Superintendent Update: Jan 22, 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 Friends and Family,
It has been an exciting week for the Urbana-Champaign community. Students returned to in-person learning at all levels from Urbana Early Childhood to Urbana High School. It was wonderful to see students back in their classrooms. It has taken significant planning and preparation but it was all worth it to see the smiling faces of students, staff, and parents, even if they were smiling behind their masks! We still have a long way to go to be able to safely welcome more students back for a longer instructional day, but this week was a great first step in that direction. With our cleaning routines, the addition of COVID testing, and our strict safety protocols in place, I am confident that we will get there.
We have more news to celebrate! Our Region has moved out of the state’s COVID-19 mitigation restrictions to the less restrictive Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan. Our county’s and Region’s positivity rates have been at or below 6% for several days in a row. While this is cause to celebrate, we must also remain diligent and continue our Stronger, Safer, and Smarter safety protocols. Now that we have returned in person, self-screening continues to be critical for staff and students. Families, please remember to screen your children and sign off on their self-certification cards before sending them to school. It is very important to remember that if anyone in your home is experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, then everyone must stay home!
I want to thank our teachers and support staff who continue to go above and beyond to meet the needs of our students in these ever-changing times. We appreciate your diligence and flexibility while continuing to learn new things in the best interests of your students. Thanks for all you do on a daily basis for Urbana students and families!
Stay safe and be well,
Dr. Ivory-Tatum,
Superintendent
LATEST NEWS
Winter Guard Winners
Last weekend, two of our Senior Winter Guard members competed virtually with their solo routines. Congratulations to Britany Alvarado for winning this event! The team is working hard, and we are hopeful that, now that we have been moved to Tier 1, the whole team can compete virtually on January 30. #ProudofU116
UHS Tutoring Available
MLK Jr. Scholarship Recipients
Over the weekend, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Advocacy for Justice Committee honored UHS’ Devangana Rana with this year’s President's Award for Outstanding Achievement Honoring Pastor Claude Shelby. And another student, UHS student Francky Maemble, was chosen as an alternate! Congratulations to Devangana and Francky! #ProudofU116
Return to In-Person Learning
Urbana School District #116
Email: contactus@usd116.org
Website: usd116.org
Location: 205 North Race Street, Urbana, IL, USA
Phone: 2173843600
Facebook: facebook.com/usd116
Twitter: @urbana116