Managing Editor: Deb S. Christiansen Garza

Dear OPS Community:

 

As the 2018-2019 school year concludes, I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a relaxing summer break and thank you for a successful school year.

 

Together, we’ve achieved a number of accomplishments in which we should collectively take pride. Throughout the summer, our board of education will begin developing our school district’s new strategic plan. This plan will guide the direction and future of our school district. Our current, proposed preliminary goals for the plan include: meeting post-secondary expectations, growing our own highly-qualified and effective staff, recruiting and retaining top talent and demonstrating financial sustainability for our school district to include designing goals that are tied to our desired student outcomes.

 

The future of our school district is bright, and that radiance comes from the dedication of our school leaders, teachers and district staff and our community. Thank you for your commitment to nurturing our promise for our 53,000 young people, and for your continued support of the Omaha Public Schools.

 

Have a fantastic summer!

 

Cordially yours,

 

Cheryl J. Logan,  Ed.D.

Superintendent

Omaha Public Schools

[email protected]

"Sup for the Soul" Podcast - May 2019

Please take a few minutes to watch the latest "Sup for the Soul " podcast , filmed at the University of Nebraska Omaha's Baxter Arena prior to Benson High Magnet School's graduation ceremony. This month, we highlight this year's accomplishments for each of the seven high schools and preview early results of the OPS Summer Reading challenge. In addition, we discuss what's to come as we develop our new strategic plan and reflect on my first year as your superintendent.

Superintendent's Top Seniors Breakfast

Dr. Cheryl Logan hosted a Top Seniors Breakfast at the University of Nebraska Omaha Thompson Alumni Center on May 17. Our outstanding students were chosen based on their leadership, academic performance, role modeling for other students and community service. High school principals, members of the Board of Education, district leadership and parents were also invited to attend. Thank you to the Omaha Public Schools Foundation for their support.

Students recognized included: Dean Hohn – Benson; Ni Htaw Gaw – Benson; Niaysha Mitchell - Blackburn; David Tenorio-Fernandez – Bryan; Salma Mohamud – Bryan; Elizabeth Richardson – Burke

Caroline Hites – Burke; Orestes Cooper III – Central; Alison Doody – Central; Al'Brion Lang - Integrated Learning Program; Christina Martinez - Multiple Pathways; JeLani Ladd – North; DaNya Horne – North; Cung Thawng – Northwest; Valkyrie Gilkison – Northwest; Jonathan Rodriguez-Rosas – South and Tania Neri-Rodriguez – South.

Sherwood Summer Reading Program

To help students meet their summer reading goals, a number of school libraries will be open throughout the month of June. Students and their families can also join the Omaha Public Library's Summer Reading Program to improve their reading skills and clock time.

Kindergartners Ask Questions, Give Advice to Departing Seniors

They're OPS kindergartners now but these future  # OPSGraduates   want to know what high school is like! Check out one of the cutest videos of kindergartners interviewing OPS high school seniors!  #OPSProud  

Omaha Public Schools'

Strategic Planning Process

It’s been five years since the Omaha Public Schools updated its strategic plan. With a new Superintendent and several new board members onboarded, the district will move forward with research and designing the stakeholder meeting process for the new strategic plan.

 

At the April 15 Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Logan presented an overview of the process, and shared the planning goals and projected timeline.

 

“If we are going to be able to deliver the promise we made to our 53,000 students and families, we have to pay attention to our strategic plan very carefully,” Logan said.

 

The board drives the strategic planning process. The district’s strategic planning partners will provide the board with a brief presentation in June. Those partners are: Rebecca Ryan, futurist; David Trautenberg, financial expert; and Kecia Ray, K-20 expert.

 

Four goals have been identified as part of plan development:

“If we look at our model for success, the most important thing for this particular planning process is that we have to spend a lot more time on our financial accountability and sustainability,” Logan said. “We have to look at how we are spending our money. We have to look at it programmatically and determine our expenses. Evaluating those is really difficult work because everyone loves their programs and wants to see them succeed.”

 

Logan also shared the preliminary goals for the plan. The goals will likely be adjusted and finalized as the district completes the strategic planning process, she said. The proposed goals are:

The tentative timeline and focus areas for the strategic planning process is as follows:

 

Research and Budget Review:

  March - April 2019

Stakeholder Engagement:

April - May 2019

June - September 2019

Development and Data Connections:

September - October 2019

 

Strategic Plan Solidification:

  October - December 2019

Strategic Plan Launch: January 2020 (tentative)

“Although we have a five-year plan, we have a yearly opportunity for accountability,” said Logan. “We will create some key performance indicators that are simple enough to address the big rock items and measure success since we know that our board members have a lot to manage. As we participate in the planning process, we have to remember that we should also allow room for change and make sure our goals align with our organizational values as we move forward.”

The district received a grant from a philanthropic donor to cover the cost of the strategic planning process. To view the slideshow from the Board of Education meeting, visit: http://district.ops.org/BOARDOFEDUCATION/CurrentMeetings.aspx

OPS Announces New Supervisor of Counseling Services

The Omaha Public Schools is pleased to announce it has selected Kathryn Hecht-Weber as the next school counseling supervisor. Her appointment becomes effective Aug. 1, 2019.

 

Hecht-Weber has worked for the district for 18 years. She is currently serving the district office as the school counseling secondary lead. Prior to serving as the secondary lead, she was the school counseling director at South High Magnet School and a school counselor at Burke High School and Beveridge Magnet Middle School. She began her career as an art teacher at King Science and Technology Magnet Middle School.

 

Hecht-Weber holds a bachelor of arts degree in art education from Nebraska Wesleyan University (2001) and went on to earn a master of science degree in counseling from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (2008).

OPS Boundary Change Process

The Omaha Public Schools will continue collecting feedback from the community regarding its proposed boundary changes until May 31.

To learn more about the boundary change process, please watch this video. You may also visit boundary.ops.org to see the boundary option maps, review frequently asked questions and take a survey.

CHI Health and Omaha Public Schools Partner to Honor Teachers Across the District

 

CHI Health wants nominations of Omaha Public Schools' teachers changing the lives of students. Each month, they'll surprise a Top Teacher nominee with a treat basket for the teacher's lounge and a personal gift card. CHI will draw winners on the last Friday of the month. CHI Health will select one winner at the elementary, middle and high school level.

 

Anyone can nominate a Top Teacher at CHIhealth.com/TopTeachers .

If you would like to view the latest CHI newsletter devoted to youth issues, please click here .

 

Thank you for your support of our teachers and for your support of the Omaha Public Schools.

April CHI Health Teacher Recipients

Mahala Jankowski

Jefferson Elementary

Andrea Yeager-Neuzil

Morton Magnet Middle School

Erin Sackett

South High Magnet School

. . .the Omaha Public Schools' middle school teams that placed in the Nebraska United States Academic Decathlon's Academic Pentathlon program:

FIRST PLACE - NATIONAL QUALIFIERS



McMillan Magnet Middle School, 8th Grade Team

C oaches: Stefanie Conley, John Costanzo and Eric Hagen

SECOND PLACE



Beveridge Magnet Middle School, 8th Grade - Team 1

Coaches: Jaclyn Nielsen and Morgan Sammons

Sertoma Club Essay Winners

. . .to the Omaha Public Schools’ students recognized by the Sertoma Club for their essays on “What Freedom Means to Me.” They received their awards during a reception on May 14.

South High Magnet Students Accepted into

Visual Arts Summer Program

. . .the South High Magnet students accepted into the Visual Arts Summer Program "Open Space" at Hastings College June 2-8:

Monroe Middle School Students Advance to the Interview Round for the Nebraska College Preparatory Academy

at North High Magnet School

. . . the Monroe Middle School students that made it to the interview round for the Nebraska College Preparatory Academy at North High Magnet School. Students who complete the academy at North receive a nearly full-ride scholarship to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Interviews took place on May 10 and 11. Of the 55 students being interviewed, 25 are from Monroe Middle. Academy semi-finalists included: Caidence Binns , Azzy Carr , JaMeah Cass , Jamirrah Clark , Adali Cruz-Reyes , Amber Donovan , Ahmaya Evans, Noelani Fears , Jomarae Graham , Amira Harrington , Inaya Henley , Lillian Hudson , Chandler Ingram , Lennard Jackson , Ciara Mercer , A'Jinea Moore , Gabe Moore , Nyah Partridge-Butler , Sabrina Sagitteh , A'mya Samuel, Eryk Thomas , John Wade , La'Aszja Williamson , Patrick Wright and Quantrelle Wright .

Davis Middle School's Girls Soccer Team Earn the

2019 City Championship

. . .the Davis Middle School girls soccer team. The team won the 2019 City Championship against Beveridge Magnet Middle School.

By Julie Sigmon, Omaha STEM Ecosystem Director

Building Omaha's Future Leaders

A STEM Professional You Should Know!

Dr. Chris Schaben is the science supervisor for Omaha Public Schools (OPS), the largest urban district in Nebraska. Dr. Schaben is a passionate science/STEM education leader, who inspires teachers and students. His work as principal investigator of several grants has moved his district to a student-centered science program. His efforts have led to two, OPS student-generated experiments flying aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor STS-134 in the initial Student Spaceflight Experiments Program. Dr. Schaben applied the lessons learned from this experience to create a Near-Space Students’ Experiments Program in OPS with over 70 high-altitude balloon launches to date, directly from OPS schools. 

Dr. Schaben is also actively engaged at the regional, state and national levels. He is a past president of both the Nebraska Academy of Science and the Metropolitan Science and Engineering Fair. He is the Advisory Board Chair for the Omaha STEM Ecosystem. He is Vice President and Co-founder of the Nebraska Junior Academy of Science. Dr. Schaben has authored multiple science education journal articles, was promoted to Fellow of AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) in 2017, and is the 2018 National Outstanding Leadership in Science Education awardee from the National Science Education Leadership Association.

-April edition of STEM newsletter

Student Transfer Requests

Continue Through Summer

For families who missed the school selection process in January, the student transfer request process opened for school enrollment changes on April 15. All enrollment changes made prior to June 15 will be included in the Student Transportation routing process for the 2019-2020 school year. All changes made after June 15 will not have guaranteed transportation to the school of their choice. They will be eligible if there is a bus with space and a stop available on the route within the appropriate distance to the student's home.

Families who went through the school selection process should receive a letter this month. If you do not receive a letter, please call the Student Placement Office at (531) 299-0302.

Other questions regarding transfers and placement may be directed to the following individuals:

Special Education Placement: Dan Weidner (531) 299-9679

Student Placement: Patrick Pope (531) 299-9733

ESL Placement: Yadira Servellon (531) 299-9737

To find your home attendance area school or for more information regarding the OPS Student Assignment Plan, please click here.

A Message from Student Transportation

The OPS Student Transportation Office has already started developing bus routes for the 2019-2020 school year. To ensure that eligible students are accurately routed, it is important that your student's information and address is current with the Student Placement Office no later than June 15, 2019.

To update your address, please complete a change of address form at any OPS school or at the Teacher and Administrative Center (3215 Cuming St.). Please be prepared to provide address verification. If you have questions regarding transportation eligibility, please contact the Student Placement Office at (531) 299-0302.

Our goal is to efficiently serve the transportation needs of our students.

Omaha Public Schools Holds Annual Fellowship Games

Special education students showed off their skills during the OPS Fellowship Games at the Burke High stadium - home of the state track meet. Students participated in relays, long jump, chicken toss, javelin throw, shot put and more.

The Fellowship Games aim to help students progress from physical education lessons into recreational competition, understand the importance and benefits of staying active, build relationships with other students, learn teamwork and fair play and experience the enjoyment of recreational activities with others. MVP awards were presented at the end of the games.

This event is a collaboration between the Omaha Public Schools and Special Olympics Nebraska.

OPS 2019 Middle School Poetry Slam

The Omaha Public Schools' Gifted and Talented Office held its annual middle school Poetry Slam at the B-Side of Benson Theater on April 24. This year's guest speaker was Matt Mason, Nebraska's State Poet.

Slam poetry is a performance poetry that combines elements of performance, writing, competition and audience participation. It is performed at events called poetry slams. The name slam refers to how the audience is able to give immediate feedback. The concept originated in Chicago in the 1980s by Marc Kelly Smith. Today, slam poetry is considered a movement as well as a genre of poetry and spoken word. A National Poetry Slam is an annual five-day poetry slam held in a different American city each year, where teams compete from cities all over the United States and Canada.

Bryan High School Holds Second Annual Art Show to

Benefit the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium's

Conservation Program

The artistic talents of 20 Bryan High School students were on display during the school's second annual art show and silent auction to benefit Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium conservation efforts. More than 120 pieces of art - including paintings, ceramics, jewelry and wooden keepsake boxes - were created by students, staff and alumni. This year, the show netted $2,349.25 - up from last year. As a thank you, students were invited back to the zoo for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Desert Dome. It is yet to be determined what this year's donation will help support. Last year's donation was used to help transfer a polar bear to the Kansas City Zoo.

Northwest High Magnet AP Environmental Science Students Present Sustainable Landscape Designs

Northwest High Magnet AP Environmental Science students, in collaboration with students enrolled in University of Nebraska Omaha's Introduction to Sustainable Landscape Design classes, presented their landscape design plans to expand Northwest's outdoor gardens in April. Designs included plans for a Native American, rain, pollinator, medicinal and Lewis & Clark expedition gardens, which will provide outdoor classrooms for students and a quiet respite for the community. UNO staff and Northwest students and staff reviewed the presentations. The project was funded by the Nebraska State Arboretum.

Blackburn Hosts 8th Annual Spring Fling

The annual Blackburn Spring Fling is an amazing collaborative event between the University of Nebraska Omaha, Blackburn and the Adams Community Center's senior program. Each year, Blackburn and UNO sponsor a meal prepared by Blackburn culinary students. Staff and students decorate the serving area, prepare a memorable feast and provide an afternoon filled with entertainment. This year's theme was "Hawaiian Luau." The event included student poems, a special award presentation and a song by Mr. Washington. This community service project is a great reflection of the students and staff, Blackburn and the Omaha Public Schools.

Morton Magnet Middle School Students Attend

Facebook Summit

The National School Alliance piloted the "Engineer for the Week Winter Sprint" Facebook program at Morton Magnet Middle School. The program is dedicated to spotlighting projects that help tackle social issues through events and programming. Morton students K-Vante Brown, TyVell Foster and Ajzeona McKizzie built a "Chatbot for Change" that interacts with their peers about social issues and is based on topics they felt could provide guidance for other teens in both positive and negative experiences.

Their Chat Bot design and the way they linked to social issues won them a spot at the finalist table at Facebook headquarters in San Francisco, California. Only 20 teams were chosen from across the United States. Of those 20 teams, less than five teams were comprised of middle school students.

 

The all-expense paid trip for the teams gave students an opportunity to meet at Facebook headquarters and compete in a 48-hour team challenge to design & build a game for social change. The Morton students worked alongside Facebook engineers to create a game and presentation called "The Pitch." Once completed, the team had to sell their game to Facebook judges. 

 

Facebook was so impressed by the focus and drive of these three students, they want to partner with Omaha Public Schools and Collective for Youth on a larger scale.

Field Club Elementary Holds Career Day

As a part of its No Excuses University and College Decision Day, Field Club Elementary invited guests to come to its annual Career Day. Professionals were asked to share their educational journey, the hard work they had to do to get into college, what college they attended, who pushed them to do their best in school, what advice they would give to someone hoping to go to college and what their career is like. Field Club follows college-bound expectations throughout the building to help all students prepare for college if that is the path they choose to pursue.

The school attempted to find a career/job path for each letter of the alphabet and guests included bankers, carpenters, college professors, military personnel, police officers, forensic investigators and veterinarians among others.

At the end of the day, students were filled with knowledge for college!

Yates Community Center Unveils First Voices Mural

Nestled in Omaha’s most diverse zip code, classrooms at Yates Educational Community Partnership (YECP) bustle with hard-working students from all around the world learning together. On May 10, YECP unveiled its First Voices mural, which recognizes Native American families as America’s first people and refugees and immigrants who are often the first of their family or ethnic group to move to Omaha. The First Voices mural aims to be a beautiful reminder that Nebraska is a welcoming place for everyone to call home. The unveiling ceremony included ethnic food, dancing, singing, and poetry. The project was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Nebraska Arts Council and the Omaha Public Schools Foundation. It was created by artist Gerard Pefung.

Columbian Students Complete Leaves for School's Legacy Tree

Columbian students traveled to Do Space to work with Molly Macklin of Schemmer Architects to engrave the leaves they designed last school year using a laser printer. Macklin provided a brief presentation of how trees removed from Columbian's property were transformed into the blocks of wood for students to burn their designs on. The leaves will be used to create a Legacy Tree, which will be the focal point of the new school's lobby. Leaves were designed by students who will not actually attend the new Columbian because they will or have already moved on to middle school before the school opens in the fall of 2019.

Catlin Magnet Elementary Unveils Peaceable Kingdom

Mural During Annual Art Show

Catlin Magnet Elementary unveiled its Peaceable Kingdom mural that took three years to complete. The work was a collaborative effort between artist Dar Vande Voort, students and staff. "Every students' hands contributed to the creation of this mural," stated Voort. "It's a beautiful piece for students to enjoy." In addition to the mural, students' artworks were on display throughout the school for parents, community members and guests to enjoy. Guests and students could also stop by the Famous Artist photo booth to have their picture taken.

Spring Lake Magnet Elementary Celebrate Former Students'

and Current Staff Member's Achievements

South High Magnet seniors walked the halls of Spring Lake Magnet Elementary to "Pomp and Circumstance" prior to their Saturday, May 18 graduation at the Baxter Arena. They were joined by UNO graduates and a staff member who recently earned her master's degree. This annual event gives current Spring Lake students an opportunity to see former Spring Lake Magnet students who have achieved high school graduation and beyond. The school holds the walk to inspire its current students to work hard, develop a college-ready attitude and to achieve their highest potential.

Wilson Focus Students Present Disney's "Aristocats"

Wilson Focus School students presented Disney's "Aristocats" as part of Disney's Musicals in Schools program sponsored by the Omaha Performing Arts. Wilson's music teacher, Emily Pearce, directed the production with the help of Wilson staff.

Disney Musicals in Schools is a free program offered to a limited number of public elementary schools each year. Through the program schools receive free performance rights and show kit materials to a 30-minute Disney musical written for elementary school performers. Over the course of a semester, professional teaching artists guide school teachers through the process of mounting a musical with student performers.

Synopsis:

"When a retired opera singer leaves her inheritance to her cat, Duchess and three kittens, the woman's butler drugs the cats and abandons them in the countryside in order to inherit the fortune himself. Lost in unfamiliar territory, Duchess and the kittens meet Thomas O'Malley, an alley cat willing to help them return to their home in Paris. They meet several kooky characters along the way, including two English geese and an alley cat jazz band."

King Science & Technology Magnet Center Holds

Health Fair and Blood Drive

Community members and students were able to get blood pressure checks, stand inside a 3-D human heart, experience what it is like for a person who has Multiple Sclerosis, use robotic arms to perform surgery, receive a spine assessment from a chiropractor and gather information about health professions. The school also highlighted students' Health Career Academy capstone projects, held a blood drive in collaboration with the American Red Cross and an end-of-year cookout.

United Way of the Midlands Holds End-of-Year "Book Trust" Celebration at Howard Kennedy Elementary

United Way of the Midlands (UWM) and Howard Kennedy Elementary partnered to throw an end-of-year "Book Trust" celebration for students. The UWM-funded "Book Trust" program has allowed students in K-3 to receive more than 5,500 free books during the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 academic years and an additional 3,000 books this year. UWM Emerging Leaders helped to distribute and read books to students at monthly "Book Box Openings" throughout the duration of the program. During the celebration, students played a number of book-themed games and received a treat from Kona Ice thanks to a generous donation from U.S. Bank. Through the "Book Trust" K-3 students received $7 a month to choose and buy their own books from a Scholastic Reading Club. At the end of the school year, each student owns approximately 20-30 books. The program aims to increase students' access to reading materials, empower teachers to create a classroom culture of literacy and inspire students to read.

We understand parents are busy. The following links will provide you with quick access to district sponsored events, procedures and resources. Please click on the titles below and you will be taken to the correct website.

2019 Graduation Dates

District Operational Services

Physical and Vision Exams

Health Services

School-Based Health Centers

Locations/Hours of Operation

Health Services

The Phase 1 bond program is winding down and Phase 2 bond program projects are underway. It's exciting to watch the transformations happening across the district and the benefits our students will enjoy because of the generous support of Omaha taxpayers!

To help us keep the community updated on the latest progress of projects, we asked Buffett Magnet Middle School students to lend their broadcasting skills to producing monthly reports. Our thanks to them on doing an excellent job!

We hope you enjoy this update on renovations at Boyd Elementary School set to be completed in August 2019.

Economic Inclusion Program Director Karlus Cozart recently shared an update on the Phase I and Phase 2 bond programs with the Omaha Public Schools' Board of Education on May 6.

For Phase I, the goal was to have 7% of contracts go to small and emerging business. As of March 2019, 11.4% of the contracts have been awarded to small and emerging businesses. That equates to over $43.1 million. The goal for Phase 2 of the Bond is to have 15% of contracts go to SEBs.

 

Cozart also outlined the key performance indicators for the Phase 2 Bond.

 

To view the entire presentation presented to the Board of Education, click here.

This month, we recognize Principal Dr. Andrea Haynes for her commitment and dedication to the students and families of Harrison Elementary School and the Omaha Public Schools.

Video created by District Communications' videographer Alex Hassel.

Your Opinion Matters!

We would like feedback on how well this newsletter is meeting the needs of OPS staff, parents, community members, retirees, community partners and others who receive it. Please take a few moments to complete this brief survey . It is our goal that the newsletter is packed with information important to you.

Thank you!

The Omaha Public Schools' Community Opportunities is a monthly

publication where businesses and non-profit organizations can post

advertisements for our parents to let them know of student and family opportunities taking place in the Metro area. The publication goes live on our website the first school day of each month. If you would like to see this month's ads, please click on the link below:

OPS Community Opportunities