August 29th Monthly Update
Translations: Arabic | Karen | Russian | Spanish | Vietnamese
We will continue to share important information and reminders on the last Friday of every month…
LPS families,
I want to take a moment during this monthly update to share information and resources in an effort to help support you.
It gives us pause when there are incidents of violence towards schools like that we saw in Minneapolis this week. I and others on our team are constantly reflecting and thinking about how we can keep those who enter our buildings safe every single day.
I am thankful for the dedicated professionals in our schools who share their time and talents to inspire a love of learning in our students. They work hard to connect with our students, keeping our schools safe by building a culture of caring and compassion for one another.
I am also grateful for our LPS Security and Threat Assessment team who are nationally recognized for their work. They are continuously communicating with local, state, and national law enforcement. They work collaboratively every single day with those groups as well as our school administrators and staff to develop and implement safety protocols to help keep our schools safe. We regularly train, practice, utilize, review, and adjust these protocols, and we communicate these protocols consistently.
Families, here are some ways you can help keep our schools safe:
- First, please continue to report any and all threats of violence to school officials or law enforcement immediately. We take each report seriously and will investigate them fully.
- Have a conversation with your child about how words matter. We take all conversations about violence towards others seriously and investigate them fully. There is nothing funny about joking about violence against others. Students who violate the student code of conduct and cause a disruption by using threatening language will face the appropriate school and legal consequences.
- Don’t share threatening social media posts or conversations. The mass sharing of this type of information makes it harder to track where it originated from. Spreading false information and rumors slows down the investigation process. When you hear a safety concern, the best thing is to immediately alert authorities or school staff. If someone reposts or passes on the threat within the community, they can also be held legally responsible for issuing a threat and can receive disciplinary or legal action as a result.
- Lincoln Public Schools is taking this opportunity to remind families of the importance of keeping all weapons and ammunition safely away from children and adolescents to prevent intentional and unintentional harm. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that the most reliable and effective measure to prevent injuries in children and adolescents is the absence of weapons. Safe weapon storage reduces a child’s risk of injury.
Linked are brochures to help you speak with your child or teen about traumatic events. If your child needs extra support, please contact your school so we can connect them with a staff member, including counselors, social workers, psychologists, bilingual liaisons, and student advocates (Youth Development Team).
School safety requires a community. If you or anyone you know has a safety concern, please tell a trusted staff member, LPS Security or Threat Assessment by using the green Safe to Say button on the LPS website, Safe2Help Nebraska at 833-980-7233, or call Lincoln Police at (402) 441-6000.
Below is more information about our Standard Response Protocols and how we will share information with you in the event of a crisis.
Thank you for your continued support and collaboration in providing a safe learning environment for all.
Dr. John Skretta
Superintendent
Standard Response Protocols
At LPS, Standard Response Protocols (SRPs) help our students and staff know how to react in various situations based on conditions.
Five of these Standard Response Protocols include:
- Hold: Most commonly used. Hold keeps students out of the area and hallways clear while staff handle a situation. Teaching and learning continue inside classrooms as normal.
- Secure: Something of concern is happening outside of the school. We bring everyone inside the building, lock and monitor entrances. Teaching, learning and movement inside the building happen as normal.
- Lockdown: Something of concern is happening inside the school. We clear hallways, lock classroom doors, turn off lights, and students are out of sight of any windows in the classroom.
- Shelter: Shelter means all doors are locked and all staff and students follow the planned route to designated shelter areas within the school building. Staff are not available to answer phones or doors as they provide student supervision in a safe space within the school.
- Evacuate: The building or classroom may be unsafe, and everyone needs to exit calmly to a designated area to await further instruction.
We use age-appropriate lessons to teach students and regularly use emergency drills at your child’s school to help them practice. Regular practice and communication about SRP give students and staff confidence during an emergency.
How we share information with you
If we initiate a Standard Response Protocol, we will communicate with you when it is safe for staff to do so. Our first priority is the safety of staff, students and visitors. We appreciate your patience and understanding while we prioritize your child’s safety.
While it is tempting to call or come to the school during an emergency to find out more information, the best way for you to help us keep everyone safe is to stay put and wait for instructions. We need to keep phone lines and routes clear for emergency responders.
You can help ensure you get timely information by:
- Verifying we have the most up-to-date phone number and email for you at your child’s school. This allows us to send you texts, calls and more information through email.
- Follow the LPS official website and social media accounts for updates. Check your school’s website and social media accounts as well.
We will also partner with local news outlets for emergencies that impact the larger community.
School safety takes a community
You and your child play an important role in helping keep our schools safe. If you see or hear anything of concern, report it immediately to a trusted staff member through the green Safe to Say button on our website, Safe2Help Nebraska, or Lincoln Police at (402) 441-6000.
Resources to support you and your family
We have school counselors, social workers, psychologists, student advocates, liaisons and School Resource Officers (SROs) at our schools and throughout LPS ready to support your family. Contact your school and we can help connect you!
We will continue to share important district information and reminders via email with all of our families on the last Friday of each month throughout the year.
In This Message...
Information for All Families
2025-2026 Important Information Booklet
Each year Lincoln Public Schools provides all of our families the “Important Information Booklet”. This is a collection of essential and helpful guidelines, rules, procedures and tips for you and your students for the coming school year.
This booklet can be found on our website: http://lps.org/go/important. You can also access the page by using the search field at the top right of the LPS homepage (www.lps.org) and entering ‘Important’ as the search term.
Families will also find links to each school’s student handbooks as they are updated and common practices for elementary, middle and high schools.
Please contact your child’s school if you wish to obtain a printed copy of the Important Information Booklet.
Free and Reduced Lunch applications for 2025-2026
Did you know LPS families can potentially save money by filling out the Free and Reduced Meal Application. This application must be completed each year in order for families to qualify for free or reduced school meals. We are encouraging families* to fill out the Free and Reduced meal application online as soon as possible.
*Please note: If your family received notification in July that your student has been Directly Certified for the 2025-2026 school year or you attend a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school then an application is not needed. CEP schools are: Culler, Dawes, Goodrich, Park, Lefler, Arnold, Belmont, Brownell, Campbell, Clinton, Elliott, Everett, Hartley, Huntington, Lakeview, McPhee, Meadow Lane, Norwood Park, Pershing, Prescott, Randolph, Riley, Saratoga, and West Lincoln.
This application must be completed each year in order for families to qualify for free or reduced school meals. Families who do not complete the application will be charged normal meal prices for any school meals their child eats.
You can go to our website to fill out this quick and easy online application. If you do not have access to the online application, you can go to your child’s school office and pick up a paper application.
Additional information about Free and Reduced meals is on our website. If you have any questions, please call (402)436-1747 or email us at freeandreduced@lps.org.
Individual NSCAS Results in Synergy ParentVUE
Similarly to previous years, the results from the Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System (NSCAS) English Language Arts (ELA), Math, and Science assessments that were administered in spring 2025 are now available in Synergy ParentVUE. Directions for how to access NSCAS scores are available here.
The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) classifies student scores in one of three categories for each test:
Developing: does not yet demonstrate grade-level proficiency
On Track: demonstrates grade-level proficiency
Advanced: demonstrates high levels of proficiency
Teachers use this information from the NSCAS tests with results from district and classroom tests to support your child’s ongoing learning. No score tells the complete story of any student. Assessment scores do not reflect the individual ideas, talents, personalities, and experiences that make each student special and unique. As educators we strive to acknowledge the individuality of each student as we work toward helping every student learn and grow.
If you have any questions about your child’s score report, please contact their teacher (or contact your bilingual liaison for help with translation). If you would like an electronic copy of a score report for your child, please email assessmentevaluation@lps.org.
Health Alert: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
LPS Health Services has been notified there is an increase of confirmed cases of hand, foot and mouth disease across the city.
Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common contagious viral disease. Symptoms of HFMD typically include fever, mouth sores, and skin rash. Most people get better on their own in 7 to 10 days. If you notice these symptoms, we suggest you reach out to your healthcare provider. Students diagnosed with HFMD can return to school when they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen.
How can you help?
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after using the toilet, coughing and sneezing, or blowing your nose.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow or a tissue.
- Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands, especially your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and shared items, including toys and doorknobs.
- Avoid close contact with an infected person, such as hugging or kissing them.
LPS will continue to monitor this closely and implement additional cleaning/disinfecting to all areas as needed throughout schools and practice facilities.
Community News - September Edition
Each month LPS publishes Community News in an effort to help share family-friendly community events and activities from non-profit organizations. Check out the September edition of Community News online.
Are you a non-profit organization that wants to share your upcoming opportunities with LPS families?
Check out these advertising opportunities in our Community News! Your organization can reach 15,000 elementary-aged households in print through take home folders, and 25,000 Prek-12 households digitally district wide. Learn more on our website: https://home.lps.org/communications/community-news/.
Health Reminder: Community Pests - lice and bed bugs
As we head back to school, LPS Health Services has been working closely with the Nebraska Extension to provide our community information regarding prevention and management of head lice and bed bugs. It is important to note that both do not carry disease, but can become a nuisance if left untreated.
More information about both head lice and bed bugs can be found on the Nebraska Extension Website.
Head Lice
Head lice are very small insects that can attach to human scalps and can cause severe itching. They do not cause disease. They don’t discriminate. Anyone can be affected by them, regardless of their background or how clean their home is.
Lice can spread, but only if there is close head-to-head contact with another person. There are many misconceptions about how lice are transmitted. They do not jump or fly – they crawl. Risk of transmission is low at school, but more likely to spread at home, child care centers or sleepovers. Head-to-head contact is the most likely way to transmit lice. Visual inspection of the head can detect live lice and nits, lice eggs. Other symptoms include tickling sensations, difficulty sleeping, rashes from scratching and an itchy scalp. Make sure the problem is, in fact, head lice and not dandruff, sand, dirt or hairspray. Please contact your School Nurse if you suspect your student may have head lice.
Prevention tips
- Avoid head-to-head contact in public settings
- Avoid sharing of hats, costumes, headphones, hair brushes, and pillows
- Regularly change, inspect, and wash and dry your bedding at a high temperature.
What do I do if I find head lice?
If you suspect you or a family have head lice, it is important to act quickly to prevent the spread.
- Treat the head lice by combing hair with a fine-toothed, metal comb to remove viable nits and lice, repeated every few days for at least two weeks and using an FDA-approved pediculicides (lice killers) sold over-the-counter or as a prescription treatment These products are safe and effective when used as directed.
- Clean and inspect: Thoroughly clean and inspect all bedding. Wash and dry all fabrics on a hot setting.
- Secure and store any plush items like stuffed animals and other non-washable items in a tightly sealed plastic bag for 2 weeks.
- Inform the school: If you suspect head lice, please notify the school nurse or main office as soon as possible.
Lincoln Public Schools has specific protocols in place and resources to help families manage head lice.
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are tiny insects that can travel from one place to another by “hitchhiking” on our belongings. They don’t discriminate and can be found anywhere people gather. Anyone can be affected by them, regardless of their background or how clean their home is. They do not carry disease.
Lincoln Public Schools has protocols in place to address bed bugs, and our staff is trained to handle these situations.
Prevention tips
- Create a drop zone, a designated clutter-free area (like a laundry room or entryway) where you can place items that may have been exposed to bed bugs before bringing them into other areas of your home.
- Reduce clutter to minimize places where bed bugs can hide.
- Do not store items like purses, backpacks, and briefcases next to the bed as this provides a direct path for bed bugs to spread to your sleeping area
- Regularly change, inspect, and wash and dry your bedding at a high temperature.
- Avoid bringing home used furniture, especially mattresses and upholstered items.
- Use light-colored sheets or mattress encasements to make it easier to spot bed bugs.
- Vacuum and inspect upholstered furniture regularly.
- Store items like bedding and luggage in sealed plastic containers to keep bed bugs out.
What to do if you find them
If you suspect you have bed bugs, it is important to act quickly to prevent the spread.
- Thoroughly vacuum all spaces and upholstered furniture, be sure to empty the vacuum cleaner outside in a sealed bag immediately after.
- Clean and inspect: Thoroughly clean and inspect all bedding, clothing, and furniture. Wash and dry all fabrics on a hot setting.
- Inform the school: If you suspect bed bugs, please notify the school nurse or main office as soon as possible.
Digital Citizenship: What information is your child sharing online?
Please remind your child to keep personal information private when they’re online. Scammers often ask for details like their favorite games, the name of the school they attend, or family information (such as a mother’s maiden name). Sharing this kind of information on apps or websites can put their safety at risk or open the door to online bullying. A quick reminder from you makes a big difference in helping them stay safe!
Information for Elementary School Families
Bubba’s Closet
Every year, Lincoln Public Schools Elementary Principals Network organizes and distributes winter clothing through the Bubba’s Closet event.
Requesting a coat
Families who are in need of winter coats for their pre-school and elementary aged children are asked to fill out this form bit.ly/Bubbas2025 by Monday, Sept. 30.
You will need to include your contact information, the child’s size, age and school. We cannot guarantee a new coat for every child, but we will do our best to fulfill as many requests as possible. Coats will be distributed to students through their school by mid-November.
Donate to help others
Those who are interested in donating to Bubba’s Closet this year are encouraged to give through the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools: (bit.ly/Donate4Bubba). Funds raised will be used to help fill the coat requests from families.
Donations of new coats (tags must still be on the garment) will also be accepted at each elementary school. Please call the school office ahead of time to arrange dropping off the donation.
Information for Middle and High School Families
Jobs and Extended Learning Opportunities (JELO)
Is your child looking for a job or other extended learning opportunity? Students can use their Chromebook or LPS Student Portal account to check out our electronic bulletin board by going to lps.org and typing in the keyword “JELO”. (Students must be logged in to their LPS Student Portal to view the board.)
Students in grades 6-12 will find information about a wide variety of opportunities available. This includes activities, camps, jobs and internships. We update the board every Wednesday afternoon.
Are you a business or organization wanting to share your opportunities with LPS students?
If so, please enter the information about your program/opportunity here: www.bit.ly/stujobslps.
Once you submit the information on the form, we will review it to ensure that it fits with our Board policies and regulations before we post it to the electronic bulletin board. Once an opportunity is posted, students in all middle and high schools are easily able to access the information. Please note: anyone outside of the LPS network or without LPS Portal access will not be able to access the eBulletin board.
