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Letter Text:

February 16th, 2023

Dear KUSD Families & Community Members,

KUSD Mission Statement:

KUSD welcomes all students on a learning pathway to informed and engaged citizenship.

This letter outlines the KUSD Strategic Plan priority of ‘Staff and Student Wellbeing’. This priority addresses the physical, emotional, and intellectual needs of students.

Physically Safe Campuses

When parents or guardians enroll students in KUSD, they often ask about school safety. Whether it’s working in a school, attending a school, or sending a loved one to school each morning, knowing staff and students have access to a safe learning environment is everyone’s number one priority. As part of our plan, District and site teams recently conducted a safety walk around in schools. Teams reviewed procedures and other practices designed to keep the campus safe.

To keep campuses physically safe, KUSD will:

• Require visitors enter through a main office.
• Train office staff to ask for ID or court documents before releasing students or information.
• Assign security guards to points of entry and require guards monitor overall school safety.
• Make timely repairs and keep doors, locks, heating, cooling and warning systems working.
• Comply with all Americans with Disabilities (ADA) laws.

Families Will:

• Update changes or additions to emergency contacts as soon as possible.
• Show an ID when entering the school office and checking out students.
• Follow school procedures at all times.
• Speak calmly and avoid yelling or cursing in any school setting.

Emotionally Safe Campuses

When students feel safe and supported at school and home, learning increases. In order to provide a place for safe and supported learning, KUSD will:

• Post and follow school-wide procedures.
• Provide learning pathways and resources to help students successfully meet Arizona academic standards.
• Remove interruptions to the learning environment.
• Celebrate the success of staff and students.
• Give students and families access to support services such as counseling, success team mentoring, immunization and health clinics, and mental health providers.

Families Will:   

• Read and follow provided calendars, letters, and schedules.
• Participate as often as possible and join in staff and student celebrations.
• Encourage students to participate in class and to avoid interrupting the learning process.
• Build positive communication between home and school.

Intellectually Safe Campuses

Each learner has unique intellectual needs. District teams must identify those needs and provide all students pathways to success.  To keep campuses intellectually safe, KUSD will:

• Identify and evaluate children who may qualify for special education services. Provide programs that match each student’s needs.
• Identify gifted and accelerated students. Provide program pathways that match each student’s needs.
• Use grades and achievement data to track growth and plan next steps based on the results.
• Communicate with families about successes and challenges.

Families Will:

• Let the school and teacher know the goals they have for their children.
• Attend parent conferences or schedule an appointment to review progress.
• Have positive conversations about their child’s future story and why school matters.
• Read with their children regularly.

As always, our entire team is dedicated to serving this community’s educational needs. Working together, we will prepare our students to successfully enter the world beyond graduation where they can use their education to make informed life choices. Join us!

Enjoy a safe and restful weekend,

Dr. Gretchen Dorner

Superintendent

Download Letter PDF

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 Visit our Parent Involvement Page

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Letter Text:

January 12th, 2023

Dear KUSD Families & Community Members,

In coming weeks KUSD will publish a series of informational letters and graphics on our website andthrough social media to raise awareness regarding our district mission and strategic plan. This first letter is intended to provide a summary of our plan. Future letters will address each priority in more detail.

KUSD Mission Statement:

KUSD welcomes all students on a learning pathway to informed and engaged citizenship.

All students are welcome to enroll in KUSD where they will find a learning pathway that meets each student’s unique needs and is sequentially planned to take them from preschool through graduation. Students and families will be informed about goals, academic progress and available resources along the way. Staff, students, and families are expected to engage as productive citizens in the school community by following schoolwide procedures, communicating regularly and working together toward a successful future.

KUSD Strategic Plan Priorities:

Staff & Student Wellbeing

KUSD commits to a district-wide focus on providing services to address the physical, emotional, and intellectual needs of staff and students. We will,

• Monitor measures of school safety to ensure all staff and students have access to safe learning environments.
• Implement research-based approaches designed to address the emotional and relationship needs of all staff and students.
• Implement district-wide systems to identify unique intellectual needs that may affect wellbeing.

Communication & Collaboration

KUSD provides opportunities to engage in meaningful, two-way communication about what is important to stakeholders by building responsible partnerships with families and the community. We strive to,

• Collaborate with key stakeholders to host special events and activities that increase awareness.
• Execute consistent and meaningful two-way communication with parents & guardians regarding student needs, goals and progress.
• Recognize and celebrate students, families, teachers, schools and community members committed to pursuing excellence for all students.
• Coordinate systems of aligned messages designed to promote procedural, resource, situational, and impact information.

Equitable and Accessible Learning Space

KUSD builds district and school systems that lead to engaging and relevant learning opportunities for all staff and students. We strive to,

• Recruit and retain staff to ensure all students have access to high quality instructional environments.
• Provide guaranteed curriculum and common formative assessments at all grade levels in CORE subject areas.
• Engage all students as invested and active participants in the school and community by developing the whole child through research based instructional models and intervention programs.

Effective & Transparent Transitions

KUSD plans for milestone transitions where all stakeholders know the pathways and measures of success from pre-k through high school graduation and beyond. We strive to,

• Implement early warning and support systems at all grade-level milestones for students at risk of failing or dropping out.
• Expand and strengthen relevant, well-defined and varied CCR pathways.
• Develop transition plans to support ALL students at each transition level.
• Collaborate with college, military and career leaders to create a pipeline of prepared students.

Our entire team is dedicated to serving this community’s educational needs. Working together, we will prepare our students to successfully enter the world beyond graduation where they can use their education to make informed life choices. Join us!

• Attend academic, arts, and athletic events.
• Volunteer in the schools.
• Seek to understand by reaching out to the district office or school when you have questions.
• Speak in a kind and supportive manner in your home.
• Avoid using social media as a megaphone for negativity.
• Donate tax credit dollars to schools, clubs, athletics, arts or activities.

Enjoy a safe and restful weekend,

Dr. Gretchen Dorner

Superintendent