Superintendent Update Apr. 30, 2021

from USD116 Superintendent Dr. Ivory-Tatum

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

Greetings USD116 Families and Friends,

We are looking forward to next week when we celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 3-7, with National Teacher Day on May 4. It is important to take time each year to acknowledge the efforts and the difference that our teachers make in the lives of our students, and this year is no exception. Our teachers have worked so hard to learn new techniques and approaches for remote learning. They have reinvented themselves and developed new skills to engage their students in ways they never have before. We will all need to be a little more creative in how we virtually show our appreciation. I am proud of our teachers' dedication and commitment to ensure our students reach their full potential during these challenging times.

Our schools are planning special treats and/or celebrations throughout the week. If you want to participate, I encourage you to reach out to your PTA/PTSA for more information. We will be launching a District social media campaign #ThankA116Teacher as a space to recognize a teacher or staff member who has made a difference in the life of a student or family member. Take a few minutes next week, May 3-7, to share a post at #ThankA116Teacher to honor your favorite teachers. Next week, visit the District’s Facebook https://www.facebook.com/USD116 and Twitter https://twitter.com/urbana116.

Our schools have been sharing information about their Extended Summer Learning Opportunities and sign-up details with families. If you want more information, the Summer Learning Opportunity one-page document is linked here for families to reference. Please contact your schools for more information or to register. We are continuing to work through our plans for the 21-22 academic school year for your ongoing reference. We have shared early operational scenarios for the 21-22 academic school year via the full slideshow presentation is linked here or this simplified version of the beginning of the year plans. We will be sharing more details about the support for students with underlying health conditions at a later May Board meeting.

Next week will be a week of celebration throughout the District. We enjoy the moments throughout the year when we can celebrate and recognize the efforts of our teachers, support staff, administrators, clerical staff, and district service staff whenever possible. Thanks for all you do!

Be safe and stay well,

Dr. Ivory-Tatum,

Superintendent

LATEST NEWS

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Young Authors Celebration!

On Wednesday, April 28, we spent the afternoon celebrating our amazing Young Authors. We recognized our 2020 and 2021 Young Author Winners during a large Zoom meeting. Students and guests were able to choose from four different breakout sessions hosted by our guest authors. Thank you to the 100+ students, family members, Young Author coordinators, and administrators who joined in the fun. Prior to the event, all winners were presented with a Young Author yard sign to display proudly in their yards or homes. Thank you, Mrs. Smith, for planning such an engaging virtual event. One of our guests told the students that they are “Overcomers” and are “Extraordinary,” which says it all!

UMS 8th grade Promotion

We are pleased to announce the date and time for UMS’s 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony. On Wednesday, May 26, 2021, we will host our 8th graders in person for their promotion. Three separate Team ceremonies are planned to allow us to safely physically distance in the UMS gym. All guests are expected to wear a mask and practice social distancing. Due to indoor capacity limits, unfortunately, this event is NOT open to the general public. Tickets will be issued and required for admittance into the gym. The event will be live-streamed on Urbana Public Television at youtube.com/watch?v=D1HKOfoU_iQ. The flyer linked HERE has more information. If you have questions, please contact a team teacher or call UMS at 384-3685.

COVID-19 Testing Changes

Beginning the week of May 3rd, we will be making some changes to the suite of testing available to students and staff in the district.

Drive-up rapid antigen testing for District staff will occur on Mondays 7:00 AM-1:00 PM, Wednesdays 7:00 AM -10:00 PM, and Fridays 7:00 AM -10:00 PM. Staff can sign-up for any of the days on the sign-up calendar.

SHIELD PCR testing for all UHS staff and students will be available on Monday and Thursday from 1:00-2:00 in the small gym.

Rapid Antigen testing will still be available at all schools for symptomatic staff and students. We will also have a portable test kit to take for on-site testing at schools when a nurse is not available.