Charleston School Community,
District staff continue to work hard this summer to prepare for the safe return of students and staff for the 2020-2021 school year. While we are proud of our collective work (within our control) and are looking forward to seeing everyone in our schools soon, we recognize that external circumstances (outside of our control) will likely impact the status of how we begin the school year. Publicly available, local COVID-19 data is monitored by district staff daily, and positive cases are increasing locally. Aside from any debates about the data, district officials want to remind parents of our youngest students to have a plan for securing child care in the event it is needed as we approach the August 17 in-person attendance date and for any time after that. Although today we intend to open for on-site, daily instruction, data and contact tracing indicators may dictate that any classroom, school or entire district could be closed for any given period of time. Having a child care contingency plan in place now can help to prevent added stressors on families in the event classrooms or schools are closed for on-site instruction later. Thank you and stay well.
Todd J. Vilardo, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
almost 4 years ago, CUSD1
Running out of ideas to keep your children engaged and entertained this summer? The Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce is planning to host a virtual art show for local children this year before kids return to school. For more information or to register your child for this event, please visit: https://www.chamberorganizer.com/Calendar/moreinfo_responsive.php?org_id=tcca&eventid=375263
We would like to acknowledge and congratulate Kim Traub today for 40 years of service here at Charleston CUSD1's Central Office! Her knowledge and experience are unmatched, and we cannot thank her enough for her continued work in this community over the last four decades.
**UPDATE** The offsite access to listen to the Charleston CUSD#1 School Board Meeting tonight has changed due to technical difficulties. The updated number is as follows: Join by phone +1-415-655-0001 US Toll Access code: 1261161725 (Press pound # after that)
Re-opening update letter from Superintendent Todd Vilardo: https://5il.co/hhke
about 4 years ago, CUSD1
As we await additional guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health about re-opening schools, we are gathering input from parents to help us plan for the upcoming year. Thank you for taking no more than 5 minutes to answer this brief survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3SH3DWZ
about 4 years ago, CUSD1
The Charleston Public Library is starting their Summer Read program on Monday. (June 22, 2020)
about 4 years ago, CUSD1
Do you need help this summer teaching your children math, reading, and science? Are you looking for ways to support your child's social skills and emotional growth? If so, WILL-TV is hosting a Facebook Live event called “Surviving Summer: A Conversation for Parents of Young Children" on Thursday June 18th at 6:00pm. You can get your questions answered by a panel of experts in early learning, special education, psychology, and home schooling. Parents are able to submit questions by leaving a comment on the Facebook Live event thread, or you can also text CHILD to 217-803-0730.
Link to event:
https://www.facebook.com/IPMeducation/posts/3279115765472602
Congratulations to Charleston CUSD #1 teacher DEBRA BELLEAU who was selected to receive an inaugural ROE #11 RECOGNITION OF EXCELLENCE AWARD. Mrs. Belleau taught at Jefferson Elementary School and served in our district for 25 years! Way to go, Mrs. Belleau!
We understand that Remote Learning was unexpected and offered unique challenges for district students, families and staff. As we close out this school year, we are reflecting on the past couple of months and feeling a multitude of emotions. All of us here at CUSD#1 are disappointed we were unable to end the year with the students we care about so deeply. We are appreciative that so many of our teachers went above and beyond to connect with and engage students during this time. Our community empathizes with our students, particularly the high school seniors, who were unable to participate in so many important milestones at the end of their K-12 education. District staff are grateful for all of the families who worked with children at home, despite the stress of work, finances, and pandemic fear.
In order to best reflect on this time and plan for the possibility of remote learning in the future, we are seeking your input. Please take a few moments to complete the attached survey. We are also sending a copy of the survey to all students in Grades 6-12, through their school email. We truly value your feedback.
Parent/Student survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QNSCBZB
Thank you for taking the time to reflect with us.