Our March spotlight falls on Amanda Jo Braun, who recently started working for ESU #1 as a BD Paraeducator at Tower. Amanda graduated from West Holt High School in Atkinson in 2006. She attended Wayne State College and graduated in December with a degree in Early Childhood Education Unified with an endorsement in English as a Second Language.

Amanda’s family includes her parents, two sisters, and one brother. Her mom and younger sister, Makala, live in Norfolk, where Makala is a senior at Norfolk High School. Amanda’s older sister, Reeva, lives in Lincoln where she works as a pre-school teacher. Amanda’s brother, Adrian, lives in Colorado Springs, CO where he works and her dad lives in Atkinson and keeps busy with work. About her family, Amanda said, “I am very close with my family. My family and I like to have huge pitch tournaments and play other card games. We like to have dance parties in our footie pajamas and to eat good food! In the summer, my dad picks us up on his airboat at the Niobrara River. We spend hours on the river fishing, boating, and tubing! I wouldn’t change my family for anything!”

Some of Amanda’s hobbies include hanging out with friends, painting, skiing, shopping, and cooking. Asked to relate one of the most memorable moments in her life, Amanda said, “One of the most memorable moments in my life was in high school. Every year right before spring break, a group of friends and I would travel to Mexicali, Mexico to put on a bible school. It was so great to be able to help people that truly are in need. The people

there were so generous and would help us in every way. It is nice to know that there are people out there that will give you everything they have to help you out, even if they have nothing!”

Also asked to share something that her co-workers might not know about her, Amanda said, “I love to travel! Someday I would love to travel to Europe. And, if given the chance, I would bungee jump or sky dive in a heartbeat!”

ESU EDUCATORTHE

PROVIDING INNOVATION, LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE

March 2011

Publisher: ESU #1Designer: Sarah Elton

Spotlight On...Amanda Braun

Inside This Issue.............................March Happenings 2

.......................................Staff Notes 3-4........................................Just for Fun 5.....................................Your Best You 6.....................................Medical Update 7

Amanda (pictured right) with her sisters, Makala and Reeva

ESU #1 Calendar of EventsESU #1 Calendar of EventsESU #1 Calendar of EventsESU #1 Calendar of EventsESU #1 Calendar of EventsESU #1 Calendar of EventsMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

28 1 Polycom 9:30-11Results Matter

3:30-5:30

2SPED

Workshop 8-4

3Fishbowl 1-4

4 AI 11-12Team Leaders

1:30-4:30

5Web 2.0 Tools

All Day

7 8NNNC 1-4

Board Mtg 5:30

9NNNC

Workshop

10Engaging

Technology 9-3

11 12

14NSSRS 9-3

15PowerSchool

9-3

16Central Office 10Safety Mtg 3:30

17Google Tools 9-3

18Principal Eval

9-3:30

19

21Partnerships 10:30

PST Mtg

22 23SPED Mtg

Level I Bus 6-10

24 25 26ECPDP 9-1

Level I Bus 8-3

28 29APL 8:30-3:30

30APL 8:30-3:30

Level II Bus 6-9

31APL 8:30-3:30

1 AI 11-12Team Leaders

1:30-4:30

2

Holidays and ObservancesAmerican Red Cross Month

Employee Spirit MonthOptimism Month

1st-7th: Write a Letter of Appreciation Week6th-12th: Save Your Vision Week

20th-26th: American Chocolate Week

2nd: Dr. Seuss Day3rd: I Want You To Be Happy Day

4th: National Grammar Day8th: International Working Women’s Day

9th: Get Over It Day17th: Daylight Savings Time Begins18th: Absolutely Incredible Kid Day22nd: International Goof-Off Day

26th: Make Up Your Own Holiday Day27th: Education and Sharing Day

Kim Rose 1stBecky Ridgway 5thJessica Radford 6thJulie Rose 19thStephanie Kanaly 25thAngie Hansen 26th

Happy Birthday

March Happenings

Ma

rch

Health Insurance Rates 2011-12Therewillbea0%premiumincreasefortheBlueCross&BlueShieldhealthanddentalplanforthe2011‐12contractyear.Inaddition,the2012‐13contractyearwillbelimitedtoanincreaseofnomorethan4%fromthecurrentyear’srates.

BeneEitChanges:1. Nochangestothedeductible,coinsurance,and

prescriptiondrugcopaymentsoftheexistingbeneEitplan.

2. EffectiveSeptember1,2011tocomplywiththePatientProtectionandAffordableHealthCareAct(PPACA),thefollowingchangeswillbeimplemented:a. PPACAdeEinedpreventativeserviceswillbecoveredat

100%andwillnotbesubjecttodeductibleorcoinsurance.Thecurrent$500beneEitlimitonpreventativeserviceswillberemoved.

b. CurrentlifetimebeneEitmaximumonallplanswillberemovedandchangedtoanunlimitedmaximum.

c. Eligiblechildrenofemployeesuptotheageof26willbeallowedtoreceivedependentcoverageunderaparent’spolicyaslongastheydonothaveaccesstotheirowninsurancethroughtheiremployerandmeetotherPACArequirements.

d. Pre‐existingconditionexclusionsforchildrenundertheageof19havebeeneliminated.

Purchase Order/Coop Order DeadlineThedeadlineforsubmittingpurchaseordersandcooporderstotheFinanceofEiceisApril15th.Individualcoordinatorsmayhaveselectedanearlierdeadlineforsubmittingorders.Pleasefollowyourdepartment’sguideline.Remembertousecurrentcatalogs,bespeciEicwhencompletingorders,prioritizeincasecutsneedtobemade,andnotetheshippingandhandlingfeeswhereindicated.

Stop Quashing Your SuccessThe road to success may have many obstacles. You don’t need to add to them. Avoid these common methods of self-sabotage at work—and in life:

• Negative outlook. Anticipating obstacles can be helpful, but obsessing about everything that could go wrong isn’t. Just look past the problems and visualize positive results (and map out the steps you need to take to reach your objectives).

• Bad habits. Take a close look at how you spend your time. Do you procrastinate? Are you frequently late? Do you rush through projects and produce sloppy work? Eliminate these bad practices by identifying how you’re undermining your efforts and then committing yourself to improvement—without excuses.

• Lack of belief in yourself. Nobody’s perfect, but do you dwell on your flaws too much? You may believe you need an advanced degree, or a higher IQ, or washboard abs, to be worthy of success. Change what you can (everyone can get more education), but give yourself a break in other areas so you don’t squelch your self-confidence.

‘You missed work because of . . . what?’A survey by CareerBuilder.com collected some of employees’ more unusual excuses for missing work. Here are some highlights:

• An employee said his mother had been attacked by a chicken.• Another employee reported that his finger had gotten stuck in a

bowling ball.• An employee simply told the boss he wasn’t feeling too clever

that day.• An employee said he needed to mow his lawn right away in order

to avoid a lawsuit from his homeowner’s association.• One employee’s foot got caught in a garbage disposal.• The day after Thanksgiving, one employee called in to say she’d

burned her mouth on a piece of pumpkin pie.

I want to share something with you: The three little sentences that will get you through life. No. 1: Cover for me. No. 2: Oh, good idea, Boss! No. 3: It was like that when I got here.

~ Homer Simpson

Just for Fun

Your Best YouPractice The Positive Values Of Inspiration

Creativity isn’t just a process. It’s a value. To become more creative, you have to accept the beliefs and practice the behaviors that help creativity to flourish. For a more inspired and creative life, here are a few of the values you should live:

• A sense of wonder. Don’t take a cynical, seen-it-all attitude. Pretend you’re a child experiencing everything in life for the first time. Ask questions about the world around you.

• Pursuit of ideas. Don’t hold back. As soon as you feel a spark of interest in something, regardless of how “practical” it seems, let yourself go with it. Follow your ideas wherever they take you.

• Courage. You’ve got to be fearless and not worry about what others may think. Don’t try to be like everyone else. Take your own approach, whatever you’re doing.

• Patience. You can’t hurry creativity, so take time to ponder your ideas. Sit down, relax, have a cup of tea, and think things over. That’s usually how the best ideas bloom.

Live and LearnYou’re never too young to start learning about life, or too old to stop. Here are some words of wisdom from people of all ages that nearly everyone can relate to:

• I’ve learned that our dog doesn’t want to eat my broccoli either. (Age 7)• If you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheering someone else up. (Age 14)• I’ve learned that silent company is often more healing than words of advice. (Age 24)• If someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it. (Age 30)• The greater a person’s sense of guilt, the greater his or her need to cast blame

on others. (Age 46)• I’ve learned that motel mattresses are better on the side away from the

phone. (Age 50)• Regardless of your relationship with your parents, you miss them

terribly after they die. (Age 53)• You shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands. You

need to be able to throw something back. (Age 64)• I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually

make the right decision. (Age 66)• I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. (Age

82)• I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. (Age 92)

Medical Update

Protect Yourself From Springtime Allergy AttacksThe arrival of spring brings sunlight and flowers and green leaves on the trees—and seasonal allergies. Tree pollens and mold spores can wreak havoc on the 35 million Americans who suffer itchy eyes, runny noses, scratchy throats, and fatigue due to allergies.Beyond the many over-the-counter and prescription medications available, you can take some simple steps to reduce your misery:1. Limit your exposure. After months of cabin fever, staying inside with the windows shut tight may seem a shame on a lovely day, but consider the alternative: sneezing and wheezing and rubbing your eyes nonstop. Stay indoors when conditions are ripe for an allergy attack.2. Plan your outings. Rainy and non-windy days are best for keeping pollen at bay. Remember, too, that pollen counts peak in the midday hours. Avoid grassy and wooded areas. Check your local news source for pollen counts.3. Park strategically. Pollen can coat your car on heavy days. Keep your car in the garage as much as possible. When you park outside, try to avoid parking under a tree. Your car may be cooler when you get into it, but you’ll be less likely to get a noseful of pollen in the process of opening the door.4. Scrub up. When you come back into your home, remove your shoes, or at least do a thorough job of wiping residual pollen from them. And wash your hands (you may even want to shower and get into some pollen-free duds). When you wash your clothes, use a dryer, rather than an outdoor clothesline.5. Avoid “pollen magnets.” Pollen can cling to carpets and linens, so vacuum your rugs and change your sheets more frequently than at other times of the year. That goes for bath towels, too. An in-home air filtration system can help remove irritating particulates.

Some Fishy Nutrition AdviceAn apple a day may keep the doctor away, but one or two fish a week can keep your heart healthy, can prevent arthritis, and may cut your risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.Fish including salmon, tuna, sardines, and herring contain healthy amounts of a fatty acid called Omega-3, which has been shown to reduce blood pressure and may prevent insulin resistance (resulting in diabetes). DHA, a specific type of Omega-3, aids in the brain development of infants, making it beneficial to pregnant women and nursing mothers.Mercury found in fish is a health issue, but for men and women of childbearing age, the benefits of a fishy diet seem to outweigh the risks of mercury exposure. For women who are pregnant or breastfeeding (or who may become pregnant), as well as small children, seafood like shark and swordfish should be avoided, but light tuna, salmon, and shrimp contain relatively low levels of mercury. As always, check with your doctor to know what’s safe and nutritious to eat.