Pinto Press
Friday, September 17, 2021
A Message from Your Principal
Hello, Pinto families. What a great turnout we had for Open House! Thank you for coming and spending your evening with us. We hope you learned a lot about your child's days at Picotte and had a little fun in the process. I know the staff and I sure did!
If you were not able to sign up for parent-teacher conferences, your child's teacher will be reaching out to you to set one up. These conferences are an important part of the parent/guardian and school communication. We are looking forward to 100% participation!
Progress reports were sent home today with our students in grades 3 and 4. Be sure to visit with them about their school work. If you have any questions, please reach out to your child's teacher.
The district recently approved some calendar adjustments. Friday, September 24 is now a non-student day for all OPS students. For our OPSF Pre-K students, it is a consolidation day, which is held here at Picotte. The revised cycle day and OPS calendars are linked below for your convenience.
K-4 students are taking fall NWEA-MAP assessment. Teachers get lots of information about what your child is ready to learn and may need to practice. This helps us give them their "just right" instruction. Your child's teacher will let you know their exact schedule. Be sure to talk with your child about the assessment and make sure they get a good night's sleep before they test.
On behalf of the PTA, thanks for your tremendous response and support for the Step It Up fundraiser! I'm awaiting final numbers, and PTA will share them soon.
Please reach out if you have any questions or if we can help in any way. Enjoy the long weekend.
With Pinto Pride,
Mrs. Schovanec
Still Want iPad Insurance?
Next Thursday, September 23, is the last day to purchase iPad insurance. Please ask your child's teacher for the agreement form if you need another.
Omaha North Cheer Camp Information
Dismissal record is now 4:14!
Dismissal is going quite well and quick! Please continue to listen to staff. Remember to not double park or block the left lane of the main school drive, especially if you are a parent of a first grade or Kindergarten single rider pick up. You will be asked to circle back around if you are blocking traffic in any way.
Those name signs in your windows really speed things along. Please display them. If you do not, you will be handed a new one and will need to exit and circle back around as we load other students.
If you need another sign for additional vehicles, please let your child's teacher or the office know.
Thank you for your continued cooperation.
Last minute change in dismissal plan? Call the office before 3:45
COVID Daily Screenings
Health and safety remain our priority. To assist us with our effort in keeping students, staff and families safe, we are asking you to conduct a daily health screening on your child(ren) every day prior to sending them to school.
Please assess and/or ask your child(ren) the following screening questions before sending them to school.
Does your child have one of the following?
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New cough
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New onset of shortness of breath
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New loss of taste or smell
Does your child have two or more of the following?
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Fever of 100.4 or greater
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Chills
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Muscle aches
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Headache
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Sore throat
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Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
If you answer yes to the above questions, please do not send your child to school. Instead:
• Notify the school of your child's absence
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Contact your child's health care provider
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Get your child tested for COVID-19
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Do not send your child to school until they have a negative test result or have been
cleared by their health care provider
For information on testing sites, contact the Douglas County Health Department at 402-444- 3400 or https://www.douglascountyhealth.com/109-covid-19/773-where-to-get-tested
For information on COVID-19 vaccine sites please contact the Douglas County Health Department at 402-444-3400 or https://www.douglascountyhealth.com/109-covid-19/812- where-to-get-a-covid-19-vaccine
Important Picotte News and Notes
Interested in Volunteering?
If you are interested in chaperoning field trips, volunteering at Picotte, or other school functions (parties, field day, etc.), please complete the Volunteer Application on the district website. This allows us to provide the appropriate level of clearance for volunteers and chaperones, protecting our students.
School Lunches
Effective for School Year 2021-22, Omaha Public Schools will serve meals at no charge to enrolled students. We encourage families to complete a meal application for Free or Reduced-price school meals. This information may be valuable for P-EBT, the carryover of meal benefits for school year 2022-23, and other educational benefits. The 2021-22 meal application is available online at SchoolCafe.com and a copy was in your child's back to school folder.A completed application is not required for enrolled students to receive meals at no cost for SY2021-22.
If there are any questions, please contact the Nutrition Services Office at 531-299-0230.
PTA Updates
Our amazing PTA is looking for someone to assist in their webpage development. If that's "In your wheelhouse of skills", please contact the school
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.
Building Security
For the safety and security of our students and this building, we are asking that any parent visitor make an appointment prior to entering the building. We will continue to limit outside visitors due to Health & Safety Protocols.
Picotte Spirit Days
The last student day of every week is Spirit Day! Students and staff show their Pinto Pride by wearing Picotte gear or colors. We have a few t-shirts left for $10.00 each. Contact the office to be sure we have your size. Check should be made out to Picotte PTA. We will offer additional gear that can be ordered on-line later this fall.
School Messenger
We will be using the School Messenger (email or Robo call) to communicate this year. Please make sure to contact the office if you need to update your contact information.
Counselor Information
If you need to reach the counselor, or would like school counseling services please email
marybeth.ferree@ops.org or fill out the counseling request https://forms.office.com/r/x7kJBMaey3
Please visit our Picotte web page for a description on school counseling services https://picotte.ops.org/
Birthday Celebrations
Only store-bought pre-packaged items can be brought to school. We highly encourage non-food items.
Infinite Campus Parent Portal Accounts
Did you know the fastest way to keep your child's information current and to check on current grades (for grades 3 and 4) is to have a Campus Parent Portal account? Call the office to get your code and set this up today!
Online Payment
Online Payment is a reliable and secure electronic payment processing solution for fees and fines transactions. The Infinite Campus Online Payment was launched in the spring. Parents and guardians can set up a payment method and select fees to pay through their Campus Parent Portal account.
OPS EC (Early Childhood) Drop Off
If you are the parent of an OPS Early Childhood student and drop your child off in the morning, you must exit your child on the sidewalk (passenger) side. When students get out on the driver's side, it is not safe for them, you, or the drivers who are coming around you for the K-4 dismissal zones.
Important Upcoming Dates
- NWEA MAP assessment for students in grades K-4
September 8 - 21
- Amira Benchmark assessment for students in Kindergarten
- InView Assessment for 2nd and 3rd grades only
September 23
- Last day to purchase iPad insurance
- Spirit Day!
September 24
- No School for Students
September 27
- PTA meeting, 7:00, library. Masks must be worn.
- Spirit Day!
October 19
- Picture Day (individual pictures)
Valerie Schovanec, Principal
Email: valerie.schovanec@ops.org
Website: https://picotte.ops.org/
Location: 14506 Ohio Street, Omaha, NE, USA
Phone: 531-299-1920
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PicottePintosOPS
Twitter: @OPS_PicotteFam