Masters Newsletter

Happy New Year!

As we begin the new year, we also begin a new semester. As you talk with your family about resolutions for 2025, don’t forget to include a goal that involves your child and his/her school. There is plenty of time in the second semester to make a difference in your child’s education. Be sure to ask your child for his/her ideas, too. You might consider one or more of the following:

Resolve to be sure your child is in school on time each day.

Resolve to participate in school activities.

Resolve to ask questions and communicate with your child’s teacher.

Resolve to be sure that your child is doing homework on a daily basis.

Resolve to spend time reading every night.

The resolutions listed above will help to ensure a positive educational experience for your child. Let’s make this the best semester yet!

Congratulations to Hope Hancock, Trinity Hancock, Ahmad Yasir Ahmadi, Cordell Harris-Sharif, Bradley Cook, Jacob Carbonell, Daxtyn Heywood, Carlos Gonzalez, Shukorullah Mirkhail, Cindy Mu, William Say, Karmen White, Liam Brown, Anna Dah, Justina Paw, Saw Say, Camden Harris-Sharif, Elizabeth Hancock, Bibi Mir Khail, Zekrullah Mir Khail, Elsa Yosief, Emmanuel Lambert, and Jace Heywood for perfect attendance second quarter. Cordell Harris-Sharif, Cindy Mu, Karmen White, Anna Dah, Justina Paw and Camden Harris-Sharif also had perfect attendance for first semester. Way to go, Monarchs! Students with perfect attendance second quarter received attendance bags and pencils and students with perfect attendance for first semester received t-shirts.

To support Masters' "Choose Kindness" theme this school year, we have partnered with Godfather's Pizza for their "Be Nice, Get a Slice" program. This program recognizes students who are outstanding class helpers, great friends and who choose kindness in their everyday activities, and rewards them with a certificate for a free medium one topping pizza from Godfather's. The following students were selected as December's Choose Kindness Students of the Month: TaeJahn Lane, Ava Hill-Peoples, Lila Torres, Adrianna Good, Julia Lwin, Jan Gonzales, Jasmine Rios, Riley Miraflor, Elizabeth Hancock, Jeremiah Haynes, Erabella Repogle Villanueva-Luna, Elijah Chandler, Grayson Bittner, and Rohs Ernest. Congratulations, Monarchs! Keep up the good work!

During the month of October, Omaha Public Schools updated it's plan for inclement weather days. Each time an inclement weather day is called, students will have access to review work for completion. Teachers will send communication of asynchronous lessons/activities via Seesaw or email by 8:30 a.m. These will be relevant and connected to current experiences in the classroom. These activities are not required and will not be graded. Attendance will not be taken on inclement weather days. Teachers will be available from 8:30 until 10:30 via Teams or email if your student needs support. Student iPads will be sent home when inclement weather is forecasted and should be returned to school the next day. Please reach out to the school office or your child's teacher if you have any questions.

There will be no school for all students on Monday, January 20th, in recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Enjoy the long weekend with your child(ren)!

Kindergarten Round-up at Masters Elementary is scheduled for Thursday, January 23, 2025. If you have a child who will be five years of age on or before July 31, 2025, and are planning on sending him/her to kindergarten for the 2025 - 2026 school year, please call Mrs. Gardner, our school secretary, at (531) 299-1800 to put your child’s name on our mailing list. Please share this information with friends and neighbors in our community that may not have access to our school newsletter. Please also note that all kindergarten registrations must be completed online at New Enrollment (K-12).

Join us for the Northwest High School Cheerleading Mini Camp, Saturday, February 8, 2025, from
9 am - noon. Check in begins at 8 am. Camp includes t-shirt, pom poms, and a sack lunch.
Students grades K - 4th will cheer during the 1 pm JV girls' basketball game and grades 5th - 8th
will cheer during the 2:45 V girls' game and perform during halftime. Please sign up by January
31,2025. Registration forms are available at https://tinyurl.com/3trehvac or you may stop by the school office for a paper registration form.

January 2025 starts the annual school application process for the 2025-2026 school year. Parents/Guardians of students enrolled in a transition grade (last grade at the current school), were sent an email on January 6th.

Parents may apply for their child to attend any elementary or middle school in the Omaha Public Schools. Approval of applications is subject to the availability of space at the requested school(s) and the priorities set forth in the Student Assignment Plan. Only enrollment into neighborhood schools is guaranteed.

The current Student Assignment Plan considers the student’s residence and distance to school, to determine transportation eligibility. The Plan is organized around eight elementary partner zones and four middle school partner zones within the district. The residential address and corresponding neighborhood school identify the partner zone. See the attached Student Assignment Plan for more information, go to ELEM & MID Newsletter 25-26.docx.

Fifth grade parents must complete the School Selection email form sent on Monday (1/6) or request and return a paper copy by Monday, January 29th. Please call the school office at (531) 299-1800 if you have any questions.

During the month of January, Omaha Public Schools families have an opportunity to visit middle and high school open houses before making 2025-26 school selection preferences. Open House events give students and families a chance to explore middle and high school options, meet staff members and learn about the courses and extra-curricular activities each school offers.

We encourage students and families to attend the open house for their neighborhood school as well as any other schools they are interested in attending. Open House schedules are as follows:

2025 High School Open Houses

• Benson High: Wednesday, Jan. 15, 6-8 p.m.
• Bryan High: Thursday, Jan. 9, 6-8 p.m.
• Buena Vista High: Saturday, Jan. 11, 2-4 p.m.
• Burke High: Tuesday, Jan. 14, 6-8 p.m.
• Central High: Saturday, Jan. 11, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
• North High: Wednesday, Jan. 22, 6-8 p.m.
• Northwest High: Monday, Jan. 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
• South High: Thursday, Jan. 16, 6-8 p.m.
• Westview High: Thursday, Jan. 23, 6-8 p.m.
• Career Center: Tuesday, Jan. 28, 5:30-7 p.m.

Middle School Open Houses

• Beveridge Middle: Thursday, Jan. 23, 5:30-7 p.m.
• Bluestem Middle: Tuesday, Jan. 14, 5:30-7 p.m.
• Bryan Middle: Thursday, Jan. 23, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Buffett Middle: Thursday, Jan. 16, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Davis Middle: Thursday, Jan. 16, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Hale Middle: Tuesday, Jan. 7, 6-7:30 p.m.
• King Science & Technology Middle: Tuesday, Jan. 14, 5:30-7 p.m.
• Lewis & Clark Middle: Tuesday, Jan. 21, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Marrs Middle: Thursday, Jan. 9, 6-7:30 p.m.
• McMillan Middle: Thursday, Jan. 9, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Monroe Middle: Tuesday, Jan. 21, 5:30-7 p.m.
• Morton Middle: Tuesday, Jan. 14, 5:30-7 pm.
• Norris Middle: Tuesday, Jan. 7, 6-7:30 p.m.

Omaha Virtual School Open House (Middle & High)

• K-12: Tuesday, Jan. 28, 5:30-7 p.m.

1/20 No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

1/23 Kindergarten Round-Up

1/28 Two Hour Late Start

1/29 First Grade Field Trip - Rose Theater