1.  Under budget for construction at LPS District Offices – For more information: Scott Wieskamp, director of Operations, swieska@lps.org

The new Lincoln Public Schools District Offices are almost finished and construction costs are under budget.  The goal was to build this building without using any tax dollars – “and I believe we accomplished that,” said Scott Wieskamp, director for Operations at LPS.

The total funding for construction, furnishing and equipping the building is estimated at $18,752,387 – covered mostly by insurance money and sale of some of the original office site for limited commercial use, Wieskamp said.  That total does include additional funds of up to $330,000 to fully furnish and equip the building.

“This is an awesome job,” said School Board member Kathy Danek.  “We built the actual building under budget – and required some additional funding to furnish. Has anyone ever tried to replace the loss in your home?  This is just a great story to tell…We have made many, many conservative choices here.”

“This is built like our new schools as an 80-year-old facility,” said Superintendent Steve Joel.  “We were at a point with our old District Office building when we would have been forced to spend at least $4 million to retrofit it.  This new building actually saves taxpayer money.”

Projected Revenue Sources

• Travelers Insurance Settlement: $14, 850,000
• Continuum Partners Land Purchase: $2,314,735
• Continuum Partners Site Development Contribution:  $580,000
• Lincoln Electric System Green Incentives: $250,000
• Non-Restricted Building Funds (expansion of lower level):  $425,000

Total:  $18,419,735

Projected Project Expenses

• Site and Building Costs: $15,863,210
• A/E Professional Services and Reimbursables (architects, engineers, consultants): $1,140,754
• LPSDO Demolition and Removal Costs:  $344,543
• Building Permit: $78,795
• Geotechnical/Thermal Conductivity: $25,445
• Contingency:  $100,000

Sub-total  $17,552,747

• To fully provide Furnishings, Fixtures, Equipment:   $1,199,640

Total:  $18,752,387

2.  New security director hired at LPS – For more information: Mary Kay Roth, director of communications, mkroth@lps.org.

Joe Wright – currently a captain with the Lincoln Police Department – has been named the new security director at Lincoln Public Schools in an expanded role for the position.  Wright has worked with the Lincoln Police Department since 1986.

“We received over 60 applications for this position, many of whom were experienced in safety and security,” said Nancy Biggs, associate superintendent for Human Resources.  “As a career police officer, Mr. Wright brings with him an existing relationship with first responders in our community.  In addition, he is often the media contact for LPD so brings this experience to LPS.”

3.  No quiet times at LPS this summer: Summer school programs underway – For more information: Jane Stavem, associate superintendent for Instruction, jstavem@lps.org. 

LPS is alive and hopping during the summer months, offering a broad range of programs at schools across the community.

This summer students are attending a variety of programs.

Key offerings:

• A six-week session at Lincoln North Star High School for high school students grades 9-12: May 30-July 11.

• Special Education Summer Programs will focus on meeting the individual needs of students.

• Summer elementary literacy/numeracy programs.

• Middle school instrumental and vocal music camps for middle school students.

• A  summer technology program for upper elementary and middle school students.
• Various library media centers are open at selected hours across the school district.

4.  Board of Education to discuss 2013-14 budget at Tuesday work session– For more information: Mark Shepard, associate superintendent for Business Affairs, mshepar@lps.org

The Lincoln Board of Education will discuss the development of the 2013-14  budget at a work session scheduled at 6 p.m. Tuesday (June 18) at Hawthorne, 300 S. 48^th St.

Other meetings scheduled to gather feedback and discussion for the budget include:

• A second Budget Work Session:
  • 6 p.m. July 16 at Hawthorne, 300 S. 48^th St.

• Two Community Budget Forums:
  • 5 p.m. June 25 – County City Building (prior to a regular Board of Education meeting)
  • 7 p.m. June 26 – Lefler Middle School, 1100 S. 48^th St.

• Budget Public Hearing: August 13 – County City Building (prior to a regular Board of Education meeting)

5.  Moving plans finalized for LPS District Offices – For more information: Mary Kay Roth, communications director, mkroth@lps.org.

Construction continues on time and under budget for Lincoln Public Schools District Offices – with moving plans set this summer.

• LPSDO employees will move into the building over the first three weekends of July 2013.
• The new facility will offer more open spaces, conference rooms, natural light and “green” features.

6.  Career Center recommendation in the hands of Lincoln Board of Education – For more information: John Neal, assistant to the superintendent for General Administration and Governmental Relations, jpneal@lps.org.

The Lincoln Board of Education discussed a recommendation last week to develop and establish a high school career center for the school district, a facility that would feature blocks of career-related classes to match the specific employment and job needs of the community.  The Board will take a final vote in July.

“This is the culmination of work we started last July – and lots of work has gone into this project,” said Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent Steve Joel, citing the great number of campus visits, collaborations, cooperation from Southeast Community College, the State Department of Education and the business community.  “It is about making a difference in connecting kids to tangible, meaningful and purposeful learning…making a difference in their lives.”

The Career Center would provide opportunities for students who are planning to go on to college, or who are looking into more immediate careers and employment – helping them plan for their lives after high school, said John Neal, associate superintendent for Governmental Relations and General Administration, who made the  presentation to the Board.

The Career Center would be open to all high school students in the community and likely will aim to serve 1,000-1,200 students for morning, afternoon and evening sessions. It would be located on the Southeast Community College campus and operate through a collaboration of LPS, SCC and other community partners.

“This is one of the greatest ideas I’ve seen come along in a very long time,” said Jack Huck, president of Southeast Community College,  “preparing the work force of the future, and doing the best we can for our young people…Your potential partner in this venture, Southeast Community College, is fully on board.”

The facility is estimated to cost $25 million, with LPS funding about half that amount – and the additional investment shared with other partners.

Readers were asked for their ideas on the proper place for parents to participate in homework. Here are a few thoughts:

Homework is practice.

AUTHOR Kristin K

DETAILS It was a hard lesson for me to learn to stay out of my child’s homework. Teachers need to see what sort of mistakes kids make when doing their work. That’s the only way they know how the child’s learning is going. When you practice a skill, like learning to play the piano, you make lots of mistakes. And those mistakes are okay. It’s how you learn. The same is true of homework. We need to encourage our children to be okay with mistakes. It is part of the learning process. When homework gets hard, don’t give. Keep trying. Ask questions.

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Comments

Comment 1 By Susie C

It gets easier to stay out of my kids’ homework the older they get… I do not understand it. It is important to take interest in their homework by asking them about their classes and any outside of class work they have, having your child teach what they are learning to you as well as helping them study for tests. My four kids are in the kitchen as I type trying to name as many countries as they can because one of the siblings are learning them in HS geography class. They are ‘laughing’ about what they can (and cannot) remember

Comment 2 By Rob M

Great topic, great idea. This fits with what many researchers are finding about the positive impact of “real” practice (practice that includes feedback, and teachers/students USING feedback). My two favorite books about this right now are Carol Dweck’s “Mindset” and Paul Tough’s “How Children Succeed”

Ask lots of questions and provide lots of time...

AUTHOR Randy G

DETAILS Homework is an opportunity for a child practice skills or apply new learning to a situation. Parents should ask lots of questions and provide time for the child to ponder what’s being asked. Periodic check-ins to ensure that that they’re still focused is key but it’s THEIR homework, not the adult’s. If after a period of time, it’s apparent that they have no idea or aren’t willing to do the work, write a message on the assignment detailing what happened or email the teacher indicating how the child’s the level of effort or confusion impacted that evening’s work.

The key is instilling a sense of ownership in the child’s own homework. Providing adequate time and good space to work is the first step.

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Parents have an obligation to be active in their child’s learning

AUTHOR Suzanne S

DETAILS I feel strongly about parents being involved in student learning. Parents should be able to access the information about homework in order to better assist their child.

We are doing a disservice to students by NOT counting homework as part of the grading process in middle schools. parents fight a constant battle of explaining the importance of doing it any way so the information is learned and absorbed, but when a 12, 12, or 14 year old mind hears “it does not count” they think, “then I am not doing it” This is setting children up for failure as they enter high school and it is suddenly switched. Please reevaluate this process!!

If parents had the ability to see what the homework assignments were possibly through the Pinnacle System, it might make it easier to get involved and ensure students are completing the assignments.

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Comments

Comment 1 By Diana M

I agree. Additionally, parents need to actually look at their kid’s homework. I think we need to be the first people to see if our kid is grasping a concept, if our kid is making the effort to complete homework CORRECTLY, to see if our kid is studying for a test. It is not the teacher’s job to get our kids to complete assignments- it’s ours.

I think parents need to provide consequences for not doing homework or for failing grades when the fault is the kid’s lack of preparation. I know parents often think it’s the teacher’s fault- but really teachers do not have the same kind of influence a parent can have on student effort and behavior. The Buddy Room and Safe Seat are not going to exist in college or the real world- there isn’t a boss alive that will allow an employee to routinely show up late, do a poor job, “forget” the job, need constant redirection etc.

Our kids need real world understanding. Parents need to work WITH schools as a united front for educating our kids.

Comment 2 By Bradley M

I think everything a student does in school or for homework should count as a graded assignment so their is none of “It doesn’t count!” and just letting the kids off easy with poor study habits for high school.

Comment 3 By Dorothy J

Remember parents can require kids to do homework even if it is not part of the grade. When my son was getting A’s on his math tests, there was no need for him to practice doing the homework. However when he began getting B’s or C’s, I told him he had to start doing the homework as he obviously needed to practice the math skills he was learning. This has helped him.

Did you teach your kid to walk, talk, ride a bike…?

AUTHOR Diana M

DETAILS Are you going to teach your kids how to drive a car? Have the “talk” at the right age? Help them learn how to fill out job applications, cook, do laundry, balance a checkbook, budget their earnings/gift money? Then you should also be active in helping teach your kid through being available for homework.

Teachers cannot force our kids to do homework, study for tests, give their best efforts. They can encourage our kids- but only parents have the right or power or whatever to say “No homework done? No phone.” Or whatever it takes for the kid to grasp that their education is important to their parents.

(At the average national cost of over $100,000 from K to 12, it should be of the utmost importance to every parent.) Check your kid’s homework. Make them fix it if there’s an obvious lack of effort or if you can’t read it without a decoding device. Help them if they need it- give them extra problems to practice. Give them a dictionary, make them use it. It’s good for them- and you.

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Comments

Comment 1 By Journey L

I don’t believe homework should count for a grade. Homework is a learning experience, and if you’re going to mess up and get a 0 out of 5 for it, why do it at all? The only reason I do homework is when I know I’m going to get a good grade on it – or I at least have a shot at it. But if it’s hard and I already know i’m not going to get the points that will help my grade, I see no point. It should be encouraged, yes. But mandatory? No.

Comment 2 By Diana M

I understand your reasoning. However, when there is no reward (points that can carry your grade if you bomb a test) and no risk (no loss of points for failing to complete an assignment), there is no incentive to do the practice- the homework. High school kids might take homework more seriously- but middle schoolers? Eh- not so much. If a kid builds three years of a bad “I-don’t-do-homework” habit, it is hard to change a mindset in the freshman year of high school- when stuff counts towards college.

There is a middle ground somewhere- Maybe make each homework assignment completed at 80% accuracy worth a point of extra credit to be applied towards the tests? Then you have reward- with the risk applied to poor test scores if a student has not bothered to do the homework.

Homework should be done independently by the student.

AUTHOR Patti N

DETAILS Parents can “help” when students are young by setting up a study time & place. If student doesn’t know what to do–parent could give an example but the student should do the rest on their own. If student is truly struggling parent needs to note this on the homework or contact the teacher so he/she knows. When perfect papers come back because of parent “help” the teacher doesn’t know when there’s a problem.

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What about the HS level curriculum you don’t know / remember?

AUTHOR Zachary B

DETAILS When the subject matter turns to statistics, chemistry or even world literature, how do you help your students if you don’t know the subject area? Tell them to ask their teacher, or find a way to help?

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Comments

Comment 1 By Diana M

I went through this myself when I was in high school. No matter how hard I tried, I could not grasp geometry- neither did my parents. With the help of a couple of classmates and weekly tutoring/study group sessions (10 or so hours a week), I went from failing to a C.

My folks knew they couldn’t help- and knew that the teacher wouldn’t be able to commit that much time to extra help for me- but a really great classmate was my ticket to passing that class.

Comment 2 By Bradley M

Well if you don’t know it you have already greatly reduced the students success in school and possible of college. It is prove that smarter parents’ kids are more likely to do well in school and go to college. So if this is the case it is the parents fault.

Comment 3 By Nancy F

The question didn’t refer to how they would do in college if the parents could or couldn’t assist. You may know all the answers to your children’s homework, but please brush up on your proofreading skills.

A good friend of mine has his PhD in Physics and teaches it at the college level. His parents? Oh, dad owned restaurant franchises and mom is the administrative assistant to the president of a billion dollar corporation. Could they have helped him with physics homework, should he have needed it? Nope. Does this set their child up for failure? No. Not having the answer is another opportunity to problem solve with my child to find or get to the answer. Teaching them HOW to think is just as important.

Readers were asked for their ideas on how to improve the prom experience. Here’s what was suggested:

The Idea: Change Up the Music

AUTHOR Journey L

DETAILS A month or so before prom, have the organizing committee get a list of music approved by the principal (junior-senior vote beforehand). Then, put the new list up to a vote. Use those lists in general for when music is not requested. After that, provide a list of the final, unchosen music up for requests. While giving the DJ some room, this also keeps out music that will cause half of the dancers to retreat to side tables and make final decisions of when to leave.

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Comments

Comment 1 By Malinda B

At the school where I was prom sponsor, the kids could make suggestions about the music they wanted to hear when they voted for prom royalty online. (They did not get to request music at the dance–everything was done ahead of time). All of the suggestions were passed to the DJs who chose songs that received multiple votes first and filled in with other songs suggested. They also advised us about songs that we should avoid due to inappropriate lyrics or they would edit some more popular songs to remove certain words. We worked closely with them to have a mix of genres as well as mixing up the slower and faster songs. When kids complained, we told them that every song was from a request list from the students. That really cut down our issues with the music. Did every song make every kid happy? No, but there were always plenty of kids out on the floor.

Comment 2 By Doug D

I really like Malinda’s idea. It surprises me how kids these days appreciate so many different genres of music, unlike in my day when you only had the choice of “rock” or “soul”.

Yes, I’m old!

The Idea: Make it attainable for all!!!!

AUTHOR Jill E

DETAILS Not sure how to do it but I know when my kids were in school for my kids it was a great expense to go to prom…tickets for prom and tickets for post prom, not to mention tux, dinner and flowers. Then for my daughter it was nails, hair, dress and shoes. I think our kids are trying to follow what they are see in TV and trying to out do each other. Not all students (or students parents) have the ability to pay for a tux or dress it should be more about getting together and dancing and having a good safe time. Kids dance the same in $40 jeans as they do in $200 dresses and tuxes.

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Comments

Comment 1 By Journey L

Can you further explain the actual idea behind this topic? What are you trying to change?

Comment 2 By Journey L

I’ll quickly further explain my confusion. I recently attended the Lincoln North Star prom, and there were definitely people in jeans and button-ups, and I don’t believe anyone was REQUIRED to wear dresses, get their nails done, buy new shoes… etc.

Comment 3 By Zachary B

Journey – I don’t know that we are trying to change anything, but we do want to know if others have great ideas for making prom a more memorable experience for all, to make it less costly, and more inviting for all. Ideally people would share ideas, like you have below.

The Idea: Accessibility

AUTHOR Mike M

DETAILS I don’t know how one puts less emphasis on the excessive grandeur society places on prom. The pricing of a prom ticket is reasonable because it’s three hours of music, dancing, and safe, supervised fun. The expenses kids add by renting buses, limos, and buying expensive clothing, make prom unattainable. How do we put more focus on charities that provide reduced prices on used dresses instead of buying the exclusive, one-of-a-kind dresses? More focus on simply driving your car to prom? More focus on just having a special time as opposed to an evening that costs more than a graduation party? Knowing this isn’t a district problem, the community is going to have to help on this one…

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Comments

Comment 1 By Karen W

How about having a “dress down” prom just like there are “dress down” Fridays. Not everyone chooses to dress down but it could be encouraged. When Homecoming dances were held right after an evening or late afternoon football game, almost everyone wore whatever they wore to the game. Few stopped at home to change completely. Now Homecoming as become a fall prom!! A “dress down” prom would have to be encouraged by student and staff leaders … be sure to include parents in the effort.

Also, could medium and low cost restaurants be encouraged to give prom discounts? This would have to be a district effort because not all proms are the same night but show-your-ticket-get-a-discount would help bring down the cost of meals or get two entrees for $20, etc. Another alternative, parents could serve a nice “table-clothed” dinner at school (purchased tickets) before the dance. Just some food for thought!

Comment 2 By Diana M

I can think of three dresses in my closet that a girl could wear to prom. That being said, what about a “dress lending event”- there must be a bunch of women in Lincoln with semi-formal to formal dresses in their closets that could be lent out (or maybe even given?) for an evening. It would take some community coordination- but I think it might work.

Offer “valet service” so to speak- someone to park the cars of the attendees. Have the junior class handle the admin/paperwork/key guarding and maybe get a few parents to volunteer to park cars. (I have no idea what the insurance issues might be…)

Readers were asked for their ideas expanding Distance Education via video conferencing and similar technology.

Readers suggested teaming up with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to expand the offerings open to students. Another suggestion to use the online model to ‘Flip The Classroom’ was met with some support and some apprehension about the Khan Academy model.

But a few readers expressed excitement that more video conferencing could be done to expand course offerings.

Rethinking the School Library was a popular topic, and it appears a group of students were eager to share their ideas, which included:

• Keep books, but add touchscreens so students could ‘flip’ through options to check out;

• Adjust lighting and color scheme to make it more natural, more relaxing, more engaging;

• Create different spaces for socializing and working;

• Do more co-location libraries with City of Lincoln;

• Better computers, and better options for students who bring their own laptops;

• Larger space, better layout, better use of space.

For a few days after a snowstorm and snow day this winter, we asked about the timing of school closing announcements.

If the decision to close school was made in the morning, readers preferred by 5 a.m. (51 votes) then 6 a.m. (44 votes).

For an evening announcement, the overwhelming favorite was to make a decision by 10 (65) or sooner (20 at 9 p.m. and 17 at 8 p.m.).

Eighty-six readers at ConnectLPS felt students were Mostly Safe or Very Safe when attending school. Only two felt they were Not Very Safe.

There were also similar opinions on what security steps should be taken at LPS schools.

Fifty-four out of 88 voters said they didn not want the front door locked, but 73 out of 88 said they did want to be asked to show identification when visiting.

Addition mental health services and additional resource officers wre the top two choices for readers’ first priority for student safety. When asked about their second priority, the same two choices were the top vote getters, with their order flipped.

First Priority

More resources for providing students with mental health services- 35 votes

Add additional resource officers to schools – 34 votes

Video cameras in six high schools – 14 votes

Video cameras in 38 elementary schools – 3 votes

Video cameras in 11 middle schools – 2 votes

Second Priority

Add additional resource officers to schools – 35 votes

More resources for providing students with mental health services – 27 votes

Video cameras in six high schools – 13 votes

Video cameras in 38 elementary schools – 8 votes

Video cameras in 11 middle schools – 5 votes

Readers were asked to submit their own ‘Big Ideas’ for schools, and others could comment and ‘second’ the idea.

IDEA: Ask LPS schoolkids for feedback on school lunches

This was followed up with seven comments on the issue, with two of those comments from Edith Zumwalt correcting a few misnomers, and reminding people we get feedback from the 24,000 school-lunch-eating students everyday based on their comments and their food choices.

Seconds: 17

IDEA: Stand Up for ‘Specials’

The idea is that students could enjoy physical activity and some specials

Seconds: 10 with a few comments.

IDEA: Flip the Classroom

The idea is that LPS adopt Khan Academy techniques where the lesson is taught by video, saving classroom time for hands on practice of the concept explained in the video with the help of a teacher. So homework would become classroom-work.’

Seconds: 8

IDEA: Building Green

The idea was to use straw bales in new building construction. Other people commented on more common ‘green ideas’ such as worm bins and rain barrels.

Seconds: 7

IDEA: Year-Round School

The idea was to extend the school year by shortening the summer break. The writer admitted costs would be an issue, but encouraged LPS and the state to start a discussion to move toward year-round school. Others added comments in favor of it and against it, the latter talking about disrupting family life and the lack of interest in such a school calendar tried in Ralston Public Schools.

Seconds: 6

IDEA: To go back to closed campus for high schools except for seniors

This one drew the ire of students and defenders of students with 10 comments. Most cited given upperclassmen a chance to show responsibility.

Seconds: 4

IDEA: Community classrooms

Here’s the idea: I would love to see students (less than 8 or so) be able to study all around the city. Teachers would facilitate learning activities in authentic environments. Students’ school days would be spent at museums, libraries, nature centers, and the like. They could shadow real-life employees and learn with hands-on experience. Worksheets and silent work time would be replaced by personal reflections, collaboration, and thorough investigations.

Seconds: 3

Here are Ideas that drew less response

Focus on helping students become lifelong learners

Motivating students (NeSA tests)

School within a Middle School

Changing Board of Education Districts

Readers were asked various questions about LPS Athletics, particularly in regards to their attendance and their interest in watching online webcasts of high school sporting events. For this summary, unless otherwise stated only the adult (non-student) responses were used. There is not a large enough population sample size to make this scientific, but it can give us a sense of what the public is thinking in terms of the questions asked.

1. Which high school do you most affiliate with?

- Southwest had 45, Southeast had 25, Lincoln High had 23, and the rest 4 each

- But 64 percent of people said they are interested in more than just their home school.

Audience Type and interests

Community member (Not a parent) – 8 total

- 1 attends more than 10 events a month

- 2 attend 3 to 9 events

- 3 attend 1 or 2 events

- 2 attend no events

Parents of former LPS student-athlete – 9 total

- 1 attends more than 10 events a month

- 3 attend 3 to 9 events

- 4 attend 1 or 2 events

- 1 attend no events

Parents of LPS students but not athletes – 9 total

- 1 attends more than 10 events a month

- 1 attend 3 to 9 events

- 1 attend 1 or 2 events

- 6 attend no events

Parents of LPS student-athletes – 76 total

- 14 attend 1 or 2 events a month

- 39 attend 3 or 9 events a month

- 23 attend more than 10 a month

Parents of LPS student-athletes – 11 total

- 4 attend 1 or 2 events a month

- 1 attends 1 to 2 events a month

- 1 attends more than 10 a month

- 5 attend no events

12 people who are not parents of a current student-athlete said they would watch a HS sporting event online now or in the future when they had a student-athlete in the family. 19 of those same people said they would not. So about 35 percent of this audience would watch online.

Of the 46 adults, 28 (60 percent) said they would still go to games even if it were available online. Thirteen adults (28 percent) said they would like stay home to watch some or all of the game. Others gave conflicting answers.

About half of all people who consider their student a future student-athlete in high school attend no sporting events currently. That leads me to believe this is a potential audience target, and given that these are LPS families, there are current ways to reach this audience (Community News, take-home fliers, student-athletes at school events, coupons for free or reduced admission prices, camps and clinics).

132 out of 174 students and adults said LPS Athletics playing surfaces (fields, gyms, etc.) were pretty good or great (75 percent). Only 10 people said the facilities were Just OK or Not Very Good.

Here is a summary of the suggestions received on how to get people to attend more ballgames (not the best, not the reasonable, but a summary of suggestions received):

Lower prices

Lived closer to Seacrest

Would go if they had kids or grandkids participating

Knowing more about the student-athletes

Additional seating

Family oriented pre and post game

Family price / pass for large families

More awareness of game times

Better game times so they don’t conflict with work hours

If all children were allowed to play, not just practice

Improved school spirit

Phone app alerting fans to game times

Cheaper or free passes for staff

Better weather!

Offering babysitting services during games

Easier access to all sports passes

More spirit at games

Better faciltities for the handicapped

If gate money went to the host school

These are all the responses on the question regarding to the best part of athletics.

Having my child be a part of a team

Keeps the kids involved. It builds pride in themselves & their school. Starts or builds on healthy habits for life. Teamwork, the face to face, constant communication kind, is still important in our electronic world. Also builds some critical thinking skills-think faster than the opponent.

i like the level of competition and the friendly rivalries between schools

Keeps the students continuing in school

Emphasis on everybody play, good sportsmanship.  Do not like the inequities between high school teams due to students choosing where they want to attend.

Gives most kids a chance to participate in a sporting program.  Builds self confidence in kids.

Just another way to build good relationships with other students and teaching team work and hopefully good sportmanship.

It keeps our student healthy (physically & mentally); encourages him to set goals & prioritize his time. It also encourages teamwork, friendships & problem-solving techniques.

My son is on the cross country and track teams.  I really appreciate that, on cross country, all students are welcome to participate. Coach Nebel is fantastic and really inspires the runners.

Exposure

Being a part of a team, working together, learning a skill

At LHS all athletes have the chance to participate I do not feel that is true at all schools.

The way the athletes perform they seem to be giving their best

Keeps students involved in extra curricular activities.

Team spirit, friendships, discipline, competition

Helps develop life-long skills in many areas of development.

Experience to participate and contribute and learn.  All the good reasons folks play sports, teamwork, leadership, contribution, etc.

The fact that my son is working out and being healthy and being part of the school community. Activities are very important for him to stay engaged and connected and have a sense of belonging and pride about his school.

Gives the student an opportunity to be part of a team and learn to compete

I only know about football and wrestling. I think the wrestling program at LSW can’t be beat. It’s like a family, everyone is treated equal and the coaches genually care about each person!!

The fact that it is not “pay for play”.  I think all students should have the opportunity to try athletics if they so desire.

being part of a team – positive environment – support from classmates

Keeps kids active

exercise, exposure to other students, time management

I enjoy the interaction of the kids, and getting to know the parents.  I think it’s a great way to help the kids find smaller communities of students to interact with.

The feeling of community that is established within teams.

That our kids learn strong skills that will help them in the adult world such as being a team player, cooperation, listening to authority, learning how to goal set, time management, good health behaviors, learn how to deal with failures to strengthen themselves to do better next time, how to move beyond their comfort zones to learn and that our coaching staff supports and encourages that!

the dedication to concussion testing

“Playing sports with people you have played sports with their whole life.

The focus it provides for school involvement.”

They are competitive but kids can choose to participate at lower levels.

The ability to develop a sense of community and teamwork amongst the student athletes and their families, while also developing inner strength through competition.

The ability to learn perseverance, sportsmanship and teamwork.  The idea of setting goals and working towards them.

They offer a wide variety of sports from basketball to trap.

the team building

I don’t know yet

Students get similar equipment and it brings students together

It allows kids to feel part of something, a team.

first, should the question above be Parent of former LPS athlete? I will always be a parent, not a former parent……on to this question.  That so many different students get a chance to connect to something and participate.

The best part about Lincoln High is that most any kid can go out for a sport and at least try it. Not as likely at other Lincoln schools.

Building Community

Affordable to participate

It gives the kids a chance to grow as young adults. It teaches them leadership and structure.

kids can be  very competitive while still showing good sportsmanship

The continued support of the parents, boosters and spectators.  Also the diversity of the sports offered.

The rules

Great coaches and officials! Great fields, courts, etc for play.

Keep the kids interested in school, build relationships, stay in good physical condition.

Gives an opportunity to be active and build friendships.

Keeps kids out of trouble.  Gives them opportunities for leadership, maturity, and discipline

The parity.

Student spirit

Developing kids as team members and individuals.

The great fan following.

Games

It is easy for any kid to be involved.

Opportunity to play sport that you enjoy, learing lessons about hard work, teamwork.

It gives the students an opportunity to improve in their sport but also make friends.

you feel like you are apart of a family when you make a team.

Everyone can participate

Students are given the opportunity to participate.

That the program exists for female athletes.

Keeps kids active and involved.  Helps keep kids focused and out of trouble

Opportunity to participate and compete at a high level.

The building of a team but most importantly helping individuals develop into healthy, productive community members.

Opportunities for kids and student involvement

The benefits afforded to participants; physical exercise, team-building, school spirit, etc.

The community involvement of Northeast Lincoln.  This community really rally’s around each other in support of the Rockets.

good opportunity for athletes, team work, coaching

Giving our daughters/sons an opportunity for building leadership, sportsmanship, etc, roles for future after high school.

Watching talented student-athletes compete

The variety and ability for many students to participate.

 1.  More than 2,000 take home diplomas – For more information: Mary Kay Roth, director of Communications, mkroth@lps.org.

 High school graduation ceremonies for the Lincoln Public Schools class of 2013 – for more than 2,200 graduates from the six LPS high schools – happened on the weekend of May 25-26.

 2. Special education teacher receives prestigious Scottish Rite award –For more information: Nancy Biggs, associate superintendent for Human Resources, nbiggs@lps.org.

Bev White – a special education teacher with Lincoln Public Schools – has been named the 2013 Scottish Rite Distinguished Teacher of the Year (one of the most prestigious honors awarded LPS teachers).

“I’ve wanted to be a special education teacher ever since I was in junior high, and I’ve never wanted to do anything else,” said White, an educator with Lincoln Public Schools for 37 years.  “I love knowing that I can make a difference – that I can help make sure all children have equal opportunities.”

Mary Ells, her supervisor, wrote of White in her nomination letter:  “Each day she lives her mission to improve learning and the quality of life for individuals with special needs. Through excellence and advocacy, Bev steadfastly enhances the authentic engagement of students with disabilities and their families in the community.  She is passionate about her work, focused on results, and creative in response to any special needs.  Bev’s work exemplifies the best in special education teaching and the best in learning for students.”

3.  Southeast prom queen shares joy, tiara – and blasts LPS Facebook records –For more information: Zachary Baehr, communications specialist, zbaehr@lps.org.

A sweet story about a Lincoln Southeast High School student sharing her prom queen title shattered previous Lincoln Public Schools Facebook records with more than 6,150 “likes” (and still counting).

The story: When Brianna Dierks won the title of Prom Queen at Southeast, she was happy, honored and humbled. Then she saw Amanda, a fellow student also up for the honor.

“She was just really sad, she wanted to try it on and I saw how happy it made her so I just told her to keep it,” Dierks said. “It was definitely an honor for me but I could tell that it meant more to her than me at that moment. I think it is humbling. I am happy that I could make her feel better. I am just so grateful for the things I have.”

And a few days later, back at school, Brianna and Amanda saw each other in the hallway and gave each other another hug, with Amanda proudly boasting her smile and her crown.

4.  Prescott third-grader heads to national Braille contest –For more information: Prescott Principal Ruth Ann Wylie, rwylie@lps.org.

Samantha Bomberger, a third-grade student at Prescott Elementary School, has qualified for the finals in the National Braille Challenge Contest.

Bomberger won first place in her age group in the Nebraska preliminary contest where she tested her Braille reading skills in three categories: spelling, comprehension and proofreading.  Her scores were in the 12 highest in her age group in the nation, which earned her a trip to Los Angeles to compete in the finals June 22.

5. Public meetings set for 2013-14 budget – For more information: Mark Shepard, associate superintendent for Business Affairs, mshepar@lps.org

The Lincoln Board of Education and Lincoln Public Schools have set up a series of public meetings to discuss, engage and get feedback about developing the budget for the coming school year.

• Two Budget Work Sessions are scheduled:
  • 6 p.m. June 18 at Hawthorne, 300 S. 48^th St.
  • 6 p.m. July 16 at Hawthorne

• Two Community Budget Forums are scheduled:
  • 5 p.m. June 25 – County City Building (prior to a regular Board of Education meeting)
  • 7 p.m. June 26 – Lefler Middle School, 1100 S. 48^th St.

• Budget Public Hearing: August 13

6.  New officers for Lincoln Board of Education – For more information: Mary Kay Roth, director of Communications, mkroth@lps.org.

In the annual organizational meeting of the Lincoln Board of Education, new officers were elected.  The new president will be School Board member Don Mayhew and the new vice president will be Board member Kathy Danek.

The new president of ESU (Educational Service Unit) No. 18 will be Barb Baier; vice president will be Katie McLeese Stephenson.

New Board of Education member Lanny Boswell was officially sworn in and now joins the Board – replacing Kevin Keller, who did not run for reelection

Received a question from a parent in the Kloefkorn Elementary School attendance area asking about the potential for a new middle school in southeast Lincoln. Currently, Lux Middle School on 79th Street and a few blocks south of Van Dorn Street, serves the area. Here was our response:

1.  Ongoing work to develop budget for 2013-14:  For more information: Mark Shepard, associate superintendent for Business Affairs, mshepar@lps.org

 The Lincoln Board of Education’s Finance Committee was given an update recently on the ongoing work to develop a Lincoln Public Schools budget for 21013-14.  The school district’s two major sources of income for the General Fund come from state aid to education and property taxes:

• Property valuation:  LPS officials conservatively estimate a 2 percent increase in property valuation this year – a number officially released in August.   Property valuations decreased significantly starting six years ago when property values across Lincoln declined, but recently they have started to very gradually rebound.
• State aid to education: Currently LPS officials estimate more than $97.3 million in state aid to education for LPS in the coming year – an increase of almost $14 million over the previous $83.5 million.

In general, valuation rates in Lincoln have not kept pace with the significant growth of students:  “What we’re now seeing is a shift in state aid to education following where the students are,” said Mark Shepard, associate superintendent for Business Affairs at LPS. “Our school district is growing the equivalent of an entire Wahoo Public Schools – every year.”

Two important facts to remember:

• The tax levy rate for LPS is the lowest in 40 years
• The current tax levy rate is at the maximum levy rate allowed under the current levy lid

2. New Lincoln Board of Education: For more information: Mary Kay Roth, director of Communications, mkroth@lps.org

The Lincoln Board of Education thanks Kevin Keller for his service on the Board – his last meeting is Tuesday, May 14.  Keller did not seek re-election.

New Board member Lanny Boswell officially will begin his term at the annual organizational meeting of the Board: Monday, May 20.  Boswell is director of enterprise development at Nebraska Book Co. and has lived in Lincoln since 1994.

3.  Perfect achievement scores:  For more information: Mary Kay Roth, director of Communications, mkroth@lps.org

Four high school students in Lincoln Public Schools were honored recently for perfect scores on the standardized achievement exams: the ACT and SAT.

On average, less than one-tenth of one percent of all students who take the ACT earn the top score of 36 – and this year three LPS seniors accomplished the feat:

• Maranda Frey, Lincoln Southwest High School (plans to attend the Peter Kiewit Institute, computer science and computer engineering)
• Andrew Peterson, Lincoln Southeast High School
• Tom Rasmussen, Lincoln East High School (plans to attend Columbia University in New York City, mechanical engineering).

For the SAT, 0.022 percent of test-takers receive the top score, and Lincoln East student. Nathaniel Wei earned that achievement.  Wei plans to attend Princeton University in mechanical and aerospace engineering.

4.  Career Center Public Information Night: 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 15:  For more information: John Neal, assistant to the superintendent for General Administration and Governmental Relations, jpneal@lps.org

Lincoln Public Schools continues to explore the concept of a high school career center, and welcomes the public to attend the: Career Center Public Information Night at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, at Lux Middle School, 7800 High St.  In general, a high school career center at LPS would likely be located at Southeast Community College, be open to all LPS high school juniors and seniors, have three sessions (morning, afternoon and evening), and include about 1,200 students.

5.  New LPS District Offices: On time, under budget: For more information: Scott Wieskamp, director of Operations, swieska@lps.org

The new LPS District Offices building is almost ready for service.

A quick update:

• Construction continues on time and under budget – with the facility funded by insurance funds, and money from the sale of some of the land.  No taxpayer dollars are used for this construction project.
• LPSDO employees will move into the building over the first three weekends of July 2013.
• The new facility will offer more open spaces, conference rooms, natural light and “green” features.

6.  Superintendent’s Facility Advisory Committee continues work: For more information: Steve Joel, superintendent of LPS, sjoel@lps.org 

Superintendent Steve Joel’s Facility Advisory Committee members learned lessons in bond issues, school budgets and city growth at the group’s second meeting in May. The Advisory Committee was informed that without any increase in property tax rates for public schools, the school district could ask for as much as $138 million in bond funds from the community in the spring of 2014 – though that amount is on the maximum end and is by no means a final figure.

“We have a window of opportunity between now and the end of 2014 when the school district has an opportunity to pursue additional issuance of bonds – without raising our property tax rate,” according to Mark Shepard, associate superintendent for Business Affairs at LPS.

The Committee – made up of 90 community and school stakeholders from across the city – will consider and evaluate the school district’s facility and infrastructure priorities for the coming 10 years, and submit a recommendation to the Superintendent and Lincoln Board of Education this fall.

7.  High school diplomas:  For more information: Mary Kay Roth, director of Communications, mkroth@lps.org.

High school graduation ceremonies for the Lincoln Public Schools class of 2013 are set for Thursday, May 23rd and Saturday and Sunday, May 25–26.  All six high school graduations are planned at Pershing Center, 226 Centennial Mall South while Bryan’s will be held at East High School, 1000 S 70th St.

Thursday, May 23 (East High)

• 7 p.m. Bryan Community

Saturday, May 25 (Pershing)

• 9 a.m. Lincoln Southwest
• Noon Lincoln East
• 3 p.m. Lincoln Southeast
• 6 p.m. Lincoln High

Sunday, May 26 (Pershing)

• 1 p.m. Lincoln North Star
• 4 p.m. Lincoln Northeast

1. Superintendent’s Facilities Advisory Committee identifies top priorities  For more information: Steve Joel, superintendent, sjoel@lps.org.  

Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent Steve Joel’s Facilities Advisory Committee held their first meeting in April – and is meeting again in May – to consider the school district’s facility and infrastructure priorities for the coming 10 years.

Subcommittees will conduct further research and develop each of the top priorities identified, including:

• Technology
• Safety and security
• Facilities/Infrastructure – existing and new
• Career academy and career readiness
• Student Services issues such as: Mental Health/Before, During, and After School

“We’re at a crossroads as a school district,” Joel told the group.  “We are a growing school district, we have a lot of needs and limited resources, and therein comes your work. Your charge is to help us reflect on where we are as a school district, what are the over-arching themes and priorities that we should keep in mind as we go forward.”

The group is made up of about 90 community and school stakeholders from across the city, and ultimately will submit a recommendation to the superintendent and Lincoln Board of Education. The Task Force will be led by community members Keith Prettyman and Connie Duncan.  Duncan is a former LPS teacher, now works with Southeast Community College and serves as president of the Boys & Girls Club of Lincoln.  Prettyman is a Lincoln attorney and former member of the Lincoln Board of Education.

2. Career academy: community night May 15  For more information: John Neal, assistant to the superintendent for General Administration and Governmental Relations, jpneal@lps.org.

Lincoln Public Schools continues to explore the concept of a high school career center, and welcomes the public to attend the: Career Center Public Information Night at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, at Lux Middle School, 7800 High St.

In general, a high school career center at LPS would likely be located at Southeast Community College, be open to all LPS high school juniors and seniors, have three sessions (morning, afternoon and evening), and include about 1,200 students.

Over the past month, LPS officials have been meeting with business and industry leaders from this region to talk about moving forward with partnerships.

A video presentation of some of the highlights of the career center is posted at: http://videocenter.lps.org/videos/video/819

A few key points:

• Research indicates that students who attend career academies: score higher on their GPAs, graduate from high school at a higher rate, attend college at a higher rate, and do better in college.

• Career centers encourage our students to focus on career pathways that lead to careers after high school, but also to associate’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees and graduate degrees. The program will likely feature the possibility of earning dual credit: credit for high school and college – and offer student apprenticeships, internships, on-the-job training and options for national certification.

• The career pathways chosen for the Lincoln school will depend upon: The high-needs jobs in Lincoln and southeast Nebraska, available teachers with the appropriate expertise, the appropriate and necessary materials and equipment, business partnerships and student interest.

3. LPSDO/press conference construction update  For more information: Scott Wieskamp, director of Operations, swieska@lps.org

A news media update was held on the site of the new Lincoln Public Schools District Offices – 5905 O St. – at the close of April to offer a construction update for local reporter.

Scott Wieskamp, director of Operations at LPS, offered a wide variety of information about the new building, including:

• Construction continues on time and under budget – with the facility funded by insurance funds, and money from the sale of some of the land.  No taxpayer dollars are used for this construction project.

• LPSDO employees will move into the building over the first three weekends of July 2013.

• The new facility will offer more open spaces, conference room, natural light and “green” features.

LPS plans to offer one more news media construction update in early June and offer reporters an “inside” tour of the facility.

5. Overview on new educators’ first years at Lincoln Public Schools For more information: Nancy Biggs, associate superintendent for Human Resources, nbiggs@lps.or

Nancy Biggs, associate superintendent for Human Resources at Lincoln Public Schools, gave an informative presentation on the first years of employment for educators in the school district – at the Lincoln Board of Education meeting late in April – describing the extensive process to recruit, hire and select the strongest teachers for LPS schools.

She started with naming the top five reasons candidates apply to LPS:

• Reputation of school district
• Graduate of school district
• Student teaching experience in school district
• Desirable location of school district/desirable place to live
• Job Fair

Applications come from across the country including the most from: Nebraska, Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, Texas and Missouri.

This year of 295 new educator hires, 10 percent – or 30 – were from a racial or ethnic minority, Biggs said.  “We know that is not enough, but we’re improving.”

Once new educators are hired, before school begins, new educators experience a four-day orientation that includes general information about the school district, routines and procedures, model classrooms, curriculum and instructional strategies and all the basic tools they need to begin teaching. In addition to the induction program, new educators are matched with a teacher mentor who provides support, classroom observations, informal contacts and more.

5.  High school diplomas For more information: Mary Kay Roth, director of Communications, mkroth@lps.org.

High school graduation ceremonies for the Lincoln Public Schools class of 2013 are set for Thursday, May 23rd and Saturday and Sunday, May 25–26.  All six high school graduations are planned at Pershing Center, 226 Centennial Mall South while Bryan’s will be held at East High School, 1000 S 70th St.

Thursday, May 23 (East High)

• 7 p.m. Bryan Community
  

Saturday, May 25 (Pershing)

• 9 a.m. Lincoln Southwest
• Noon Lincoln East
• 3 p.m. Lincoln Southeast
• 6 p.m. Lincoln High

Sunday, May 26 (Pershing)

• 1 p.m. Lincoln North Star
• 4 p.m. Lincoln Northeast

Want to see all six high schools in one marathon run? Here is one way you could accomplish that.

Start at Lincoln North Star, then go to Northeast, East, Southeast, Southwest and Lincoln High before returning back to North Star. Depending on the exact route you take, you would finish at about 26.2 miles.

Or you could try the Middle School Marathon: Schoo, Goodrich, Dawes, Mickle, Culler, Lefler, Lux, Pound, Scott, Irving, Park. Stopping at Irving is almost exactly 26.2 miles, so consider the final 2.4 miles to Park being the cool down part of 28.7 miles.

The routes are definitely not recommended, as most of the running would occur on streets, not running paths.

For a more ‘elementary’ route, you could try running from Arnold Elementary School (northwest Lincoln) to Kloefkorn Elementary School (southeast Lincoln) and you can take mostly running trails and cover about 19.5 miles.

High School Route

View Larger Map

Middle School Route

View Larger Map

A school with good teachers and a safe and welcoming environment are the top two priorities of parents when deciding which school to send their son or daughter.

A ConnectLPS survey had parents identifying the factors that influence their decision, letting them choose multiple options. There were 93 survey participants.

Here is the complete list, provided by LPS Communications:

59 – The school has good teachers.

55 – The school is safe and welcoming.

43 – Friends or family have said good things about the school.

39 – There is a rigorous academic program.

36 – The school staff is friendly and helpful.

32 – The principal is friendly and helpful.

28 – The school provides individualized help when my student needs special support.

27 – My son/daughter’s friends will also attend the school.

19 – The school helps parents and families understand how to support their students’ learning at home.

19 – The school feeds into a good middle or high school.

19 – The school building is in good physical condition.

18 – The school has good test scores.

16 – The school is within walking distance from my residence, and it’s a safe walk.

12 – Parents and families and an active PTA/PTO play a key role in helping the school thrive.

09 – Before and after school care / programs are available.

Survey takers were also allowed to comment on the topic. Here are some examples:

-  It is nice having a school with more resources and are understanding of the behavioral issues we deal with.  Have learned that working with afterschool programs is a different story though.

- I didn’t notice any comment about multicultural elements in the item list of choices. I chose to send my children to Lincoln High School because of the cultural diversity.

- I would love to see both teacher and para turnover rates at the elementary schools. This can be a good indicator of staff unity. Low turnover shows stability in classrooms and teams.

- We switched out schools and he is now happy and healthy and the teachers and staff are taking into account his autism and not ignoring or minimizing it

- I just chose my school because it was closer. But I think that it’s unfair that students can transfer to other schools, as I’ve seen, just because they have a better athletics program.

- I believe students should go to their neighborhood high school.  Each high school should have the same opportunities, good teachers, etc.  There shouldn’t be a more “popular” school.  Letting students choose has caused inequities with sport teams, class offerings, etc.

Readers on ConnectLPS were asked: Please help us identify the best words that define Lincoln Public Schools – words that reflect the timeless nature of our unique identity and mission.

Community – 15

Diversity – 14

Teacher / Learning – 11

Opportunity – 10

Investment – 10

Value – 7

Committed / Dedicated – 7

Empower – 5

Caring – 5

Safe – 4

Hope – 3

Compassionate – 3

Trust – 3

Passionate – 2

Proud – 2

Visionary – 2

Equity – 2

Student by Student – 2

Others suggested included:

involved

goal oriented

community-based

collaborative

connected

engaging

communicative

split

character

Yoga Pants, stretchy knit pants designed to be worn for yoga or other exercise, are NOT being banned.

This rumor was ‘rumored’ to be started at two different high schools, then made it’s way to Twitter and included a few more high schools. A really bad photoshop image and some offline conversation apparently fooled a few people.

So when a friend of mine with students at one of our high schools asked me on behalf of his daughter, I knew it was something we should answer.

After a few checks with the right people, we confirmed the rumor wasn’t true, nor was any ban being discussed.

The resulting statements on Twitter …

And Facebook …

brought in 162 Likes and 54 shares on FB, and 202 retweets and 82 favorites on Twitter.

And we close with this … we love quashing or confirming rumors if we know that the question is genuine, or so ridiculous it needs to be cleared up. So let us know what rumors you are hearing, and we’ll do what we can to answer them. Start with an email to zbaehr@lps.org.

1.   Superintendent’s Facility Advisory Committee

For more information: Steve Joel, superintendent, sjoel@lps.org.  

Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent Steve Joel is calling together the Superintendent’s Facility Advisory Committee – made up of community and school stakeholders from across the city – to consider the school district’s facility and infrastructure priorities for the coming 10 years.

The group is holding an organizational meeting the week of April 15, will hold meetings through the summer and fall of 2013, and ultimately will submit a recommendation to the Lincoln Board of Education.

• Committee members will study and discuss the significant growth in the school district, offer feedback and expertise, and examine and evaluate the changing and complex needs of students – considering issues such as technology and security, as well as growing facility needs.

• The Committee will be led by community members Keith Prettyman and Connie Duncan.

2. NeSA Testing

For more information: Jane Stavem, associate superintendent for Instruction, jstavem@lps.org.

• Students throughout the school district are currently taking a variety of assessment tests called NeSA – Nebraska State Accountability tests – required by the State Department of Education.

• The exams are generally based on the state standards for the various curriculum areas, and will be used for state and federal reporting. Score reports for the tests are sent to schools this summer.

• Teachers and students have been working hard all year to prepare for these tests, and generally hold a variety of activities to motivate students who are participating in the NeSA tests.

3.  BackPack Extra Mile Walk

For more information: Shari Styskal, sstyskal@lps.org

The sixth annual BackPack Extra Mile Walk – set for 10 a.m. Saturday, April 20, at Lincoln East High School – is a fund-raising effort coordinated and led by LPS employees.  The goal is to provide additional funding and education for the LPS/Food Bank of Lincoln’s BackPack program.

The theme of this year’s walk is: “Helping to Feed Families – One Backpack at a Time.”

• Funds raised from this event are used to help support the Food Bank’s BackPack Program, which provides a weekly Friday backpack of meals for students who need help with food needs over the weekend. During the first three months of the 2012-13 school year, 27,728 food-filled backpacks were distributed. At the conservative estimate of five meals per backpack, that means this year the BackPack program has provided 138,640 meals.

• The concept of supporting the BackPack Program is simple: Children are our most important and valuable assets, and healthy, well-nourished children are much better learners.

• The need continues to grow dramatically: This school year a record 15,099 of LPS students qualify for free and reduced lunch. That means 42.5 percent of all LPS students now qualify – 45.3 percent of preschool-fifth graders.

4.  Continuing progress on LPS District construction projects

For more information: Scott Wieskamp, director of Operations, swieska@lps.org

Building construction continues at an aggressive pace at the new Lincoln Public Schools District Office building under construction at 5905 O St. – and continues to be under budget and ahead of schedule.

The structure “is well into the fourth quarter, approaching the two-minute warning,” according to Scott Wieskamp, director of Operations.  “The recent inclement weather has not jeopardized progress because much of the work now is inside the building.”

LPSDO employees will move into the building over the first three weekends of July 2013. A public dedication and community tours are scheduled for 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15.   The four retail buildings on the development site are scheduled to open in September, while Whole Foods is expected to open late October or early November.

• The new LPS Print Center is under construction and will be located at the current LPS Distribution Center near 7^th and South streets – and is also expected to be finished this summer.

• The Donald D. Sherrill Education Center, located at 56^th and R streets, has been totally demolished and the new structure is moving along rapidly – set to open for the new school year. Elementary and middle school students who attend this school have behavioral skills needs and are now going to classes at the former Bryan school on South 40^th Street.

5. Career Academy

For more information: John Neal, assistant to the superintendent for General Administration and Governmental Relations, jpneal@lps.org.

Lincoln Public Schools continues to explore the concept of a career academy high school – and is gathering information for a formal recommendation to the Lincoln Board of Education.  In general, a high school career academy at LPS would likely be located at Southeast Community College, be open to all LPS high school juniors and seniors, have three sessions (morning, afternoon and evening), and include about 1,200 students.

A video presentation of some of the highlights is posted at: http://videocenter.lps.org/videos/video/819/

A few key points:

• Research indicates that students who attend career academies: score higher on their GPAs, graduate from high school at a higher rate, attend college at a higher rate, and do better in college.

• Career centers encourage our students to focus on career pathways that lead to careers after high school, but also to associate’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees and graduate degrees. The program will likely feature the possibility of earning dual credit: credit for high school and college – and offer student apprenticeships, internships, on-the-job training and options for national certification.

• The career pathways chosen for the Lincoln school will depend upon: The high-needs jobs in Lincoln and southeast Nebraska, available teachers with the appropriate expertise, the appropriate and necessary materials and equipment, business partnerships and student interest.

• LPS is working with SCC and talking with many other potential Lincoln community partners.

6.  Security updates at LPS

In response to the heightened awareness of school violence across the country, Lincoln Public Schools is taking a close look at all safety and security measures.

1.  We believe students are very safe at Lincoln Public Schools, but it makes sense to review periodically and make necessary updates and changes

2.  We believe the best way to curb school violence is to focus on “building better people” – by creating an educated, well-trained and caring school community where we think holistically about the entire social climate in schools and establish positive places where students learn to respect people and treat them kindly. The conversation about preventing violence doesn’t start or end with guns or knives – it starts with identifying the root causes, recognizing them early, and having the training that gives us confidence to respond correctly with the appropriate resources.

3. We also need to improve the ways we watch for the cues and clues of troubled students – troubled staff – troubled family members – and we are doing just that at LPS with plans to create “threat assessment” teams at the district and school levels.  Threat assessment translates into fostering a school, district and community dialogue where we feel comfortable in asking for help and in identifying the first acts of trouble and potential trouble.

4.  Meanwhile, we are also looking at possible funding sources for several potential changes in our facilities:

• Adding video cameras to the six high schools
• Ensuring all our schools have secured entrances (now at one-third of our schools). Secured entrances prevent a visitor from directly entering the student-populated spaces of a school – without going through a secure area.  In some cases, most notably older schools, this is a costly change.