Viking News
November 2020 Special Edition
Principal's Greeting
Greetings Viking Family,
It is hard to believe that we have already arrived at the beginning of the holiday season. Our staff at Crestridge has maximized our time with our Vikings over the last three months. Whether your student participates in remote instruction online or whether your child has attended in person, there is no doubt that you have seen their growth academically and socially due to the tremendous efforts of our teachers and staff. I am so incredibly proud of the resiliency of our students and of the commitment of our team at Crestridge. Working together we have mitigated the many challenges handed to us through this pandemic. Each day it becomes more clear that there's only one way to get through this pandemic: together.
With that said, I would like to bring to your attention the recent challenges we have experienced. Many families have reached out to me directly for reassurance on the safety of our school. Without hesitation, I can confidently tell families, we have strong safety protocols in place and we are doing everything we can to ensure Crestridge is a safe place for your child to come to learn. Keeping our doors open to serve students is our top priority and their safety while attending daily is paramount. With this said, the school can only do what is within our control: physical distancing, mask wearing, hand washing and enhanced cleaning procedures. We urge families to continue being faithful partners in this endeavor. Following Halloween, we experienced an increase in caregiver reports of COVID positive cases, which precipitated the contact tracing process and notifications to our Crestridge community. My goal in bringing this into our community's awareness is to draw a clear link between outside of school events impacting our community. We are hoping that proactive communication may support a safe return following the Thanksgiving recess ahead.
While I realize that the community at large has seemed to reach a fatigue in combatting the pandemic, here at Crestridge our community has remained strong and I am requesting our community's continued support in the weeks ahead. Next week we will have Thanksgiving recess. A reminder to families that there was a change in the attendance schedule by the district. We will see our A-K learners on Monday, November 23rd and L-Z Learners on Tuesday, November 24th prior to the Thanksgiving recess which will be on Wednesday, November 25th- Friday, November 27th. For families who are planning on traveling or having contact with individuals outside of your household, it would be in the best interest of the larger school family for you to join us online for streamed instruction following the Thanksgiving recess. Let me again reiterate, we need your help. For the health and safety of everyone in our school communities, we ask that if families gather in large groups with others outside their home over the holiday, or travel during the break, their student learn remotely for the two following weeks.
Lastly, we’d like to provide a kind reminder to families to please stay vigilant in daily life at school, work, and home. If you or someone you live with are experiencing the following symptom(s), please do not come to school:
- Two or more of the following - fever, chills, cold/shivering, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
- OR
- One of the following - new cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and new loss of taste/smell
- You or someone you live with is waiting for test results for Covid-19
- You or someone you live with have been diagnosed with Covid-19
- You have been in close contact (6 feet or closer for 15 minutes or more) with someone diagnosed with Covid-19 without masks.
Through our joint commitment to daily self monitoring and through following the aforementioned guidelines, together, we can make sure our students and staff stay safe and healthy in the weeks ahead.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out. Email me at valerie.varas@ops.org and I'll be sure to respond to you as quickly as possible. At the bottom of this electronic newsletter is a form entitled Family Voice Survey that seeks to learn parents questions, concerns, and to hear parent input. Thank you again for your continued flexibility and support as we navigate through our school year.
#Crestridgeproud
#Vikingstrong
#Bettertogether
Go Vikings!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Valerie Varas
Principal
Crestridge Magnet
Omaha Public Schools
(531) 299-1280
A Note from Miss Rowland
Hello Crestridge Families,
Below is information to support families in need during this holiday season.
Winter Coat Give Away
If you, or someone you know, is in need of a winter coat, St. Vincent DePaul Society is having a Winter Coat Giveaway Event. It is on Saturday, Nov. 7th from 8:00 A.M.-3:00 P.M. The event is taking place at the St. Peter Gym at 2728 Leavenworth St. For more information you can call 402-341-4560 ext. 102.
Holiday Assistance
The Open Door Mission has put out some information about holiday assistance programs.
1.The Turkey ‘N’ Fixin’s program empowers low-income individuals and families in need with the holiday food items – like a turkey or ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy – to cook a Thanksgiving meal in their own home rather than eating at the Open Door Mission on Thanksgiving Day. You may register and receive holiday food items for Turkey ‘N’ Fixin’s during your normal shopping time November 3rd thru November 25th at any of the 3 Outreach Centers during Holiday hours. They are open Tuesday thru Saturday from 10 AM to 3 PM. There will be ONLY- 1- Turkey ‘N’ Fixin’s registration allowed per address. To register, applicants will need a photo id and a current piece of mail with current address on it. Only one adult per address is needed to register for this program.
2.The Feed the Multitudes program is a partnership with Bellevue Christian Center. This will be a Drive-Thru Event with to go containers filled with a Traditional Turkey dinner. The pre-cooked meal will contain turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and corn. They will put gravy and cranberries in their own containers. People will drive-thru and be able to take the full meal home and heat it up when they are ready to eat! There will be bonus food items such as bread, soda, dessert and snacks. This will be a FREE Drive-Thru event on Saturday, November 21st from 11:30 am-2:30 pm located at the Garland Thompson Men’s Center. Follow the traffic flow once you get to the Open Door Mission campus.
3.The Project Santa’s Drive-Thru Christmas program empowers low-income parents to have gifts for their children under the tree on Christmas morning from themselves or Santa. This will be a Drive-Thru event providing 1 -2 toys for each child, books, diapers, coloring books and a Holiday food box. Parents will drive through and pick up gifts for their children on an assigned Saturday in December. This program serves children ages birth to 12. Registration will be at all 3 Outreach Centers during Holiday Hours in the months of November and December. The Outreach Centers are open Tuesday thru Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To register your children for Project Santa, applicants will need the following for EACH child they are registering: a birth certificate or document verifying their age and the child’s social security number. Parents will need to have their photo id and a current piece of mail. Only one adult per household is needed to register children for this program. Children can NOT be present at registration. A child can only be registered once for this program.
If there is anything I can help your student with, do not hesitate to call me at 531-299-1286 or email me at heather.rowland@ops.org. You can also click this link to fill out a Request to Speak with the Counselor form and it will come directly to my email.
As we spend extra time thinking about the things and people we are thankful for in the month of November, please know that I am so thankful to work at Crestridge with our wonderful students, families and staff.
Be well,
Miss Rowland
Crestridge Counselor
Mark Your Calendar
Upcoming Dates
PTO Fundraiser
Picture Day
Crestridge Magnet's Picture Day will be on November 18th for A-K learners, and November 20th for L-Z learners. Information related to school pictures will be sent home this week with your child.
Safety Precautions:
● Students will remain masked except for when taking their picture
● Safety and cleaning protocols will be followed.
● Families/students must complete a self check for Covid-19 symptoms; they may not attend the picture opportunity if there are symptoms. We will offer a picture retake later in the year for those students who are not able to attend.
If conditions related to the pandemic require the cancellation of our building’s picture opportunity, we would work with Jeremy Johnson Photography to reschedule it to a later date if possible. Should the need for rescheduling occur, we would notify parents of necessary changes.
Payment
All students will be photographed individually. All online orderes MUST be placed online in advance of picture day to get the best possible price. Click on the link below to order online and save. You may also send check or cash in the prepay order envelope the day of pictures.
Online Prepay
Parents may prepay online, up until 11:59 p.m. on November 20th
http://AccessMyEvent.com/4HFXV7
Questions?
J Johnson Photography (402)292-8438
Progress Reports
Change of Cohort Attendance
In order to build greater equity towards cohort attendance dates. There will be a change of attendance during the week of Thanksgiving recess. On Monday, Nov 23-A- K (blue) learners will attend and on Tuesday, Nov 24-L-Z (yellow) will attend. This will allow teachers to see both cohorts of students prior to the recess.
Thanksgiving Recess
Food Distribution Sites
OPS Meals 2 Go
Schools will not be in session Nov. 25-27 for Thanksgiving Recess. The Omaha Public Schools Nutrition Services team remains committed to preparing and distributing meals for students.
The week of Thanksgiving Recess, Meals2Go will be distributed only on Monday, Nov. 23.
- This bag will contain three days of meals for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Food Bank of the Heartland
A Map of Food Distribution by Address
Social Resources
Cox Connect2Compete Internet Access for Families
If you find yourself in need of assistance in attaining a home WiFi connection, Cox Cable offers their Cox Connect2Compete program for families in need. The program offers WiFi for $9.95 per month. Cox is offering special discounts for families due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Please see the link below:
211
People across our area face challenges every day and may not know how to find or access local programs that address them. That’s what 211 is all about: connecting our neighbors with nearby services that can help. If you are looking for assistance in finding a food pantry, paying for a utility bill, accessing safe housing or shelter, receiving counseling services and more, speak with one of our helpline specialists today. 211 is available 24/7 by phone or text. Your call is free and confidential.
Call 2-1-1 or text your zip code to 898211 to get in touch with a helpline specialist today.
Please see the link below for more information or to visit their website.
Latino Center of the Midlands
Affected by COVID?
Through the CARES ACT, the Latino Center of the Midlands is able to assist individuals and families whose lives have been directly or indirectly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Latino Center of Midlands is dispersing emergency COVID relief. You may be eligible for assistance with:
- Rent/ Mortgage
- Utilities
- Food Assistance
Ready to apply?
Please visit the below website or call us at 402-733-2720 to make an appointment.
Want to Support the PTO?
The below are opportunities for you to give through your purchasing:
TAGG
Direct Donation
Amazon Smile
Other Resources for Families
District Level Support
If you have additional questions, please consider which of the following department below may best meet your needs.
Contact Student Information Services at SIS@ops.org for:
- Current or past student proof of education
- Pre-K and K registration or physicals
- Questions about summer school
Contact the Student Placement Office at StudentPlacement@ops.org for:
- Transfer requests
- Questions regarding home attendance areas