We are all excited for what looks to be a very busy school year. Thanks to the community support you all gave passing the referendum last spring we are underway with the beginning steps of adding an addition and some upgrades to Unity Elementary school. The project consists of additional classrooms, special education and Title rooms, a nurses office, expanded office space, expanded kitchen and a physical education/practice gym. Bids were recently sent out to secure a contractor for the project and we should know within a few weeks who will be completing the project. Our goal is to keep everyone informed on progress using the "Building Unity" Facebook page. Stay tuned for updates!
At our high school we have just completed the installation of new bleachers for the gymnasium. This was completed using Health Life Safety funds designated specifically for safety related projects. 

The new bleachers are not only sharp looking, but are also ADA compliant and are much more safe than the old shaky bleachers we had. As one of our high school students said..."These look great and I do not have to do a balancing act walking up them." 
Again, we are here to provide the best possible education and experience we can for our students. We will continue to work as an administrative team and staff in reaching this goal. #MustangPride   #ColtPride   #BuildingUnity
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The summer is upon us wet weather and all. I am sure the hot weather will hit soon.

We have been busy at CUSD 4 moving forward with our Building Unity project. The final drawings for the two-story elementary addition are being completed during the month of June. The design was decided based upon the input of the staff, admin, the community, and Board as well as input from the architects. All felt this design would best meet the needs of the students. Also this month, site work involving testing of the soil, inspection of the building and exterior, and considerations for relocating some of the landscaping is being done. Next month the project will be put out to bid and then reviewed in August. We had hoped for more work to be completed this summer, but we wanted to be sure we maximize the funds the community has provided for this project and this takes time reviewing options given by the architects.

Additionally this summer we are replacing the high school gym bleachers which have been a concern for some time. This is being done with Health Life Safety funds and not from the building funds for the elementary. We anticipate this to be done mid August prior to school starting.

The Building Unity web page utilized during the bond referendum process is still up and running and will be an excellent site to refer to over the coming months to see the progress on our project. I want to once again thank the Building Unity team. Without their time and efforts we would not have had such a successful passage of the bond referendum. I also want to thank our community for supporting the continued growth of our school district. This can only enhance the already wonderful community we have.

It has been quite the winter for us here at CUSD 4 schools. We have had more school cancellations this past couple of months than I have experienced in many years. That is weather in Illinois...and it may not be over. We will always base our decisions on the safety of students and staff. 

This is a reminder we have had the 5Essential Survey open and available for the last two months for parents, students & staff. If you have not had the opportunity to complete the survey please take a few minutes and do so. The survey will be available until Feb. 15th, 2019. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school.
 
On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. These five indicators that affect and predict school success are:
 

• Effective Leaders
• Collaborative Teachers
• Involved Families
• Supportive Environments
• Ambitious Instruction

 
Prior research in more than 400 schools has shown that schools that were strong on at least three of these “5Essential” indicators were 10 times more likely to improve student learning gains in math and reading than those that were weak on three or more Essentials.
 
All teachers and 4th through 12th grade students will be responding to this survey. 5Essentials Reports will be generated for schools if their teachers and/or students meet the response rate threshold of 50 percent. These reports will be sent to schools and districts in March 2019 and will also be included in the State School Report Card.
 
Additionally, your district has chosen to provide the optional Parent Supplement survey. If at least 20 percent of CUSD 4 parents complete this survey, a parent supplement report will also be generated. The parent data will not be reported on the State Report Card.
 
Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child. 

To take the survey please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the appropriate survey to begin.

This is one measure we use at CUSD 4 for our school improvement. Thank you for taking the time to respond to this survey.