Birdneck Briefing
Week of Oct 15
A2: Week of Oct. 15
Week A2 90 Minute Math Collabs grades 1-5 and 60 minutes for Kindergarten
October- Disability Awareness Month
Oct. 16 - Fall Picture Day (cafeteria)
Oct. 16 - Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night 5:00-8:00pm on General Booth Blvd.
Oct. 17 - Author visit Grade 1
Oct. 18 - Earthquake drill at 10:18 on 10/18
Oct. 18 - Staff happy hour rescheduled
Oct. 19 - Grade 1 Gifted Screening
Oct. 19 - Kindergarten Fieldtrip to Farmers Market (Putt, Thoms, Scott)
Oct. 20 - Saplings Fieldtrip
Oct. 25 - Myles Henderson from WTKR visiting with Grade 2
Oct. 24 - Grades 4 and 5 TLLT training
Oct. 25 - Grades 2 and 3 TLLT training
Oct. 26 - Trunk or Treat at Chuck E. Cheese
October 26 - Grades K and 1 TLLT training
Oct. 31 - Kindergarten Field Trip to Farmers Market (Chapman, Luttrell, Stepnowski, Bargnesi, Valeriano)
Nov. 6 - Staff Day, and Virtual Learning Day Schools closed to students
Wednesday, November 21- Adjusted Dismissal
Thursday and Friday, November 22 and 23- Thanksgiving Holidays Schools closed
This is your Captain Speaking!
Hello Birdneck Family,
Thank you all for taking part in our professional development on cultural awareness on Monday. Below I've shared a video of Verna Myers discussing ways to overcome biases. Keep in mind that while there may be subconscious biases that we may have or that others have of us, we can work to embrace differences in a positive way and help guide our students to make good decisions and opinions of others. Please take the time to watch the video below. I thought it was powerful.
Pizza Bingo will be rescheduled for next Friday (Oct., 15) We will need volunteers to be sure this night is successful. We had 300 expected and sold 100 pizzas so hopefully all will be able to join us again. It means a lot to our community to see staff at these events. If you are able to join us and even bring you own family that would be great. Remember.... We are BIRDNECK and we are FAMILY!
BIRDNECK MISSION
Mission: We build relationships to encourage, inspire and empower students and each other to meet the challenges of today and to foster the love of learning.
BIRDNECK VISION
Vision: We are dedicated to nurturing an inclusive environment to ensure engaging, student-centered learning resulting in confident independent learners.
External Professional Learning Opportunities
The purpose of this memo is to share a resource for staff to learn about external, non-division sponsored professional learning activities. A Schoology group has been created to be a convenient, single point of distribution for events, courses and other learning activities from external educational institutions and organizations. The information posted in this group is intended to be a service to staff to make them aware of opportunities and should be evaluated for relevance and value by interested individuals. These activities are external and not funded or sponsored by the division.
The group is open to all staff and is named External Professional Learning Opportunities for VBCPS Staff. Interested staff members may join by clicking this link, https://vbschools.schoology.com/group/1864847546 and then the Join Group button.
Staff may also access and join the group by following these steps in Schoology:
1.Click on Groups.
2.Click on My Groups.
3.Click on Join Group.
4.Enter the access code CB2FQ-RZJ28.
Shout Outs!
If you would like to give a SHOUT OUT to a colleague, it is as simple as sending an email to RV to be added to our Shout Outs each week!
Shout out to Alpha Keels for checking on our building bright and early Friday morning and made sure the fallen trees blocking the school entrance were taken care of.
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Multiple staff have family members, who have been struggling with health concerns recently. Please keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers.
Please Keep Abbe Juer and Cara Slevin's families in your prayers for losing loved ones recently.
Keep Krista Williams was in a car accident and is sore but seems to be doing okay according to social media. Please keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers.
Open Enrollment is Oct. 1 through Oct. 24 at 5 p.m.
Open Enrollment is Oct. 1 through Oct. 24 at 5 p.m. This is the annual opportunity for staff to review and make changes to benefits and covered dependents. It is required that staff elect or re-elect the following benefits through the BENEFITFOCUS platform during Open Enrollment to have coverage in 2019: health, dental, legal, identity theft protection, health savings account, health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts. (Please note: any other benefit plans do not require re-election.)
The Consolidated Benefits Office (CBO) is available to assist staff in enrolling and understanding their 2019 benefits at the following events:
The VBO is offering two Vendor Fairs. These will be fun and informative with a chance to win an iPad with an Apple Pencil, gift cards and more. CBO staff will be available at the vendor fairs that speak Spanish and Tagalog for those who need translation services.
- Thursday, Sept. 20 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Building 19
- Saturday, Sept. 22 (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) Plaza Annex•
- Extended Office Hours: Oct. 1 – 23 (8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday-Friday) Consolidated Benefits Office at Plaza Annex (641 Carriage Hill Road, 23452)
- Enrollment Assistance Events: Oct. 3 (7-11 a.m.) Public Utilities (Dam Neck) Oct. 10 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Building 19
For more information on Open Enrollment visit the Consolidated Benefits Office intranet site or review the Open Enrollment Guide, which is being mailed to staff this month. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Linda Matkins in the Consolidated Benefits Office (263-6917). Thank you. ec: Aaron C. Spence, Ed.D., Superintendent
Marc A
Annual Mandatory Employee Traning: AMET
Training is now open and the deadline for training will be February 15, 2019.
Check your email for the attachment of information on how to use and access the VBCPS Annual Mandatory Employee Training Program. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Steve LePock in the Office of Risk Management (263-2460). Thank you.
Beach Girls Rock
The Beach Girls Rock! (BGR), a leadership empowerment series for girls in grades 5-8 in VirginiaBeach City Public Schools (VBCPS) since 2013, will host its first workshop of the year Saturday,Nov. 17, at Princess Anne High School from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The workshops are designed to give girlsthe opportunity to focus on leadership skills, college-career readiness and interpersonal skills as well as,elementary to middle and middle to high schools transitions. Parents or guardians are welcomed toparticipate in the parent-focused breakout sessions which occur concurrent to student breakout sessions.While there is no cost, it is recommended that elementary school principals limit fifth-grade girls’invitations up to 10 girls. There are several elementary schools and 14 middle schools. Staff wants to
ensure that we are able to accommodate all participants.
The student registration form and registration process as well as the BGR poster are attached. A printedcopy of the poster will be made available to each elementary and middle school and hosting high schoolfor display. Principals are asked to help publicize the event through the selection of students at theelementary level, recruitment of students at the middle school level, morning announcements, websites, school newsletter, Parent Teacher Association newsletter and other materials sent home to parents/legal
guardians.
Registration for the first BGR will open the week of Oct. 1. The registration link is only accessible to thefollowing school staff members: school administrators, office associates, school counselors and schoolactivity coordinators. Selected VBCPS school staff may register students for the workshop by inputtingthe registration form information using the Beach Girls Rock SharePoint link at: https://www.vbcps.com/sites/OTS/bgr/SitePages/Home.aspx. Once on the link, click on new item, add the student’s information, parent’s information (if applicable) and then save. Once the student is registeredonline, the process is complete. Student information on the online link will be used to prepare for the workshop.
Please direct questions about Beach Girls Rock Empowerment Series Workshops to Dr. LaQuiche Parrott at 263-1218 or LaQuiche.Parrott@vbschools.com. Thank you.
Sick Leave Bank
Join our PTA
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Join the PTA! Our goal is to have 100% Staff participation!!!!!!!!!
Support Birdneck Elementary students by joining the PTA. Don't miss out on the benefits from joining the PTA. Receive over $300 in savings... all for just $5 for a membership. Check out the PTA website at http://birdneckpta.weebly.com/
Safe Schools Week
This observance is also actively supported by local, state and national public officials and professional organizations. Virginia Beach City Public Schools will observe these dates to again highlight and reinforce school safety. In appreciation of their important contributions to school safety, Wednesday, Oct. 24, is designated as School Resource Officer and Security Assistant Day. (Officer Swartz and Mrs. Hinson)
Please help us to celebrate their hard work. To obtain additional information on America’s Safe Schools Week, please go to the National School Safety Center website, at http://www.schoolsafety.us/safe-schools-week.
Beach Employee Wellness (BEWell) support services
To ensure all staff are knowledgeable of available Beach Employee Wellness (BEWell) support services, the Office of Consolidated Benefits requests education on Critical Incident Response services and Employee Assistance Program and Work-Life services.
Critical Incident Response (CIR) services are a highly specialized individual and group session services designed to minimize the negative emotional and psychological impact of traumatic events. A CIR can begin as soon as two hours after the initial request and are available to all school sites with approval by appropriate CIR contact list personnel. The goal of the CIR is to enhance participants’ ability to transcend workplace trauma and resume focused and productive work activities. Utilizing CIR services make an immense difference to employees’ recovery process in the face of a crisis. Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Work-Life Services (WL) through Humana, are available to provide FREE and CONFIDENTIAL support to ALL School employees (full-time, part-time and temporary). Services are available, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Employees are happier and more productive when personal needs are being met, and when work and personal lives are in balance.
-EAP offers short-term in-person and telephonic-based counseling with a licensed counselor. Up to five in-person sessions per concern per year. Referrals are issued for longer-term concerns and additional benefits as appropriate.-WL offers services and resources that help with everyday needs. Humana assess the employee’s needs and then researches to provide referrals and resources that meet budget and requests.
Senior Staff, All Principals/Assistant Principals, All Executive Directors
-Supervisor Referral – In addition to offering assistance to employees and members oftheir households, Humana offer services and resources that are specifically designed toaid directors, supervisors, and human resource professionals with employee-related andpersonal concerns. Please note: In the case of a referral, Humana will only report backto the referring supervisor that the employee attended the session(s). Please seeattachment for more information.
-Humana professionals are bound by confidentiality laws and professional ethics. They donot report to BEWell and/or Virginia Beach City Public Schools on individual cases.Personal information about employee and household members remains confidentialaccording to all applicable state and federal laws.
If further information and/or clarification is needed, please contact, Matt Herman, consolidated benefits office, BEWell program, 757-263-6918 or matthew.herman@vbschools.com. Many thanks for your assistance.
BIRDNECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BIRDNECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Twitter@BNESeagles
BIRDNECK MISSION
Mission: We build relationships to encourage, inspire and empower others to meet the challenges of today and to foster the love of learning.
BIRDNECK VISION
Vision: We are dedicated to nurturing an inclusive environment to ensure engaging, student-centered learning resulting in confident independent learners.
BIRDNECK BELIEFS
We believe in a collaborative community in which teachers, administrators, students, and parents work together for student success.
We believe in creating a safe, nurturing, and positive environment in which all students can strive for excellence and achieve their individual potential.
We believe we will prepare our students for success by providing 21st century learning and developing within our students critical thinking, effective communications and problem solving skills.
Website: http://www.birdneckes.vbschools.com/
Location: 957 South Birdneck Road, Virginia Beach, VA, United States
Phone: 757-648-2120