Aug. 22 - From the Superintendent
Hello, USD 231 Patrons and Employees.
It has been a fantastic start to the 2024-25 school year! I hope your children have expressed this same sentiment.
I'm writing today with two important updates.
Libraries and Instructional Materials
In light of recent public discussions surrounding the review of books in our school libraries, we want to address the concerns raised and clarify the Board of Education and district’s stance on the matter.
First and foremost, the Gardner Edgerton School District Board of Education is committed to providing a safe and appropriate learning environment for all students. We take seriously our responsibility to ensure that the content available in our libraries reflects diverse perspectives while maintaining age-appropriateness for students across all grade levels.
The process of reviewing books, as outlined by district policy, is transparent, thorough, and inclusive of professional input from educators and librarians. While we acknowledge that some of the material raised for review is sensitive, the district believes in conducting a measured and thoughtful review rather than responding to isolated concerns with haste.
The district has allocated significant time and resources to address these concerns without compromising the daily education of our students or the valuable time of our educators and we will continue to uphold our process with integrity, focusing on the needs of the entire student population.
In our school libraries, materials are chosen based on accuracy, artistic quality, format, and authoritativeness. They are also chosen based on various reading levels presenting different points of view, including current issues.
Books and other media materials are evaluated before purchase, either through direct examination or by using reputable, unbiased, professionally prepared selection tools.
Our media centers obtain, process, and circulate materials and equipment and provide references and other services to students and teachers. Our librarians work toward providing resources so that students have an opportunity to achieve high levels of performance.
Our media collection has been/will be developed systematically, be well balanced in coverage of subjects, and include various types of materials and diverse content in multiple formats. The collections reflect, enhance, and complement the broad interests represented in the curriculum.
Parents - if you have concerns about a particular book or resource, please visit with your building principal.
To learn more about our libraries, check out our Library Services page, found HERE.
We encourage open dialogue and collaboration on these matters but ask for patience for the established procedures. The Gardner Edgerton School District Board of Education and employees remain dedicated to fostering a balanced educational environment where both intellectual freedom and age-appropriateness are considered.
Bond Planning Process Update
On August 21, representatives from DLR led the Community Feedback team through the defining guiding principles, and facilitating sharing by the community and staff members. The meeting outcomes included defining ideal educational experiences and a long-term and short-term master plan.
As a reminder, we've developed a Bond planning WEBSITE for patrons to review where we've been and where we are headed.
Thank you for your continued support of our district as we navigate these important issues together.
Sincerely,
Brian
#WeAreUSD231 #Forwardas23ONE #VisionForward
We're Upping our Facebook Game!
To improve community engagement, Gardner Edgerton Unified School District USD 231 is upping its Facebook and Instagram games. We have partnered with #SocialSchool4EDU– a company that specializes in helping schools celebrate their students and connect with the community.
What
Gardner Edgerton Unified School District USD 231 is growing our Facebook and Instagram channels. Click on the icons and follow along!
Why
Celebrate our students.
Keep parents, students, alumni, and the community in the loop of what is happening in our district.
Promote the great things happening with athletics, activities, and other events.
Build an ongoing conversation about the positive impact our district is making in the lives of our students!
What do I need to do?
If you are on these social media sites – follow us!
Help promote the pages to your family and friends.
If you aren’t on these sites – that’s OK. The district will continue to provide communication through traditional channels.
For more regarding why it's important to only have one FB page district-wide, check out this ARTICLE.
Cell Phones
To enhance the learning environment and student safety, Gardner Edgerton USD 231 has rolled out a new cell phone policy for all schools within the district. The policy, aimed at minimizing distractions and fostering responsible digital citizenship, prohibits student use of personal cell phones, including all functions, such as cameras and applications, within the classroom environment and during instructional activities.
This move will minimize classroom distractions, promote focus and engagement in academic activities, enhance student safety, and foster responsible digital citizenship.
Impact on the Learning Environment
The district's policy underscores a commitment to creating a conducive learning environment, promoting student engagement, and ensuring safety. By regulating cell phone usage, USD 231 aims to cultivate a focused and interactive educational setting while teaching students the importance of responsible technology use.
The policy will be fully enforced in the upcoming school year, with the district hopeful that these measures will significantly improve academic achievement and overall student well-being.
To view the full policy/procedures, click HERE.
Curriculum Launch
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new curriculum landing page! This online platform is designed to give our community greater transparency into the educational materials used in our classrooms for all grade levels and subjects. The landing page will be a centralized hub for curriculum information and reference documents; the landing page is a valuable resource for understanding what your child is learning.
To start, we’ve focused on English Language Arts (ELA) and Math curriculum writing this summer, with additional subjects coming in the near future. While we are excited to share this resource, we want to emphasize this year will serve as a "soft launch" for our curriculum. This means the curriculum is still under development, as we welcome staff feedback to improve and ensure it meets the needs of all our students.
Crossing Guards Needed!
Join the team that is dedicated to Keeping Gardner Kids Safe as they bike and walk to and from school!
Work School Days Only–Training Provided. Gardner School Crossing Guards earn $15.50 per hour!
Work shifts before and after school. If both shifts are worked, earn $31 daily.
Call Area Supervisor Rhonda 913-731-0870 for more info
TEXT “KIDSSAFE” TO 22100 OR click HERE.
