Dear Elementary Parents and Legal Guardians,

Welcome Back! We are incredibly excited to begin the new school year at our Elementary Schools in Chandler Unified School District! This promises to be a year filled with golden opportunities for all of our students as we strive to find ways that we can be even better than we have before!

As we begin the 2018-2019 school year, we thank you for making Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) your choice and we invite you to become involved in your child’s school, as you deem appropriate. Our schools are excited to welcome you and your children to another tremendous school year. There are lots of outstanding things happening at our schools so be sure to check out our school websites, keep an eye on your mail, e-mail and watch for flyers and other materials that will be sent home with your student the first few days of school to let you know about many of these planned events.

Our schools are also eager to welcome your participation. Each of our 30 schools have active Parent Teacher Organizations, Site Councils which meet between four and six times per year and volunteer opportunities including our amazing Art Masterpiece Program. I thank you in advance for the assistance and volunteer efforts you provide our schools. Not only is high volunteerism a sign of a quality school, but there is a direct correlation between the level of parent involvement in your child’s education and the academic achievement of your child. 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 via email, phone or in person to let them know. They can give you the details on when meetings occur and how you can get involved.

As we open our schools for the 2018-2019 school year, I also want to draw your attention to the importance of quality school attendance and our students being punctual. As you know, all of our schools have focused on quality attendance and we cannot do this alone, we need your help in setting quality habits that will benefit your child in both school, career and life. Did you know that absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year? Data shows that half of the students who miss 2-5 days in the first month of school will go on to miss nearly a month of school during the course of the year. Furthermore, poor and chronic attendance can influence a child’s ability to read with fluency by the end of third grade and ultimately if we do nothing to change course of poor or chronic attendance, these impacts will be seen in academic performance and future success with college and career.

CUSD is fortunate to maintain and attract a highly qualified and high quality staff whose efforts on a daily basis have resulted in CUSD being labeled as an “A” Grade District for consecutive years by the Arizona Department of Education, and remains a leading district in the State and Nation. I encourage you to build a sense of community with your child’s school, to collaborate with school personnel as challenges present themselves as your ideas and opinions are valued. It is always easy to communicate the good things, but please remember when critical conversations need to take place, we do have the best interest of our child in mind. I encourage you to stay connected even through courageous conversations, and know that relationships and working through difficult challenges is something that makes us stronger in our ability to positively connect children to quality learning opportunities.

In closing, Chandler Unified School staff will continue to work to make our schools a place where your child feels a sense of belonging. A place where they feel valued and where they want to arrive every day to challenge themselves through the struggle that is created by rigor of learning. A growth mindset is developed when we guide our children to persist when faced with difficulties and problem solving. We develop critical thinkers when we foster risk taking 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 families! Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions, comments or concerns. I would like end 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 Schools.

 

Franklin R. Narducci

Assistant Superintendent

Elementary Education