New LPS middle school site recommended

Lincoln Board of Education meeting, budget forum highlights, June 24

The Lincoln Board of Education met for a regular Board meeting and held a Budget Forum on Tuesday, June 24, both at LPS District Office, 5905 O St. The Board meeting was live streamed on www.lps.org, and broadcast live on cable channels 80/99. The next Board meeting is set for 6 p.m. July 7.

Board of Education highlights

New LPS middle school site recommended

The Lincoln Board of Education’s Planning Committee recommended a 26-acre location on the southeast corner near 84^th Street and Yankee Hill Road as the site for the new middle school funded by the recent Lincoln Public Schools bond issue

Under the recommendation, the school district would purchase the land from the city of Lincoln – providing the added benefit of maintaining public property for public purposes and not taking private property off the tax rolls, according to Ed Zimmer, the Board member who chairs the Planning Committee.

The $153 million LPS bond issue – approved by the community last February – specifically included funding for a new middle school, but the Board has not yet selected a specific site.

The location is well positioned to create capacity to serve portions of Lux, Pound and Scott middle school attendance areas, Zimmer pointed out, which he said would address the significant growth in student enrollment at those schools. The new middle school will provide capacity for 850 students. The attendance area for the new school will be made official in the fall of 2015, two years prior to opening the school.

The 26 acres are a portion of the city’s 200-acre plot in that area of southeast Lincoln – an area that tentatively could eventually include a city park and city library. Zimmer has noted that there is broader public benefit to choosing this site, because building a school in the area will provide investment in developing infrastructure and grading to perhaps act as a catalyst to begin further development of a future park.

The Board will take a final vote on the decision at the July 7 Board meeting.

Plans also call for the middle school development to include a partnership with the YMCA to encompass a traditional fitness center and middle school within one structure – much like the arrangement at Schoo Middle School in Fallbrook.

Don Mayhew, a member of the Board of Education, said he found the vision for the area “compelling.”

Lanny Boswell, another Board member, agreed. “We build our schools to last for decades. I can see this middle school serving our families and students for generations to come…a site that provides excellent value to our taxpayers.”

Board Vice President Kathy Danek requested additional information about the proposed site related to adding roads and infrastructure and rail crossings in the area.

Approval of superintendent contract

The Board of Education unanimously approved a contract for LPS Superintendent Steve Joel.  For the coming school year, the Board decided upon an annual salary package of $299,804, which is a 3.98 percent increase from his current salary of $288,329 (the same increase as LPS educators received). Mayhew said the new contract expresses “appreciation of the School Board for Dr. Joel’s excellent work.”

In addition the Board also approved a one-time $25,000 contribution to Joel’s retirement plan. Five School Board members voted for approval, while Board members Barb Baier and Ed Zimmer voted against the additional compensation.

“When you have a super star who is in demand…you want to make sure his contract is competitive,” Mayhew said. Board member Lanny Boswell said that Joel “has led the school district to new heights.”

Barb Baier said: “I appreciate Dr. Joel’s excellent execution of his job…but I believe education is a team work effort and I believe we need to maintain that ethic in our compensation…I also thank all our teachers and staff for their excellent work.”

Newly annexed property

The Board of Education assigns school attendance areas to property newly annexed in Lincoln. The city has annexed a parcel of land near South 88^th Street and Pioneers Boulevard, which was proposed for assignment to: Maxey Elementary School, Lux Middle School and Lincoln East High School. The Board will vote final approval at the July 7 Board meeting.

New policy on video surveillance

Board members discussed proposed policy for video surveillance at LPS that says: “The Lincoln Board of Education authorizes the use of video cameras and other passive electronic measures (such as motion detectors) for monitoring transportation and interior and exterior public areas for the purposes of ensuring the health, welfare and safety of staff, students and visitors, safeguarding district facilities and equipment and maintaining student discipline and an appropriate educational and work environment.”

The Board will vote final approval at the July 7 meeting.

Board member Katie McLeese Stephenson called video surveillance “something that can be a very effective tool, but one that must be used cautiously.” She said the policy was a starting point – and that video surveillance “must be monitored and updated and enhanced.”

The LPS budget for 2013-24 includes funding for surveillance cameras on LPS buses as well as for the six high schools.

Danek said: “This policy gives notice to make sure the public understands that there will be video cameras at LPS on a very limited basis…that will be respectful of public and private places…protecting students’ right to privacy.”

Lincoln Public Schools Budget Forum

Lincoln Public Schools held a Budget Forum on Tuesday to ask the community for conversation about the preliminary $363.3 million LPS budget for 2014-15. A second Budget Forum will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 26, at Lefler Middle School, 1100 S. 48^th St.

Liz Standish, associate superintendent for Business Affairs at LPS, gave a summary of the budget and opened up the discussion to comments from the community.

Kit Boesch, administrator for the Lancaster County Human Services Department, was the only person who spoke at the Forum, specifically supporting the proposed addition of four fulltime social workers in next year’s budget. “I’m very proud of the way community schools and human services have reached across to collaborate on what is best for children…LPS social workers are amazing people…who enhance the ability to learn…and ultimately increase the district’s graduation rate.

Overall highlights for 2014-15 preliminary LPS budget:

• The preliminary $363.3 million Lincoln Public Schools budget for 2014-15 addresses a variety of factors in the LPS school district:

o   Significant growth in the number of students attending school at LPS. (Next school year, LPS estimates an increase of 1,000 more students – the largest increase in half a century since the Baby Boomer years of Lincoln. Such an increase would mean LPS would welcome be almost 39,000 students.)

o   Growing complexity of the demographics and needs of LPS students.

o   The changing landscape of how we provide quality education.

• Taking into consideration Lincoln’s taxpayers and the current economics of the community, the school district will keep the total tax levy flat. That means the school district portion of property tax rates will not increase.

• The budget continues to focus on providing continued quality education. A quality education system is a long-term investment, not simply an expenditure – and our community, our businesses, our families, our students deserve a great school system.

• Due to anticipated slight increases in assessed property valuation for the community, and increases in state aid to education, the school district plans to pay for additional educators to meet growing classroom needs. That means proposed expenses include direct help to classrooms such as teachers and staffing for: regular education, special education, early childhood, English Language Learners (refugees and immigrants).

• In addition, LPS is budgeting smart for 2014-15 by building capacity necessary to best support and serve students.

• A few numbers: The preliminary 2014-15 budget for LPS will total about $363,301,980 – a 5.13 percent increase over last year. The school district currently ranks 234^th out of 249 school districts in Nebraska for per pupil spending (only 15 districts spend less per pupil than us).

Posted on June 25, 2014

Culler students exploring topics, school

Explore whatever topic you want to explore. Do the research, utilize technolgy and make a presentation.

The environment is summertime at Culler Middle School, 5201 Vine St. Turns out it’s a great way to stay busy, hone skills and pursue an interest.

“We don't help them a lot this year because they are not as needy,” said Becky Tuttle, one of the teachers at this Community Learning Center location. “The skills they are working on include library and research skills, and they are kind of fine tuning those.”

Awizan, a seventh-grader this fall, has a brother who likes soccer, so she and future eighth-grader Hussain are studying FIFA, the organization that puts on the World Cup every four years.

Blake, a sixth-grader this fall, is still trying to decide her research topic. What she does know is that this experience is helping her get ready for school to begin, especially since she’s learning alongside older students.

“They are a lot bigger, and people might be afraid to come here, but the others take you around the school, and this will help me learn better,” Blake said.

That transition is critical, Tuttle said.

“They (fifth-graders) become more familliar with our school, and that confidence just carries from summer into the school year,” she said. “Confidence, you can't put a price on that. It seems like they are more successful.”

A new reading program initiated last year means more fifth-graders are better equiped with skills for middle school level projects. To that end, Tuttle is more likely to prod students to find their own solutions to problems, than to just give them the answer.

Varying groups and activities are two highlights for Awizan.

“You get to be with different grades at different times, and you get to go places,” Awizan said. “In middle school you don’t get to go on a lot of field trips, but here, you go somewhere every Friday.”

Those trips include swimming pools and activity centers. Members of the community also come in to teach a topic, such as a session on designing drums and projects with Arts Are Basic.

Breakfast and lunch are also included for students.

Hussain loves the freedom to investigate what he wants, with one key difference.

“There are no grades,” he said. “You get to kick back and choose what you want to learn about.”

Posted on June 25, 2014

VIDEO: Irving students put compost plan in motion

During the past semester, Irving Middle School students took on a food compost project, and made their own video to share what they learned.

Posted on June 24, 2014

Remembering Wally McNaught

Wally McNaught was a long-time coach and athletic director at Lincoln Southeast High School. He passed away recently. Memorials to the Wally McNaught Lincoln Southeast Scholarship Fund c/o Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools, Nebraska High School Hall of Fame, St. Mark's United Methodist Church, or Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Posted on June 19, 2014

Just more normal weirdness for Shrek, Roper teacher

Shrek gets it. He knows he’s a bit odd: a plus-sized ogre with some unusual tastes, peculiar ears and a rather brusque personality, at times. And so what? Aren’t we all? Shrek also has a large heart, too, as the animated character created by Dreamworks.

Shawn Carlson, a second-grade teacher and team leader at Roper Elementary School, can relate a bit. Though his ears are more human-like, and his skin's not green, he has usually been bigger than other people. But he’s accepted it.

This spring, Carlson accepted a chance to combine those similarirites - those of Shrek and Shawn - by playing the leading role in Shrek: The Musical, the annual summer production this year at Pinewood Bowl in Pioneers Park.

“He’s one of the few characters in this show who knows what he is, and he accepts that other people are what they are," Carlson said. “He thinks it’s weird that other people can’t get over how other people are weird.”

Carlson has taught at Roper, 2323 S. Coddington Ave., his entire teaching career, which began in 2000. He had a routine of teaching during the day, rehearsing at night and enjoying the local productions, until he decided to try going national, which he did for more than two years. Turns out, he missed the classroom more than he liked the road.

He hopes his love for acting might encourage others.

“If it is an in with some kids, or if I can inspire someone in that direction, I think that’s awesome,” Carlson said. “It’s been a great benenfit in my life, so i hope it inspires somebody.”

Some of his current and future students may not even know he’s in the show, and they certainly won’t recognize him.

Carlson had a bust made of himself so the costume designer could get the right fit for the part of the Shrek’s face to be ‘glued’ to his own face. His mouth and eyes will show, but everything else will be covered in costume.

“I’ve only seen pictures of what they’ve created," he said. "It’s going to be intense - not having anything like this before."

Tickets for 'Shrek: the Musical' are on sale now at Russ’s Market Stores. Adult tickets are $10 and $11, tickets for kids ages 6 to 12 are $5, and kids age 5 and under are free. Shows are July 10-13 and 17-20, with gates opening at 6 p.m. and shows starting at 8 p.m. at Pinewood Bowl in Pioneers Park.

Posted on June 17, 2014

To teach better, this cohort returns to math class

This math class sounds a lot like an elementary math class.

A chorus of students says, "Every square is a rhombus. There are rhombuses that are not squares."

“Why is that?” the instructor asks.

Where it turns a bit different is that after the instructor gets an answer to her question, a discussion follows on the proper use of rhombus in the plural form. (Latin version is rhombi, but the Americanized English version tends to be rhombuses.)

Students then repeat similar statements for trapezoids and rectangles.

But instead of these being first- or fourth-grade students, they are first- and fourth-grade teachers, and kindergarten, second- and third-grade teachers, too, 40 of them in all, at Burnett Hall on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

In the building just to the west of Burnett, there are 40 teachers of fourth through eighth grades in Avery Hall, all teachers from Title I schools in Lincoln Public Schools. (Title I funds are part of the Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) authorization. Funding provides extensive supplemental services to high poverty schools which support programs that improve and meet high performance and content standards.)

Kati Stauffer is a fourth-grade teacher at Saratoga Elementary School, 2215 S. 13th St. She's one of three Saratoga teachers in two groups, and one of two in the Math in the Middle class.

She and the others are learning math at a deeper level as part of their work toward master’s degrees.

"I wouldn't go into this detail, but being able to understand it better myself, I can then make it simpler for them to understand," Stauffer said.

The classes themselves require quick absorption of materials. Students might stay until the late evening hours to complete homework before returning home to their families.

As a first-year LPS teacher, Lisa Bohaty agrees that learning the math in more complex situations helps her simplify some things for her students and helps her get to know teachers who are her new co-workers.

"It's been a good opportunity to meet and collaborate with grade levels, some SPED (special education) teachers, I've worked with fourth-grade teachers and kindergarten teachers,” said Bohaty, who will be a first-grade teacher at Campbell Elementary School, 2200 Dodge St. “So I'm learning the spectrum of what's being taught elsewhere."

The classes, for both Primarily Math and Math in the Middle, would not be taught if it weren’t for this cohort of 80 teachers, chosen from a list of applicants numbering about twice that many. (Read more about the history and coursework.)  

Both consist of day-long, two-week courses where group work across grade levels is emphasized. The Math in the Middle cohort will meet for more coursework in July.

While these are teachers, they become math students in order to understand ways to teach math better.

"I've learned a lot more about in-depth thinking," Bohaty said. "I wouldn't teach all that but the learning process has been eye-opening."

In the Math in the Middle classroom - a crowded room with multiple teachers constantly observing and instructing - the current topic is fractions.

“My students struggle with fractions,” said Jacob Cathey, a teacher at Lefler Middle School, 1100 S. 48th St. “They are often handcuffed by the rules and procedures of fractions, and so one of the things this class has provided me is a deeper understanding of fractions, and ways to teach them.”

The teachers in the class teach many different levels of math. They also work with students with different learning strategies. By having fourth-grade teachers at his table, Cathey said, it allows him to see how younger students are being taught.

He can use the same strategies and common language and concepts with his seventh-graders.

“It gives me so much more insight into what level they are learning things: the changes that are coming, how it's being taught, what to expect when those kids reach me,” he said.

Most teachers in the two cohorts have at least one other teacher from their school in the class. That will matter most when school is back in session, where feedback can be nearly instant.

"The other part is to the other person from my school can keep me accountable, and I can keep her accountable," said Stauffer.

Like the difference between learning the piano and playing the piano, math requires a deeper set of skills just to teach.

Joann Herrington, a first-grade teacher at Belmont, 3425 N. 14th St., used that metaphor to describe why she’s making a sacrifice to commit time to learning math and how to teach math.

She herself did not enjoy math as a middle or high school student.

“It's so worth it because I’m determined that my students are not going to go through what I went through,” Herrington said. “They aren't going to sit in class and say, ‘I don't get it.’ I want them to have a deep understanding of it. I want them to play with ideas.”

Posted on June 17, 2014

LPS High School Music/Theater Calendar

High schools in Lincoln Public Schools perform various music and theater performances throughout the year. For more information about a specific event, call the school. To add a music or theater performance to this list, email zbaehr@lps.org.

2014/15 events will be posted here starting this fall.

Posted on June 13, 2014

Sister inspires brother to educate friends on syndrome

Bennett, a third-grade student at Adams Elementary School, shared valuable information with his fellow students about Down syndrome last October for the 2013 Capital City Step Up for Down Syndrome walk at Antelope Park.

Bennett is an "expert" on Down syndrome as his Kindergarten sister, Claire, was born with Down syndrome.

Prepared with print and digital resources, Bennett educated his classmates about Down syndrome. He focused on the importance of getting to know a person with Down syndrome because they have the same interests, feelings, and dreams as their peers.

Posted on June 13, 2014

Locking up a bright future

Art teacher Diane Gabelhouse and students from Mickle Middle School’s Diversity Club created a project for the Hildegard Center for the Arts fundraiser. The proceeds from the auction (Oct. 1) of the door project will help fund a Habitat for Humanity home . Twenty percent of the proceeds were to go back to the artists , but it was subsequently decided to give ALL of the auction proceeds to Habitat for Humanity.

Our choice for a door was simple - a locker door. This door symbolizes the importance of education not only to the students but to their families. Some of the students shared the reasons that their families immigrated here from other countries: for a new beginning, better opportunities, better education, and hopes for a bight future.

If you look closely behind the glass marbles, the students have added cultural influences and their hope for the future. 

The door will be displayed at Mickle this week and then displayed somewhere in the community until the auction. If you would like more information, contact Diane Gabelhouse 402-436-1216 or Ann Williams 402-440-0965. 

Posted on June 13, 2014

Writing emphasis - even in math - multiplies students’ understanding

Reading, writing and arithmetic is not out, but reading and writing in arithmetic is becoming increasingly popular.

An unofficially termed Writing Across the Curriculum effort at Lincoln North Star High School creates more meaningful writing opportunities in all classes, even math and art.

At Tuesday’s capstone-type event, 10 teachers from different curriculum areas presented their own findings from their classrooms to fellow teachers and school district staff.

The new approach is nearing the end of a two-year grant cycle, but the emphasis will stay. The grant is from Humanities Nebraska with partial funding coming from the Nebraska Writing Project.

Twenty-eight teachers at North Star have gone through the program. They will continue to share their data with their fellow teachers in their data teams (professionally learning communities).

Melanie Farber, English Department Chair and Co-Director for the Nebraska Writing Project, said the writing effort helps students think more deeply, improves problem-solving skills and helps them better recognize errors.

"Their scores are getting better, and they are understanding concepts more deeply," Farber said.

Students are questioning the reasoning for writing less and less, she said, because writing - once commonly emphasized mostly in English and social studies classes - is now a growing part of the school-day culture in all classes.

Susan Frack has spent 30-plus years teaching science. Last year, she felt trapped in a rut. She sought out ideas though from English teachers at North Star. There was one spot left in the Nebraska Writing Project Summer Institute. It was Frack’s.

Starting in second semester, Frack thought through her daily lessons and incorporated writing where it made sense. It unleashed

“Kids are responsible for their own learning, rather than me being the giver of information,” Frack said. “I rarely get a kid that says, ‘Oh, this is boring.’ They were excited, starting to ask what they were going to do ahead of time.”

It’s one thing for a student to be able to be hands-on in learning, but at some point they have to be able to describe what is happening. By writing out the explanation, they can see where there are holes in their answer. That means they need to do more research.

“They are getting better at problem solving because writing helps them solve their problems,” Frack said. “If they can put down in words what they don't know, that makes them better researchers to find the answer.”

In English Language Learner classrooms - designed for immigrant and refugee students - the writing emphasis has sped up language acquisition, and teachers experiencing students going back to their native language less often.

“You have to reflect,” said Bailey Feit, a math teacher at North Star. “That's where I started writing in math, writing reflections. You have to reflect upon your actions and the results of those.”

As kids started writing about their math problems, it didn’t click right away. Students would review what they wrote days later, and it didn’t serve as a helpful reminder.

So she went back to her research, studied double-entry note taking, and taught her students the method.

“In algebra, I’ve had the best assessment scores I've ever had,” Feit said. “Pretty consistent in advanced algebra. But what I have found is students are now taking the skills and methods I'm teaching with them, like color coding and highlighting, and using themon assessments without me having to tell them. So they are starting to internalize those strategies.”

At the recent event, Feit was honest with teachers: this will take more time early on. But the reward, especially among students who typically struggle in a math class, provides incentive to spend the extra time implementing the writing skills.

With writing - and subsequent skills like critical thinking - so prevalent in all career pathways, students will have a foundation for more success outside of the classroom.

Posted on June 13, 2014

ITFP student first in LPS to gain Adobe certification

Sierra Hearn, a student at the Information Technology Focus Program, has passed the Adobe Certified Associate exam in Visual Communication Using Adobe Photoshop CS5, becoming the first student in Lincoln Public Schools to do so.

Adobe Certified Associate certification is the industry standard. It could be considered to be similar to an Advanced Placement exam in a core subject. Students who acquire an ACA certification set themselves apart from their peers and earn a number of significant advantages:

- ACA certification provides a boost to the student’s confidence in their skills;
- ACA certification can provide credit for college courses, saving students time and money;
- ACA certification on a job resume or college application speaks volumes about a student’s digital media skills and abilities;

ITFP students who successfully complete the Digital Graphic Design class, supplemented by a few exam preparation resources and a practice exam, are very well prepared for the ACA exam in Visual Communication using Adobe Photoshop. The ITFP is an official Certiport Authorized Testing Center so students can sit for the exam in a familiar setting. Both Linda Dickeson and Steve Carr are qualified to administer and proctor the exams. All interested LPS staff and students are welcome to certify in Adobe products at the ITFP.

Posted on June 13, 2014

25 teachers join up to complete Masters degree in Historical Studies

Twenty-five Lincoln Public Schools teachers received the Master of Arts in Historical Studies degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University. The 25 teachers, representing 21 separate schools within the district, have spent the past two-and-a-half years working to strengthen their own knowledge and seeking innovative strategies to improve student achievement in history and social studies.

Teacher participation in the graduate program stems from over a decade-long partnership between Lincoln Public Schools and Nebraska Wesleyan, with funding by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement.

“The partnership between LPS and Nebraska Wesleyan is a model of how public education and higher education can join forces to enrich the lives and increase success among students in the community we all share. Working with these teachers has been incredibly rewarding,” said Professor Kevin Bower, who directs the Historical Studies graduate program.

“This Teaching American History grant has truly transformed the way history is taught in Lincoln Public Schools,” said LPS Social Studies Coordinator J.P. Caruso. “Whether it’s kindergarten or high school, our students are going beyond the bolded word in the text book, and are reading and thinking like historians in a way that makes history much more exciting and meaningful.

For the past six years, LPS teachers have been joined by colleagues who teach at Nebraska schools located on the Omaha, Santee and Winnebago Indian Reservations.

Randy Ernst, LPS social studies curriculum specialist, credits the graduating teachers for their willingness to “go beyond their already considerable day-to-day duties to continually find ways to become better at serving the needs of students.” According to Ernst, by taking courses in the evening and during the summer, these teachers will impact student learning across the district for years to come.    

The last cohort of 11 teachers are expected to graduate next December.  

--------------------------------

2014 NWU Historical Studies Graduates by School

Carol Patterson – Pound Middle School

“The Historical Studies program at Nebraska Wesleyan has been a catalyst for change in my classroom. Having taught in LPS for 33 years, I’ve been exposed to the latest trends, philosophies, and teaching movements, but it’s the coursework completed for this program that most influences how I teach today. In content and pedagogy classes, I’ve practiced how to think critically about historical events, read primary source documents like a historian, and viewed American history from multiple perspectives. Embedding these same critical thinking skills in my 8^th grade lessons exposes my students to the skills and strategies “real” historians use when examining artifacts, documents, and place. Taking students outside the confines of a traditional textbook –an emphasis of this program- has generated excitement, which hopefully will evolve into a lifelong joy for learning.”

Pat O’Meara – Park Middle School

“The Historical Studies program, along with the shifted focus of skill acquisition in LPS social studies classes, has helped revitalize my teaching career.  The program is a perfect companion piece to the adjusted focus of history courses at LPS to the acquisition of the skills used by historians.  Rather than merely memorizing events in history, students learn the skills to help them evaluate past historical events as well as current issues.  The program helped establish a solid historical background and an arsenal of strategies to help students successfully analyze primary source documents.  LPS curriculum and the Historical Studies program are at the cutting edge of reshaping the way students learn social studies.”

Donna Anderson – Lincoln High

"Attending the Historical Studies graduate program at Nebraska Wesleyan University has not only increased my knowledge of U.S. history, but has developed my understanding on the pedagogy of history. The skills that I learned - aligning with the historical habits of mind as influenced by the Stanford Historical Education Group - have not only benefited myself, but my students as well. I have seen an increase in student engagement and their ability to decipher primary documents grow throughout my two and a half years in the program. I have developed a relationships with colleagues of all different disciplines throughout my district and within these connections, built working relationships that help me grow professionally within my career.

Caitlin Leuenberger – Kooser Elementary

When I first started in the program I was nervous because history was never my best subject in school. However, those nerves quickly faded away. Working together in our cohort of teachers, we developed a strong sense of community and comradery. We worked together to learn history and to understand how we could teach history to our students. In our program we focused on learning and teaching history through primary sources. We were no longer focusing on just dates and names, but the stories of the everyday people who lived through these events. This approach to history has not only helped me to gain a better understanding of history, but also my students. This year I was the Creative Expressions specialist at Kooser Elementary. I worked with all of the kindergarten through fifth grade students on the Habits of Mind lessons that we developed in the historical studies program. Students are more engaged in history when they can relate to it. Whether it was through historical photographs, diary entries, or journals, students developed a stronger understanding of history and strengthened their reading and critical thinking skills. Even our youngest learners can be historians. I'm so grateful to have been able to participate in this program. This unique collaboration between Nebraska Wesleyan University and Lincoln Public Schools will continue to have an impact on our students for years to come.

Posted on June 13, 2014

Four trends in school nursing you may not know

May 7th is deemed National School Nurses Day at the Nebraska Capitol with a proclamation from Gov. Dave Heineman. All proclomations are signed on one day, so the actual signing ceremony will be May 14. Here are four things you may not know about school nurses, including recent trends in the profession:

1. School nurses are on the front lines for combating the effects of poverty on school aged children. According to Kids Count Nebraska one in eight Nebraska households don’t know where their next meal is coming from. In fact, one in five children in Nebraska live in poverty. From 2008 to 2012 there was nearly a 30 percent increase in poverty for children in Nebraska. School nurses are often the link to the community in providing essential services for families that they interact with.

2. Currently one in 16 children in Nebraska are uninsured. Of those children who are uninsured most have parents who are working and whose jobs either do not provide insurance or who make it affordable. In 2012 27,806 kids were uninsured though a large portion were in fact eligible for insurance under CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program). School nurses play a vital role in accessing care for our students and families in the form of case management, providing education on available resources and coordinating care with practitioners in the community.

3. The top 5 health problems of children in the United States are now mental health problems not physical problems (Slomski, 2012). Approximately one in five children and adolescents has a diagnosable mental health disorder in the course of a year. Five percent have impairment in functioning that is extreme (U.S.DHHS, 2000).Twenty percent of students may have undiagnosed mental health problems that cause difficulty with academic work (Puskar & Bernardo, 2007). School nurses spend 32 percent of their time providing mental health services (Foster et al., 2005). According to the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey 14.2 percent of youth seriously considered suicide, 10.9 percent had a suicide attempt plan and 7.7 percent actually attempted suicide. These numbers are alarming but illustrate the growing number of students that school nurses assess and assist on a daily basis. Often the school nurse is the first person that a student confides in and school nurses can be a link to life saving interventions for students.

4. Students’ level of illness and chronicity of illness have increased significantly. There are higher numbers of children in special education and more children in school with medically fragile conditions and chronic illnesses than ever in history. In fact, the percentage of students in federally supported special education program increased from 8.3 percent to 13.4 percent, from 1977 – 2008, a 62 percent increase (NCES, 2011a). In fact, from 2002 to 2008, the percentage of children in special education with health impairments due to chronic or acute health problems increased 60 percent (NCES, 2011a). The vast majority of these students require carefully coordinating health plans to meet their needs at school. The School Nurse plays a pivotal role in coordinating care and disseminating information to ensure the safety of these children in the classroom.

The Proclamation

Whereas, children are the future and, by investing in them today, we are ensuring our world for tomorrow; and

Whereas, all students have a right to have their health needs safely met while in the school setting; and

Whereas, children today face more complex and life-threatening health problems requiring care in school; and

Whereas, school nurses have served a critical role in improving public health and in ensuring student’s academic success for more than 100 years; and

Whereas, school nurses are professional nurses that advance the well-being, academic success, and life-long achievements of all students by serving on the frontlines and providing a critical safety net for our nation’s most fragile children; and

Whereas, school nurses act as a liaison to the school community, parents, and health care providers on behalf of children’s health by promoting wellness and improving health outcomes for our nation’s children; and

Whereas, school nurses support the health and educational success of children and youth by providing access to care when children’s cognitive development is at its peak; and

Whereas, school nurses are members of school-based mental health teams; and

Whereas, school nurses understand the link between health and learning and are in a position to make a positive difference for children every day, therefore be it

Resolved, that the Nebraska School Nurses Association and the National Association of School Nurses celebrates and acknowledges the accomplishments of school nurses everywhere and their efforts of meeting the needs of today’s students by improving the delivery of health care in our schools and offers gratitude for the nation’s school nurses, who contribute to our local communities by helping students stay healthy, in school, and ready to learn, and keeping parents and guardians at work, not just on this National School Nurse Day, but at every opportunity throughout the year.

Now, THEREFORE, I (Name), Governor of (State), do hereby proclaim May 7, 2014, as “School Nurse Day” in (State), and commend its observance to all citizens.

Posted on June 13, 2014

Silver Hawks claim two top honors for activities, athletics

Lincoln Southwest High School has won two top prizes awarded by the Nebraska Schools Activities Association.

The U.S. Cellular Cup is given based on a points system where schools earn points based on its team finishes at NSAA hosted events. This includes athletic and some extra-curricular activities.

Southwest was honored with the Class A overall school award and the award in the girls competition. The Silver Hawks won team state titles in girls cross country, boys tennis, girls swimming, boys soccer and girls track and field.

Mark Armstrong, LSW Athletic Director, said, "As you know, all activities associated with the NSAA contribute to this award, which in my mind, makes this a very special honor as it demonstrates excellence across the board and not just in one or two activities. I am very proud of our staff and school and feel honored to be a part of this great organization."

Other team finishes at state:
Boys Cross Country - ninth overall at state
Football - state qualifier
Girls Golf - runner-up finish at state
Softball - state qualifier
Volleyball - state qualifier
Boys Swimming - runner-up finish at state
Wrestling - seventh at state duals
Boys Golf - fourth at state
Girls Soccer - state qualifier
Girls Tennis - seventh at state
Speech - runner-up finish at state
Journalism - eighth at state

Posted on June 12, 2014

LPS Athletics Memorable Moments 2013/14

LPS Athletics has begun its look back on the 2013/14 sports season with Memorable Moments. Each week for the next two months, two moments will be unveiled in random order. The 'Memorable Moments' include state champions, game-winning plays and a big upset.

To stay up to date and for photos of some past sporting events, visit the LPS Athletics Facebook page.

Jeralyn Poe, a junior at Lincoln North Star High School, won her third state individual title at the State Cross Country Meet. It's the first girls state title race at the 5,000-meter distance. That was the fall. In the spring, Poe put even more 'distance' between her and opposing runners by winning the mile and two-mile race at the State Track & Field Meet.

The Girls State Cross Country meet came down to two teams from Lincoln Public Schools: Lincoln Southwest High School and Lincoln East High School. Both teams had just one senior on the team, and both had a competitive top line of runners. But the Silver Hawks of Southwest would prove the winners in a close finale. Silver Hawk runners included Anna Hurlbut, Emily Berzonsky, Hannah Wolkenhauer, Taylor Augustyn, Abigail Burke, Marissa Czapla and Chloe Ubben.

More to come

Posted on June 12, 2014

LPS, SCC launch new Career Academy for community

Students who attend The Career Academy – a joint initiative of Lincoln Public Schools and Southeast Community College – should walk away with what might be called Diploma+ – according to Dan Hohensee, director of the high school program that will open in the fall of 2015.

He explained that Career Academy students should walk away with a diploma, plus: credit hours of college, experience with internships and apprenticeships, potential certifications – and more – ready for a job or ready for college.

“Today, this is about the power of you,” Hohensee told a group of about 150 participants who attended the official Community Launch of the program on Thursday – where presenters provided an overview of the program as well as encouraged local business and industry people to consider participating in the new Academy program.   “How can you paint yourself into the picture,” Hohensee asked the audience.

The Career Academy – now under construction on the SCC campus at 88^th and O streets – will offer a wide variety of career pathway courses for high school juniors and seniors.

For much of the Thursday event, participants attended various breakout sessions that focused on the major career pathways. Each session stressed that students who graduate from The Career Academy should be able to articulate into higher education but also be employable immediately.

Participants were urged to consider the “Power of You” with possible contributions for the Career Academy that could include: regular visits, speaking, panels, advising, project ideas, judging contests, one-time special event support, consumable donations, equipment funding, Academy sponsorships and more.

“This is about changing our internal culture,” said LPS Superintendent Steve Joel. “We will be talking with children about career education from the time they are in elementary school.”

Kathy Danek, vice president of the Lincoln Board of Education, noted the consistent theme of “Growing our own…growing our own construction workers, growing our own teachers…We all need to work together to make this work, because it’s good for our students, our community.”

In one breakout session, Jadi Miller, director of curriculum for LPS, said part of the opportunity is helping even elementary students see the array of potential careers. Students might asy they want to be teachers, becaues they see teachers almost every day, or professional athletes, because they see them on TV and other media.

Ag Science, for example, isn't just about a career as a farmer.

"Part of it is to help them understand what those all look like, and part of it is to get them hands-on experience and then help them see if it's something they want to explore," Miller said.

Major breakout sessions were:

Engineering: 28.5 possible dual credits

Session presenters stressed that there is an incredible shortage of engineering workers in this community – and that graduates would have incredible employment opportunities. 

Welding/Manufacturing

Manufacturing: 26 possible dual credits

Welding: 23-27 possible dual credits

Presenters stressed that 80 percent of the course experiences would be “hands-on” with real-life experiences. 

Construction: 13-30 possible dual credits

Courses in this area would cover a variety of courses that include building construction technology, electrical technology, masonry, woods manufacturing, HVAC/R technology and more

Education/Early childhood

K-12 education: 30 possible credits

Early childhood: 35.5 possible dual credits

Student outcomes for the Academy:

• Student outcome 1: Completion of the rigorous requirements to earn an LPS high school diploma.
• Student outcome 2: Earning up to one year of post-secondary credits critical for completion of post-secondary degrees.
• Student outcome 3: Progress toward industry certification.
• Student outcome 4: Depth of study in a career field…at least three courses in a single career field.
• Student outcome 5: Acquisition of Nebraska Standards for Career Readiness.

Posted on June 06, 2014

Schirmer to begin as new Zeman principal

Lincoln Public Schools has announced that Kristi Schirmer will be the new principal at Zeman Elementary School, following current Principal Donna Williams who will retire at the close of the school year.

Schirmer is now assistant principal at Kloefkorn, and has also served as coordinator at Rousseau Elementary School and taught at Rousseau and Belmont Elementary School.

Eric Weber, associate superintendent for Human Resources, said:  "We are very excited for Kristi to join the team at Zeman. Her leadership experiences at Rousseau and then Kloefkorn have well prepared her for this principalship. She's going to be a great fit."

Cindy Schwaninger, director of Elementary Instruction, said:  "Kristi brings a strong skill set to this position that will continue the Zeman tradition of partnering with families and the community, while keeping a sharp focus on academic success for all students." 

Schirmer earned her Bachelor's Degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, her Master of Education Degree from Mid-America Nazarene University and has her Post-Baccalaureate Administrative Endorsement through UNL.

Posted on June 06, 2014

Spartan Speech: A video about a program of success

For the last thirteen years, Lincoln East High School has won the Class A State Speech title. Only once since 1976 - the first year for team competitions, has East finished worse than second - and they’ve won the title 31 times altogether.

To capture a little bit of the work that goes into this successful program, LPS Communications followed two Spartan speech students, interviewing them at the beginning of the spring season, before and after districts, and after the state meet.

Trisha Miller and Danny Carraher, both juniors, share their feelings about the East speech legacy, the pressure, the fun, the speeches themselves, and the nerves that one might expect to go along with keeping such a streak a live.

When the team finishes in second place at the district meet, it adds a new layer of pressure and preparedness to their state meet prep.

Miller and Carraher are joined by Coach Matt Davis, and later by two other speech students who would win individual titles at state, in sharing the stories behind the East speech team.

State speech video clips were provided by the Nebraska School Activities Association via NET. Stills at the state meet were provided by Trisha Miller.

Posted on June 04, 2014

Students mix summer and science at Elliott

In one classroom, students were learning about solids, liquids and gases by actually mixing ingredients to create solids and liquids.

Later this month, students will get a hands-on view on more science projects.

And in yet another room at Elliott Elementary School, 225 S. 25th St., students were learning about careers in science.

And that’s the point of this summer school program hosted by the YMCA.

“Specifically, we see that kids are getting really excited about science and seeing science as a career,” said Kristi Chambers of the YMCA.

The morning portion of this summer program involves similar approaches of hands-on learning, though with an extra emphasis on reading.

About two-thirds of these 90 students come recommended by a teacher. These students could benefit most from a month of learning key concepts in reading, math and science.

Three people - who teach at Elliott Elementary School during the year - team up with eight YMCA staff members, mostly college students.

This instructional approach is more instruction based than people might realize, Chambers said.

“I think when people hear project- or problem-based learning they have a picture in their head, and it's probably not as intensive as what we are doing,” she said.

Project- or problem-based learning involves students using multiple steps or thoughts to solve real-world problems. It allows students to explore possible solutions on their own, sometimes through trial and error, and lets them learn about how things work.

The staff members receive specific training in the method, allowing them to share extra opportunities for students. Each project has a driving question, designed to ensure students understand the key take-aways for the lesson.

There are also social components to this program, Chamber said. Swimming lessons for the students provide a chance for these students to learn something new. If students attend school three out of four days each week, they get to go on the Friday field trip in Lincoln. At the end of the month-long program, the entire group can go to Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo.

For students to reinforce their learning to other staff at Elliott, the young learners give presentations on what they have learned, and how they want to improve their community.

A waiting list of students who want to attend remains lenghty. But current funds only allow for so many students, which is why attendance is stressed for those already in the program.

Posted on June 03, 2014

'Hear to Learn' group earns community honor

Beth Brady and Susan Stibal received the Community Horizon Award from the Lincoln Community Health Endowment for their work on the Hear to Learn project. Hear to Learn helps teachers and schools put sound amplification equipment in classrooms enabling more children to hear their teacher more often.

From CHE’s website about the Horizon Award: Special individuals and groups enrich our community by sharing their time, resources, and talents to make Lincoln a healthier place to live, work, and raise a family. In an effort to recognize the contributions of these individuals and groups, CHE’s Community Horizon Award was born.

Posted on June 02, 2014

LPS high schools donate books for younger students

In the Months of March and April, High School students in LPS participated in the statewide Annual Cornhusker Book drive. Supported and organized by the LPS AmeriCorps VISTA Team, the High School Students and the Staff at the LPS District Office collected an impressive 5,592 books! With all the high school’s participating, East High School donated the most books, bringing in over 800 from their school!

With the books collected, 2,000 were donated to students who receive a food bag from the backpack program, 335 were collected for preschool students, and 184 were collected for infants and toddlers in the district. The VISTA team also received a donation of 2,275 new books which will be distributed to high school students.

The additional books that were collected for adults will be distributed throughout the state as a part of our participation in the statewide drive. The LPS VISTA team is very grateful for all of the hard work that the students and staff put into collecting books for this drive.

The younger students greatly appreciated the gift of a new book before the summer, and this couldn’t have been accomplished without all of your efforts.

Posted on May 30, 2014

Goodrich builds solutions with robots, camaraderie with each other

UPDATE: The Goodrich Middle School robotics team placed 13^th in Nationals. 

Check out the video at the bottom of the page

If you want to learn how to better work with other people, you might try something like a robotics club.

Students in the club at Goodrich Middle School have learned how to program robots to do very specific tasks, how to work with fellow students who have different opinions, and, most recently, how to build a winning team and robot.

Goodrich won first place in the state First Lego League competition recently at the SAC Museum. The team advances to a national competition in California this summer, and hopes to attend if they can raise the necessary funds.

The assignment this year was Nature's Fury. Students teamed up to design a robot that would help the Smokejumpers of Missoula navigate and fight large-scale fires.

The students are judged on their robots, their quick problem-solving skills, and their ability to function as a team.

"You learn how to get along as a team," said eighth-grader Richard Sanchez. "In a school, it helps if you are going to work with someone you don't necessarily like, you have that pre-knowledge of how to work with people, how to solve problems on the spot."

The students put in many hours after school, but also enjoy working on similar projects at home. The skills they use in programming the robots, like using coordinates to determine a path requires knowing the slope formula, comes up in their school curriculum, too.

Other topics for past and future students include Senior Solutions, where students identify and create a solution for problems senior citizens face, and World Class, where students design a modern classroom for schools.

Students on the team include: Jason Vo, Keith Tran, Richard Bui, Maria Thomas, Mathew Pagan, Alex Meysenburg, Brieanna Kroeger, Andrew Anderson, Richard Sanchez and Saliman Attaie. The coach is Jesse Andres.

For more on the specifics of the events, read the Q&A with the coach conducted prior to the statewide competition.

Posted on May 29, 2014