“ THE FACILITIES FORUM “
MAY , 2011
NPSD FACILITIES/ MAINTENANCE/ GROUNDS/ SECURITY PERIODICAL
BRIGHT IDEAS…………
Fro m
t h e
d e s k
o f
J o h n
S t ro b e l
We sadly say farewell to Kathy Weigle and Bobby Cassar, the
King and Queen of the Facilities Department !
Kathy Weigle, Secretary to Coordinator of Facilities and Bobby
Cassar, District Maintenance Specialist, are retiring from North Penn
School District. Kathy started with NPSD in 1986 Bobby Cassar began his career at NPSD back in 1976. WOW ! Between the two of
them, that’s over 60 years!
A celebration will be held in Kathy and
Bobby’s honor on:
Thursday, 5/26/11 , 4:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. ZINC CLUB/ Holiday Inn
Sumneytown Pike (across from entrance to Lansdale Turnpike), Kulpsville, Pa
Cost: Come celebrate during “Happy Hour” from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. There will
be ½ price appetizers and special beverage pricing for our group. Pay as you consume !
*Cash Bar and Cash For Your Food Choices*
Choices*
RSVP (to Elaine) by May 19th ! ((An estimated count is needed so we can let the restaurant know how
to staff this event ! Thank you !))
Name: ____________________________________ Building: __________________________
______ I will attend (Order your own food and beverages when you arrive !)
______ I am unable to attend but would like to contribute toward a gift as follows:
If you would like to make a donation towards a gift for Kathy and/or Bobby, —place your money in
an envelope and label with whom it is for- please send it to Elaine at the SSC
Cash (for the gift) is preferred ……. Send gift donations to Elaine Lawrie at the SSC !
INSIDE THIS EDITION : Pg 1) Retirement Celebration for Kathy Weigle and Bobby Cassar
Pg 2) Proper Use of Chemicals—Dave Kelley/ ”Thank You” Note-Mark Stein Pg 3) Strategic Plan Focus Pg 4) Unplugged Pg 5) Year End Celebration of
Successes! Pg 6) Security News Pg 7) Safety Committee/ Safety News Pg 8) Trivia/ Helpful Household Hints / Tips for the Kitchen
Pg 9) Extra!Extra! / Health Insurance Open Enrollment Pg 10) District Wide Electric Usage Pg 11) Scorecards
Publisher/ Editor: Elaine Lawrie
Page 1
MAY , 2011
FROM THE DESK OF Dave Kelley ….
FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS when using chemicals…..
THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME DO’S AND DON’TS
WHEN IT COMES TO GROUT CLEANING:
DO:
•
Make sure the area being cleaned is properly ventilated;
•
Read and follow the chemical manufacturer’s use and dilution instructions;
•
Use a neutral—PH cleaner and test it first to insure it does not damage the grout;
•
Wear proper personal protective equipment, including goggles;
•
If machine cleaning, use equipment with brushes, as a rotary
pad machine may not be able to reach deep into grout areas.
DON’T:
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Avoid acidic cleaners, as they can erode the grout;
•
Do not use brushes on tools with metal bristles or stainless steel to clean the grout as
they can cause erosion;
•
Never mix chemicals or use them other than as instructed by the manufacturer.
Dear Friends,
Thank you so much for the extremely generous
cash gift you gave me as a farewell present. I will remember fondly, my time at North Penn and the personal
and professional relationships that we developed over the
last “5” years. You have made me a better person for it!
Thank you for making me part of the facilities team and
North Penn family. It has been my pleasure to work with
each one of you !
Sincerely,
Mark Stein
•
Cards or notes of congratulations for Mark Stein can be sent to him
at : 1245 Quaker’s Way, Quakertown, Pa 18951
Publisher/ Editor: Elaine Lawrie
Page 2
MAY , 2011
S T R A T E G I C
P L A N
In order to keep the Strategic plan a focus for our Department I want to remind you of our Departments Goals and the
Districts Core Organizational Values:
DEPARTMENT GOALS:
Custodial
•
•
Maintain and Improve customer satisfaction
Encourage and utilize safe work practices
• Increase “Green School” practices
District Maintenance
• Continuously improve customer satisfaction
• Continuously improve the quality of maintenance services
Grounds keeping
• Efficiently provide a safe outdoor environment
•
Continuously improve customer satisfaction
• Effectively increase productivity
Security
• Provide a physically safe environment
F O C U S … … . . .
Foster a high level of employee engagement;
Provide opportunities for employee decision making;
• Include a high level of visibility;
• Are characterized by leadership coaching; and
• Remove roadblocks to enhance employee productivity.
High Expectations: Cultivating an environment where ALL
students know they can succeed and in which families, community members and staff demonstrate the confidence that
they can meet the needs of every child.
•
•
Customer Driven: Consistently demonstrating the desire
and the ability to understand and address the needs and concerns of all stakeholders.
Focused on Results: Committed to using and sharing data in
decision making, planning and program assessment with the
goal of realizing measurable, lasting improvements in student, employee and organizational performance.
•
Equitable Learning: Working to provide a LEARNING
FOR ALL environment and the strategies needed to create
higher levels of achievement for every student.
Core Organizational Values:
Partnerships and Teamwork: Utilizing the power of teaming to deliver the best for our stakeholders.
NPSD's core organizational values guide how we behave
and make decisions. They shape the culture and define the
character of our school district:
People‐‐Centered: Empowering people to better serve, and
providing them a healthful environment in which they continuously learn and embrace change.
Visionary Leadership: Contributing to the development of a
quality organization by building the relationships necessary to
create the conditions that:
Continuous Improvement: Creating a culture throughout
the organization of constantly seeking to improve, resulting
in exceeding customer expectations.
Continuously improve communications between students,
staff and security
• Promote and maintain Drug-Free schools
IN YOUR OPINION…..
Our North Penn School District Strategic Plan 2008‐2014 ‐ “Dream Big.
Achieve Greatness.” outlines eight Core Organizational Values that guide
how we behave and make decisions. One of those values is “Partnerships
and Teamwork”…
In Elaine Lawrie’s Opinion: “It is amazing to watch our custodial, grounds and maintenance departments team together and rise to the “occasion”, no matter what it is! At any point in time,
we can be hit with snow storms, electrical outages, water leaks, lawn care projects, last minute building
set-ups and many other events that require “pitching in” in order to realize a positive outcome for our
students, staff and community. Teamwork is evident each time one of these “issues” sneaks up on us.
KUDOS to our staff members, in all of our departments, for exhibiting the ultimate “Partnering Together” and “Teaming Together”! In some cases, it isn’t even “your “ job! That’s the best! When
everyone pitches in, just because it needs to get done! It is awesome watching our departments pull
together and achieve so much ! Elaine Lawrie is the Secretary to John Strobel, Manager of NPSD Support Services.
Publisher/ Editor: Elaine Lawrie
Page 3
MAY , 2011
UNPLUGGED !!!
The truths about energy conservation…..
From the desk of Tom Schneider, Manager of Energy and
Operational Efficiency….
Each month I will be providing workplace and home energy
related tips and myths, truths and ways to save or make $$$$ at
home with energy.
Conservation tips for work:
Printing Conservation – By printing less we not only reduce printing costs but we also reduce
energy.
Switch fonts to Century Gothic.
Reduce the font size to 11 or 10 point.
Narrow your margins.
Conservation tips for home:
According to the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Office (EERE), "gas dryers are less expensive to operate than electric dryers. The cost
of drying a typical load of laundry in an electric dryer is 30 to 40 cents compared to
15 to 20 cents in a gas dryer." If you have an electric dryer and have gas, why not
switch.
Based on life cycle costs, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE)
estimates that a conventional gas water heater is about half the cost of a conventional electric water heater, even though the purchase price for a gas unit is higher.
As a result of the recent tragic events in Japan, following Myths and Truths about Nuclear
Power Plants are provided by the American Nuclear Society (http://www.ans.org/pi/
resources/myths/).
Myths:
Myth # 1: Americans get most of their yearly radiation dose from nuclear power plants.
Truth: We are surrounded by naturally occurring radiation. Only 0.005% of the average American's yearly radiation dose comes from nuclear power; 100 times less than we get from coal [1],
200 times less than a cross-country flight, and about the same as eating 1 banana per year [2].
Myth # 2: A nuclear reactor can explode like a nuclear bomb.
Truth: It is impossible for a reactor to explode like a nuclear weapon; these weapons contain very
special materials in very particular configurations, neither of which are present in a nuclear reactor.
$$$$ at home
If you are planning to purchase a new appliance, heating, air conditioner, roof windows, or lighting go to the ENERGY
STAR® website to check for rebates or promotions:
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=rebate.rebate_locator
If you are planning to purchase new windows go to the Department of Energy’s website for information about performance
ratings and terminology.
http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/windows_doors_skylights/index.cfm/mytopic=13320
Publisher/ Editor: Elaine Lawrie
Page 4
MAY , 2011
“2011” END OF YEAR CELEBRATION !!!
It’s time to party and celebrate
our successes for the year !
The “YEAR END CELEBRATION OF SUCCESSES” is in the works ! This year, the
Custodial Staff, Maintenance Department, Grounds Crew , Security Officers, Purchasing
Department, Book Depository, Photo Copy, Warehouse and SSC Office Staff are invited to
gather to celebrate our successes for the 2010-2011 school year!
Date :
Time :
Place :
Cost :
Dress :
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
4:45 p.m. – 9:45 p.m.
Holiday Inn, Kulpsville (Platinum Room)
$ 23.00 per person/ Cash Bar
Casual/ Comfortable
Buffet Menu:
Tossed Salad (Ranch or House Dressing), Sliced Tenderloin of Roast Beef,
Grilled Chicken with Dijon Sauce, Seasoned Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes, Green Beans Almondine,
Dinner Rolls w/ butter, Ice Cream Parfait, Coffee (Reg and Decaf) and Tea
Last year was much fun for all in attendance and the planning committee would like to encourage
you to attend this year! The evening’s festivities will begin with a fun game, followed by a delicious buffet
style dinner. After dinner, we will be acknowledging various retirements and milestones of those in our
departments, as well as celebrate the end of the year! Following that, D.J. Ray will turn up the tunes for
anyone who wants to dance! The 2nd and 3rd shift’s hours will be “flexed” so that everyone is able to make
arrangements to attend! There will also be door prizes and fun activities ! You don’t want to miss it ! We
hope to see you there ☺ Please direct any questions to: Elaine Lawrie at #1051 or Kathy Weigle at #1103
Social time is from 4:45 – 5:20 p.m. - Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m., followed by a program of
recognition, celebration, awards, door prize drawings, music and fun!
Order form and payment are due to Elaine Lawrie by Wednesday, June 8th – Please ☺
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Please clip and send to Elaine at SSC
RESERVATION FORM
NAME: _____________________________________ BUILDING: _________________ Shift: __________
____ I WILL ATTEND!
_____ I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND !
My payment of $ 23.00 (per person) is enclosed. ( Check # ________ ) Please make checks
payable to “ John Strobel”
*** If you are paying in cash, please give the cash to your supervisor, with your reservation form, to be
hand carried over to the SSC. THANK YOU SO MUCH ! – We hope to see you at the “CELEBRATION” !
Submit, with payment, by Wednesday, June 8th - Send to Elaine Lawrie at SSC !
Publisher/ Editor: Elaine Lawrie
Page 5
MAY , 2011
SECURITY NEWS:
from the desk of Ray Wilson, NPSD Safe
Schools Coordinator
In an effort to get to know our security personnel I will be featuring several security persons each
month and giving you an idea of their history and
likes both at their school and outside the school.
This month’s featured employee’s are:
*** Lenora Ashford—North
Penn High School — Lenora has worked for the
School District Security for 6 years and prior to working for North Penn Security was in
corporate and private security field and worked two years as a supervisor. She has an
Associate Degree in Specialized Business Criminal Justice from Katherine Gibbs
School and a Bachelors of Administration in Criminal Justice from Strayer University.
She has taken numerous training courses including, Non-violent Crisis Intervention, Security Enforcement, Crowd Control, Search and Seizure, First Aid, and Gang Awareness. Lenora has also worked as a summer Counselor and while at North Penn High
School worked for a year as a student progress specialist.
When not performing her Security duties Lenora likes to play tennis, enjoys reading and likes to write fiction.
Thank you Lenora for your dedicated service to the staff and students at
North Penn High School.
*** Graydon Flowers - Penndale Middle School— Graydon has been with
North Penn School District Security for 2 years. Prior to working with the district
Graydon was a Montgomery Township Police Officer for 3 years and a University of
Penn Police Officer for one year. He served in the United States Air Force and was a Security Police/Law Enforcement for four years. He has extensive training in police related courses including, Gang Identification, Sexual Assault on College Campus training, Legal Updates and Search and Seizure, Bomb Identification, and Drug Identification.
In his spare time Graydon likes to work on muscle cars and especially likes his
Pontiac Firebird.
Thank you Graydon for also keeping watch over our staff and students at
Penndale!
Publisher/ Editor: Elaine Lawrie
Page 6
MAY , 2011
Workers Safety Committee News:
from the desk of Ray Wilson, Safety Committee Chairperson
Be safe and lets all “ THINK SPRING “ !!!
CONTROLLING MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS
IN DISTRICT VEHICLES
Part of our job as the Workers Safety committee for the district is to prevent accidents.
This is also true when it comes to operation of District Vehicles. Below is a list of facts and
tips to consider when operating your personal vehicle and district vehicles.
There are a number of contributors to motor vehicle accidents. These include highway
design and maintenance, vehicle design and maintenance, traffic flow and density, the weather, pedestrian activity,
driver’s alertness and skill, or any combination of these. While it would be comforting, to a limited extent, to be able to
place the blame for accidents on these causative elements, it quickly becomes obvious that we can exercise only a limited control, if any, of these factors.
We do, in fact, control the most important of these factors; driver alertness, attitude and skill.
Drivers can and should be accountable for their adjustment to all of the factors over which we have so little control.
This, of course, assumes they are properly selected, trained and supervised.
This not only effects school bus drivers but all who drive any school vehicles as well as those that drive their
own vehicles for business purposes.
It is strongly recommended that the motor vehicle record of all applicants who will drive as part of their job is
reviewed before an offer of employment is made.
The growing concern with highway safety has also produced research studies dealing with driver behavior. These findings and their
implications are summarized as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The overwhelming number of accidents are caused by mental lapses or
poor judgment of drivers with clean records
Most drivers are not adequately prepared to react appropriately in an emergency or stress situation
Many accidents occur because the driver is unfamiliar with the road and cannot control the vehicle when a bad
road condition is suddenly encountered
Many accidents occur when a driver is in a new and unfamiliar vehicle
Distractions are the leading causes of accidents
An employee’s emotional state can result in aggressive or inattentive driving
Moving accidents occur frequently at intersections and while backing up
No one should back any school vehicle without physically checking the area immediately behind the vehicle
Most driving losses occur when the school vehicle speed exceeds that which is safe for the road conditions
DISTRICT SAFETY COMMITTEE - SAFE AND ORDERLY LIASONS - 2011 – 2012
Bridle Path— Jesse Klause
Montgomery - Ray Wilson
Pennbrook - Keith Seifert
Gwyn Nor - Bill Michaels
Nash - Ray Wilson
Penndale - Shirley Higgins
Gwynedd Squ - Christina Hazzard
North Wales - Christina Hazzard
Pennfield - Tim Cornelius
Hatfield - Tim Cornelius
Oak Park - Jesse Klause
NPHS - Bill Michaels
Inglewood - Sally Kaufman
Walton Farm - Shirley Higgins
Northbridge - Ray Wilson
Knapp - Kim Lister
York Ave - Deb Nyce
Bus Garage - Deb Nyce
Kulp - Sally Kaufman
Publisher/ Editor: Elaine Lawrie
ESC - Kim Lister
Page 7
MAY , 2011
TRIVIA - DID YOU KNOW???
Bananas ripen faster when left connected at the stem. Pull them apart to slow
down the ripening process.
•
• Peppers with three bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are more firm and better for cooking.
AROUND THE HOUSE—HELPFUL HINTS:
•
Newspaper keeps weeds away! Start your spring gardening by laying down layers of
wet newspapers around the plants, overlapping them as you go; then cover them with
mulch! Weeds can grow through some gardening plastics, but they will not grow through
wet newspapers! A great way to recycle too ! Try it out and let us know if it works!!!
•
Clean up broken glass: Have you broken a glass lately? Usually, there is difficulty in
“seeing” the tiny shards of glass. Next time, try this: Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick
up the small fragments of glass that you can’t see easily. Let us know how it works!
•
Keep Those Annoying Mosquitoes and Gnats Away! Place a dryer sheet in your
pocket or pin it on the back of your shirt or hat while working outdoors to keep those pests
away! Let us know if it works!
•
Foggy Windshield? No more towels or rags needed! Try a chalkboard eraser– keep it in
your glovebox—When windows fog up—rub with the eraser ! It works better than a cloth!
Let us know how it works!
YUMMY YUMMY—TIPS FOR THE KITCHEN!
•
NO MORE STICKY MEASURING CUPS! Before you pour sticky substances into a
measuring cup, fill it with hot water—dump out the hot water, but don’t dry the cup—
Add your sticky ingredient, such as peanut butter and watch how easily it comes right
out ! Let us know how it works !
•
REHEAT PIZZA! Heat up left-over pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove—just set
heat to med-low and heat until warmed through. This keeps the crust crispy—no more
soggy or tough microwave pizza. Let us know how it works!
•
LEFT OVER HOLIDAY CANDY MAKES FOR GOOD DESSERTS! Left over snickers
bars make a delicious dessert. Chop or cut them into small pieces (works in a food chopper of you have one). Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish; sprinkle chopped candy bars over the apples; Bake at 350 for 15 minutes! Ready for consumption or are GREAT with vanilla ice cream too! Let us know how it tastes!
Publisher/ Editor: Elaine Lawrie
Page 8
MAY , 2011
EXTRA! EXTRA!
Read ALL about it!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR
“YOU” REGARDING YOUR HEALTH
BENEFITS:
•
OPEN ENROLLMENT for North Penn School District is from May 1
through May 31, 2011. By now, you should have received your “Open Enrollment” packet that contains 1) general information, 2) AccessHR.net Instructions
for the on-line enrollment process, 3) Invitation to the NPENN Annual Benefits
Fair on Tuesday, May 24th, and, 4) Health Care Reform; What it means for
North Penn Employees information. If you have not yet received your packet,
please contact the Benefits Office at ext # 1017 (Elite Group Consulting), the
NPSD Hotline Benefits at 866-267-1610 or email them at “benefits@npenn.org”
•
All Insurance questions regarding Health Benefits, Flex Spending and Life Insurance should be directed to: ELITE BROKERAGE GROUP : either call 1-866267-1610 or email to “benefits@npenn.org”. ALSO, A representative will be
available to answer questions on Tuesdays at the ESC in the Benefits Office.
TWO IMPORTANT DATES ! MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Mark your calendar for a time to honor two of our retirees! Bobby
Cassar and Kathy Weigle will be retiring from North Penn School District. See the first page for all details of the “retirement celebration” for
them ! We hope you can stop the Holiday Inn on Thursday, May 26th
to say goodbye to them !
•
The date for the “ YEAR –END CELEBRATION OF SUCCESSES”
is set for Wednesday, June 22nd (See page 5 for the details !) and the
planning committee would like to extend a special invitation to ALL !
We hope you will make plans to attend! Last year was a really fun time
and we’re hoping this is an enjoyable celebration as well !
•
Publisher/ Editor: Elaine Lawrie
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MAY , 2011
Publisher/ Editor: Elaine Lawrie
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MAY , 2011
Publisher/ Editor: Elaine Lawrie
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