Liberty Family Newsletter
February 2019
Ilka Oberst, Principal and Jeff Rotherham, Assistant Principal
Thank you for taking a few minutes to read this month’s family newsletter. We have a great school and value our partnerships with families. February is a short but busy month at Liberty Elementary. This month our students are busy reading and writing, and learning new concepts in math, science and social studies.
Last week we celebrated 100 days of school. Thursday, January 31st marked the 100th day of the 2018-19 school year! We keep track of the number of days of school so we can celebrate the 100th day! The 100th day is a great opportunity to have fun with the number 100 while exploring counting, sorting, patterning, measuring and other math skills and concepts.
We ask every student to read for 15-20 minutes every night. Exposure to reading is important in developing vocabulary for fluency and comprehension. Research tells us that students who scored 90% better than their peers on reading tests, read for more than 20 minutes a day – exposing them to 1.8 million words a year.
Students completed the Winter MAP Assessment at the end of January. You will receive the results during the Spring Parent/Teacher conferences, which are scheduled for Wednesday, March 6, from 4:30 PM - 8:00 PM and Thursday, March 7, from 12:30 PM - 8:00 PM. Letters will be going home this week for parent/teacher conference sign ups. Please be sure to confirm your conference date and time by returning the letter to your child's teacher.
All students in the English as a Second Language program are required to take the ELPA21 Assessment, which began on Monday, February 4. ELPA21, the English Language Proficiency Assessment, measures English language learners’ mastery of listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Each Family newsletter will contain helpful information about your child's time in our school. Please reach out to me, Ilka Oberst, Jeff Rotherham, our Assistant Principal, or any of our staff if you have any questions.
We are looking forward to a successful second semester.
Upcoming Events:
February 4 - Progress Reports sent home
February 8 - Early Childhood Plan Day (No School for PK/HeadStart students)
February 11 - Schoolwide Vision Screening
February 12 - Boys' Basketball - Skinner at Liberty
February 13 - Early Childhood Application Day 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM
February 18 - No School - Presidents' Day
February 19 - Boys' Basketball - Liberty at Highland Elementary
February 21 - Rose Theater Grades 4 - 6 The Dollmaker's Gift
February 26 - Superstar Lunch
February 27 - Picture Day
February 28 - Family Night - Sweetheart Dance
March 6 - No School for Early Childhood
March 6 - Parent/Teacher Conferences - 4:30 PM - 8:00 PM
March 7 - Parent/Teacher Conferences - 12:30 PM - 8:00 PM
March 8 - No School
March 11 - March 15 - Spring Break
Early Childhood Application Day
Early Childhood Application Day at Liberty is scheduled for Wednesday, February 13, 2019. If you would like to apply for Head Start or PreKindergarten for the 2019-20 school year, please come to the Liberty gym on Wednesday, February 13 between 9:30 - 11:30 AM or 12:30 - 2:30 PM.
Children turning three or four on or before July 31, 2019 are eligible to attend Head Start and Prekindergarten for the 2019 - 2020 school year.
Parents/guardians are asked to bring the following to the registration:
- Your child! All applicants are given an academic screening
- The child's immunization record
- The child's birth certificate
- Proof of address in the parent's name (Acceptable documents include a OPPD, MUD, Cox Cable, or lease/purchase agreement for residence)
- Income Verification for the past 12 Months (TANF/ADC, SSI, Child Support, 1040, W-2s, 8453, Self Declaration, Pay Stubs, Employment Letter)
Applying for the program, does not guarantee that your child will be enrolled for the 2019/2020 school year.
Please call the main office to make an appointment at 402-898-1697.
Completely Kids After School Program, by: Mrs. Angela Reed
The past three months have been a pleasure to be the Program Coordinator for the Completely KIDS Before and After School Programs at Liberty Elementary School. I consider it both an honor and a privilege to be a part of the Liberty family.
The afterschool program offers a wide variety of clubs and activities to the students in the afterschool program. The goal is to get the students exposed to the different program offerings so that they can find their spark or career interest. Completely KIDS also work with a variety of providers in the community. The Completely KIDS staff also provide activities for the students.
Below is a list of the clubs offered:
- Homework help/Reading
- Omaha Community Playhouse
- Girl Scouts
- Sports, Fitness, and Recreation
- Ballet for Kindergarteners
- UNO Soccer Club
- Film Festival
- Lego Club
- Hinesglow Entrepreneur
- Why Arts
- UNO STEM 4 U
- Mindfulness Club
- Do it Yourself Art (D.I.Y. ART)
- Balloon Artist Club
New Clubs coming in Session 4 are Lego Robotics and Cooking Club
Mrs. Reed
Valentine's Day
Liberty Elementary will be celebrating Valentine’s Day on Thursday, February 14th. Teachers have planned a short Valentine’s Day classroom celebration.
We would like the focus of this celebration to be on friendship and kindness and are asking that students not bring candy or treats to share. Thank you for your understanding.
Your child may bring Valentine's Day cards as long as they bring one for each student in their classroom, but it is not required that students bring cards. Teachers will also have opportunities for students to make cards at school.
30 Ways to Say Yay!
Attendance
Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school themselves. Start building this habit early so they learn right away that going to school on time every school day is important.
Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.
If missing school is unavoidable, talk to your children’s teacher in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. But remember, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that goes on in the classroom.
If you need assistance with attendance issues, please contact Mr. Rotherham, Assistant Principal or one of the school counselors, Mrs. Greenwood or Mrs. Schmidt.
English Attendance Flyer: https://attendanceworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/AW-Infographic-080515-2.pdf
Spanish Attendance Flyer: https://attendanceworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/AW-Infographic-Spanish-081815.pdf
Dental Sealants
One World Dental has been providing services for the 396 students whose parents signed the permission for the dental service.
The dental service consists of a dental screening, fluoride treatment and dental sealants.
Thanks to our Nurse Tammie Mills and health aid Araceli Hernandez for all their hard work in helping make this program a success!
Liberty Little Stars Home Visiting Program, by: Mirta Bustos
Liberty Little Stars Home Visiting Program has been supporting some of our families through home visits over the last four years. These visits last about an hour, three times a month during the first three years of life. These visits usually occur at the family home, but we also occasionally meet in the Family Resource Room 208.
I am working with a research-based curriculum called Growing Great Kids/Growing Great Families, which offers support in parenting skills, child development, and fun activities. I also conduct ASQ evaluations every two months from birth to 24 months, and then every 3 months until 36 months of age, with the families, just to make sure each child is developing accordingly. I also provide extra support through activities in any area in which the child is not meeting the expectation, and/or refer to early childhood intervention program.
I am always recruiting as families either transition out of the program, once the child turns three and/or are no longer able to participate in the program.
Please, contact me as soon as possible if you know of a family that might benefit from this amazing program.
Mirta Bustos, Home Visitor, Liberty Elementary
Parent Survey
Survey Dates: August 15—May 22
How to access: www.TinyURL.com/OPSParentVoice
Notes: Parents can now give feedback throughout the year with the Parent Voice survey. Simply click on the link above!
Liberty Elementary
Email: ilka.oberst@ops.org
Website: https://liberty.ops.org/Default.aspx
Location: 2021 St. Marys Ave., Omaha, NE 68102
Phone: 402-898-1697
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Liberty-Elementary-OPS-424205551045244/
Twitter: @OPS_Liberty