Auxiliary Adviser"Providing Services That Power Education" |
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| Volume 4, Issue 2 |
September
2003
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In This Issue
Thank You
Vote October 7
Custodian Appreciation Week
Welcome/New Hires
Training
Employee Benefits
Flu Shots
Maintenance Communication Team
Issue Bin
Without Power, But Not Powerless
Thank You
Don Haydon, Associate Superintendent for Auxiliary Services
Division
I know you worked long hard hours to ensure all 127 Wake County schools were ready for the first day of classes. Thank you.
Despite the unseasonably high amount of rain and storms, tight budgets and new policies, you did whatever was necessary to prepare schools for our 108,000-plus students. Setting up new kitchens, troubleshooting and repairing environmental issues, completing complex construction projects and moves, and cleaning are only a few examples of what needed to be done. The full list goes on and on.
Well done!
On Tuesday, October 7, you and other Wake County voters will make an important decision. You have the power to decide whether to finance the majority of the new PLAN 2004 school building program with $450 million in bonds - the maximum amount the County can sell without a tax increase.
Covering the years 2004 to 2008, the $550 million program includes building 13 new schools and a pre-kindergarten center, comprehensive renovations at 16 schools, and repairs and re-roofing projects at 61 campuses.
The Wake County Public School System's capital improvement plan will provide classroom space for the more than 3,000 students who join the district each year, in addition to the 108,000-plus students already here.
In addition, WCPSS' older buildings - especially those built in the 1950s, '60s and '70s - are in need of major, whole-building renovations. Top priority is placed on correcting health and safety issues. Buildings constructed 15 to 20 years ago are reaching the point that heating and cooling equipment and roofs must be repaired or replaced before they begin to fail.
The district must also ensure that schools support current educational needs, including compliance with new state class size standards, current curriculum and teaching/learning methods.
All Wake County schools will be affected by PLAN 2004 - either directly or indirectly - even if they aren't listed in the actual plan. PLAN 2004 will ease the overflow of students from other schools by building new schools and renovating others.
For more information on the upcoming building program, please go to the PLAN 2004 Resource Center at www.wcpss.net.
Custodian Appreciation Week
Sept. 14 - 20
Do you know who "holds the keys to the castle?" Custodial Services Administrator Aaron Springs does. "Custodians hold the keys - they are the first ones in the buildings and the last ones to leave," said Springs.
At the Central Services Complex, Custodian Robert Johnson holds the keys. He's handled the daytime operations of all WCPSS facilities at Rock Quarry for quite some time. Johnson has served the County for 23 years - or 25 years if you include his two years of part-time work. Although his normal hours are from 4:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., he's currently working 4:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
"He does it all," says Jackie Pedersen, custodial services secretary. "I don't know what we'd do without him."
During this special week, each custodian will receive a certificate of appreciation - signed by Superintendent Bill McNeal and past Board of Education Chair Kathryn Watson Quigg - for his or her service during the 2002-03 school year, and a letter of thanks from the director of WCPSS Buildings and Grounds. The department will hang small banners of appreciation in the district's administrative buildings as well.
Although we should express our heartfelt appreciation for our custodians throughout the year, please set aside some extra time Sept. 14 - 20 to honor those who - as Springs said - "do everything others don't want to do."
Please welcome Petra Harris, the new MAXIMO system administrator, to the Auxiliary Services Division. Harris provides MAXIMO support to school customers and M&O staff, supports the computer system as a whole, and provides user access and training. You may contact her at 856-6128, through e-mail at pharris2@wcpss.net or stop by the Training Center at Rock Quarry Road.
Please welcome Louise Burke, information management supervisor, to the division as well. She joined the school system Sept. 9, after 22 years with Nortel. Burke will "manage and coordinate for accuracy and consistency all Auxiliary Services Division graphical and statistical data, including research, collection, dissemination and presentation of data; and be responsible for development of the Information Management Systems for Facility Planning and Construction."
You may reach her at 664-5645 or e-mail sburke1@wcpss.net.
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MAXIMO Everywhere (for school-based users) |
MAXIMO Everywhere (for school-based users) |
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Sept. 24 |
Sept. 24 |
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9:00 - 11:00 a.m. |
2:00 - 4:00 p.m. |
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Training Center, Rock Quarry Road |
Training Center, Rock Quarry Road |
A Colonial Life representative will be at the old Paint Shop (located on the General Services side of the dock) at Rock Quarry Road, Sept. 25 and 26 to discuss Flexible Spending Accounts, Colonial Insurance Programs and Superior Vision Services. The representative will give a presentation on the 25th, and be available both days - beginning at 7:00 a.m. - to answer questions and enroll employees.
To sign up for any of these employee benefits, you must meet with someone from Colonial Life. The Flexible Benefits Plan allows qualified individuals to save money by paying for certain benefits with pre-tax income.
If you are currently participating in a Flexible Spending Account, and wish to continue saving money, you must re-enroll. If you have Colonial and Superior Vision products, they will remain in effect unless you make a change and fill out a new enrollment form. For employees who did not sign up for the vision plan in May, now is a good time to enroll.
A make-up day will be held at Rock Quarry, Sept. 30. Check the intranet (www2.wcpss.net) for additional enrollment dates and times at other locations. If you have any questions, please call the Colonial WCPSS information line at 577-0700 and leave a message.
Wake school employees may go to any of the sites below to receive a flu shot for this school year. Shots cost $10.
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DATE |
TIME |
SCHOOL |
ROOM |
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10/1 |
3 - 6 p.m. |
Broughton High |
Teachers' Lounge |
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10/2 |
2:30 - 5:30 p.m. |
Leesville Road High |
Faculty Lounge |
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10/7 |
2:30 - 5:30 p.m. |
Cary High |
Career Center |
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10/8 |
2:30 - 5:30 p.m. |
East Wake High |
South Cafeteria |
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10/9 |
2:30 - 5:30 p.m. |
Millbrook High |
Conference Room |
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10/14 |
2:30 - 5:30 p.m. |
Garner High |
Media Center |
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10/15 |
7:30 - 9:30 a.m. |
Rock Quarry Road |
Conference Rm./CNS Bldg. |
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10/16 |
3 - 6 p.m. |
Southeast Raleigh High |
107 J (Main Office) |
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10/21 |
1:30 - 3:30 p.m. |
Atlantic Avenue |
Room 102 |
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10/22 |
2:30 - 5:30 p.m. |
Wakefield High |
Media Center |
Maintenance Communication Team
As part of the Maintenance Excellence initiative, the department formed several focus teams to come up with ways to improve our services, working conditions and communication. One of the Internal Communications Team's goals, for example, is to develop a process to ensure every Maintenance and Operations employee is informed on important issues.
The focus team gathered questions from co-workers prior to the first meeting. As a good, first step, the group decided to address some of those topics each month in the Auxiliary Adviser. Additional ways to share information may include establishing an information center at Rock Quarry and distributing one-pagers on hot topics as they arise.
Information and updates from M&O focus teams are posted on the small bulletin board near the mailboxes in the Operations Building.
Please feel free to contact a communications member with
ideas and questions; he or she will not reveal your identity.
Kristin Wood, Communications Specialist, 856-8036, kwood@wcpss.net
Darren Grogg, Master Craftsman, dgrogg@wcpss.net
Buddy McCarty, Environmental Health and Safety Supervisor,
gmcarty@wcpss.net
Sylvia Surcy, Processing Technician, ssurcy@wcpss.net
Mike Weisbeck, Boiler Mechanic, mweisbeck@wcpss.net
Ron Wood, Area Facility Manager, rwood@wcpss.net
1. We need to have standard operating procedures in place for flextime, purchasing cards, pagers, vehicles, etc.
One of M&O's goals this year is to produce a procedures manual for the department. In addition to the standard operating procedures for MAXIMO (computerized work order system), the manual should serve as a good reference for new and existing employees.
2. What are the plans for Rock Quarry?
As part of the M&O reorganization, many employees were cross-trained in several areas and became part of the regional program, leaving fewer people in the core shops at Rock Quarry Road. M&O is in the process of moving supervisors, regional facility managers, project managers, future planners, custodial field supervisors, and MAXIMO personnel all to the same area to help promote interaction and better communication.
There are no plans to replace existing positions with contracted vendors. M&O will continue using vendors to supplement the skills already here.
Without Power, But Not Powerless
Christina Larkins, Resource Management Administrator
Power outages, once synonymous with storms and high winds, are becoming prevalent on sunny days, as well. Hot weather itself has few effects on electrical systems - power outages are actually caused by surging electricity demand that overheats transformers.
And the demand for electricity is soaring. The construction boom in the 1990's brought us new homes, businesses and energy-eating appliances. Today, high-tech gadgets such as computers, printers, fax machines, and wireless phones (all of which didn't exist 20 years ago) demand a lot of energy. At the same time, electricity production has fallen behind. Instead of building new power plants, many utilities are purchasing energy from regions with excess capacity.
A power outage, whether an unplanned outage caused by an
electricity shortage or an auto accident toppling a telephone
pole, can create uncertainty, anxiety and even panic. Those
who prepare for all possibilities stand the best chance of
staying out of harm's way. The following tips will help you
weather the next power outage.
· Have a back-up telephone that does not rely on electricity.
· Keep phone numbers of emergency response agencies, such
as 911, hospitals, fire and police departments in a convenient
location.
· Stay clear of danger. Downed power lines can kill - electricity
transmitted through live wires can shock and possibly electrocute
you.
· Contact your local utility for updated information; do not
call 911 to ask about a power outage.
· "Power down" appliances. Turn off all electrical equipment
to prevent overloading the circuits in your home, school or
business - and the utility's electrical system - when power
is restored. These simple actions may help prevent damage
to your equipment when the power comes back on.
· Leave one inside light on to indicate when the power is
restored. It's also helpful to turn on the porch light so
repair crews will know when power is working.
· Use flashlights for emergency lighting. (Candles are a fire
hazard.)
Stay Informed
The Auxiliary Adviser is e-mailed to subscribers in the
school system; and posted on the intranet, Internet and Auxiliary
Services Tao bulletin board. A hard copy of the Adviser is
also posted on bulletin boards in the Maintenance and Facilities
Buildings, placed in each maintenance shop's box, and one
is sent to the head custodian and child nutrition staff at
each school.
To have the newsletter e-mailed to you directly, simply send an e-mail with "subscribe" in the subject line, to kwood@wcpss.net.
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, develop 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) Effectively communicate successes, challenges and needs.