Emergency Notification Test

In emergency situations, campus and district administration will send out critical communications using SchoolMessenger, the district's mass notification system. To ensure that this method of communication is functioning correctly, there will be a districtwide test on January 28.  

The emergency test message will include a phone call, text message and email. It will take place after school hours. Instructions will be included in each message on how to sign up for all three methods of communication (phone, text and email). There will be two versions of the test, one for employees and one for families. CFISD employees who have children in the district will receive both versions of the test. 

In order to ensure the success of the test, employees should do the following: 

1. Update contact information in the Employee Access Center. Detailed instructions are available on the Employee Connection blog. 

2. Sign up for SchoolMessenger with the simple, two-step process, as explained on the Employee Connection blog. 

3. Use SchoolMessenger's Contact Manager to select which communications you would like to receive. Instructions on accessing Contact Manager can be found on the district website. Note: The default selection for emergency communications is by phone call to the main number on file.  

4. Help raise awareness for SchoolMessenger at your campus. Resources are available on the Community Connect blog and on the district website by clicking on the large SchoolMessenger block. 

Fun Run Spirit Day Fundraisers

The Grant Road Orange Leaf and Copperfield Peter Piper Pizza are partnering with CFISD to help support the 2015 Superintendent Fun Run. Please join us in supporting this cause. Mention the Fun Run when visiting on the dates below.


Orange Leaf
January 16 and 19
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
View the Flyer

Peter Piper Pizza
January 22
4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
View the Flyer

Employee W-2s

Edit 2/2/15: Employee W-2 forms are now available on the Employee Access Center.

All active CFISD employees, including substitutes, are required to print their own W-2 forms for the 2014 tax year using the Employee Access Center (EAC). W-2 forms for the 2014 tax year will be available on Jan 31, 2015. Employees can print W-2s from a home computer, work computer or from a department kiosk. Instructions on how to access the EAC from work or home can be found on a previous Employee Connection blog post.

For questions concerning logging onto the EAC, employees can contact the Customer Care Center at 281-897-HELP (4357). 

Employee Feedback

Employee Connection readers have the option to leave comments on any blog post, with an appropriate online account. CFISD encourages this feedback as a means of culturing transparency in the district's communication. Comments will always be passed on to the appropriate departments, so concerns and questions can be addressed by the most qualified persons.

To leave a comment:

1. look for the comment box after the post;
2. type your comment;
3. select the online service you will be using to log in; and
4. click on the publish post button.

CFISD's policy on comments for all district social media sites is as follows:
CFISD reserves the right to delete comments that use inappropriate language, are defamatory or are otherwise unrelated to the CFISD posting.

Employee Access Center

As employees change campuses or assignments or make other life changes, it is necessary to update employee contact information through the Employee Access Center (EAC). The communication tools used by the district—Outlook and SchoolMessenger—pull information from the EAC.

To access the EAC while at work:

1. From your district computer, open the Internet browser.

2. Go to inside.cfisd.net. 

Celebrating CFISD Retireees

CFISD would like to recognize the following retiring employees in appreciation for their many years of service.

Maybelline Carpenter
Principal
Adaptive Behavior Center
36 years with the district

Melissa Ehrhardt
Principal
Walker ES
43 years with the district 

Larry Matysiak

Director Fine Arts

Curriculum and Instruction and School Administration

Nine years with the district

Susan Tyler

Director of Middle School Curriculum and Instruction

Curriculum and Instruction and School Administration

21 years with the district

Carol Billingsley

Technical Analyst

Technology Systems

14 years with the district

Beth Crist

Math Helping Teacher
Curriculum and Instruction
22 years with the district

Janet Epresi

Science Helping Teacher

Curriculum and Instruction

28 years with the district

Connie McCain

Secretary to the Director of Health Services

Curriculum and Instruction and School Administration

11 years with the district

Shelley Rogers

Math Helping Teacher

Curriculum and Instruction and School Administration
30 years with the district

Information for Retiring Employees

If you are retiring mid-year, and will be receiving a standard annuity from TRS, you may be eligible to be paid for your accumulated local, (old) state sick and state personal leave days. If you have purchased years of service in order to receive a standard annuity payment, you will need to provide a copy of your TRS-25L to the payroll department in order to qualify for this payment. The maximum amount you will be paid is $125 for each day up to 150 days. You will be contacted via mail 3-4 weeks after completion of your contract to complete paperwork. Payout information will not be available until this time. An Election Form will be mailed to you and must be completed and returned to the business services department for payment to be issued. Please see the Retirement Information and Check List in the Benefits section of the Employee Handbook for payout options, qualification guidelines and further information about this benefit.

Vacation Carry Over Days

All employees on 250+ contract days who are eligible for vacation are reminded that their Vacation Carry Over balances must be used by Dec. 31, 2014 as they will expire after that date. Please submit these absences through Aesop by Dec. 31, 2014. You can confirm your vacation carry-over balance by visiting the Employee Access Center and selecting Leave Information then Leave Banks.

Policy Changes to Employee Email

As part of the district’s initiative to standardize CFISD's profile in the new Cloud-based email system (O365), the following standards and guidelines for employee photo, confidentiality notice and signature will go into effect Dec. 5, 2014.

SchoolMessenger for Employees

CFISD’s mass notification system, SchoolMessenger, provides an easy way for campus and district administration to send accurate, real-time notifications by phone, text and email. SchoolMessenger replaces the Phone Master system as an improved means of communicating.

SchoolMessenger pulls contact information directly from the Employee Access Center (EAC), so it is very important for all employees to log into the EAC from inside.cfisd.net and update their contact information. Having the correct contact information is especially vital in an emergency situation. Adding your cell phone number to the personal cell phone field will allow you to receive text messages from your campus and the district. To opt-in for critical communications, employees will first need to:

1. update their contact information at inside.cfisd.net (or my.cfisd.net from home); then
2. text Yes to 675-87 to opt-in to receive text messages. This option is for employees only, not parents.

CFISD staff members responsible for sending messages through SchoolMessenger should refer to inside.cfisd.net for useful information. For questions regarding sending and recording messages, contact SchoolMessenger at support@schoolmessenger.com or 1-800-920-3897.

Edit 10/15/14: SchoolMessenger syncs with Employee Access Center each night. There may be a delay of up to 24 hours, after you update your contact information, before your correct information is in the SchoolMessenger system. If you receive an error message from SchoolMessenger after updating your information, wait 24 hours and try again. 

Employee Flu Shots

Vaccines will be provided by the Texas Vaccine Institute to CFISD employees at locations throughout the district. View the online list to see when the vaccines will be available at your location. Appointments will not be necessary. There will be no out-of-pocket cost for the influenza vaccine for employees with the following insurance plans:

• Aetna TRS; 
• Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO; 
• United Health Care; or 
• Medicare (as primary insurance). 

Insurance cards/information will be required from employees claiming one of the above insurance plans. 

Employee family members, 9 years old and up, are also eligible to receive the vaccination. CFISD students are only eligible if they are the child of an employee and accompanied by the parent. 

TRS Contribution Rates

TRS Contribution Rates Increasing

Per the State Legislature and the Teacher Retirement System, beginning Sept. 1, the TRS member contribution rate increased from 6.4% to 6.7%.  This increase in your TRS contributions first appears on your Sept. 15 paycheck.

  

Review Your Paycheck

The first insurance premium deductions for the 2014-2015 benefit plan year are included in your Sept. 15 paycheck.  Please review your paycheck to determine that your insurance deductions correctly reflect your benefit plan selections made during the recent open enrollment period.  If an error has been made, contact the insurance department at 281-897-3882 so that corrections or adjustments can be made.

SchoolMessenger Launch

CFISD is pleased to announce the launch of SchoolMessenger, the district's new notification system, to keep CFISD families informed about:

• district and campus activities;

• attendance; 

• transportation; 

• food service; and, most importantly, 

• accurate, real-time information during an emergency situation.

This system is designed to send phone calls, emails and text messages, allowing users to select how they prefer to be contacted. Users will be able to update contact information to ensure that the most current information is on file. The system also works like a mailbox, giving users a place to review messages they may have missed.

With the upcoming Sept. 15 launch of SchoolMessenger, the CFISD Customer Care Center will provide support at 281-955-4030. This phone number is specifically for members of the community seeking assistance with SchoolMessenger. The Care Center will have extended hours, coinciding with the launch, from Sept. 15-26, taking calls from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Starting Sept. 28, the Care Center will resume normal operating hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Paraeducator Services Committee

Paraeducator Services Committee meeting dates for the 2014-2015 school year are:

• Oct. 2 — Course #43610
• Nov. 6 — Course #43611
• Jan. 8 — Course #43612
• Feb. 5 — Course #43613
• Mar. 5 — Course #43614
• Apr. 2 — Course #43615
• May 7 — Course #43616

All CFISD paraeducators may attend. Register online with the Cy-Fair Learning Management System through the district website.   

District CPR Courses

CPR courses are available for CFISD employees on the following dates:

• Sept. 10 at 4:30 p.m.
• Nov. 12 at 4:30 p.m.
• Feb. 11 at 4:30 p.m.

Classes will take place in the ISC Board Room. Pre-registration is required, no registration at the door.

To register, send your non-refundable $25 registration fee to:

Health Services, ISC West

10494 Jones Rd. 

Houston, TX 77065

Checks should be made payable to CFISD. Cash can be delivered in person to ISC West, Suite 307. Include your employee ID number, date you wish to attend and home campus with the payment.

Questions should be sent to Beverly Bulas.

Employee Insurance Cards

New TRS-ActiveCare ID cards for the benefit plan year starting Sept. 1, 2014 will be mailed to members for the medical plan, administered by Aetna, and the prescription drug plan, administered by Caremark.

All employees enrolled in one of the TRS-ActiveCare plan options will receive both cards in the mail, even if they are staying within the same TRS-ActiveCare plan option. The ID cards will be mailed prior to the Sept. 1 effective date.

Employees needing additional Aetna ID cards can call TRS-ActiveCare customer service at 1-800-222-9205 to speak to an Aetna Health concierge, or log on to the Aetna Navigator website.

Employees needing additional Caremark prescription drug ID cards can call the same TRS-ActiveCare customer service number and select option No. 2 to speak to a Customer Care representative or log on to the Caremark website. 

Welcome!

The beginning of the 2014-2015 school year is right around the corner. Teachers, administrators and staff members are working around the clock as they prepare to “Lead the Way” for students to have a successful school year. As summer vacation comes to a close for parents and students, and as they begin to get ready for the start of school on Aug. 25, the district is launching yet another new and innovative medium (following suit of the new district website) to keep employees informed.

ID Badges

Office hours for picking up ID badges from the badge office are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The office is located at the Instructional Support Center-North (ISC-N), 10300 Jones Road. The cost for replacing a lost badge is $10. If you have any questions, call the badge office at 281-897-1364.

New Staff Orientation

Tony Cook of Birkes ES gives a thumbs up as Mariah Baker of Hancock ES waves during a break in the event. Both are new teachers for deaf education. 

Approximately 750 new employees, including 610 teachers, participated in the district’s annual New Staff Orientation on Aug. 13-14 at Cy Lakes HS and Cy Ridge HS. Participants took part in breakout sessions to help prepare them for their first day of school. The new staff members also had the opportunity to meet the school Board, Superintendent Dr. Henry and other district-level administrators.

Chairita Franklin, assistant superintendent for human resources, welcomes new staff members to CFISD.

Kelsey Richardson, former program specialist for Community Programs, smiles as she joins other participants in pledging to "be the best educator" they can be. Kelsey will be teaching at Truitt MS. 

Law Enforcement

CFISD employs 71 officers, including seven security officers, led by Chief of Police Alan Bragg as part of its independent police department. Here are a few things Chief Bragg wants you to remember:

• Watch Your Speed Limit: CFPD officers are authorized to issue traffic citations. CFPD has traffic units that monitor speed in school zones using radar, on or off school property.
• No Cell Phones In School Zones: As the school year begins, employees should remember that they cannot use cell phones in school zones—specifically during the times the reduced speed limit applies. A person who violates this law is subject to a $200 fine.
• Watch for Student Walkers
• Leave Early to Avoid Traffic Delays

Read the history of the CFISD Police Department on the district website.