IMPORTANT: 10/23/2020 LPS Weekly Family Update

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LPS Families,

On Tuesday as part of our regular website update, we revised our COVID page to reflect a more accurate description of the Lincoln Public Schools pandemic plan if the Lincoln/Lancaster County COVID-19 risk dial moves into Red. This update matches our public announcement at the Lincoln Board of Education meeting on September 22. The website is just one of many communications tools we utilize. We acknowledge that a more timely direct email in addition to the weekly Tuesday updates to our website needs to occur.

From the beginning of this pandemic, we have worked collaboratively with the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department to develop and modify plans for school operations.  We have learned a great deal since the beginning of the pandemic. While our initial plans were based on the information we were aware of this summer, nine weeks of school has taught us and the health department that our safety protocols are working to reduce the risk of spread. Our staff and students are doing an exceptional job following protocols to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Below is more information about the weekly positive cases in Lincoln Public Schools. We are going to continue to look into what information we can provide on the website dashboard without violating confidentiality and privacy.

*Staff Exclusion = LPS staff reporting to be in self-isolation or quarantine and includes all positions and district locations.

The health department and the LPS medical advisory board agrees – having students and staff in school is proving to be the safest option for our community during the pandemic.

We want to be clear, at this time if the Lincoln-Lancaster County risk status moves to Red – Severe, Lincoln Public Schools will continue to work collaboratively with the health department to implement plans and protocols that address the areas of concern in our community and schools. We will follow recommendations and protocols from the health department on how schools can respond effectively to reduce the spread while allowing teaching and learning to continue.

We understand that anxiety is high and there is much we still don’t know or understand. When information is being shared daily, it can be overwhelming. We will do our best to work through this together as a community to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and continue supporting our students and their families.

Steve Joel
Superintendent

Changes to student calendar

Just a reminder, the following changes were made to the student calendar for the first week of November:

Monday, Nov. 2

• Teacher Plan Day – No school for all students.

Tuesday, Nov. 3

• No school for all students.

Wednesday, Nov. 4

• Classes in session for all students.
• High School Group A is in person, Group B is remote.

Thursday, Nov. 5

• Classes in session for all students.
• High School Group B is in person, Group A is remote.
  (The PreACT for 10th grade students has been canceled, and the high school state volleyball games have been moved. All high school students are expected to attend class as scheduled.)

Friday, Nov. 6

• Classes in session for all students.
• High School Group B is in person, Group A is remote.

Zoom safety for students

We are working with Lincoln Public Schools Security and Computing Services after we have become aware of a student safety concern this week. Families, we need your help to address this issue.  Some students may be using LPS issued technology, others may be using their own devices.
Students are searching for and entering public Zoom meetings.  In these public Zoom meetings, our students are being exposed to adult content that is not age appropriate.  In addition to seeing and hearing this inappropriate material, students are engaging in inappropriate conversations and virtually meeting others. Some of these people they are meeting are reported to be adults not connected to the school or Lincoln Public Schools. We are concerned for the safety of our students engaging in this dangerous on-line activity unsupervised.

Just a reminder, as part of the Responsible Technology Use Agreement Form signed by students at the beginning of the year, students should not use LPS technology to enter into any meetings that are not LPS related or for official educational purposes.

As a reminder, the safety measures outlined below are some of the things that have been put into place to protect our students. LPS student devices and accounts cannot:

• Send or receive email from outside LPS
• Send or receive Google documents from outside LPS
• No access to social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc
• Inability to create/host Zoom meetings

Families, we need your help to keep our children safe. Please have conversations with your child about the appropriate use of technology – whether it is a school device or a personal device.

ACT Online Prep for Juniors (Class of 2022)

Although students are already preparing to take the ACT with what they are learning in school, the state is providing the class of 2022 (this year’s 11th graders) with the opportunity for additional practice using ACT Online Prep (AOP).

AOP course content is organized into 16 Study Plan Steps, starting with the most-tested (foundational) materials on the ACT and ending with the least-tested (advanced) materials on the ACT. Each Study Plan Step includes lessons and practice question sets for each of the four subject areas: English, math, reading, and science. The study plans are self-paced and will focus on students’ gaps in knowledge. Teachers will work to provide opportunities during the school day to work on some AOP content, but students have the additional flexibility to work on their own.

HERE is more detailed information about AOP for students. To access the system from an internet browser (other than Internet Explorer), student can take the following steps to sign in and get started:

1. Go to https://onlineprep.act.org/ 
2. Select the Sign In button.
3. Enter your LPS Email address (######@class.lps.org).
4. Enter “lpsstudent” for the Password.
5. Select the Sign In button.

Learn more about our high school focus programs

The Science Focus Program, Arts & Humanities Focus Program and The Career Academy are holding open houses for interested students and families in November.

Arts and Humanities Focus Program (virtual)
Nov. 4, 6-7 p.m. Click here to sign up.

Science Focus Program (virtual)
Nov. 10, 6-7 p.m. Click here to sign up.

The Career Academy (in-person)
Nov. 11, 12, 18, 19, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Click here for more information.

International Baccalaureate Program (in-person)
Nov. 21, 9-11 a.m. Click here for more information and to register.

Juniors and Seniors can apply now for The Career Academy

The Career Academy is now accepting applications for the second semester. Any current junior or senior is invited to apply.

TCA has a number of incredible opportunities for students to earn college credit while working towards high school graduation.

Current pathways with openings include:

• Business
• Ag-Bio
• HVAC
• Welding
• Health Sciences (Seniors only)
• Academic Transfer (College-English and Political Science)

If you are interested in becoming part of TCA and exploring your career options, please visit https://home.lps.org/tca/ and apply today!

*If you are interested in attending TCA next school year, the application process will open on October 19.

Free breakfast and lunch for all LPS students

Due to the pandemic, the USDA is federally funding breakfast and lunch for all students while the federal funding lasts. All LPS students in preschool – 12 grade and the Independence Academy will be offered breakfast and lunch at no charge. LPS will communicate when the program is coming to an end for families to plan around breakfast and lunch purchases.

Just a reminder, families must continue to fill out applications for free or reduced priced meals for the 2020-2021 school year.  You can access a meal application at https://home.lps.org/ns/free-reduced/.

Breakfast and Lunch for remote learners will also be at no charge.

REMINDER: Meals Distribution for 100% Remote Learners

LPS is offering all PreK-12 grade 100% remote learners meals for the week to be picked up on Mondays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at three locations.

Next week’s meal distribution for 100% remote learners will be on Monday, October 26.

Go to our website for more information. 

Fall celebration tips from the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department

October means fall celebrations and gatherings. Please check out these safety reminders and tips from the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department on how to celebrate safely.