oaisd interworkings fall 2012

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Welcome Back BreakfastOAISD Celebrates 50th Anniversary

OAISD Summer ImprovementsIt’s a futurePREP Summer!

Karen Lubbers and Students at Lubbers Family Farm, futurePREP Summer Immersion–Food Matters

OTTAWA AREA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Inter-workingsOttawa Area Intermediate School District Employee News and Information

I N T H I S I S S U E

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INTERWORKINGS FALL 2012OTTAWA AREA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT

3 Superintendent’s Message Celebrating ISD’s 50th Anniversary

4 Welcome Back Breakfast Looking back, moving forward, and playing games (mock Jeopardy)

6 OAISD 50th Anniversary A year-long celebration

7 OAISD Summer Improvements CTC Diesel/Heavy Equipment Mechanics building expansion

8 ESB Staff Donates to United Way Community Baby Shower

Over 70 items collected for children ages birth to fi ve

8 Pet Parade Meet Drake, the latest ISD Star Pet

9 Green Solutions New recycling bins, updated lighting, and streamlined heating and cooling sytems

10 futurePREP An active summer for those who participated in IChallengeU, Summer Immersion,

Unite4Insight, and Make Lab

12 Technology Services Department Goes Regional OAITC providing technology support in fi ve districts

14 New Employees Introducing you to our newest staff members

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OTTAWA AREA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICTINTERWORKINGS FALL 2012

S U P E R I N T E N D E N T ’ S M E S S A G E

times, we are all singing a slightly different song…the notes are similar, but the words can be different.

That’s why it’s more important than ever to tell our own story in our own community and continue to build a strong relationship with the constituents we serve. In order to do that, the next 50 years will require new thinking, bold changes, and continued commitment to serving our region’s unique needs. In order to move forward, we can lean on our past model for success: listen, then dream, design, develop, and deliver. Individually and collectively, we will insure our place in Michigan’s educational framework for another 50 years…and beyond.

Happy 50thAnniversary!If you were at our Opening Day Breakfast, you know that ISDs celebrate their golden milestone in 2012…50 years of serving students, schools, and communities with exceptional educational service and leadership.

It’s likely the original writers of the legislation that created ISDs in 1962 were focusing on our potential to create “economies of scale” in the newly emerging systems of special education and vocational education state-wide. They were true visionaries. It’s ISDs that have worked to achieve exceptional instructional delivery and exceptional savings in both of these areas. Even today, over two-thirds of our 420 employees work in these two fi elds.

Fortunately, though, those legislative writers also had the foresight to allow ISDs to develop programs and services that are specifi c to a region, providing fl exibility and customization in markets that differ widely across the state. For instance, how Wayne RESA (ISD) serves the Detroit area has developed differently over the years than how the Eastern Upper Peninsula ISD serves that region.

In fact, no two ISDs are alike. That’s good for schools and students. Not great, however, for trying to explain to politicians in 2012 how important ISDs are to the next 50 years of educational development in Michigan. At

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Welcome Back BreakfastLooking back, moving forward

The last days of August might prompt some folks to think about summer’s end, but at OAISD it had employees thinking of banana walnut pancakes. The fi fth annual Welcome Back Breakfast held at the Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center in Holland kicked-off the 2012-2013 school year with fellowship, fun and yes…food.

“One of the best parts of this event is getting staff from all our buildings in one room,”

Denise Dhuse, Human Resources Specialist, said. “We are all working on the same team and this is a great way for employees to get together and have some fun.”

OAISD Superintendent Karen McPhee took center stage and elaborated on the theme

“Looking Back, Moving Forward” by recognizing the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of Intermediate School

Districts in Michigan. With humorous anecdotes and some “interesting” photos, attendees were treated to a walk down memory lane with a look at 50 years of OAISD history.

One of the best parts of this event is getting staff from all of our buildings in one room.

- Denise Dhuse

W E L C O M E B A C K

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W E L C O M E B A C K

Greg LaMore (aka Alex Trebek) with Jeopardy contestants Chris Lamer, Val Putnam, and Terry Goldberg.

Then it was time for the question and answer segment. Or should we say answer and question? With a wave of McPhee’shand, the stage became the OAISD Jeopardy Game complete with our own Alex Trebek “played” by Assistant Superintendent of Special Needs, Greg LaMore. Staff members Chris Lamer (ESB), Val Putnam (M-TEC) and Terry Goldberg (Grand Haven CBI) volunteered to come front and center as contestants to show off their knowledge of 50 years of OAISD history.

“We decided to do things a little differently this year,” McPhee said. “The 50th anniversary is a perfect opportunity to celebrate the depth and breadth of services our organization provides and recognize the top-notch employees who work tirelessly, day in and day out, to execute them.”

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I S D T U R N S 5 0

50th AnniversaryMany notable Michigan events occurred in1962-the fi rst Kmart opened, Gordy Records of Motown fame released their fi rst album titled “Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance), and Public Act 190 established Intermediate School Districts (ISDs) in Michigan.

Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD) is one of 56 regional entities joining in the year-long observance and celebration of 50 years of providing programs, services, initiatives and support to help educate students statewide.

“We are excited to work with Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA) to celebrate the past, present and future success of Michigan ISD’s in education,” Superintendent Karen McPhee said.

Throughout the 2012-13 academic year, OAISD will issue news releases about the many ways our ISD supports local students and schools through teaching and learning, specialized student services, technology services, administrative services, early childhood education and more.

In addition to news releases, OAISD will collaborate with MAISA to promote the anniversary by submitting articles and presenting to the

Chamber of Commerce, community partners and local legislators as well

as including articles about the anniversary in local district newsletters.

“We want to take this opportunity to

promote the services our ISD has provided

to Ottawa Area students over the past 50 years and

will continue to provide in the future,” Julie Gillespie,

Superintendent of Human Resources/Communications

at OAISD, said.

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F A C I L I T Y I M P R O V E M E N T

OAISD Summer ImprovementsWhile students are away, facilities management will play!

And by play, we mean work incredibly hard to make sure all planned facilities improvements are complete before students walk through the doors in September.

The fi rst and largest project on the summer improvement calendar was the Careerline Tech Center (CTC) Diesel/Heavy Equipment Mechanics (HEM) building expansion.

Originally, the building housed just the HEM program. Four years ago, the Diesel program moved to the HEM space making for very tight quarters. The 9,300 square foot addition will double the high bay area for lab space as well as add a wash bay for

large equipment, a second classroom, a small library/conference room, and storage space.

“The building expansion allows us to give our students more space and therefore

more learning opportunities,” Dave Searles, Director at Careerline Tech Center, said.

“The program is already successful so we are excited to watch it grow and improve even more.”

While CTC is for junior and senior high school students, early planning can give students a head start on college while they are in high school.

“CTC has so much to off er OAISD students. We want to ensure all students, and their parents, are

aware of the money saving and career planning opportunities available to them,” Bunn said.


B A B Y S H O W E R / P E T P A R A D E

ESB Staff Donates Over 70 Items to the United Way Community Baby Shower

Bird dog Drake

Meet Drake. He’s a one and a half year old chocolate lab who calls Stephanie DeDoes, “mom.”

Besides duck and goose hunting with his “dad,” Blake, Drake loves chasing bugs, squirrels and tickling four-year-old Kylie with his nose -much to her delight!

He is usually moving, but will also slow down enough for snuggle time with Blake and Kylie. After all, who wouldn’t want an 80 pound dog laying on them?

The ISD’s Pet Parade

Bird dog Drake

Once again, OAISD employees came through for the Greater Ottawa County United Way’s fundraising effort by donating baby items intended for low-income families.

For one week in June, the Casual for a Cause program supported the fi rst annual Community Baby Shower for Greater Ottawa County United Way. Employees donated items for children ages birth to fi ve earning the opportunity to dress casually for each day

that week they donated an item. Low-income families were the benefi ciaries of the collected

clothing, books, blankets, etc.

“Even though only the ESB employees were able to participate due to summer break, we collected over 70 items,” Julie Gillespie, Assistant Superintendent of Communications and Human Resources, said.

Countywide, over $4,000 worth of items were collected. “We are proud to be

a part of this community effort to help deserving families in the Ottawa area,” Gillespie said

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Going GreenOttawa Area Intermediate School District is getting a little “greener” every day. This summer the Facilities Management team replaced recycling bins with more effi cient stations and updated lighting with energy-saving bulbs in most ISD buildings. The team also streamlined the heating and cooling systems within district buildings.

Facilities Management added updated recycling stations to Careerline Tech Center, the Educational Services Building (ESB), Ottawa Area Center (OAC), and Thompson M-TEC this July in an effort to reduce OAISD landfi ll contributions. These new stations accept

• Waste• Paper • Deposit Plastic/Cans• Non-Deposit Plastic/Cans (must be

clean and free of food debris. If they are dirty, they must go in the waste receptacle)

“The previous recycling stations felt like a patch,” Angela McCoy, Facilities and Transportation Manager, said. “These new stations are more aesthetically pleasing, easier to understand, easier to use, and give a consistent feel throughout the ISD.”

The updated hallway recycling stations are in addition to the offi ce–and now classroom–paper-recycling receptacles also present in all ISD buildings.

Another environmentally conscious update is district-wide lighting improvements spearheaded by John Wujcik, OAISD Facilities Management Supervisor.

“After doing our research we learned we can receive nearly $16,000 worth of rebates from utility companies if we make the renovations before year-end, “ Wujcik said. “With that

amount of money coming back in, we will recoup our expenditures in less than three years, which is a fantastic return on investment.”

Improvements include parking lot lighting and improved exterior

wall lighting at Thompson M-TEC, as well as energy effi cient bulbs installed in the OAC large gym and the Lakes conference rooms at ESB.

The fi nal phase of OAISD environmental upgrades included moving the HVAC systems under one, over-arching control to improve heating and cooling effi ciencies.

“Previously, all systems were operated independently,” McCoy said. “Now, efforts are coordinated and it is running much more smoothly.”

“We have found this to be a simple yet very effective modifi cation,” McCoy said. “By better utilizing the change of seasons and outside air fl ow, our systems will last much longer due to working smarter, not harder.”

G R E E N S O L U T I O N S

These new stations are more aesthetically pleasing, easier to understand, easier to use, and give a consistent feel throughout the ISD.

- Angela McCoy

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Alexander Graham Bell’s statement, “When one door closes, another one opens,” can be used to describe the opportunities futurePREP off ers students in the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD.) As summer programs drew to a close, planning for fall programs was already under way.

OAISD’s groundbreaking program, futurePREP, aims to ensure all Ottawa area students graduate high school with the skills necessary to be successful in achieving their personal life goals which might include going to college or technical school, landing a dream job, starting a business, or discovering new talents. futurePREP incorporates innovative partnerships with local employers, colleges, universities, and business organizations into the curriculum to prepare students to succeed in the 21st century workforce.

“Th is summer has been an amazing summer of ‘fi rsts’ as well as successful program continuations for futurePREP,” Jason Pasatta, OAISD Development Director for Career and Technical Education, said.

“Between IChallengeU, Summer Immersion, Unite4Insight (formerly Educators Working for Relevancy), and Make Lab, our programs enrich the learning for many students and educators in the Ottawa area.”

IChallengeU is just one of several futurePREP programs currently available to students. Th is was the fi rst year for this two-week educational opportunity for 11th and 12th graders who developed solutions to real business “problems” as identifi ed by local business leaders. According to Pasatta, the feedback from participating business partners, mentor teachers, students, and their parents has been incredibly positive.

Th e program paired 45 students and 12 teachers from around Ottawa County with six area businesses including Haworth Corp, Hope College, Holland Hospital, Innotec, Greater Ottawa County United Way, and Zeeland Farm Services. Two teams at each location spent 12 days “problem solving” for the host organizations.

“Students defi nitely embraced my challenge to ‘think outside the box,’” Karen McPhee, OAISD Superintendent, said. “With some teams merging, an 18-year-old volunteering for a mammogram, and students reimagining how to recruit new employees, these high school students impressed educators and business partners alike.”

“We are already starting to plan for next summer with returning and new business partners,” Pasatta said.

IChallengeU

IT WAS A BUSYSUMMER FOR:

futurePREP

F U T U R E P R E P

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F U T U R E P R E P

Th e Summer Immersion program also launched this summer. Th is three-week extended learning opportunity allowed students to explore local farming, dunes ecology, and big city living. Over 40 students and three educators participated in the unique program that involved students gaining an in-depth understanding of their chosen topic through learning excursions, hands-on fi eldwork, and a technology- based student project to complete the course.

“You just can’t replicate what happens in a dune ecosystem in a classroom,” Bradley Smit, Biology instructor at Saugatuck High School and Dunes Ecology program teacher, said. “Summer Immersion allowed me to teach students about what goes on in their own

Summer Immersion

backyards and foster stewardship for the place they call ‘home’.”

“Th anks to Summer Immersion, I learned how it feels to be at home in a town that isn’t where you live. I now know how it feels to fi nd you,” Victoria Sanchez, Zeeland High School junior and Urban Experience participant, said. “Th at is something that will stay with me far beyond high school.”

Students of IChallengeU making their presentation.


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F U T U R E P R E P S U M M E R

In its second year, the Unite4Insight program (formerly Educators Working for Relevancy) successfully paired educators and local businesses to bring real world business experiences to classrooms.

Troy Wells, Art instructor at Lakeshore Middle School, partnered with Concept A: Graphic Design Studio. “I wanted to see fi rsthand what skills students need to be successful in our current and future job market.”

For high school juniors and seniors who crave the opportunity to take an idea and make it a reality, the new futurePREP Make Lab program is a unique, immersive, semester-long educational experience designed to test their inspiration and see it reach its fullest potential. Students will cycle through the innovation process related to a real-life problem that a partnering business or organization currently faces. While IChallengeU challenged students to develop a solution in two weeks, Make Lab participants will have a full semester to work through the entire design process including a tangible product or service solution at the end of the program.

Unite4Insight

Make Lab

“What makes Make Lab so exciting is it allows students to take an idea from conception to production,” Pasatta said. “Few adults have that opportunity, let alone junior and seniors in

high school.”

Th e application interviews begin in November, and the program starts in January.

“futurePREP is creating an amazing amount of opportunity for our Ottawa area students,” McPhee said. “By incorporating partnerships with local colleges, businesses and

community leaders, we are helping to create a dynamic 21st century workforce.”

Unite4Insight teachers in training.

futurePREP is creating an amazing amount of opportunity for our Ottawa area students. By incorporating partnerships with local colleges, businesses and community leaders, we are helping to create a dynamic 21st century workforce.

- Karen McPhee

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N E W E M P L O Y E E S

WELCOMENew Employees as of October, 2012

Jannette Bole Communications & Integrated Marketing

Carlos Esquivel CTCDarcy Gooder CTCTerry Kraker CTCJason Kruse CTCAngela Lindeman CTCChristopher Petta CTCBill Wolbrink CTCDavid Wolffi s CTC

Carrie Ashba District ServicesHeather DeFer District ServicesJennifer Field District Services

Darlene VanKampen Early Childhood

Chelsea Green Infant

Joe McKenzie Instructional Services

Jennie Ferwerda OACRenee Garlock OACTom Grant OACAshley Lenhart OACMary Lutke OACJane Negley OACPhil Stevens OACAlyssa Stinehart OACMary Thornsen OACAudrey VanderKolk OAC

Ali Greene Specialized Business Unit

Troy Calgaro TechnologyRobert Callejas TechnologyTyler DeBruler TechnologyJoe DeKock TechnologyAaron VanderStelt TechnologyJosh VerHelst TechnologySteven Wise TechnologyChristine Zeeryp Technology

Employee Building

OAISD is nowon Facebook.

NEW

INTERWORKINGS FALL 2012


O A I T C

Technology Services Department Goes Regional; Launches the Ottawa Area Information Technology Consortium.

If you have been in the Technology Services Department lately, you have undoubtedly seen several new faces – depending on the day, eleven new faces to be exact. Most of these “new faces” were brought on to support the latest shared services model at the OAISD – the Ottawa Area Information Technology Consortium (OAITC).

The use of technology around the region has been expanding in scope, mission criticality, and other dimensions for a number of years. It was becoming apparent that the ability of each “district-level” IT department to keep up with the breadth and depth of technologies would soon become severely, if not critically, stressed. After discussions with local superintendents requesting additional support, the common thread between the requests was “there must be a better way”-one that:

• allows the sharing of technical expertise,

• takes advantage of effi ciencies of scale (e.g., using a common help desk),

• promotes stability throughout the districts (e.g., distribution and redundancy of technical knowledge so that the district is not susceptible to technical staff transitions), and

• encourages new exploration of educational us es of technology.

On July 1, the OAITC offi cially began providing technology support in fi ve districts/schools: Hamilton Community Schools, Holland Public Schools, Ottawa Area ISD, Saugatuck Public Schools, and Wavecrest Career Academy. The mission of the OAITC is “to relentlessly improve the consortium partners’ learning ecologies by means of effective educational technology” with an emphasis on the operations and infrastructure aspects of technology support. All together, the OAITC will support approximately 10,000 students in addition to teachers, staff, and administrators. The technologies supported include over 7,700 computers/iPads, printers, copiers, academic software and custom databases, to name a few.

This past year, Technology Services has been making organizational changes to provide this newly requested service. The major change has been the addition of the District Field Support team that joins the existing Client Support, Enterprise Systems, Network Operations, and Technology Services Operations teams. A PDF of the new organizational chart is on the Technology Services home page http://bit.ly/OW1j0O.

The following is a brief description of the focus of each team:

• District Field Support – Serves as the liaison between local education agencies and the rest of the Technology Services Department (everything from break/fi x to senior IT leadership).

Technology Services Department Goes Regional; Launches the Ottawa Area Information Technology Consortium

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O A I T C

• Client Support – Focuses on providing support to OAITC participants from a centralized location (e.g., the Help Desk) which improves issue resolution time and decreases travel costs; also focuses on creating images, managing computer lifecycles, and asset management. Client Support also provides technical support for various academic applications.

• Network Operations – Focuses primarily on the network (both the network physical plant and electronics), server administration and enterprise level communication applications (e.g., email, video conferencing, etc.)

• Enterprise Systems – Focuses on database development, business intelligence systems, and general application development. Also coordinates web content management systems.

• Technology Services Operations – Focuses on strategy, operational and budgetary oversight, project coordination, and cross-team support functions.

The Technology Services Department is the service provider for the OAITC, which includes OAISD “schools” such as OAC, SPS, CTC, etc. That means the OAISD is both provider and customer. This allows the OAISD to take advantage of the same economies

of scale offered to other member districts. For example, the District Field Services staff can be deployed to the OAISD schools as needed. So don’t be surprised if several new “Tech” faces show up sometime in your building.

Please contact Mike Rohwer, Director of Technology Services, with any questions regarding how the OAITC will affect your building or department. And feel free to stop by Technology Services to say hello to the new staff members –if you can catch them between service calls that is.

Link to Technology Servicespage

Link to the Technology Services organizational chart

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oaisd interworkings fall 2012

Documents

s u p e r i n t e n

active summer

detroit area

new employees

new thinking

exceptional savings

fi elds

cooling sytems10 futureprep