North High Newsletter

Greetings Viking Family,

As we begin the Spring Semester 2023, I want to provide a few reminders to support students’ success.

• Classes resume January 4th (A-Day)—students will report to Viking Time first (for 10 minutes) to get an updated copy of their schedule. The schedule for the rest of the day will go as normal.
• The building opens and breakfast starts at 7am
• First bell rings at 7:30am
• Tardy bell rings at 7:40am
• Dismissal is at 3:05pm

We appreciate your help with getting students to school on-time. Continue to contact the school if your child will be absent. See the rest of this Newsletter for important reminders about our Electronic Devices/Cell Phone Protocol and Expectations for Attending Prom. Be sure to discuss these with your students.

For families with students in 8th grade, we invite you to attend Open House on Sunday, January 8th from 2-4pm. We are excited to highlight all of the wonderful educational opportunities available at North High!

We are looking forward to another great semester of teaching and learning. Thank you all for your continued support and involvement in the Viking Community. If you have any questions, please call us 531-299-2700.

Go Vikings!

December 19th-January 2nd-----Winter Recess

January 3rd-----Teacher Planning Day; No school for all students

January 4th------All students return; 3rd quarter begins

January 19th-----Martin Luther King Day---No school for all students

Electronic devices should be out of sight unless used for a teacher directed learning activity. For students not meeting expectations the following steps will be taken:

· 1st Violation: Warning (conversation with the student)

· 2nd Violation: Parent/Guardian Contact

· 3rd Violation: Discipline Referral to the Administrator

All Viking families are invited to attend the 2022-23 Title 1 Parent/Guardian Meetings. The next meetings will take place on December 8, 2022 and February 23, 2023 from 5:30-8:00 pm. Mark your calendars and plan to come learn more about how the Title 1 Program is supporting students with their reading, math, and college/career transition needs. At the meeting in February, you will have the opportunity to provide input on the School-Parent Compact.

If you cannot attend one of these meetings, you may review all Title 1 plans, documents and information, using the link below.

Greeting Vikings,

We are looking forward to a wonderful Prom for Juniors & Seniors and their approved guests on Saturday, April 29th. Beginning Monday, November 28th, students must meet the following expectations to attend:

1. Fewer than the equivalent of 5 unexcused absences.
2. No referrals or suspensions for fighting violations.
3. No referrals or suspensions for substance violations.

The expectations above also apply to guests. Thank you for your careful attention to this matter.

Each year, the yearbook dedicates a special section for Senior Ads. Families may purchase this space to honor their senior student, whether with a collage of photos, a special message, or even a baby photo to show how far the student has come. Would you like to commemorate your student’s time at North? Please see the flyer below for Senior Ad requirements.

Each year the Omaha Public Schools conducts a Culture and Climate Survey for families, students and staff. Below is the data from the 2021-22 School Year. We know we have a lot of room to grow and are striving daily to provide the best possible high school experience for all the students in our care. Please use the QR code below to provide your feedback. Give us the good, the bad and the ugly! All of it will help us be better. Thank you in advance for your input throughout the year.

Note: Climate Survey scores are an average rating between 1 (Strong Disagreement) and 5 (Strong Agreement).

Congrats to the Matheletes for competing at the UNO Contest in October. Special mention goes out to Ella Holtzclaw and Bowen Steffen for finishing in the Top 50 in Multiple Choice. Bowen Steffen also placed 3rd in the free-response portion and 8th overall for the entire contest. Our North Matheletes were joined by Jaden Pospishil and An Pham from Burke to form "Burth." Fun was had by all.

The Math Team of Sophia Kolb, Bowen Steffen, Sofia Acosta, Nayera Abdessalam, Mani Senanayaka, Ella Holtzclaw, Azzy Carr, Yasmine Alhejaj, and Carlo Santos was back at it in November when they finished in the top half of the field at UNL Math Day. Special mention goes to Sophia Kolb for finishing in the Top 40 statewide and Bowen Steffen for finishing 11th overall statewide.

Congrats to the following students who were accepted into the 2023 All-City Music Ensembles!

Band:

Reagan Kroh, Flute

Carlo Santos, Clarinet

Evan Nolasco, Clarinet

Miciah McTizic Henderson, Clarinet

Octavius Pearson, Contra Bass Clarinet

Elyse Johnson, Alto Saxophone

Sophia Kolb, Bari Saxophone

Braylan Mosley-Royal, Trumpet

Sofia Acosta, Trumpet

Max Long, Trumpet

Phineas Ridgley, Trombone

Lavelle Henderson, Euphonium

Daniel Ramos, Percussion

Orchestra:

Hassan Whitmore, Violin

Joshua Higgins, Violin

Jennifer Francisco-Baltazar, Violin

Kyle Perry, Violin

Maria Rodriguez, Violin

Boston Jarvis, Viola

Roman Bolouvi, Cello

Ellis Yamamoto, Cello

Tyrese Walker, Cello

Bridgette Stryker, Cello

Aaron Tristan-Coronado, Cello

Joshua Bartsch, Bass

Choir:

Soprano- Jaelynn Forrest, Veronica Sargbah

Alto- Aiden Beguedou, TyTeanna Belvin, Breah Bonds, Molly Burk, Samara Hervey, Charis Randle, Chloe Riddle

Tenor- Aiden Blakely, Tyeleak Graphenreed, DaMarion Middlebrooks

Bass- Solan Bailey, Reed Swartzbaugh

Special Congrats to...

Joshua Bartsch, Daniel Ramos, and Braylan Mosley-Royal for scoring as the top players in their respective sections!

And also to Tyrese Walker for being accepted into both the Orchestra and Choir (students can only participate in one, but still an accomplishment!)

The students will perform at the Holland Center the first weekend in February with esteemed guest conductors. Please congratulate these students when you see them!

Nineteen Omaha North Nebraska College Preparatory Academy (NCPA) Scholars were recognized for excellence in Dr. Shanks’ U-PASS Classroom. Twenty-three of their U-PASS peers also received honorable mentions. NCPA is an innovative college access program that prepares eligible students grades in 9-12 for college and their future careers. These awards were based on their 2022 Fall Term participation exhibiting excellence regarding at least one of the NCPA Three Pillars of Excellence, Knowledge, Character, or Commitment. Congratulations to these Viking scholars!

Congratulations to the following student athletes on being named Academic All-State during the Fall athletic season. These students earned this achievement by having a 3.7 or higher GPA on a 4.0 scale and by being a major contributor in their activity.

Nayera Abdessalam - Cross Country

Sofia Acosta - Softball

Aidan Blakey - Tennis

Molly Burk - Cross Country

Lucas Gura - Cross Country

LaVelle Henderson - Cross Country

Ella Holtzclaw - Softball

Theodore Jones - Tennis

Ann Marie Meiman - Volleyball

Tyson Terry - Football

Nolan Venner - Football

9th Grade Team Loyalty student of the month, Angel Avalos de la Cruz

Congratulations to the 26 students who received AP Scholar Awards!

AP Scholar is granted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams.

AP Scholar with Honor is granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.

AP Scholar with Distinction is granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.

Of the 1.5 million entrants, some 50,000 with the highest PSAT scores qualify for recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program. This year, The only qualifiers in Omaha Public Schools were from Omaha North.

Omaha North is proud to announce THREE National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists: Sophia Kolb, Bowen Steffen, and Nayera Abdessalam. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for over 7,250 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring. We wish our Viking Scholars the best of luck as they continue the National Merit process.

Pictured from left to right: Dr. Nero with Sophia Kolb, Nayera Abdessalam, and Bowen Steffen)

Congratulations to Nayera Abdessalam for being the Thursday Night Lights Scholar Athlete of the Year! In addition to her academic accomplishments, Nayera is a multi-sport athlete who recently placed 14th in the NSAA State Cross Country Class A Championship with a time of 19:43. The award, sponsored by Building Omaha, is accompanied by a $3,000 scholarship.

Staff and students provided the OPS Board of Education an update on the work occurring to support the implementation of College & Career Academies and Pathways and Omaha North High School. Staff and students shared their experiences in obtaining National Career Academy Coalition Model Status recognition of their Engineering and Design Academy through and provided an overview of all our career academies. The team included Dr. Nero, Ms. Gutierrez, Ms. Porter, Veronica Sargbah, Vivian Landis, and Sofia Acosta. Way to represent, Vikings!

David Tate (10) Investigates a planarian. Planarians are a type of flatworm known for regenerating tissue. Students will cut planarians in order to observe regeneration and study cell division and regeneration.

Grade Level Eligible: Juniors and Seniors (11th and 12th grades)

Program Focus/Goal and/or Services Offered, Benefits: College Possible is a FREE program that offers support to our students on their journey to and through college. In the program, each student will receive a dedicated coach who will provide mentorship along with free ACT preparation, guidance in selecting their best-fit college, college application assistance, financial aid (FAFSA) and scholarship application help, tools to get ready for the first year of college, and much more!

Qualifications for Students to Participate: Must be a high school junior or senior; have a 2.5 GPA or greater; meet family income requirements (determined during application process); have interest in attaining a bachelor’s degree; and ready to commit to full program participation.

When Program Meets: Once a month in a large group session after school for 1.5-2 hours with their dedicated coach along with other College Possible students. There will be multiple opportunities to attend the after-school group session throughout the month. In addition, once a month individually (1:1 session – coach and student). These individual sessions can take place during a variety of times: before school, during study hall, during free periods, after school, etc. The individual session will last 30 min - 1 hour.

How to Apply: Apply online HERE!

Point of Contact (include name, phone #, and email for a person that interested families can contact): Dayana Houston (College Possible Coach) – DHouston@collegepossible.org

If you have information you would like to share in the Omaha North High School Newsletter, please contact LaDeidre Jackson via email at ladeidre.jackson@ops.org

Website: https://www.ops.org/north
Location: 4410 North 36th Street, Omaha, NE, USA
Phone: 531-299-2700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OPSNorthHigh
Twitter: @OPS_NorthHigh

To view the activities and athletics schedules and results, visit https://omahanorthvikings.com/

Email: eric.johnson@ops.org
Website: https://omahanorthvikings.com/
Location: 4410 North 36th Street, Omaha, NE, USA
Phone: 531-299-4008
Twitter: @OPS_Vikings

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 (531-299-9584).