Holiday charity efforts gearing up
Employees who are looking for a way to share the spirit of the holidays with those less fortunate this season will find two opportunities to do so right here at work.
HISD be participating in the U.S. Marine Corps’ annual Toys for Tots campaign through Dec. 19 (see related article here) as well as the Souper Bowl of Caring food drive in January.
The district will be collecting canned goods and other non-perishable food items to help feed the hungry from Jan. 15 to Feb. 1, 2013. For details on how to get involved, please see this related district memo.
Survey says…there’s no time like the last minute for holiday shopping
More than 38 percent of respondents in our last survey said they waited until the day before any given holiday to do their gift shopping, citing a lack of time as the reason.
Another third were on the opposite end of the spectrum, saying they took care of their shopping throughout the year to avoid the crowds and any last-minute hassles.
About eight percent said they took advantage of after-holiday sales to snag the best deals, while an equal number said they usually just gave money. The remainder did their shopping online or opted out of gift-giving all together, noting we have “too large of a family to get any.”
Spring 2013 professional development opportunities
Employees can view courses aligned to particular skill sets (such as the mastery of Microsoft Excel, Powerpoint, and Outlook) or those related to Central Office Appraisal competencies (such as time management, business communication, and effective customer service). Click here to register or for details.
Retirement Seminar Scheduled for Dec. 15
The Retirement Storefront at HISD will be hosting a retirement seminar from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012.
All district employees are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about their Teacher Retirement System (TRS) benefits.
Employees must register through e-TRAIN to attend, and select course code #BN0200. Questions may be directed to V. Janene English at 713-293-9780 ext. 432.
Nominate Someone for an H-E-B Excellence in Education Award
All public school districts and state-certified, full-time public school teachers and principals currently within the H-E-B service area are eligible for nomination. Check out this page for details on award categories available, and this page to nominate someone. The deadline to submit a name is Jan. 11, 2013.
Get LinkedIn! Join the HISD Employee Group for Discussion, Updates
The Houston ISD LinkedIn group is a virtual meeting place where district employees can connect, collaborate, and share information and ideas. If you have a LinkedIn profile, please take a moment to join the group—just select “group” in the drop-down search menu and enter “Houston ISD,” then click “join group.” If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, go to www.linkedin.com and create one. Please be sure to list your employer as Houston ISD.
