All Things Business
November 2021 Edition
The Case for Professional Development
In any one of the hundreds of the different jobs in our district, being competent in that job not only brings job satisfaction, but it also brings opportunities for advancement within the district. A key component to being competent in any job is regular, pertinent, and engaging professional development. Competence is a function of training, effort, talent, and ability. From a management perspective, competent employees provide consistently reliable results in whatever work they do for the district. Employees who engage in professional development opportunities make fewer mistakes, and usually catch those that are made. They work efficiently and get more done in fewer hours and often with fewer resources. Whatever career goals you have within our district, create a professional development plan that will help you achieve those goals!
Brian J. Murray, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent, Business Services
Facilities, Planning and Development
Maintenance & Operations
Alen BreatheSmart 75i HEPA Purifier
(No UV, Certified Ozone Safe, Medical-Grade Filtration)
These are the units purchased for all classrooms across the district.
The Color Ring around the Power Button indicates the air quality being measured by the particle sensor.
Blue - Very low level of airborne particles detected
Green - Low level of airborne particles detected
Orange - Medium level of airborne particles detected
Red - Significant level of airborne particles detected
Purple - Significant level of airborne particles detected
Staff Corner
FISCAL SERVICES STAFF MEMBER INTRODUCTION
Lesley Murray is the featured Fiscal Services employee for October 2021. Lesley is our Accounting Supervisor. Her team handles accounts payables, receivables, cash receipts, insurance billing and developer fees. Lesley started this position in January 2020 when she promoted from General Fund Accountant. Lesley has been a PSUSD employee since September 2014.
Lesley grew up in 29 Palms and currently lives in Yucca Valley. She received her BS from the University of Toledo and her MA from Long Beach. Lesley started her accounting career in public accounting with aspirations of having her own CPA firm. Fortuitously for PSUSD she found her way to governmental accounting as our General Fund accountant. She does miss the frequent calls she would get from the sites when she was supporting the General Fund but she really is enjoying her new position.
Outside of work, Lesley is busy with her son Liam and partner Chris. They are active in the Yucca Valley community and organize an annual fundraising event. If you are interested in attending the Mesa Fest just contact Lesley for more information.
Here is a great picture of her family.
PSUSD Welcomes New First Student Location Manager
I am pleased to announce that Michael Robinson has joined the First Student team as location manager here in Palm Springs. Michael comes to us with excellent experience that will help us drive the Palm Springs location and Inland Empire Region in achieving the highest standards. Michael spent 15 years with First Student from 1996-2011 where he was a Contract Manager. More recently, Michael took on the challenging, fulfilling, and honorable role of caring for his aging mother. While making great personal and professional sacrifices by orchestrating and fulfilling her myriad of healthcare, household, personal and psychological needs, to ensure she was afforded end of life dignity, safety, security, and love. Michael holds an associate degree in hospitality and tourism with highest honors. He has also held a board member position with Children’s Miracle Network, along with memberships in the Oregon Pupil Transportation Association and California Pupil Transportation Association. Please join me in congratulating Michael and welcoming him back to our First Student team.
Nutrition Services
PSUSD’s wellness program has had the privilege of being awarded two grants this school year. The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) focuses on creating healthier school environments by providing healthier food options. FFVP actively provides fresh fruits and vegetables at three elementary school sites. At recess our team offers a fresh snack grown by our local farmers. Although our students receive fruits and veggies through our lunch program, FFVP allows our students a greater access to fresh food choices. We are also providing nutrition education to our participating elementary schools through the school site’s monthly newsletter.
Our second grant is known as Farm to School, also known as Farm to Fork. This grant works to improve our student’s access to locally grown produce. Components of this grant include instructional visits from our farmers, produce boxes in the classroom, farmer’s markets, and when feasible a fieldtrip to visit one of our local farms. This week, October 26th we held our first instructional visits at Rancho Mirage High School (RMHS). Farmer Mark Tadros from Aziz Farms in Thermal, CA took two classes on virtual visits to his Medjool date trees. Via zoom, he taught us all about how a Medjool date is grown. Aziz Farms also provided our students with produce boxes, in which I discussed with the classes the multiple benefits of the fresh items given to them. We hope to positively impact our student’s present and future health.
Thank You,
Sarah Phelps
Manager, Nutrition Services
Up and Coming in Purchasing Warehouse and Repro!
We are officially saying goodbye to Martha Quintana as she will be retiring in December!
Furniture Replacement – Starting with Nellie Coffman middle school and other schools will follow. Replacement of old furniture will be funded through June 30, 2023, and purchasing has a timeline and inventory information of the oldest furniture.
Bid documents have been updated and are working with Facilities to bid out projects for Palm Springs High School and the modernizations that are upcoming at Della Lindley.
Reprographic continues to enhance the digital storefront. A shout out to the Repro staff for processing over 1,300 orders within a two-day work period.
Warehouse continues to deliver, deliver, and deliver. We are still processing technology orders for monitors and chrome books.
Thank you for your continued patience and lead times and delays are now the normal.
FRIENDLY REMINDER
PLEASE REMEMBER TO TURN YOUR CLOCKS BACK ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2021 AT 2 AM
Here are some interesting things about daylight saving time.
1. Although this event is often referred to as “daylight savings time,” (the plural form of “saving”) the correct name for daylight saving time.
2. Ancient civilizations including Ancient Rome and the Mayans, practiced a similar event where they would adjust the time to the sun’s behavior. Their lives depended mainly on agriculture, therefore the ability to predict and measure the sun’s activity was vital for their productiveness.
3. In 1918, as the United States continued their involvement in World War I, the purpose of daylight-saving time was to conserve fuel by reducing the need the use artificial lighting.
4. Daylight saving time was not observed nationally again until World War II. But it was repealed three weeks after the WW II ended. Time Magazine called the affair to a “chaos of clocks.”
5. Countries closer to the equator do not observe daylight saving time because they do not need it. Their daylight hours do not vary enough across seasons.
6. The cornerstone of daylight saving in the United States since 1915 is the Chamber of Commerce on behalf of small business and retailers. The Chamber presumed that if you give workers more sunlight at the end of the day, they would be more likely to stop and shop on their way home.
7. Daylight saving time activates at exactly 2 a.m.
Enjoy you extra hour of sleep! Your Energy Team
Contact us...
Email: kmurphy4@psusd.us
Location: 150 District Center Drive, Palm Springs, CA, USA
Phone: 760-833-2710