New Employees: Don’t Forget to Enroll in the Benefits Plan

New 10-month MCPS employees who work at least 20 hours per week may enroll in the Employee Benefit Plan within 60 days of date of hire. You can learn more about benefit options on the Employee and Retiree Service Center (ERSC) website. To enroll, visit the Employee Self-Service web page and click on Benefits enrollment for new employees, which you will find under the blue My Benefits banner. Log in using your Outlook username and password and follow the on-screen instructions.

Don’t miss your deadline!

• If you enroll by September 20, coverage will begin October 1.
• If you enroll by October 20, coverage will begin November 1.

You also may enroll in or make changes to your benefits each fall during Employee Benefits Open Enrollment, with coverage effective January 1 of the following year. Open Enrollment, to be held October 9—November 3, 2017, is held online. Details and instructions for enrolling online will be available in late September.

Get to Know the Employee and Retiree Service Center (ERSC)!

ERSC is a one-stop shop for all your employee-related needs. This includes benefits, leave, pay, retirement and the employee wellness program. Be sure to check out the following helpful resources from ERSC:

ERSC maintains the Employee Self-Service (ESS) web page, where you will find handy links for accessing your employee profile, as well as your benefits, pay and retirement information. Need to view and print your W-2 or check on your current benefits? ESS is the place to start.

From ESS, you will find a link to ePaystub. ePaystub keeps employees informed of essential information such as the net pay deposited to your bank account, hours worked, deductions and leave balances. You will receive an informative email reminder when your ePaystub is ready, including a link to ESS. This takes place each Monday before payday unless the Monday falls on a holiday. If it does, you will receive your ePaystub the next day.

The ERSC website is full of important information for employees and is updated regularly. Check back often for important and timely information and forms.

PenPoint, an online self-service retirement system for MCPS employees, provides access to your yearly retirement benefit statement and lets you estimate your MCPS core and supplemental retirement benefit amounts based on different scenarios. You also can get to PenPoint from ESS.

Watch for an email in October announcing the fall issue of For Your Benefit, an online newsletter to keep you informed about essential employee benefits, leave, pay, and retirement information.

Each month, ERSC publishes Well Aware eNews, to bring you articles on health and wellness along with information about upcoming wellness events such as educational webinars and health screenings. In addition to finding it online, you will find the Well Aware eNews in your MCPS Outlook email at the beginning of each month.

Hundreds of New Educators Introduced to MCPS

More than 850 new MCPS teachers participated in the New Educator Orientation (NEO) Aug. 16–18. NEO provides an opportunity for new teachers to learn about MCPS, meet colleagues and get ready for the new school year. MCPS will have more than 950 new teachers at the start of the 2017-2018 school year.

MCPS Welcomes 26 New Principals

More than 161,000 students will head back to school on Tuesday, Sept. 5 for the start of the 2017-2018 school year. More than 900 teachers have been hired, and there are 26 new principals who can’t wait to get to know their new students and families. The principals are:

• Lawrence D. Chep, Clopper Mill Elementary School
• Norman L. Coleman, Francis Scott Key Middle School
• Karen M. Cox, Westbrook Elementary School
• Mark E. Craemer, Darnestown Elementary School
• Casey B. Crouse, Damascus High School
• Kristin L. Donohue, Cannon Road Elementary School
• Jon Green, acting principal, John Poole Middle School
• Matthew D. Hawkins, Viers Mill Elementary School
• M. Deneise Hammond, Rachel Carson Elementary School
• Lisa J. Henry, Summit Hall Elementary School
• Craig O. Jackson, Woodlin Elementary School
• Matt W. Johnson, Eastern Middle School
• Courtney M. Jones, Cashell Elementary School
• Xavier Kimber, Brookhaven Elementary School
• Shawn E. Krasa, Thomas Edison High School of Technology
• Jae W. Lee, Carderock Springs Elementary School
• Kisha Logan, Montgomery Village Middle School
• MaryBeth O. Mantzouranis, Weller Road Elementary School
• Joshua H. Munsey, Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents
• Alana D. Murray, Shady Grove Middle School
• Edward K. Owusu, Clarksburg High School
• Candace M. Ross, Kensington Parkwood Elementary School
• Robert Sinclair, Jr., James Hubert Blake High School
• Heidi Slatcoff, Earle B. Wood Middle School
• Traci L. Townsend, Silver Creek Middle School
• Daniel K. Tucci, Garrett Park Elementary School

The Board of Education also recently made the following administrative and supervisory appointments:

• Margarita I. Bohorquez, supervisor, International Admissions and Enrollment, Office of Student and Family Support and Engagement
• Rachel Buckley, assistant director, Department of Certification and Staffing/Talent Acquisition, Office of Human Resources and Development
• Peter Cevenini, chief technology officer, Office of the Chief Technology Officer
• Kevin E. Lowndes, associate superintendent, Office of Special Education
• Christine A. Miller, supervisor, English for Speakers of Other Languages/Two Way Immersion, Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs
• Shoua F. Moua, supervisor, Assessment Data Management, Office of Shared Accountability
• Robert Reilly,administrator of financial operations, Office of the Chief Financial Officer
• Michelle E. Schultze, director of school support and improvement of high schools, Office of School Support and Improvement
• Michaele O. Simmons, director, Investigations and Compliance, Office of Human Resources and Development
• Yolanda Stanislaus, director, Professional Growth Systems, Office of Human Resources and Development
• Jennifer L. Webster, director of school support and improvement of high schools, Office of School Support and Improvement
• Tracy Y. Winfrey-Edwards, supervisor of literacy, Elementary Integrated Curriculum Team