David Williams can now point to almost any place on the globe and head there for a new experience.
David was the lucky person chosen from thousands of entries in the “Win Half-A-Million Miles” Sweepstakes from California Casualty. David, who promised his daughter a European vacation as a graduation trip, will now be able to take his entire family!
With 500,000 miles, David hints the trip to Europe will be just the beginning. “This opens up the world to us for new adventures,” he said.
One of those adventures maybe a trip to Cambodia, Thailand, and other exciting parts of Southeast Asia.
“We will be very judicious with the mileage. We appreciate the opportunity this will afford us and we are thankful for the chance to do things that we might not have been able to do before,” he added.
David, who has been traveling to China for business for the past 30 years, appreciates United Airlines and is a dedicated United MileagePlus member. “I’m an anxious flyer, but United makes the experience much more enjoyable,” he said.
California Casualty offers customers who purchase auto and home/renters insurance United MileagePlus miles. Now the most rewarding airline loyalty program allows members to qualify for first-class service with special benefits from California Casualty:
Great rates
Free ID defense
$500 coverage for non-electronic personal property stolen from your vehicle
$0 deductible for accidents with a rental car
Affordable towing and roadside assistance
$1,000 pet injury coverage
Skip payment options
California Casualty is inviting United MileagePlus members to buckle in for another chance to win a half-a-million miles in 2020. With 4,400 daily flights to more than 300 cities across five continents, the options for half-a-million miles are endless: a trip to Paris, a Tahiti getaway, sampling dim sum in Hong Kong, touring the sights of Rio de Janeiro or visiting the Vatican in Rome. The sky’s the limit.
David recommends that all United MileagePlus members enter because, until this contest, he had never won anything before. “I’m proof that anyone can win and I’ll be entering more contests and offers like this in the future,” he said.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, nurses, and United MileagePlus members. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
Librarians have changed over the last 50 years; they do way more than just keep books and maintain students. They are an essential part of every school. Some districts use the term “teacher-librarian” to emphasize that the school librarian is primarily an educator or “library media specialist” to emphasize that the school librarian is in charge of more than just books.
School Librarians are highly trained literacy professionals skilled in tech and print, and they play key roles in helping students develop academically. Librarians are also a helpful resource to teachers! They are a great source of knowledge and can collaborate with teachers for student resources and classroom projects. A librarian’s goal is to teach students how to learn and help teachers drive student success.
Here are 7 reasons why librarians are important to our schools.
Librarians have been using this learning tactic for years when it comes to developing student’s skills. Teachers can collaborate with their librarians for an easier transition into inquiry-based learning.
Collaborating with teachers
They work with teachers to implement strategies and create projects that require research and critical thinking, as well as provide them with the correct resources and data that they need.
These skills include being able to select, evaluate, and use information that they find online appropriately and effectively. They also teach students to guard their privacy online and the importance of sharing information ethically.
Match students to appropriate resources
They have access to all kinds of information and create a safe space for students to ask questions and learn. They can recognize student needs and guide them to the correct resource -whether it’s simple or diverse- and meet the student’s preferences in the background, culture, genre, etc.
Co-teach lessons that require research and technology skills
Librarians are often educators as well, have a teaching certificate, and an MBA (or are working towards one), so they are certified to co-teach lessons to students on digital literacy and the use of technology. They also manage multiple resources to make sure students have a vast array of information at their disposal.
Provide professional development to other educators
Certified librarians take courses and learn the American Association of School Librarians standards and build standards-based units using those materials. School librarians can offer books and readings for classrooms to reach those standards.
Librarians are key leaders within their schools. Reading is the key to life-long learning and they create events, programs, and incentives to help make reading fun and introduce new technology to help advance students in their readings and research.
Thank you, Librarians! Our schools wouldn’t be the same without you!
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
We have amazing employees at California Casualty. The Employee Spotlight is a new series aiming to highlight those talented individuals that make up our successful company culture and community. From human resource recruiters and learning and development trainers to claims adjusters, marketers, customer support specialists, partner relations, sales representatives, and beyond; each week, we’ll highlight a new team member, so you can get to know us better and see how our employees make us who we are as a company.
This edition of the Employee Spotlight will feature our Talent Aquisition Specialist, Kelly DeSousa.
Kelly has been with us for 3 years now and is based in our Colorado Springs office.
Let’s get to learn about Kelly!
Where are you from?
Originally Massachusetts, but I’ve been in Colorado for 27 years now and I’m absolutely loving it.
What made you want to work in Human Resources at California Casualty?
The people, the company and the groups we serve (police officers, firefighters, teachers, and nurses). I have a friend who works here and she would talk about how great of a company California Casualty is, and I thought I have to work there, and now here I am!
What is your favorite part about your job?
My work family, in the human resources department, is the best! I work with people that I truly care about and I know they care about me. We all work so well together and have since day one. They make work fun.
What are your favorite activities to do outside of the office?
Anything with adventure and travel. Hiking, biking, etc.
Anything else you would like the audience to know about you?
I have a teacup Chihuahua “Benny” that loves to bike and hike with me.
I went skydiving last year.
A really fun fact about me is I love to travel, so much so that I did a mystery vacation where I had no idea where I was going until I got to the airport and had a blast!
If you want to learn more about Kelly or are interested in a career at California Casualty, connect with her on LinkedIn! Or visit our careers page at https://www.calcas.com/careers
Food is life. It’s something we think about all day, we scroll through pictures of it, we even host social gatherings with it front and center; but if we aren’t consistently putting the right food into our bodies, it can cut our lives short. Obesity and heart disease account for nearly 22 million deaths worldwide every year.
How do we prevent this from happening to us? By changing our diet.
When we are consistently eating out and ordering fried foods, it takes a toll on our bodies. Not only does it make us sluggish and cause weight gain, but on the inside, it causes blood pressure and cholesterol levels to rise, and this puts us at a very high risk to develop heart disease or have a heart attack.
So, let’s talk about our diets and where to start. It’s as easy as switching out one meal a day. Instead of stopping at the closest food truck or calling UberEats for lunch, try swapping it out for some of these heart-healthy foods:
Green-Leafy Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and are proven to reduce the risk of heart disease. Some great foods to try are:
Spinach
Kale
Romaine Lettuce
Collard Greens
Whole Grains not to be confused with refined grains, are high in fiber and reduce cholesterol, which leads to better heart health. Try eating:
Whole Wheat
Brown Rice
Oats
Quinoa
Fish is high in omega 3 fatty acids, which are essential nutrients that prevent and manage heart disease, lower blood pressure, and reduce the chance of heart attack and stroke. Try eating:
Salmon
Sardines
Tuna
Lake Trout
Berries are among the healthiest foods you can eat. They fight inflammation, are high in fiber, and have the highest antioxidant count among all fruit, next to pomegranates. Try eating:
Strawberries
Blueberries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Nuts are high in healthy fats, packed with vitamins and minerals, and are good sources of fiber and protein. Try eating:
Almonds
Pistachios
Walnuts
Cashews
Beans are a rich source of fiber and protein that have many other health benefits, like reducing cholesterol, decreasing blood sugar levels, and reducing the risk of heart disease. Try eating:
Chickpeas
Lentils
Black Beans
Kidney Beans
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
We have amazing employees at California Casualty. The Employee Spotlight is a new series aiming to highlight those talented individuals that make up our successful company culture and community. From human resource recruiters and learning and development trainers to claims adjusters, marketers, customer support specialists, partner relations, sales representatives, and beyond; each week, we’ll highlight a new team member, so you can get to know us better and see how our employees make us who we are as a company.
Our very first Employee Spotlight will feature our Talent Aquisition Specialist, Cal Turner.
Cal has been with us for 17 years now and is based in our Colorado Springs office.
Let’s get to learn Cal!
What made you want to work in Human Resources at California Casualty?
I wanted to work in this position because it makes such an impact on the company. Finding and selecting the right employees for all of our different positions is very challenging yet very rewarding. When you work hard with a candidate, build relationships, get them engaged in our organization and then watch them grow into their role and become a success, it is very rewarding.
What is your favorite part about your job?
I have many favorite things about my company. I am a proud employee- in staffing, you have to be. A HUGE part of your job is selling the company to candidates who have never had any contact with us what-so-ever, and you have to truly love the organization you represent. Luckily, I work for the BEST business and it is very easy for me to do.
One thing I love about my company is all the different levels of management and how there is no division within the rest of the company. Everyone from the CEO to Executives to Upper Management are all warm and approachable people. We are all on the same playing field and it becomes obvious as we get to know each other. It is great to be in a company where everyone is connected that way.
I love the people I work with and the audience we represent. All of them. These are some of the best people in the business, and I love to see all the positive attitudes and appreciative people that I interact with each and every day.
What are your favorite activities to do outside of the office?
I like to run, do yoga, watch movies and cook!
Anything else you would like the audience to know about you?
I have two awesome daughters who are also brilliant. One was passionate about becoming a lawyer and has recently passed the bar. She is now a Public Defender for the State of Colorado. She also has a heart to help those less fortunate and this has been her passion for many years.
My oldest daughter is a CPA for a respectable firm in Downtown Denver. She has grown and developed into a senior role and she is beyond successful. I am very proud of both of them. They are the best thing I have ever done in my life.
If you want to learn more about Cal or are interested in a career at California Casualty, connect with him on LinkedIn! Or visit our careers page at https://www.calcas.com/careers
David Williams can now point to almost any place on the globe and head there for a new experience.
