March 13, 2025 RCSD Educator Digest

Business Services

Payroll Alpha Split

Effective March 1, 2025 the new Payroll alpha split is as follows:
A-F: Kristen Desimone
G-O: Kari Felkins
P-Z: Erin Eason

Communications

Share Your School’s Good News
You can now use the News Submission Form to easily request assistance from the Communication Team with sharing your school’s good news!
If you have a unique event coming up, an interesting story to share, or if there’s a member of your community who you think deserves to be highlighted, submit a request to be considered for the following:

• Multimedia coverage (photo/video)
• Publication on district social media
• Assistance with news media outreach

Contact: Sydney Roll

Educational Services

K-8 Math: Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) Collaboration Opportunity *Save the Date!

Building Thinking Classrooms is a book written by researcher and professor, Dr. Peter Liljedahl. In this book Liljedahl presents 14 teaching practices that are meant to enhance learning by increasing student engagement, collaboration, and discourse. If you are interested in hearing more about these teaching strategies being used by some RCSD teachers and what the start of their implementation looks like, please join us for a BTC Collaboration on Tuesday, April 1 from 3:00-4:00 in the District Office Board Room.
Contact: Lisa Wegsteen

Personnel Services

Volunteer Mentors Needed
RCSD is looking to recruit volunteer mentors for the 2025-26 school year.
Volunteer Mentor Interest Letter
Due by March 30, 2025
Questions? Contact Amy Blake at ablake@rcsdk8.org

Wellness
RCSD has a Wellness Agreement in place with Burn Boot Camp.
Come try Burn Boot Camp for FREE for an entire week!
Complimentary childwatch is always included!
Come learn about what Burn has to offer, and take advantage of exclusive RCSD pricing via payroll deduction!


Calm Resources
Deep Sleep Engagement Strategy

It’s no coincidence that the first day of Daylight Saving Time (March 9) kicks off Sleep Awareness Week. Changing the clock an hour disrupts sleep cycles, which are already less than ideal for most adults.
Questions? Contact Rene’ Perkett @ rperkett@rcsdk8.org

Technology Services

Google Calendar Update: Invitation Settings Change
To enhance security and reduce calendar clutter, we are updating Google Calendar’s default invitation settings. Starting Friday, March 14, 2025, only events from “Invitations Users Have Responded to via Email” will automatically appear on calendars. All other invitations will require acceptance or declination via Gmail before being added.
Why the Change?

• Eliminates unsolicited invitations from automatically appearing.
• Minimizes phishing risks from malicious event links.
• Staff can choose which invitations are added to their calendars.

What to Expect

• Going forward, invitations will be received via email but will not appear on your calendar until you respond.
• No action is required, this update will be applied automatically.

District-Wide Phishing Simulation: Strengthening Our Cybersecurity
Last week, all staff participated in a district-wide phishing simulation designed to reinforce best practices in email security and build confidence in identifying phishing attempts. This exercise wasn’t about catching anyone off guard; it was about reinforcing best practices in email security and building confidence in identifying phishing attempts.
The simulation included two scenarios:

• Google Security Alert: A phishing email appearing to be from noreply@glooglonline.com claimed that a new device signed in to the user's account, urging them to sign in to "Check Activity."
• Document Share Request: A spear-phishing attempt impersonating Amy Banks from amyB@glooglonline.com, claiming to share a confidential document titled “Confidential: RTA Negotiations Salary Starter,” prompted the recipient to sign in to view it.

The results showed that many staff were able to recognize and ignore these phishing attempts. However, 11.6% of staff attempted to log in with Google, highlighting the importance of ongoing cybersecurity awareness.
It’s important to remember that a single compromised account can give a hacker access to not only your information, but also that of other staff and students, potentially putting sensitive data at risk. Strengthening our awareness and response to these threats helps protect not only staff but also our entire district.
Next Steps

• We will continue to share best practices for spotting phishing emails.
• Some staff will receive refresher training to enhance email security awareness.
• The district will be moving to quarterly phishing simulators. This approach aligns with our commitment to safeguarding our district and supports compliance with our Cyber Insurance Policy, ensuring ongoing readiness against evolving threats.

For more resources and guidance on identifying phishing emails and staying cyber-aware, please visit our Cybersecurity Awareness Knowledgebase.
Thank you for your participation and commitment to cybersecurity!