Standing Bear News
September 24, 2020
Congratulations to Standing Bear!!
Message from the Principal
Greetings Standing Bear,
What a Day! What a Day!
It is my pleasure to inform you that
Standing Bear Elementary Staff & Students
are BLUE RIBBON!
Congratulations! Standing Bear Elementary School in Omaha Public School District has been designated an Exemplary High Performing National Blue Ribbon School for 2020 by U. S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. Your school is one of 367 schools in the nation to be recognized in 2020.
I am honored to be working with such a dedicated staff and supportive families. Congratulations to the Standing Bear Community!
Additional information below~
- Give us a "Like" on this newsletter to show your appreciation and support for Standing Bear Staff and to support your hard working CUB!
Use this link below to read about Standing Bear Blue Ribbon School Information.
Stay positive, patient and flexible!
Sincerely,
Bridget O'Melia
U. S. Secretary of Education Announces 2020 National Blue Ribbon Schools
“Congratulations to this year’s National Blue Ribbon School awardees,” said Secretary DeVos. “It’s a privilege to recognize the extraordinary work you do to meet students’ needs and prepare them for successful careers and meaningful lives.”
The coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools award affirms the hard work of educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. Now in its 38th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed almost 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools, with some schools winning multiple awards. Schools are eligible for nomination after five years.
The Education Department recognizes all schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, student subgroup scores and graduation rates:
· Exemplary High Performing Schools – These are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
· Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools – These are among their state’s highest performing in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.
Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The U.S. Education Department invites National Blue Ribbon School nominations from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education (CAPE).
The 2020 National Blue Ribbon Schools Awards Ceremony will be held virtually Nov. 12 and 13. While we regret not having the opportunity to celebrate in person, given the current situation regarding COVID-19, we will celebrate the 317 public and 50 non-public school honorees in the ways that we are able, and they will each receive their plaques and flags via mail.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Photographs and brief descriptions of the 2020 National Blue Ribbon Schools are available at https://www.ed.gov/nationalblueribbonschools.
NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON HONORS AWARDED TO SIX NEBRASKA SCHOOLS
Six Nebraska schools have been named as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2020. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.
The U.S. Department of Education recognized the six Nebraska schools for overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.
The Nebraska schools that were honored are:
- David City Elementary School, David City Public Schools in David City
- Pyrtle Elementary School, Lincoln Public Schools in Lincoln
- Standing Bear Elementary School, Omaha Public Schools in Omaha
- Concordia Academy, Nebraska District LCMS in Omaha
- Creighton Preparatory, Archdiocese of Omaha in Omaha
- Marian High School, Archdiocese of Omaha in Omaha
Community Partnerships~
Thank you to our community partners at Collective Church! They supplied treats for our "Snack Cart" for staff. We really appreciated your thoughtfulness and kindness!
And Hy-Vee for their generous donations for teacher gift bags! You are so supportive and we appreciate you!
Thanks to Hy-Vee!
Blue Ribbon Bags!
If you see a Standing Bear Teacher, tell them
CONGRATULATIONS!
Topped off with an extra JEANS Day!
Calendar of Events
Mark Your Calendars!
1st-2nd: No school for Elementary Students
9th: National Dessert Day! Enjoy something sweet!
19th: Second Quarter Begins
21st-22nd: P/T Conference (more information to come)
23rd: No school
Tech Support
Notes from the Nurse
Daily Health Assessment
Every day before they leave home, families must complete a self-health assessment, asking themselves three vital questions:
- Have you or anyone in your household had a fever (100.4 or greater), cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, muscle pain, sore throat, head aches, chills, nausea vomiting, diarrhea or new loss of smell/taste in the last three days?
- Is anyone in your household waiting for a COVID-19 test result due to symptoms?
- Have you or anyone in your household been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last 14 days?
If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, you will be expected to stay home.
PTO information
Mark Your Calendars!
Tuesday, October 13, 2020 at 6:30 PM – 8 PM
Meeting link will be provided prior to the meeting.
TAGG App Makes it Easy!
TAGG App: QR Code
Enroll in the Membership Toolkit- you will have access to all online forms set up for you to review and complete as needed. You will find forms for Membership, Donations, Volunteer opportunities and more.
Questions? - Please don't hesitate to contact us at ptostandingbear@gmail.com
Message from Mrs. Woodsen (School Counselor)
Hello Standing Bear families!
I hope you and your child have had a positive start to our remote learning journey. There have been many changes occurring in our lives over the last few months; if your child seems to be having more difficulty than typical coping with changes, managing emotions, adjusting to virtual learning, etc., please feel free to fill out the Counselor Request form below. If you believe your child is in need of an urgent visit, potential short term intervention, or a referral to an outside agency, please e-mail or call me directly.
As a school counselor I work diligently to respect the confidentiality of our students; I will contact parents if I have concerns during, or after we meet, however, I encourage you to talk with your child about our virtual visit.
Although our staff and I wish we able to learn together under the same roof, we love seeing and supporting our students virtually. Please know I am here to assist students and families through this time, and always. Take care!
Counselor Request Form: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=tm3mWBshN0q36A72lnQgwT3CJy6V6NFEgItFEHOVb-VUMVQ3ODREMlJaS0Y2UFg3STBRUjk0UVcxRy4u
E-mail: Emily.Woodson@ops.org
Phone: 531-299-2147
Emily Woodson
School Counselor, Standing Bear Elementary
Links for Parents
PARENT PORTAL
Tips for Parents
iPad Usage: Students are doing a great job with the iPads for instructional use during the day. It is recommended that students have access only during school hours or if they have homework. Make sure they get plenty of time away from the screen!
Technical Issues We are happy to assist you with any issues you are experiencing. We will do our best to assist you over the phone, but may need you to bring the device here to school. Some of the issues have been due to students changing settings, setting passwords, etc. Please advise your student to only use the apps needed for instruction. They do not need to go into the settings to make adjustments. However, if you have questions please let us know.
iPad Storage: It is recommended that the student iPad be stored in a central location, not in your child's room in the evening.
Help your child establish and stick to a routine
Treat these 'at home' school days the same as if your child was attending Standing Bear as usual. This includes having them get up at the same time everyday, get dressed, eat a healthy breakfast and log into their TEAMS meeting by 8:50am.
Your child will be sitting in front of their iPad for long stretches of time. Encourage them to use the breaks in the day to do some physical activity — any movement helps!
Resist the urge to sit in on classes with your child unless they need assistance
While it may certainly be tempting to “drop in” on your child’s classes, please respect their privacy and that of other students. Connect with your child's teacher through email or TEAMS office hours.
Take care of you!!
Take time each day for yourself whenever possible. We have appreciated all your support at home as we navigate down this remote learning path. We value your partnership and working together we can support Standing Bear students to reach their best!
Important Information from Standing Bear
Building Security
For the safety and security of our students and this building, we will not be allowing visitors into the building at this time.
Drop Off Zone
We ask that you please continue to pull all the way down to the second crosswalk if possible (by main front doors). We can then unload around 10 vehicles rather than 5. Also, we typically have student "Ambassadors" to assist with opening your car doors for easy drop off. This is currently on hold until further notice.
School Messenger
We will be using the School Messenger (Robo call or email) to communicate this year. Please make sure to contact the office if you need to update your contact information.
Birthday Celebrations
Due to COVID-19, we will not allow any outside items brought nto the building. We will continue to highlight students and have them feel special on this day!
Bridget O'Melia, Principal
Email: bridget.omelia@ops.org
Website: https://standingbear.ops.org/HOME/tabid/36/Default.aspx
Location: 15860 Taylor Street, Omaha, NE, USA
Phone: 531-299-2140
Omaha Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, age, genetic information, citizenship status, 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 address inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Superintendent of Schools, 3215 Cuming Street, Omaha, NE 68131 (402-557-2001).