ENJOY THE HReminders! A must read each Friday Payday for news and updates from HR. To access previous editions of the HReminders, please click here to visit the DASD website. To access your paystub, please click here to log onto the Employee Access Center (EAC). To access your benefit information, please click here to access the Benefit System.

Due to the holiday this week, we will not have our regular edition of the HReminders on Friday. However, the following is some information that you should know...

PAYROLL NOTES  While Thursday is a holiday and the District is closed on Friday, the pay date is still Friday, November 25, 2016.  For those of you who still receive checks, they will be mailed on Wednesday, November 23, 2016. There is no pick-up option. For those with Direct Deposit, you may access your pay stub on the EAC beginning on November 25, 2016.  iSolved and timecards are due Monday, November 28, 2016.  Please click here for the Direct Deposit Form to enroll in Direct Deposit today and not have to worry about your check being mailed!

THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY  Today, Wednesday, November 23 is a "work collaboration day" for teachers with the work day scheduled from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm. If teachers opt to work through lunch (11:30 1:00) or take lunch at the end of the day, they may leave at 2:00 pm. The same conditions apply to office staff.

 Please be aware that the District offices will be closed Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25. Reminder - beginning November 23 at 6pm through November 27 at 12pm, it is ‘Turn Off and Tune In’. During this time, you will not receive any dasd.org emails. o TIP - Thanksgiving, which marks the unofficial start of the winter season, is tomorrow. Whether you are a guest in someone's home or the host of your own party, remember that the holidays are all about spending time with friends and family. This week, your challenge is to unplug from technology for at least one day. Turn off the television, silence your phone, and quit checking your email every hour. Give your family your undivided attention. Spend quality time with your friends instead of texting them. Unplug from all your screens and fill your day with activities. Choose a day this week that is not imperative to use technology. Tell friends and family, they might even join you!

COMING SOON - NEW BENEFIT Beginning December 1, 2016, the District will offer telemedicine as part of our medical program. Telemedicine is a health benefit provided to you and your family. You can consult with U.S. board-certified doctors over the phone or Internet, from your home, office, or on the road. These physicians can diagnose, recommend treatment, and submit prescriptions to your pharmacy of choice. This benefit is provided at no cost to you. If you participate in DASD’s medical plan, watch out for more information.

DOWNINGTOWN COMMUNITY EDUCATION FOUNDATION The Downingtown Community Education Foundation is looking for teachers who are interested in working with the foundation to offer enrichment programs for elementary, 6th grade center and middle school students after school and/or in the summer. We run 3 program sessions a year – Fall (mid Oct- early Dec); Early Spring (mid Feb – early April) and Summer (two one-week sessions in July). During the school year, the programs are seven two-hour classes – once a week. During the summer, the programs are one week (5 days) three-hour classes. Teachers may teach in any or all three sessions. Teachers from all levels and disciplines are needed to teach these classes. Training will be provided in all areas so even if you don't know the subject area, but if you want to learn a new skill, this is a great opportunity for you. The Early Spring session will begin the week of Feb 13th and run for 7 weeks. It may go through the first week in April if there are any weather related or other school closings. Programs are offered on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays depending on what works best for the school and teacher availability. Elementary and 6th Grade Center programs are 3:30-5:30pm. Middle school programs are 2:45 – 4:45pm. Teachers are paid $700 per session plus an additional $80 to attend a two- hour training session prior to the start of a new program cycle.

Send an email to [email protected] - with your name, what program you want to teach, the school(s) you can get to and what day(s) you are available. Please note, the Early Spring session will be set by the end of November so please send an email to [email protected] if you are interested.

My name is Teresa Gallagher and I have been the district’s Central Office receptionist for the past five years. Prior to that, I subbed throughout the district, worked in the mailroom, and assisted in the Human Resources Department. Before coming to DASD, I worked in the banking industry for over fifteen years. I was born and raised in Philadelphia, lived in Willow Grove for a few years, and eventually settled in Chester County. I have a very diversified job and deal with almost every aspect of district business. A big part of my day is directing individuals to the person (or people) that can handle their situation. Even though I think I’ve heard everything there is to hear, and have been asked every type of question imaginable, somebody always calls and surprises me! My favorite past times are reading, walking on the beach, going to a favorite restaurant for dinner, and spending time with family and friends. I’d like to leave you with one thought: I try to live by Tim McGraw’s song - Humble and Kind.

LIVING WELL @ DASD

Stop everything you're doing and relax! Take a deep breath. Slow down. Remember that the holiday season will be gone before you know it - make sure you enjoy it! Meditation and mindfulness exercises can help keep you calm and relaxed as family and friends begin fill your home. Take some time each day to check in with yourself and gauge your stress level. Try positive self-talk to remind yourself why you look forward to the holidays. Set your priorities, and make sure you put "take care of yourself" at the top of the list.

Make sleep a priority! Getting adequate sleep is critical to both your physical and mental health. It has been shown to boost your immune system and lower your risk of developing heart disease, hypertension, and some cancers. You may be surprised to learn that sleep is strongly tied to your weight. As your hours of shut-eye go down, so does your metabolism, meaning you burn calories at a slower rate. At the same time, your levels of ghrelin, the hormone that signals hunger, goes up. This combination of increased hunger and a slower metabolism can work against you, especially when faced with an employee break room filled with holiday cookies. The first step in achieving a good sleep schedule is to make a commitment to get more sleep. Make sleep a priority over the work, TV shows, and projects that keep you up late. This week, try the following strategies to get a good night's sleep...

Set a schedule and stick to it. Decide what time you need to be up in the morning and count back 8 hours. Take a few nights to adjust to this new bedtime. If you decide to shift your bedtime from 11:00 to 10:00, try going to bed at 10:45 one night, 10:30 the next, and so on until 10:00 is the new normal. Try not to vary your schedule too much on the weekends. Avoid caffeine late in the day. "Late in the day" can mean something different for every person. Decide a caffeine cutoff time, whether it is 1 pm or 4 pm, and stick to it. As for food, avoiding eating too close to bedtime. If you must eat something close to this time, make sure it is on the lighter side. Exercise regularly. Aerobic activity promotes better sleep. As with caffeine and food, be sure to avoid exercising too close to bedtime. This cutoff time will be different for everyone. Turn your bedroom into a sleep sanctuary. Create a calming atmosphere with relaxing colors and materials. Remove all screens and electronics. Televisions, phones, and tablets can all be disruptive to your sleep. Shut out all noise if you need silence to sleep, or play relaxing sounds if you prefer a bit of noise. Establish a routine before bed. Set an alarm in the evening to remind you to get ready for bed. Avoid work or phone calls after this time. Help your body transition into a relaxed, sleepy state by showering, reading, or something similar. Find whatever routine works best for you.

Stressed out by weeknight meals? Take some of the stress out of weeknight dinners by cutting up vegetables and dividing them into plastic containers in advance. This way, the thought of making dinner after a long day at work will not be quite as daunting - most of the preparation and clean-up will already be done for you! (You can also buy pre-cut vegetables from the store, but these tend to be more expensive). For example, instead of only slicing one carrot for a salad on Sunday, slice the rest of the carrots at the same time (since you already have that cutting board out), and use them throughout the week in salads, soups, stir-fry, or smoothies. Keeping chopped vegetables ready at hand will not only make it easier to fit more nutrients into your daily meals, this trick will also free up more time for you to do the things you love.

Press Pause It takes around 15 minutes for your brain to signal to your stomach that you are full. Eating slowly and mindfully helps to avoid eating too much before the feeling of fullness sets in. Try letting some time pass before getting up for seconds, or avoid seconds altogether. If you know you are someone who will always go back for a second helping, try taking a smaller portion the first time you load your plate. Also, research shows that filling a smaller plate instead of using a large plate reduces the white space and will help trick your mind into thinking you ate more than you really did.

Brought to you by Eat Smart, Move More, Maintain, don’t gain! Holiday Challenge. https://esmmweighless.com/holiday-challenge-live/

*NEW* HEALTH ADVOCATE

REMINDER - You can reach Health Advocate by calling 866-799-2728, by emailing [email protected], by visiting the website at https://members.healthadvocate.com/, or by using the Health Advocate SmartHelp App. As always, Health Advocate’s EAP+Work/Life benefits give you confidential assistance 24/7 with personal, family, and work issues, such as grief, loss, depression, stress, burnout, financial and legal issues, addiction, mental illness, etc. In addition to the EAP+Work/Life program, you can also take advantage of the Health Advocacy that provides unlimited access to a highly trained Personal Health Advocate to help you resolve a range of healthcare and insurance-related issues - from finding the right providers and scheduling appointments, to addressing billing and claims issues, and much more!