Oak Valley Owl Flyer

We are so grateful for the partnership with our families. We truly enjoyed meeting with families during conferences and family nights. With your partnership and involvement in your child's education, we know your child will continue to grow and learn.

Be sure to mark your calendar for the Winter Program on Wednesday, December 18. Families are welcome to attend a performance at either 10 am or 2 pm. Mr. Geraghty and the students are preparing for a great show.

During the month of December, K-5 students will participate in MAP Tests for English Reading and Math. We will use this data to celebrate growth and identify areas for improvement.

Middle school selection begins in January. For information visit: https://www.ops.org/Page/1410

25 -26 Kindergarten online registration opens December 18. If you or someone you know has a child who will be 5 by July 31, 2025 be sure to plan on registering the future OPS student next month. For more information visit: https://www.ops.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=562. OPS will send an email to current Pre-K families with directions for the parent portal of Infinite Campus to complete registration. Oak Valley will host registration help on January 23, 1:30 - 3:00 pm for incoming families.

Inclement Weather Remote Day - If a remote learning day is announced by OPS due to weather conditions, students will NOT have a live meeting. Students will be expected to complete 90 minutes of learning at home. We will send an email or SeeSaw message with required activities to complete that morning.

Congratulations to Michelle Tinnes on her upcoming retirement from OPS. Her last day will be December 20. We are so grateful for her 28 years serving our OPS families. Best wishes!

The weather is colder. Be sure your student wears appropriate clothing. Please reach out to Mrs. Tinnes, the counselor, for winter clothing resources. We go outside for recess everyday unless it is raining, snowing, high winds, or feels like 20 degrees or colder.

We encourage you to visit our website www.ops.org/oakvalley to stay up to date on important dates, lunch menus, find school related links, and the cycle day calendar.

Be sure we have your most current contact information and all health related items are given to the Health Office.

School attendance is very important. Students should attend school regularly, on time, and all day. Your child needs to attend school regularly to make academic growth. If your child is sick, please call the office, 531-299-1880, to report the absence.

School Hours:

8:35 am Breakfast doors open - Grab-n-Go breakfast in the classroom

8:45 am Arrival for students not eating breakfast / Pre-K Arrival

8:50 am School Instruction Begins

4:05 pm Dismissal

Please do not leave your child at the school before 8:30 am. There is not proper supervision. If you need before school care, please contact Kids Club to register:

https://opsfkidsclub.org/program-details/

Please call or email if you have any questions, 531-299-1880. Please let us know if we can connect you to resources to support your family. We are here to help.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Hagen

Principal

suzanne.prenger-hagen@ops.org

December

• 3 - PTA Meeting, 4:30 pm in Library
• 4 - Girls Basketball Team Game, 5:15 pm at OV
• 12 - Qdoba Night, 4-8 pm
• 13 - No Pre-K
• 18 - Winter Program, 10 am or 2 pm
• 19 - Owl of the Month Celebration, 3:30 pm
• 20 - 1/3 - No School - Winter Break

January

• 6 - School Resumes, Quarter 3 Begins
• 7- PTA Meeting, 4:30 pm in Library
• 16 - Qdoba Night, 4-8 pm
• 17 - No Pre-K
• 20 - No School - MLK Jr Day
• 23 - Kindergarten 25-26 Online Registration Help, 1:30 - 3:30 pm
• 28 - Late Start, 2 hours
• 31- Owl of the Month Celebration, 3:30 pm

Please help us create a safe dismissal. Only park and load on the Oak Valley side of the street. Only cross the street at the crosswalks. Safety patrol will be on duty after school. Crosswalks are circled in green on the map below. Thank you for helping keep everyone at Oak Valley safe.

School will begin two hours late for all students on Sept. 24 and Oct. 29, 2024, and Jan. 28 and April 1, 2025. Staff will use the time for data-driven work to improve teaching and learning across Omaha Public Schools. Because of the shortened schedule, breakfast will not be served on those days. Staff will take attendance as they do on a regularly scheduled school day. Schedule conflicts will not be considered an excused absence.

Balancing Physical Activity and Screen Time

Having a balance between physical activity and screen time is important for a child's overall health development. Heavy, passive media and screen time use have been linked to obesity, lack of sleep, academic challenges, aggression, and other behavior difficulties. Discourage watching numerous video clips. Encourage your child to be physically active for 60 minutes each and every day. Set screen-time limits. Allow age-appropriate media or media that allows them to create and problem-solve. Monitor your child’s online activities. Visit commonsensemedia.org for more information and resources to strike a healthy balance.

Did you know it takes an average of three days for students to catch up for every one day they’re absent? Omaha Public Schools is committed to working with our families to support student attendance every day, because we know every minute counts.

Our district has updated our action plan to follow state guidelines on assisting students who miss a significant amount of class time. Our student attendance team will meet with families of students who have 20 total absences, whether or not those absences are excused. The team will work with the family to create a collaborative plan to improve attendance.

You can make an impact on your student’s attendance now, and we’re here to help. If anything is getting in the way of getting your student to school, please contact your school’s principal, school support liaison, school counselor or bilingual liaison for help.

Safety is always our top priority. We are focused on providing safe, welcoming and supportive environments for our students and staff.

We are teaching all students behavior expectations from the classroom to the lunchroom and recess, or extra-curricular activities. Our Student Code of Conduct outlines expectations and discipline related to the safety and well-being of our students and staff. Consequences are designed to be a learning experience for students. Families play an essential role in promoting school safety. Regularly discuss behavior expectations and consequences with your student at home, and check in daily with your student to know what's going well and what may be a challenge.

If you or your student see concerning behavior, report it immediately to a trusted staff member at school or Safe2Help Nebraska. A Safe2Help Nebraska link is installed on all student iPads. Families can also call (531) 299-SAFE. We regularly practice our district’s Standard Response Protocol in case of emergency (fire, evacuation, severe weather and more).

Thank you for your partnership in promoting safe, welcoming and supportive schools.

Principal Email: suzanne.prenger-hagen@ops.org
Website: www.ops.org/oakvalley
Location: 3109 Pedersen Drive
Phone: 531-299-1880
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OPSOakValleyElementary

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 of Equity and Diversity (equityanddiversity@ops.org), 3215 Cuming St, Omaha, NE 68131 (531-299-0307).