Blackburn Chronicle

April 2022

A Message from Program Director, Michaela Jackson

A Message from Program Director, Michaela Jackson

Happy Spring!


As the weather warms and the season changes, we are reminded that another busy school year is coming to an end. There is much to stay focused on, however! We are in the middle of the last quarter of the year with mid-quarter progress reports coming to you soon. Now is not the time for students to let class attendance and concentration slip!


Our building-wide multi-tiered system of support for behavior (MTSSB) is one of the ways we work to help students stay engaged in class. We have created reminder posters as well as a PRIDE system, where students can "spin to win" for their efforts--winning anything from lunch with a staff member to gift cards to snacks. It's such a fun way to let students know that we recognize their hard work and diligence!


Speaking of hard work, Blackburn is implementing its first dual enrollment class this Spring! Seniors have the opportunity to take a course for credit at both Blackburn and Metropolitan Community College (MCC). Moving forward, we are eager to expand our offerings! We want our students to expand their horizons and see what is available to them when they graduate from high school.


MCC's partnership with OPS also includes FREE virtual tutoring for K-12 students! Please click on the following link to access the information and to sign up:


https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/CommunityTutorSupport@mccnetmccneb.onmicrosoft.com/bookings


Parents and Guardians, please let us know if you have any questions about your student's academic or attendance standing. We welcome hearing from you. To that end, I am asking for your feedback on the annual OPS Climate Survey. We value what you think about our programs and how we are serving your children. Please click on the link that follows to open the survey. It will be sent directly to OPS Research Division. Thank you in advance for your input!


http://www.TinyURL.com/OPSParentVoice


Please see the calendar below for dates and deadlines to remember. Note that there are specific reminders for graduating seniors!

A Message from Program Director, Michaela Jackson

Important Upcoming Calendar Dates


  • May 6.....Prom at Blackburn, 7-11 PM ("Burn into the 90's")
  • May 27.....Last day of school for students
  • June 8-30.....Next Level Learning (NLL: summer school)
(Please contact Ms. Morris or Ms. Tate at Blackburn for more information about NLL)


REMINDERS FOR SENIORS

  • May 20.....Seniors' LAST day
Cap and Gown Fee due ($35)

All school fines must be paid (please contact Ms. Swan at Blackburn about fines)

  • May 24.....Graduation Rehearsal, 1 PM (Kroc Center)
  • May 25.....Blackburn Graduation, 5-7 PM (Kroc Center)

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

Service Learning: Waste Not Want Not

On March 7, students at Blackburn Alternative Program once again got their hands dirty as part of a service-learning project. Waste Not/Want Not is a collaboration between Farrah Grant's UNO Sustainability Class, UNO Service Learning Academy, Blackburn students, and Culinary Teacher Staci Christianson.

Their goal? To learn how to create a 'greener' school through waste reduction, recycling, and composting, the first step of which is to determine what parts of school lunch could be recycled, composted, or sent to the landfill through a trash sort.

Students saved 38 pounds of food from entering the landfill, where it could take up to 25 years to break down. The next step is to document strategies that could be utilized to keep OPS lunch waste from going to the landfill.

Blackburn Artists' Talents Displayed