The W.R.A.P.
News for Café ED(Yo)U
What is the WRAP?
The WRAP is a weekly (usually) newsletter from your team at the GSB.
LEAP into action
In 24 hours, our planet rotates a full 360 degrees.
It rotates 365.242190 times as it makes one revolution around the sun.
Every four years we take that .242190 and make it into an extra day on the calendar. Leap Day.
One of the common questions people like to ask is what are you going to do with your extra day?
My question is instead, why wait to take advantage of that extra .242190?
Each .242190 works out to about 349 minutes a year. Just over 57 seconds extra each day.
Why wait four years when you can take advantage of that 57 seconds today to make the world a better place?
When faced with a struggle or conflict, it takes just a moment to pause, take some deep breaths, regroup, focus, and approach with fresh energies the obstacles or situation ahead of you.
There are a lot of encouraging words and kind smiles that can be spread about the day with an extra 57 seconds.
It only takes a few seconds to share a meme that made you smile or to send a text to a loved one.
A 10-second hug helps the body fight infections, eases depression, and lessens tiredness. A 20-second hug reduces the harmful effects of stress, relieves blood pressure, and ensures a healthy heart. PLEASE LIMIT ANY HUGGING AT WORK TO ONLY CONSENTING PARTIES
That's a whole lot of good that you can put into the world and into your life while still having a few seconds left to play with everyday.
From the Director's Chair: Time Off/Leave
There's no sugar-coating it: Absenteeism is a problem in our department. It is a problem the admin team is diligently working to find some solutions for. The problem isn't universal. Some members of our team have plenty of leave available and rarely miss anytime. But some of you are in "unpaid leave" status, meaning you have no leave left.
Before we go any further it is important to note: extended, medical-based (with appropriate process and documentation) leave will be considered for approval. All other unpaid leave requests will be denied.
We simply cannot hold positions vacant for extended periods of time and place that sort of burden on those who are showing up for work on a regular basis.
At the start of the contract year Flagler Schools employees are given four (4) days of sick leave. Three (3) of these days are considered "In Advance" meaning that you receive a sick day for August, and you are pre-allocated your days for March, April, and May. These days can be used at any time during the school year. However, employees need to realize that they will not earn any additional leave time after February for the remainder of the school year. Some of you have used your "in advance" days and are in danger of having them docked from your pay depending on your future attendance choices.
You can check your status of leave time in Skyward at any time.
Something to ponder, did you know you can be paid for a percentage of your accrued sick leave when you leave Flagler Schools? Article 17 of the FESPA contract outlines specifics. There are different percentages of payout for the length of your service AND whether you resign or have normal retirement (which is also defined in the contract).
As a real-life example: One of our Food Service Worker teammates has 7 years of service with us. They have 165 hours of sick leave saved up in their bank. They are not eligible to retire, yet. However if they resign, they would receive a payout for 45% of their leave...which totals approximately $1,113. That's pre-tax. Another Food Service Worker currently has 282 hours of leave saved up and if they left today, they would receive a check for $4,230 according to their personal situation.
Summer Options
While we are still on this side of Spring Break, it's not too early to start thinking about summer plans! For anyone interested in working over the summer, please fill out the following form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OS_Sg2IsTJkzb4dM2A_jYA4gnqyqisXWfTXO-c0h8XI/edit?ts=65dcdee9
CEU Payments
If you have completed your CEUs for the year and would like to get paid for the time spent, make sure you get your certificates to Emily by February 29th so you can get paid on the 30th of March!
Any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to Emily.
NSBW Primer
National School Breakfast Week is next week!
Decorations should be going up soon if you haven't already started!
Matthew and other members of the Admin team will be out and about that week, and Matthew will be doing a Facebook Live at each school. Please note the schedule change
Monday: ITMS and BTES
Tuesday: BuddyWorth
Wednesday: RES
Thursday: MHS and OKES
Friday: FPC and BES
If you are going to have your staff dress in the T-Shirts some ordered or in other theme attire, please plan to do it the day Matthew will be there.
Evaluation Evolution with Emily
The new platform, Perform is designed to streamline the evaluation process, providing both employees and managers with a user-friendly interface for submitting and reviewing performance assessments. We believe that this change will contribute to a more transparent and comprehensive evaluation experience. We understand that adapting to a new platform may come with questions or concerns. Feel free to reach out if you have any queries or need clarification.
As always you are encouraged to provide feedback on the new platform after completing your evaluations. This will help us make any necessary improvements for future evaluations.
We appreciate your cooperation in making this transition smooth and successful. The staff evaluations play a crucial role in recognizing achievements, setting goals, and fostering professional development. Thank you for your commitment to excellence, and we look forward to a productive evaluation period.
Harvest(s) of the Month
Feb 28th Harvest of the Month is Brussel Sprouts. Brussel sprouts are rich in Vitamin K (91% DV) which is necessary for blood clotting and bone health.
Happy Birthday Florida!
To celebrate the birthday of our state, we are serving Dick & Jane States & Capitals Cookies this Friday, March 1st.
Craig's Corner
FFAVORS is back! Orders are due Thursday Feb 29th, for next week. First delivery is March 6th!
Black Beans Update: We will be able to get these on the BEK order guide AFTER we have used the commodity black beans. Please make sure we are sharing excess amongst our schools to use these up evenly and quickly!
Dates to Know
March 4-8: National School Breakfast Week
March 18-22: Spring Break
April 1st: Non-professional evals due
April 10-11: FSNA Lead Summit
May 3: National School Lunch Hero Day