Register by Dec. 21 for Heartland Administrators’ Association January Meeting with Wixted & Co.

The Heartland Administrator’s Association (HAA) Jan. 5, 2021 meeting will focus on media and crisis awareness training.

The Media & Crisis Awareness Training 101 with Wixted & Co. discusses the fundamentals of media and crisis communication, beginning with the definition of a crisis versus an issue or controversy. In an environment that requires frequent, layered communication to many different audiences, participants will learn guidelines for interacting with the media during a crisis and why crises gain so much attention from key stakeholders and the media. We will examine how media convergence and social media are changing news coverage and the way organizations must respond when facing a crisis.

We will explore the most effective methods of communication to key stakeholders in 2021, examine the importance of audience analysis and discuss the four phases of a crisis. The trainer will use video examples to help illustrate key points.

The training will be held virtually via Zoom and capacity will be limited.

Registration is open to superintendents and any staff person managing district communications, social media and/or website. Register at this link OR by emailing participant names to Jenny Ugolini at jugolini@heartlandaea.org by Dec. 21.

Reminder: HEART Database to Sunset This Month

Heartland AEA has been proud to provide the HEART Database to districts and schools for many years. Times and technology have changed significantly since we initially developed this resource. New tools are available to districts/schools, and the software used to build the database is now outdated and has become incompatible with some common computer operating systems.

Given the progress the state of Iowa has made in making other data systems available to districts/schools and the significant resources it would take to rebuild it, Heartland AEA will sunset the HEART Database on Dec. 31, 2020. If your district chooses to use HEART until Dec. 31, 2020, you can continue the import procedures you’ve been using to date.

Thank you for allowing Heartland AEA to partner with you. If you have any questions, contact Sheila King, Chief Information Officer, at sking@heartlandaea.org or (800) 255-0405 ext. 14386.

Heartland AEA Holiday Office Closing & Van Delivery Schedule

In celebration of Winter Break, Heartland AEA offices will be closed to the public Dec. 24, 2020 - Jan. 4, 2021. Van delivery schedule will be as follows:

• Regular van delivery: Dec. 21-22
• No van delivery: Dec. 23 -Jan. 3
• Regular van delivery resumes: Jan. 4

Check Out Our Wellness Inspiration Site: Shareable Resource For Educators, Families and Students

In an effort to support the well-being of districts, students, educators and families, we're pleased to bring you "Wellness Inspiration," a resource dedicated to well-being. Check out the Wellness Inspiration site for well-being resources, tips and fun and share with colleagues and families! This week features:

• Resource Guide Provides Tips on How to Celebrate Safely This Holiday Season
• Yale Offering Another Free Course on Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty
• Funnies

Our Mission 

To improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth by providing services and leadership in partnership with families, schools and communities.

Our Goals

• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success

Register Before Winter Break for Heartland Administrators’ Association January Meeting with Wixted & Co.

The Heartland Administrator’s Association (HAA) Jan. 5, 2021 meeting will focus on media and crisis awareness training.

The Media & Crisis Awareness Training 101 with Wixted & Co. discusses the fundamentals of media and crisis communication, beginning with the definition of a crisis versus an issue or controversy. In an environment that requires frequent, layered communication to many different audiences, participants will learn guidelines for interacting with the media during a crisis and why crises gain so much attention from key stakeholders and the media. We will examine how media convergence and social media are changing news coverage and the way organizations must respond when facing a crisis.

We will explore the most effective methods of communication to key stakeholders in 2021, examine the importance of audience analysis and discuss the four phases of a crisis. The trainer will use video examples to help illustrate key points.

The training will be held virtually via Zoom and capacity will be limited. Registration is open to superintendents and any staff person managing district communications, social media and/or website. Register at this link OR by emailing participant names to Jenny Ugolini at jugolini@heartlandaea.org by Dec. 21.

Universal Protocol for Accommodations in Reading Available to Iowa Schools at No Cost

Iowa’s AEAs and the Department of Education are pleased to announce that we are providing access to uPAR, Universal Protocol for Accommodations in Reading, at no cost to schools. uPAR is an online screening tool that can be administered to groups of students to capture data showing how each student learns best.

Benefits of uPAR:

1. Set up a group of students in minutes
2. Administer to up to 30 students in one class period
3. Evaluations can occur virtually or in the classroom
4. Automatic scoring
5. Individual and group data can easily be sorted

Getting Started
Complete this form to request implementation of uPAR at your school. Review the uPAR Implementation Guide.

For more information, contact Wendy Robinson, Director of Instructional Services, or a member of your school’s support team for further assistance.

Heartland AEA Literacy News and Notes is Now Available

The Heartland AEA Literacy Newsletter is now available. Make sure to follow the newsletter and share it with your colleagues! In this issue we've included some short videos to assist with your virtual instruction as well as some new information around Dyslexia. Reach out to your Heartland AEA Literacy Consultant if you need any support.

Youth Mental Health First Aid Offers Training in Blended, In-Person & Virtual Formats

Heartland AEA is pleased to announce we are now offering Youth Mental Health First Aid in a blended format. Read more about YMHFA and options available to districts, including YMHFA in blended, virtual and in-person formats.

**Child Mental Health First Aid also now available!

New, Free Course for Educator Well-being from Yale

The Yale online course, Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty and Stress, is available to educators and school staff for FREE on Coursera.

The Yale team has spent months bringing the latest science and practice together into this 10-hour course that dives deeply into healthy emotion regulation for educators, the intersection of race, bias and identity in educating students, and practical strategies to support students in managing their difficult emotions.

Please share as widely as possible in your networks. Here’s the link to enroll. https://www.coursera.org/learn/managing-emotions-uncertainty-stress

Coming Soon: Professional Learning for Staff Associated with Safe Classroom Environments and Seclusion and Restraint

Asynchronous professional learning opportunities in 15, 30 and 60-minute sessions, to support the training requirements for staff associated with Senate File 2360 - Guidance for Safe Classroom Environments and the revised Chapter 103 rules. Professional learning will address the following topics: foundational behavior principles; de-escalation, prevention strategies, supporting communication and response strategies.

Free Online Access to Education Leadership's December issue on Mental Health for Educators

Education Leadership is providing the December/January issue on educator mental health free and open to all users through December. You can access the free online issue here.

Heart Of Innovation 2021 Date Set + Pear Deck Takeaway Intro

Check out our latest Instructional Technology newsletter:

• Teaching Tools: Active Learning while Physically Distancing
• 6 Googley Wintertime Activities for Kids
• New courses starting in January!

Join our new HAEA Innovative Educator Group on Facebook and look for daily ideas, inspiration, and fun!

Our Mission 

To improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth by providing services and leadership in partnership with families, schools and communities.

Our Goals

• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success

Register Before Winter Break for Heartland Administrators’ Association January Meeting with Wixted & Co.

The Heartland Administrator’s Association (HAA) Jan. 5, 2021 meeting will focus on media and crisis awareness training.

The Media & Crisis Awareness Training 101 with Wixted & Co. discusses the fundamentals of media and crisis communication, beginning with the definition of a crisis versus an issue or controversy. In an environment that requires frequent, layered communication to many different audiences, participants will learn guidelines for interacting with the media during a crisis and why crises gain so much attention from key stakeholders and the media. We will examine how media convergence and social media are changing news coverage and the way organizations must respond when facing a crisis.

We will explore the most effective methods of communication to key stakeholders in 2021, examine the importance of audience analysis and discuss the four phases of a crisis. The trainer will use video examples to help illustrate key points.

The training will be held virtually via Zoom and capacity will be limited.

Registration is open to superintendents and any staff person managing district communications, social media and/or website. Register at this link OR by emailing participant names to Jenny Ugolini at jugolini@heartlandaea.org by Dec. 21.

Announcing the Launch of a New and Improved Heartland AEA Website

We are very excited to announce the launch of the Agency’s redesigned website. The new site will be easier to navigate, more user-friendly and quite graphically pleasing!

As a partner in education, it’s important for us to make information regarding our services and supports easily accessible for educators, students and families. We strive to provide our partners with the most accurate, up-to-date information and share our knowledge and expertise in education. Our goal with the redesigned website is to provide visitors an easier way to learn about Heartland AEA’s services and to browse information based on their own choices.

The new website gives better access to:

• Professional Learning opportunities

• Library & Digital resources 

• Creative Services materials and online ordering

• Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment supports

• Special Education services

• Family supports
 

The website also features:

• Enhanced web accessibility for those who use screen readers
• A responsive design that allows the site to be accessible on mobile devices
• Integrated social media buttons for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

Seasonal Note Cards: We design it. You write it. We print it.

Administrators can keep in touch and reach out to staff, students and families with seasonal note cards. You can order blank cards or type in your own message when you place your order. Go to csonline.heartlandaea.org. Log in with single sign-on (SSO)—the username/password used for Mandatory Reporter or Bloodborne Pathogens. Enter note cards in the search box.

Blank card: $0.06 each
Personalized card: $0.08 each
Blank A2 envelope: $0.04 each
Folded size: 5.5”x4.25”

English Learners Nov./Dec. Newsletter is Now Available

We are approaching the end of the calendar year and our winter EL Smore newsletter (part 1) is now published. You may reach the newsletter at the following link: https://www.smore.com/atksn. The topic of the current newsletter is SEL (Social Emotional Learning) with Students Learning English.

We hope this message finds you doing well, and we wish you a peaceful December and before long, a new calendar year! Best wishes to all of you as you work to support our students and families learning English!

The EL/Diversity Consultants of Heartland AEA

Copyright BriefNotes: Everything Students and Teachers Need to Know

Iowa’s Area Education Agencies have created an extensive, easy-to-use resource to help students and teachers understand copyright laws and the associated rights and responsibilities as users of copyrighted information.

Two versions of Copyright BriefNotes are available to support students and teachers in virtual and physical classrooms: Copyright BriefNotes for Students and Copyright BriefNotes for Students and Teachers. Both are available as a flipbook, PDF and printed version. You are welcome to link the flipbooks and PDFs to your school website or LMS. Visit our website to learn more.

Join Us for the December Science Networking Session that Focuses on NGSS Instructional Routines

Join us Dec. 7 at 3:45 p.m. as Iowa’s AEAs across the state begin networking sessions to support science instruction during face-to-face, blended and distance learning. The Zoom networking sessions will be facilitated by AEA Science Consultants and are being held to provide networking opportunities for science teachers across the state. This session will focus on NGSS Instructional Routines. Join by Zoom at this link: https://gpaea.zoom.us/j/95605588969.

Youth Mental Health First Aid Offers Training in Blended, In-Person & Virtual Formats

Heartland AEA is pleased to announce we are now offering Youth Mental Health First Aid in a blended format. Read more about YMHFA and options available to districts, including YMHFA in blended, virtual and in-person formats. 

**Child Mental Health First Aid also now available!

To request a YMHFA Training Email the Heartland AEA Regional Director assigned to your district and Jadie Boens, Heartland AEA Director of Special Programs, who will coordinate scheduling the YMHFA training.

Check Out Our Wellness Inspiration Site: Shareable Resource For Educators, Families and Students

In an effort to support the well-being of districts, students, educators and families, we're pleased to bring you "Wellness Inspiration," a resource dedicated to well-being. Check out the Wellness Inspiration site for well-being resources, tips and fun and share with colleagues and families! This week features:

• Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education workshops
• Down Dog Fitness App
• Funnies

Dec. 2020 School Leader Update

The Dec. 2020 School Leader Update from the Iowa Department of Education is available.

State Education Board Adopts Revisions to Seclusion and Restraint Rules

The State Board of Education recently adopted revisions to Iowa administrative rules on seclusion and restraint (Chapter 103). The revised rules will go into effect on Jan. 20, 2021. In the December 2020 SAI Report, Matt Carver addresses the seclusion and restraint rules change on pages 4-5 (the revised Chapter 103 rules are linked in the first line of his article).