Superintendent's Message:
Dear Staff,
Last year I did
a series of presentations entitled
Kyrene at a Crossroads. The idea for those began with a
historical examination of the eras that Kyrene has gone though over the
course of our 125 year existence. As we analyze current issues and
develop viable solutions, it is most useful to understand the foundation
or root causes because often times a current issue is merely a symptom
of a deeper problem. Some people refer to this as “peeling back the
onion.” This ongoing work is both fascinating and rewarding as we
continue to develop a culture of collaborative, respectful and trusting
relationships.
As I reflect on
what is happening at the state and national levels, I have great concern
that many people are focused on surface level issues instead of deeper,
underlying problems. I do not pretend to understand the complexities of
everything that is going on, but do sense a greater public interest and
dialog about participating in government and asking the hard questions.
I do hope we can all be more actively involved because there is so much
work that needs to be done. We are impacted as a school district
greatly by what is happening in Washington D.C. and our own state
capitol. We all need to do our part!
As the school
year continues to wind down, I hope you can keep that very important
“balance” in your life to stay healthy! I have a new dog that is
getting me to take long walks and trips to the dog park! That is one of
the things that helps me get my mind off the work. Make sure you have
something like that, too!
David
District News
Employee Benefits
Open Enrollment
ALL
benefits eligible employees must go online
to enroll or waive employee benefit plans with Kyrene between April
28th-May 16th, 2008 at 4:30 pm, through the iVisions self-service
portal for the 2008/2009 school year. We also need your waiver if you are
not electing benefits, so please go into the portal to mark your waivers.
Benefits open enrollment packets were mailed out to home addresses last
week with the Instruction Letter. Even if you do not yet have a contract
for 2008/2009 or if you are on leave of absence, please go online to
enroll or waive benefits for 2008/2009.
If your
eligibility for benefits changes after the benefits enrollment is closed
on May 16th, we will review your positions following open enrollment,
but please go online between April 28th and May 16th, 2008 to enroll or
waive as of your current year benefits status. If you need more
information, please contact the Benefits Department at (480) 783-4105 or
via email to Deb Spurgin, Yvonne Long or Tony Walker.
MAG Regional School Crossing Guard Training Workshop
Please encourage
your crossing guards who are returning next year, and any crossing guard
new hires that you employ over the summer, to attend the MAG Regional
School Crossing Guard Training Workshop. We must register for the
workshop in mid-July, so we will need to know how many employees each
school plans to attend by July 17.
Please send the
names of the attendees to Kris Hodgkins, in HR, by Tuesday, July 10.
The 3 hour 2008
School Crossing Guard Workshop will be held on Friday, August 8, 2008
from 9am to 12pm at the Mesa Convention Center. The cost of this
workshop is free, and Kyrene will pay each employee who attends this
workshop their hourly wage. Sites will need to submit a performance
contract PAR and the employees will need to submit a timecard for this
training.
Thanks for your
attention to this matter.
Mark
Educators: Improve your Communication Skills with Spanish-speaking People
Central Arizona College is sponsoring its annual Spanish immersion trip
to the beautiful mountainous city of Cuernavaca, Mexico. The trip will run
for two 14-day sessions: June 1st through 14th 2008 and/or June 15th
through 28th 2008
Students partake in this wonderful experience by attending five hours of
Spanish courses daily with native instructors in small class sizes.
Students will also stay with incredible Mexican families during the 2
weeks who offer the student intense language practice and a full cultural
experience.
A
number of cultural excursions will also be included to places like the Sun
and Moon pyramids, Aztec ruins, Mexico City, Taxco, Tepotzlan and other
fascinating sites. The college will give 3 credits for each 14-day
session. A number of teachers and school faculty from Pinal County have
participated in the past and greatly benefited from the program.
If
interested in finding out more information about this opportunity, please
contact Spanish professor John Prevost, who will send a no-obligation
descriptive brochure to you. John will be leading the group during this
trip and can answer any questions you may have along the way. Contact John
Prevost at
john.prevost@centralaz.edu or telephone 520-494-5386.
Kyrene Kids Club Employee Only Camp will not be offered in July 2008
In
response to Kyrene employees, for the past two years, Kids Club piloted
a camp for employees during the week prior to school. We experienced
some success in terms of meeting employee childcare; however, the
program tuition paid did not cover costs, and some of our employees were
unable to receive valuable planning and training time. In addition,
this summer (July 28-August 1, 2008) we are lacking space due to school
construction projects. As you know, several schools are undergoing
major construction projects this summer (and on into the fall). One
result of these projects is a very limited amount of Department of
Health Services Licensed space in which Kids Club may operate. In the
future, when we can logistically offer the camp in licensed space with a
higher daily tuition rate, we will assess employee need and again
consider the option to offer the program.
While we
understand and value the need for quality childcare to be offered during
the week before school starts, Kyrene Kids Club is not able to meet that
need this year. While the employee only camp will not be offered, Kids
Club staff will be working to prepare for a smooth transition from
regional camps offered in the summer to school year program locations,
receiving a series of trainings, and setting up programs in preparation
for the school year to begin. If you need help finding alternative
childcare during the last week of July, please contact Child Care
Resource and Referral at 1-800-308-9000 or online at
www.arizonachildcare.org.
Summer 2008 Professional Development Workshops (Offered by Kyrene
Curriculum & Assessment and Technology Departments)
There are still spots available in some workshops. Sign up soon!
During summer
2008 there will be a variety of offerings for professional growth that
meet many needs and many schedules. The Curriculum & Assessment
Department and the Technology Department will be offering a number of
outstanding workshops for teachers and administrators. As in past years,
the Curriculum & Assessment Department is committed to providing quality
professional development to Kyrene teachers and will once again host a
number of workshops provided by national and state experts. The
department selects the experts to bring to Kyrene based on feedback from
Kyrene teachers and administrators. It will be a summer filled with
enriching educational opportunities that you won’t want to miss!
To
register for a workshop, go to KIP
http://www.kyrene.org/kip/ to enroll.
Employee Appreciation Reception
Please join us
for refreshments and socializing as we honor our fellow employees for
their dedicated service to the Kyrene School District. We will be
recognizing employees who are retiring or reaching a milestone year with
the District. This event is hosted by the Kyrene Governing Board, KEA,
KESPA and KAC, and will be held at the Furlong Center from 4:30-6:00 pm
on Thursday, May 15. Food and gifts are provided by the Kyrene
Community Foundation. See the following link for a list of those who
will be honored.
List of employees
that will be honored
On-Site Opportunity Available at Monte Vista!
Live on the Chandler/Ray loop for $775/month - including utilities!!
Live in
Ahwatukee for less than the surrounding area apartments are asking!
Kyrene offers a unique employment benefit program known as On-Site. Most
schools employ an On-site to live on the school campus in either an
apartment or a trailer (Monte Vista has a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom
apartment.) Part of the employment agreement is that the On-site
performs a daily check ensuring the school is secure and that the alarms
are set. For performing these checks, the On-site is paid $12/hour (or
$18/hour when overtime applies!) for up to four hours per week. Kyrene
employees who are interested in the position can apply
online or obtain an application at the Furlong Center.
Verizon Wireless Offer
All new
AND EXISTING Verizon Wireless customers can get 15% off their phone bill
and 25% off accessories by registering their phone number and work
location with Verizon. They simply enter their info and the discount will
start being applied to the next bill.
The link
they need to go is:
https://b2b.verizonwireless.com/tbmb/rylEnterEmailAddress.do
When
registering, you will get a confirmation email that says the discount was
applied because they are an employee of “Phoenix
Elementary School District”… THIS IS OK. According to Verizon, all valley
school districts are registered under this designation.
Press
Releases sent April 19-May 1
Kyrene de la Paloma Summer Program
Kyrene de la Sierra Water Bottle
Drive
Kyrene Aprende Science Award
Kyrene School
Community Foundation Business Mixer
Akimel A-al Holocaust Guest
Speaker
Kyrene de la Sierra Celebrates Space Day
School News:
Altadena
Congratulations
to Will Norris and his 8th grade Altadena Band for receiving
a Superior with Distinction award at the April Band Festival.
Ninos
Tuesday, May 6th
Kyrene de los Niño’s Elementary will celebrate 25 years of service to
the community with an evening of fun and entertainment. Principal Ana
Gomez del Castillo and the Niños Staff invite current and former
students, teachers and administrators to the school’s Silver Anniversary
that will feature Mariachis, 5th grade performance and Cinco
de Mayo Dancers. Parents and visitors will be able to enjoy student art
and student technology projects. The event runs 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
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