|
Calendar of Events
| |
December 22-
January 2
Christmas Break
December 15
Regular Board Meeting
December 19
Early Release/Campus Staff Development
January
School Board Recognition Month
January 16
Early Release
Campus Professional Learning
January 19
Student and Staff Holiday
January 26
Strengthening Families Program
|
|
Notice to Employees
|
2015 Income Tax Withholding Changes
The new withholding tables effective for 2015 may reduce or increase the amount of income tax withheld from employee wages. Changes will occur automatically, so submitting a Form W-4 or Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate isn't necessary. If an employee does not want to have their withholding reduced/increased (for example, the employee may have more than one job or they're married and their combined income places them in a higher tax bracket), they may want to file a new Form W-4 with their employer.
Employees may claim fewer/more Withholding allowances on line 5 or request additional amounts to be withheld on line 6.
For additional help, get IRS Publication 919, How Do I Adjust My Tax Withholding? Or visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov and use the "Withholding Calculator."
|
|
Employee Perk:
Discounted Tickets
| |
Discount Tickets to Area Attractions
During the holiday break, take advantage of discounted tickets to area attractions from Tickets at Work.
1. Go to ticketsatwork.com.
2. Click on the "login" box at the top of the homepage. Create a username
and password. The code is EMSISD.
3. Orders can also be placed by calling customer service at
800.331.6483. Orders may be placed over the phone Monday through Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
|
|
|
|
Holiday Open House
| |
You're Invited!
Join us on Wednesday, December 17th for the District's Annual Holiday Open House.
Time: 9:00am-4:00pm
Where: Central Administration Board Room
The District invites the community to share in the holiday spirit! Come enjoy some holiday goodies and hear performances from our student choirs and bands.
|
|
The Glorious Sounds of Christmas
| |
Saginaw High School Choir Joins the Northeast Orchestra of Tarrant County
Come out and support the Saginaw High School Choir as they sing with the Northeast Orchestra of Tarrant County on Friday, December 12th, at 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at Peace Lutheran Church located at 941 W. Bedford Euless Rd, Hurst, TX 76053.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.
For additional information please click here.
|
|
Spread A Little Holiday Cheer!
| |
Holiday Concerts & Events
This month the EMS ISD Fine Arts Department is hosting several holiday concerts, shows, and performances! We invite you to come out and support the students and staff as they spread a little Holiday cheer!
For a full listing of the Fine Arts Department's performances click here.
|
|
Harvest of The Month Event
| |
Elementary Students Learned Nutrient Facts About Black Eyed Peas!
On November 14th, our elementary schools featured the protein, "black eyed peas" for the Harvest of the Month event. Black eyed peas are a regular on menus throughout the district and are normally simmered with a mixture of spices including garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and chili powder.
 | |
Chisholm Ridge Elementary Contest Submission
|
During the event students were given the opportunity to learn facts about the featured protein and sample nutrients. The students learned that black eyed peas are actually beans, not peas, that they're rich in complex carbohydrates, and they're a good source of fiber.
Chisholm Ridge Elementary was selected as the winner of November's Harvest of the Month decorating competition. November's Harvest of the Month runner-up was Saginaw Elementary School.
|
|
School Board Recognition Month
| |
January is School Board Recognition Month!
January 2015 is School Board Recognition Month and a time to focus on the essential role an elected board of trustees plays in our communities and schools. Plan now to show your school board members that you appreciate their dedication and hard work. They are extraordinary people who voluntarily tackle the enormous job of governing school districts. Their actions and decisions affect the present and future lives of our children.
Each campus has adopted a Board member for the entire year and will invite their Board member to campus events this spring and fall.
Click here to learn more about your EMS ISD School Board.
|
|
Family Strengthening Program
| |
Free Program Designed to Strengthen Families!
On January 26, 2015, the Counseling Department, along with the Curriculum and Learning Department will host a nationally recognized seven week program designed to strengthen families. The program will help parents build on their strengths in showing care and concern, help youth develop skills to handle peer pressure, help families grow together, and tons more! The program will be held at Greenfield Elementary School, 6020 Ten Mile Bridge Rd. Fort Worth, TX 76135.
For more information call Santa Fe Youth Services and ask for Jeannie Luna: 817-492-4673. To view the flyer please click here.
|
|
District Closed
| |
All Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD campuses and offices will be closed the weeks of December 22 - January 2 for Winter Break. Have a restful break and enjoy time with your families.
|
|
Quarantine Feature in Office365
| | |
Recently, Office365 added a feature to help manage the mail that reaches your Inbox. This quarantine feature puts messages that may be less important in a digital holding area and you must release the messages if you want them to reach your Inbox.
Accessing quarantined messages:
You have access to your quarantined messages at any time without having to wait for the quarantine notification that is sent nightly:
This link gives you access to your quarantined messages. A link to this is also on our district homepage under the employee section.
How do I stop this email from going to quarantine? You have two options:
|
|
About Our People
| |
Admin Departments Spreading Holiday Cheer
 Thanks to the generosity of employees at Central Administration, 244 gifts for tweens and teens were donated to Community Link Mission for their Christmas Give-Away Event on December 20th.
The gift drive was also a contest between buildings and there was a tie for the most gifts/per person. The Curriculum Building 4/HDC and the Absher Building donated 4.9 gifts per person. Both groups win a cookie and punch party on the date of their choosing.
The real winners will be the young people who receive these wonderful gifts on Christmas!
Technology Department Food Drive
We would like to thank the EMS Technology Department for displaying both love and generosity to those in need this holiday season.
Last week the technology department held a food drive to support the efforts of the Saginaw Community Link Mission, and to help families around the community in need.
During the first week, 17 bags of food were collected. These bags were donated by Trader Joe's. The food drive ended on Friday, December 5th.
 Dr. Lowell Strike
Congratulations to Dr. Lowell Strike, deputy superintendent for Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD, on being named as the lone finalist for superintendent of Little Elm ISD. Little Elm ISD is located in the southeast corner of Denton County with a current enrollment of just over 6,900 students. The district is a fast-growth school district and serves students who reside in Little Elm, Frisco, Hackberry, Lakewood Village, The Colony, and Oak Point.
Dr. Strike came to Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD in the summer of 2011 and in his time with the District he has led curriculum and instruction, campus leadership, staff development, technology, athletics, and program assessment and evaluation. He is known for his collaborative management style, his commitment to excellence in all areas, and his ability to build strong community relationships.
Once announced as a lone finalist, state law requires a 21-day waiting period before a candidate can officially sign a contract. Following this, Dr. Strike will begin his work with Little Elm ISD in January.
Vanessa Kiser
Congratulations to Vanessa Kiser for being selected as the next Assistant Principal for Chisholm Ridge Elementary School. Kiser most recently was the RTI specialist for Chisholm Ridge and served in that role since 2012. Prior to this time, she was a teacher in Northwest ISD and Lewisville ISD.
Kiser has a total of 16 years in education. She received her undergraduate degree from University of St. Thomas and her Master of Education in Educational Administration from the University of North Texas. In addition to her RTI and classroom teaching experience, Kiser served as a campus instructional leader and STAR (Strategic Techniques for Academic Results) teacher in Northwest ISD. In these specialty roles Kiser positively impacted student achievement through training, coaching, and mentoring both students and teachers. Kiser replaces Susan Cook, who was recently promoted to principal of Chisholm Ridge Elementary.
Gary Dix
 Congratulations to Gary Dix for being selected as the next assistant principal for Watson High School. Dix will take the place of John Smitt who is retiring in January. He has been an assistant principal at Willkie since 2010 and was honored as the Region XI Outstanding Assistant Principal of the Year in 2012-2013 by the Texas Association of Secondary Principals.
Prior to joining Ed Willkie, Dix was a teacher and coach at Wayside Middle School for eight years. He has also taught and coached at Euless Junior High, Brewer Middle School, and Arlington Heights High School. He received his undergraduate degree and his Master of Education in Educational Administration from Tarleton State University. Danny Knowles  Congratulations to Danny Knowles on being named the assistant principal for Ed Willkie Middle School. Knowles will take the place of Gary Dix, who will be moving to assistant principal for Watson High School in January.
Knowles has been part of the Willkie team since 2009 and has taught English language arts, communications applications, AVID, and served as a lead teacher for summer school in the district. He was selected as Secondary Teacher of the Year for EMS ISD in 2012. Prior to his time with EMS ISD, he was a teacher in White Settlement ISD. Knowles received his undergraduate degree and his Master of Education in Educational Administration from Tarleton State University.
How do I get mentioned in About Our People? We want to hear from you! Submit your good news for "About Our People" to Tammy Evans in the Communications Department at tevans@ems-isd.net.
Examples of items to submit for About Our People: - Employees who receive awards for their professional accomplishments
- Employees elected to serve in professional organizations
- Employees who give presentations at meetings/conferences
- Employees who publish articles or books
- Those who receive grants or are selected for scholarships
- Showcasing a department, campus, teacher, program, coach, etc.
Note: Please send an electronic photo along with your good news.
|
|
|
