Welcome to the 2023-24 School Year
Chris Van Schaack, LVJUSD Superintendent of Schools
Focus on Language
As mentioned in the video, our staff has prioritized a refocused and districtwide commitment to addressing profanity and hate speech on our campuses. We have an expectation of respect, civility, and safety at our schools, and the use of profanity and hate speech diminishes the positive culture we want for our students and staff.
As parents and guardians, we ask for your partnership in this refocus by reminding your students that profanity and hate speech, even if intended to be said in jest, does not represent what we value and is not acceptable at school and at school functions. Our hope is that this unified commitment will result in the change we desire, and that proactive reminders and warnings to students will be all that are needed if inappropriate language is heard. However, repeated and egregious language violations will have disciplinary consequences.
If you or your child have concerns about language on your campus, we encourage you to bring them to the attention of your child’s teacher or school administrators. Most issues can be addressed and resolved by those you interact most closely with on a regular basis.
We appreciate your support!
Home Learning 20/20 for Elementary Grades
Home Learning 20/20 is an elementary homework practice that our District is implementing this school year. We ask elementary students and families to focus 20 minutes on reading and 20 minutes on math per night, Monday through Thursday, in replacement of more traditional homework. Research indicates that traditional homework has a limited impact on student achievement in elementary grades (Hattie, 2023; Good and Brophy, 2003; Cooper et al, 2006).
The 20/20 reading and math homework is intended to be meaningful and help to develop valuable study habits by creating consistency and predictability. Home Learning 20/20 is intended to be beneficial for students and families and help create a healthier balance between academic work and time for play and family. Our students will benefit from a predictable and manageable homework routine, and with this districtwide approach across all elementary grade levels within a school, it will provide families with consistent homework expectations for their students.
Additional Enrichment
In the event that you would like to have your student engage in additional educational enrichment, our District has created a webpage that provides a variety of educational websites and programs by grade level, TK-5. A link to these resources can be found on your school’s website under the “Students & Families” tab.