• October 4 - Eagles Take Flight Day
• October 12 - PSAT 10th graders (only 10th grader that registered)
  
• October 12 - No School: Parent Teacher Conferences
  
• October 13 - No School: Teacher Work Day
• October 25 - PSAT All 10th graders attend; No School for 9th, 11th, 12th graders
• November 1 - No School
  

Activities and Athletic Schedules

During the 2023-24 school year, all Central students will participate in activities that will help them prepare for the PreACT, ACT, and other assessments. This includes taking practice tests, participating in mini-lessons on key skills, working with sample questions, learning about test taking strategies, and previewing test structures. All sophomores will take the PreACT on 10/25/23. All juniors will take the ACT as the state test for on 4/9/24. Families do not need to register or pay for these exams. Our Eagles soar high with these assessments!

TECH TIME AT CENTRAL HIGH

We believe the more engaged our students are in their classes the more successful they will be. In an effort to support their growth and set a balance with technology use, Central High has established TECH TIME Protocols.

Ed Tech Time (ETT): Students are able to engage in the lesson with educational technology apps/iPad

Your Tech Time (YTT): Students are given time to use their technology for personal, school appropriate purposes

No Tech Time (NTT): Students should have all technology put away to engage and listen to the teacher or work with others.

Teachers will work with students to establish procedures and routines that align with these protocols. Students who choose not to comply will be asked to turn in their technology to their administrator. If a student has multiple offenses, it could lead to their parent/guardian picking up the technology from school.

On Wednesday, October 4, Central students will participate in the first Eagles Take Flight Day. Students will participate in a variety of activities relating to college and careers. Students in grades 9-12 will have planned activities for the day.

Please join us on Thursday, October 12, 2023 for our Fall Parent Teacher Conferences. Teachers will be available to meet with families for a 5 minute check-in between 12:00 pm and 7:00 pm. If more time is needed with a teacher you may reach out and schedule a time with them. Please arrive to Central High School by 6:15 pm to allow enough time to see all the teachers you would like to meet. We hope you can join us.

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:

Homework Help Program in the Central HS library

• 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.
  

Online tutoring platform available on-demand for all students is called Paper

• 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.

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.

Shine Bright Hygiene Kits

Central has fortunately been a receiving partner with United Way again this year in being gifted FULL sized hygiene and laundry kits (Male or Female products, and Natural/Straight Hair products). If you are interested in having your student receive and take home a Shine Bright Kit of preference, contact Ms. Hill, School Social Worker (dawnna.hill@ops.org) for information regarding picking it up, while supplies last.

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! Know about resources that aren't listed? Send them in! 2023-2024 Community Resources (padlet.org)

Our annual College and Career Fair was held on September 27th. We hosted over 60 colleges from Nebraska and the central region. There were 575 students who took advantage of the opportunity to explore life after high school. A big shout out to our counseling department for their efforts to make it happen for our students.

ACT: Seniors-do you need to retake your ACT? Juniors—want to take the ACT? The next ACT is Saturday, October 28. Students register themselves online at MyACT.org by September 22. After September 22, a late registration fee will apply. Students who qualify for educational benefits (free/reduced lunch) can receive up to 4 fee waivers to take the ACT for free. Email angela.meyer@ops.org for a fee waiver.

SAT: The next SAT is Saturday, October 7th. The late registration deadline is September 26. The registration deadline for the November 4th SAT is October 5th. Fee waivers are also available from Mrs. Meyer, room 134. Register online at SAT.org.

Central is offering a 5-week ACT test prep class by OnToCollege with John Baylor. The class starts September 25-October 23. Students can sign up for the test prep class by emailing angela.meyer@ops.org.

The Central counseling team would like to welcome everyone to the 2023-2024 school year!!

Below are the counselor assignments based on your student’s last name.

We look forward to partnering with you and your student for a successful school year.

• Ms. Sheri Harrach – Director – A, X, Z

• Mrs. Lindsey Mercado– B, E, I , K, Y

• Mrs. Leslie Hill – H, R

• Mr. Todd Hunter – F, G, T

• Mrs. Angie Meyer – College Counselor

• Ms. Mindy Morgan – J, L, W

• Ms. Diane Pfeiffer – D, O, P, U, V

• Ms. Julie Politi – M, N

• Mr. Tom Reilly – C. Q, S

• Mrs. Michelle Synowiecki – EL students

Freshman Academy-Literacy Access Event

On October 4th our Central Freshman will be traveling on public transportation to one of seven public library branches in our Omaha Community. They will be obtaining library cards and making a video promoting the library they are visiting, in addition to reading a children's book of their choosing. These videos will be edited and reviewed in Freshman Seminar Classes and then sent to OPS elementary schools within the neighborhoods of the library they visited and promoted. The libraries and Freshman teachers are excited for this opportunity for our Freshman Eagles to Take Flight and promote literacy within their communities!

Our clubs and activities are off and running! Posters are displayed in the west cafeteria hall for students to check out and get involved. Students who are involved in their school are more likely to reach their goals, stay connected and achieve higher. Please encourage your student to check out a club or activity at Central High School. #goeagles

Our EL students were given the opportunity to go to the WWII Museum in Kansas City, MO. It was a fantastic day learning about history. #goeagles

Mr. Wilson's classes had the opportunity to talk with Model T owners and see history with their own eyes. Members from the Centennial Model T Club shared their love of automobile history with our students.

It was a gorgeous night! Thank you to all of our students who were on court. They all represent our school with respect and honor. Congratulations to Alsafa and Lilliana!

OPS Student Handbook 2023-2024

Leaving School Early and Pre–Arranged Absences
Students who leave school for a doctor or dental appointment must present a parent/guardian note to the nurse before school in the morning. The nurse will verify the appointment and check the student out at the requested time.
A student who needs to be excused during the day for any other purpose, should bring a written request from the parent/guardian and present it before school to the attendance office for approved
permission to leave.
Students who know they are going to miss three or more days of school should obtain a “Pre–
arranged Absence Form” from the Data Administrator in office 139. Bring a note signed by the parent/guardian explaining the reason for the upcoming absence, dates of the absence, and a phone number where the parent/guardian can be reached. The Data Administrator will verify the note and provide assigned form for the student to take around to teachers. As teachers sign the form, the student should request homework. Return the form to a secretary or the Data Administrator in office 139 once all teachers have signed it.

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.

If you would be interested in any volunteer or donations, SignUpGenius will be posted soon.

Our next PEP meeting is on October 9, 2023 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.