Superintendent Update:Nov. 19, 2021

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

Thanksgiving is a holiday centered around being thankful for your loved ones and putting gratitude front and center. It is also a time for us to celebrate expressions of culture, faith, and family traditions.

During this season of giving thanks, we can all intentionally focus on giving back, appreciating good fortune, and creating special memories with your family—whether you’re getting together virtually, eating in mom’s backyard, or getting together with family for the first time in over a year in person. The future remains uncertain as we head into our second Thanksgiving of the pandemic, but this means there’s never been a more important time to practice gratitude and enjoy family and friends safely.

If indoors for holiday celebrations, the CDC recommends gathering in small groups that allow for physical distancing. Even if fully vaccinated, the CDC recommends wearing a well-fitted mask indoors and in indoor public places or crowded outdoor settings. These recommendations may help prevent the spreading of COVID-19 and maximize protection for guests and family members who are not fully vaccinated.

Following the holiday, be sure to self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate if you develop symptoms and get tested. Our testing program has been helping to minimize the spread of the virus among our school community. It is essential that we resume our regular testing protocols immediately following the holiday break. The District’s COVID testing locations will be closed next week but will re-open on Monday, November 29, when we return to school. Staff can test at the drive-thru on Monday when they return, and students can test at the Yankee Ridge drive-thru on Tuesday from 3:30-4:40 p.m.

On behalf of the District administration, the Board of Education, our students, staff, and community, we encourage everyone to find safe ways to celebrate and have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

Enjoy the holiday to its fullest,

Dr. Ivory-Tatum,

Superintendent

Mrs. Mitchell's family would like to extend the opportunity for her Urbana family and the community to share in her Celebration of Life:

There will be a public viewing:

Sunday, November 21st from 2 - 4 p.m.

Leek & Sons Funeral Home

1215 W. Bradley Ave. Champaign, IL

The public visitation will be:

Monday, November 22nd from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

The Vineyard Church

1500 N. Lincoln Ave. Urbana, IL

The Celebration of Life Service will immediately follow the visitation at Vineyard Church.

The family also requests that anyone attending any of the Celebration of Life events adhere to the following:

• Masks must be worn at all times indoors regardless of vaccination status
• Please no pictures at any of the services

Obituary

Hello, USD116 Families

Please see the guidance below for the first two E-Learning/Asynchronous Days that will be used on November 22 and 23.

• Pre-K to 7th grade were provided with activities in advance to complete at their own pace during this time.

• Students in grades 8-12 will access materials in Google Classroom (teachers provided paper copies of assignments or alternative assignments if they do not have access to the internet) This will also be available upon return to school on November 29.

• Students will be provided with up to 3 days after return to school to receive written feedback/attendance for work completed.

• Secondary students (grades 6-12) will have a minimum of 20 minutes of work provided for each course.

• Elementary students (grades 1-5) will have a minimum of 60 minutes per day with 10-minute breaks between activities.

• Kindergarten will have up to 45 minutes per day with 3-5 minute breaks between activities.

• Early Childhood will have up to 30 minutes per day with 3-5 minutes between activities.

• Remember online activities can take up to 4 times longer than in-person activities!

If you have any questions regarding the E-Learning days or assignments, please contact your child’s teacher or building administrator.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Norton, Ed.S.

Assistant Superintendent of Student Learning

Second Dose Vaccine Clinic

• Thursday and Friday - December 2nd and 3rd.
• 3:45-6 p.m.
• Location: TBD

This clinic is for students age 5-11 who received their first dose at our Nov. clinic. You will receive an email after the holiday to schedule your appointment.

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), is an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence that year. The week before Transgender Day of Remembrance, people and organizations around the country participate in Transgender Awareness Week to help raise the visibility of transgender people and address issues members of the community face. 2021 marks the most deadly year recorded with at least 45 transgender people killed, most of them Black or Latinx.

How can you be an ally? Create safe spaces, continue your own learning and build confidence for trans students, families and colleagues.

To learn more about this week: https://www.glaad.org/transweek

To learn more about a local memorial service/vigil for Trans Day of Remembrance: https://uucuc.org/.../trans-day-of-remembrance-vigil.../

To learn what the Department of Education says about supporting transgender youth: https://www2.ed.gov/.../ed-factsheet-transgender-202106.pdf

Have you cleaned out your closet lately? This is a great time of year to go through your closets and see if you have any coats or other cold weather wear to donate.

Cunningham Township Supervisor’s Office annually collects and distributes coats and warm winter gear to those in need. If you have a coat to donate, you can drop it off on Saturday. (See flyer below).

As we head into basketball season, USD #116 has decided to limit attendance to all JV/Varsity Boys Basketball home games due to the size of the UHS gym. The capacity limit has been set at 400. Admission is: $4/adult | $3/student

Turkey Giveaway - The News Gazette

The Urbana school district has appointed its first ever student ambassadors. Here are their top issues - Illinois Newsroom

Students selected for new ambassador program - WCIA

Families, we need your help reminding students to keep their masks on, over their nose and mouth, while at school. This helps keep our school community safe and helps keep us IN-PERSON! We appreciate your continued support!

As we prepare for winter weather and the possibility of E-Learning Days, we want to ensure every student has access to internet at home. If you or someone you know in the District needs internet access, please contact the District's Help Desk so we can help them get set up.

Help Desk Email: helpdesk@usd116.org | Phone: 217-384-3526

Urbana Families, what better way to get involved in your student’s school than coming to work for us! We have multiple positions available, including substitutes, teacher aides, hall monitors, lunchroom supervisors and custodial staff. Come earn extra income while your child’s in school. Depending on the position, you can work full-time or part-time and the schedule is flexible! Please share the attached flyer with anyone you think may be interested. We love getting referrals from our Urbana Families!

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