SUPERSTAR NEWS

A big thank you to Mrs. Levy and the Fun Run Committee for planning a fantastic Fun Run! We were fortunate that the rain held off, allowing everyone to enjoy a wonderful afternoon walk/run around the neighborhood.

We will continue with the great Swanson tradition of the 6th grade Arch of Honor. We will have the sixth grade teachers lead the students out of the building for the last time on May 23rd, at NOON. Please join us on the playground to cheer and clap for our sixth graders. We ask that visitors stand on the outside perimeter of the blacktop/basketball court.

Please have your child check around the house for any school property that may have been borrowed during the school year and return it to school. Items to be searching for include library books, text books, calculators, templates, etc.

If your child will not be coming back to Swanson next fall because you are moving or transferring to another school, please let our office know as soon as possible. This is information is important to us as we prepare for fall classes.

Remember to pick up any medications you have in the health office before the end of school. All medications left will be disposed of on the last day of school.

The end of school is near! Please check your student’s lunch account to make sure there is enough money until the end of the year. There will be NO CHARGING during the last week of school. Thanks for your very prompt attention to this matter.

• All lost library books MUST be found and turned in to the library before the end of the year.

• Last library check-out day will be May 10th.

• All library books must be returned to the library by May 17th.

We are asking families to consider purchasing school supplies again for the 2025/26 school year. Attached is the list of school supplies needed for your child’s grade level. If you choose to purchase supplies, please consider purchasing a few additional items for those families who are unable to provide these supplies for their children.

Please see information further in the newsletter on how to order your supplies on-line.

Throughout the school year, as part of Westside’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) process, students are assessed in reading and provided with strong instruction to support their needs. To engage families and extend the learning for students, we are sharing ways in which you can support your child with their reading. As we enter into summer, it is important to encourage practice in the area of reading so that students maintain the skills they learned this year.

Below are some available programs in the community or resources that can be used at home.

*Top priority is simply having your child read every day.

This can include times when someone reads to or with them.

Nebraska Reads: The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) has provided an extensive list with many online literacy activities.

Free Summer Opportunities for Reading

• NDE Read-at-Home Program

• Omaha Public Library Summer Reading Program & Kids Resources

• Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program

• NDE freely available resources

• Imagination Soup: Free summer reading programs

Free Online Resources:

• Reach has interactive lessons for reading skills for grades Kindergarten through 3rd grade, as well as videos/lessons for all grade levels across a wide variety of topics including reading, math, science, and social studies.

• Storyline Online is a website that has celebrities reading stories aloud and includes activity guides for parents. Reading aloud to children has been shown to improve reading, writing and communication skills, logical thinking and concentration, and general academic aptitude, as well as inspire a lifelong love of reading.

• Storynory is a website that has audio books. It has some original stories, as well as classics, fairy tales, and myths.

• EPIC is an app that has both audio and digital picture books and chapter books. There is a wide variety of both fiction and nonfiction.

• Wonderopolis is a website that encourages children to explore the wonders of the world. A student picks a topic that intrigues them and there is an informational text that can be played auditorily, as well as a video to go along with the topic. Topics range from “What is Dragon Fruit?” to “Why Do People Like Bubble Wrap So Much?”

Summer Opportunities at Family’s Cost

• Metro Community College--College For Kids

• ABCmouse.com or Starfall.com

INTEREST & TALENT DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL LEARNERS!

The Excellence in Youth (EY) Program at Westside Community Schools provides expanded learning opportunities for students with high ability, in addition to fostering and encouraging talent development in all students.

https://secure.smore.com/n/zudmb

Jenny Henningsen

EY Coordinator

Sunset & Swanson

The Excellence In Youth Team is excited to showcase Otis M., Davis L., Oliver C., Jack P., Maddie T., Maddox S., Alice E., and Cooper F. from Swanson as the most recent recipients of the Digital Dozen award for the 24-25 school year! The Digital Dozen award is presented to WCS students who earn 12 of the digital badges from the EY Website (ey.westside66.org), which is available to students district-wide. It takes self-motivation, grit, and determination to earn these badges, and these star students should be proud of this accomplishment!

The Excellence In Youth Team is proud to showcase star student Kavin P. from Swanson as the most recent recipient of the Digital Dozen award for this school year! This is the second award for Kavin this school year. He turned in his 25th badge over the weekend!

Congratulations, Kavin!

Congratulations, Arju, on earning your THIRD digital dozen! The EY team applauds you for demonstrating grit and determination to complete 36 badges, a rare accomplishment in our badge program history. Continue to keep learning, inspiring other kids and, of course, working on badges.

We asked Arju to share some of his thoughts about the EY badges.

My favorite badge of all time the origami building is because I like folding. It is fun. What badge does the EY page not have but it should? I think we should have a Drawing Badge II.

The Swanson staff would like to extend a special thank you to Sarah Troia, Community Club president, and the entire Swanson Community Club for the outstanding support throughout this school year. THANK YOU!

Get ready for the first Swanson Field Day! The event is scheduled for Thursday May 22. The event is non-competitive and teams will be a mix of grade levels doing activities (i.e. three-legged race, obstacle course, ring toss, etc.). We will have a morning (K-2) and afternoon (Gr. 3-5) sessions. Sixth grade students will lead the groups in both sessions. Go Superstars!

Parents & guardians, we need your help. Please go to the community club website and update your information if you haven't done so. We will be doing an end-of-year clean-up of the site and would love it if you could confirm your correct information and your child's grade. This information is used for our directory and benefits you when planning a party or playdate! Please use the link below.

Thanks for your help!

https://swansoncommunityclub.membershiptoolkit.com/

We are so excited to once again be working with Countryside Village Merchants to have our Block party!

When: Thursday May 15th (Rain date: May 22nd)

Time: 6pm -8pm

Where: Center area of Countryside Village

Check out Westside Community Schools Online Breakfast and Lunch Menu! https://schools.mealviewer.com/school/SwansonElementarySchool

Email is a great way to communicate with your child’s teacher. The Westside format is as follows:

lastname.firstname@westside66.net

Sample: harr.jennifer@westside66.net

wendelin.jessie@westside66.net

Visit our web page for current information on school happenings and activities during the year. Go to www.westside66.org and click on schools and then the Swanson link.

May 6 5th Grade Field Trip

May 7 1st Field Trip

May 15 Swanson Block Party @ Countryside Village, 6-8 pm

May 21 4th Grade Field Trip

May 22 Swanson Field Day

May 23 Last day of school, 12:00 pm DISMISSAL

August 7 First Day of 25/26 School Year

Mission

The Mission of Swanson School, as a dynamic community alliance and model of innovative education, is to support and empower all learners to achieve academic excellence.

School Improvement

Swanson's school improvement goal is all students will increase reading comprehension.

Swanson's Expectations

• Be Safe
• Be Respectful
• Be Responsible

Email: harr.jennifer@westside66.net
Website: swanson.westside66.org
Location: 410 South 86th Street, Omaha, NE, USA
Phone: 402-390-6485
Facebook: facebook.com/SwansonElementary
Twitter: @swansonstars66