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Dear Colleagues,
Last evening, I had the honor of joining our
3rd Annual Black History Month
celebration. Please join me in congratulating our African American seniors who were recognized last night for having earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher: Davion Cherwin, Nevaeh Hart, Taylor Heard, Aliyah Johnson, Jay-Q Jones, Candace Kieya, Jeffery Lomax, Jada Powell, Gabrielle Stephen, Darrell Thornton, and Adonis Ward Jr.
While we strive to recognize, celebrate, and uphold all races and cultures in our curriculum, in our classroom discussions, and in practices, I know we have much work to do.
One of the ways we seek to improve is by gathering feedback. This week I was so appreciative to have our U-46 Student Summit where the voices of more than 150 high school students were heard.
All feedback helps us improve. For teachers, parents, guardians, and students in grades 4th through 12th, please ensure you take the
Illinois 5Essentials Survey
. This provides our district and our schools with a lot of feedback regarding the effectiveness of our leaders, how well we collaborate, how we involve families, support our students, and provide ambitious instruction.
In March we will also be administering our second Student Equity and Inclusion survey to all 4th through 12th graders. Additional information on this survey will be sent to parents next week before the survey is sent to students. This survey provides district administration, our school leaders and school improvement teams feedback on our students’ sense of belonging; how often they learn about issues of race, ethnicity, and culture in school; and how inclusive is the school environment for all races and cultures.
On a separate topic, you might be aware that I was
working to encourage
the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to provide waivers to states so that testing this spring would not be required. To test our students in a time when 53 percent are learning remotely will only diminish our learning time and frustrate everyone… all for results that will not arrive for months. This week, the
USDE announced
that testing will be required; however, they are offering some flexibility.
While I am extremely disappointed that we will have to test, I will be encouraging our state leaders to seek as much flexibility as we can, including pushing our testing window into next fall. Hopefully by fall we will have eased restrictions on social distancing and can bring more students into schools on a more regular basis.
All my best,
Tony
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Assessment and Accountability/School & Community Relations
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5Essentials Survey
There are less than two weeks left before the Illinois 5Essentials Survey deadline in U-46! Parents, teachers, and 4th through 12th graders are urged to take this research-based, confidential survey that provides a unique opportunity to have a voice in improving our schools. School leaders were emailed a
5Essentials Communication Toolkit
with resources and tools to help communicate the survey to families. Even though 20 percent is the required threshold to generate a parent report, it is encouraged that schools promote higher parent participation. Let’s aim for 100 percent parent participation!
This mobile-friendly survey available in English and Spanish is located at
https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/
. A 5Essentials tutorial video is available in
English
and
Spanish
to guide parents with the completion of the survey. And to continue offering support for our parents, we are hosting a
5Essentials Zoom Night
starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 5. Staff will be available to review the survey, answer questions, and help parents complete the survey live. For more information, visit the District’s 5Essentials webpage at
u-46.org/5Essentials
.
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Assessment Updates
Please refer to respective checklists for guidance on CogAT and ACCESS testing.
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Teacher Supports
Support continues to be available in the categories listed below:
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Canvas
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Zoom
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Google Applications
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Kami
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Pear Deck
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Kahoot!
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Flipgrid
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EdPuzzle
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ELL/DL Instruction
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Elementary Integrated Curriculum Instruction
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Elementary Math Instruction
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Special Education Instruction
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CTE Instruction
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Early Childhood Instruction
Please
use this flyer
to schedule a time to meet one-on-one or in a small group - you will simply click on a photo to schedule a time to talk. In addition, this document can be found on the
C&I Department website
.
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Student Growth Information
The Student Learning Objective (SLO) process should continue in accordance with the
Student Growth Component of the Teacher Appraisal Plan.
Pre-Tenured teachers are responsible for the completion of 2 SLO Processes by the March 1 deadline. Tenured teachers are responsible for 2 SLO Processes per Summative appraisal cycle. The deadline for completion (for both SLO Processes) for a Tenured teacher is April 15 in the year of the Summative Conference.
Contact
StudentGrowth@u-46.org
or
AlishaWildermuth@u-46.org
for individual requests for support. You may also use
this link
to schedule your own appointment for support. Individual support could range from understanding the SLO Process to support in instructional design (ie. rubrics, assessments, data analysis, etc). Support is not limited to the SLO Process, but could include support around any piece of teaching and learning in the classroom.
Student Growth Professional Development
For an overview of the SLO Process, please
click here
to access a web-based, 13 minute, SLO Beginner PD session. This offering is also available in
Spanish.
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Specialized Student Services
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Call to Committee
School District U-46 is seeking certified EN Teachers who currently teach in a self-contained classroom, and special education administrators and Augmentative Communication Specialist who are interested in participating in a committee to determine the technology needs of the students in the Exceptional Needs I and ll classroom, and technology personnel who can participate in the committee and be willing to research technology to support students in the Exceptional Needs classroom. The committee will include all levels of teachers in exceptional needs program and special education administrators, along with representation from the technology department. The meeting dates for after school participation from 3:00 p.m to 4:30 p.m. are as follows: April 6, 2021 and April 13, 2021. Additional dates to be determined by the committee members. To read the entire Call to Committee,
click here.
Applications will be submitted electronically via
this form
. The deadline for submission of the application is March 12, 2021. Candidates will be notified of their acceptance by March 26, 2021. If applicants have further questions, they may contact Susan Nelson at
susannelson@u-46.org.
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Secondary Schools: World Languages
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Seal of Biliteracy test
This March, high school students at all five comprehensive U-46 high schools, plus the Dream Academy, have the opportunity to test for the
Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy
. The test has four domains in reading, speaking, listening, and writing and is free to U-46 students. To earn the Seal of Biliteracy, high school students must demonstrate proficiency in both the target language and English (usually assessed through the SAT or ACCESS test). The languages the District can test include Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish (spring testing only in SY’20-’21), Portuguese, Russian, Polish, Spanish, and Thai. Being bilingual could earn students two years of foreign language credit at an Illinois public university! Students must
sign up here
to take the test before March 1st. More information about the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy program in U-46 can be found
here
or by contacting World Languages coordinator
Jacob VandeMoortel
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Information Services/Teaching & Learning
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Securly Classroom and Home
 As a 1:1 device district we celebrate the increased access to technology for teaching and learning, and we also recognize that our students have more access to the internet which requires our guidance and support. As we work to maintain online safety and develop our students’ digital citizenship we are making several adjustments,
effective Monday, March 8:
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We will apply all content filters, already used when staff and students are in school, to Chromebooks 24/7. Staff or students who might now be able to access streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu via their U-46 device, will no longer be able to do so, effective March 8.
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Teachers will have access to an optional classroom management tool that will help them better support students online and direct them to appropriate academic content.
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Parents will have access to an optional free app that will also give them oversight of their children’s internet usage from their U-46 device during non-school hours.
Securly Classroom
During the school day, U-46 classroom teachers will have access to a service called “Securly Classroom,” that allows educators to view students’ screens to support instruction and direct students to the appropriate academic content. This tool also allows teachers to communicate with students regarding their internet access and, if necessary, limit access to specific websites.
Securly training has been provided to building technology coaches and it was offered as a choice session at the January Professional Practice Day/District Collaborative Day. Additional professional development will be available on our Professional Practice Day, Feb. 26. Recorded tutorials and resources are available in Canvas via the
Classroom Management full training session
and we will continue to offer professional development. Teachers will be able to access this optional product beginning Monday, March 8. Teachers are not mandated to use Securly Classroom but are strongly encouraged to participate in the Professional Development session if they plan to use this tool. We will be informing parents of both Securly Classroom and Securly Home in early March.
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Info Sessions
School District U-46 is inviting all families of incoming kindergarten students and English-dominant 1st graders to
Dual Language
informational virtual meetings during February through April. The informational sessions will cover details of the U-46 program itself, the application process, and research showing the benefits of bilingualism. The schedule can be found
here
. Please help us spread the word about these important meetings. Parents can virtually attend the session that works best for their schedule.
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U-46 Educational Foundation
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Superintendent's Scholarship
Since 2012, the Superintendent's Scholarship fund has awarded $240,000 to first-generation U-46 seniors like Ian Rabanal. Ian graduated from Bartlett High School in the Class of 2020, and he is currently attending school remotely at Elgin Community College. He told us he is "glued" to his computer starting at 8 every morning. Although he is enjoying remote learning, he is hoping to be on campus for the "full" college experience next fall.
Every year, your donations to this fund are immediately funneled into scholarships. Your annual support determines the number of scholarships we can award and the number of students impacted. Without your support, none of this is possible. To donate to the 2021 Superintendent's Scholarship, please click
here
.
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Community Advisory Council
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Candidate Forum
The Community Advisory Council (CAC) will host a virtual forum on March 4 at which members of the public can learn more about the candidates running for School District U-46’s Board of Education in the April 6 Consolidated Election. Elected members serve four-year terms and are not paid for their services. It is a non-partisan position. The U-46 BOE has seven members, along with a non-voting student advisor. In the election on April 6, voters in U-46 will choose up to three candidates on their ballots for the BOE. The top three vote-getters will be elected. A total of four candidates filed in December to run for a seat on the BOE. They are Dawn Martin of Bartlett; incumbent Veronica Noland of Elgin; incumbent Melissa Owens of Bartlett; and LeJewel Crigler of Elgin. The CAC’s School Board Candidate Forum will start at 7 p.m Thursday, March 4 and be held virtually via Zoom. Madhu Krishnamurthy, a senior staff writer and education writer for the Daily Herald, will moderate the forum. Those interested in attending can register at
http://bit.ly/CAC-Forum
. It is open to all, and Spanish language translation will be available.
Logo Contest
The Community Advisory Council, formerly the Citizens’ Advisory Council, is seeking entries for a new logo to align with its new name. The logo contest is open to the entire community and student entries are encouraged. Please submit entries to
face.u46@gmail.com
by March 31, 2021. A CAC committee will bring the top three finalists to its General Meeting for a vote in April.
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Book Club
“Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You” by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi is the subject of a “One Book, One Community” event being held at Streamwood High School. Staff at the high school are meeting to discuss it on Thursdays; some teachers have assigned it to their classes, and other teachers are using snippets of the book for discussion. Streamwood High School Principal Jennifer VanDeusen has free copies of the book available for U-46 staff, while supplies last. Those interested can fill out
this request form.
The book’s co-author Jason Reynolds will be speaking at a virtual event at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 18 about race, equity, and how young people can get involved to change the world. The discussion is open to all members of the community. You can join at
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81551263773
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The Feb. 23 Weekly Message from State Superintendent Carmen I. Ayala, Ph.D., is available online in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format
here
. All editions of the Weekly Message are archived on the Illinois State Board of Education's website
here
.
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Send Kudos directly by clicking
HERE
or using Let's Talk. They are
due by 5 p.m. each Tuesday.
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Kudos to our Amazing Planning Committee, Dina Jones and Ana Poljak, from Abigail Aragon, Home School Liaison at Tefft Middle School
Thank you for helping us have some positivity during these hard times. You guys give us a reason to smile, and go out of your way to plan things so that we can feel happy and comfortable here at Tefft Middle School. You are both great teachers and great co-workers. Thank you!
Kudos Diane Nakis, Benefit Specialist at Human Resources, from Kathryn Thompson, Teacher at Larkin High School
For always being so prompt, thorough, and detailed with her responses on very confusing topics like COVID days and maternity leave! She is always willing to explain it in different ways or run different scenarios. She takes the time to make sure it fits our scenario. She goes above and beyond with her timeliness and details! Thank you, Diane!
Kudos to Jennifer Dennis, Nurse at Tefft Middle School, from Abigail Aragon, Home School Liaison at Tefft Middle School
I wanted to send some specific kudos to someone that has been working tirelessly here at Tefft Middle School, nurse Jennifer Dennis. Thank you for doing what you do. It's true what they say ... Not all heroes wear capes! You work closely with all of us to ensure the safety of our kids and staff. Thank you for working so hard even during stressful situations, when another person would probably run far away, you stay. We love you! Your smile and determination to get things done are some of the things that inspire us about you. Thank you.
Kudos to Mrs. Xochitl Chavarria-Lujan, Counselor at Tefft Middle School, from Abigail Aragon, Home School Liaison at Tefft Middle School
We want to tell you that this school would not be the same without you. You do so much for our school and our families. There are 1,000 kids and ONE of you. Thank you for all you do. Thank you for always being the kind hearted person that you are and always having a big smile on your face. Thank you for being the Strong, Smart, Dedicated Trojan that you are. TEFFT STRONG!
Kudos to Liane Pizzo, Bus Driver at Transportation, from the Staff at Centennial Elementary School
Thank you for helping us out during pick-up last week. We appreciate your willingness to step in and walk students to the bus. You rock!
Kudos to Lauren McDonald, MTSS Leader at Tefft Middle School, from Abigail Aragon, Home School Liaison at Tefft Middle School
I would like to share how amazing our MTSS leader is. Lauren McDonald has been doing an amazing job and everyone in the main office wanted to send out their appreciation. Also, the new displays in our hallways have brought in a new and positive feel to our hallways, They are beautiful! Thank you, and thanks to Ximena Vences for also helping out so much with her creative and "cute cute" touch to those displays. The interventionist and the collaborators have all contributed to all the hard work that does not go unnoticed. Lauren McDonald keeps us smiling and has a great day-to-day positive attitude. Thank you for being you, Lauren.
Kudos to Mr. Gonnella, Assistant Principal at Tefft Middle School, from Christy Craig, Teacher at Tefft Middle School
Thank you for bringing your culinary expertise into our classroom last week. He taught students how to make a delicious alfredo sauce to take home and share. His willingness to be our celebrity chef for the day provided an opportunity to allow students (in person and virtual) to connect with him around a shared experience. Thanks for helping to build a positive environment for our students.
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