Superintendent Update Aug. 20, 2021

To view past superintendent updates, please click here. To view weekly updates online, please visit our District Updates archive on our website.

Welcome Back! This week we welcomed back the entire Urbana 116 Family for the first time since March 2020. That is cause for celebration! As I reflect on this week’s activities and compare them to where we were this time last year, we have come a long way.

On Monday, we were able to welcome back staff with a modified, scaled-back Opening Day where staff were honored, words of encouragement were given, and we motivated one another to believe in the “Power of U.” Many of our schools hosted “Welcome Back-to-School'' and “Meet the Teacher'' events where families and students were re-introduced to their schools and classrooms. The excitement and energy were contagious.

As we celebrate the fact that we were able to reopen our schools this week safely, we should also remember how far we have come from full remote learning. We recognize there will be challenges, but we will continue to make changes, modifications, and adjustments at all levels to ensure the safest learning environment possible for our students and staff. Maintaining in-person learning and keeping our students in school is a top priority for me as both a USD parent and Superintendent. Following our layered preventative mitigations are more critical than ever before, but we can do this together.

In an effort to provide additional resources for our high school students as they return to in-person learning, the District is implementing a 1:1 take-home Chromebook distribution. All Urbana High School and 8th-grade students were assigned a Chromebook to use in class, take home for homework, and communicate with teachers and staff. The students will have this device for the duration of their time at Urbana Schools. We encourage the students to “make them their own” in non-destructive ways with removable stickers or other personalizations. The students are very excited to learn that they would be assigned a Chromebook for their personal use. District staff is eager to take this critical step toward bridging the digital divide and having a more flexible and equitable environment in our schools.

Even though our back-to-school event did not happen, we want our students who were looking forward to receiving school supplies to still receive their bags. The District purchased orange drawstring bags and filled them with school supply kits for the start of school. Following the postponement of our District event, the school supply bags were delivered to the schools. Starting next week, if you still want or need school supplies, please reach out to your school’s main office to request your back-to-school supplies kit.

COVID testing in schools is starting next week. We encourage all families to fill out the consent forms and take advantage of these opportunities. The consent forms are in the full update and they are also on our website.

Again, welcome back! Over the course of this next school year, we look forward to continuing our mission to provide our students with everything they need to become capable, confident, and successful. Whether a student is attending school for the first time or this is their last year of high school, you’ll find caring and dedicated educators and staff who are committed and skilled in knowing their students and maximizing their potential. We look forward to a banner year and are certainly off to a great start!

Be safe and stay well,

Dr. Ivory-Tatum,

Superintendent

Two Urbana residents applied and met the criteria to fill the Urbana District #116 Board of Educations vacancy resulting from the resignation of Sub-District 7 Board Member John Dimit.

The two applicants are Dr. Brian Ogolsky and Mr. Deane Michael Rose.

Ogolsky is an Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies and the Director of Graduate Programs at the University of Illinois. He has three children in the District and currently serves on the USD #116 District Equity Task Force.

Rose has worked in the fabrication and production of decorative metal work projects for three decades. He owns a blacksmith shop and mini foundry just outside of Urbana city limits. Rose has previously served on the Workforce Development Board and was Chair of the Operations Committee for the Champaign Urbana Community Fab Lab.

A virtual public forum moderated by the League of Women Voters will be held on August 24 at 6 p.m. The public can submit questions to contactus@usd116.org until August 22 at 8 p.m.

The public forum can be viewed at the following link: View Public Forum HERE

Interviews will be conducted during a special meeting of the Board of Education on Tuesday, August 31, 2021 at 6 p.m.

The selected candidate will be seated at the September 7 Board of Education meeting. This appointment will run until April 2023.

Twelve Urbana High School graduates from the Class of 2021 earned the prestigious Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy. They are:

• Kenia Bravo – Spanish
• Kira Buford-Rucker – Spanish
• Diego Carrillo – Spanish
• Kathryn Choate – German
• Foziea Garada – Arabic
• Banan Garada – Arabic
• Dimitrios Glaros – German
• Theodore Johnson – French
• Lucah Kloster – Spanish
• Michael Mendoza-Perez – Spanish
• Caroline Thies – German
• Francky Maemble Ntomb – French

The State Seal of Biliteracy program recognizes high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in English and in one or more foreign or world languages. The seal is designated on the student’s diploma and transcript.

Additionally, five Urbana High School graduates from the Class of 2021 earned a Commendation toward Biliteracy. They are:

• Foziea Garada – French
• Banan Garada – French
• Framiel Kashila – French
• Armand Lubadi – French
• Oceanne Mnyampara – French

The commendation toward Biliteracy is awarded to students who demonstrate progress toward biliteracy, but do not fully meet the requirements of the Seal of Biliteracy.

Read more: https://usd116.org/state-seal-of-biliteracy/

Email: contactus@usd116.org
Website: usd116.org
Location: 1101 East University Avenue, Suite B, Urbana, IL, USA
Phone: 2173843600
Facebook: facebook.com/usd116
Twitter: @urbana116