Superintendent Briefing
September 4, 2018
North Platte Public School District
The North Platte Public School District is working collectively to become a great school district. It is a district that collaborates to create and improve an effective integrated district-wide system to ensure adults have the capacity to support students and learning in collaboration with family, businesses, and community members - Dr. Ron Hanson, Superintendent.
The Power of a Positive Team
We will continue our journey toward greatness by working collectively to achieve our purpose:
Our purpose is to prepare students to be productive responsible citizens in schools that are safe, caring and supportive – every year – every day matters.
This is what we do every day together and this is why we are doing it – to prepare our students for success.
Ask yourself at the end of each day, did my actions make a difference today? Are my students better prepared today?
Remind yourself each day, people with a purpose make things happen – your commitment to the process and purpose is what drives you to reach your goals – it determines what you accomplish.
We are better together, and together we accomplish great things.
NPPSD Educators: We are better together, and together we accomplish great things.
North Platte Public Schools recognizes the value of all staff members. Vince Lombardi said, "The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual." Our Board of Education supports our focus of supporting the human resources within the district through strategically utilizing best practices to recruit, hire, mentor, retain, and develop qualified certified and non-certified staff in all schools that support the district’s purpose and direction to ensure success for all students.
Nebraska Department of Education identifies educator effectiveness as one of the essential tenets that all students should be surrounded by effective educators throughout their learning experiences, such that schools develop effective teachers and leaders who establish a culture of success.
NPPSD was fortunate to have Jon Gordon join us for the Back to School event. Jon's message to "Stay Positive" is important to keep in mind throughout the entire school year. Buffalo Elementary staff took a ride on the Energy Bus to our Back to School event. Madison Middle School staff took a ride on the Energy Bus to a Friday luncheon hosted by Mr. McMurtry and a delegation of incoming 6th grade students ----Dr. Tami Eshleman, Associate Superintendent.
"Every morning you have a choice, are you going to be a positive thinker or negative thinker? Positive thinking will energize you." ~Jon Gordon
NPPSD District Safety Steering Committee
North Platte Public Schools has been busy this summer making sure our buildings are safe and secure to start the new school year. Beginning in May, we had our first community involved safety committee meeting that included; patrons, fire and rescue, law enforcement and district personnel. The committee came up with a very good list of security measures that would enhance the district safety measures. A couple of the suggestions were securing the doors and electronic check in for patrons.
NPHS, Adams and Madison now have swipe in cards for staff to access the building. Limited door access will allow building administrators to control their building storefront.
The technology department will soon be implementing an electronic sign-in for people entering the building. This will scan the information of the person entering the building and print out a picture on a badge with the location they are going to in the building. This is a work in progress. We are currently clarifying expectations and procedures.
Please remember the best solution is to create positive relationships with our students. We need to invest in people/initiatives/programs that build great relationships with students and parents. Remember, the threat is not coming from outside, it is coming from within - it is already in our buildings. Building relationships builds awareness - visibility and awareness would be a much better investment.
We appreciate everyone’s understanding and patience as we continue to ensure our schools are safe, caring, and supportive learning environments - Stuart Simpson, Executive Director of Finance, Facilities and Operations.
NPPSD Student Resource Center
New and exciting things are taking place in the Student Services World! Over the summer the food pantry at NPHS found a new home. We moved everything into one room to create a Student Resource Center. Within room 1207, students can get school supplies, clothing, toiletry items, food and about anything else they need to be successful in school. Though donations from the community, we also now have a refrigerator and will have fresh fruit and veggies for students each week. Students can continue to use the laundry services at the high school as well. Within the Student Resource Center, we also have created a space for various agencies that serve youth a place to meet with students and support their educational needs. If you want to talk more about the Student Center or know of a student that could benefit from its services contact Brandy Buscher, Student Services Coordinator - bbuscher@nppsd.org.
Positivity
A positive team can withstand the negative forces coming at them, but they will crumble if the negativity comes from within. Positive teams know and believe that outside forces cannot truly defeat them. They can only defeat themselves. - Jon Gordon
New at NPHS
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resource curriculum added to NPHS this school year along with a NPHS FFA Chapter.
NPPSD Custodian Staff: We Are Better Together
The North Platte School District Custodian staff are committed to our purpose of preparing students to be productive responsible citizens in schools are safe, caring, supportive and CLEAN! --- Lori Coburn - Director of Custodial Services
NPPSD Kid Klub: We Are Better Together
Lincoln and Jefferson Kids Klub staff have had 50+ students after school each day since school started. The staff at both of these schools, including principals, secretaries and Kids Klub staff have worked hard and gone the extra mile to communicate with each other and brainstorm best practices, so that every student has an opportunity to attend our program. Everyone’s willingness to pitch in and share the work involved and not pass it off as “not my job, not my problem” shows we have one more reason to be proud of the greatness and teamwork our district demonstrates to every student who comes through our doors --- Carrie Lienemann, Kids Klub Director.
NPPSD Maintenance Staff
Hall Elementary School Auction
NPPSD Maintenance Staff
NPPSD Maintenance Staff: We Are Better Together
As North Platte public schools get ready to sell Hall School, the maintenance department is cooperatively working with Community Connections to help them move from Hall school to their new home at Nebraskaland National Bank. Thus allowing the new owner to take over as soon as possible -- Dan Sim, Interim Director of Maintenance.
Teaching & Learning Team: We Are Better Together
This year, the Teaching and Learning Team is exploring great practices in educational technology. At our Administrator Retreat in July, principals and district staff participated in professional learning and began to create a collective vision for what is possible in our classrooms.
Mendi Roehrs, third grade teacher at Jefferson, and Jake Jolliffe, third grade teacher at Lincoln, participated in professional learning this summer in the area of Blended Learning. As part of our first iPad Academy, these teachers are using iPads to engage students. They will continue to receive additional training, coaching and technical support throughout the year.
The special education department updated their iPads this year in order to have the latest technology to use with students. At the special education meeting on August 16th, the special ed staff learned different tips and tricks on how to utilize the iPads as an assistive technology device to meet students needs. Various application tools are available on the iPad to enhance student learning such as text to speech and timer.settings --- Vikki Carlson, Director of Secondary Teaching and Learning, Denise DiGiovanni, Director of Elementary Teaching and Learning, Peggy Romskek, Director of Special Education.
NPPSD Technology Department: We Are Better Together
The Technology team has been extremely busy this summer with the deployment of new technology devices.
Summer Device Deployments:
New Teacher HP Laptops: 265
New Classroom Chromebooks deployed: 583
New iPad Academy devices :65
New Special Services iPads: 90
Summer Application Deployments: EverFi (5th grade financial literacy), Edgenuity, Typing Clubs, PBIS SWIS, Remind, Raptor (coming soon), BrainPOP signon through Clever (coming soon) , Zuludesk iPad Management, Paper Cut in Elementary School.
New Access Control Security - installed at Adams Middle School
HelpDesk Tickets closed last 30 days: 491
All of this done while moving offices and back forth with McKinley due to construction work and keeping everything else running – Brian Tegtmeier, Director of Technology Department.