ZÜtÑxä|Çx Daviess County Public Schools staff newsletter Aug. 31-Sept. 5, 2015 DCPS Educators attend National ECET2 Four Daviess County Public Schools educators represented our district at the 2015 national Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teaching and Teachers convening in Seattle. Sara Appleby, a language arts teacher at Daviess County Middle School; Holly Phillips, a math teacher at Burns Middle School; Michelle Ruckdeschel, director at Heritage Park High School; and Heidi Givens, teacher of the deaf and hard-of- hearing, attended the ECET2 event in July. The concept for ECET2 began in 2012 when nearly 200 educators from across the country made the commitment to bringing together motivated colleagues and providing a forum in which exceptional teachers can learn from one another and celebrate the teaching profession. We invited two of our participants in the July Heidi Givens, Michelle Ruckdeschel, Sara Appleby and Holly Phillips 2015 event to share their thoughts and expe- represented DCPS at the national ECET2 convening in Seattle. riences with their colleagues through the Grapevine. Their narratives are featured on the following pages. In This Issue DCPS in the Spotlight In addition, DCPS partnered with our sister National ECET2 Convening DCPS Lead and Learn Fellows district, Owensboro Public Schools, in Healthy Lifestyle Tip Rescreenings and Flu Shots hosting a local ECET2 meeting on July 21 Credit Union Corner AESOP: What You Need to Know at Kentucky Wesleyan College. Watch future Certified Appeals Committee Do the Math! Sick Days Pay Off! issues of the Grapevine for photos and Community Partners Send news to information about that event! Familiar Faces in New Places Foundation for DCPS News [email protected] Continued on Next Page DCPS Educators attend National ECET2 By Sara Appleby DCMS Language Arts I have always loved my job. I have always loved creating lessons and relationships with my students. Then I attended ECET2 in Seattle this summer. ‘Powerful’ is the word I use to describe this experience. Powerful because I feel like it is my first year teaching again, and I have so much more to learn and Sara Appleby shared her offer to my students. That love I have Melinda Gates, left, was honored to thoughts in a ‘Why I Teach’ for my lessons and students is now interview Holly Phillips at ECET2 in Seattle. photo booth. Her message: magnified after ECET2. By Holly Phillips “The *moment* a kid recognizes the possibilities of This convening of the country’s most BMS Mathematics what he/she can accomplish!” passionate and talented educators What an amazing experience! Instead of reminded me how powerful our actions asking myself, “What summer break?”, I’m as teachers are each and every day. I was reminded of the responsibility feeling renewed and excited to begin the we have to our students to love them, inspire them, and help them to next school year. I have just experienced my become tomorrow’s leaders. first ECET2 convening in Seattle and let me Within the opening minutes, the keynote speakers shared their personal tell you, not only did I drink the kool aid, stories. I felt connected to these individuals through their open hearts I’m ready to serve it up by the gallon. and passionate tales of their students. “Know your story. Share your From the moment you arrive in the city to story” was a common theme throughout this ECET2 experience. the tearful goodbyes, you are made to feel Collaborating with so many teachers from across the country gave me like a rock star. such insight into my own teaching and leadership opportunities. Our experience started with a welcome Participating in Colleague Circles to solve problems of practice was reception at the Seattle Aquarium, but the such a profound experience for me. Sitting with eight other individuals, celebration didn’t stop there. We had two listening with purpose, and watching a solution formulate within days of informational sessions, wonderful minutes was so motivating. speakers, and several uplifting teacher I found such respect for each new person I met on this journey. stories, which had us laughing and reaching I quickly realized the variety of ways I can exercise my teacher for our tissues. I was one of the lucky few leadership and voice. I also saw the responsibility I have to celebrate that had the opportunity to sit down with others in our profession. Every minute of ECET2 was dedicated to Melinda Gates and discuss some of our showing us how we can have an impact on others in our field. ECET2 amazing work in Daviess County. Kentucky allowed me to make connections with valuable resources across the is a trailblazer in education and the people at country. I felt empowered to share my own stories and ideas. the Gates Foundation love Kentucky teachers. As we begin the new school year, those three days in Seattle are already shaping my classroom. Of course I will implement the lessons I learned I feel like the Gates Foundation is on to from my breakout sessions about student engagement, Design Thinking something amazing. We should be elevating protocol, and teaching with social justice. More importantly, I begin the and celebrating great teachers and teaching new year with a renewed drive to make each day special for my at all levels. We work to elevate and students because they deserve every opportunity possible. ECET2 celebrate students on a daily basis, and it is celebrated me as a teacher and our profession. Now it is my turn to wonderful that someone has taken the time celebrate with my students the gifts ECET2 offered me. and energy to make us feel the same way. What you need to know about managing absences and subs Important Notes: Your ID and PIN numbers for accessing Aesop are as follows: n ID Number (your phone number) n PIN Number (the default is your four-digit employee number pre- ceded by the number 3, but you can change your PIN number) When entering an absence, please wait until you receive a confirmation number before you Penny Courtney terminate the phone call or close your internet browser window. Your transaction is not complete until you receive a confirmation number. Additional Information 1. All employees are required to use Aesop for recording absences (even if no sub is needed). 2. If you want a certain sub, you need to call the sub and As we begin a new school year, please review how to use check their availability, then enter the sub’s name in the Aesop — our system of recording and managing absences Administrator Notes so your administrator will know who and finding substitutes. Aesop service are available to you to assign for you. When subs are acquired in this manner, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can be accessed via mark “sub not required” in Aesop so the absence won’t be Internet and phone. listed as a vacancy needing to be filled. 3. Timesheets and Certified Absence Reports still need to How do I interact with Aesop? 1. You can interact with Aesop on the Internet at be completed as always. A column has been added to http://www.frontlinek12.com/aesop Here, you will be verify an absence has been entered into Aesop. able to enter absences, check your absence schedule, 4. All employees are still required to personally call/notify update personal information, and exercise other features their supervisor regarding absences. such as uploading your lesson plans for substitutes to view We are confident that you will find the Aesop experience online. Additional user information is available online. beneficial and enjoyable. If you have any questions, 2. You can also call Aesop toll free at 1-800-942-3767. concerns, or comments, please contact me by phone or Simply follow the voice menu to enter and manage your email as listed below. Thank you! absences and access other features. We recommend that Penny Courtney you call in to check the computer recording of your name DCPS Sub Support Contact and title. To do this, press Option 4 and follow the [email protected] prompts. (270) 302-2056 “Every truth has four corners. As a teacher, I give you one corner. It is for you to find the other three.” — Confucius Do the Math! Let’s Take a Look ... n Let’s say you are a teacher who starts out with zero years of experience with a Rank III (bachelor’s degree) with no extra duties earns $37,654 a year, which is about $202 a day. n Let’s say you retire in 2041 with 27 years of experience with a Rank I, with no extra duties. At the current salary schedule, you would be making $62,988 a year, approximately $338 a day (based on current pay schedule and in current dollars). n Your payout will be based on your daily rate at retirement in 2041 dollars and on the 2041 pay scale. DCPS Director of Personnel Mark Owens shares this n You could potentially accumulate 324 days over those important information with “new hires” every year, but 27 years. Those days would be valued at $109,512. You the information is relevant to all of us. Take a moment to get 30 percent of that, which is $32,852 ... and that’s if the “do the math” and think about what those unused sick and pay scale is still where it is right now! personal days are really worth! NOTE — When you are sick, take the sick day! n Now let’s say you used 25 percent of your days (three a year) and retire with 243 days remaining.