Hi Offer,
Sorry for the slow response, we had a weekend full of activities. Here are my first thoughts on your questions...
1. That is slightly longer than we had intended to go. We were thinking more like mid-August to mid-June but honestly that's very flexible for us because we can always spend
more time with family in Europe.
2. We have looked a bit at what other houses in our neighborhood are renting for and have decided on $3000/month including all utilities (electricity, gas, water, internet,
garbage hauling, recycling). Honestly, this will not completely cover our expenses but we would rather charge less and know that our home will be well cared for by your family than renting to strangers and not knowing what to expect. We would put in on the
open market for more if we don't find another sabbatical family.
Also we believe our home is well set up for your family, including beds, toys, bikes, etc. We could even discuss use of our cars though we only have a 4 passenger car and
a 5 passenger car so you may be better off with a minivan. Not sure if any of you play but we also have a piano. Our home is also very close to campus and downtown Urbana. I ride my bike to campus unless the weather is really bad and then I take the bus (free
for university members).
3. I completely understand wanting to find the place where your kids will be best supported. There are some complicated things going on with both school districts . I will
try to give a brief summary of both.
Our kids go to Leal which currently has classes that are only in English and also a Dual Language program (that our children participate in) that is Spanish/English. There
is another school in the district that has the same model. The school district is talking about combining the 2 programs so that one of the schools is all English and the other is all Spanish. There are advantages and disadvantages to both setups but we won't
know until December at the earliest if they are moving forward with these changes and if so, which program would remain at Leal. If English is at the other school (Dr. Preston Williams) the kids in our neighborhood would be bussed there.
My wife asked the principal at Leal today what Urbana does with new students who know little to no English (have your kids started learning English at all yet in school?).
She said that at all the schools students are pulled out of the regular classroom to work with an ESL specialist and that the classroom teacher is also offered extra support in helping the students be successful. I imagine the time spent with the specialist
depends on need. She did mention that King has the most supports in place (but we agreed that, as you have heard, that doesn't mean that it's the best place for your family). If your kids qualify for more support like that, they could attend that school without
living in that school's neighborhood. Our principal has been with us for 4 years. She also explained today that she interviewed with both districts and had to decide what would be best for both her and her children. She felt Urbana does a better job of meeting
individual needs of students, but of course that's just her perspective.
Champaign is going through some major changes. Currently they operate on a school of choice organization. When a child enters Kindergarten, the family ranks their top 10
choices of elementary schools, the district gives them a score based on a number of criteria, and the student is placed at a school anywhere in the city (though proximity to the school has a lot of weight in the "score"). The program has been in place since
the 1990s and attempts to address problems of inequity, mixing up kids from different neighborhoods and socio-economic milieu. Unfortunately, this system has failed and the districts' reports on the academic achievement of black and brown students is not good,
very very not good. So the school board (the governing body of the school district) has decided to completely revamp the entire system. There are 2 options on the table but I believe, for the most part, the district maps will be redrawn in an attempt to better
mix up students and break up the "failing" schools. But essentially, no student in the entire city knows where they will be going to school next year. Though maybe all that was more information than you need because I'm sure that students in a program like
ESL will continue to be served regardless of what happens. My wife asked a bunch of friends in Champaign about what the district does with students who needs ESL supports and one of her friends knew that at Westview Elementary there is a class of 100% non-native
English speakers, though I don't know what grades are served in that classroom or if there's one for each grade, etc. I will continue to ask around and I'm sure an inquiry to the district could tell you more.
I will work with Harm-Anton Klok at the EPFL. I am a polymer chemist and I am interested in expending my knowledge in nanomedicine and polymers with bio-applications.
If it is easier for you and your wife, we could schedule a zoom call.
Cheers,
Damien
Hello Damien,
Thank you very much for writing. Your house looks very beautiful, and perfect for kids. I guess the first things we need to ask are the following:
1. When will the house be available? We plan to arrive at Urbana on July 1st 2023, and stay until 31.6.24.. We can move that slightly, but not much (visa limitations and such). Do these dates suit you?
2. What is the monthly rent you're asking for? and does that include utilities (electricity, water, internet..)?
3. We are in the midst of figuring out the best school for our children, especially since they will need some assistance with English. Do your kids attend Leal elementary?
We understood that Leal doesn't have an English second language program and in Urbana only Martin Luther King school has a program (however we heard that school wasn't as good). We are still talking
to people, and will also contact the school, but we are also considering the option of living in Champaign, so the kids will have a school with an ESL program (which are more common in Champaign).
Who in EPFL
will you be visiting? During my PhD I worked a little with Professor Francesco Stellacci from EPFL. He is very nice, and a a fantastic scientist.. I'm sure you will have a great time there!
Thank you, and have a great weekend,
Offer Zeiri
From: Guironnet, Damien S <guironne@illinois.edu>
Sent: Friday, October 7, 2022 11:20:15 PM
To: Offer Zeiri
Cc: Sue Guironnet
Subject: House for sabbatical at UIUC
Cathy Murphy told me that you and your family will be coming to Urbana for the 2023-2024 academic year. I will also be on sabbatical at the same time at the EPFL in Lausanne,
Switzerland. Our home will be available for rent and might be a good match for your family (508 W Main Street Urbana). We have 3 kids (5, 8, 10 years old) and bought our home 2 years ago from friends who had 5 young boys, so there's plenty of space. Our house
was built in 1893 which here makes it "historical." :) It's about 3,300 sq ft, has 3 full bathrooms, and 6 bedrooms (though one of those is set up as an office). There are 2 rooms with a queen size bed and bathroom attached, 2 bedrooms with bunkbeds, and
1 bedroom with a single bed. Outside there is a large wooden deck (patio) on the back of the house, a trampoline, a sandbox, a swingset, and a basketball net. Plenty for the kids! You could even have access to our bikes. We also have a foosball table, tons
of games and books, and there's a table tennis set that we store in the garage. We are within walking/biking distance from the best public elementary school in Urbana and the Middle School for your oldest. There's a nice park nearly across the street and several
others in the area...Urbana has wonderful parks for kids!
I'm attaching a picture of the exterior that I have on file and can get you interior pictures soon if you are interested. I'm happy to answer any questions about the house
or Urbana that you or your spouse might have.
Please let us know if this sounds like it might be a good match for you and we look forward to working that out.
DAMIEN GUIRONNET
Associate Professor
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Chemistry
| M/C 712
Urbana, IL 61801
217-265-0233 | guironne@illinois.edu
faculty.scs.illinois.edu/guironnet/
<image001.png>
Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act any written communication to or from university employees regarding university business is a public record and may be subject to public disclosure.