February 29, 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 EMPLOYEES
GCS Scholarship Golf Tournament Applications are Due this Week - Proceeds from Greenville County Schools’ 2015 Scholarship Golf Tournament will fund 2016-17 post-secondary scholarships for this year’s high school seniors attending GCS high schools and charter schools that participated in this school year’s tournament. All GCS high schools and one charter high school participated. Half of the scholarships are designated for children of permanent full- or part-time district employees. Both $1,500 and $900 scholarships will be awarded. The number of nominations from each school depends on the student enrollment. Applications must be completed and returned by Friday, March 4, 2016 to the student’s guidance counselor. Please click HERE (PDF format) for student eligibility guidelines and application. Audience: All Employees. Contact: Student’s High School Guidance Counselor.
ALL K-12 EDUCATORS
Voya Unsung Heroes – 100 grants of $2,000 are awarded to K-12 projects that utilize new teaching methods and techniques to improve learning. Projects are judged on innovative methods, creativity, and ability to positively influence students. Three of the 100 grants awarded are selected to receive additional funding. To see a list of previous winners and to apply, click here. Deadline: April 30, 2016. Audience: K-12 educators. Contact: Lisa Finley, Grant Writer, 355-3113.
ALL K-8 EDUCATORS
Pets in the Classroom– K-8 educators are eligible to apply for grants for small pets or aquariums for the classroom. Applicants must use the grant to teach responsible pet care and cannot be used for research or experiments. Types of pets available vary depending on which vendor’s grant is selected. To see a list of vendors and how to apply online, click here. Deadline: Rolling Audience: K-8 Educators. Contact: Lisa Finley, Grant Writer, 355-3113.
ALL HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATORS
Joint Science & Technology Institute– Ten high school STEM educators will be selected to participate in a two-week, all expenses paid, residential program in Edgewood, MD. Participants will engage in laboratory research and learn how to integrate research experiences into the classroom. Attendance for the full two weeks is required (July 23-August 5), including the weekend. For more information or to apply online, click here. Deadline: March 5, 2016 Audience: High School STEM educators. Contact: Lisa Finley, Grant Writer, 355-3113.
HUMAN RESOURCES
ALL EMPLOYEES
IMPORTANT: 2016 Retirement Dinner – The 2016 Retirement Dinner will be held at the TD Convention Center on Thursday, May 26, at 6:30 p.m. Please note requirements listed below for employees to be included in the dinner:
· Employees must meet retirement guidelines to be included in this year’s event.
· A Termination of Employment Form must be submitted by the employee’s supervisor to Human Resources by Thursday, March 24.
· A Retirement Banquet Information Sheet must be completed by the retiring employees who meet the guidelines and returned to Human Resources per the instructions on the form.
Employees who come off TERI or retire and continue to work for GCS will be recognized at the banquet in the year when they end their employment with the district unless they have already been invited to the dinner in a previous year. Retirement Dinner invitations will be mailed to retirees in early May. Audience: All Location Supervisors, Retiring Employees. Contacts: Retirement and Benefits Questions - Benefits Department, 355-0960; Retirement Banquet Information Sheet Questions – Renee Wilson, Human Resources, 355-3355; Retirement Dinner Questions - Sandra Welch, Communications, 355-3888.
Click HERE for Human Resources Home Page
NOTICES/REQUESTS
ALL EMPLOYEES
2015-16 School Year Calendar – With State testing dates now set, Spring Break, makeup days and last day of school are NO longer subject to change. The dates are as listed in the 2015-16 calendar. Calendars with stipulations marked through(Employee, Student, Spanish) are also posted on the GCS website. Audience: All Employees. Contact: Your Supervisor.
Dental Plus Network Changes Effective March 1 - The provider network for the Dental Plus plan offered through the South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA) and insured by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina will change effective March 1, 2016. PEBA's current Dental Plus provider network will convert to Blue Cross' network March 1. Blue Cross' network is larger than the current Dental Plus network and Blue Cross is actively recruiting dental care providers who participate only in PEBA's Dental Plus network. Audience: All Employees. Contact: BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, 888-214-6230.
EMPLOYEE DISCOUNTS
ALL EMPLOYEES
Golden Apple Rewards Discount Books – The 2016 Golden Apple Rewards discount books will be distributed to all locations within the next two weeks. Each permanent full-time and permanent part-time employee, including food service and custodial employees, will receive a book. Substitutes and temporary employees are not eligible. Special Education employees (speech therapists, physical therapists, etc.) will receive their books from their departments. The book is also available online at www.goldenapplerewards.com and can be accessed from the Employee Portal. Employees must show their GCS ID badge to receive the discounts. All offers are good through December 31, 2016. Audience: Principals and Directors. Contact: Susan Clarke, Communications Department, 355-8874.
Homes for Heroes Program - Homes for Heroes is offering discounts to school district personnel when they buy or sell a home. Discounts include a 25% rebate at closing from a Homes for Heroes real estate agent, broker or their company's gross commission, discounts on lending fees charged by Homes for Heroes lender specialists, discounts on title closing fee, and other discounts from local businesses. Click HERE for more information. Audience: All Employees. Contact: Joyce Pettit, 864-316-6336.
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
Don’t do it Alone - Train with a friend who's at your level of ability and has similar goals. You'll be far less likely to skip your workout when you know someone is depending on you. It's also more motivating when you push each other, and you'll be far less likely to cut your sessions short.
Read to Get Motivated to Learn - An easy way to get inspired and increase your knowledge of fitness, training, and nutrition is to commit to reading one online fitness article each day. You won't know everything there is to know in a week, but knowing a little more every day helps you better understand the what, why, and how of what you're doing. Just be aware there's a ton of advice available on the Web, so stick to sites you trust.
CALENDAR
2015-16 Calendars: Employee, Student, Spanish
Friday, March 4, 2016 – GCS Scholarship Golf Tournament Applications Due to High School Student’s School Counselor (See Detailed Information Above)
Friday, March 25 — Makeup Day #3
March 28—April 1 — Spring Break (March 31 & April 1 are Required Leave Days for 12-Month Employees. Required leave days are Listed on the Employee Calendar. Schools and Offices Reopen on Monday, April 4.
Wednesday, April 6 – Deadline to Submit Nominations for 2016 Employee of the Year Awards
