are welcome to donate online and/or join the North Ed team here. 

This is not a requirement, and you may choose to participate in the Polar Plunge with other teams, as an individual or not at all, if desired. 

Photo: 2023 Polar Plungers from North Ed

Certification Reimbursement

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is continuing the Certificate Application Fee Reimbursement program. The program has been designed to retain and incentivize early renewals of educators renewing their certificates for the first time between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 13, 2024. There is no need to apply for this reimbursement. The important thing to know is that this program is available until funds are exhausted. Please visit MDE’s Certificate Application Fee Reimbursement website for more information.

Put it on the North Ed Bulletin Board!

Don't forget to check the North Ed Bulletin Board! This webpage is for North Ed staff to share news, events and resources that are informative, create awareness or a caring concern for your colleagues. See below for new items, and click the button to the left to learn more!

• Life Skills Center is accepting donations of new/slightly used gym equipment (baseball mitts, bats, pickleball rackets, etc.) for students.
• The Paul Safina Character and Achievement Scholarship is being set up to support Career Tech students and honor a longtime volunteer.

North Ed NETWORK NEWS

Learn more about North Ed programs, services, students and colleagues in all the latest newsletters linked below!

Link to past Staff Newsletters - Check it Out

Assistive Technology Newsletter - February 2024

Farm to School Newsletter - February 2024

New Horizons Newsletter - February 2024

Find the 2023-24 School Year Calendar HERE

North Ed Text Alerts

North Ed shares important and timely information, such as school closures and urgent news alerts, with our school community via SMS text messaging. Click on the School Closings & Alerts button and follow the steps in the section titled "How We Notify Our School Community" under the Phone heading.

Snow Day Expectations

For complete details on School Closings & Alerts, including how we notify our community of school closures, visit our website.

Business News

New Payroll Email & Reminders

Effective immediately, all payroll-related documents and correspondence should be sent to Payroll@NorthwestEd.org  

A few other Payroll notes/reminders...

For paper timesheets, please remember to:

• Include your first and last name
• Use the correct dates for days being paid
• Record your hours or days
• Total your timesheet
• Submit to your supervisor by Wednesday after payday

Supervisors: UKG Timesheets should be approved by supervisors by noon on Wednesday after payday.

Approved reimbursements are due by Thursday after payday in order to be paid the following Friday. 

Student Loan Repayment

Thank you to the North Ed employees who responded to the survey regarding the Michigan Department of Education’s Section 27k Student Loan Repayment Program, which allocates $225 million to school districts for the purposes of implementing a student loan repayment program for employees. Those who qualify for the program, under legislative eligibility requirements, will receive additional information in the next couple of weeks.

New Employee Assistance Program Available

Feeling stressed or dealing with anxiety? North Ed’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) has free resources for staff and their family members. Our new EAP provider offers staff and their family members a number of support services, including help with mental health, relationships, substance abuse and more.

To learn more, view the EAP documents on the Human Resources webpage of the staff intranet. 

Retirement Planning

Free 2024 Pension & Retirement Seminars

For all Michigan public school employees

Benefit Plans: Basic/MIP/Pension Plus/ Defined Contribution (DC) plans

Location: North Ed Admin Building Conference Center, 1101 Red Drive, Traverse City 49684

Learn about details of what lies ahead as a public school retiree, including health care, pension benefits, retirement savings plans and managing lifetime income. Click on a date below to register. Contact Holly at holly@marsprps.com with questions or for more information.

$500 Referral Bonus Continues

North Ed staff can earn a $500 bonus for successfully referring someone who joins our team for any of the following positions:

• School Social Workers
• Speech and Language Pathologist
• Special Education Teacher
• Teacher Assistant

Due to an ongoing need to fill several positions, this opportunity will remain in place until vacancies are filled. Simply email the name of your referral to Personnel Specialist Vicki Akers. If that person is hired, you will get a $500 bonus in your paycheck.

• Click to see all current job postings (type "North Ed" in search)

Technology Updates

Earn a Digital Badge

Want to earn a badge for learning? We are testing out digital badges for taking our REMC 2C courses in Unified Talent. These digital "stickers" are a .jpeg or .png file that you can download and use in a variety of ways: make a digital sticker board, print them out and display them, and more! We can also design and add badges to courses you are teaching. Contact REMC for more information.

Learning with aiEDU & WiredTC

WiredTC is partnering with aiEDU to provide professional learning opportunities for our local educators around the topic of artificial intelligence (AI). The remaining virtual trainings are from 4-5 p.m. on March 4 & 11. Educators can find more information and a link to register at  www.wiredtc.net.

North Ed TECH HELP

Need help with a technology issue? Try this:

• Research common problems and solutions through North Ed's Help Desk Shared Google Drive.
• Call the Help Desk at 231.922.6307. Leave a message if your call goes unanswered.
• Submit a Help Desk ticket online by clicking the link below.
• Provide feedback or offer comments via the Help Desk Survey instead of responding with a final note of appreciation through the system ticket (which re-opens the service request).

General Interest

NEW SWAG!

The North Ed swag store has been updated and is open 24/7 for purchases. Order direct from our approved supplier. It's easy! Browse the North Ed online catalog!

Website link location:

Other North Ed Brand Resources

Professional Development

Click below to see what is on the docket for March professional learning opportunities!

Staff Resources