Hello everyone and welcome to December! As we are wrapping up another semester at
Arthur CUSD #305, I wanted to spend some time expressing my thanks and gratitude to all that
have made this semester possible. When you take the time to express your thanks and gratitude,
you run the risk of excluding some from that list and if I have done so, please understand that it
was not intentional.
When I was fortunate enough to be chosen to lead this district starting in July of 2019, we
were in a very different place as a school district, community, state and country. The
announcement of schools closing in March of 2020 changed the landscape of education forever.
We have been charged with keeping schools open while also performing duties that were
completely foreign to many of us. Health screenings, quarantines, contact tracing, social distancing, remote learning, Covid testing, and test-to-stay protocols are just the tip of the iceberg of those challenges. The pandemic and navigating the associated challenges has placed an incredible amount of stress on our staff and students resulting in increased mental health
concerns. Many of the changes and adjustments we have been forced to make have required our
families to be flexible and understanding. Personally and professionally life has been difficult to
manage for many but I am still grateful for the opportunities that I have been given and will
choose to focus on those positive outcomes.
I am incredibly proud of our district for what they continue to accomplish. I’m amazed at
the level of focus and commitment that is being made to develop plans that are focusing on the
future and the continued improvement of our district. The commitment is widespread from our
teachers, administrators, support staff, students, parents, board of education and community
members. I am extremely grateful for the hard work and dedication. Education and a
commitment to educating students takes dedication from us all and I’m proud to be a part of the
communities that make up our great school district as they are truly committed to taking care of
our kids.
Please accept my sincere thanks to the teachers, support staff, administrators, students,
board of education, parents and community members for your grace, understanding, commitment to excellence and passion for our schools. Undoubtedly we will continue to face both known and unknown challenges but I am confident that due to the commitment and passion I have witnessed over the past two and a half years, we will not just survive, but in fact thrive moving
forward. Thank you Knights, and I hope you have a restful, peaceful and joyful holiday season.
Mr. Cheek
Superintendent