2012 December - Michigan Education Association

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22 DECEMBER 2012 MESSA plans now feature enhanced coverage for autism MESSA plans have long covered therapies and other medical care for individuals with autism. Effective Oct. 15, 2012, MESSA coverage includes additional services, including Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Coverage is subject to pre-authorization procedures, plan deductibles and other cost-sharing provisions. MESSA is proud to offer our members this enhanced coverage. As a member-focused, non-profit association, MESSA constantly strives to differentiate our plans with outstanding personalized service and the highest quality coverage at affordable rates. Currently there is a shortage of approved autism evaluation centers and behavior analysts. As centers and analysts are reviewed and approved by MESSA’s primary plan underwriter, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, they will be added to the Provider Search at www.messa.org. MESSA members with questions about our new coverage for autism should call our nationally-recognized Member Service Center at 800-336-0013. Blast off! (cont.) fly in it, but I didn’t think the law said anything about tying them to a rocket. It became a running joke with students.” One night, some of Bertoldi’s students showed him the Adam Savage bobblehead and told him “MythBusters” was going to end up beating him in tying someone to a rocket and flying it. Not one to be outdone, Bertoldi and his class began work on a new project for the Tripoli Rocketry Association’s annual national launch, which was to take place the following July. They knew what needed to be done: build their own working Adam Savage bobblehead rocket. “It took us from October to June to get the rocket to work in a small scale, and then it was a mad rush to get the rocket ready for the launch on July 15,” Bertoldi says. At first it seemed impossible to attach a life-sized Adam Savage mannequin to a rocket and have it fly straight, as the body attached to the rocket kept arching away from the fuselage. “The only way we could figure out to make it fly straight was to make it tall and add weight to the top of the rocket,” Bertoldi says. “Concrete was added to the nose cone to make it weigh 20 pounds, and iron rods were added Cynthia Williams, MESSA Executive Director to the connectors between the rocket tubes to make it heavier. The additional weight made it fly perfectly.” Bertoldi and his class decided to enter the Adam Savage bobblehead rocket, dubbed “Buster’s Revenge,” into the Tripoli Rocketry Association’s “Odd Roc” competition, in which novelty rockets face off against one another. “It was the one Odd Roc that flew like a rocket,” Bertoldi proudly notes of “Buster’s Revenge,” which placed second in the national competition. On hand for the launch was “MythBusters” hostess Kari Byron, who interviewed Bertoldi for a Science Channel special called “Large Dangerous Rocket Ships.” The special aired Oct. 28. “That was a very unique experience,” Bertoldi says. “I barely got to launch the rocket, because there were so many people there asking questions, taking pictures and asking about the program with the kids. As a teacher, that was one of the best experiences of my life.” Unfortunately, Bertoldi’s students couldn’t join him for the launch last July, as the event spanned several days and was nearly 1,000 miles away from Kingsford. They’re planning a launch closer to home in the spring so students and parents can see Buster’s Revenge soar with their own eyes—1,958 feet into the Northern Michigan sky.
12/12 If you chose Option 3, do you need a 403(b)? We take your future seriously. Securities offered through Paradigm Equities, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of MEA Financial Services, 1480 Kendale Blvd., East Lansing, MI 48823, 800-292-1950 www.meafs.com Public Act 300 of 2012 required you to make a choice regarding your pension. If you chose Option 3, you have elected to maintain your current level of contributions; however, your pension formula will change to include a 1.25 percent pension factor for future years of service. This will result in a reduced pension. Have you looked at your options for additional retirement savings? MEA Financial Services offers a wide variety of products to assist in your financial needs. 403(b) Tax-Deferred Annuity 403(b)(7) Mutual Fund Traditional or Roth IRA Contact your local MEA Financial Services Representative today!
Page 1 and 2: Election recap, Page 7 Bargaining a
Page 3 and 4: Cover photo An Atlas V rocket carry
Page 5 and 6: 6. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Have some
Page 7 and 8: Election efforts bring MEA members
Page 9 and 10: students and working families. “A
Page 11 and 12: Ask questions to take charge of you
Page 13 and 14: Catherine Case Patricia Cassel Erin
Page 15 and 16: Wendy McCloud William McCloud Maril
Page 17 and 18: Blast off! Kingsford science teache
Page 19 and 20: Bargaining and Public Affairs Confe
Page 21: Japanese Exchange Program Chaperone

2012 December - Michigan Education Association

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