SPO NEWS

Message From The Director

SPO Recognition/ Training

2

System-Wide Safety 3

SERT 4

ERSC 5

Calendar 6

Inside this issue:

“Getting it done”

As we embark upon an-

other school year, let us

remember how important

the work is that we do for

the health and well-being

of over 154,000 students and 22,000 employees,

including you. But it is

not just the health and

well being of the people we

see every day but future

generations as well. The

Division of School Plant

Operations is committed

to providing a healthy fa-

cility environment that is

conducive to student

learning, and employee

productivity.

We also recognize our so-

cial responsibility to pre-

serve natural resources for

future generations. As a result of this commitment

to students, staff and the

environment, the DSPO

has implemented a

Healthy, High Perfor-

mance “Green” Cleaning

program. Each building

service manager received a

copy of this plan earlier

this year to share with

staff. It provides guide-

lines, policies, and proce-

dures regarding how to

perform facility cleaning

and grounds care in a way

that is “Green”; consider-

ate of occupant health and

the environment.

The plan includes 11 guid-

ing principles, including:

Every day, every stu-

dent has the right to

a healthy and safe

school environment

and every adult in a

school is responsible to ensure these con-

ditions.

Every employee has

the right to work in a

healthy and safe en-vironment.

Together, we can

make a difference.

Training, involvement of and close collabora-

tion with students,

staff, and the commu-

nity ensures sustaina-

bility of the Green

Cleaning Program.

The SPO Healthy, High-

Performance Green Clean-

ing Plan may be accessed

through the DSPO website

www.montgomeryschools

md.org/departments/scho

olplantops.

I hope you will take some

time during the year to

review and discuss the

plan with your team and to be conscientious of its

guidelines and principles

as you do your work.

Have a very successful

and engaging year.

SPO Annual In-Service Day

It is that time of the year again! Come meet, greet, and celebrate each other at this year’s annual in-service day. Please join us on September 25, 2014 at Watkins Mill High School. The In-Service meeting will be held from 7:30 am to 12 noon. Pre-registration is required via PDO. The In-Service Course number is 98053 (Follow Instructions to Register for Break-Out-Sessions. Individual conference badges will be sent to each facility. You must bring the badge with you on the 25th to sign in.

Message From The Division of Maintenance

Page 2 SPO NEWS

The Division of School Plant Operation’s Most

Valuable Team Award

The Most Valuable Team

Award is given annually to recognize one school at each

level that has consistently

gone above and beyond expec-

tations in the areas of attend-

ance and building inspection

results. Scores were tabulated by taking the average of the

last two building inspections,

overall staff attendance, and

an evaluation visit by the

recognition committee.

The recognition committee would like to congratu-

late :

Northwest High School

Takoma Park Middle School

Beverly Farms Elementary School

Montrose Center

The following recipients of the Division of School

Plant Operation’s Most Valuable Team Award for 2013 – 2014 school year. Division of School Plant

Operations staff will celebrate these schools accom-

plishment by hosting an appreciation luncheon, pre-

senting a plaque to the school and individual certifi-

cates to each employee.

RECOGNITION

The new PDO sections for the Basic Maximo Class at CTI dates are:

Thursday, 9/11, Tuesday, 10/7, Wednesday, 11/12, Thursday, 12/11, Thurs-

day, 1/15, Wednesday, 2/18

Tuesday, 3/17, Tuesday, 4/21, Thursday, 5/21, Thursday, 6/11

Workplace English Conversation Circle -- This is a six-session class that focuses on giving participants opportuni-ties to orally communicate and to work on pronunciation in a relaxed atmosphere. Mixed levels of English. Topics shift

in different sections of this group. Six ninety-minute sessions.

Workplace English Conversation Circle B (Course # 53516)

Open to any limited-English supporting services staff member.

Location: West Farm Depot, Training Room, 11920 Bournefield Way, Silver Spring,

MD 20904

Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00 -11:30am (6 classes)

Dates: 10/2, 10/7, 10/9, 10/14, 10/16, 10/21, (weather make-up date 10/23)

Workplace English: Communicating Effectively with Students (Course# 84927)

Open to staff that have passed a Level 3 Workplace English class as well as limited-

English paraeducators, and secretarial staff

Location: West Farm Depot, Training Room, 11920 Bournefield Way, Silver Spring,

MD 20904

Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10-11:30am (10 classes)

Dates: 10/28, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13, 11/18, 11/20, 12/2, 12/4, 12/9, (no class

11/11, 11/25, 11/27, make-up day 12/11)

Register on PDO or contact Lara Oerter at Lara_B_Oerter@mcpsmd.org or 301 699-1568 if you need assistance.

Training

A message from your Systemwide Safety Programs Team!

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Online Safety Training

Have you completed your online safety training courses?

Be sure to check the PDO homepage for required and recommended courses.

The following courses must be completed by all building service employees when they

first start working at MCPS:

Bloodborne Pathogens - Full Course

Ladder Safety

Personal Protective Equipment

Hazard Communication: Right to Understand

Safety Data Sheets: Globally Harmonized System (GHS)

Additionally, all building service employees must complete the following course every

year:

Bloodborne Pathogens - Annual Refresher

Other courses that are recommended for all building service employees include:

Back Injury and Lifting: Custodial

Heat Illness Prevention

Scaffolding Safety

Scissor Lift Safety

Slips, Trips, and Falls: Custodians, Maintenance, and Facilities

Register for each course from the PDO home page by clicking on the blue course name,

which is an active link. When the ‘details’ page loads, scroll down the page to register in any open section. You will receive an automatic confirmation email to your Outlook con-

taining the link to the SafeSchools web site, where you will complete training.

Registration for each course is a required step for proper credit!

The deadline for completing required courses is June 2, 2015. We strongly encourage

you to complete all recommended courses in addition to the required courses. Contact our office at 240-314-1070 with any questions or visit our website at:

www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/facilities/safety/programs.aspx#training

for more information, including Training FAQ’s.

YOUR safety is OUR top priority!

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Tips for recycling cardboard tray

Students should tap cardboard trays to remove any

food wrapping or left over food into the trash bin

Clean trays or trays with minimal food residue can be

recycled

Stack the cardboard trays as you would normally stack

the white polystyrene trays or place the

cardboard tray into the blue paper recycling bin

If the cardboard tray has a lot of food contamination,

then it should be thrown away as trash

After lunch, stacks of cardboard trays should be taken

to the exterior paper/cardboard recycling dumpster

It’s your world… Choose to conserve

School Energy and Recycling Team Department of Facilities Management 45 W. Gude Drive #4000 Rockville, MD 20850 240-314-1090 www.greenschoolsfocus.org

Calendar

Annual In-Service Day (Watkins Mill HS) September 25, 2014

Winter Cluster Meetings October 31, 2014

On-Site Training Day (Select Schools) January 21, 2015

Uniform Orders March, 2015

Spring Cluster Meetings March 27, 2015

Summer Project Memo May 15, 2015

Early Ordering, Summer/Start-up June, 2015

Filter Orders Placed by Managers Feb/June/Oct

45 West GudDrive Suite 402

Rockville, MD 20850

Division of School Plant

Phone: 240-314-1075 x: 301-279-3068

Dianne Jones, Director Veronica Skinner, Assistant to the

Director

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/

departments/schoolplantops/

Montgomery County

Public Schools