Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Webinar: MackinVIA Integration with Learning Management Systems

Explore the benefits of authenticated student and teacher backpack accounts with Infinite Campus, One Click, Google, Clever, Circulation Systems, Microsoft 365, and more.  

Join Mackin on December 7, 2022 for a webinar that uncovers the ease of using digital resources when MackinVIA is integrated with your LMS.  

MackinVIA authenticated Single Sign On and integration with Learning Management Systems
Wednesday, Dec 7, 2022
12:00 PM CST

Questions? Contact Mindy Romero, Mackin Educational Consultant, mindy.romero@mackin.com, 319-899-9717

 

 

Monday, November 28, 2022

Vendor Profile: Kompan

KOMPAN is an AEA Purchasing vendor partner providing playground and outdoor sport & fitness solutions. All of their solutions are backed by extensive research, user tested, and manufactured with the highest quality materials. Their universally designed solutions motivate play and movement for users of all ages and abilities.

AEA Purchasing contract discount is 9% off catalog MSRP with additional discounts on higher volume projects.

If a new playground is in your school's future, contact Kompan today! 

Kompan
Jay Cooke
508-243-2623 
https://www.kompan.us/
Bid Reference: AEPA IFB 019.5-B

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Technology Contracts

Our Technology program carries the latest and greatest technology tools as well as the all the essential items you depend on everyday.


Click on a vendor name to learn more.


Cameras, Computers & Peripherals, Software -- CDW-G, JourneyEd

Digital Wellness & Security -- Deledao, iBoss


Instructional Audio and Video -- Lightspeed Technologies

Interactive Touchscreen Displays -- Midwest Computer Products

Laminators and Laminating Film -- ACCO Brands USA

Lamps for Projectors -- Scott Electric

Mobile Connectivity -- Kajeet

Network Vulnerability Testing -- Martin Yarborough & Associates


STEM/STEAM Products & Virtual Reality -- Camcor, CDW-G, Frey Scientific, JourneyEd, Midwest Technology Products, Premier F+E (powered by Meteor), Quill, School Specialty

Monday, November 21, 2022

Our Winter Paper Buy is OPEN!

AEA Purchasing has partnered with The Paper Corporation out of Des Moines to bring Iowa schools and AEAs competitive pricing on cut paper and envelopes.

​Complete information (including the order forms) is now available online within the AEA Purchasing Marketplace. Once logged in, scroll down to the “Featured Suppliers” section (middle of the page) and click on “Paper Buy”.

Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to access the order form. There will be NO paper order forms delivered to schools.

Bid features include:

  • Wide variety of paper weights, colors, and sizes
  • Additional discounts for orders of 840 cartons of white or greater
  • Letter and catalog envelopes

​Orders are due January 13, 2023, with delivery expected on or before March 10, 2023. Early ordering is encouraged!

For specific questions on how to order under this bid, please contact Laurie Hoing

*As a reminder, when you order using the AEA Purchasing contract, you are not only supporting local educational services, but also our economy. Our awarded vendor, The Paper Corporation, is an Iowa-based company proudly located in Des Moines!


What Schools Need to Know About Using ESSER II and III Emergency Relief Funds for Facility Repairs and Improvements

Did you know that the deadline to use ESSER II funding is September 30, 2023, and ESSER III is September 30, 2024? If you’re wondering what kind of facility repairs and improvements can be made with ESSER II and ESSER III funds, they include: inspection, testing, maintenance, repair, replacement, and upgrade projects to improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) in school facilities, including mechanical and non-mechanical heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, filtering, purification, and other air cleaning, fans, control systems, and window and door repair and replacement.

IAQ can be significantly impacted by the condition of your roofs and building envelopes. It does make sense; if the building components that enable you to separate the uncontrolled exterior environment from your climate-controlled indoor environment are compromised, problems will result. Poor IAQ has been tied to symptoms like headaches, fatigue, trouble concentrating and other related effects. The upkeep of your roofing and building envelope components can help you to ensure school building occupants remain in a safe and healthy environment. 

Tremco Roofing & Building Maintenance and affiliated construction services company WTI provide industry-leading roofing and building envelope solutions. Through their affiliates Canam Building Envelope Specialists and Pure Air Control Services, Tremco can help you to address indoor air quality through air barrier audits, building envelope testing, continuity systems, indoor environmental testing, HVAC, building and room decontamination, and more.

With a focus on improving long-term performance and ROI for the complete building enclosure, service capabilities include:

  • Quality products with an emphasis on sustainability
  • Advanced roof restoration systems that enable school districts to restore many types of roofing systems versus replacing them, potentially saving millions of dollars
  • Unique roof management programs enabling you to understand the condition of roof systems across your district, establish priorities and spend your money wisely for the best ROI and building performance
  • Options for advanced diagnostics, early intervention, timely maintenance, and repair to extend performance life
  • Precise testing methods to identify gaps, cracks, and holes in the building envelope to optimize building performance
  • Environmental consulting, building diagnostics, and laboratory services, as well as HVAC system hygienic cleaning, sanitizing and remediation to improve indoor air quality

Tremco Roofing/WTI solutions are available through AEA Purchsing for speed, quality, and compliance. What’s more, this contract is also EDGAR compliant and can be used to procure applicable services when districts apply for ESSER II and ESSER III grant monies.

As a manufacturer of roofing materials since 1928, Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance offers a breadth and depth of roofing systems for every environment, and the technical know-how to solve a customer’s biggest problems. And because our affiliated construction services company WTI offers turnkey maintenance, repair, roof management and general contracting services for the entire building envelope, this vendor has the unique ability to provide a total solution to maximize building performance and customers’ return on investment. 

Tremco Roofing and WTI are part of Tremco Construction Products Group.

To learn more, please contact Jeremy Yoder at jyoder@tremcoinc.com or 515.208.4241 or visit yourroofexperts.com. Use the AEA Purchasing contract to save on materials! Reference bid number AEPA IFB 021-D.

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

November Highlights from AEA Purchasing

Here's an update on items of interest from AEA Purchasing.  Please share!

Laurie Hoing named IPPA Member of the Year!
Congratulations go out to Laurie Hoing, Procurement Facilitator for AEA Purchasing, on being named the Iowa Public Procurement Association's (IPPA) 2022 Member of the Year! Hoing was nominated by her peers for her years of volunteerism and work in supporting the mission of IPPA. 

Food Program Happenings!
Members of our food program have been busy these past few weeks celebrating National School Lunch week, Great Apple Crunch Day and Halloween. Catch up on all the fun here.

Special Needs and Sensory Rooms
From theraputty to fidgets, weighted blankets, swings, and more, School Specialty offers the most effective special needs resources, furniture, and solutions available. Learn more here.

Winter 2022 Paper Buy
Order forms for our winter paper buy will be available online the week of November 21. Point your browser to our paper buy page for up-to-date information.

Technology Contracts
Our Technology purchasing program offers discounts on the latest and greatest technology tools as well as all the essential items you depend on everyday.

Vendor Promotions
Want to know more about our vendor partners and what they have available? Check out this month's Vendor Promotions folder! Special offers, flyers, and brochures are added throughout the month.

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Special Needs and Sensory Rooms

Abilitations and School Specialty are committed to enhancing the lives of individuals with special needs. They strive to offer the most comprehensive assortment of products and solutions for children of all ages. From theraputty to fidgets, weighted blankets, swings, and more, the two brands offer the most effective special needs resources, furniture, and solutions available. 

From sensory rooms to classroom corners, find an extensive selection of products and ideas to fit your members' needs and budgets.

  • Sensory Toolbag Sell Sheet -- find curated sensory products plus an Abilitations bag to store items for special needs students in early childhood, elementary and secondary. 

  • Special Needs High School Secondary Brochure -- supports special educators, occupational therapists, and physical therapists working in a high school setting with students transitioning into adulthood.

  • Flipside products -- support student learning and creation in class or at home

And don't forget, ONLINE orders qualify for an additional 1% annual rebate! Start earning your rebate after $7500 of online supplies and furniture purchases. Continue to earn on all subsequent orders. ALL purchases made online throughout the calendar year receive a 1% rebate directly back to the customer next year.



Monday, November 14, 2022

Get to Know Partac Peat-Beam Clay!

BEAM CLAY® began nearly 100 years ago to provide clay to the new US Open natural clay tennis courts in 1922.  Later it began supplying clay to the NY Yankees and eventually sold products to every MLB team, most minor  league teams, and thousands of colleges, schools, and towns in all 50 states and in over 30 countries.  We now supply over 10,000 products for all sports with natural or synthetic surfaces.  Our signature and unique BEAM CLAY® surfaces are available for baseball, softball, cricket, tennis, bocce, horseshoes, track, equestrian arenas, BMX tracks, etc., in bulk or bags thru AEPA for all 50 states and all climates from plants across the USA.

Although BEAM CLAY® supplies thousands of products as diverse as bases, ball netting, wall padding, and windscreen, supplying baseball and softball facilities with infield mixes, mound and batter’s box clay, and red warning tracks remains our core business from our unique clay mines.

What makes BEAM CLAY® so special, especially for baseball/softball infields?  BEAM CLAY® is able to control the silt content of its mixes.  Silt plugs up drainage causing infields to require more conditioners and work and time to make infields playable in wet conditions.  In dry weather, silt increases compaction and makes infields hard, dusty, and harder to maintain.  Silt separates and increases wind and water erosion and consequently requires replacement more often.  Many infield mixes on the market contain 33% or more silt.  We keep silt as low as possible in our BEAM CLAY® infield mixes (under 10% and generally around 3-4%) and that is one of the reasons why our infield mixes play and maintain so much better.  

Partac looks forward to continuing to partner with AEA Purchasing and solving your needs for Athletic Equipment & Supplies for K-12, higher ed, private schools and cities & towns. Learn more about all of our products for Iowa schools here or contact:

Denise Pierce | Bid Manager
PARTAC PEAT CORPORATION
One Kelsey Park | Great Meadows, NJ  07838
800.247.BEAM [2326], 908.637.4191, Fax 908.637.8421
www.BeamClay.com/AEPA
Contract Reference:  AEPA Athletic Equipment & Supplies 18.5C 

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Food Program Fun

Members of our food program have been busy these past few weeks celebrating National School Lunch week, Great Apple Crunch Day and Halloween. Keep reading to catch up on all the fun!

National School Lunch Week (Oct 9-15, 2022)
NSLW serves to recognize the National School Lunch Program, and the nearly 360,000 school children served every day in Iowa!  This year's theme was "Peace, Love, and School Lunch," and many AEA Purchasing members got groovy for the celebration!  Review the feature here.

Great Apple Crunch Day
Schools participated in the event by purchasing locally grown apples and crunching into them on October 13th at noon. See how Fort Madison celebrated this crunchtastic day

Halloween
Our members served up some Spooktacular Halloween menus, and many nutrition staff even dressed up for the day!  

                            
 
Fort Madison Comm School District Menus:
Tombstones, Lizard Tails, Candy Corn Parfait, Brain treat (rice krispie), and Skulls. 



 Jane Andersen, Director at Lawton Bronson, dressed as Mildred the Lunch Lady. 

Food Safety has No Expiration Date!

Although we celebrate food safety education in the month of September, food safety has no "expiration" or "best if used by"  date. 

As the holidays approach, now seems like the perfect time to share an article from foodsafety.gov on the Four Steps to Food Safety (hint: keep it CLEAN, SEPARATE to stop the spread, COOK to proper temperature, and don't let food CHILL OUT). These reminders are important for not only the school cafeteria, but also for classroom parties, staff and team luncheons, and for your own kitchen at home.

Rapids Wholesale, our small wares prime vendor, has pieced together a great group of offers to help your kitchen succeed with food safety requirements. These offers are valid on school purchases only. 


Reminder:  Rapids continues to offer FREE SHIPPING on all AEA Purchasing Market Basket orders! There is no minimum cart fee to receive free shipping thru December 2022.

First Time Ordering? Need a refresher on Rapids' online ordering system? Rapids Wholesale has provided a Step-by-Step tutorial video! Ordering 101 - Check it out here:  AEA Purchasing Ordering System 

If you are a participating AEA Purchasing Food Program member but do not have an online AEA Purchasing account set up with Rapids Wholesale, contact Rapids Wholesale to have one set up first. Email aeapurchasing@rapidswholesale.com  or call 800-472-7131.

Monday, November 7, 2022

School Specialty Has Much to Offer


You may know School Specialty for classroom supplies, art supplies, and furniture, but they offer SO MUCH MORE! 

In addition to what the vendor is known and loved for, they also offer:
All of these products/categories are available through the AEA Purchasing contract with School Specialty.  And don’t forget to check out their Ideas & Resources page with on-demand webinars, lesson plans, case studies, funding information and so much more!

Friday, November 4, 2022

Peace, Love and School Lunch

President John F Kennedy created National School Lunch Week in 1962. Last month, several AEA Purchasing food program members celebrated "Peace, Love & School Lunches", sharing their GROOVY students, staff, and school community vibe! 

National School Lunch Week was observed the week of October 10-14, 2022.

Pictured below are staff from Cedar Falls CSD,  OABCIG, and College Community.

Artwork from OABCIG elementary

Artwork from OABCIG elementary

Artwork from OABCIG elementary

Artwork from OABCIG elementary

Cedar Falls CSD Staff

College Community HS Staff


Thursday, November 3, 2022

November Vendor Promos!

Have you checked out the latest info and specials from our vendor partners?

What are you waiting for? 

Check out our November vendor promotions today! 

Content is added throughout the month.

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Visit us at the Fall ITEC Conference!

Are you going to the 2022 Fall ITEC Conference? We'll see you there.

Be sure to stop by our exhibit booth (#304) and visit with us! 

We are eager to answer your cooperative purchasing questions and discuss the many ways we can be your partner in procurement.