September 27th Monthly Update

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With students back in school, so are the germs. Here are some ways you can help keep your family safe and reduce the number of days they are home sick from school:

  • Make sure your child eats nutritious meals, stays hydrated with water, and gets plenty of physical activity and sleep.Teach students the importance of hand washing and practice how to do it correctly.
  • Remind students to cough and sneeze into the crook of their elbow or into a tissue.
  • Stay up-to-date with routine well-child and dental visits.
  • Keep your child’s immunizations current, including flu and COVID-19 vaccines.
  • Work with your healthcare provider and the school health office to manage chronic health conditions and develop a school action plan.

You can help keep others healthy by keeping your child home if they have any of these symptoms:

  • A fever of 100 degrees or greater
  • Skin rash
  • Pink/red eyes with drainage
  • Vomiting or diarrhea
  • Earache or drainage from the ear
  • Persistent Cough

Your child can return to school if they are fever or symptom-free without medication for 24 hours.

Every Day Counts when it comes to your child being successful in school!

We value your partnership and know you also want your child to succeed. Let’s work together to ensure your student regularly attends school!

Just a reminder that there are no classes for students October 11-15. You can find the school calendar on our website.

We will be sharing important district information and reminders via email with all of our families on the last Friday of each month throughout the school year.

A photo of students in kayaks floating on a still lake
Students in Southwest High School's Outdoor Adventures Kayaking Class enjoy a day on Holmes Lake

In This Message...

Every day counts! Missing a day of school here and there may not seem like much, but absences add up! When a student misses 2 days per month they will lose out on 20 days of instruction per year, 30 hours of math per year and 60 hours of reading and writing per year. By graduation, they will lose over one year of school.

Information for All Families

Bully Prevention Month

October is Bully Prevention Month and in LPS we are dedicated to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all students and staff. This month we continue to increase our awareness about bullying, promoting kindness and respect, and empowering our community to stand up against bullying. Schools will be engaging in a variety of activities to support this important work. We are #StrongerTogetherLPS as we stand against bullying.

Community News - October 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 October 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/.

Transportation Interview Day - Oct. 14

Lincoln Public Schools will be hosting a Transportation Interview Day on Monday, Oct. 14 from 12:30 to 4 p.m. at Culler Middle School (5201 Vine St, Lincoln, NE 68504).

Open positions include bus drivers, substitute bus drivers and transportation paras. Regular Route hours are typically 6:30 to 9:30 a.m., and 2:30 to 4:30 p.m, with a potential for working during the mid-day. Substitute Drivers have the option of working partial days.

LPS provides all the necessary training to obtain CDL license and School Bus Permit.

Current transportation salaries include:

  • Bus Drivers/Substitute Bus Drivers: $26.65 per hour with paid training to obtain a CDL.
  • Transportation Paras: $17.30 per hour

Full-time and part-time (at least 17.5 hours per week) employees qualify for competitive health insurance, pension, generous leave and other benefits. 

How to Attend

  1. Walk-ins are welcome. 
  2. We highly recommend that you complete the pre-event application prior to the Interview Day. If you need assistance filling out the application, please feel free to contact us at HR@lps.org. Filling out the application prior to the event will help you move through the process more quickly and smoothly. 
  3. Attend the Transportation Interview Day on Oct. 14.

Community Awareness Event: Building Resilience - Promoting Mental Wellness for our Youth

Schools, parents, caregivers and communities all play a role in providing supportive pathways for our youth as they navigate childhood and adolescence. Lincoln Public Schools is partnering with School Community Intervention and Prevention (SCIP) and Region V Systems to put on valuable community presentations about how to support the health and well-being of our community’s youth.

Please join us for this event:

Building Resilience: Promoting Mental Wellness for our Youth

Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, from 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Lincoln Medical Education Partnership Vrbka Classrooms – 4600 Valley Road, Lincoln (Entrance 1, first floor)

Sandy Morrissey, Prevention Director, and Teri Effle, Prevention Specialist, with Region V Systems will discuss strategies to support student mental health and wellbeing including:

1. Building Foundational Practices: The importance of sleep hygiene and the impact of screen time on mental health, providing practical tips for creating healthy routines that promote restful sleep and balanced technology use.

2. Creative Wellness Techniques: Effective mental fitness tools that can help children and teens manage stress and improve emotional regulation.

3. Empowerment through Engagement: The importance of actively engaging with youth in mental wellness practices, fostering open communication about mental health and creating a supportive environment where kids and teens feel comfortable expressing their emotions and developing healthy coping strategies.

Information for Pre-K and Elementary School Families

DEADLINE MONDAY: Bubba’s Closet (for preK – 5)

Every year, Lincoln Public Schools Elementary Principals Network organizes and distributes winter clothing through the Bubba’s Closet event.

Families who are in need of winter coats for their pre-school and elementary aged children are asked to fill out a form (bit.ly/2024RequestCoats) by Monday, Sept. 30, indicating the child’s size, age and school. Elementary principals cannot guarantee a new coat for every child, but they will do their best to fulfill as many requests as possible. Coats will be distributed to students through their school by late November.

Those who are interested in donating to Bubba’s Closet this year are encouraged to give through the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools Fund a Need campaign: bit.ly/2024Donate2Bubba. 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 beforehand to arrange to drop off the donation.

Information for Middle and High School Families

Choose your journey - explore LPS Focus Programs

One of the great things about LPS is that our high school students are able to customize their learning experience. Our LPS Focus Programs value exploration, education, engagement and empowerment. 

Families with students in grades 8-11 are invited to a one-stop-shop event where you and your student can learn more about all of our Focus Programs: 

Fall Focus Program Information Night (in-person)

  • Tuesday, October 1, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. 
  • Irving Middle School (2745 S 22nd St.)

Future events:

The Career Academy (8800 O Street)

  •  Tuesday, Oct. 8, 5:30 p.m. (in-person)
  • Thursday, Oct. 17, 5 p.m. (virtual – email Joshua Jones at jjones7@lps.org for a Zoom link)
  • Sunday, Oct. 20, 1-3 p.m. (in-person)

Bryan College of Health Sciences at Northwest High School (4901 W Holdrege Street)

  • Thursday, Oct. 17, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.  (in-person)

Science Focus Program (Lincoln Children’s Zoo, 1222 S. 27th St)

  • Tuesday, Oct. 22, 5 – 6 p.m. (in-person)
  • Tuesday, Oct. 22, 6- 7 p.m.  (in-person)

Early College and Career STEM at Northeast High School (2635 N 63rd St)

  • Tuesday, Oct. 29, 5:30 – 7 p.m. (in-person)

Air Force Junior Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) at Northeast High School (2635 N 63rd St)

  • Tuesday, Oct. 29, 5:30 – 7 p.m. (in-person)

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.