Superintendent Update: Aug. 5, 2022
from USD116 Superintendent Dr. Ivory-Tatum
WELCOME BACK TO A NEW SCHOOL YEAR!
To view past superintendent updates, please visit District Updates on our website.
Greetings, Urbana Family and Friends,
I hope you have all had a wonderful, restful summer thus far. We have worked hard this summer, planning for an exciting 2022-2023 school year. As we are making final preparations for the school year, one way you can help us is to ensure that you have registered for the new year. We have welcomed 50 new teachers and already registered over 250 new students and families, which is very exciting. However, if you are a returning family and have yet to register, please register as soon as possible! You should log on to Skyward Family Access to register your returning student(s). If you need assistance with your Family Access username and password, please call:
English: 217-384-3526
Spanish: 217-419-0029
French: 217-418-9053
You can also find more information through a step-by-step registration video you can watch here or through the Step-by-step registration guide. If you still need to complete a school physical or dental exam, please contact the Urbana School-Based Health Center, located adjacent to Urbana High School. To schedule an appointment, please call (217) 239-4220.
As always, safety remains a high priority for our District. We will continue to remain focused on student's academic and social-emotional recovery and everyone’s mental health. As outlined in the Return to Learn Plan presented at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, we also plan to return to school with as much normalcy as possible. We will continue to follow all guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and Champaign Urbana Public Health District (C-UPHD), in addition to our already established safety protocols.
Highlights from the Return to Learn Plan include:
Face masks are recommended, especially during higher transmission levels.
The district will test students and staff for COVID based on a specific symptom list.
For those who experience frequent symptoms due to allergies or other health conditions, we encourage you to bring in a doctor’s note to avoid unnecessary COVID testing.
Drive-thru COVID testing will be offered on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays (see the full update).
Anyone who tests positive for COVID will be excluded from school for 5 days.
We encourage the use of at-home tests; however, you should notify the school of any positive results. Click on this link to order home tests: Get free at-home COVID-19 tests.
Students quarantined for five days should contact their school or teacher to access their assignments asynchronously.
Per the Governor’s Executive Order, we still require staff to be fully vaccinated or get tested weekly.
We will continue to prioritize vaccination because it reduces the risk of hospitalization, serious illness, and death. We encourage families and staff to take advantage of the COVID vaccine just as you would for other illnesses. We expect that COVID will continue to be a part of our lives, and we believe the best way to protect yourself is to be vaccinated. We are hosting a Vaccination Clinic for ages 5 and over on Friday, August 12, from 1-3 p.m. (see the full update for more information).
Remember, we are Urbana Stronger Together which requires a commitment from the entire Urbana Family! Please commit yourselves and monitor your health and wellness for the benefit of our students, staff, and our entire school community.
I hope you are all able to enjoy the final weeks of summer safely. I look forward to our new year together and hope to see many of you out for our Back to School Nights and upcoming Open Houses.
#UrbanaBetterTogether2022 coming soon!
Respectfully,
Dr. Ivory-Tatum
Vaccine Clinic: Ages 5 & Up
Where: UHS | Small Gym
When: Friday, August 12
Time: 1-3 p.m.
Sign Up: Aug. 12 Vaccine Clinic
Back-2-School Nights
UHS Transition: Incoming 9th Graders
Incoming Urbana High School 9th Graders: Sign up for the Freshman Transition Program!
SIGN UP: https://forms.gle/jUKMMeK96KGe9Bk9A
Breakfast and lunch provided!
CU School Supply Giveaway
- Sunday, August 7
- 2-5 p.m.
- Napleton's Auto Park, Urbana
See flyer for additional details.
Champaign-Urbana Days
Farm to School Grant
Sola Gratia Farm and the farm to school program received a $100,000 grant from the USDA.
The new grant will support the creation of a Farm to School Coordinator position for the district, fund garden leaders at each school, and develop educational kits for agriculture education in the classroom, kitchen and school gardens.
When hired, the coordinator will help establish a solid, consistent curriculum, including farm visits and incorporating more local foods into the dining services at schools.
COVID Testing
Urbana School District #116 is offering the following COVID testing opportunities for students and staff during the 2022-23 school year:
- Binax testing will be available for symptomatic students and staff at school.
- Starting Aug. 8, drive-thru testing for students and staff will be available on:
- Mondays from 7-8 a.m. at Urbana Middle School in front of door #6 on Michigan St.
- Tuesdays/Thursdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at Yankee Ridge Elementary.
- The District will evaluate the need for additional testing for indoor sports, extracurricular activities, returns from breaks, or in the event of an outbreak.
School Physicals and Immunizations
Students entering the Early Childhood program, kindergarten, sixth, or ninth grades must complete a physical exam by the first day of school. Students entering 12th grade have a vaccine requirement. Students entering kindergarten, second, sixth and ninth grades also need a dental exam.
Physicals, dental services, and more are available at the Urbana School-Based Health Center, located adjacent to Urbana High School. To schedule an appointment, please call (217) 239-4220.
New This Year: Bus Tracking App
In continued partnership with our transportation provider First Student, USD116 is
launch the FirstView App this school year. FirstView is a bus tracking and parent communications app for your smartphone or desktop. Set up the app to track your student’s bus in real-time and receive alerts prior to arrival.
We successfully piloted the FirstView app at UMS and Thomas Paine last spring and are excited to expand it districtwide..
Once bus assignments have been finalized, you will receive information from your school on how to set up the app. We are excited about the timely access to bus information that the FirstView app will bring!
Thomas Paine Elementary: Construction Update
- The sidewalk on the south side of the street will be closed near the intersection of Florida Avenue and Lincolnwood Drive
- Due to supply chain issues, the fence at the new sensory garden will be installed in the early fall
- Contractors will continue working on the new North and East additions throughout the school year
- Any work required on the existing building will be completed during the Fall and Spring breaks
You can read the full Thomas Paine Construction update given to the Board of Education during the Aug. 2 meeting here: TP Construction Update | Aug, 2022
Congrats!
Urbana School District #116
Email: contactus@usd116.org
Website: usd116.org
Location: 1101 East University Avenue, Suite B, Urbana, IL, USA
Phone: 2173843600
Facebook: facebook.com/usd116
Twitter: @urbana116