March 13, 2025 RCSD Leadership 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

Reunification
Reunification cards are currently being processed for all sites and will be sent your way as soon as they are completed. Coming from Document Works will be English and Spanish cards to keep with your reunification items if ever needed for an on-site reunification. We are working on other languages as well. We will only be replenishing these if a site uses them for an emergency. Please keep them safe.
Contact: Rachael Peck

Personnel Services

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

Upcoming Update to Site Voicemail Greeting
We wanted to share that all site voicemail greetings will be updated on Friday, March 14th, by 4:00 p.m.
This update ensures that our voicemail system remains clear, consistent, and aligned with our communication standards. Once the update is complete, callers will hear the new messaging when reaching a site’s voicemail.
Standardize Front Office:
Hello, you have reached [School Name]. Please leave your name, phone number, and a brief message, and someone will return your call as soon as possible. Thank you, and have a great day.
Elementary School Attendance Greeting
Hello, you have reached the attendance line for [School Name]. Please leave your student’s first and last name, the spelling of their first and last name, grade, teacher, the reason for the absence, and your relationship to the student. If we need further information, we will contact you. Thank you.
Middle School Attendance Greeting
Thank you for calling [School Name] attendance line. Please provide your student’s first and last name, the spelling of their first and last name, the reason for their absence, and your contact information in case we need to follow up. For homework requests, please email your student’s teachers directly. Thank you.

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!