Bulldog Bulletin: April 2022

Hello Bulldog Families,

Welcome to the April 2022 edition of Bulldog Bulletin!

CURRICULUM UPDATES:

Our Board of Education recently voted NOT to adopt the new National Sex Education Standards for instruction in our Health classes.  We’ve gotten lots of questions about this, and our Health curriculum will not be changing in this particular area of instruction.  

Sexuality Education has always been optional for students taking Health class.  Prior to this unit of instruction beginning, if you have a student in Health class at MSJH or MSHS, you will receive notice from the teacher about this instruction.   If you wish to “opt out” your child, you are welcome to do so by communicating with the teacher.  Alternative assignments will be developed.  

After the April 19th, 2022 Board of Education meeting, several new textbooks being recommended for adoption will be on display at the Mahomet Public Library.  Parents are welcome to come and review these books during the regular hours of the Mahomet Public Library, as well as leave comments. An email reminder about this will also be sent out after the April 19th Board of Education meeting.  

If you have any questions about the books, please contact Dr. Nicole Rummel, Assistant Superintendent, at 217-586-2161 or email her at:  nrummel@ms.k12.il.us

This is a great opportunity to share that in the fall we expect to be completed with an ongoing project to have all grade 6-12  class syllabus information and class reading list information online and available for parents/guardians who wish to have convenient access to that information.   This spring, we are posting syllabi for the classes where these are currently available.   This can be found on our “Curriculum” webpage. 

Our Curriculum webpage continues to be updated, and can be found here:  

https://www.ms.k12.il.us/documents

Click on “Curriculum Information” 

As always if you have any questions regarding classroom content, instruction, assignments, books, etc., your first step as a parent should always be to consult with the appropriate classroom teacher.

REFERENDUM UPDATES:

After a year long community engagement initiative called Bulldog Blueprint, on March 21, 2022, the Mahomet Seymour Board of Education voted to place this question on the ballot in the June 28, 2022 Primary Election: 

Shall the Board of Education of Mahomet-Seymour Community Unit School District Number 3, Champaign and Piatt Counties, Illinois, build and equip a school building to replace the MahometSeymour Junior High School Building on a different site owned by said School District, build and equip a transportation facility to replace the existing transportation facility, build and equip additions to and alter, repair and equip existing school buildings, improve sites and issue bonds of said School District to the amount of $97,900,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?

This request is being made of our voters due to growing enrollment (which is forecasted to continue to grow) and aging facilities.  In short, we need to add capacity (space) to all of our buildings, and the age and condition of Mahomet-Seymour Junior High warrants its replacement. 

Over the course of the next few months, the school district will be providing informational materials and meetings for our taxpayers to learn more about this bond issue.   This will include several “Town Hall” meetings with a presentation and opportunity to ask questions.  Dates of those meetings will be forthcoming. 

A short summary of the needs that this will cover: 

  • A new 6th-8th grade building, to be built on the property south of Middletown Prairie Elementary (MPE) School
  • Additions and improvements to MPE, Lincoln Trail and Mahomet-Seymour High School, which would include a Fine Arts addition. 
  • Relocating our Transportation Department to the property south of MPE

We are placing information on our website about the referendum.  It can be found here:  

https://www.ms.k12.il.us/

Click on “REFERENDUM 2022”.   There is a link to “Bulldog Blueprint”, which has a wealth of information about our buildings, the process used to get the district to this place, as well as a link to the Champaign County Clerk’s office.  This link to the County Clerk’s office provides information about voting, early voting and registering to vote.   Please note that in Illinois, 17 year olds can vote in a primary election if they will be 18 years old on the date of the general election, which is November 8, 2022. 

WE NEED:

  • Crossing Guard–for Division and State Street, a.m. and p.m.  Please contact Megan Hunter, principal at Lincoln Trail, if you are interested, 217-586-2811 or mhunter@mscusd.org
  • Bus Drivers and Bus Monitors–Please contact Dr. Jeremy Roark, Director of Transportation Department, 217-586-4443 or jroark@mscusd.org

IMPORTANT DATES:

  • April 14, 2022:  2 hour early dismissal for all buildings.  Buses run regular routes, Kids Club is in session.
  • April 15, 2022:  No School
  • April 18, 2022:  No School
  • May 7, 2022:  MSHS Prom (back in full swing!)
  • May 11, 2022:  2 hour early dismissal for all buildings.  Buses run regular routes, Kids Club is in session.
  • May 20, 2022:  MSHS Graduation at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (also back to “normal”!!)
  • May 26, 2022:  Last day of attendance for students

Thank you for reading and have a Happy April!

Dr. Lindsey A. Hall

Superintendent of Schools