EASTCONN Employee Update
Fall 2020
www.eastconn.org
Thank You!
Employee Update | Fall 2020
12 Ways to Have a Healthy Holiday Season
Brighten the holidays by making your health and safety a priority. Take steps to keep you and your loved ones safe and healthy— and ready to enjoy the holidays!
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
Wash hands often to help prevent the spread of germs. Bundle up to stay dry and warm. Manage stress. Don’t drink and drive or let others drink and drive. Be smoke-free. Fasten seat belts while driving or riding in a motor vehicle. Get exams and screenings. Get your vaccinations. Monitor children. Practice fire safety. Prepare food safely. Eat healthy, stay active.
Reprinted from the cdc.gov website For the entire article, go to: https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/features/holidayseason/index.html
Agency Happenings Two new benefit upgrades for you and your family members from EASTCONN’s TotalCare Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Lifestyle Savings Benefit - Explore deals,
discounts and perks for shopping, traveling, entertaining, and improving your quality of life. Log in to www.theEAP.com/TotalCare-EAP and choose the Lifestyle Savings Benefit icon to get started.
New & Improved Trainings - Nearly 100 new
trainings have been added to the library of more than 8,000+ online E-Learning courses and trainings. Log in at www.theEAP.com/TotalCare-EAP, click on Training Center and choose the New & Improved Trainings link.
Listen for NEW radio spots on WILI and WINY promoting EASTCONN’s Head Start programs!
A radio campaign promoting our Early Head Start and Head Start programs is running now through December in both English and Spanish. Head Start programs offer free support to pregnant women, pre-school children through age 5, and families in Windham county. Immediate openings. Apply now! To learn more, visit
www.eastconn.org/headstart.
Employee Update | Fall 2020
Agency Happenings Virtual Messages Work! Related Services Gets Creative!
EASTCONN’s Speech-Language Specialists creatively share a message about their important work, supporting preschool-through-young-adult students with speech, voice, hearing and language services.
Welcoming Outside Facilities Staff In
So...How Much Does the Frog Weigh?
But how much does he weigh? This Willimantic Frog Pumpkin can be found in the ACT school lobby. Created by Director of Leading and Learning Diane Dugas as a fun community-building activity, students and staff are challenged to guess how much the frog weighs for a chance to win a gift card.
Don’t SHRUG and PLUG! Just because a cable fits doesn’t mean it belongs there... Remember these guidelines:
In early November, Facilities Director Michael Akana led an in-person Asbestos Awareness Training class for new custodial and maintenance employees from EASTCONN schools. Participants wore masks, sat 6 feet apart and followed all safety guidelines as outlined by the CDC, local health departments and the state of Connecticut.
1. Call the IT office before unplugging something from a wall jack and plugging it in somewhere else. 2. If you notice an unplugged network or phone cable, never plug it back in if you’re not 101% sure where it was plugged in before. 3. Never plug unauthorized equipment into a wall jack. 4. Plugging the wrong thing into the wrong jack can break the network in the entire building. When in doubt, call or email the IT Office!
email: adpalma@eastconn.org www.eastconn.org/techsolutions • 860-455-1620
*As of 6/30/20 * Current year statistics still being gathered
EASTCONN at-a GLANCE 19
80 ~ 2020
LEADING & LEARNING
150 PROGRAMS & SERVICES 670 EMPLOYEES 15 LOCATIONS 100+ STUDENT TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES 33 COMMUNITIES 36 SCHOOL SYSTEMS 83 SCHOOLS 260 ADMINISTRATORS 2,948 TEACHERS 38,818 PreK-12 STUDENTS 263,496 RESIDENTS EARLY CHILDHOOD INITIATIVES
96%
of Birth to Three parents said it boosted their child’s Development & Learning
150
ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT
120+
16
K-12 STUDENT SERVICES
Provided
leaders with SEL Coaching & PD
members used Cooperative Purchasing
ADULT & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
238 ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT
students attended EASTCONN’s Autism Program Assistive Technology helped 238 K-12 students with special needs
404
Adults sought a High School Diploma
TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
Food Services prepared
150,000+
Emergency Student Meals during COVID-19
Managed the TEAM platform for
2,761
New Teachers
2020-2021 EASTCONN PROGRAM LOCATIONS
EASTCONN LOCATIONS
Columbia • Hampton • Killingly • Plainfield • Putnam • Windham • Woodstock
EARLY CHILDHOOD INITIATIVES
K-12 STUDENT SERVICES
TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
Our 2020 Teacher of the Year system handled 86 applications & 537 scoring sessions
Head Start & Early Head Start served
398 children & families in NE CT
MAGNET HIGH SCHOOLS
ACT enrolled 150 full-time students from 32 sending districts QMC enrolled 79 students from 18 towns The LEAP School enrolled 13 students from 2 districts ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT
HR Fingerprinting
EASTCONN RESC
80 ~ 2020
EASTCONN
4 40
LEADING & LEARNING
EASTCONN Mobile Stem Lab 4 schools used our Lab, providing students with unique, scientific field experience
19
CELEBRATED
YEARS
EASTCONN AMERICAN JOB CENTERS
3,264 Individual services to job-seekers from 42 towns
TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
1,294
Students, pre-COVID, driven daily to sites across CT, MA and RI
Employee Update | Fall 2020
News You Can Use
Snow Days
Office Home & Professional Plus
EXCLUSIVE FOR EASTCONN EMPLOYEES! Get a licensed copy of Microsoft Office
365 for your home Mac or PC for just $69.95, a savings of 30%! Visit http://hup.microsoft.com and enter your EASTCONN email address to get started.
Be sure to check with your supervisor or principal about individual school and program protocols for closings and delays. Please, also remember to watch your step in parking lots and on sidewalks on snowy days. We want you to be safe this winter!
Have an event, program or special, EASTCONN-related activity that you’d like to share with the EASTCONN community? E-mail your suggestion to: dprindle@eastconn.org
From Our High Schools
LEAP
THE
SCHOOL
ARTS AT THE CAPITOL THEATER
PE R F ORMIN G ARTS MAGNET HI G H S CHO O L
Virtual Open House
Wed., Nov. 18, 2020 6:00 p.m. For Zoom link, go to:
www.eastconn.org/ACT ENROLLING NOW!
Do you know a student who loves the arts? Join us to learn more about this great school! www.eastconn.org/ACT
QUINEBAUG MIDDLE COLLEGE
QMC welcomes 2 new members to the team: Brian Cotnoir, who joined us in September as our Special Education Teacher and Josh Lord, who became our Safety Interventionist in October. QMC is excited to have their expertise and positive enthusiasm on staff!
www.eastconn.org/QMC
Learners Empowered to Achieve their Potential
We would like to officially welcome Nini Alba to our team! Nini is LEAP’s Service Coordinator and has a dual role of Administrative Assistant and Community and Family Liaison. We are grateful for Nini’s expertise and flexibility!
www.eastconn.org/LEAP
Employee Update | Fall 2020
News You Can Use Finance Office Updates
Please review the information below from the Finance Office
2020 W2’s Verify your name, address and social security number either on your check or in Employee Self Service (ESS). Report any discrepancies directly to Sarah Sadowski in the Payroll office immediately. Contact Sarah at 860-455-1524 or ssadowski@eastconn.org. Make sure that your information is correct before December 31st, as we will start printing the agency’s W2’s for 2020. If you have any questions regarding the W2 process or have interest in the Direct Deposit benefit, please contact Sarah Sadowski.
Mileage Reimbursements The Finance Office must have a copy of your current driver’s license and auto insurance on file in order to process mileage reimbursement requests. When they expire, you are required to submit updated information by one of the following methods: 1. Interoffice mail, Att: Sharlene Edwards 2. E-mail, sedwards@eastconn.org 3. USPS snail mail, addressed to EASTCONN, Attn: Sharlene Edwards, 376 Hartford Tpke. Hampton CT 06247 Failure to keep this information updated will result in a delay of your reimbursement. Mileage Rate Effective NOV. 2020 $.58 per mile
Early Payroll Deadlines Due to upcoming holidays, there are a few early deadlines for payroll. All time sheets/Employee Self Service (ESS) entries are due in Human Resources Office by 12 noon on the dates listed below: Nov. 25, 2020 payroll - Deadline is Nov. 19 Dec. 11, 2020 payroll - Deadline is Dec. 4 Dec. 23, 2020 payroll - Deadline is Dec. 17 Jan. 8, 2021 payroll - Deadline is Dec. 31
Getting a flu vaccine is more important than ever!
According to the CDC, everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every season, with rare exceptions. Protect yourself and the people around you from the flu. Use this link to view a list of locations where Cigna members can get a flu shot at no charge: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/ track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:e37fb805-bb504bab-b820-54ff0bdcc3b0 Should you have any questions, contact Cigna’s customer service at the phone number listed on the back of your ID card.
Employee Update | Fall 2020
New Employees Adult Education Programs Jessica Clark Adult Education Teacher Steven Craig Adult Education Teacher
Early Childhood Initiatives Jill Dean HS Assistant Teacher Susan Garcia HS Home Visitor Jenean Jourdan Early Interventionist Nicole Kelly HS Teacher Aide Cheryl Lamothe Early Childhood Specialist Heather Loomis Gauvin Head Start Substitute Cesiah Lopez-Navarro HS Home Visitor Tonia Owen HS Teacher Aide Shayla Ranmal Health Manager Ruth Rivera HS Home Visitor Nicole Salisbury Early Interventionist Arianna Velez HS Home Visitor
K-12 Student Services April Adorno Teacher Ninoshka Alba Service Coordinator Christine Armstrong Special Ed. Instructor Austin Bell Autism ABA Instructor Mallory Boulay Instructional Assistant
Anna Brandon Teacher Ashlyn Burnett Autism ABA Instructor Coral Cook Instructional Assistant Brian Cotnoir Teacher Nicole Deary Educ/Behavioral Specialist II Anthony Delaire Teacher Julie Didonato Teacher Marcella Dougherty Special Ed. Instructor Caitlin Edwardsen Autism ABA Instructor Victoria Ferland Instructional Assistant Miranda Freeman Teacher Briteny Holden Special Ed. Instructor Emily Iovino Educ/Behavioral Specialist I Taylor Koriakin Educ/Behavioral Specialist II Tori Marie Lauria Instructional Assistant Dale Maxwell Teacher Tracey Neumuth Speech Language Assistant Rebecca O’Connell Instructional Assistant Arista Parillo Speech Language Pathologist Karen Powers Autism ABA Instructor Emma Rategan Teacher Stephanie Regan Special Ed. Instructor Diana Rodriguez Nieves Job Coach Kenneth Ryan Student Worker Kathryn Rymsza Physical Therapist
Jayzel Samaniego Instructional Assistant Devon Santos Instructional Assistant Sydney Schukei Nurse Sha-Asia Silverman Instructional Assistant David Spruance Behavior Interventionist Edward Sweeney Autism ABA Instructor Nathan Van Meter Teacher Karyn Walsh Speech Language Pathologist Sara Werth Special Ed. Instructor Kheya Williams Instructional Assistant
Organizational Support Services Dorothy Arrowood CDL Driver Judith Barham Driver Aide Carmen Berrios CDL Driver Bernice Boateng Employment Specialist Richard Brousseau Driver Aide Lian Camacho-Rosado Employment Specialist Stephen Cochefski CDL Driver Janelly Cruz Van Driver Raymond Custodio Van Driver Kelly Desnoyers CDL Driver Lori Dulac CDL Driver Stephanie Dzat CDL Driver Mildred Flores Dispatcher
Michael Fortin Driver Aide Penny Francis CDL Driver Cheryl Frazier CDL Driver Charles Furness Driver Aide Charlene Hill Accountant Joseph Igliozzi CDL Driver Jessica Jordan-Guilbeault Service Coordinator Tamarin Kelley Employment Specialist Heidi Lajoie CDL Driver Nolvia Marti Van Driver Edward Martin Business Manager Jubelee Martinez Van Driver Mark Michaud CDL Driver Linda Moffitt Driver Aide Marisia Newcomb Driver Aide John Pastula Driver Aide Angelia Rafter Employment Specialist Keyona Ramirez Driver Aide Rafael Ramos Van Driver Apolinar Reyes-Mosquea Van Driver Juana Rosario Caceres Van Driver William Rosario Diaz Driver Aide Preston Roy Driver Aide Roland Roy CDL Driver
Employee Update | Fall 2020
Employee Anniversaries Name Years Of Title/Role Service
30+ Years
Name Years Of Title/Role Service
10 Years
Karen Schenck
39 Teacher
Paul Colella
10
Database Developer Iii
Paula Macy
36
Technology Specialist
Teresa Gochros
10
Hs Home Visitor
Susan Hogan
35
Physical Therapist
Preston Hyer
10 Teacher
Kim Broad
34
Administrative Assistant
Kristin James
10
Education Specialist
Diane Dalphonse 33 Teacher
Carol Klemyk
10
Executive Assistant
Frederick Nieves
33
Assistant Director Of Transp.
Jason Mattia
10 Teacher
Janet Smith
33
Assistant To Director Of Hr
Jessica Miglio
10
Nancy Celentano
32
Staff Development Specialist
Stacy Vocasek
10 Teacher
Assistant Program Director
5 Years
Suzanne Cimochowski 32
Cynthia Lavigne 32 Dispatcher Nancy Whitehead 32 Secretary
Educ/Behavioral Specialist I
Olessya Barbo 5 Teacher Laura Buffi
5 Teacher
Katrina Cote
5
School Nurse
Jacquelyn Dubois
5
Educ/Behavioral Specialist Iii
Catherine Greatorex
5
School Psychologist
Van Driver
Allison Griswold
5
Adult Education Teacher Hrly
Madeline Montalvo 20 Custodian
Wendy Hartling
5
Adult Education Teacher
15 Years
Randi Henry
5
Bhs Program Aide
Jayme Horton
5
Instructional Assistant
Dorota Knorr
5
Administrative Assistant
Joanne Lambert
5
Assistant Assist Tech Rsg Coor
Kayla Mercado
5
Service Coordinator
Kathleen O’Neil
5
Social Worker
Francis Rogers
5
Driver Aide
Weatherlay Santiago
5
Instructional Assistant
Dianne Talbot
5
Adult Education Teacher
Kristen Wood
5
Hr Associate
Robert Norgren
31
Instructional Assistant
Michael Akana
30
Director Of Facilities
20 Years Kimberly Mccall
Karen Nieves
20
15
Driver Aide
EASTCONN IS HIRING!
We looking for school bus and van drivers, instructional assistants, substitute nurses, substitute cafeteria workers, technology staff and adult education instructors. Excellent benefits offered. Training available. Other EASTCONN positions are also open. Apply now! www.eastconn.org/jobs
Employee Update | Fall 2020
Snapshots From Around EASTCONN
Stay Connected to EASTCONN www.eastconn.org
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