Superintendent Update

from USD116 Superintendent Dr. Ivory-Tatum

October 11, 2024 Superintendent Update

To view past superintendent updates, please visit District Updates on our website.

Greetings, Urbana Family and Friends,

National Anti-Bullying Month is observed in the United States every October to raise awareness about bullying prevention and promote a culture of kindness, inclusion, and respect in schools, workplaces, and communities. The campaign aims to educate people on the impact of bullying—whether physical, verbal, social, or cyberbullying—and encourages individuals and organizations to take a stand against it. The 2024 Anti-Bullying theme is CHOOSE RESPECT!

We are committed as a district to standing together and showing kindness and support to one another. We are modeling for our students our commitment to creating safe, welcoming, and positive learning environments for all. As parents and guardians, your dedication to this cause makes our school community truly special.

National Bullying Prevention Month is an excellent time to make sure our students have the tools they need if they find themselves in a bullying situation. All schools have been reviewing their school-wide expectations since school started! At this point in the year, all students should know what it means to be respectful. They should know what it looks like and how it feels to be respected. The Center on Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports tells us that students should know if someone is not being respectful and if their behavior is inappropriate.

We also want to ensure that students know how to get help from an adult if they experience bullying, harassment, or intimidation. We reinforce those steps at our schools. However, if you have concerns as a parent or caregiver and are unsure what steps to take if your child is bullied, please review the USD116 Bullying Prevention & Response Policy.

Our Attendance Matters initiatives are showing success! We are seeing improvements in our daily average attendance and chronic absenteeism percentages. We will continue to focus our efforts all year. Remember, absences add up!

Fall Break is next week, and the District is closed. However, upon our return, please make sure you know what day and time your Student-Led Family Conference is. Conferences are being held Thursday, October 24 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. and Friday, October 25 from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m.

As our school community enjoys Fall Break plans, please keep the communities devastated by Hurricane Milton and those still recovering from Helene in your thoughts. Many of our USD family members or you may have personal connections to these communities through loved ones or friends experiencing loss.

Be safe, and we look forward to seeing your students after Fall Break on Monday, October 21.

Dr. Ivory-Tatum

UPCOMING EVENTS

October Dates

October 14-18: Fall Break - No School
October 24: No School - Family Conferences (Students not in attendance)
October 25: No School -Family Conferences (Students not in attendance)
October 29: Board of Education Meeting @ 6 p.m.

Top Highlights

KNOW

Fall Break is October 14-18. All USD116 Buildings are closed this week. Enjoy your break!

DO

Take your school's Panorama Family Survey! The survey takes just a few minutes.

SHARE

Share this fun video of Walk and Roll to School Day. Several #USD116 students participated and were greeted by Urbana City Officials, U of I Athletes, volunteers, and more on Wednesday morning.

Walk and Roll to School Day events are held around the globe with the goal of creating safer routes for walking and bicycling. #UrbanaBetterTogether

6th Grade Center

Construction on the 6th Grade Center is on schedule. Here is a list of recent work that has been completed or is close to completion:

The underground detention basins and on site storm sewer piping are complete within district property.
Foundations for the building addition should be complete soon.
Structural Steel and roofing are scheduled for early December.
General demolition is nearly complete in the existing building.
New interior masonry walls and framing for the new interior metal stud walls are complete.

Follow along here: https://usd116.org/6th-grade-center/

UHS Academic Monogram

Urbana High School celebrated it's students at the Academic Monogram Program on Wednesday night. Students in grades 10-12 are honored based on their previous year's academic achievement.

Students must have earned a 4.0 GPA for both semesters the previous year, with no F's. Students are awarded a monogram for the first year and a shield or academic pin for years two or three.

College and Career Readiness

A panel of speakers on stage while students sit in the auditorium seats listening.

UHS Guest Speakers

As part of Urbana High School's Latine Heritage Month events, several local, young Latinos spoke to Dual Language students about their experiences in college and technical schools. Our students heard about a variety of experiences and pathways these former students took on their career paths.

Two students talking to a man sitting at a table about his career.

UHS Career Days

The UHS College and Career Center and the Urbana High School PTSA are hosting a series of Career Days at the high school during lunch hours. Students are learning about different careers and what type of school or training it takes to work in these fields.

Careers represented so far include lawyer, pilot, physical therapist, law enforcement, meteorologist, culinary, acting, dancing, theater, radiology, CT and MRI imaging, ultrasound, and information technology careers.

Latine Heritage Month

Urbana High School held a Latine Heritage Month assembly this week organized by Club Latino.

Great Apple Crunch

5 students taking a bite out of an apple

Urbana Students celebrated National Farm to School Month with the Great Apple Crunch. Farm to School packed up 3,00 apples from Curtis Orchard and distributed them to all of our schools.

At Urbana High School, the apples were used in apple french toast bake and apple pie yogurt smoothies and offered on the lunch line.

This is USD's fourth year participating in this event. The Great Apple Crunch is an annual celebration of fresh, local apples on the second Thursday of October, during National Farm to School Month.

Urbana School Based Health Center

The Urbana School Based Health Care Center is now offering Psychiatry services with Psych NP, Meghan Leech. Meghan is at the School-Based Clinic Tuesdays and Wednesdays and provides diagnostic services (depression, anxiety, ADHD, etc.) and medication management services.

The Urbana Health Clinic also has counseling services for ages 5+, five days a week. Call 217-403-5433 to schedule.