Dear Elementary Parents and Legal Guardians,

Welcome to the 2019–2020 school year! We are incredibly excited to welcome all of our elementary students and families! Once again we elicit your support, as we engage our students in educational opportunities, with the focus on each student’s strengths and unique abilities.

As we begin the 2019-2020 school year, we thank you for making Chandler Unified School District your choice and we invite you to become involved at your child’s school and in your child’s success. There are lots of outstanding things happening at our schools so please be sure to check-out your school’s website, keep an eye on your mail, or e-mail and watch for flyers and other materials that will be sent home with your student the first few weeks of school.

Our schools are also eager to welcome, and strongly encourage, your participation. Each of our thirty (30) elementary schools have active Parent Teacher Organizations and Site Councils which meet between four and six times per year. Our schools depend on active volunteers to provide programs to our children. An example is our nationally renowned Art Masterpiece Program – you do not need to be an artist to experience the joy of working with a group of students in this program. Everything you need to know to provide our students with this experience is available to you. We have over 1,000 volunteers across our district that bring the world of Art appreciation to our students. Important to note, high volunteerism is a characteristic of quality schools, but more importantly as parent engagement increases, student achievement also increases! We want you to be involved and there are lots of ways to be involved so please reach out to your child’s teacher or principal and let them know of your interest.

I would like to also communicate with you a few initiatives you will see in our elementary schools this year. We will continue to stress the importance and focus of quality school attendance and our students being punctual. As you know we cannot do this alone and need your support as we develop in our students quality habits that will benefit them in not only school, but career and life. We also take pride in developing a sense of family and community around our schools. Communication is vital to this outcome, we encourage this dialogue through the amazing outcomes of our children and also through the critical conversations that are focused on supporting our children. Please keep in mind that like you we do have the best interest of each of our students in mind and coming together to discuss successes or difficult challenges is something that makes us stronger in our ability to positively connect children to learning opportunities and ultimately successful lives.

We are implementing new Social Studies and Science standards and curriculums this year. Our teachers have gone through professional development and students in grades 1-6 will receive quarterly progress reporting on these two subjects. In addition, we will be bolstering our Character Development and Social Emotional aspects of learning across all grade levels as we develop critical thinkers and build and empower resiliency in our children when we encourage their active engagement in resolution and problem solving. I look forward to another great year serving our elementary schools and our families. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher or principal if you should have questions, comments or concerns. I would like to end this letter as I do yearly by sharing a wonderful quote, “Be the Change you want to see in the World!” Thank you for partnering in learning and thank you for choosing Chandler Unified School District Schools.

Yours in Education,

Franklin R. Narducci

Assistant Superintendent

Elementary Education