Auxiliary Adviser"Providing Services That Power Education" |
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| Volume 2, Issue 6 |
March
2002
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In This Issue
Congressmen Tour Kingswood
Elementary
WCPSS Contractor Fair
Wellness and Health
Safety Hotline Reminder
National Nutrition Month
Walking Path
Facilities Needs Assessment
Employee Recognition & Awards Reception
Salary Study & Reorganization Update
Mark Your Calendar
Training Schedule
WELL Technology Workshops
Stay Informed
Congressmen Tour Kingswood
Elementary
Call for Increased Funding for School Construction
US Reps. David Price and Bob Etheridge visited Kingswood Elementary, Feb. 25, to voice their concern over the lack of funding for school construction in President Bush's proposed budget.
"There's a $127 billion backlog in school repairs nationwide," said Price. With the average U.S. school built in 1959, over a third of our schools are in serious disrepair. "Because of the backlog," Etheridge added, "over 5,600 trailers cover NC campuses."
Kingswood, built in 1954, fits the profile. Although Principal Sue Sisson sacrificed six positions for smaller class size, almost half of her students are still in mobile classrooms. Teachers also hold class in resource rooms, conference areas and other non-traditional teaching spaces.
Currently, the elementary school has 12 regular classrooms, eight mobile classrooms and 1 toilet trailer. An upcoming construction project, funded by the Nov. 2000 bond referendum, will add 15 classrooms to the campus.
"America's Better Classrooms Bill would provide $26 billion for school construction, but it is stuck in committee," said Etheridge. The bill would allow state boards of education to allocate bonds to school systems interest-free.
"This leaves the basic decisions at the local level and allows you to stretch the dollars about twice as far," said Price.
Wake Schools' Superintendent Bill McNeal, Board of Education Chairwoman Kathryn Watson Quigg and school staff were also on hand to discuss the challenges of overcrowding in the growing district.
"When our current building program wraps up in 2004, we'll briefly catch up with growth in the area. But we cannot afford to slow down. We project an additional 60,000 students will join the Wake County School System by 2020," said McNeal.
Kingswood's student council presented the congressmen with pins and other small gifts before leading them through the campus. "Kingswood has motivated us to go back and keep fighting," Etheridge told Sisson.
Over 150 contractors attended WCPSS' Contractor Fair, Feb. 27, at Southeast Raleigh High. Contractors reviewed plans for the PLAN 2000 projects that will come up for bid this year.
"They were all eager to bid our work. As a result of that competition, our bids are coming in at or under budget," said Mike Burriss, assistant superintendent for facilities. The savings will help address the maintenance backlog, he added.
For all those that are trying to improve your health…. For the walkers at Rock Quarry Road…. For those that the doctor has asked to keep an eye on their blood pressure….
Auxiliary Services now has a blood pressure machine. The machine will be kept in the Environmental Health & Safety Department's Materials Production Center. Please feel free to stop by and check yourself out.
Remember one high blood pressure is nothing to be alarmed over. Use this tool to develop a blood pressure history.
The best ways to reduce blood pressure:
1. Loose weight
2. Increase exercise
3. Reduce salt intake
4. Reduce soft drinks and caffeine intake.
Remember you should only start an exercise or diet program under the direction or supervision of your doctor.
Everyone is strongly encouraged to call the anonymous hotline (713-0588) to report safety hazards and concerns.
In recognition of National Nutrition Month, Child Nutrition is holding a food pyramid drive Mar. 11 - 15 at all WCPSS schools. Each day represents a different level in the food pyramid. One day schools will collect fruits and vegetables, another day they will collect grains, and so forth. At the end of the week, CNS will donate all the food to the local Food Bank.
National School Breakfast Week is Mar. 4 - 8. Elementary and middle schools will encourage students to eat breakfast by giving away various promotional items, such as t-shirts and bookmarks.
In the next couple of weeks, the walking path around the Central Services Complex will have arrow markers every tenth of a mile.
The school board approved $1.3 million for facilities assessments, including equipment inventory and conditions assessments. From this information, the school system will be able to develop future budget requests and better coordinate maintenance job plans with facilities' capital projects.
The efforts, coordinated with MAXIMO, are expected to complete in August. Heery International has already surveyed the associate superintendents regarding their departments' space needs and will put an assessment team together later this month to review those areas. WCPSS will select another company to assess existing school facilities later this month.
Employee Recognition
& Awards Reception
All auxiliary services employees are invited to the Employee Recognition and Awards Reception Thursday, Mar. 21, 2002. The reception will be held at Centennial Campus Middle's cafeteria from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.
We have an entertaining afternoon planned for you. There will be door prizes, years of service pins, gifts for our retirees, safety awards, extra achievement awards, plus never-seen-before video coverage of some rising starlets.
Please come as you are, relax, eat and allow us to recognize you for the great job you do! RSVP to Veda Cooke (856-2918) by Mar. 8.
Salary Study & Reorganization Update
The school board approved the new salary schedules Feb. 19, 2002. Human Resources will inform support personnel of their new salary grade in March. Checks, retroactive to July 1, 2001, will be cut in April. HR developed the salary schedules for over 3,300 support employees based upon the market rates for comparable positions (from Arthur Andersen salary study recommendations).
In addition, the Auxiliary Services Division will move forward with plans to reorganize the Maintenance and Operations Department and add an additional cluster in the northeastern section of the county. M&O began a pilot cluster program almost two years ago to bring services to the schools. Each cluster has four maintenance people assigned to it: three multi-tasked employees (MTEs) and one area facility manager (AFM). AFMs report to a regional facility manager. Five to seven schools form a cluster, and four of five clusters make a region.
"The current budget woes do not affect the salary schedules or the maintenance reorganization," said Mike Burriss, assistant superintendent for facilities. Burriss hopes to have positions and changes associated with the cluster in place in May or June 2002.
Mar. 4 - 8 National School Breakfast Week
Mar. 10 - 16 Severe Weather Awareness Week
There will be a statewide drill on Wed., Mar. 13.
Mar. 21 Auxiliary Services Employee Recognition
& Awards Reception
Centennial Campus
2:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Mar. 29 Holiday (Good Friday)
Apr. 22 Earth Day
May 2 Custodial Banquet
Southeast Raleigh High
6:30 p.m.
MAXIMO Training
MAXIMO - Schools & Administrators (full)
Mar. 20
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Training Center, Rock Quarry Rd.
Computer Training
Overview of Excel
Mar. 7, 2002
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Training Center, Rock Quarry Rd.
Powerpoint (two-day class)
Mar. 12-13, 2002
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (each day)
Training Center, Rock Quarry Rd.
Excel - Level II
Mar. 19
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Training Center, Rock Quarry Rd.
Desktop Publishing
Mar. 26, 2002
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Training Center, Rock Quarry Rd.
Tips & Techniques in Word
Mar. 28, 2002
8:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Training Center, Rock Quarry Rd.
Safety Training
Back/Ergonomic Safety
Mar. 12
8:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Wake County Commons Bldg.
Hand & Power Tool Safety
Apr. 4
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Wake County Commons Bldg.
Technical Workshops
Blueprint Reading and Estimating
Mar. 11-13
Begins first day at 1 p.m.
Harriet Webster Professional Development Ctr.
OSHA Safety Update
Mar. 19
Begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m.
Harriet Webster Professional Development Ctr.
Electric Code Review for Contractors License
Mar. 26-28
Begins at 9 a.m. first day
Harriet Webster Professional Development Ctr.
To register for computer training or technical workshops, please contact Judy Cox at 664-5728 or e-mail jscox@wcpss.net. To register for MAXIMO classes, please contact Kate Nikolaisen at 664-5729 or e-mail knikolaisen@wcpss.net. To register for safety training, please contact Malinda Ferrell at 856-8078 or e-mail mwferrell@wcpss.net.
WELL Technology Workshops for WCPSS Community
The Wade Edwards Learning Lab offers technology workshops to members of the WCPSS Community. Spaces are limited; enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis. The workshops are FREE to WCPSS faculty, staff and students; parents and other community members are asked to volunteer 1 hour at the WELL for every 2 hours of technology training. All workshops will take place 7:00-9:00 p.m. Course scheduling is subject to change according to registrations and demand.
To register by phone, dial 856-9355 and select Option 4. To register by email, contact SKillion@Wade.org . In either case, your message should be brief: your name, affiliation, phone number and, ideally, email address. No other details or explanations are necessary. Once registered, you will be contacted by phone or email. As a courtesy to those who would also like to attend a workshop, please do not register unless you are certain you can attend on that evening. Once registered, please make it your priority to attend.
Wednesday, March 6
Basic Word Processing
Tuesday, March 12
Intermediate Word Processing
Wednesday, March 13
Intermediate Word Processing
Tuesday, March 18
Basic Internet
Wednesday, March 19
Basic Internet
Monday, April 8
Intermediate Internet
Tuesday, April 9
Intermediate Internet
Monday, April 15
Basic Excel
Tuesday, April 16
Basic Excel
Monday, April 22
Intermediate Excel
Tuesday, April 23
Intermediate Excel
Tuesday, April 30
Basic PowerPoint
Subscribe to the Auxiliary Adviser and stay informed of important issues and events in the Auxiliary Services Division. To subscribe, e-mail kwood@wcpss.net, with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. The newsletter will be e-mailed to you on a monthly basis.
If you do not wish to subscribe, you can also find the Adviser on the Tao bulletin board for auxiliary services. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Kristin Wood at 856-8036.
Auxiliary Services Division
Vision
Providing Services That Power Education
Mission Statement
Provide quality facilities and support services to ensure
safe, healthy, inviting and optimal learning environments.
Goals
1) Recruit and retain a qualified and high quality workforce.
2) Provide and maintain quality facilities and support services
that result in a safe and healthy learning environment.
3) Support recommendations of the joint county/school system
strategies report.