October 8, 2021

October 19 is PreACT Test Day- No School for 9, 11, and 12 grade students

Again this school year, all sophomores (Grade 10 students) will have the opportunity to take the PreACT. PreACT is modeled after the ACT testing experience but within a shorter test window on four of the ACT test subjects: English, math, reading, and science. This is a great opportunity for students to practice and prepare for taking the ACT in the future. In addition, schools will be able to use results to provide both current achievement and projected future ACT test scores.

The paper/pencil PreACT test administration date is Tuesday, October 19, 2021. All sophomores are encouraged to take the assessment. The test takes a little over 2 ½ hours and requires an environment with no distractions. As a result, sophomores will be the only students in attendance on that date with dismissal at 1:00 p.m. Breakfast and lunch will be served. Busses will run as normal in the morning and will arrive at 1:00 p.m. for dismissal. We are excited to offer this opportunity to OPS sophomores.

PreACT helps students plan for their future. The PreACT provides you and your child with information that can help select the right high school courses, think about ways to target areas for improvement, and even begin discussions about college and career. PreACT helps identify:

· How a student is doing with the skills and knowledge required to succeed in college and beyond

· Areas where extra help or additional courses are needed

· Career possibilities that match the student’s interests

Why take the PreACT?

It’s never too early to start getting comfortable with the ACT test. The PreACT provides a practice opportunity for the ACT by helping you:

· Identify your current academic readiness for college and career using your PreACT score report

· Predict how you’ll perform on the ACT after an additional year of learning

· Determines skills you can improve based on your performance

· Explore how your career aspirations align with your interests

Practice with the ACT Test Experience:

PreACT provides students with a structured testing environment similar to what they will experience when taking the ACT, ACT test-quality questions, and predictive scores aligned to the ACT 1–36 scale. This helps students get comfortable with the test and understand how they are doing in core subjects. It also helps parents and educators identify areas where additional support might be necessary.

For more information about PreACT go to www.act.org/preact

Senior photos and baby photos for the yearbook are due December 20th. Please email in jpg format to central.obook@ops.org. Make sure you get a confirmation email back that your photo was received and approved. For senior photos: Head and shoulders only, no props, any background.

Email hillary.blayney@ops.org with any questions.

Central's NEST

Since 2015, Central has housed the NEST on site. The NEST is a necessities closet that helps to meet the needs of students, regardless of circumstances. It is through our generous community partners, parents, and staff that donations have regularly helped to provide for our students each year. For example, in 2021-2022 thus far staff have helped collect and donate headphones, belts, and shoes. Parents have helped to donate personal hygiene products. And just this week, EVEREVE (Located out at Village Pointe) generously donated a batch of clothing for our students this fall. Thank you ALL for helping to extend the net and provide in the capacities you can to help connect students to whatever resources are needed to help them feel cared for and prepared. It truly is the Eagle Way. #downtownproud

Now accepting donations for preparing for winter season- looking for gloves and hats to keep our Eagles warm.

If your student needs to access the NEST, they can reach out to their assigned Counselor, assigned Administrator, or Ms. Hill, the School Social Worker to find out more. Questions, contact Ms. Hill at dawnna.hill@ops.org or 531-299-5637

Community Resource Updates:

Please see the flier found here for information on an upcoming FREE winter coat and accessories give away Saturday, October 30th, 2021 from 8:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Link 2 attached fliers)

FREE Winter Coat and Accessories Giveaway- Saturday, October 30th, 2021

8:00 a.m. to 1 p.m., first come first served

St. Peter's Parish Gymnasium

2728 Leavenworth Street (parking available at 27th and St. Mary's Ave, just North of the Church)

COATS, HATS, SCARVES, GLOVES (1 coat per person, 5 coats per household MAX)

For additional information, contact the email listed on the flier

Please see the link found here to learn more about the MAT “Kids Ride Free” Program.

For Ms. Hill's 2021-2022 Padlet of Community Resources, check out 2021-2022 Community Resources (padlet.org). It is updated daily upon receipt of new resources in the communities.

COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies

• Vaccines and face coverings
  • Health and safety is our priority. To protect students, staff and families, our district updated face covering requirements for the start of the 2021-22 school year. Students, staff and visitors must wear a face covering while inside our school. We care about our students, and we can work together to limit the spread of COVID-19. Our school will have face coverings available for those who need them.
  • Staff and families should continuously monitor their health. If a student or staff member feels ill, they must stay home.
  • Omaha Public Schools encourages everyone eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in consultation with their doctor.
• Enhanced disinfecting measures
  • School campuses will undergo cleaning and sanitization procedures at least daily.
  • Frequently touched surfaces will be sanitized with an EPA-approved disinfectant or sprayed with an ionizer at least daily.
  • Shared materials, including computer labs and other hands-on resources should be disinfected between uses.
  • Student desks should be wiped down with an EPA-approved disinfectant or sprayed with an ionizer at the end of each day.
• Hygiene
  • Staff will work with students to teach and reinforce proper handwashing.
  • Hand sanitizer will be available throughout schools, where permitted by the fire marshal.
  • Staff will work with students on “respiratory etiquette,” like covering coughs and washing hands.
  • Signage throughout schools will strategies to limit the spread of germs.
  • Handwashing or sanitizing will be part of the routine when moving throughout the school, before and after mealtimes and more.
• Mealtimes
  • Students will wash or sanitize hands before and after every meal.
  • Staff will follow public health recommendations and food safety will be prioritized at all levels.
• Adjusted routines
  • Physical distancing should be maximized whenever possible.
  • Seating charts should be kept in classrooms to assist with contact tracing if needed.
  • Schools may adjust traffic patterns based on the needs of their location.
  • The use of shared materials should be limited when possible, and disinfected between uses.
  • Use of water fountains will not be permitted for health and safety reasons.
    
• Visitors to school
  • Visits to schools must be planned in advance with school administrators.
  • If a visitor has not been vaccinated against COVID-19, we recommend they wear a face covering when on an Omaha Public Schools campus.
  • Face coverings and hand sanitizer will be available near the main entrance.
• Contact tracing and communication
  • Each school will have a designated, isolated location for students who show symptoms of COVID-19. Any staff working in the area will have appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
  • Families will be contacted immediately to pick-up their student.
  • The building contact tracing designee will work with Omaha Public Schools health services staff to complete the contract tracing process.
  • Close contacts of an individual diagnosed with COVID-19 will receive direct communication and guidance, based on recommendations from public health and the specific circumstances of that close contact.
  • Schools will continue to communicate by email with all staff and families if an individual diagnosed with COVID-19 was on their campus while contagious.

Omaha Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), marital status, sexual orientation, disability, age, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation or economic status in its programs, activities and employment and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following individual has been designated to accept allegations regarding non-discrimination policies: Superintendent of Schools, 3215 Cuming Street, Omaha, NE 68131 (531-299-9822). The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Director of Equity and Diversity (equityanddiversity@ops.org), 3215 Cuming St, Omaha, NE 68131 (531-299-0307).