External Visitation by Nebraska Department of Education for School Accreditation
The Nebraska Department of Education representative provided our district with general themes from the November 14, 2024 visit. As they presented observations from K-12 visits, they acknowledged our strengths and provided some recommendations.
Commendations (Strengths)-
Enthusiastic/empowered educators who exhibit collective efficacy and believe in their work for students.
Pride in our schools from teachers, parents, students, administration.
Dedicated teachers who hold themselves and their students to high expectations.
Educator Fulfillment.
Continuous Improvement process.
Resource investment.
Clear guaranteed and viable curriculum.
Consistency and continuity in programs.
Collaboration between the three high schools was acknowledged as a collaborative strength of note.
Recommendations -
Tier 1 Focus. Coherence within systems of school improvement. Mental and Behavioral Health
The ENHS School Improvement team presented four goals: 2021-2025
Increase % mastery on All Four Subscores on ACT Benchmarks.
Increase Daily Attendance Rates / Decrease % Chronic Absenteeism
Increase Learning by Decreasing Failures Rates
MTSSS Tier One Staff Development- Behavior System The WOLF WAY
The School Improvement team presented our national standardized scores with the action plan consisting in common pacing, curriculum, revisiting DCA and professional development around the Elkhorn Instructional Model. The EN team took some time to explain the data from the classroom observations and how that drives professional development. We showed them our daily attendance rates and plan to reduce chronic absenteeism with three years of data. We explained our early warning data with failures and our intervention systems that respond to students' needs. They saw the self-reported school improvement data on how we respond as a school to making decisions, communicating and having a process to include stakeholders in our decisions. The last goal we discussed was the Wolf Way and how we are in the beginning of the school wide behavioral supports.
The NDE team figured out that our teachers and students were the highlights of the visit and understood our community's support was a strength. As I walked them to the door, I was told that the word "family" was repeated over and over again. I said, "that is because our staff loves our students- and our students know it."
I am extremely thankful that I get to work with a team of educators who love their students and work tirelessly to give them an incredible four year academic/activity experience.
Mental Wellness and Phone Numbers:
Please know that we are thinking about your student and the transitions that occur in high school that may present as challenges to your student. Continue to ask questions and be a good listener when you are communicating with your student. When your student is struggling, unsure, anxious or feeling overwhelmed, being fully present and asking questions that can guide your decision making will help you in your next steps.
Here are some tips for talking with your child:
Be honest Be concise Be reassuring Normalize his or her feelings
Remember the four T’s (talk, touch, tears and time)
Crisis resources are also available through any of the following organizations:
Safe2Help…………………………………………………….(833) 980-7233
988 Nebraska…………………………………………………988
Boys Town National Hotline…………………………………800.448.3000
Crisis Text Line……………………………………………….Text VOICE to 20121
Nebraska Family Helpline…………………………………….888.866.8660
It’s OK to Talk…………………………………………………ok2talk.org
13 Minutes……………………………………………………..13minutes.org
ENHS Semester 1 Finals:
Elkhorn North High School will have a finals week to conclude 1st semester.
Semester finals will be Thursday, Dec. 19 and Friday, Dec. 20.
Students will take semester finals in periods 1, 2, 3 & 4 on Dec. 19 and periods 5, 6, 7 on Dec. 20
DAY 1 Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024
1st period Final ~ 8:10 - 9:33 ~ (1 hr 23 min)
2nd period Final ~ 9:37 - 11:00 ~ (1 hr 23 min)
4th period Lunch/Study ~ 11:04 - 12:30 ~ (1 hr 26 min)
3rd period Final ~ 12:34 - 1:55 ~ (1 hr 21 min)
4th period Final ~ 1:59 - 3:20 ~ (1 hr 21 min)
DAY 2 Friday, Dec. 20, 2024
5th period Study ~ 8:10 - 9:33 ~ (1 hr 23 min)
5th period Final ~ 9:37 - 11:00 ~ (1 hr 23min)
4th period Lunch/Study ~ 11:04 - 12:30 ~ (1 hr 26 min)
6th period Final ~ 12:34 - 1:55 ~ (1 hr 21 min)
7th period Final ~ 1:59 - 3:20 ~ (1 hr 21 min)
Both Final Testing days are full days of school with the regular 3:20 p.m. dismissal time.
Please encourage your student(s) to plan and prepare for successful semester exams. We created a schedule that provides students built in study times before exams. Therefore, it is countercultural to call your student out during study hall and study times and for your student to miss the opportunity to study in a quiet atmosphere with his/her teachers.
ENHS does not allow students to take finals early without principal pre-approval. Parents will be required to contact the principal about an unavoidable absence.
Senior Scholarship Information: Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation Scholarships
•Applicants must be seniors currently attending an Elkhorn Public Schools high school (Elkhorn High, Elkhorn North, or Elkhorn South).
•Review the list of scholarships offered by school to determine which scholarships you meet the requirements and would like to apply for - EPS Foundation Scholarship info
•The link to our online scholarship applications will be posted on our website (https://www.elkhornfoundation.org/scholarships/) on December 2 st.
•When creating an account for the scholarship platform, please use a unique, personal (non-school) email. Also, do not use an email that an older sibling used to apply for Foundation scholarships in a previous year!
•The deadline to submit online scholarship applications is 5 p.m. on February 3rd.
•All applicants will be notified mid-April by email.
If you have questions, please email Genice Chochon at gchochon@elkhornfoundation.org.
Please Consider Donating to the Food Drive ending Dec. 13:
Several clubs are having their annual food drive to benefit the West Omaha Food Basket Program. The drive will conclude on December 13. We are a major contributor to this cause and we hope to provide them with enough food to sustain the pantry for months. Students should bring non-perishable items to the Commons before school (7:35 - 8:10 a.m.) no later than Friday, December 13. All unexpired items are appreciated but specific needs include: canned meat/tuna, peanut butter, boxed meals, canned fruit, cake mix & frosting, and toiletries. Thank you for your support!
December MAPS Testing for Students in Math and English Support Classes:
ENHS 9, 10, and 11th graders in Math and English support classes will take the MAPS test in their core classes during a week-long window starting December 2. The teachers will communicate to the students in their support classes when the test will be administered. Students will only take two subject tests per week and each subject test is untimed and it is normal to finish in 50 minutes. The MAPS tests allow the school to analyze trend data and predicted scores on the ACT. The MAPS tests consist of reading, language usage, math and science. MAPs is different from the ACT test because it gauges the students answers and responds by providing a harder or easier question based on the previous question/answer. If the student continues to answer correctly the questions will become increasingly more difficult. When the student incorrectly answers the question on a prescribed level, it will decrease the level of question until the student answers 50% of them correctly at a certain level. The MAPS is more interactive with the students’ ability level.
All 9th and 10th grade students take the MAPS tests in the Fall and Spring. We believe the MAPs test can give us valuable data with growth; therefore, we want to test our students who receive more support with literacy and mathematics in December to better monitor their progress.
Statewide ACT Testing for Juniors– April 8, 2025:
ENHS Juniors will be taking the ACT during the school day on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, as part of the state law and Nebraska Department of Education assessment protocol. Details regarding the testing schedule will be communicated at a later date. We believe the test will take 3.5 - 4.0 hours to complete, with time before and after to complete other paperwork. ENHS will dismiss school after the completion of the tests.
PRE-ACT Testing for 9th/10th Grade– April 8, 2025:
ENHS 9th & 10th graders will be engaged in a Pre ACT test that will take around 3 hours as well with front end documentation. The dismissal time with each grade level will be different depending on the amount of front end documentation.
FAFSA Forms:
The juniors and seniors continue to prepare for the ACT tests along with applying for college admissions and scholarships. The FAFSA applications for seniors who are looking for financial aid are open and seniors should complete the FAFSA forms. Our counselors have been visiting with students about their four year plans and continue to visit with students who are needing help applying to colleges and scholarships.
2nd Semester Schedules are Available to Students on Dec. 2, 2024:
ENHS sent an email with directions for your student to check his/her second semester schedules. Second semester schedules will be available through PowerSchool on December 1.
From a mobile device: select S2 at the top of your screen.
From a chromebook/laptop: click “My Schedule”, then select the tab titled “Matrix View” at the top.
Parents and students should talk about the upcoming academic semester. It is critical for parents to have conversations with their students about taking rigorous coursework that will positively impact literacy, numeracy, critical thinking, problem solving and writing. These are foundational skills that Elkhorn North High School students must possess in order to successfully complete a college prep curriculum and advanced placement coursework. Our students must be competitive and ready for college and the workforce.
Dec. 2-5 Drop & Add for 2nd Semester Courses:
Students will be allowed to come to the Counseling Center before school, after school, during a study hall or TA Monday, December 2 through Thursday, December 5 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to discuss changing classes for the second semester.
Please keep the following in mind when thinking about a schedule change: We are unable to honor requests for specific class periods, lunch, teachers, study hall periods and removing support classes. Furthermore, many of our classes are already full. As a result, the counselors may not be able to fulfill your request.
To remove any year long classes, students will need to have a permission form signed by the teacher and parents, then schedule an appointment with me for the class to be removed. I will meet with the students and then communicate with parents and express what I believe is sound educational philosophy.
Students who are currently enrolled in English and Math support classes need to exit by a criteria related to testing data. Students were identified and placed into the support classes deliberately; therefore, the student’s performance and course level mastery figure into the exiting of the class. With drop and add coming up next week, I wanted to express my thoughts about the sustaining value of the classes and not drop a student from the class based solely on his/her wishes or level of frustration but on achievement.
I recommend that students take challenging courses that stretch them academically regardless of the impact on grade point averages. Whenever a student requests dropping a difficult class where they did not fail but felt as if the current grade of a 3 or 4 is bringing down their cumulative grade point average, I remind them that our AP courses are weighted differently than the regular courses to reward students who are taking an academic risk to stretch themselves. Colleges look at high school transcripts to see a pattern of rigorous coursework that is standard across the United States. The Advanced Placement curriculum courses are nationally approved by the College Board.
Winter Road Conditions:
When the weather and roads become hazardous please encourage your student to leave for school earlier, drive more carefully, and dress appropriately for the cold and the ice because walking and driving will be challenging for our young drivers. In the event that we are in school and it begins to snow or ice collects on the pavement, I will make announcements at the end of the school day reminding our students to take their time scraping the windshield, allow for more distance between cars for stopping and to drive carefully.
ENHS is looking forward to the year 2025 and will continue to serve the community with its mission to educate our students. Thank you parents, staff and families for making our high school a truly wonderful place for our students.
If you would like to contact me to discuss concerns, ask questions or comment, please call me at 402.289.0322 or email me at dradicia@epsne.org
Take care, Dan
ENHS Social Media
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