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Logan Elementary spotlights parent‑mentor program, sensory room and morning "SoftStart"
Summary
School District 4610 highlighted Logan Elementary’s parent mentor pipeline, new student support room and a 20‑minute classroom soft‑start practice designed to regulate morning emotions and boost engagement; staff credited community funding and university training partnerships.
District staff presented Logan Elementary’s student‑support initiatives to the Board of Education on May 12, highlighting a parent mentor program, a new student support room (Room 9), therapy dogs and a morning soft‑start routine in third grade.
The program matters, administrators said, because it brings adults into classrooms to support teachers, helps recruit future educators and provides low‑cost, high‑impact supports for students who need regulated, predictable beginnings to the day.
Joel (presenter) described the parent mentor program as a six‑year effort that onboards volunteer parents, grandparents and relatives, pairs them with teachers and provides Western Illinois University training for mentors. He said the program has produced a small pipeline of school employees: “I think we're up to about five parent‑mentor alumni that have moved on and received other positions in the district,” he said.
Administrators described Room 9, a sensory and student‑support space outfitted with flexible seating, sensory items and calming materials. The room, financed with a mix of Title I funds, donations from the public‑schools foundation and DonorsChoose grants, is used for brief check‑ins, de‑escalation and small‑group supports for students with sensory needs, staff said.
Third‑grade teacher Mike Scott described SoftStart, a 20‑minute morning routine that runs roughly 7:55–8:15 a.m. in his Room 21. He said the practice allows students to enter class non‑threateningly, build social connections and transition into academics: “It provides a fuel for focus,” Scott told the board.
Staff also noted operational supports: the district recently hired an elementary building supervisor (the role was discussed by presenters as a position that supports escalations, attendance checks and daily transitions), and that staff have ridden MetroLink buses with students to help supervise routes and improve drop‑off behavior.
Therapy dogs were featured in the presentation. Officials said two dogs — Autumn and Huddl — are used as calming supports; staff recounted multiple instances where student interaction with a therapy dog helped de‑escalate behavior and return students to class.
Board members and audience members were invited to view Room 9 and the interactive playground after a brief recess; staff said the playground wall is an installed touchscreen that supports movement and learning activities and was created with assistance from district maintenance and local funding.
No formal board action was requested; the presentation was informational. Administrators asked for continued community support and noted some of the room’s equipment and program expansions were funded by federal Title I, local foundation gifts and DonorsChoose grants.
