First Week Tips and Where To Get Started
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Information Technology (IT) Help Desk
The IT Dept. is located in the BESC building. You can reach them by phone or email during business hours. Below is a list of things to get you started relating to IT.
Computer
- Ask to be setup as the "user" on the computer you are assigned to in the building
Copier
- Locate or assign yourself a copier ID, if necessary
- Request to have access to maintain user codes for staff on the copier online
Access
- Request access to update or create e your schools listserv to add or remove staff. A listserv can be created for any specific group. Example: One listserv for certified staff and a separate listserv for all staff
- PeopleSoft HRMS & Financials - Complete the online trainings to obtain access to HRMS & Finance. These trainings are offered through the Learning Campus. You will need to enroll in the following courses:
- PeopleSoft HRMS - Employee Look Information Lookup
- PeopleSoft HRMS - Time and Attendance
- PeopleSoft Financials - Purchase Orders
- PeopleSoft Financials - Material Stock Requests
Once trainings are complete, fill out the PeopleSoft Access/Change Request form found on the IT website.
Trainings to take
- Synergy - tool to help families stay informed about their student’s progress
- Peachjar - digital flyer program
- School Messenger - provides school and district notifications to families and staff sending alerts regarding emergencies, attendance, and other alerts via text, voice, and email
Telecommunications
Telecommunications is a sub department of IT. They are the people to ask for information on the Cisco VoiP telephone system.
- Request to be setup to the Cisco extension that your school is assigned to. Also, you may want to request to have the present password reset to something you can easily remember.
- Request the link for the online spreadsheet to remove/add staff on Cisco phone sets. You'll want to do this as soon as possible. Telecommunications gets backed up during the beginning of the school year.
- Update your schools voice mail with current enrollment dates and office times.
- For information on the Cisco phone system, how to use your phone and setup voicemail, refer to the IT webpage.
- Call to identify your Payroll Specialist and introduce yourself. Your Payroll Specialist is the person who you will contact if you should have any payroll issues.
- If additional support is needed, you can setup a time with your Payroll Specialist to come to your site between the 1st and 13th of each month.
- Request a current list of your staff, otherwise known as a EBVL list. EBVL stands for Employee Budget Verification List. This is a report available in HRMS for schools to run. It contains key employee information for staff assigned to their school Department ID. There is a quick reference guide on how to run the report on the Budget webpage.
- Put in a request for a P-Card if you will be buying for your school. The P-Card application to get started can be found here.
- Once a P-Card application has been approved, you will be given access to Private Marketplace. Private Marketplace is an internal PPS portal that provides access to numerous online vendor catalogs in one place. To find out more you can visit the Private Marketplace webpage.
Student Body Funds (SBF)/Finance
- Request training on the EPES software, which is used to reconcile student body funds. Once trained you can add or remove signers as needed.
- Locate and pre-sign your receipt book for all money collect for supplies, etc.
- Ensure that protocol and procedures are in place to start accepting Student Body Funds.
Human Resources Substitute Office
The Substitute Office manages the substitutes in the District, as well as the Aesop System. Aesop is an automated system that manages absences and vacancies. Below is a list of things to help you manage the absences/vacancies and substitutes that come to your building. Refer to the Substitute Office section for more information or go to the Substitute Office webpage.
Substitute Folder
Every staff member who requires a substitute should have an emergency sub folder. The following documents should be in each folder:
- Welcome
- Staff phone extensions list
- Teacher communication
- Schedule
- Current class list
- School map
- Emergency lesson plans
- Referrals & discipline procedures
- Students with needs
- End of day feedback
Upon arrival, the substitute should get their substitute folder, their keys for the day, and a safe place to lock up their belongings.
- Request a quick tutorial on "Trip Tracker" online field trip request system and assign default accounts.
Mail Services is located in the BESC building. Mail sent throughout the District is called the PONY.
You will need to:
- Find out your school's mail delivery time
- Locate your PONY mail bag
Additional Task to Complete the First Week
- Check and return voice mail and email messages
- Check mail and distribute to individual classrooms
- Create a blank calendar template; used for creating school and staff calendars
- Create a payroll cheat sheet with grant and budget chartfields (accounting codes) used by your school
- Request or send via PONY, staff building files for new or leaving staff members
- Order school supplies such as envelopes, tardy slips and folders for incoming staff
- Create your staff directory with current positions, addresses, and phone numbers. (You will need this for back-to-school letters to staff).
- Create your daily Staff Sign In/Out spreadsheet to be printed out as a form. This will be used by staff each day to check in when they arrive and check out when leaving.
School Schedules
- Visitor Sign-in Log (Refer to the "Template" section to view a sample)
- DHS Sign-in Log (this log should be separate due to its confidential nature)
- School Handbook or calendar
- School Area Maps with teacher and room number
- Staff mailing labels - for staff back to school letter
- Emergency Weather Tree (Refer to the "Template" section to view a sample)
Emergency Procedures
You will need to find the following information and communicate with your Principal as to which procedures will be your responsibility in the event of an emergency.
- Location of Emergency Procedures Binder
- Signals for Lock-in and Lock-outs
- Evacuation of the building
- Fire drills
- Earthquake drills
- Emergency phone tree location
Determine Principal and Office Expectations
Every Administration and office will be different. It is important for you and your Principal to communicate expectations early on to ensure a smooth transition process into the new school year.
Here are items to discuss with your Principal to determine their expectations:
- How to answer phone calls for the Principal. It would be good to determine communication for different situations that may arise.
- How to sort thorough the daily mail that comes into the building
- How to best protect the office from interruptions
- How they would like you to arrange their calendar
- Determine if you will have daily/weekly/monthly meetings
Here is a list of things to discuss with your Principal about office environment expectations:
- Processing late students
- Managing disruptive students
- Directing parents, staff, and students who want to see the Admin.
- To what extent you will assist teachers with copies, forms, etc.
- Phone calls to the classroom (e.g.. messages from parents)
- Office boundaries for staff and students
There are a lot of things to be done the first week, this will get you started!