From the Flight Deck
December 2017 Staff Newsletter
From Frank
As we approach the holiday season and look forward to some much needed and deserved time away with family and friends, let me express my sincere gratitude for what each of you do in your service to our students. We are halfway through the school yet have accomplished so much in our efforts to ensure our students are growing academically, socially, emotionally and physically. I am honored to serve with you as we continue to make #SycamoreStrong
A couple of quick updates:
Master Facility Planning Phase II: In conjunction with SHP Leading Design, the steering committee has been working hard on putting the finishing touches on how we will engage many groups in the first round of our engagement sessions. We will begin with our internal shareholders such as the Board of Education, booster groups, building and department staffs, advisory groups and student groups. These will begin after the first of the year. Following this, we will embark on the Educational Visioning portion of our process and will continue to expand our outreach. These are exciting times for Sycamore, and I look forward to engaging with our Sycamore Family on this incredibly important topic.
Mental Health Supports: A district team, including teachers, counselors, and psychiatrists, have been collaborating with Mind Peace, an organization that connects mental health providers with school districts to provide support for students in schools. The team interviewed three very strong providers and have selected Children’s Hospital to be our partner. We anticipate bringing this to the Board of Education for approval sometime in January. Concurrently, we will begin the work of partnering with CCHMC to identify staff to provide this support and where to begin to phase in those supports. As I have mentioned, we will begin at the younger grades and work toward support in all our buildings.
Finally, winter is here and hope springs eternal for what our second semester holds. Maybe this small anticipation might help get you through:
Board of Education
Butler Health Plan
Who will get new medical, prescription and dental cards?
- New enrollees to medical, prescription and dental plan will get a new card.
- Current members who made a medical or dental plan option change will get new cards.
- If you received a new card, make sure you show it to your medical provider, pharmacist, and dentist.
- Cards will be mailed at the end of December to your home address on record.
For additional cards or a temporary ID card, contact the provider.
Anthem: 1-855-825-1125 or go online www.anthem.com.
Express Scripts: 1-866-275-0044 or go online www.express-scripts.com.
Delta Dental: 1-800-524-0149 or go online www.deltadentaloh.com.
Mental Health: Promoting Brain Health and Wellness
In the October newsletter, a link to a survey regarding Brain Health & Wellness was shared. The purpose of this survey is to support targeting relevant and personalized learning for staff related to brain health and wellness (i.e. mental health) through professional development across the district. There were 61 individuals who completed the survey, and we would like more voices to be heard regarding this very important topic! Please take a few minutes before winter break to take this brief survey: Brain Health and Wellness. Your input is extremely valuable as we want to ensure that future professional development is relevant to the needs of the district.
Paula Anstaett named Ohio Adapted Physical Educator of the Year!
Music Concerts are everywhere this month.
MT Teacher Kim Hightower is WARM 98.5 Teacher of the Week
Student Loan Relief Benefit
We want you to start saving money on your student loans now, so you have more money to enjoy your holiday season. In partnership with Hamilton County ESC, we are providing a voluntary Student Loan Relief Benefit, powered by ISLoan Solutions. They will educate you and provide options for forgiveness* and refinancing that may help lower, or even eliminate, your student loan payment.
Visit: https://ohioschoolshh17.myisls.com/register
Enter code: OHHH17 to learn more
Join your Hamilton County ESC colleagues who are saving an average of 82% on their monthly payments and are projected to receive an average of $64,184 in tax-free loan forgiveness.
If loan forgiveness makes sense, you will be able to:
- Immediately lower your monthly student loan payment
- Reduce your student loan obligation
- Significantly lower your cost to earn additional degrees
- Receive a personalized 10-year loan forgiveness plan outlining your projected tax-free savings
Changes at the District Office
Kelsey Gash will be joining the Sycamore team January 8, 2018, pending Board approval, as the new Child Nutrition and Wellness Director. Welcome, Kelsey!