CUSD Newsletter

“THE GREATNESS OF A COMMUNITY IS MOST ACCURATELY MEASURED BY THE COMPASSIONATE ACTIONS OF ITS MEMBERS.”

- Coretta Scott King

Good Afternoon, CUSD,

Two recent incidents serve to remind us that keeping our students safe is a constant and evolving effort. Safety is our highest priority and a duty that we take seriously. Earlier this week an individual connected with an alleged kidnapping attempt was parked near CHS during school hours. Last week, a second grade student at Village left the campus during the school day and was found safely. In both incidents, our partnership with the Coronado Police Department proved to be invaluable.

In instances where there is a safety breach or potential threat in our district, our staff does a thorough post incident evaluation. In the case of a student leaving campus, we have made important updates in our Emergency Response Plan regarding protocols and timelines for parent and law enforcement notification when a child is missing. We have also installed alarms on push egress gates, which are required to remain unlocked for campus evacuations.

The traditional school safety lens is focused on keeping threats from entering our campuses. CUSD has made important physical changes to our facilities including front office remodels, gates, doors, entry access and Raptor identification technology for individuals entering campus. The incident last week served as a critical reminder that another principal measure of safety is preventing students from leaving school without staff or parent knowledge or permission.

We recognize that the safety of children is a shared responsibility in our community. While we can and have increased physical security on our campuses, it is also important that we continue to build supportive communities which empower children to build personal capacity and awareness regarding their own safety, and to report if/when they feel to be or observe danger in their surroundings. In CUSD we utilize an anonymous reporting tool: WeTip. The ‘See Something, Say Something’ reporting mechanism has been shared with students and parents and live reporting buttons are on all of our web pages and newsletters, and QR codes are visible on posters throughout our schools.

We take our responsibility for student safety very seriously and realize that it is a collaborative effort between staff, parents, community, and law enforcement. Thank you for trusting us with your most precious children, and for your partnership in keeping all children safe.

Tonight is a big night in CUSD. If you haven’t decided what to do yet, there are two great family-friendly events happening: Harvest Hoedown hosted by Village Elementary PTO from 4-7pm, and DIG PINK hosted by CHS girls volleyball to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer, from 4:30-8:30pm in the gym. See flyers below for details.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Karl J. Mueller

Superintendent

As our educators, parents, and community come together to connect, challenge, and champion our students, we are humbled by the outpouring of compliments. What a positive testament to our CUSD family!

• Matt Smith: He made history class really enjoyable!
• Courtney Sakai: My son was having a difficult time, and she was able to connect with him and develop a wonderful program to engage him and get him excited about school.
• Senior Chief Hellwig: Tom always goes above and beyond for NJROTC with such a positive attitude. He shows up for early morning, evening and weekend events, always supporting our cadets! Thanks for all your hard work, Senior Chief.

Click here to recognize an employee or volunteer who goes above and beyond to make a difference. Those who are "caught" will receive a copy of the positive words that were shared about them and a "Caught Being Awesome" decal. Please take a minute or two to brighten someone else's day!

If your student has a CUSD issued Chromebook, you are encouraged to review and consider purchasing the OPTIONAL Mobile Device Protection Plan (MDPP) for the 2024-2025 school year. The annual plan is designed to cover accidental damage of CUSD Chromebooks including screen breakage. In addition, the plan will protect against spills, fire, flood, natural disasters, and theft/loss. Mobile hotspots, power cords, cables, and other accessories are not covered. Intentional damage, improper device storage, and misuse are not covered.

The cost of the plan is $30 per device per year. The plan must be purchased annually at the beginning of each school year or at the time of registration to be valid. To maintain coverage, a new plan must also be purchased if a student is provided with a replacement device due to damage/loss of their previous device. This money will be used to create a dedicated pool of funding to replace or repair covered technology. All money collected through the program will go into a special account that can only be used to replace or repair technology that is covered in the plan. We highly recommend this low-cost protection plan. To purchase a Mobile Device Protection Plan for your student, please use the instructions at the following link: Mobile Device Protection Plan Purchase Instructions.

If you do not purchase the Mobile Device Protection Plan for your student’s device, the following fees will apply should damage occur:

Damage Type and Replacement Cost Plus Tax

Chromebook - Full Replacement $400

Damaged Keyboard $80

Damaged Screen $80

Damaged Motherboard $160

Damaged LCD Bezel $40

Damaged Camera $40

Lost/Damaged Charger* $22

Lost Case* $19

*Accessories are not covered by the Mobile Device Protection Plan.