Fall is the perfect time of year! The summer heat begins to fade, leaves don their annual colors, football games take over the weekend, and pumpkin-flavored everything hits the shelves. fall preparation
However, it also serves as a reminder, that as the days grow shorter and the leaves start to fall, now is the ideal time to look around your home and get prepared for the oncoming winter. Fall’s mild temperatures and adequate daylight provide an opportunity to check the heater, repair gutters, and add extra insulation to the attic. An early autumn storm or blizzard is no time to learn you have leaks or other problems.
TheInsurance Information Institute estimates that winter-related damage causes over a billion dollars in insurance losses annually. So, enjoy the nice weather and your pumpkin spiced latte while you can. Just don’t forget to look ahead. Prevent your home from being a winter-storm statistic and make the necessary preparations to your home this fall.
Fall Preparation Checklist:
Have your heating system checked and cleaned.
Inspect ceilings, windows and outer walls for cracks.
Change air filters.
Check your pipes and plumbing.
Inspect your roof for wear or damage and clean the gutters.
Install weather stripping and caulk around windows and doors.
Seal up foundation and driveway cracks.
Check your fireplace and chimney for cracks or leaks.
Look around your deck or patio and yard. Now is the time to clean and store seasonal outdoor furniture and flower pots, drain sprinkler systems, trim trees and shrubs, fertilize lawns and mulch gardens. Before your lawnmower goes into hibernation, schedule a time to have it serviced. If your snowblower needs some TLC after its summer break, bring it in with your mower and tackle two chores at once.
During the fall it is also important to make sure your home is fire safe. Hundreds of fires break out each day during the autumn and winter months. Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and make sure everything is working properly. The National Fire Protection Association warns carbon monoxide poisonings also climb during the fall and winter months.
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector Preparation Checklist:
Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on all levels of the home.
Test all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace the batteries.
Have all heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected.
Keep all flammable material at least three feet from heat sources.
Check fire extinguishers. Replace or have them serviced as needed.
Know and practice home escape routes.
A vital preparation step for any season is to review and understand your homeowners or renters insurance policy. Make sure you know what is covered under your policy, if you need to up your coverage, or add additional coverage for the coming winter months.
This article is furnished by California Casualty. We specialize in 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.
Our Education Blogger is a public school teacher with over a decade of experience. She’s an active NEA member and enjoys writing about her experiences in the classroom.
You spend about eight hours a day in the classroom; it’s basically your second home. You never know what your day in the classroom will throw at you, especially these days, so be sure you’re prepared. In addition to your basic supplies, stock up with these 10 essential items every teacher should have at their desk.
Good Grading Pens/Markers – You can never have too many colorful grading utensils! I like Papermate Flair Pens and they come in a variety of bright, fun colors.
Stain Remover – I always spill my coffee on my shirt! I use a quick stain remover, like Shout Wipes or Tide Pen, to clean myself up in a snap!
Travel-Sized Deodorant – The temperature of my classroom is never consistent! One hour I’m wearing my parka while I teach and the next I’m down to my sweat-stained shirt. Keeping a stick of deodorant on hand is also helpful on those warm days that I have recess duty.
Extra Masks– For those days when you are rushing out the door and forget we are living in the “new normal”.
Pain Reliever– It’s hard to teach when you’re head is pounding! Keep a small bottle stashed in your desk drawer so you can make it through a tough day.
Disinfectant Wipes – Even though the janitorial staff is consistently wiping down surfaces, between classes this will most likely be your responsibility to help you (and your students) stay safe.
Bandages – No need to send students to the nurse (and risk exposure) for minor cuts and scrapes.
8. Hand Sanitizer– For when you don’t have time to run to the bathroom and wash your hands between periods.
Snacks– Keep a few healthy snacks, that you don’t have to eat with your hands, tucked away so you aren’t tempted to go to the vending machine-like cereal bars, applesauce, or jerky sticks.
Reusable Water Bottle – Water fountains can be full of germs, invest in a large enough water bottle that you won’t have to refill throughout the day.
Worried about shelling out your own money? Ask parents and families to donate items that are for student use, like cough drops, wipes, Post-its, pencils, and bandages!
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters and nurses. California Casualty does not own any of the photos in this post, all are sources by to their original owners. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
Performance-based assessment is rapidly becoming popular. Student portfolios play a large role in this method of assessment and tell a story of student learning, achievement, and growth. Student-created digital portfolios help educators, and students, reflect on assignments, effort, and improvements that can be made.
The following digital student portfolio tools will assist you and your students in creating meaningful, 21st Century portfolios. Here are 6 easy tools for your students to use to create their digital portfolios.
Kidblog – Safely and securely publish student writing, audio, visual, or video projects. Simple to use and kid-friendly. The first 30 days are free. After your trial, you can choose memberships of $44 per year or $9 per month.
Padlet– Similar to a piece of paper, Padlet allows students to safely create a post of any kind. Padlet is flexible. Use it as a portfolio, a platform to blog and communicate, upload files, or simply make lists. The first 30 days are free. Teacher plans are $99 per year or $12 per month.
Evernote– Take notes, organize, archive, upload files, share ideas, and sync with multiple devices. The basic plan is free, and yearly paid plans offer more options and storage (Plus = $35/year and Premium = $70/year).
Pathbrite – Free interactive showcase portfolios. Upload student work using simple drag-and-drop tools.
Three Ring – Free for students, teachers, and parents. Allows users to securely upload student work, document, organize, comment, and access from anywhere.
VoiceThread– A single educator license will cost you $79 per year or $15 per month. This secure web-based program permits users to upload images, videos, documents, and presentations. Additionally, users may comment on one another’s work using any mix of text, microphone, webcam, telephone, or audio file.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to education professionals, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
In 2019, the lives of 307 law enforcement officers were tragically cut short. For the last several decades, in mid-May, upwards of 40,000 people would gather in Washington, D.C. for Police Week.
During the week, fellow officers, friends, and family members gather to honor and pay tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice the year prior, like the 307.
This year, however, will be different than years past. We will not be there physically; no one will, but the memories of those lost will not be forgotten. Due to COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines, this year Police Week will pay tribute to their fallen heroes by holding their Candlelight Vigil virtually.
For 10 years, California Casualty has been a sponsor of the Top Cops Awards– and each year, members of our Partner Relations team have been given the opportunity to attend Police Week. Through these events we’ve had the privilege of really getting to know our Law Enforcement Officers, their families, and their brotherhood.
In past-years at the Candlelight Vigil ceremony we’ve held our candles side-by-side with these Law Enforcement Officers, their families, and loved ones. We’ve stood in awe and watched the entire field of the National Monument go dark, only to be illuminated with the glow of candlelight. We’ve recognized and paid our respects to those who have lost children, mothers, fathers, siblings, and friends, and we’ve cried alongside our Law Enforcement family, bleeding blue in support of their losses.
Like most events taking place in the world right now, this year will not look the same, but our fallen officers and their families still need that same support.
To commemorate the lives lost in the line of duty in 2019, and in support of our many friends in Law Enforcement, our team will be tuned in digitally to show our support and pay our respects. Join us online at 8PM EST on May 13th, 2020 to remember and honor those that have made the ultimate sacrifice.
For more than 50 years, Law Enforcement associations across the US have relied on and trusted California Casualty to protect their members superior auto and home insurance coverage.
Our Education Blogger is a public school teacher with over a decade of experience. She’s an active NEA member and enjoys writing about her experiences in education.
Have you ever shown a video to the class only to be bombarded by ads and other distracting content? Sometimes, that distracting content can be inappropriate for school, and in some situations, get you into trouble! Educators know to view any videos prior to a class viewing to evaluate its appropriateness, but have you ever thought about what else is happening on the page or video you are watching? Fortunately, there is something you can do about it.
We’ve put together a collection of 6 free resources you can use to remove and block advertisements and other distractions from web pages and videos. These helpful resources allow you to safely show videos without worry, and they’re all simple to use.
AdBlock is one of the most popular ad blockers worldwide with more than 60 million users on Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge as well as Android. It removes ads from YouTube videos and blocks websites and search ads. Easy to install and free to use within Google Chrome. Perfect for student research. Students can become easily distracted by advertisements and videos. AdBlock helps to keep students focused.
NicerTubegets rid of all the fluff, distractions, and questionable content around YouTube videos. Copy YouTube video URL, paste into the required field, choose a background, and create your safe video. NicerTube generates a new link to your video. All for free!
SafeShare.tv Safely watch and share YouTube and Vimeo videos without advertisements and other unwanted distractions such as annotation so that they can be viewed safely without the hassle of first having to download and convert videos with YouTube Downloader. To view a video ad-free, copy and paste the video’s URL into SafeShare.tv’s safe-link generator. The site will automatically send you to the safe version of your video. You may also choose a title and description of the video.
ViewPureallows users to watch YouTube videos without comments or other distractions. ViewPure removes all comments and related videos, allowing videos to be watched without distractions, or more likely, without “inappropriate content.” It is simple and free! No need to copy and paste a URL. Simply drag and drop the “Purify” button into your toolbar. Click the “Purify” button when you are on a YouTube page to remove ads and other distracting content.
Quietubeoffers the ability to watch videos without the distractions. To watch web videos without the comments and other unnecessary junk, just drag the Quietube button to your browser’s bookmarks bar. Supports videos from YouTube, Viddler, and Vimeo. The site seems primitive and is only one page, however, it gets the job done!
TubeChopallows you to easily chop a funny or interesting section from any YouTube video and share it. This is a great, free tool if you want to show part of a video. Find the video you want to chop, select and cut the video, and share it. There are no ads or other distractions.
We want to hear from you! What resources do you use to remove ads and other distracting content from videos and websites? Let us know in the comment section.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to education professionals, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
