1. education
2. school

October 10, 2014
(New items are noted in gray – items formerly posted are noted in blue.)
NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH WEEK OCTOBER 14 - 18
National School Lunch Week is October 14-18, 2014. This year’s theme is “Get in the Game with School
Lunch”. This is a special week designed to educate and celebrate with our students.
BOSS’ DAY - OCTOBER 16
October 16, 2014 is National Boss’ Day. Please tell your boss how much you appreciate their hard work,
encouragement, guidance and support. Take this opportunity to thank our leaders for their tremendous
contributions to our school system! Thank you, Dr. Shotwell, for your 8+ years of service and all you do
for Rockingham County Schools! You are appreciated!
RCS ENERGY BRIEF - ENERGY SAVING PRACTICES!
Here are some energy-saving practices to consider on the job or at home (Energy.gov).
ƒ Selecting energy-efficient office equipment and turning off machines when they are not in use can
result in significant energy savings.
ƒ ENERGY STAR-labeled computers use 30%-65% less energy than computers without this
designation, depending on usage.
ƒ Spending a large portion of time in low-power mode not only saves energy but helps equipment run
cooler and last longer.
ƒ Using the power management settings on computers and monitors can cause significant savings.
REIDSVILLE HIGH HOSTS ‘THOR’ - ROBOTICS TEAM COMPETITION
On November 1, Reidsville High will proudly host THOR (Thundering Herd of Robots) from 8 am - 5:30 pm.
THOR is North Carolina's only off-season First Robotics Competition (FRC), being held this year for the
second time after a successful debut in October 2013. The competition will feature high-school-age teams
from across the region engaging in a combined collaboration/competition endeavor. The "game" being
played is called "Aerial Assist", and requires individual robots to assist each other in moving a large 24" ball
across the field and then scoring it into a goal, while at the same time attempting to prevent the opposing
alliance from doing the same. The robotics team competitions is sponsored by four high school robotics
teams from across the state: Hillsborough’s Team 487 “The Hedgehogs”, Cary’s Team 2059 “The
Hitchhikers” and Reidsville’s own Team 2640 “The Hotbotz”. Admission to the event is FREE! Come out and
support the RHS Hotbotz!
STATE HEALTH PLAN OPEN ENROLLMENT - 2015
The State Health Plan annual enrollment period will be October 1-31, 2014 that will provide enrollment
coverage effective January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015. If you are satisfied with your current plan in
which you are enrolled, you may remain in that plan and do not need to re-enroll; however, if you are
enrolled in the Enhanced 80/20 Plan or the Consumer-Directed Health Plan (CDHP) and wish to maintain
or lower your employee-only premium, you MUST complete your wellness premium credits by October 31,
2014. If you do not complete your wellness premium credits, you will remain in your current plan;
however, your employee-only premium will be higher.
During Annual Enrollment, members can:
ƒ Enroll in the State Health Plan
ƒ Switch between plans
ƒ Add or remove dependents without a qualifying life event
DIRECTIONS:
Beginning October 1, 2014, visit https://shp-login.hrintouch.com to access your HR InTouch page for
Rockingham County Schools and click on the blue section at the top right hand side of the page that says
"Enroll Now" -“Click here to view or edit your benefits". You will be directed to log in to your account.
Your Login ID is your first name, the first initial of your last name and the last 4 or 5 digits of your SSN.
You will then need to enter your password that you created after your initial login. If you experience
problems with your login ID or password, you will need to select the "Reset your account" link on the page
or call 1-855-859-0966 for login or navigational assistance.
CELEBRATION OF NC PUBLIC SCHOOLS - ESSAY, POSTER & VIDEO CONTEST
The North Carolina Association of School Administrators (NCASA is hosting an essay, poster and video
contest to help celebrate the 175th anniversary of the opening of the first public school in the state. Cash
prizes will be awarded, and the 1st place winner will be honored at the 175 anniversary celebration
January 20, 2015 in Reidsville, NC.
POSTER CONTEST
All K-5 elementary students from a public school district in North Carolina are eligible. There will be two
divisions -- grades K-2 and 3-5. Entries may be 8.5X11, 8.5X14 or 11X17, vertical or horizontal. Artwork
theme should be North Carolina Public Schools: "Every Child's Chance....Every Community's Future." Entry
must be the original work of a single artist; no group artwork allowed. Artwork must be sent in a flat,
sturdy box or package. (No tubes)
ESSAY CONTEST
All middle students in grades 6-8 in a public school district in North Carolina are eligible. Essay should be
500 words or less and provide facts based on one of the following topics:
"The first school opened in the school district"
"How the school district got its start"
"Interesting or unique part of the school district history"
"How the school or the district has helped the writer"
Entry must be original work; no group work allowed.
VIDEO CONTEST
The contest is for students in grades 9-12 attending a high school in a North Carolina public school district.
Videos may be an individual or group project and should illustrate the importance of public schools in
North Carolina. Videos should be original and 30-50 seconds in length. Video should be uploaded to
YouTube or Vimeo for submission and a link emailed to [email protected].
All entries must be postmarked by October 331, 2014 and accompanied by a copy of the permission form
found at www.everychildschancenc.net/contests.html. Contact [email protected] with any questions.
Entries should be addressed to:
Ms. Katherine Joyce
Executive Director, NCASA
333 Fayetteville St., Suite 1410
Raleigh, NC 27601
RCS - THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT!
Students, families and friends of Rockingham County Schools can reach the key features of the district’s
website using a new smartphone application. The app gives fingertip access to the most frequently used
webpages, such as the online calendar, News & Highlights, individual school webpages, the school menus
and RCS social media sites.
The app was co-developed by the district and its web content management system contractor, Schoolwires
Inc. The app is free and available for iPhone and Android devices. Search for Rockingham County Schools
to download the app from the Apple App Store for iPhones, and from Google Play, for Android.
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY SCHOOLS – FLU SHOTS
The best flu prevention is good hygiene (hand washing and covering your cough) as well as getting a flu
shot every year! Blue Cross/Blue Shield is offering FREE flu shots again this year. Bring your BCBSNC card
and a photo ID with you when you come. Rockingham County Schools’ Flu Shot sites are listed below:
Morehead High School:
RCS Central Office:
Tuesday, October 14
Thursday, October 16 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Media Center
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Upstairs Board Room
*Anyone with a history of hypersensitivity to eggs or egg products should not receive a flu shot since the
vaccine is grown in hens’ eggs.
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR
Each week RCS receives multiple of community requests to add community events to our district website,
website calendar, Facebook/Twitter pages, send through email and/or add to the RCS Friday Highlights to
distribute to RCS staff. Due to the influx in requests and keeping RCS publications/emails concise and
districted related while still maintaining our partnerships with our fabulous Rockingham County
Community, we have created a community calendar accessible to our staff. To view the calendar go to
www.rock.k12.nc.us/communitycalendar.
ePayStub – ELECTRONIC PAY STUBS
Electronic pay stubs are now available for all RCS employees and substitutes. RCS no longer issues paper
pay stubs. Employees and substitutes may access their electronic pay stubs online. Go to
www.rock.k12.nc.us - click “Quick Links” - click the ePayStub icon under staff or at
www.rock.k12.nc.us/epaystub. Your username and password is your NetID (domain
username/password). Substitutes who need their NetID click go to www.rock.k12.nc.us - click “Quick
Links” - click the Net ID Finder icon under Community.
If you are unable to access your ePayStub please email [email protected].
Controlling the Spread of Enterovirus D68:
Information for North Carolina Schools and Child Care Settings
Since mid-August, 2014, enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) has been increasingly identified across the
country in association with respiratory illness. Severe illnesses have been reported, particularly
among children with asthma. EV-D68 can spread from person to person when an infected person
coughs, sneezes, or touches contaminated surfaces.
In order to prevent the spread of EV-D68, the North Carolina Division of Public Health recommends
the following actions for all schools and child care centers:
Hand Washing
 All staff and children should wash their hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds. At
minimum, hand washing should occur at the following times:
o Upon arrival to the facility
o Before handling food and before eating meals or snacks
o Before and after caring for someone who is sick
o After using the toilet or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
o Before and after changing diapers
o After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
 Hand sanitizer may be used in addition to hand washing but should not replace washing hands
with soap and water. Hand sanitizers are not recommended for children <24 months of age.
Exclusions
 Staff and children with respiratory illness should be excluded if they have excessive coughing or
are not feeling well enough to participate in regular activities.
 Those with fever should be excluded until at least 24 hours after fever has resolved without the
use of fever-reducing medications.
Cleaning
 All surfaces should continue to be cleaned, sanitized, and disinfected as required per local policy.
Surfaces commonly touched by multiple students/children should be sanitized daily.
 Child care staff should pay extra attention to toys that are placed in children’s mouths, since these
are likely to be contaminated with respiratory viruses.
 Any surface contaminated with mucous or other body fluids should be disinfected.
Other Actions
 Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
 Since people with asthma are at higher risk for respiratory illnesses, they should regularly take
medicines and follow guidance to maintain control of their illness.
 All staff and children over 6 months of age should receive a flu vaccine. Although flu vaccines
won’t protect against EV-D68, they can help prevent another important cause of respiratory illness
that could be going around at the same time.
Contact your local health department if you have questions or are seeing higher than
normal absentee rates due to respiratory illness.
For more information, visit www.cdc.gov or epi.publichealth.nc.gov
Updated October 1, 2014