January 15, 2016 ebulletinboard Archive
ebulletinboard is e-mailed on pay dates in August - May (except during extended holidays) to all employees to inform you about events, workshops and other matters of interest. Principals and other location supervisors should post one copy for employees who do not have e-mail. Editions are archived for reference.
AWARDS/APPLICATIONS/CONTESTS/GRANTS
All K-12 EDUCATORS
Scotts Miracle-Gro GRO1000 Grassroots Grant – Grants of up to $1,500 are available for the creation of green spaces, nature trails, or edible gardens. Projects must promote health and wellness, donate any harvest yields, and be developed with a commitment to expansions and/or sustainability. To access the online application, click HERE. Deadline: February 22, 2016. Audience: K-12 educators. Contact: Lisa Finley, Grant Writer, 355-3113.
All K-5 EDUCATORS
Lily Sarah Grace Foundation – Foundation is awarding grants of up to $450 for teacher-initiated projects in Title 1 schools that foster an arts-infused approach to inquiry-based learning. Projects should incorporate the five C’s – community, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and communication. The online application and grant criteria are available HERE. Deadline: April 1, 2016. Audience: K-5 educators. Contact: Lisa Finley, Grant Writer, 355-3113.
All 9-12 EDUCATORS
Vans Custom Culture Art Competition – Competition involves designing, decorating, and completing four original shoe works of art based on four different themes: Action Sports, Music, Art, and Local Flavor. Top 50 submissions advance to a voting phase with the top five schools advancing to a final event. Winning school receives $50,000 for its arts program. No purchase required. Additional rules and registration form are HERE. Register by February 12, 2016. Winners announced in June. Audience: High School Educators. Contact: Lisa Finley, Grant Writer, 355-3113.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
ALL EDUCATORS
Informational Session on the AA/AP Pool Process - Greenville County Schools will host two informational sessions for candidates who are interested in applying for the Assistant Principal/Administrative Assistants’ Pool. Qualified candidates must be certified in administration to be in the AA/AP pool. The informational sessions will be held on Monday, January 25 or Tuesday, February 2. The sessions will be held at MT Anderson in Conference Room A from 4:30-5:30. Attendance is not required at one of the sessions to apply for the AA/AP pool. If you are interested in attending, please sign up on the portal. Audience: All Educators. Contact: Patty Fox, Human Resources, 355-3173.
Fisher Middle School Accepting Teaching Applications for 2016 -2017 - Fisher Middle School will add an eighth grade class for the 2016-17 school year and is currently accepting teacher resumes in all academic areas. If interested, please send a letter of interest, resume and copy of your SC teaching certificate to phinnizefisherjobs@greenville.k12.as.us. The tentative deadline is January 29, 2016; however, resumes will be accepted until all positions have been filled. There will be a teacher information session on Thursday, January 21 from 4:30 – 5:30 in the Fisher Middle School cafeteria. Audience: All Educators. Jane Garraux, Principal, 452-0800.
Click HERE for Human Resources Home Page
NOTICES/REQUESTS
ALL EMPLOYEES
Open Enrollment/Insurance Payroll Deductions on January 15, 2016 Paycheck - Insurance coverage elected during open enrollment became effective on January 1, 2016. Even if you made no changes, you may see different deduction amounts. Dental Plus premiums increased and Supplemental Long Term Disability and Optional Life insurance premiums could change due to salary and age bracket changes. Please review your insurance deductions on your online paystub and contact benefits with any questions or concerns. Audience: All Employees. Contact: Benefits, 355-0960.
New Health/Drug Insurance Cards – PEBA/Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) has issued new health insurance cards. If you have not received your card(s), call BCBS Customer Service, 800-868-2520. Express Scripts is the new administrator of the prescription drug plan. Introductory packets, including a drug card, were mailed to all subscribers. If you have not received your packet, you can call 855-612-3128 or you can register on the Express Scripts website, www.expresscripts.com, and print a temporary id card. When registering on the website, you will need your insurance member id#. The number is listed on your PEBA/BCBS insurance card; only use the numeric portion of the ID. Audience: All Employees. Contact: Benefits, 355-0960.
New PEBA Website – The South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA) launched a new website, www.peba.sc.gov. The new site combines the insurance website (www.eip.sc.gov) and retirement website (www.retirement.sc.gov) into one consolidated agency site. Members have access to their individual information via My Benefits for insurance information and Member Access for retirement information. Audience: All Employees. Contact: Benefits, 355-0960.
Preventive Health Benefits – Did you know that the PEBA health plan offers increased preventive health benefits at no cost through network providers? PEBA Perks include diabetes education, preventive screenings for high blood pressure and cholesterol, colonoscopy, adult vaccinations, flu vaccine, and no-pay copay (free generic drugs) for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, congestive heart failure, and diabetes. To find out more about PEBA Perks, visit www.PEBAperks.com. Audience: All Employees. Contact: Benefits, 355-0960.
State Health Plan Secure Mobile Messaging Service – When you opt into this service – which is a free feature of your health plan – you’ll get text messages with useful wellness reminders. Examples of messaging include tips on managing stress and flu shot reminders during the flu season. You’ll also receive links to free resources that make it easier to understand and take advantage of your health benefits. To sign up, call 844-284-5417. (Data rates may apply.) Audience: All Employees. Contact: Benefits, 355-0960.
ALL TEACHERS
Teacher Survey - The annual 2015-16 GCS Teacher Survey is coming up soon. Thank you in advance for participating in this important process. As you know, this survey is designed to develop comprehensive information necessary for the district’s continuous improvement efforts. Look for an e-mail from Human Resources on Monday, January 25. This e-mail will have the internet link to the survey. The survey opens that day and will remain active until 4 p.m. on Friday, February 5, 2016. Please be assured that individual responses are anonymous and confidential. The results are always in a generic summarized format. There are sections of the survey that permit written comments. While we encourage your comments, you should avoid placing identifying information within the comments unless you wish to identify yourself. Your Principal may decide to schedule a group session for the purpose of completing the survey. If so, the Principal, Assistant Principal, or IC/CRT will not attend the session. The Principal may ask a teacher to coordinate the group session if one is scheduled. The survey must be completed in one session; therefore, please plan to participate at a time you are least likely to be interrupted. Survey time is usually 20 minutes and it may be completed at school or from home from any device with an internet connection. Simply click on the link to begin. Audience: All Teachers. Contact: Marque Kilpatrick, Human Resources, 355-3977.
EMPLOYEE DISCOUNTS
NONE
MISCELLANEOUS
ALL EMPLOYEES
The Schools Channel (Charter Digital Channel 190, AT&T U-verse Channel 99, 24 hours a day, GCS homepage) – You can watch the Schools Channel live on the district website. The link appears on the district homepage. Click HERE to learn more about the Schools Channel programs and TV schedule.
GCS YouTube Channel – Click HERE to watch the latest from Greenville County Schools. Contacts: Meredith Murray or Jeff Hoffman, Video Production Services, 452-0122.
HEALTHY LIVING TIPS
You Are What You Diet - With your goal established, it is time to build a plan to eat better, lose weight and maintain a healthier lifestyle. So what's the most important part of the plan? The most important part of it is the food. People powerfully overrate the impact of fitness and underrate the importance of the diet.
Make a Plan... and Be Realistic - Once you've settled on the diet that's right for you, put together a meal plan revolving around that diet. Find recipes that you will not only enjoy, but ones that you will have time to prepare. Consider not only the ingredients in the recipes, making sure to find dishes that excite, but be mindful of calorie counts as well.
CALENDAR
2015-16 Calendars: Employee, Student, Spanish
January 2016—School Board Recognition Month
Friday, January 15—Professional Dev. Workday (AM District, PM Schools—Flex, Exchange Day # 3)
Monday, January 18—Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (12 Month Employee Holiday)
Friday, January 22—Report Cards
January 27-29—4K Pre-Registration for 2016-17
