dciu update...page 2 dciu update the students at don guanella had the theme kindness for the month...
TRANSCRIPT
DCIU Update
A Word From Dr. Larry O’Shea
October 2011 Delaware County Intermediate Unit #25
DCIU Update
A Word From Dr. O’Shea
October 2011 Delaware County Intermediate Unit #25
Inside this issue:
Don Guanella Students
Make Cards for the
Troops
2
DCIU Psychologist
Receives Major Award
2
Pennington Recycles 3
Adopt-a-Teen/Child 3
DCIU Participates in
Career Awareness Fair
4
Head Start Opens New
Business
4
Tech Connect 5
Don Guanella Thrift
Store
5
Health and Wellness
Information
6
Striving for Continuous Improvement
I was invited to attend a national conference in Dallas, Texas a few
weeks ago week sponsored by Jim Shipley and Associates (JAS). Attendees
represented school districts and education service agencies from around the
country that are clients of JAS. They share a commitment to applying the
Baldrige principles for continuous improvement as illustrated in the
diagram. Marilyn Wescott, our JSA consultant, introduced the Board,
Executive Council and the Administrative Leadership Team (i.e.,
department directors, principals, and supervi-
sors) to the Baldrige principles through semi-
annual Board retreats, monthly Executive
Council meetings, and quarterly Administrative
Leadership Team meetings.
We have started down a path of
adopting the Baldrige principles and creating a
true systems-based organization. Last
December, we completed our strategic plan with
the Board adoption of the strategic goals regard-
ing Financial Stewardship, Student Centered
Learning, and Market-Based Business Models.
Concurrently, we have been working to develop
our leadership teams at the Board and
administration levels by delineating roles and
responsibilities around global strategy and
operations. What was evident in listening at the conference to other organizations that have been
developing continuous improvement systems for several years is the amount of deliberate work
necessary to achieve substantive strategic and operational changes that produce demonstrable results.
With continued support of the Board, I would like to continue down this path.
After seeing multiple examples of what other education organizations have done (e.g.,
Montgomery County Public Schools, MD; Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District, TX;
and Natrona County Schools, WY), I believe we too can demonstrate results and a worthwhile return
on our investment.
Board Retreat
We had a productive Board retreat on Saturday, September 17, 2011. Attendees discussed a
number of issues including above and below the line activities, indicators of Board effectiveness, and
strategies to increase as well as broaden Board engagement. One result was finalization of the Board
mission statement and operating principles that the full Board was asked to adopt at the October
Board meeting. These retreats are part of the leadership principle for continuous improvement.
Compensation Plan
One of the important processes within an HR system is a fair, equitable, and market-based
compensation plan that can be used to attract and retain skilled employees. The Board started the
review and redevelopment of a compensation plan for non-bargaining unit employees when it com-
missioned PSBA to study the compensation of DCIU employees. Accordingly, it has analyzed the
southeastern Pennsylvania education segment to develop market-based salary ranges for a set of job
families. Over the next several months, we will further discuss how we can use the data to establish a
process for compensation. These discussions are part of the workforce focus principle of continuous
improvement.
Page 2 DCIU Update
The students at Don Guanella had the theme
Kindness for the month of October. As part of
that theme, Mr. Robert Scarlota’s class made
cards as part of a school wide project through
www.soldiersangels.com. The cards will be
sent to troops stationed in Iraq. Debbie
Wambach, the new division substitute at Don
Guanella led the students and staff through this
heartwarming service project. Mr. Scarlata’s
class was the first to complete the task of
making Christmas cards for troops in Iraq.
Proudly displaying their cards in the photo are:
Front row left to right— Ashley P., Perry, Erik;
Second row: Ashley T., Robert Scarlota,
Delores Gudmundsen ,Vincent and Jimmy.
Don Guanella Students Make Holiday Cards for the Troops
Dr. Terri Erbacher, a DCIU school psychologist in the
Supplemental Education Services Department, has been
named the School Psychologist of the Year by the
Association of School Psychologists of Pennsylvania.
This well-deserved recognition highlights Terri’s
excellence as a school psychologist and as a university
professor, and acknowledges her many hours of service to
community groups. Terri is an active member of the
Delaware County Suicide Prevention Task Force and is
certified by the American Association of Suicidology as a
School Suicide Prevention Specialist. In addition, Terri
has specialized training in handling crisis situations in the
schools and is often asked to consult with school
districts dealing with traumatic events. In her spare time,
Terri is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the School Psychology Program at Philadelphia College of
Osteopathic Medicine where she teaches several courses and serves as an internship coordinator. Terri
is a true example of the hidden gems within the DCIU community who are truly committed to
providing quality services to students, families, schools and communities. Congratulations, Dr.
Erbacher!
Dr. Theresa A. Erbacher Awarded School Psychologist of the Year
Page 3 DCIU Update
On Monday, October 10, 2011, Pennington School began participating in a building-wide recycling
program. With the support of community donations, recycling bins have been distributed through-
out the building for the collection of paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, and aluminum. The recycling
program will provide students with additional pre-vocational opportunities such as collecting
recyclable materials from classrooms and offices, sorting items, and crushing cans and plastic.
Students will also work on communication and social skills. Pennington staff members are excited
to help the environment while providing meaningful learning opportunities for the students.
Pennington is Going Green
Adopt –A-Teen Parent and Child for Christmas
‘Tis the season to be Jolly ...
Experience the warm feeling of gift giving and
the holiday spirit. If you would like to help a
struggling teen parent and child with holiday
gifts, please contact:
DCIU Project ELECT Teen Parent Program
Rhoda Burrell @ 610-447-3878
Email: [email protected]
We will send you a personal request letter written by a teen parent participant which will include
gender, size and age. Please wrap the gifts and place name tags visibly on them.
Your immediate response is greatly appreciated as we would love to have
the gifts by December 9th.
Drop off or send gifts to: Chester High School
200 West 9th Street, Room A203
Chester, PA 19013
Thank you in advance for your help!
Page 4 DCIU Update
The Delaware County Workforce Investment Board, in
partnership with County Council, sponsored its eighth Annual
High School Careers Awareness Fair, Wednesday, November 2
from 9am-12pm at Delaware County Community College. The
Fair provided students with an opportunity to learn about career
trends and explore some of their future career options through speaking with professionals who current-
ly work in the field. The DCIU Early Intervention Program, including Jeanette Alexander and Melinda
St. George, participated in this event and was on hand to answer students’ questions about the variety of
career paths in early childhood education. There were over 200 student participants from many DELCO
high schools, including Springfield, Penn Wood, Interboro, Academy Park, Upper Darby, Southeast
Delco, Garnet Valley, Chichester, Ridley, and William Penn. Students from DCIU’s ELL Program also
attended.
DCIU Helps Students Learn About Careers
The Head Start Parent Policy Council recently recog-
nized one of their own. Cynthia Campbell, Head Start parent
and active Parent Policy Council member, recently fulfilled a
lifelong dream by opening the doors to her new restaurant, A
Letter From Home on 9th Street in Trainer, PA. The restaurant
serves southern cuisine and is open for brunch and dinner Friday
-Sunday. Cynthia’s inspiration for the name (and the business)
came from her now deceased father. As a teenager, Cynthia enjoyed cooking. She said that when her father would eat her
delicious food, he would say, “Doll, this tastes like a letter from
home.” He explained that during the war, when soldiers received a letter from home, it gave them a warm, comforting feeling, and that’s what eating her food
was like. Cynthia credited this accomplishment to her father, her daughters who helped finance this
venture, and to Head Start, which helped her to meet her goals by giving her support and a sounding
board, and an opportunity to network with other parents with similar goals, and to practice her craft.
Cynthia, who also provides catering services, is the adoptive mother of a little boy in the Chester Town-
ship Regional Center.
Head Start Parent Becomes a Business Owner
Renee Bell (l) and Stefani Thorpe ( r) present Cynthia Campbell with a certifi-
cate of achievement in recognition of the
opening of her new business.
• anxiety • back pain • constipation or diarrhea • depression • fatigue • headaches • high blood pressure • insomnia • problems with relationships • shortness of breath • stiff neck • upset stomach
Page 5 DCIU Update
Published by the Technology Department to provide
helpful information for DCIU staff. October 2011
School Dude School Dude is our Help Desk application where staff can enter
their own Help Desk requests. In order to better serve the growing tech-
nical needs of DCIU staff, we are encouraging every user to use the
School Dude system to enter repair tickets. This will benefit you by getting your request logged into
our system so that your issue can be scheduled for one of our techs. With every request being logged,
the Tech Department will be better able to monitor all requests to insure that service is completed in a
timely fashion. We have a PowerPoint designed to show users how to register onto the School Dude system for
the first time. To access the PowerPoint, you must sign into www.dciu.org with your “website”
password. Under the “QUICK LINKS” on the left hand side of the home page you will find the option
to access the School Dude system. Click on the “School Dude Login”. You will notice two links; use
the first link, “How Do I Use SchoolDude? (PowerPoint Presentation),” to access the presentation. Use the second link to enter a help desk request; click on the “School Dude Login” under the “QUICK
LINKS.” This will take you into the system. Click on the link called “SchoolDude Login (Default
Password: dciu2010).” This will bring you to the input screen to enter in a help desk request.
Tech support As always, if you need tech support, please call 610-938-9393, or if you are in one of the DCIU
networked buildings you can dial Extension “3393.” You can always access School Dude on our home page. This can be done from anywhere. If
you have any questions you can email us at [email protected].
Tech-Connect
The Thrift Store is now open at the Don Guanella
School. The hours of operations are Tuesday, Wednes-
day, Thursday 9:00 a.m.- 11:00 a.m. The student-run thrift
store offers a variety of items like books and knickknacks,
all at a reasonable cost. Many items come from donations
from the staff and the community. The store helps students learn employability and life
skills. Students perform tasks such as pricing items and
counting change as ways to gain experience in a retail
setting. The students would love for you to stop by one day
so that they have an opportunity to practice the skills
they’re learning. Pictured on the right, David, a student in Ms. Amy Rybnik's class at Don Guanella, is working
on putting out books for people to buy.
Don Guanella Thrift Store Open for Business
200 Yale Ave.
Morton, PA 19070
Phone: 610-938-9000
Fax: 610-938-9887
Email: [email protected]
DELAWARE
COUNTY
INTERMEDIATE
UNIT
WWW.DCIU.ORG
The HR Department is pleased to bring you this health and wellness information each
month on behalf of IBX and HMS. Look for more on the DCIU website.
Every year, more than 200,000 people
are hospitalized and 36,000 people die from
complications of influenza (the flu). According
to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, people 65 and older account for
more than half of these hospitalizations and 90
percent of flu deaths. Getting a flu vaccine can
significantly reduce your chances of getting sick
this flu season. In fact, the American Lung
Association recommends the vaccine for more
than 200 million Americans who are at a high
risk for serious complications. These individuals include: anyone over 50; anyone who
will be pregnant during flu season; residents and staff of nursing homes and long-term
care facilities; anyone 5 to 64 years old with underlying chronic medical conditions,
such as asthma, heart failure, COPD, or coronary artery disease; all household members
and caregivers of people in high-risk groups; all children and adolescents 6 months old
to 18 years old; health care workers; anyone with a condition that could impair
respiratory function or increase the risk for choking. Talk with your doctor to find out if
the flu vaccine is right for you. The vaccine is generally available from October to
March. Besides your doctor’s office, flu vaccines are frequently offered at pharmacies,
health centers, and many community centers.
Remember Your Flu Shot Nasal Spray Flu Vaccination
Vaccination with the nasal-spray flu vaccine
is an option for healthy people 2 to 49 years
of age who are not pregnant. Even people
who live with or care for those in a high risk
group (including health care workers) can
get the nasal-spray flu vaccine as long as
they are healthy themselves and are not
pregnant. The one exception is health care
workers who care for people with severely
weakened immune systems who require a
protected hospital environment; these
people should get the inactivated flu vaccine
(flu shot).
In keeping with the overall DCIU theme of health and wellness for 2011-12,
many employees are focusing on better nutrition, exercising and holistic wellness. For
example, the Yoga class that began two years ago continues to have steady attendance.
The class is held on Mondays and Thursday in the Morton building. The Monday class
averages 15-20 participants. In addition, another 15-22 staff members at the Pennington
School get together once a week after work for a Zumba® class with licensed instructor
Joan Leary. Our programs are also incorporating health-related activities into their inservices. Recently, the OPTIONS program held an inservice with their Site Trainers
which consisted of a discussion on nutrition and wellness along with a Zumba® class.
DCIU Staff Focusing on Health, Wellness
OPTIONS Inservice on Health and
Nutrition Pennington staff moving in Zumba class