Featured News - August 2007
Prairie Elementary School Builds Community With Back-to-School Night
[featured 8/30/07 - 9/4/07]
Prairie Elementary School students, parents, faculty, and staff now know each other better thanks to Back-to-School Family Night. The event, held August 29 at Prairie Elementary School, gave parents the chance to meet teachers and staff, meet other parents, tour the school, learn classroom expectations, and learn how to get involved in the community.
Teacher Stacie Guido was happy the event was held the first day of school. Guido explained, “It’s important for parents to come to school and get an idea about their child’s classroom, have teachers meet the parents, and for parents to know classroom expectations. It’s important to establish a good relationship between parents and teachers.”
Parents Ryan and Amy Galey were impressed with Prairie Elementary School. “Our daughter is starting kindergarten and we wanted to take a look at the school,” Ryan said. “The staff is lovely,” Amy commented.
Several community service organizations and groups set up displays at Prairie Elementary to help parents and students get involved in the school and surrounding community. The public was able to receive information about scouting, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, volunteering, mentoring, and school district health services. The Urbana Free Library was also on hand to sign-up students and families for a library card, and the Urbana Police Department and Urbana Fire Department were available to talk to the public about safety issues.
Prairie Elementary School Principal Yavonnda Smith was very pleased with the parent and community turnout at the school saying, “It’s a great way to meet parents.”
All Urbana School District #116 Buildings Equipped with Life-Saving Devices
[featured 8/29/07 - 8/30/07]
The Urbana School District has installed Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in every District 116 school building in time for the start of school.
"It is important to have AEDs available near our gymnasiums in every building to help in the case of a medical emergency. It could help save a student, parent, staff or community member’s life," says Carol Baker, District 116 Business Manager. Baker adds, "Currently we are training all administrators, nurses, deans, coaches, and PE teachers." The Urbana School Board has adopted a policy on the use of AEDs (see School Board Policy 2.421).
AEDs are used to treat people who suffer cardiac arrest. An AED will deliver an electric shock to the victim’s heart and allow it to resume its normal rhythm. The shock is delivered through adhesive pads that are placed on the patient’s chest. There are special low-power electrode pads to be used on children.
Urbana School District #116 Nurse Sandra Martin says AEDs are one of the most important lifesaving tools available today. "Early defibrillation of the heart is an essential factor to increasing the chances of survival by a victim of sudden cardiac arrest. With an AED on-site we can bring it to the victim quickly before EMS arrives. The minutes saved for the victim may mean the difference between life and death or possible brain damage," Martin explains.
The Urbana School District has AEDs already installed at Urbana Middle School and Urbana High School, however both of those large buildings will be getting a second unit. The AEDs cost 15,000 dollars, but installation and training costs extra. The district is seeking grant money to cover the cost.
Urbana School District #116 Teachers and Staff Begin School Year in Rousing Fashion
[featured 8/28/07 - 8/29/07]
Employees and teachers of the Urbana School District officially began their school year Monday, August 27, with a district-wide Inservice Day, where they were challenged to have vision, passion, and purpose when teaching their students. The assembled group of educators were welcomed and issued challenges for the new school year from Urbana School District staff and from nationally renowned speaker and author John Alston.
Members of the Urbana High School choir, marching band, and string ensemble greeted the new and returning teachers who gathered at Urbana Middle School. Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing, District 116 Board of Education President Mark Netter, and Urbana Education Association President Tracy Luchik welcomed the educators to a new school year. Julia Johnson-Connor, Director of the University of Illinois Small Urban School Strategic Initiative, also greeted the teachers and briefed them on the professional development tools available to them through her program.
Superintendent Preston Williams addressed the faculty and staff on the topic of “The Power of Public Education.” He told the gathering that the public education system has saved many people in this country, and has provided the opportunity for a rich and diverse experience for students. Williams asked, “Where else in this country does economic, cultural, and racial diversity gather in one building?” However, Williams reminded the teachers that it is not enough to merely allow diverse people groups into a school setting. “Our students must learn—all of our students. That is what we must be about,” Williams explained. He closed his remarks by challenging the teachers to have vision, purpose, passion, and confidence to move their students and help make their dreams come true.
John Alston remarks were entitled “You Have Too Much Class!” He challenged each of the faculty and staff gathered to use their gifts, creativity, and leadership skills to inspire young people. Alston reminded them, “Teaching is the one profession that makes all other professions possible. Teachers make it happen.” Alston also exhorted the teachers to have vision, passion, and purpose each day and touch the lives of all they instruct.
After the opening program, the teachers broke into smaller groups and discussed the upcoming school year. The first day of school is August 29.
New Teachers Welcomed to Urbana School District #116
[featured 8/25/07 - 8/28/07]
There are over 60 new teachers in the Urbana School District this year, and District 116 hosted a special orientation session for them August 23-24, 2007, at Urbana Middle School.
Each building principal introduced their new teachers, followed by welcoming remarks by Superintendent Preston Williams. Williams told the new District 116 faculty they hold a very important place in the lives of the kids they teach. Williams reminded the teachers they have the power to make their students’ memories of school positive or negative. “You can’t afford to have a bad day. You have to be on every day because you touch the future when you step into the classroom,” Williams explained.
Williams told the new teachers that when he was a student, a teacher told him and his parents that he had the potential to go to college—something no one else had told him. He was able to talk to that teacher after he was named Superintendent of District 116. Williams finished his anecdote by telling the teachers, “You have the power to help a dream come true.”
Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Gayle Jeffries says she excited with this year’s class of new teachers in the Urbana School District.
“I think that we have a talented group of individuals who are ready to take on the challenges of today’s youth. Many of them are happy that they can meet other new teachers and are glad that they will have 'mentors' to work with throughout the course of the school year. I was impressed with their questions and their teaching experiences that they will bring to our district.”
Teachers spent much of the day Thursday learning District 116 procedures, including human resources, purchasing, and staff development. On Friday, the teachers met with mentors, received district technology training, and reviewed curriculum in their subject areas.
Nationally Renowned Speaker to Help Welcome Urbana School District #116 Teachers Back to School
[featured 8/23/07 - 8/25/07]
Urbana School District #116 teachers and staff are prepared to kick off the school year in style with workshops, presentations, and an inspirational message from author and speaker John Alston during the Opening Day Inservice to be held August 27, 2007, at Urbana Middle School, 1201 South Vine Street. The theme for the 2007 opening day event is “The Power of Public Education.”
The program begins at 8:00 a.m. with the Urbana High School band and chorus providing music in the Urbana Middle School gym. Superintendent Preston Williams will greet the teachers and staff and present an address entitled “The Power of Public Education: Opportunities and Support.”
Mr. Alston will then provide the keynote speech “You’ve Got Too Much Class.” Alston will speak from his personal experiences and will explore how Urbana School District #116 teachers can make a difference in a changing community.
Teachers will then spend the rest of the day in workshops preparing for the upcoming school year.
Urbana Student Health Center Offering Student Physicals
Completed Physicals Required by First Day of School
[featured 8/22/07 - 8/23/07]
The Urbana Student Health Center (USHC) will be giving school physicals for incoming early childhood, kindergarten, fifth, and ninth grade Urbana School District students. State law mandates students entering those mentioned grades have a physical as a prerequisite for school attendance. District 116 requires that the physicals must be complete and on file by the first day of school, August 29, 2007. If students in the mentioned grades have not completed a physical before August 29, they will not be allowed to attend school until they get a check-up. Sports physicals do NOT count toward a school physical.
Heidi Britton is Program Coordinator at the health center and she says parents need to make an appointment for all physicals. Britton also says, "Parents need to come in before their appointment to pick up paperwork. This paperwork should be filled out prior to appointment time. The parents also need to bring all immunization records for the child."
Britton is glad that the Urbana Student Health Center has these physicals available for students not only to help students stay healthy, but also for students to learn to take care of themselves. "Mandatory school physicals often serve as a gateway for students to begin a relationship with a health care provider. The USHC regularly conducts risk assessments and provide health education during physicals. Also, the USHC's providers can refer the students to on-site services such as Dental and Counseling services," Britton explains.
The health center will have two nurse practitioners and one doctor available to administer school physicals. If a parent has a medical card there is no charge for a student physical. If the parent does not have insurance for their child or has private insurance, it will cost 20-dollars at the time of the exam. The fee also covers all immunizations.
Parents new to the Urbana School District are given a 30-day grace period to have their child receive a physical exam. The grace period for the new families to District 116 allows school officials to get records from the previous school district that may contain a physical exam that is good for the current school year, or for parents who are not familiar with Illinois State Law.
- More info on school physicals
- Items which must be completed on physical forms (pdf)
- Physical form (pdf)
- Physical form - Espanol (pdf)
- To contact the Urbana Student Health Center call 239-4220.
Urbana High School Students Outperform State Average on ACT
[featured 8/20/07 - 8/22/07]
For the fifth straight year Urbana High School students have scored higher than the state average on the ACT. The average composite score at Urbana High School was 21.8, and the state average was 20.5. The report from ACT also indicates a higher percentage of Urbana High School students are ready for college-level coursework compared to the state average.
The ACT surveys student knowledge in English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science. Urbana High School students scored higher than the state average in all subjects.
Urbana High School Principal Dr. Laura Taylor says, "We are very pleased with the continuing success Urbana High School students are demonstrating on the ACT in addition to their progress in other academic areas. Our plan is to continue our efforts to support all areas of our students' development."
Registration Make-up Day Aug. 16
[featured 8/12/07 - 8/20/07]
If you missed the centralized registration, you can register your child at the make-up day registration.
Thurs., August 16, 2007
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Urbana Middle School, 1201 South Vine Street
ALL grades