

OLC-Month 7: February 1, 2024

February 1, 2024
2024-2025 GIPS Preschool Registration
STARTING MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2024 families interested in preschool for the 2024-2025 school year may register using the steps below.
New Students
Children living in the Grand Island Public Schools District and are 4 years old on or before July 31, 2024 or who will be 5 years old on or after August 1, 2024 are eligible to register. Children who are 3 years old in Special Education are also eligible to register. Enrollments are prioritized based on a variety of factors and needs.
- Complete online registration at https://www.gips.org/registration.
- Instructions for online registration are available in English and Spanish.
Current Students
All current students who will be returning to preschool for the 2024-2025 school year must register through the online portal: https://www.gips.org/registration.
If you have any questions or need assistance with the process, please call the O'Connor Learning Center at (308) 385-5655.
Requirements for Preschool:
Children must be 4 years of age but no older than 5 years of age by July 31, 2024. If your child is 5 before July 31, 2024, you must register them for Kindergarten at your neighborhood school. There is no fee to attend the Grand Island Public Schools Preschool Program. All children and families living in the Grand Island Public School District are eligible to attend the GIPS Preschool Program. Enrollments are prioritized based upon a variety of factors outlined in the Nebraska Department of Education Rule 11.
Thank you for your interest in Grand Island Public Schools Preschool!
Mark Your Calendars!
🚫No School on the following dates:
- February 15th, 2024 (Conferences in the AM) and February 19th, 2024 (Plan & Prep Day)
- Students return on Tuesday, February 20th, 2024.
Early Dismissal:
Students have early dismissal on February 12th, 13th, and 14th:
- AM: 10:20am
- PM: 2:30pm
- If student is at a full-day school: 2:15pm
Read Across America Spirit Week
February 26, 2024 through February 29, 2024
- Monday: Rainbow Day- Wear as many different colors as you can today.
- Tuesday: Crazy Hair Day- Colored hair, bed head hair, you choose, creativity welcome!
- Wednesday: Favorite Character Day- Dress as your favorite character, shirt or costume.
- Thursday: Cozy Up and Read Day- Wear your pajamas to school today BUT remember to wear shoes for outdoor/gym play.
Birth Certificates
Please provide a copy of your child's birth certificate to the front office.
Per the 2023-2024 Early Childhood Education Parent Handbook (linked at the bottom of this newsletter), State law requires that a certified copy of a child’s birth certificate be used when enrolling a new student in school.
If your child is registering with Grand Island Public Schools for the first time, you may obtain this document from the Bureau of Vital Statistics in the state in which your child was born. Assistance in obtaining birth certificates may be obtained from Health Records Management, P.O. Box 95065, Lincoln, NE 68509-5065 or online (Click Below). There is a fee per certificate. If you need assistance obtaining your birth certificate, please contact the school office.
Your child’s birth certificate must be received within 30 days of the start of preschool. If it is not received, your child may not be able to attend preschool.
Parent Hangout on February 24, 2024 from 5pm to 7pm
Join us for our Third Parent Hangout on February 24th at the O'Connor Learning Center!
Please join us with the added perks of free food and childcare. This month's hangout we will have fried chicken with sides, desserts from Sam's club, and other goodies. Hope to see you there!
School Day Hours
OLC, Starr Elementary School, and Lincoln Elementary School
AM Session: 7:50am - 11:20am
PM Session: 12:00pm - 3:30pm
Monday- Thursday
No class on Friday
Howard Elementary School At Door 10
Arrival: 7:50am - 8:00am
Class: 8:00am - 3:15pm
Monday - Thursday
No class on Friday
☎️🕗ATTENDANCE REMINDERS🕛📝
What is a 10-day Attendance Letter?
Parents/Guardians will receive an attendance letter once their student has missed 10 days of school.
We know there are a wide variety of reasons students are absent from school; if your child's absences have medical documentation please provide them to the office secretary, as this would change the absence coding.
Your School Principal and Social Worker are able and willing to help you identify barriers and supports available to overcome challenges. Please contact your child's school Principal and/or Social worker if you've received a 10-day letter or are nearing 10 absences, as collaboration is key in making sure your child receives the best academic/social-emotional support possible.
GIPS Family Wellness Resources
CareSolace
CareSolace provides mental health and substance abuse care coordination support. CareSolace also helps link families to therapy providers more quickly and efficiently.
With a network of thousands of providers, CareSolace will help families and staff find the right help at the right time, 24/7/365, at no cost. They will connect people with providers accepting all medical insurances, including Medicaid, Medicare, and sliding scale options for those without insurance. They can help through several languages, too.
Here is our custom website for families and staff to connect to mental health support: https://caresolace.com/site/grandisland.
Our school social workers or counselors (and soon nurses and school psychologists) can also help families and staff with warm handoffs or help get connected more quickly to mental health supports.
We will have this service through August, so please take advantage and encourage families to take advantage of this opportunity.
ParentGuidance
Grand Island Public Schools is excited to partner with the Cook Center for Human Connection and their website ParentGuidance.org. This is a mental health resource for parents and provides parents a trusted place to go for real answers, to find support and real help for their children.
This FREE resource offers parents access to licensed therapists delivering different courses for parents on topics like living with a child with depression, identifying anxiety, coping with grief and loss.
The four parts to this service are:
1. Monthly GIPS-Specific Webinars - Hosted Monthly on Zoom @ 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
- Register in English: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4N9fmFVMQ32zFeTcHy27og#/registration
- Register in Spanish: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IURD299aRDyuGOo_T4VtKQ#/registration
2. Parent Coaching Sign in to ParentGuidance.org
- Click on “parent coaching” to sign up for a trained parenting coach then select “Register for Coaching”
- Coaching is just what it sounds like; one-on-one help with a trained coach, helping you face issues with yourself or your family.
- Coaching is free and confidential.
3. Online Parenting Courses In ParentGuidance.org,
- Click on “Courses” select over 50 Free courses in the privacy of your own home.
4. Ask a Therapist In ParentGuidance.org,
- Click on “Ask a Therapist” to review therapist responses to Frequently Asked Questions submitted by parents, or submit a question of your own.
Want to read to your student but afraid you don't know what areas to target?
Try the method that is being used in the classroom: Three Reads.
The 3-read protocol is a simple and effective way to promote early literacy skills in preschool children. It involves reading a book three times to engage children in the story, encourage comprehension, and enhance their overall reading experience.
Before you start reading, take a moment to review the book. Look for opportunities to ask questions or comment on the story and pictures. Think about the key vocabulary words you want to introduce. Find a cozy, quiet spot with good lighting where you and your child can sit comfortably. Remove distractions to help your child focus on the book.
Each read should be, at most, five minutes long.
The three reads can be completed in the following methods (varies per family):
- One sitting
- Once when child leaves for school, when they return from school, and after lunch/dinner.
- One read before a snack, another while eating the snack, and the third before they go play with their toys and/or outside.
- Once after dinner, another at bedtime, and the third in the morning before leaving for school
Click below for some helpful information regarding the Three Reads Protocol and Acquisition Skills.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
What is it and how to apply?
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a literacy program founded by the iconic country singer that provides free age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five, fostering a love for reading and learning. To enroll and receive free books, parents or guardians can sign up for the program in participating communities, ensuring that young children have access to quality literature to encourage early childhood literacy.
Parenting Tips
Boystown Helpful Parenting Tips, Guides, and Tools
Conscious Discipline Tips
Need helpful discipline tips? Click below for more information.
Parenting Classes offered in Grand Island
Strengthening Families Parenting Class being offered at Knickrehm Elementary
Starting Thursday, February 22nd from 5:15pm to 8:00pm.
THE EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAM IS TAUGHT THROUGH AN 11-WEEK SERIES, AGES 7-17.
The sessions are one evening per week on Thursdays at Knickrehm with childcare and dinner is provided. Click below for more information.
Common Sense Parenting from Boys Town (for parents/caregivers with children aged 2-24)
The Common Sense Parenting Program originally designed for parents of children ages 6 to 16, but an adaptation for parents of toddlers and preschoolers is also is available. A session is comprised of 6 weekly, 1 1/2-hour sessions led by a credentialed trainer who focuses on teaching practical skills to increase children's positive behavior, decrease negative behavior, and model appropriate alternative behavior.
The class is provided via Zoom.
Cost: $90.00
Currently only available in ENGLISH.
Circle of Security (for parents/caregivers with children aged 0-5)
Circle of Security™Parenting is an opportunity to join other parents just like you, for an 8-week class where you’ll learn to:
• Strengthen your relationship with your child
• Be present with your child during the best and toughest of times
• Recognize your child’s needs and make sense of his or her behavior
• Meet your child’s needs by being bigger, stronger, wiser and kind
Circle of Security is an eight session parenting series geared for parents and caregivers of children ages 0–5. The series aims to help parents and caregivers be the best of themselves for their young children.
Who should attend: Caregivers for children – Hall County residents
Location: Ombudsman Learning Center 2300 N. Webb Road Suite 110
Cost: Free to Hall County Residents
How to register: Email Nikki2458@gmail.com with Contact Info
Helpful Links/Resources
Grand Island YWCA
The GI YWCA has an array of programs available to the public. Please click below for more information.
Childcare Search Database in Grand Island
Are you in need of childcare? Click below to search around your area for childcare:
Kids Workshops at the Home Depot
Kids Workshops take place from 9am to 12pm every first Saturday of the month. Register online for their workshops to secure a spot today.
Need help with applying for Medicaid?
Heartland Health Center (HHC) has community navigator Kendra Ramos who can help families apply for Medicaid insurance. For more information please contact Ms. Ramos at (308) 379-5451 or KRAMOS@HHCNE.ORG
Free English Classes in GI
Want to work on your English? Join the Literacy Council of Grand Island for their FREE Conversational Class every Sunday at the Grand Island Public Library from 2:00pm to 3:00pm. It is open to the public!
Contact Information
Phone: (308) 675-3292
Website: www.giliteracy.org
Heartland United Way
Click below to see the most updated Heartland United Way Resources available in town.
Central Nebraska Community Action Partnership (CNCAP)- Project THRIVES
The goal of the THRIVES program is to provide rapid re-housing for the homeless to address the characteristics of rural Nebraska. Assistance is provided to help the participant obtain affordable housing through limited financial assistance and maintain housing utilizing the case management services provided.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Click below if you'd like to learn more or apply for SNAP.