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September 2021 Volume 1, Issue 7
Employee Newsletter
t ch t h e W A V E
a This Issue: Destin Middle
CInside Month
ly updates
from Superintendent C
hambers
OCSD Spotlight
1 Destin Middle School Remembers School Remembers
Human Resources
2 Administrative Appointments Okaloosa County School District is fortunate
September Milestones to serve a large military population which
3 Para Pro Testing means that we feel the events that happened
4 We’re Hiring Bus Drivers! 20 years ago on September 11, 2001 and
the aftermath of those terrorist attacks as
Professional Services deeply as any community. Every year schools
5 Welcome New Hires! find ways to recognize the fallen and appre-
Curriculum & Instruction ciate their sacrifices for our American free-
6 Canvas Learning Management doms. This year, along with our district wide
System moment of silence, the Leadership students
8 Math Talk: Elementary at Destin Middle School took their memori-
9 American Founder’s Month al to the next level to ensure that students
Hispanic Heritage Month understood and felt the importance of the
10 Free & Reduced Lunch events that happened that day and the sacri-
fices that have been made since.
Risk Management
11 United Healthcare + Pelaton
Retirement
12 Retirement Q & A Seminar
13 Omni & TSACG Compliance
14 Authorized Providers
15 Capital Improvement Program
Half Cent Sales Tax Update
Human Resources
Congratulations to Newly Appointed Administrators!
Ms. Lynda Bush was recommended by the Superintendent as the Budgeting and
financial Services Specialist on Monday, September 13.
Ms. Sarah Kennedy
is the new Assistant
Principal at Riverside
Elementary School!
September Milestones!
The following employees are enjoying a milestone this month based on their continuous
service date. Congratulations and thank you for your loyal service and commitment to
excellence!
Hired in the OCSD 5 years ago…
• Ms. Capitano, Finance Hired in the OCSD 15 years ago...
• Ms. Donovan, Southside Primary • Ms. Bishop, Transportation-Central
• Ms. Harmon, Bruner Middle • Mr. Chatman, Human Resources
• Mr. Hinterthan, Destin Middle • Ms. Kozak, Curriculum
• Ms. Kahren, Transportation- South • Ms. McKuhen, Transportation-South
• Ms. Love, Plew Elementary • Ms. Parker, Davidson Middle
• Ms. Lynch, Ruckel Middle
• Ms. Madden, Transportation-North Hired in the OCSD 20 years ago...
• Ms. Osterman, Shalimar Elementary • Ms. Adams, Asst. Supt.- Curriculum
• Ms. Rockwell, Baker • Mr. Cooper, Destin Middle
• Mr. Ruiz, Fort Walton Beach High • Ms. Jeffcoat, Shalimar Elementary
• Mr. Sadler, Transportation- North • Ms. Williams, Walker Elementary
• Ms. Sloan, Baker • Ms. Wilson, Eglin Elementary
• Ms. Young, Fort Walton Beach High
• Ms. Zalucki, Antioch Elementary Hired in the OCSD 25 years ago...
• Ms. Boone, Baker School
Hired in the OCSD 10 years ago... • Ms. Styron, Davidson Middle
• Ms. Carlstrom, Mary Esther Elementary
• Mr. Chatman, Bob Sikes Elementary Hired in the OCSD 30 years ago...
• Ms. Cyrus, Florosa Elementary • Ms. Michna, Longwood Elementary
• Ms. Fassnacht, Bob Sikes Elementary • Ms. Waters, Okaloosa Technical College
• Mr. Mikel-Allen, Bruner Middle
• Ms. Money, Human Resources Hired in the OCSD 35 years ago...
• Ms. Phillips, Edge Elementary • Ms. Dukes, Southside Primary
• Ms. Seegars, Eglin Elementary
• Ms. Tector, Shalimar Elementary Hired in the OCSD 40 years ago...
• Ms. Willis, Wright Elementary • Ms. Ruskowski, Transportation-South
Catch The Wave Page 2
Human Resources
PARA PRO TESTING
**SEATS ARE LIMITED**
$55.00
FEE MUST BE PAID IN ADVANCE
Testing Held at Tech Lab
Carver Hill Complex, Crestview
(461 W. School Ave)
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
9:00 am
**************************************************************************
Payment Instructions
1. Fill out and detach the slip below
2. Make check payable to: Okaloosa County Schools
3. Put check and slip in Courier or Mail to:
Mail
Okaloosa County Schools
Attn: Personnel Dept. /DW
202 A Highway 85 N
Niceville, FL 32578
Courier
Donna Ward Personnel Central Complex
*Payment in person must go to Personnel Office at School District Central Complex
4. Once we receive your check we will send you a confirmation email
to the address you provide. The email will contain information
regarding Test Location and Instructions.
Free Online Study Materials:
http://www.ets.org/s/parapro/pdf/1755.pdf
http://kcsec.org/files/9913/9291/2027/Study_Guide_for_the_ParaPro_Assessment.pdf
********************************(Please Detach Here)****************************
First Name: Last Name:
Email(Required):
Phone Number: Check Number:
*Please Do Not Send Cash*
Catch The Wave Page 3
Human Resources We Are Hiring Bus Drivers! Catch The Wave Page 4
Professional
Welcome New Hires!
Services
As of today, we have 213 outstanding new educators in Okaloosa County. Welcome to
each of you. The Professional Services Department is your contact for anything related
to:
• Evaluation
• Certification
• New Teacher Induction
• Mentoring
• Consulting Teacher Program
• Endorsements
• Frontline/Professional Development Catalog
• Required College Coursework
Question Contact Phone/Email
Certification- Initial Terri Baum 850-833-5805
Professional, Temporary, BaumT@okaloosaschools.com
District, and Athletic
Certification- Renewal of Lisa Marshall 850-833-5857
Professional Lisa.Marshall@okaloosaschools.com
Certification Exams (FTCE) 866-613-3281 or 413-256-2893
www.fl.nesinc.com
Consulting Teachers Karen Peek 850-833-5853
PeekK@okaloosaschools.com
Evaluation Category Status Karen Peek 850-833-5853
PeekK@okaloosaschools.com
Frontline Professional Lisa Marshall 850-833-5857
Development Lisa.Marshall@okaloosaschools.com
Mentor/Mentee Materials and Pam Kitchin 850-833-5873
Assignment Pamela.Kitchin@okaloosaschools.com
New Teacher Induction Sharon Duron 850-833-5857
Program DuronS@Okaloosaschools.com
Reading Endorsement Classes Pam Kitchin 850-833-5873
Pamela.Kitchin@okaloosaschools.com
Temporary Certificate Sharon Duron 850-833-5855
Requirements PEC DuronS@okaloosaschools.com
Catch The Wave Page 5
Curriculum & Instruction
Canvas Learning Management System
Thank you to the many teachers who have successfully created
a Canvas home page / assignment page for communicating
make up work! Canvas provides a consistent place for students
and families to stay informed about your class in the event of an
absence.
Things to Remember:
• Posting make up work for absentees could include listing as-
signments that can be completed at home or providing links
to other resources such as Google Classroom, Dojo, Remind,
etc. for additional information.
• Canvas course shells are tied to your student rosters. Teachers who do not assign
grades or are not associated with a specific student roster in PAWS are not required to
create a home page or post make up work.
• When your home page / assignment page is published in Canvas, please demon-
strate for your students how they may access Canvas from their ClassLink account. A
Canvas information page for students and parents is available at https://www.okaloo-
saschools.com/ under the Parents/Students menu.
• New students will not have access until 24 hours after they have enrolled in your
class.
Many teachers have already gone above and beyond the basics! Some have created ex-
citing and engaging Canvas-based assignments and small group activities
Steven Turner, fourth grade teacher at
Walker Elementary School, has been us-
ing Canvas for whole group and small group
writing lessons. “Students are excited about
the interactive assignments in Canvas! Each
day students log into our discussion section
and respond to our daily question,” Turner
explained. “Once students have finished their
small group conversation, they type their
response and submit it through Canvas. Stu-
dents then evaluate the responses from other
groups and respond making sure to add evi-
dence and elaboration. Since we have begun
using Canvas Discussions in our everyday
work, I have noticed an increase in student
participation which has exceeded my expecta-
tions,” according to Turner.
Catch The Wave Page 6
Curriculum & Instruction
Canvas Learning Managment System, cont.
Michele Stockton, Davidson Middle School
science teacher, has created interactive
standards-based modules to enhance individu-
al and small group learning! “I have been using
Canvas daily in the classroom by posting links,
digital copies of assignments, and resources
for students. Organizing modules by weeks and
dates has been very helpful for my quarantined
students who are showing the initiative to get
their assignments done at home. I’m proud of
those students for their hard work, and I’m glad
that Canvas is making the process of make-up
work more accessible,” said Stockton.
The Canvas platform will allow our district to begin centralizing digital tools and streamlin-
ing class information for students and families.
Ongoing Training Options for Teachers:
• Canvas Basic Training (optional) – Additional help with home page set up and
publishing
Drop-In Zoom Sessions
Monday – Thursday throughout September,
3-4 p.m.
Zoom Meeting Link: https://okaloosaschools.zoom.us/my/ocsdlisatucker
(Contact Lisa.Tucker@Okaloosaschools.com to schedule additional support
before, during, or after the school day.)
• Canvas Intermediate Training (optional) – Customizing the student navigation
menu; exploring interactive modules and assignment types
Begins October 6
Register through Frontline
• Canvas Advanced Training (optional) – Advanced assignment types; embedding
videos; using the Canvas quiz builder; using the Big Blue Button feature for online
conferences
Begins October 13
Register through Frontline
Catch The Wave Page 7
Curriculum & Instruction
Ideas to share with families to increase Math
Talk with elementary children:
• Point out numbers in everyday life
On speed limit signs, clocks, house numbers, sale signs in the grocery store, etc.
• Count things throughout the day
Number of pretzels for snack, number of books read, number of blocks in the tow
er (or the number of skittles)
• Talk about the time
The time you eat breakfast, lunch or dinner, how many hours until daddy gets
home, how long nap time is, etc.
• Use a calendar
Discuss how many days are in the month, see the numbers in order, talk about
ordinal numbers, count the number of days until a holiday or birthday, or
how many days in a week.
• Check the weather
Talk about the high and low temperatures for the day and compare the tempera
tures that week.
• Observe shapes
Look at the shapes around you, discuss what shapes things are made up of (kids
are brilliant at this!) and compare shapes.
• Cook together
Discuss the measurements as you cook, and count as you add things to the bowl
• Read math picture books
• At snack time
Divide snacks and discuss how many each child gets (i.e. there are 8 apple slices
and 4 kids, so how many do you each get?), or discuss subtraction- how many do
you have after you eat 1? 2?
• Count syllables
As you’re working on reading and language skills, count and clap the syllables in
words or phrases.
• Discuss directional words
Discuss things in relation to one another (behind, on top of, across, under, be
tween, etc).
• Ask “How many?”
This is probably the easiest habit to form- simply ask “How many?” often. “How
many pieces of candy do you have?” “How many fish are in the picture?” “How
many girls are in our family?” etc.
Catch The Wave Page 8
Curriculum & Instruction Celebrating The United States in September The month of September is American Founders Month. Okaloosa students learn about the Founding Fathers and their contributions to creating our great nation. Students will also partici- pate in Celebrate Freedom Week activities to include an in-depth study of the Declaration of In- dependence’s intent, meaning, and importance. In addition, all students will recite the following excerpt from the declaration at the beginning of each school day during the week of September 20-24. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pur- suit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” On September 17, 2021, all students celebrate Constitution Day through activities, learning, and demonstrations of the rights and responsibilities provided in the world’s longest surviving written charter of government. Written in 1787, the Constitution was signed on September 17. In 2005, September 17 was designated Constitution Day by the United States Senate to pro- mote a better understanding of the Constitution. To expand on the idea of students as citizens, middle school students will also receive instruc- tion in digital citizenship while high school students explore the concept of everyday leadership. Hispanic Heritage Month Hispanic Heritage Month begins September 15th and continues through October 15th. This month of recognition has been established to celebrate the cultures, histories, and contributions of American citizens who have ancestral lineage from Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. President Lyndon Johnson initiated the observation in 1968 and it was enacted into law as a 30 day celebration by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. The month begins on the anniversary of Independence for Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras and also includes Columbus Day or Dia de la Raza, which is October 12th. The Okaloosa County School District will celebrate by encouraging students and teachers to partic- ipate in our inaugural Door Decorating contest and/or Art Contest. We will also be highlighting facts and influential Hispanic Americans on our social media platforms! Catch The Wave Page 9
Curriculum
Title I
& Instruction
The USDA announced that it will continue serving free meals to ALL students through
June 2022. This is great news as we have so many students who benefit from this pro-
gram. Unfortunately it deters families from filling out the Free and Reduced Lunch appli-
cation.
Why do families need to complete the Free and Reduced Lunch application if
they are already getting free meals?
This application is tied to more than just free meals for the district. It also determines Ti-
tle I funding for schools, gives the district funding for internet and technology, allows the
district to apply for certain grants, and provides discounts to families on college applica-
tion fees and entrance exams, among other things. So, as you can see, this form is very
important to the district. Please do your best to encourage ALL students, even those who
do not think they qualify, to complete the form!
This flier is a great
resource to send home
with your students
explaining the impor-
tance of the Free and
Reduced Lunch
Application!
Check out the
informational
video available
in English and
Spanish!
Catch The Wave Page 10Risk Management
Health Management | Digital Membership
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Peloton App
Your health plan benefits include a 1-year Peloton Digital Membership — which gives you access to the Peloton®
App — available to you at no additional cost. Start your membership today for access to everything the Peloton App
offers, including thousands of live and on-demand fitness classes — from cardio and HIIT to strength training and yoga.
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— from 5-minute meditation to 60-minute outdoor running classes.
app — a value
The flexibility to get active anytime, anywhere
of $155
The app is available on mobile devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon You and each covered family
Fire TV and Roku devices — and no fitness equipment is required. member* can enjoy this benefit at
no additional cost — just for being
Ways to help you have fun and stay motivated a UnitedHealthcare member.**
Enjoy the app’s many features, training programs and challenges, all
designed to help you track your progress and stay motivated.
Get started Sign in to your myuhc.com® account to get your access code
*Available to applicable UnitedHealthcare plans for fully insured customers who register for an account with Peloton. Subject to state legal and regulatory review. Digital membership is $12.99/ month or $155/year.
UnitedHealthcare members that own a Peloton Bike or Tread can receive equivalent value ($155) to be credited to an All Access Membership. Credit is limited to a single All Access Membership per family.
**Must be 18+ years of age and covered under applicable UnitedHealthcare health plan. Redemption period runs from 9/1/2021 through 6/30/2022. Peloton offers services directly to consumers pursuant to an
agreement between Peloton and the consumer.
The information provided under this program is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be nor should be construed as medical advice. You should consult with an appropriate health care
professional before beginning any exercise program and/or to determine what may be right for you. The value of the application may be taxable. You should consult with an appropriate tax professional to determine if
you have any tax obligations from having access to this application at no additional cost.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Insurance coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates.
B2C EI21862960.0 7/21 © 2021 United HealthCare Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 21-699851-J
Catch The Wave Page 11Retirement Catch The Wave Page 12
Retirement
UPDATES
Providing a
Better Understanding
Your Financial Wellness
Planning for your financial wellness involves many long-term decisions and should be
done in consideration of your current and future financial needs. Financial wellness is
influenced by several factors, including an individual’s personal characteristics, their
knowledge of financial concepts, spending and saving habits, and unexpected financial
events.
TSA Consulting Group (TSACG) is pleased to offer our Financial Wellness Center website
to help you explore and plan for current and future financial needs. This free educational
resource provides powerful tools and unbiased information to guide you in your financial
wellness journey at your own pace.
Go to tsacg.com Tips on How to
You can learn more about retirement savings Save for Retirement
plans, managing personal finances, college • Start NOW. Don’t wait. Time is critical.
funding options, and how to navigate Social
Security when the time comes. Calculators, • Start small, if necessary. Even small contributions
videos, and informative content on various can make a big difference given enough time
topics can help guide you in your planning and the right kind of investments.
process. • Use automatic deductions from your payroll or
To explore our Financial Wellness Center, go to: your checking account for deposit into mutual
https://usrbpfinancialwellness.com/ funds, your IRA or other investment vehicles.
• Save regularly. Make saving for retirement a
habit.
• Be realistic about investment returns. Never
assume that a year or two of high market returns
(or market declines) will continue indefinitely.
• Roll over retirement account money if you
change jobs.
• Don’t dip into retirement savings.
Catch The Wave Page 13Retirement Authorized Providers The authorized providers below have been approved by the Okaloosa County School Dis- trict. For more information on the products and services available from these providers please contact them on their websites, email the agent or call the toll free numbers. Valic Agent: Phil McWhorter phillipmcwhorter@valic.com 850-687-1716 1-800-633-8960 American Century Services, LLC. Agents: Allison Terlip www.american_century.com 850-362-6770 Neal Marshall 850-362-6770 AXA-Equitable Agent: Robert Neale robert.neale@equitable.com 850-978-6480 www.equitable.com/teacher-retirementl403b Plan Member Services Agents: Virginia Lind www.planmember.com 850-862-5511 Priscilla Robb Security Benefit Agents: Brian English brian@englishfg.com 850-926-7487 Mark Jordan mark@jordanfin.com 334-794-8219 ww.markwjordan.com Waddell & Reed Agent: Kenneth Headley www.waddell.com/florida 251-495-0453 1-888-983-3355 Catch The Wave Page 14
OCSD Capital Improvement
Program
Construction is ongoing this fall at many schools as we work to complete all safety-re-
lated projects in our schools. In addition, major roofing projects have been completed
or are underway at Edge Elementary, Pryor Middle School, Mary Esther Elementary, and
Crestview High School, and much-needed gym floor replacements for Davidson Middle
School and Lewis School are scheduled for this year. All of these projects and more are
being accomplished thanks to the voter-approved ½ Cent Sales Tax. Thank you!
In addition, construction work on cafetoriums, multi-purpose facil-
ities, and classroom additions at fifteen campuses is in the final
planning stage and should begin after the first of the year. It will
take a few years to complete these projects, but none of them
would be possible without the ½ Cent Sales Tax. Learn more about
the sales tax projects at each school by visiting our Capital Im-
provement Program Dashboard at www.okaloosaschools.com/oka-
loosa-capital-improvement-program-dashboard
There are also exciting and long overdue projects underway funded
through our regular capital budget. Those include HVAC upgrades, resurfacing projects,
and LED lighting projects at our high school stadiums that will provide cost savings over
time. Middle and high school bands will be able to start the process of replacing their
aging inventory of instruments as well this year! Finally, we’ve ordered twenty additional
school buses in our continuing commitment to modernize our fleet. More information
on the OCSD Capital Budget can be found here: www.okaloosa.k12.fl.us/finance/Publi-
cations/BudgetBooksFY2022/Capital/2.pdf
Half Cent Sales Tax Update
Citizens’ Oversight Committee
The next Sales Surtax Citizens’ Oversight Committee meeting is scheduled
for October 26, 2021 at 4:00pm in the Training Room at the School Dis-
trict Central Complex in Niceville.
Suggestions? Feedback?
Do you have content suggestions for
Catch The Wave Newsletter con-
tent? E-mail CatchTheWave@oka-
loosaschools.com with the details!
We can’t wait to hear from you!
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