Protect yourself from unemployment fraud

If you are not claiming unemployment benefits and have information that a claim was filed using your identity, you may be a victim of unemployment fraud. 

Unemployment fraud occurs when someone knowingly provides false or misleading information or withholds relevant information for themselves or another person, to obtain or increase benefits. Unemployment benefits fraud is punishable by law, both felony and misdemeanor, and violators could face serious penalties and consequences.

Steps You Should Take If You’ve Fallen Victim To Identity Theft:

1. Report the fraud to your employer.
2. Report the fraud to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) by visiting UI Fraud Submission Portal or emailing TWC.fraud@twc.state.tx.us or leaving a message at TWC Fraud Hotline at 800-252-3642.
3. Visit UI Fraud Submission Portal and provide identity documentation to TWC.
4. Notify the local authorities such as police or sheriff’s office and file a criminal report for identity theft. Read the Identity Theft Information Guide from the Texas Department of Safety.
5. Report fraud to the Texas State Auditor's Office.
6. Notify your banks and credit card companies and request a fraud alert to be placed on your file. Ensure that you are still able to access your account, but with alerts set up to monitor activity.
7. Visit IdentityTheft.gov to report the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and get help with next important recovery steps. Reporting to the FTC allows you to place a free, one-year fraud alert on your credit, get your free credit reports, and close any fraudulent accounts.
8. Report the fraud to one of the major credit agencies and request a fraud alert:

• Equifax:  To request a credit report: (800) 685-1111. To report fraud: (800) 525-6285 or write to P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 or website: www.equifax.com. 
• Experian: To request a credit report or report fraud: (888) 397-3742 or write to P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013 or website: www.experian.com. 
• Trans Union:  To request a credit report: (800) 888-4213.  To report fraud: (800) 680-7289; write to P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834; www.transunion.com or email: fvad@transunion.com.

9. Request a FREE credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com and determine if any other accounts were opened without your consent. Remember that you are able to review free credit reports on a weekly basis once you've reported the fraud to the FTC.

10. Notify the U.S. Passport Agency to prevent anyone from applying for a passport fraudulently in your name.

Celebrate Texas Public Schools

Districts across Texas are joining the campaign to Celebrate Texas Public Schools. Our public schools bring top quality education to more than 4 million students. Talented teachers and caring staff members and administrators set a strong foundation for this success, which is truly something worth celebrating. 

— from CelebrateTPS.org

CFISD supports the Celebrate Texas Public Schools campaign and encourages campuses to get involved. Below are suggested activities that can be used. Share the ways your staff and students celebrate by sending photos and stories to communication@cfisd.net.

National Principals Month (October)

Activities:

• Shadow your principal for a day and write a report to publish in the local school/community paper or on social media about what you learned and how difficult a job it is.
• Participate in the Principal Props Video Contest for a chance to win a $200 Best Buy gift card. Visit http://www.principalsmonth.org/contest.php for more information.
• Organize an Opposite Day where students dress like the principal and the principal dresses like the students.

National School Bus Safety Week (October 20-24) 

Activities:

• Share school bus safety tips every day during morning announcements; make sure to include tips for passengers and pedestrians. 

Red Ribbon Week 
(October 23-31)

Activities: 

• Have a door decorating contest at your campus. 
• Have theme days where students can dress up based on that day’s theme. 
• Go to redribbon.org for more activities, contest and ideas on celebrating. 

Video Contest

Enter for a chance to win $1,000 for your campus. The contest is open to all public schools in Texas. Read the complete guidelines for submissions on CelebrateTPS.org.

Health Expo

Representatives from Say Ahhh! Pediatric Dentistry interact with visitors at the inaugural CFISD Health Expo on Oct. 11 at the Berry Center. More than 2,800 guests attended the community-wide event.

CFISD raised more than $10,000 for the Health Organization of Physical Educators (H.O.P.E.) scholarship at the CFISD Health Expo, held Oct. 11 at the Berry Center. 

More than 2,800 visitors attended the Health Expo, which offered numerous health and wellness opportunities for CFISD parents, employees and the surrounding community. Event sponsors were Memorial Hermann, Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital, Bridgeland, Next Level Urgent Care, the Cy-Fair Federal Credit Uncion and Shield Bearer.

“The success of the Health Expo was a result of the partnership of all the CFISD departments and the surrounding community,” said Kristina Perez, director of community programs. “We accomplished our goal of equipping visitors with health and safety knowledge while they enjoyed an enjoyable and relaxing atmosphere.”

Student performances took place every 15 minutes, featuring choirs, dancing groups and martial arts demonstrations. 

Many business vendors offered interactive booths for visitors. At the H-E-B booth, community coordinator Marti Owens and Cypress Market showtime manager Chris Mszar gave cooking demonstrations and distributed samples of organic popcorn and H-E-Buddy whole grain grahams.

“It was a great event that we were proud to participate in. Physical education is one of the pillars we love to support at H-E-B,” Owens said. “We were amazed at some of the questions the students had. They were very informed and interested in nutrition.”

Perez said she is already looking forward to the second annual Health Expo next year. 

“We have received nothing but compliments, but we certainly intend on making it a bigger and better annual event,” Perez said. “There were so many different aspects to the Health Expo—there was something for everybody.”

Health Expo visitors had the opportunity to walk laps around the second floor concourse with “superheroes” like Batgirl, Ashley Adams. 

H-E-B community coordinator Marti Owens, left, and Cypress Market showtime manager Chris Mszar create a healthy blend of vegetables and fruits to distribute to visitors to their booth at the inaugural CFISD Health Expo.

The Sampson ES choir, under the direction of Adrienne Applewhite, performs for the Health Expo crowd.

CFISD students visit the CFISD Police Department booth, where guests learned safety tips from CFPD officers. 

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. 

Rockets mascot at CFISD elementary schools

Houston Rockets mascot Clutch the Bear taught CFISD students about attending school ready to learn, respecting themselves and others and preparing for the future during his Mattress Firm Good Night Sleep show at Gleason ES and Holmsley ES on Sept. 10.

Joined by his sidekick Rockets Ranger Dominic Davila, Clutch stressed to students the importance of a good night’s sleep and encouraged 10-12 hours per night.

Clutch also performed a skit in which he displayed different professions that students could pursue when they grow up while showing images of himself dressed up as a doctor, teacher, firefighter, soldier and other professionals.

Before leaving, Clutch gave each student a copy of Clutch’s Good Night Sleep story book. 

“The students loved it. They were tickled,” said Gleason principal Melody Goffney. “It made them excited about coming back to school while also learning some important lessons and goals for themselves.”

Rockets mascot Clutch the Bear illustrates the importance of a good night’s sleep by lying on a Mattress Firm mattress beneath a sign advertising 10-12 hours per sleep during his Mattress Firm Good Night Sleep show at Gleason ES.

Clutch uses a fire extinguisher on his sidekick, the Rockets Ranger, during his Mattress Firm Good Night Sleep show at Gleason ES on Sept. 10.

iWatch App

iWatch is a virtual crime watch that the CFISD community can use to anonymously report suspicious behaviors and activities. Using the iWatch mobile app, you can:

• send a text tip;
• send a complete tip with images and videos; or 
• call the tip hotline using nearly any smartphone. 

Apps are available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows phones. Links to download iWatch to your mobile device are available at http://www.iwatchharriscounty.com. You can read the official press release on the CFISD website. 

Here is a tutorial with photos explaining what to do after downloading the app: 

1.

After installing and opening the free app, tap enter iWatch.