• February 12, 2024 PEP Meeting
  
• February 19, 2024 No School President's Day
• March 1 & 2, 2024 Spring Musical Mama Mia!
  
• March 11-15, 2024 No School Spring Break
• March 19, 2024 Freshman Experience-The Lion King 7:00pm
• (need to meet expectations and permission slip to attend)
  
• March 21, 2024 Parent Teacher Conferences 12:00pm-7:00pm No School
• March 22, 2024 No School Teacher work day
  
• April 9, 2024 ACT for Juniors report by 7:40am
  
• April 9, 2024 No School for Freshman, Sophomores and Seniors only
  

Activities. Performing Arts and Athletic Schedules

24-25 OPS Calendar (NEW)

Counselors have begun the registration process for 2024-2025 classes. Parents should ask to see their student's registration materials and review class selections.

Schedule:

Current 11th graders to be 12th graders- January 30-February 8

Current 9th graders to be 10th graders- February 9-16

All juniors will participate in state testing on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Freshmen, sophomores, and seniors will not be in attendance on April 9.

This week, juniors are creating their MyACT accounts, and all students are using ACT Online Prep to complete a full-length, timed practice test in each ACT subject.

2/6 or 2/7 – English Test (70 questions in 45 minutes) in English classes

2/8 or 2/9 – Math Test (60 questions in 60 minutes) in math classes

2/12 or 2/13 – Reading Test (40 questions in 35 minutes) in English classes

2/14 or 2/15 – Science Test (40 questions in 35 minutes) in science classes

Kaplan's Top 5 reasons for taking a practice ACT include lowering test anxiety, obtaining baseline data, building testing endurance, learning test-taking skills, and raising test scores.

All CHS students have unlimited access to high quality ACT prep software. Login at http://onlineprep.act.org. Students use their OPS email address as their username and their student ID number as their password.

Good luck to our students taking the national ACT this Saturday and to our juniors who are preparing to take ACT for state testing on April 9! Families of sophomores, now is a good time to start thinking about registering for a summer ACT. More information may be found at https://www.act.org/ and in Central’s Counseling Department.

External Community Resources

Looking for extra supports for your family? Wish you knew about community resources in our greater Omaha area? Ms. Hill looks to compile known community resources in her Padlet, that is available for your access. Check it out and see if there is a community resource that looks to serve you and your family! New resources include supports for tax preparation, diaper days, legal supports, and more.

Know about resources that aren't listed? Send them in, Ms. Hill would be happy to add them. 2023-2024 Community Resources (padlet.org)

The NEST

The NEST is a basic necessities closet, housed on campus to help students access resources they may need for supporting their best version at school. If your student needs access to visiting the NEST for school supplies, toiletries, clothing, etc., please have them connect to their assigned Counselor, or Ms. Hill, School Social Worker.

The NEST is currently accepting donations for belts, gently used/new winter boots, and sweatpants/leggings/joggers (all sizes, and genders). Please reach out to Ms. Hill today about connecting for a donation drop off! Cash donations are also tax deductible and welcomed for supporting our students' ongoing needs.

External Screening Inventory Requests

Dear parents/ guardians of CHS students. As you look to support your student, we know that you connect to external providers that sometimes wish to survey teachers for their observations and feedback. If you are working with an external physician that wishes to have this completed, please reach out first to School Social Worker, Dawnna Hill at 531-299-5637 or dawnna.hill@ops.org. The SSW helps to have you sign a Release of Information that allows for the observations and feedback to be provided directly back to the Physician. And, the SSW will help to have the teachers complete the inventories in the timeline needed for your student's next appointment. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need support with this coordination.

MAT K-12 Ride FREE

Did you know, your student can ride to and from school for FREE through the Metro Area Transit bus or ORBT? You can download the app or look online for the trip planner to get routes and information from destination A to destination B. Bus Times - MyRide OMA (ometro.com) Allow this to be your primary or backup form of transportation for school. You can even practice the route on a weekend or a day off, to make sure that they understand how it all works. Keep that student ID handy, in case the bus driver asks for school verification. Need a student ID? Have your student ask their Eagle Time Advisement teacher about requesting a new or reprinted ID.

The Omaha Public Schools is proud to offer many advanced academic offerings for students in each our high schools. Dual Enrollment, IB and Advanced Placement Exams provide students the opportunity to earn college credit or college placement while they are in high school. Students who graduate with college credits are often able to save significant amounts of time and money when they enter college.

The following classes are eligible for dual enrollment with UNO this semester:

• AP Calculus BC 2

• AP Chemistry 2

• AP Comparative Government

• AP US Government

• AP English Literature

• IB Environmental Systems in Societies

• AP German

• AP US History

• Honors Differential Equations

• Honors Creative Writing

• Honors Intro to World Religions

• Principles of Education and Training

Students apply at applydual@unomaha. The application and parent approval are due by February 23.

If you have questions, ask your student, the teacher of the class or Dual Enrollment Coordinator, Mrs. Angie Meyer email angela.meyer@ops.org

Juniors--optional ACT Test prep class starts February 26.

Class meets for 5 weeks on Mondays from 3:15-5:15 PM.

Seniors,

Did you know the Central High School Foundation will award $215,000 in scholarships this year to graduating Eagles? The Central High School Foundation is excited to announce 77 scholarship opportunities to The Class of 2024! Scholarship applications were distributed this fall, by the CHS Counseling Department to all seniors.

The Central High School Foundation also awards each year a Female and Male Student of the Year Scholarship. These winners are each awarded $2,500! You can fill out the Student of the Year Application online by clicking on this link: https://chsfomaha.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Student_of_the_Year_Application_fillable_2024.pdf Please print the completed application and mail it to the Foundation office address noted on the application or email to foundation@chsfomaha.org .

**Do you have a teacher who deserves to be named Teacher of the Year? Fill out the Teacher of the Year Application online by clicking this link: https://chsfomaha.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Teacher_nomination_form_fillable_2024.pdf Please print the completed application and mail it to the Foundation office address noted on the application or email to foundation@chsfomaha.org . **

Go Eagles!

Seniors and parents can create their username and password, called the FSA ID (Federal Student Aid ID) at www.studentaid.gov

Help for students and families to complete the FAFSA form will be available from EducationQuest and College Counselor Angie Meyer. EducationQuest will be at Central on February 15, March 7 and 28. See your counselor or Mrs. Meyer with questions.

Central Art students, Ella Jaksha and Ava Manhart were nominated for the 18th Annual Omaha Entertainment & Art Awards in the Outstanding Youth Visual Artists category.

• There were only four nominees in the entire Omaha/Council Bluffs metropolitan area.

• Trophy winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Feb. 18th at the Holland Performing Arts Center.

• Ella's and Ava's artwork will be on display at the OEAA Visual Arts Showcase hosted by Roberta and Bob Rogers Gallery at 18th and Vinton streets from February 2nd through February 24th.

• April 5-7, 2024 IB Art Show at The Bancroft Gallery.
  

• April 26, 2024 Senior Art Show at the Central High Media Center from 4-6pm. Every senior currently enrolled in an art class will have an artwork on display.

On February 1st, we were honored to have Karla Avila-Juarez grace us with her presence and wisdom. As the HR Director at Immigrant Legal Center, Karla shared her remarkable journey of mentorship. Karla's honesty resonated deeply with our Central Mentors and Mentees. Her insights into the transformative power of mentorship, coupled with her candid reflections on the importance of seeking guidance when needed, left an indelible impression on all of us. Karla's authenticity served as a beacon, reminding us of the invaluable role mentors play in our lives and the courage it takes to ask for help. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Karla for her inspiring words and commend her for her unwavering commitment to empowering others through mentorship.

We invite all parents to sign up to be a member of PEP which is Central's parent organization. Central High School prides itself on having a very supportive group of parent volunteers, and we always welcome more! Your membership dollars are our principal source of income and allows us to support the Central community. Additionally, if you plan to volunteer in any capacity at Central High, you must be a member of PEP so that you are covered under our personal liability umbrella.
Thank you for helping support Central! We encourage everyone to SIGN UP HERE for a PEP membership for only $15.

Our next PEP meeting is on February 12, 2024 at 7:00pm in the Central High School Library.

Merchandise can be purchased at http://omaha-central-hs-pep.square.site

Please contact us at omahacentralhspep@gmail.com if you have any questions.

• Sign Up for Parent Teacher Conference volunteers and donations will be coming early March.

• NEW DATE for March Meeting: March 18, 2024 at 7:00pm in the Central High School Library

•Packet – if this is the first time, this school year, playing a sport, then you need to fill out the OPS Packet. Get the packet in 139.

Athletes MUST have an eligibility card to tryout.

•If you played a fall and/or winter sport, you do not need to fill out the packet again, but you do need to get a new eligibility card for the spring season

Starting Monday, February 12 see Ms. Adams in 139 for an eligibility card:

• Before School from 7:15 am - 7:35 am
• Lunch Period from 11:15 am – 1:30 pm
• Office 139 will be CLOSED 1st Block, Eagle Time, 2nd Block, and 4th Block

Students who wish to participate in after-school sports for 9th through 12th grade are also required to have a sports physical. The physical can be done on or after May 1 of the upcoming school year. For more information, please contact the coach or Mr. Locken, Athletic Director.

Sports Physical Forms

Spring Sport/Activity Coach - contact about preseason conditioning.

• Baseball--Mr. Kreber gerald.kreber@ops.org
• Boys Golf--Mr. Larson brent.larson@ops.org
• Boys Soccer--Mr. Webster nicholas.webster@ops.org
• Boys Track&Field--Mr. Reynolds wayne.reynolds@ops.org
• Girls Track&Field--Mr. Lodge trent.lodge@ops.org
  
• Girls Soccer--Ms. Gillespie jgillespie10@msn.com
• Girls Tennis--Ms. Kuskie melissa.kuskie@ops.org
• Unified Track--Ms. Sharpnack jamie.sharpnack@ops.org
  

2023-2024 Activities and Athletic Schedules

Central High School and the Omaha Public Schools offer academic support outside of the school day to our students. Students are welcome to take advantage of the following supports:

• This is an open-door program available to all students. No reservation is required to receive tutoring: "No sign up; just show up!". It is staffed by Central teachers in the core subjects and funded by the Central High School Foundation.

• Tutoring is available in the library from 3:15 to 4:15 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
• The program also funds essay help on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings in rooms 229 and 235.
  

• Through online tutoring with Paper, students in grades 3-12 have access to:

  • 1:1 live chat tutoring sessions with experts
    • Support in 200 subjects
    • Available in English, Spanish, French and Mandarin
  • Expert review of written work (essays, creative writing, poetry, lab reports)
  • Hundreds of resources and activities for families support students at home
  • Interactive shows and activities to expand learning beyond the classroom
  • Students can access online tutoring seven days a week via the Clever dashboard on their iPad until 11 p.m.

• Our district works proactively to make the best decision possible when winter weather or emergencies require us to adjust our regular learning routines.

  Our toolkit of alternatives includes the following options:

  • Remote Learning Day
  • School Closure (no remote learning, schools are closed and district offices remain open)
  • District Closure (no remote learning, schools and district offices are closed)
  • Late Start (two-hour delay)
  • Early Release (two-hour early dismissal)
    
    

  On a Remote Learning Day, teachers will contact students through email, Seesaw, Teams or Canvas with independent learning activities by 8:30 a.m. Teachers will have virtual office hours from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. if students and families have questions or wish to visit with the teacher about their academic progress. Attendance will not be taken on Inclement Weather Remote Learning Days.

  Whenever possible, our district will announce changes to a daily routine the night before. However, we know weather conditions and other emergencies can develop rapidly and a decision the morning of a school day may be necessary. When that happens, we will communicate as early as possible in the morning.

  We will follow our communication routines. If weather, power outages or other circumstances force a change to our normal day, we will communicate directly with all staff and families. That communication will be through email, text message and phone call. Families should ensure their contact information is current in Infinite Campus. We will also share the information on our website and through local media.

Completing this form online or on paper can give you access to many student and family opportunities. See the links below.