Minne Lusa Happenings the Week of October 21

 

Every student. Every day. Prepared for success.

It is the mission of Minne Lusa Elementary School, in partnership with families and community, to provide rigorous educational opportunities in a safe and secure environment.

Greetings Minne Lusa Families and Friends!!

Parent-Teacher Conferences are this week and this is your opportunity to connect with your child's teachers. Here are a few questions you can ask during conferences to help your child be successful:

1. How do you best prefer to communicate with me? (Email? Phone? Text? Notes?)

2. What do you see as my child’s strengths?

3. What do you think are the academic challenges for my child?

4. What would you do if my child were struggling academically with something?

5. How is my child doing socially?

6. How do you support kids in their social development? For example, how do you address challenges that happen at recess?

7. Is my child on grade level for reading? What about math, science and writing?

8. How does the school handle standardized testing and prep for those tests?

9. Can we talk more about your homework practice and how my child is doing with homework?

10. What can I do at home to support what you’re doing in the classroom?

 

As we prepare for Halloween, here are a few reminders about school appropriate costumes:

No blood or gore
No face paint
No swords or weapons
Masks may only be worn during the parade on 10/31
Costumes must be worn over clothes; Students will be given time before the parade begins to put their costumes on over their clothes

For students whose families do not celebrate Halloween, we will have an alternate activity in our library and computer lab for these students.

Upcoming Dates

• October 23: No School PreK and Headstart
• October 23 and 24: Parent Teacher Conferences - Please schedule a time with your child's teacher
• October 24 and 25: No school All students
• October 31: Trunk or Treat and Fall Parties (check with classroom teacher for exact times)

Attendance Matters! 

Strive for 95

Please consider supporting our STEM Club by purchasing items from our Amazon Wish List. Items can be shipped directly to the school (2728 Ida Street, Omaha, NE 68112). Please share the link with family and friends! Click here to access our list: Minne Lusa Wish List

 

Thank you to our Friday Greeters!

Minne Lusa Daily Schedule

8:00 a.m. Administrators and Secretary on duty

8:30 a.m. Safety Patrols arrive at assigned posts

8:25 a.m. Teachers on duty

8:35 a.m. Grab and Go Breakfast begins

Students will not be allowed in the building before 8:35 a.m.

8:50 a.m. Tardy bell – Classes in session

8:50 a.m. Breakfast program ends

4:05 p.m. School dismisses

4:15 p.m. Patrols off duty

4:25 p.m. Teachers off duty

4:30 p.m. Administrators and Secretary duty ends

SCHOOL CHOICE FOR THE 2020-21 SCHOOL YEAR

January 2020, starts the annual school choice application process for the 2020-21 school year.  Students enrolled in a transition grade (last grade at the current school), will receive a school choice application. 

The Omaha Public School’s Student Assignment Plan for elementary and middle school students called the Partner Plan (grades K-8) consists of eight (8) elementary partner zones and four (4) middle school partner zones within the district.  Your residential address and corresponding neighborhood school determine your partner zone.  A student’s residence and distance to school determines transportation eligibility.  If you have had a change of address, please contact your child’s school immediately as this could impact your Partner Zone and transportation eligibility. 

Elementary Partner Zone 1	Elementary Partner Zone 2	Elementary Partner Zone 3	Elementary Partner Zone 4
Belvedere PK-5 Florence K-5 Fullerton PK-4 Masters K-5 Prairie Wind K-5 Saddlebrook PK-5 Wakonda PK-5	Boyd PK-5 Lothrop PK-4 Miller Park PK-5 Minne Lusa PK-5 Pinewood PK-5 Ponca K-5 Sherman PK-5 Springville K-5	Benson West K-5 Central Park PK-5 Dodge PK-5 Hartman PK-5 Mount View PK-5 Rose Hill K-5 Western Hills K-6	Adams K-5 Druid Hill PK-5 Fontenelle PK-5 King PK-5 Picotte PK-4 Skinner PK-5 Standing Bear PK-4 Sunny Slope PK-5
Wilson Focus will continue as a District wide Specialty School.  Families may apply to Wilson Focus starting in grade three.   Applications available through the website at wilsonfocus.ops.org or by calling the school at 531-299-2260.
Elementary Partner Zone 5	Elementary Partner Zone 6	Elementary Partner Zone 7	Elementary Partner Zone 8
Belle Ryan PK-6 Catlin K-5 Dundee K-6 Field Club PK-5 Jackson PK-6 Liberty PK-6 Walnut Hill PK-6 Washington PK-6	Conestoga PK-6 Edison PK-5 Franklin PK-6 Gifford Park K-6 Harrison PK-6 Joslyn PK-5 Kellom PK-6 Kennedy PK-5	Ashland Park/Robbins PK-6 Beals PK-6 Crestridge K-5 Gateway PK-6 Highland PK-6 Indian Hill PK-6 Jefferson K-6 Oak Valley PK-5	Bancroft PK-6 Castelar PK-5 Chandler View PK-6 Columbian PK-5 Gilder K-6 Gomez Heritage PK-4 Pawnee PK-6 Spring Lake PK-4

Middle School Partner Zones

Zone 1:  Davis (6-8), Hale (6-8), King Science* (5-8), McMillan (6-8)

Zone 2:  Alice Buffett (5-8), King Science* (5-8), Monroe (6-8), Morton (6-8)

Zone 3:  Beveridge^ (6-8), King Science* (5-8), Lewis & Clark (6-8), Norris (6-8)

Zone 4:  Beveridge^ (6-8), Bryan (7-8), King Science* (5-8), Marrs (5-8)

*King Science is a district magnet school and is therefore a partner school in each zone; however, students who live in the King Science neighborhood are in partner Zone 2 and only eligible for transportation to schools in that zone.

^Beveridge is a shared partner school in zones 3 & 4; however, students who live in the Beveridge neighborhood are in partner zone 3 and are only eligible for transportation to schools in that zone.

Visit: sap.ops.org to determine your Partner Zone and transportation eligibility.

SCHOOL CHOICE UNDER THE PARTNER PLAN

Families may apply for their child to attend any OPS school.  Approval of a request depends on the availability of space at the student’s grade level in the requested school and these priorities:

1.     Neighborhood school (guaranteed placement).

2.     Siblings residing within the Partner Zone are selected first, followed by siblings residing outside the Partner Zone (not eligible for transportation).

3.     Students residing in the Partner Zone.  OPS remains committed to diversity in our schools.  Applications are prioritized within the Partner Zone between schools with significantly different neighborhood characteristics. 

4.     Students residing outside the Partner Zone (not eligible for transportation).  Applications are prioritized for any remaining space between schools with significantly different neighborhood characteristics.

TRANSPORTATION ELIGIBILITY (The school choice application must be received by January 29, 2020)

·       Students are eligible for transportation IF they attend their neighborhood school and reside more than 1.0 mile from their elementary school or more than 1.5 miles from their middle school.

·       Students are eligible for transportation IF they attend one of their Partner Zone schools and reside more than 1.0 mile from the elementary school or 1.5 miles from the middle school.

·       Students are NOT eligible for transportation IF they attend any school outside of their Partner Zone.

EARLY CHILDHOOD INFORMATION

If your child is currently enrolled in an early childhood program and will be age-eligible for kindergarten for the 2020-21 school year, she/he will be enrolled at the neighborhood school. If you would like to be considered for placement at a non-neighborhood school, you must complete the school choice application that will be provided by your child’s current school.

KINDERGARTEN ROUND-UPS will be held in January 2020.  Please attend Round-Up at your neighborhood school based on your residential address. School Choice Applications will be available at Round-Up and throughout the month of January for families who wish to request a non-neighborhood school(s).  Round-Up dates will be posted on the OPS Web page or check the date with your neighborhood school.

MIDDLE SCHOOL RECRUITMENT LETTERS will be mailed in December to families of students currently in the last grade level of their school.  The purpose of the letter is to provide information about middle schools and their respective Open House dates.

If you have questions about the Omaha Public Schools Partner Plan or the School Choice process, please contact the Student Placement Office at (531) 299-0302.

Title I Information 

Click here to contact Mrs. Denton if you are interested in serving on our school's School Improvement or MTSS Committees.

This Title I School-Parent Compact has been jointly developed with parents and outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve the State’s high academic achievement standards.  At the annual parent-teacher conferences, the compact shall be discussed as it relates to the individual child’s achievement.

As a school, we will:

1.  Provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment to enable children to meet the challenging state academic achievement standards.

2.    Regularly communicate with parents on their child’s progress. 

3.    Demonstrate professional behavior and positive attitude.

4.    Teach in a way that embraces differences in learning styles.

5.    Create a supportive and effective environment where students are respected and feel confident to take risks as a learner.

6.    Provide opportunities for families to be involved in school decisions, volunteer in school functions, and receive strategies to help students be successful.

As a family, we will:

1.    Communicate and work with teachers and school staff on an ongoing basis to be involved and support my child’s learning.

2.    Support our child’s learning—attend conferences and school functions, volunteer in their classroom, participate, as appropriate, in decisions related to their education, and guide positive use of extracurricular time. 

3.    Make sure my child is at school every day and on time, unless he/she is ill.

4.    Support our child by monitoring his/her progress, checking regularly for school communication, and ensuring that all homework is completed.

5.    Work with the school to ensure that our child’s academic, social, and physical needs are being met.

6.    Maintain open communication with the school by asking questions about any areas of concern and informing the school about any pertinent student information that will help promote a productive learning environment.

As a student, I will

1.    Be at school every day and on time unless I am sick.

2.    Be safe by serving as a positive role model to peers and others by following all school expectations in and out of school.

3.    Be accountable for my own behavior.

4.    Be responsible by respecting and cooperating with other students and coming to school each day prepared with completed schoolwork and an attitude to learn.

5.    Read at home.

6.    Share my knowledge and news about my school experiences with my family.

Parent Right To Know Clause At the beginning of the school year, any District that accepts Title 1 , Part A funding must notify parents that they can request information regarding their child’s teacher and his/her qualifications, including certification and endorsements. Parents can also request information about paraprofessionals working with their children. Nebraska requires that Title I schools must also provide each parent a timely notice that their child has been assigned, or has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who is not No Child Left Behind qualified.

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