From the Director, Lynda Shanks
Welcome to the KCSEC 2009-2010 Winning Team! This summer has proven to be extremely busy at the KCSEC office. Often we hear TEAM and it is associated with the acronym for Together Everyone Achieves More. This could not be more true this summer at the KCSEC office. If it were not for every individual that works in our central office and their efforts, we would not be anywhere near ready for this school year to begin. In looking back, I do not know how we managed to tackle all of these monumental tasks with integrity and have them ready for implementation in the fall, but what certainly has become evident is best stated by Andrew Carnegie:
“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision; the ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”
Simply stated here are the FABUOLOUS FOUR projects for the summer. The first was securing funding through ARRA, better known as Stimulus Funds, to add new curriculum to our existing programs, begin new programs and extend programs in the area of Autism and assistive communication and increase our staff development opportunities. FY09 was a very challenging year for all of our districts and with this opportunity for ARRA funds for FY10 we are anxiously awaiting spending this money to increase student achievement and enhance staff development. We now, after a very long awaited arrival, have access to ARRA funding through a grant application process. This just became available on July 26th! Hopefully we will be seeing materials start to arrive in September.
Secondly, we are moving to a software system for our attendance and substitutes. The company that we have chosen is Aesop. Yorkville is currently also using this system and we have heard very positive reviews. You have your personalized log in information included in this letter. Please feel free to go into the site and browse. You will be hearing more about Aesop and reporting absences and requesting substitutes on Opening Day. No more leaving a voicemail to report an absence, conversing with Dawn in the evening or catching up with Jeanne in the wee hours of the morning. We have put in many hours of preparation to get the system up and running. Just as Easy IEP, there are no special considerations. You must use the system. We are going live with Aesop!
Thirdly, a much anticipated website enhancement is up and running. We now have a content manager that will allow us to layer the website for different audiences. We are now able to put information on display to a variety of staff as appropriate. There is still be an open public layer, but there is also a layer for staff. In the coming months we will create special layers for different groups as requested. This will continue to be a work in progress all year making this new flexibility work for our organization.
And finally, if you have not heard the news. . .Opportunity School is moving for the first time from their 33E Stonehill address to the former Traughber building on Franklin, now known as the District 308 Center. This move will allow us to more than double our space for students! We will increase classrooms and classroom size. This facility will have a gym on site and it will allow us to grow. The Opportunity School Staff has anxiously been awaiting the finalization of this commitment. Our new home will be official on August 7th.
So as you can see, our office has been very busy getting ready for the year and we are so excited to see all of these projects become reality. This year our Opening Day planning team has created a conference agenda for you. It is going to be great! In the day’s agenda you will hear more about the FABULOUS FOUR, there will be some old standbys, and there will also be a whole new opportunity of choices for breakout sessions that we have not had in the past. Be prepared to become an active member in our KCSEC Winning Team!
Enclosed in this packet you will find information that will assist you in your beginning of the year planning, website login information, and Aesop login information. Please see the website for additional information on dates, times and places of beginning of the year meetings. See you on Friday, August 21st at Yorkville Middle School!
“We all have ability. The difference is how we use it.” ~Stevie Wonder