![page background](https://cdn.smore.com/_fr/vintage38.8f9e37b7.jpg)
Standing Bear Elementary
Monthly News
April, 2024
Staff Shout Out Link
Take a minute to let staff know they are appreciated. Use the QR Code or Link below:
Message from the Principal
Greetings Standing Bear Families,
We are officially on the count down for the 2023-24 school year. The last few months of the year are very busy with lots of fun activities, testing, and finishing up all projects. Please make sure you are reading all communication from your child's teacher.
We have Spring MAP and NSCAS testing coming up this month. Teachers will inform you when your child will be testing. Please make sure that they get enough rest the night before. Remind your student that these tests are VERY important. Students need to put forth their best effort to show all the progress they have made this year.
End of the year CARNIVAL- Please consider volunteering some of your time to help at our school carnival. Even if you only have an hour to give, that would be super helpful. Below is a QR code or use the URL to sign up. It is a great event and we want it to be successful...so we NEED YOU!
Grant Winners- Please see the exciting information below!
Book Blast- We are trying to find a fun way to get more books into our student's hands. If you are interested in participating, we will be launching this next week. See information below. Additional information will be sent out each day. Let's get some good reading in this summer!
Take Care
Stay positive, patient and flexible!
Sincerely,
Bridget O'Melia
We are so proud to receive a 2024 Casey’s Cash for Classroom grant in the amount of $50,000.00! These funds will help us improve our school playground and make it a more enjoyable place for all students.
Mr. Woitalewicz and his fifth-grade class started this grant writing process in September. He and Mrs. Maser, school librarian, had students in grades K-5 contribute to this grant writing process by writing a persuasive letter to Casey’s. This grant would not have been possible without the students support!
We cannot wait to get started! Thanks, Casey’s! #HereForGood
Meet our newest Standing Bear Therapy Dog, Bear!
Hello Families!
I have some exciting news for our class! We will have a new, four legged member joining us soon. My dog, Bear, and I are a certified Therapy Dog team. Bear is certified with his AKC Canine Good Citizen and certified as a Therapy Animal through Alliance of Therapy Dogs. He has passed multiple tests and is insured to be at school. His job will be to greet students, provide motivation and bring joy and smiles to our classroom. He will come a few days a week and always be on a leash in my hand. Therapy dogs provide multiple benefits to students in the classroom. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out! Below is a picture of Bear.
Sincerely,
Jordan Heng, Second Grade Teacher
Click below to access the Sign up sheet
Book Blast
Attention, adventurers! Our Book Blast event starts next week where we will set off in search of treasure to build our students' home libraries. Follow the steps on the Treasure Map coming home next week to embark on an epic quest to earn exciting prizes and books. 🗺️🌟
@go.booksarefun #bookblastadventures #bookblast #booksarefun #literacy
Links for Book Blast
- Registration Link: http://bookblast.booksarefun.com/StandingBearES68116
- Community Contribution Link: https://tinyurl.com/StandingBearCommLink
- HOW TO REGISTER VIDEO FOR PARENTS: https://www.bb.booksarefun.com/how-to-complete-ps
Time to enroll your Kindergarten student for the 2024-25 School Year
Climate Survey
We care deeply about our students and families. Your feedback makes us better and stronger.
Please take a moment to complete the Culture/Climate Portion of the Parent Voice survey. Students from grades 5-12 will receive the survey, too.
Your responses are completely anonymous, and we use them at each school across our district to focus on improvement.
Here’s the link: www.TinyURL.com/OPSParentVoice.
Thank you for your time. We appreciate it.
Middle School Information
BUFFETT:
Buffett Middle
Welcome to Middle School Night
Apr. 11, 2024
5:30 AM - 7:00 PM
BEVERIDGE:
Our information regarding our Registration night is attached.
If students want to register on their own with their parents, they are more than welcome to and then do not need to attend the registration evening.
All information can be found on the padlet link below including our course catalog and registration form.
Registration Night Flyer - Attached
We will have translators available on April 11th for Spanish speakers to support as the padlet is in English.
Link to Padlet: https://padlet.com/BeveridgeCounseling/BeveridgeCourseSelection
KING SCIENCE:
We are hosting a registration event on Saturday, April 6th from 9am - noon and would love for as many students to attend (with their devices!!) as possible.
Please make information available to families using this link.
Additional Information in case you missed it...
Per the Student Handbook regarding drop off
Students can NOT be dropped off prior to 8:30am unless they are registered to attend Kid's Club. Staff members are not on duty until 8:35am. It is not safe to have students unattended in the morning. Safety of students is our top priority.
Traffic Flow & Safety- There can NOT be double lanes during drop off or pick up on Taylor street. There should be a single line coming from the east and a single line coming from the west. Do NOT create another lane on Taylor to enter onto school grounds. Please be patient and follow the guidelines so we do not have any accidents.
Student Placement for 2024-25 School Year
As a staff, we will be working on sorting students for next year sometime in April. This is a very detailed and specific process to make sure classrooms are balanced and students are placed according to their strengths and needs. Therefore, I will not be taking requests for specific teachers for next year. You definitely know your child the best, so if there is a situation, concern, type of teacher, etc you feel your child would benefit from, please send me an email with that information. We will place them to the best of our ability and take into consideration your email.
I appreciate you trusting us that we will place your child in the best possible classroom. Fortunately, the staff at Standing Bear are all high quality instructional leaders and caring teachers. If you wish to send an email to me regarding next year, please send that before the end of March so we can have that information when we start the sorting process.
Thank you in advance for your understanding.
Upcoming Events....
April:
April 3rd- Paraprofessional Day
April 5th- 4th Grade to Lincoln
April 5th- 5th grade to Schramm
April 8th- Assistant Principal Day
April 9th- PTO Meeting @ 6:30pm
April 11th- Outdoor Movie Night
April 12th- No school for students
April 15th- Kindergarten Roundup (new students visit classrooms) 10am-11am
April 15th- No school for students
April 18th will be the Girls on the Run Practice 5k
April 24th- Administrative Professional's Day (Our school secretaries)
April 25th—1st grade to The Rose
April 25th—4th & 5th grade music program 2:00pm
April 30th—2nd grade to Fontenelle Forest
May:
May 1st- Principal's Day
May 2nd—5th grade to The Rose
May 3rd- School Lunch Hero Day (our cafeteria workers)
May 3rd Third Grade goes to The Rose
May 6th-10th- Teachers/school staff appreciation week
May 10th- Drama performance
May 10th—Kindergarten to Gifford Farm
May 14th- PTO Meeting @ 6:30pm
May 15th—Fun and Field Day
May 17th- School Carnival
May 22nd-Last Day of School
Specific details for events will come out closer to the event.
This list is complete as of today. Events will be added as necessary.
You can always check back for updates and check the PTO postings. Thank you!
Message from the School Counselor
Standing Bear's Therapy Dog is making lots of new friends. Students LOVE to see and interact with Juliet.
Congratulations for having PERFECT attendance for 3rd quarter!
Message from the School Nurse
2024-25 Kindergarten
Now is the time to make an appointment with your health care provider for your child’s 5 year-old check-up and immunizations. A copy of the physical exam dated after 3-1-24 and immunizations will need to be on file at Standing Bear. Please have the Dr’s office fax to 531-299-2158. If you have questions or would like to check that we have received this information.
Julie Frazier, RN, BSN
Standing Bear Elementary (M, T, TH)
Head Start Nurse (W,F)
P: (531)299-2142
F: (531)299-2158
Attendance
- Contact the main office if your child will not be in attendance or late
- If you will be picking your child up early for any reason, please call the office 5 minutes ahead of time
- If the dismissal procedure for your child has changed (another person picking up, no bus, etc.)
- Please provide a doctor note for any appointments so we can mark the absence as medical and excused
Phone: (531) 299-2140
Fax: (531) 299-2159
Nurse Fax: (531) 299-2158
School Meals Program
Please note these updates regarding the school lunch/breakfast program:
- Nutrition Services provides a second chance breakfast bag for students who don't arrive in time to attend the regular breakfast meal. The bag contains everything a student will need to focus on learning. Visit your cafeteria manager for details.
For the 2023-24 school year, the Nebraska Department of Education has determined the following meal prices:
- Students: Due to CEP, no cost to students enrolled in Omaha Public Schools and attending a school that provides breakfast and/or lunch
- Adults and Visitors:
- Breakfast: $2.75 per meal
- Lunch: $4.60 per meal
- Ala-carte prices are available at each school
- The cost of an additional milk or a milk to add to your home lunch is $0.50 per carton.
Standing Bear PTO Information
Website and App
We have a new website and app. We hope you like it! Make sure to check it out and get your student added to the directory! Directions on the image.
We would love for you to join the PTO too ($10), but that is not required to add your student. The directory is only available to those that are connected to the school and sign-up, it is not public.
Important Information from Standing Bear
Building Security
For the safety and security of our students and this building, anyone entering the building must stop in the office first.
Drop Off Zone
We ask that you please continue to pull all the way down to the second crosswalk if possible (by main front doors). We can then unload around 10 vehicles rather than 5.
We currently have a school staff member assisting your child to breakfast or the classroom at the main doorway for all student’s morning arrival. REMINDER: School doors don’t open until 8:35 AM for classroom entrance and breakfast opening hours.
We ask again for you not arrive for end of school day pick-up until 3:55pm to prevent traffic flow congestion issues .
Please be attentive and cognizant of all school crossing guard officials and adhere to their requests during student morning drop-off and pick-up times. Our goal is to ensure your child’s overall safety.
School Blackboard Communication
We will be using Blackboard for mass communications to families. All newsletters, updates and reminders will be sent via email or text. Please make sure to contact the office if you need to update your contact information.
Birthday Celebrations
We ask that only non-food items be brought for birthday celebrations. Please check with your child's teacher to discuss day and time for treats to be dropped off.
Arrival Reminders
- Drop off is 8:35AM, that is when breakfast is open and staff are on duty
- Please have student(s) ready to get out when you pull up
- Pull all the way down if able
- If you need to get out to assist your child, go into the parking lot lane not the main drive
- If your student is NOT eating breakfast they need to enter through the main front doors rather than the cafeteria doors
- Grab and Go Breakfast- If your student is eating breakfast, they need to enter the building through the cafeteria doors. They may enter through the main front doors if they choose not to eat the district provided breakfast.
Dismissal and pickup
When parents pull onto school grounds, outside staff will input your family number to indicate that you have arrived. Classroom teachers will get your student(s) ready to dismiss. How this works- We will enter your Family Number into a form, this will be visible to classroom teachers in the building and they will dismiss. Students will be dismissing out the main front doors staggered based on your arrival time. Students will NOT be dismissing out any other doors.
It will be extremely helpful if you let your student(s) know your preferred lane for pick-up. This will help them know to look for you in the main drive or the parking lot lane. Once your student(s) are loaded, you can pull out of the pick-up line to leave.
What you will need at dismissal:
- You will need to place your car hanger number on your rearview mirror so it is clearly visible to outside staff.
- You will need to pull all the way down to the front door (as cars move ahead, you move ahead) if you are picking up on the main drive, pull all the way down to the front main entrance or up to the vehicle in front of you. If you are picking up in the parking lot lane, you will still need to pull all the way forward. ALL students will exit out the main front doors.
- We will call your student(s) out as you arrive, continue to pull forward whenever possible until all your students are loaded.
** Kindergarten students- dismissal will remain the same for parents who walk up to get kindergarten students. If you are choosing to drive through for pick up, parents will still pull up like all other vehicles with their family number visible.
** Early Childhood will remain the same. Parents will need to park and come check out their child.
** Walk up parents- A staff member will be located out front, you can provide them with your family number so teachers are aware you are ready to pickup. Your student(s) will then be dismissed. Parents do not need to enter the building. If you need to go into the building to pick up your student, you MUST stop at the office for a visitor badge and to sign the check out sheet.
** Each family will receive 2 car hangers. If you would need additional ones, please contact the office. It is imperative not to lose your issued designated car hanger numbers. Please clearly display upon arrive so there is no confusion to expeditiously release your child for pick-up.
WE WILL BEGIN DISMISSAL (ENTERING NUMBERS) AT 4:00PM. PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE AT SCHOOL BEFORE 3:55PM TO PREVENT AN INITIAL BACKUP. The line moves very fast once we begin the dismissal process.
Thank you for everything!
Early Pickup for Students
If you are picking up your students early for a doctor appointment, etc please call the office at least 5 minutes ahead of time and we will have you child ready to go at the designated time. Parents will need to come into the office to check out your student(s).
Student Safety
Safety remains our top priority in the Omaha Public Schools. We now have a Visitor Management System to ensure we are provided the most secure environment. Visitors will need to ring the outside doorbell. Once the secretary answers, she will verify your student's name and visitor's name prior to opening the front door. If the visitor's name is not in our system, they will not be let into the building. We ask that you understand that it may take a few minutes to gain access into the building while the secretaries verify your information. Please make sure you have updated contact information and that your emergency contacts are current.
Visitors will need to use the kiosk to get a visitor badge. This will require you to get a photo taken and use the printed visitor badge with your photo.
Large events such as holiday celebrations, music programs and family nights will not require the same check in process. Entrance into these events will be monitored by staff.
Bridget O'Melia, Principal
Email: bridget.omelia@ops.org
Website: https://standingbear.ops.org/HOME/tabid/36/Default.aspx
Location: 15860 Taylor Street, Omaha, NE, USA
Phone: 531-299-2140
Omaha Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, age, genetic information, citizenship status, 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 address inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Superintendent of Schools, 3215 Cuming Street, Omaha, NE 68131 (402-557-2001).