Feature Archive - March 2008
Urbana School District Helps Early Childhood and Head Start Parents Prepare for Kindergarten
Transition to Kindergarten in the Fall Begins Now
[featured 3/26/08 - 4/1/08]
Kindergarten lays the foundation for a child's school career. It is one of the most important grades as it not only teaches kids academics but also social skills. That's why the Urbana School District helps families of Kindergarten-aged children prepare for the very important transition into a school setting.
"There's a lot to learn, and we just want to make it as easy for them as we can," says Darcy Silver, Kindergarten Transition Coordinator for Leal Elementary School. School officials will make sure parents know about the registration process and will provide exercises for them to do with their children over this summer in preparation for the start of school in the fall. The exercises are designed to help children improve their academic, fine motor, developmental, and social skills.
Silver says one thing parents need to know is that their children are expected to have social skills when entering Kindergarten. "We have a social skills game that helps (parents) teach their child how to act at school, how to line up, and what to do with their hands as they're walking in the hallways. If they know these (social skills) it will help them have a smoother start in Kindergarten," Silver explains.
There will be two more Kindergarten transition meetings for parents of Washington Early Childhood School and Head Start students April 1 and April 8, at Washington Early Childhood School, 1102 North Broadway, Urbana. For more information about these meetings, please contact Darcy Silver at 384-3616.
Urbana School District Wins Large Grant to Help Teachers
$60,000 Grant to Help Mentor New Teachers
[featured 3/24/08 - 3/26/08]
The Urbana School District recently won a competitive $60,000 grant from the Illinois State Board of Education. The grant money will be used to underwrite District 116's New Teacher Mentor Program.
"This grant will be used to provide release time for mentors and first-year teachers in our district, professional development for mentors and protégés, and professional development for specifically for mentors. I am co-planning these workshops with high school lead mentor Julie Erlinger and middle school lead mentor Jacinda Crawmer," says Alexis Jones, New Teacher Mentor Coordinator. She continues, "While this grant is only from now until August 2008, we now have the chance to apply for continuing funding for next year. This would be wonderful - if we are approved next year, we will not only be able to serve a new group of teachers as soon as they arrive in Urbana, but we will be able to continue to support Urbana teachers in their second year of teaching."
Jones says it is very important for the Urbana School District to come alongside new teachers and help them get off to a successful start. "The first few years of teaching are difficult for anyone. This program is designed to help new teachers by providing them a mentor, resources, the opportunity to reflect on their practice, and quality professional development. As well, some statistics indicate that nearly half of all new teachers leave the classroom within the first five years of teaching. By supporting our new teachers through this quality mentoring and professional development, we can encourage these teachers to stay in the profession and more specifically to stay in Urbana!"
District 116 had to compete for this grant and Jones says winning these funds is a major coup for Urbana School District #116. She says, "It is very exciting to have money specifically designed to support new Urbana teachers, and I am very excited to be able to provide additional workshops, resources, and time for them to work with their mentors."
Urbana Middle School Teacher Using New Technology to Teach Math
Smart-Board Technology Used in the Classroom
[featured 3/18/08 - 3/24/08]
Move over chalkboard. Move over dry erase board. The next generation of classroom technology is on display at Urbana Middle School. Math teacher and UMS Math Department Co-Chair Jason Pound uses Smart-Board technology to teach his students.
Smart-Board technology is like a computerized blackboard. Education software is stored on a computer that is connected to a large projection screen. The screen acts like the computer monitor. The user can write, erase, minimize, and generally interact with what is being projected. Pound says the technology is somewhat like the concept of the new iPhone. Pound uses Notebook Software to craft math lessons to display on the Smart-Board. "It gives (students) a more visually appealing (display). I can change colors, I can maneuver around (and) the kids are more apt to pay attention. They really enjoy getting up and writing on it," Pound says.
Unlike the chalkboard, dry-erase board, or even overhead projector notes, Pound says students can come back to his lessons to review concepts. "After every single class I save the notes (written on the Smart-Board), I print them out and put them in a binder. Kids can come get those notes if they missed a day or didn't understand (the lesson). I've e-mailed notes home to parents over the weekend and to kids as well," Pound explains. He calls the technology "amazing."
Urbana Middle School received the Smart-Board thanks to a grant from Ameren. Since then Ameren has discontinued the program. However, Pound hopes the school receives more Smart-Boards for other classrooms. "We're always looking for ways to find money and grants to get some more in the building," Pound says. He continues, "Our main goal right now … is to try to get them into the math and science classrooms (at UMS). We want to get one into our multi-purpose room so teachers can rent that out … just like a computer lab."
Pound has taught with dry-erase boards, and he says this new technology causes an increase in student attentiveness and participation. "Whenever there's technology and computers involved, or even the calculators, they get more into (the lesson). On the days I have (the Smart-Board) off kids kind of show a disappointment," Pound says. "I think they're just excited to have it in the classroom."
Urbana School District Uses Own Equipment for Background Checks
In-House Fingerprinting Saves Time and Money
[featured 3/12/08 - 3/18/08]
The Urbana School District has streamlined its background check process by acquiring an electronic fingerprinting machine. All new hires and school volunteers submit to a background check, where they are fingerprinted and those prints are sent to the state crime lab and the FBI. A new volunteer or hire may not work with children until the background check is complete.
Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Gayle Jeffries says this streamlined background check has several advantages. "We can access the information directly from the state and from the FBI much quicker. We're able to get that person in (to the school) a lot sooner," Jeffries says.
Previously, the Urbana School District partnered with the Champaign School District in the background checks, but it created a long backlog of candidates waiting for clearance. Jeffries says the process is streamlined. "I'm talking weeks faster. We should be able to get the information within three to five days," Jeffries explains.
The in-house background check process will also save the school district money. Jeffries says even with acquiring the fingerprinting machine and hiring a part-time staffer to coordinate the background checks, District 116 will save between $20,000 and $30,000 annually if this procedure is done in-house. "It is much cheaper to do it ourselves," Jeffries comments.
New hires or new volunteers will have to make an appointment to come to the Urbana School District #116 Central Office at 205 North Race Street. The candidate will fill out background check information and submit electronic fingerprints.
District 116 fingerprints hundreds of new hires and new volunteers each year. Jeffries says, "I think that it will be an annual savings (in time and expense) for the district."
Photo: Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, Gayle Jeffries, tests the fingerprinting machine and technology at the District 116 Central Office.
Urbana School District Celebrates Illinois Arts Education Week
[featured 3/10/08 - 3/12/08]
Public schools across the state will celebrate fine arts education during Illinois Arts Education Week, beginning today (March 10). This is the 26th annual celebration in Illinois.
"We are very fortunate that our community understands the importance of the arts and the education of the arts to our children. The Urbana Elementary Fine Arts Programs are one of the few fine arts programs that have all four fine arts (art, dance, drama, music). Each student in Urbana K-5 receives instruction in all four areas," says Betty Allen, District 116 Elementary Fine Arts Coordinator.
The Illinois State Board of Education in 1997 adopted fine arts as one of the seven learning areas in the Illinois Learning Standards. The Urbana School District has high goals for each student’s fine arts experience. Students are expected to achieve artistic literacy through the study and understanding of the history, purpose, and diversity of cultures through dance, drama, music, and visual arts.
Allen says each building will participate in the salute to the fine arts. "Each school and fine arts teachers are celebrating in different ways. The Elementary Fine Arts Team is sending out a letter to all families informing them of Illinois Arts Education Week. The letter also has activity ideas in each area in hopes that parents and students can do them together at home especially during spring break," Allen explains.
District 116 Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Don Owen says, "As a district we are incredibly proud of our fine arts program - not just the elementary one which has really brought state and national recognition to fine arts instruction and curriculum - but at (grades) K through 12 we have an incredibly strong visual arts, music, dance, and drama program that allows students to explore a wide variety of talent they have."
To find out more about the Urbana School District #116 Fine Arts Curriculum, please see http://www.usd116.org/home/cia/corefa.html.
Urbana School Health Center Offers Students School Physicals for Spring Break
Exams Offered to District 116 Eighth-Graders
[featured 3/7/08 - 3/10/08]
Eighth-grade students and parents can take care of the mandatory physical for ninth grade this coming spring break. The Urbana School Health Center (USHC) is offering physicals for eighth-graders March 18, 2008, from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., by appointment only. Doctors at the Health Center will also review the student's immunization record. The Health Center's dentist will also be on hand to provide dental exams. This service on March 18 is for all Urbana School District #116 eighth-graders and costs $20 for all patients who do not have a medical card.
"We thought it would be a good idea (to hold) a one-day clinic to help eliminate some of the last minute rush right before school starts next fall. If parents wait until the last minute, it will be more difficult to get an appointment in a timely fashion. By offering (exams March 18), we can begin getting students in early for their physicals so that students can be ready for their first day of High School," says Heidi Britton, Director of the Urbana School Health Center. She adds, "All physicals given on that day will be good for both (the student's) ninth-grade school and sports physical as long as all paperwork is completed by the parent before their child's appointment time." Britton stresses that NOW is the time to complete the fall-sports physical—before practice begins in the fall.
Britton says the Student Health Center, located on the Urbana High School Campus, is a one-stop health source. "USHC consists of a seamless professional medical, dental and mental health team from local agencies. Medical professionals from Frances Nelson Health Center will be administrating the school physicals, dental professionals from the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District will be administering the dental exams, and mental health professionals from the Mental Health Center of Champaign County will be available by referral," Britton explains.
Parents can make an appointment for their child by calling the Student Health Center at 239-4220.
March is Music in Schools Month
Month Celebrates Music in District 116
[featured 3/5/08 - 3/7/08]
This month is the 23rd Annual "National Music in Our School Month" sponsored by the National Association of Music Education. The month is designed to educate the public about the importance of music education as a part of a student’s overall educational experience. District 116 music departments are working to raise awareness of music programs in Urbana schools all month long.
"I hope that we can focus on one of the many positive programs that are going on in the Urbana public schools and try to showcase the impact on the quality education that Urbana students receive," says Urbana High School Music Coordinator Darren Hicks. He continues, "Music enhances the human spirit. It establishes positive skills that carry over into life not only in academic ways--improving reading skills, reasoning skills and creativity -- but also in social and people skills. I am constantly looking for ways to promote the varied music programs and get more students involved. Music is a lifelong activity that can be enjoyed forever."
Hicks says the music programs will be busy in the coming month. "(March) is the month that most solo & ensemble contests as well as organization contests take place either at the high school level (IHSA) or the middle school and elementary level (IGSMA)," he explains. Hicks adds, "We will have students and groups participating in all of the (aforementioned) events as well as several public concert performances. The high school Wind Symphony will also be taking a trip to Disney World over Spring Break to perform at EPCOT and participate in a workshop."
The public can celebrate music in District 116 schools this month by helping provide instruments for all students. "As a constant effort to allow all students to participate in music programs, the EBU (Evelyn Burnett Underwood) Instrumental Music Assistance Program exists to provide instruments to students with financial needs. The school accepts donations to help support this vital program," Hicks says. If you are interested in donating to help others participate in music programs, please contact Urbana Middle School at 384-3687.
March 2008 Urbana School District #116 Monthly Online Newsletter
[featured 3/3/08 - 3/5/08]
Stay up-to-date with current events in District 116 with the "Urbana School District Monthly" online electronic newsletter.
The March 2008 issue features a message from Superintendent Dr. Preston Williams, a "Golden Apple Award" nomination for a Thomas Paine teacher, the District calendar, Leal Service Club article and other events.