Delaware County Delaware Intermediate County Intermediate Unit #25 Unit #25 January 2012 A Word From Dr. Larry A Word From Dr. O Shea Inside this issue: DCTS Students Gain Work Experience Greater Safety Awareness Gets Results Don Guanella Students Learn to Tie-Dye Consultation Services to Nonpublic Schools Tech-Connect 5 SAILS Apartment Students Raise Funds for Childhood Cancer 2 3 3 4 6 In the October edition of the, I wrote about our Continuous Improvement Initiative. The initiative revolves around adopting the Baldrige principles for creating high performing, systems-based organizations. One of the tools that the Executive Council and the Administrative Leadership Team (i.e., department directors, principals, and supervisors) have been studying is the application of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). PLCs are defined as a group of educators who are engaged in an ongoing process in which they work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. Their work is focused on student learning, collaborative, data-driven and results oriented. PLCs are committed to continuous improvement of teaching and learning for all students. Members of the administrative leadership team are and will continue to work with all of our work groups to systematically implement the PLC tool at all levels of our organization. They will be modeling effective techniques for carrying out PLC meetings that will enhance the analysis of data and the achievement of our strategic goals, WIGs and dashboard measures of effectiveness. If you are interested in more information on PLCs, Google Rebecca or Richard DeFour or go to O Shea s Corner on the DCIU website to see an article on PLCs published in the journal, Educational Leadership. HR Corner: Health & Wellness Information 7 SAVE THE DATE 2012-13 DCIU Opening Day Thursday, August 30, 2012 Doors open: 7:30 a.m. Program: 8:30 a.m. Springfield Country Club 400 W. Sproul Road Springfield, PA
Page 2 DCTS Students Get Practical Work Experience The Student Support Department at DCTS Folcroft has been working hard to help students gain employment during these challenging times. During this school year, DCTS has secured employment positions for six students in various community settings. The special education teachers are working with the Cooperative Education Coordinator (CEC) to secure positions within DCIU. Our custodial staff currently mentors one student and hired another student from the Materials and Inventory Control program at DCTS-Folcroft. The special education teacher meets with the head of the custodial department on a regular basis to review progress for students working in the building. The teachers work with the CEC by referring students for community placements. The CEC, career and technical instructors, and our special education staff collaborate with students to write resumes, develop templates and prepare for job interviews. They also communicate with district staff and parents to review transition plans and placements. We also have students who have met the goal of completing 75 % of their duty task sheet and who get the opportunity for real life experience within their career choice before they go on to college. Students are required to check in at DCTS bi-weekly to improve their weak areas and identify their strengths. We currently have automotive student, Frank Bogush from Chichester High School, who independently found a job at C & R Diagnostic Center on Chichester Avenue in Upper Chichester. Delaware County Technical High Schools are always looking for community partners to David Faris tracking inventory in Materials and Warehousing Frank Bogush works on PA inspection procedures at C & R Diagnostic Center provide our students with opportunities. If you know someone who may be interested in hiring DCTS students, please contact Barb McGee at 610-583-7620 ext. 299. DCTS Students Win Big at SkillsUSA Competition DCTS is proud to announce the following winners of the recent SkillsUSA competition at the Western Montgomery County Career and Technology Center. First place winners will be representing DCTS at the state competition this April in Hershey, PA: GOLD Quiz Bowl o Vince Giacobello (Wallingford/Swarthmore) o Cliff Rainey (William Penn) o Akili Thomas (Upper Darby) o Nick D Agostino (Southeast Delco) Masonry Pat Close (Garnet Valley) Pre-School Teaching Assistant o Samantha Barrett (Ridley) SILVER Computer Maintenance Technology o Sam Thompson (Springfield) Building Maintenance Technology o James Cleaver (Interboro) Esthetics o Nevada Costa (Interboro) o Erin Harty (Interboro) Masonry o Luciano DiGiacomo (Interboro) BRONZE Cosmetology Kahla McFarland (Upper Darby) Technical Computer Applications o Johnetta Dillon (Upper Darby)
Page 3 DCIU Education Foundation Reminders Please note that all outstanding grant funds from the March 2011 funding cycle must be used by March 2, 2012. Any balances will be written off and returned to the undesignated funds account and used for future awards. For questions or further information, contact Adriene Irving at ext. 2058. Also, anyone applying for grant funds from outside foundations or corporations must complete an External Grant Notification Form and submit it to Adriene Irving. The form is on our website. Greater Safety Awareness Produces Positive Results On July 1, 2011, the responsibilities of the safety committee were transferred to the Human Resources Department. Sean Lilly, Director of Human Resources, with assistance from Eric Demkin, Benefits Specialist, expanded the responsibilities and created a comprehensive safety program. As most are aware, Safety Bingo is an integral part of that program, rewarding teams that have no medical claims. Two recent winners, DCTS Folcroft, and Head Start, Rockbourne Falls, will soon be enjoying their pizza parties. As we are moving toward process improvements and data driven decision making, we have our first look at the results of the new safety program. For the period 7/1/2010 to 12/31/2010 vs. 7/1/2011 to 12/31/11, the cost of claims compared period to period dropped from $198,000 to $79,000. This represents a reduction of 59% equaling approximately $118,000! The cost per claim has also dropped by 65%. On the other hand, overall claims increased from 71 to 82. While disappointing, we understand that heightened awareness often creates higher frequency reporting. Although this is only for a 6-month period, the results are very encouraging. Plans are already underway to improve the program for the 2012-13 school year. Well done, DCIU! Don Guanella Students Get Colorful with Tie-Dye Students in Ms. Amy Rybnik's class participated in a fun, special project with their student teacher, Miss Allisa making tie-dyed shirts! The students spent the afternoon making designs and deciding the different colors for their shirts. The anticipation of what they would look like the next day was overwhelming. In the pictures below, from left to right, Miss Allisa and Tiffany are seen making the tie-dye shirts and Elaine proudly poses with her shirt.
Page 4 Consultation Services Support Special Needs Students in Area Nonpublic The Delaware County Intermediate Unit s Supplemental Education Services Department offers services to nonpublic schools located in Delaware County. These services are provided based upon Pennsylvania Act 89 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. If a child who has been enrolled by their parents in a nonpublic school has a disability, they are entitled to Equitable Participation. This means that the intermediate unit where the school is located will provide evaluations (and reevaluations for identified students) for the students who attend that school. In Delaware County s nonpublic schools, students who are identified with special needs are supported through consultation services provided to the nonpublic school staff. Consultation provides support to teachers in order to help students to be more successful in their school s curriculum. These consultations are provided by a variety of staff. Consultations may include strategies to support skill development in areas such as math, reading, writing, social skills, and executive functions. The intermediate unit s consultants may demonstrate strategies for the nonpublic school staff that would be helpful to address targeted problem areas. The consultants also provide teacher-made visual materials that, for example, help to build organizational skills, promote increased attention and focus, or address student frustration at making mistakes in the learning process. These may be hung in classrooms to serve as helpful reminders for the students. Another area of support is in the purchase of materials for the school. For example, an occupational therapist or teacher consultant may recommend materials to support sensory regulation or help with the development of fine motor skills. This can include adapted materials, such as special pencils or textured paper with raised lines. Other materials provided may include computer software to support independent drill and practice in academic skill areas. The development of organization skills can be supported with materials that may, for example, include color coding to provide additional visual cues. These are some of the approaches to support teachers and students in area nonpublic schools. In the picture are DCIU consultants Nina Krautzel and Dr. Susan Howard working with Jeanmarie Gosseaux, Instructional Support Team teacher at Saint Mary Magdalen School, in Media. Detention Center Students Make and Donate 100 Cancer Ribbon Bookmarks Students at the Juvenile Detention Center are keeping up a tradition, initiated by Valerie Ryan, Detention Center math teacher, of making bookmarks for cancer patients. In the process, they learn about the various types of cancers as they are represented with different color ribbons. Recently, math teachers Diane Andraka and Rachel Stauffer presented Taylor Hospital with over 100 cancer ribbon bookmarks decorated by the students. The students worked diligently and expressed some heartfelt encouragement and messages to the patients, as well as their own loved ones.
Page 5 Tech-Connect January 2012 Published by the Technology Department to provide important information for DCIU staff. Video conferencing Video conferencing (VC) is available at the Morton building. Video conferencing can be a valuable tool in virtual meetings and collaborations while saving the expense of travel. If you find that video conferencing could be a possibility for you, please keep a few things in mind: 1) Room 242 is the primary room for video conferencing. The room holds 24 seats. 2) The VC equipment can be moved around the building, but prep work would be required. To assure a reliable connection, please make sure that you let the IT department know at least one week prior to your conference. To schedule a VC and reserve the equipment, please contact Kevin Melough at ext. 2084. When making the reservation, have the date, time, room number and any and all connection information to the far side. Testing will be required to guarantee connectivity to the remote site, which is why the one-week notice is required. Internet Meetings Skype is also a great tool for virtual meetings and is a free download. On the plus side, it allows video, text, audio, and group chats. The down side is that it is a free service so at times can be unstable. Video is only available as one-on-one, not group, and the video can be small and grainy. Go To Meeting is a webinar tool that you can use to share ideas and documents as well as your desktop. The IU does have a ten-seat license and if interested, please contact Tim Danner at ext. 2044. The plus side is you can share and collaborate on a document as well as share your desktop with the remote side. Also, multiple connections are allowed, and you have the option of using your phone for the audio portion instead of the computer microphone. The down side is it does not support video, so you cannot see your far side. Elluminate We do not have seats for this, but CCIU does have an Elluminate server. The plusses are that it is very stable, most users are familiar with this application, and texting and audio are both available. It is great for breakout rooms and working in small groups while being in different locations. Also, it has many tools to make your meeting very productive, but you need to become familiar with the online document to get good at using it. The downside is that only one person controls the audio at a time and if that person forgets to release the microphone, it locks everyone else out. If interested please contact Tim Danner at ext. 2044. Extended School Year Positions Available The postings for 2012 ESY are on our website under Job Opportunities. Current employees should send a letter of interest via email to personnel@dciu.org. ESY will start on July 9 and end on August 9, 2012. These positions are part time, four days a week, Monday through Thursday.
DELAWARE COUNTY INTERMEDIATE UNIT 200 Yale Ave. Morton, PA 19070 Phone: 610-938-9000 Fax: 610-938-9887 Email: info@dciu.org WWW.DCIU.ORG The HR Department is pleased to bring you this health and wellness information each month on behalf of IBX and HMS and Gallagher/BPI. Small Go Big or Go Home! Most would agree that if you want extraordinary outcomes you have to do extraordinary things. However, success is not always linear nor mathematically reasonable meaning sometimes a different approach has to be taken when the one that seems to make the most sense does not work. Losing Weight, Eating Healthier, and Exercising More have topped the New Year s resolution charts for many years. This news may not come as a surprise, but more than 60% of people who make New Year s Resolutions drop them within six months, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). And, according to other studies only 10% actually reach their goals! While it may seem BIG and BOLD to set your ambitions high by committing to 8 days at the gym, an oxygen diet, and 10 glasses of low fat water each day, it just may not be realistic. If you set smaller goals, accomplish them, then move on to the next small goal you will eventually reach your BIG goal. In fact, research actually proves this. So, for example, if your goal is to lose 25 pounds and your method to accomplish this is going from zero days in the gym to 5 days and from a diet full of unhealthy choices to salads and soy it may be extremely hard to accomplish it when you factor in your other insignificant responsibilities like work, family, sleep, and quality time with your significant other, occasional illness, the list goes on. If you can, great; but it seems like most Americans are failing to do this. So instead, try starting your fitness journey by replacing one unhealthy food or meal from your diet each week for the first month then in the second month start exercising 1 day a week for 30 minutes and add a day every two weeks. It can be whatever you want, but if you have been struggling to achieve your New Year s resolution, go small or go home. An Ounce of Wellness, January 2012, Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc. January is National Cervical Awareness Month Facts About Cervical Cancer: 11% of women in the United States reported that they do not have their Pap test screenings. In the United States, about 11,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year and 4,000+ women die in the USA each year from this disease. A woman who does not have her three-shot prevention vaccine and her regular Pap test screen and HPV test when recommended, significantly increases her chances of developing cervical cancer. High-Risk HPV-types are directly related to cervical cancer, yet many women are unaware of what HPV is or the relationship it has to cervical cancer. Learn more at National Cervical Cancer Coalition (http://www.nccc-online.org/)