Welcome to Unit 9 !

ATTENTION PARENTS OF STUDENTS IN GRADES 3-8

The 2010 Illinois Standards Achievement Tests (ISAT) will begin on Monday, March 1^st and the testing window will end on Thursday, March 11^th. During this two week period, our students will take tests in reading, math, science and writing. We ask that your children get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast each morning. We also ask you to encourage your children to do their best, instilling your confidence in them. Students who are ill should remain at home, as ample test make up dates are available.

In response to the Swine Flu threat, Unit 9 schools will take the following precautions:

A. On a nightly basis, all desks, countertops, lunch tables, water fountains, telephones and all other high risk areas will be disinfected with a bleach solution as prescribed by the public health department.

B. Anti-bacterial soap will be available to students and staff in restrooms and classrooms. Students will be encouraged to utilize regular hand washing.

C. All reported cases of flu like symptoms and temperatures over 100 degrees will be reported to the Ford-Iroquois Health Department.

D. Unit 9 will be in regular contact with the Illinois State Board of Education and the Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department and follow their instructions and directives.

The Illinois State Board of Education recommends that you have your students immunized against both seasonal and H1N1 influenza. Read their stance here or click here for the Spanish version.

Unit # 9 Offers New Service to Alert Parents

of Closings and Other School-Related Emergencies

Now Unit # 9 parents can be alerted to school closings and other school-related emergencies via text message and e-mail through School Alert – a new service made possible by the I-KAN Regional Office of Education’s Emergency Response and Crisis Management Project.

Examples of emergency uses for School Alert include severe weather warnings and weather-related school closings, emergency and crisis situations and reunification procedures for parents and students.  Only emergency warnings are sent as text messages.

School Alert is part of Sheriff Alert – the Kankakee County Sheriff Department’s Mass Notification System.  Funding from a federal Emergency Response and Crisis Management grant made it possible for the I-KAN Regional Office of Education to purchase licenses for Unit #9 participants in the School Alert Program.

Registering for School Alert is easy and free.  From the website at www.sheriffalert.com users register their e-mail address and cell phones and choose which types of messages and safety alerts they want to receive.  They also have the ability to update and change their preferences at the same website.

There is no cost to use either School Alert or Sheriff Alert – except for the per text message fee that may be charged by individual cell phone providers.  There is no charge to receive e-mails.

Superintendent Steve Bianchetta stated, “School Alert is a means for parents to be notified of crisis and emergency situations in a quick and convenient manner.  We are grateful to the I-KAN ROE and Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department for providing this service and we hope as many parents as possible participate.”

For more information, Click on the button below to sign up.

Unit 9 Budget

The 2010 Iroquois County CUSD #9 Budget is available for inspection at the Unit #9 Unit Office, 1411 W. Lafayette St., Watseka, IL. Office hours are from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM daily (telephone number 815-432-4931). A summary of the budget is also available by clicking here.

Unit 9 Report Cards

The Unit #9 2009 School Report Cards are available by clicking the link above entitled "School Report Cards".

Mentoring

Iroquois County CUSD #9 is looking for adults to mentor some of our students. Mentors are needed in grades 3, 6, 7, 8 and at the high school level. This is an excellent way to help out your school, community and to make a positive impact on a young person’s life. We ask you to call the Unit #9 Office at 432-4931 or Amy Portwood (6-12 guidance counselor) at 815-432-2486 or 432-2115  for more information.  We think you will enjoy the experience!

Notice to all Unit 9 parents

New state legislation requires schools to notify parents of the availability of sex offender information including offender registration information and the searchable database. Please be advised that sex offender information can be obtained at www.isp.state.il.us/sor  . This database is updated daily and allows searching by name, city, county, zip code, compliance status or any combination thereof.