Inside the Omaha Public Schools

October 2024

Every month, our principals and program directors gather to learn and grow together.

Leaders are digging into what’s called a “problem of practice” right now.

Principals explored data showing how students are doing in school, gathered staff feedback and took a deep dive to find the roadblock:

What could be holding us back?

What would help each student do better?

Using that data and reflection, principals, teachers and school teams look for themes across classrooms. They partner to plan the next steps. It may be professional learning, a different approach to classroom lessons or something else.

Problems of practice look different from one school to another, tailored to the strengths and opportunities of each school community. As we measure progress and learn more about what works, problems of practice may change.

It is exciting to see the work unfold as teams bring different perspectives and ideas to the table.

While it may seem abstract, the process unites teams around a shared focus and goal.

As a district community, we can build on successes and share the lessons learned. It is a unique benefit of being Nebraska’s largest school district.

The work is focused through each step forward.

We are constantly working to improve.

Thank you for being part of it.

Matthew Ray

Superintendent

Omaha Public Schools

Family Engagement Events Connect Schools and Community

Andrea Chacon eagerly waited for families to fill the halls of South High for a family engagement night. She and her classmates acted as bilingual liaisons at the event in late September.

"I'm helping families have a great interpretation about what we do here," said the South

High junior. "We're here to support families and encourage them to get more involved with school and events like these."

Erika Sanchez, a South High parent, attended the event. She enjoyed a student mariachi band, face painting, interactive activities for kids and information from school partners and student organizations like the JROTC and Latino Leaders. Sanchez and many other families learned about their school's offerings.

"It's important for the school to present information on organizations and provide benefits for students," said Sanchez. "I want to learn something new, something I haven't heard before and something that can help me and my kids in the future."

Family engagement events like the one at South High are happening at schools throughout our district. Omaha Public Schools encourages families to attend and stay engaged with their child's school and education all year.

Susana Lara, South High curriculum specialist and family engagement coordinator, says the events connect families with resources at school and within our community.

"Educating our families about the school system and how it works, as well as what organizations and supports are available, will help them make informed decisions," said Lara.

Family-Teacher Conferences

Omaha Public Schools family-teacher conferences take place throughout October. Conferences allow families to engage with their school community and stay involved in their student's academic lives.

Here are a few tips to make the most of your meeting:

Prepare questions to ask your student’s teacher ahead of time.
Review your student’s grades and assignments.
Talk to your student ahead of time and ask if there’s anything they want discussed with their teacher.

View conference dates on our District Calendar. If you cannot attend during the available times, contact your student's school.

At South High, additional activities are planned throughout the fall to support families. One activity is a free class for families who speak a language other than English at home. The class offers tips for navigating the parent portal, preparing for family-teacher conferences and more.

Gloria Anel Salazar Jiménez and her son, David, have been attending together.

"This class has been helpful," said Jiménez. "I've learned a lot."

Families can learn more about events and resources available through their schools by visiting their school website or calling their child's school.

Advanced Academics Give High School Students Next Level Opportunities

Sophomore Melanie Estrada is enjoying what could be her last year in a Northwest High classroom. Next year, she’ll journey to Metropolitan Community College (MCC) as part of the Early College Program.

“I’ll still come back to Northwest High every day for soccer and wrestling,” said Estrada. “I’m nervous but excited, especially because we’re the first to try this out.”

In the 2023-24 school year, Northwest High and MCC partnered for our district's first Early College Program. The program allows students to earn an associate’s degree before graduating high school.

During the program's first two years, students attend classes at Northwest High. As juniors, they’ll spend the entire day on MCC’s campus.

“It’s cool that I’ll be getting a degree before I even graduate,” said Estrada. “Not a lot of people can say that.”

Early College is open to all Omaha Public Schools students entering ninth grade at Northwest High. Estrada’s classmate, Gabriella Hopwood, says it helps that the program is offered at no cost to families.

“It’s a good opportunity because it gives us more experience in college, and it saves money,” said Hopwood.

Omaha Public Schools offers countless Advanced Academics classes to students, from dual credit to the International Baccalaureate and Cambridge Programs and Advanced Placement (AP). Dual credit and AP classes are offered at every high school in our district.

“It’s important for us to have options for our kids because they all have different interests and different strength areas,” said Beth Maloney, Ed.D., Omaha Public Schools teaching and learning consultant. “We want them to leave Omaha Public Schools and go on to do whatever it is that they want to do.”

AP classes allow students to earn college-level credit while taking specific courses in their school. After each course, students take a test to earn college credit. In the 2022-23 school year, more than 4,500 students enrolled in advanced placement courses. Omaha Public Schools students earned more than 22,000 college credits while in high school during the 2023-24 school year.

Bryan High senior Alexandria Sampson will have taken six AP courses by the time she graduates. Currently, she’s taking AP physics and computer science. She plans to pursue a computer engineering degree in college.

“My AP classes are generally very challenging, but I feel more engaged,” said Sampson. “The diversification of these classes will give me more opportunities in college.”

Dario Gudino-Garcia teaches AP calculus, AP pre-calculus and AP computer science at Bryan High. He designs his tests throughout the year to resemble the AP exams students take at the end of the year.

“They start getting used to the format and the types of questions they’re going to see on that final exam,” said Gudino-Garcia. “Sometimes that’s the hard part, so practicing those skills throughout the year will be useful.”

Over the summer, Omaha Public Schools hosted an Advanced Academics Summer Symposium for students to learn more about advanced academics in our district. For more information about opportunities at each school, visit our website or contact your school.

District News

Promoting a Safe, Welcoming Environment for Everyone

Omaha Public Schools prioritizes the safety and well-being of students, staff and families. In October, our district joins others nationwide in recognizing America’s Safe Schools Week.

This is a time to reflect on our proactive planning efforts and to encourage everyone to join us in promoting a safe, welcoming environment at school.

Omaha Public Schools students and staff train regularly on Standard Response Protocol (SRP). The SRP helps students, staff and first responders communicate and act consistently during any event outside of the regular routine (fire, evacuation, weather events and more).

The SRP includes the following actions: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate and Shelter. All schools in our district regularly practice safety drills to learn what to do and expect in emergency situations.

Read more about our safety protocols at ops.at ops.org.

Safe2Help Nebraska Hotline

Our district and community have resources to support students and staff, including the Safe2Help Nebraska Hotline.

Safe2Help Nebraska is a confidential and anonymous hotline for students, families, staff or community members to report concerns.

If you or someone you know needs support or would like to report a safety concern, Safe2Help Nebraska Hotline is available 24/7 at (531) 299-SAFE. The app is installed on every Omaha Public Schools iPad, providing easy and immediate access.

Reminder: Late Start for Improvement Day on Oct. 29

Omaha Public Schools 2024-25 school year includes four Improvement Days. The next one takes place Oct. 29.

Each Improvement Day is a two-hour late start for students. This allows teachers to collaborate and maximize each minute with students in the classroom.

The remaining Improvement Days are:

Jan. 28, 2025
April 1, 2025

View this year’s calendar, including school hours, at ops.org/calendar.

Students Plan Community-Wide Open Store

Students from Omaha Public Schools and surrounding districts are coming together to host the 13 ^th Annual Open Store on Oct. 19 at Norris Middle.

Community members can choose from items including gently used clothing, shoes, books, toys, household items and more. All items are available at no cost.

More Than Hashtags – The OPSProud Podcast

In the latest episode of “More Than Hashtags—The OPSProud Podcast,” Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Matthew Ray speaks with students and staff about how Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds benefit them.

Listen to the full episode on kios.org.

Omaha Marching Invitational

Omaha Public Schools is hosting the 2024 Omaha Marching Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024 at Northwest High.

Bands perform and receive feedback from a nationally acclaimed judging panel. High school bands from throughout the metro will participate.

To see the full performance schedule, visit ops.org.

Our Community Opportunities section is our digital bulletin board where families can find information about upcoming events and activities available in our area. New flyers are posted at the beginning of each month. This month's flyers include:

13th Annual Open Store
Trunk or Treat in the Village
Ivy League Youth Sports Academy

Omaha Public Schools provides this opportunity for outside organizations for the benefit of our families. It does not endorse any business, product or service.

Superintendent Matthew Ray extends congratulations to...

... to Sherri Brownfield, Lewis and Clark Middle health teacher, for receiving the Health

Teacher of the Year Award from the Nebraska Society for Health and Physical Educators.

… to Lee Perez, Benson High teacher, for receiving the Excellence in Education Award

from Mid-America Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.

… to John Blauw, a student at Fullerton Elementary, for checking out the 2 millionth e-book on Omaha Public Schools digital library platform, Sora.

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Omaha Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), marital status, sexual orientation, disability, age, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation or economic status in its programs, activities and employment and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following individual has been designated to accept allegations regarding non-discrimination policies: Superintendent of Schools, 3215 Cuming Street, Omaha, NE 68131 (531) 299-9822. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Director for the Office of Equity and Diversity, 3215 Cuming St, Omaha, NE 68131 (531) 299-0307.