December 2020
Where I’m From B E AT T I E E L E M E N TA RY
SECTION A: A2 Community Awareness Series A3 TeamMates of the month A4 A more creative way to learn science at Culler Middle
This is part of a series of stories, “Where I’m From,” about LPS elementary school teachers who returned to teach at their old schools.
Lincoln High librarian honored
Alex Kreifels can still remember most of the bus route he took from his west Lincoln home to attend Beattie Elementary School, just north of Highway 2 and 20th Street.
A5 CLCs celebrated in national spotlight
LPS PE teachers named best in state
A7 Wellness columns A8 ConnectLPS
Nearly 20 years later, he now drives himself to Beattie to teach fourth grade. The daily journey has changed but he feels the same about the destination, which is why he chose to return to Beattie seven years ago. “When I first applied to LPS out of college I had five interviews set up. Beattie was my very last interview but it made a lasting impression. The caring culture I experienced as a student here was still very prevalent and I really wanted to be a part of that school culture and learn from my colleagues,” he said. “This is not to say that I did not have great interviews at the other schools I interviewed at - if anything it was one of the toughest decisions I ever had to make. Ultimately I chose Beattie because I had so many great memories here as a student and I wanted to return the favor to the next generation of Bobcats.” He often mentions his younger days at Beattie to his students. Sometimes it’s a specific story or how the school has changed since his time as a student. The art room moved, the classroom that was used for strings and band is now the computer room, and the music room is on the opposite side of the school now. Other times, his Beattie memories emerge naturally as he teaches. Recently he was talking to his students about 9/11. He said he remembered where he was when it happened. “I was in that room - room 106,” he told his class as he pointed out his door and across the hall. He even remembered where he was sitting - in a chair apart from the rest of the class because he got in trouble for talking too much. He also remembers sitting in the main office at Beattie and waiting for his job interview. Into the office walks his fifth-grade teacher. Her eyes grew wide with surprise and she asked what he was doing there.
A10 Sustainability: LPS install electric vehicle charging stations Culler students start business, donate profits A11 Irving students document life during pandemic Looking for a book? A12 Menus
“ I chose Beattie because I had so many great memories here
A14 East’s Cassata named Principal of the Year
as a student and I wanted to return the favor to the next generation of Bobcats.”
“When I told her I was interviewing for a job she just laughed and was very excited for me,” Kreifels said. He immediately felt comfortable, especially when then-Principal Sean Bailey took him on a tour of the building. So much had changed, so much had stayed the same - including his gratitude. “This was the first school that recognized some of my struggles with learning and put plans into place to help me be successful as a student, not just at Beattie but in life. I have always been very thankful for the hours of work my teachers had to put in for me so I feel it is only fair that I pay that effort forward.”
Community News is a publication of Lincoln Public Schools. If you have any questions about this publication please contact Jason Keese, 436-1619; or Mindy Burbach, 436-1609; Lincoln Public Schools P.O. Box 82889 Lincoln, NE 68501-2889
Community Awareness Series
Youth Mental Wellness Our youth are our future’s greatest asset. Schools, parents, caregivers and communities all play a role in providing supportive pathways for our youth as they navigate childhood and adolescence. SCIP (School Community Intervention and Prevention) is partnering with Lincoln Public Schools, Bryan Independence Center and the Lancaster Prevention Coalition to put on a series of valuable presentations about how to support the health and well-being of our community’s youth. These events are open to parents, students, school professionals and community members. Future Presentations: Save the Date February 25, 2021- Fostering Youth Mental Wellness in a Stressful World
Presented by: Dr. Melissa Lafferty with Nebraska Mental Health Centers Via Zoom- https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81409286209 Meeting ID: 814 0928 6209 Due to COVID-19 restrictions this year’s events will all be virtual.
December 2020 | Community News | Section A
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November TeamMates of the Month
Dawn and Angelie: Bonding over Bananagrams Angelie admits the idea of leaving class to go play games was pretty appealing to the then-middle schooler on the waitlist for a TeamMate. Now a Lincoln Southeast High School senior, she realizes the bond she shares with her mentor, Dawn, has been just as transformative as it has been fun. “Dawn has changed my life a lot and for the better. Getting to know her has been a really great opportunity,” says Angelie. “I wish it was more than once a week,” she laughs. Dawn’s approach to mentoring is based on noncritical support. “When Angelie first started telling me something, as the adult I would tell her, ‘Well that doesn’t seem like the best idea,’ but I don’t think I judged. I would listen and give her a little feedback but not in a judgey way,” explains Dawn. While the pair have meaningful conversations, they equally enjoy crafting and playing games like Bananagrams. Angelie describes Dawn’s “bag of goodies” she brings to their visits as full of endless fun activities. “She definitely brought up my spirits and really made me feel comfortable,” Angelie says. “I was able to talk to her about the challenges I had overcome and challenges I was going through.”
“She definitely brought up my spirits and really made me feel comfortable. I was able to talk to her about the challenges I had overcome and the challenge I was going through.” Photo from 2019
Challenges such as Angelie’s family moving to the United States from Guyana in the middle of her sixth grade school year, gaining confidence tackling daunting class presentations, and coping with the loss of a grandparent. Angelie describes how Dawn’s
guidance has helped her deal with complicated situations by considering pros and cons Dawn helps her identify. “My thinking process has changed a lot,” she says. “She has matured so much!” beams Dawn. “The conversations have morphed into adult things, thinking
about what we are going to do after high school and preparing for that.” After graduating next spring, Angelie plans to pursue a medical career by first earning CNA certification, and she looks forward to going out for brunch with her mentor Dawn to celebrate.
December 2020 | Community News | Section A
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Picture this: A more creative way to learn science Mikhale Ford, an eighth-grader at Culler Middle School, used to draw all the time when he was younger. Recently, though, he’s become more involved in sports and has drifted away from his artwork. But a recent science lesson reminded him how much he missed expressing himself through drawing. Students in Mary Herrington’s eighth-grade differentiated science class combined pictures and words to explain the earth, sun and moon system. The lesson, called Art and Evidence, offers a creative outlet for students to show what they’ve learned. “Written work is great but I want to give them opportunities to show what they know in lots of different ways,” Herrington said. “Mikhale does a very good job with the words but I thought his art was amazing.” Ford believes he learns better through assignments such as this. “Expressing myself in drawing helps me focus more and gives me a better understanding of stuff instead of just listening to people talk about it for an hour,” he said. Science teachers from Culler and Schoo Middle School created the Art and Evidence assignment a couple years go after they were tasked with creating lessons that align with the voluntary national Next Generation Science Standards, which the state adopted and renamed Nebraska’s Career and College Ready Standards for Science. Part of those standards calls for fewer worksheets and more journals, reports, posters and media presentations that explain and argue.
“Expressing myself in drawing helps me focus more and gives me a better understanding of stuff instead of just listening to people talk...” “The beauty of the project Mary and colleagues have their students doing is that students get the opportunity to make their thinking visible in a way that makes sense to them,” said Lincoln Public Schools Interim Curriculum Specialist for Science Betsy Barent. “This also fits our vision for science education in the context of what we want to see less of and more of in
science classrooms as students are figuring out how the natural world works. “The other piece of this that matters so much is that by letting students show us what they know and can do in formats other than writing or verbally, we are providing more accessible and equitable opportunities for learning.”
State school librarian group honors Lincoln High’s Escamilla The Nebraska School Librarians Association has honored Lincoln High School Associate Principal Ryan Escamilla with its Distinguished School Administrator Award. The award honors a school administrator “who has made worthy contributions to the operations of an exemplary school library and to advancing the role of the school library in the educational program.” The award carries particular meaning for Escamilla. “With my mother being a public library librarian and growing up volunteering in libraries, I can not express the amount of honor and pride I feel in this award,” he said. “I know the crucial tasks that libraries perform within our communities, in both our schools and cities as a whole. We all live in a better society when knowledge and freedom of speech are so easily found within the walls of our communities' libraries.” In her nomination letter, longtime Lincoln High media specialist Paula McClung said she’s never worked with an administrator who displayed better leadership traits than Escamilla. “When decisions need to be made that affect a staff member of our library or our library program, he comes directly to us and seeks our involvement in that decision,” she said. “His keen sense of staff relationships and the way he seeks to gather information is certainly one of the most valued skills an administrator could have, and with Ryan, this is certainly the case in all he does.” “We’ve tackled some long days and tough situations together. I’ve never observed him lose his poise in front of students or staff,” said Lincoln High media technician Carter Hulinsky. “He puts the needs of our students and school library above his own. He never takes any credit for any of his efforts, and would never consider himself deserving of this distinguished award.”
Two LPS P.E. teachers named best in state Lis Brendon (left) and Mallory Nutt (right) were honored by the Nebraska Society of Health and Physical Educators Two Lincoln Public Schools physical education teachers have been honored as the best in the state. The Nebraska Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) named Mallory Nutt from Randolph Elementary School the 2020 Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year. The organization named Lis Brenden from Lincoln Southwest High School the 2020 Adapted Physical Education Teacher of the Year. In the award announcement, SHAPE shared this from Nutt’s nomination letter: “Mallory always goes above and beyond for her students and fellow teachers. Her classroom is very energetic, fully inclusive for all students, and she uses a variety of technology to make it fun and engaging. As if her work within her school district weren’t enough, she also led a statewide Twitter chat to help Nebraska teachers get through the shift to e-learning in the spring. Mallory is not only an asset to her school but also the state. She integrates mindfulness and social and emotional wellness into every class. You will see her actively participating alongside her students. She truly leads by example in class and out.” SHAPE shared this from Brenden’s nomination materials: “Brenden is a true advocate for students with special needs in the classroom, school and community. A couple years ago she volunteered and initiated piloting the first unified physical education class in Lincoln Public Schools. She works closely with the Special Education Department to co-teach this amazing opportunity for students of all abilities...She is always looking at innovative ways to modify equipment to fit her students’ needs so all can fully participate in class. She shares her passion by leading training to assist other teachers who are interested in incorporating a unified P.E. program in their school.”
December 2020 | Community News | Section A
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Nationwide celebration shines light on Lincoln Community Learning Centers Oct. 22 was the annual “Lights on Afterschool” celebration across the country, a day to recognize the positive impact that afterschool programs have on children. It’s also a day to recognize the community partnerships that make these impactful programs possible. There’s no better example than Lincoln Community Learning Centers and their partnerships with various lead agencies across the city. For the CLC at Hartley Elementary School, that partner agency is CEDARS. CEDARS has been the lead agency for CLCs at both Hartley and Clinton elementary schools for nearly 20 years. The partnership benefits both students and their families, said Hartley CLC Program Director Katie Christiansen. And it goes beyond the academic and club programming that makes CLCs an extension of the school day. “CEDARS not only supports what the Hartley CLC is doing with programming, but CEDARS in partnership with the Hartley CLC offers family engagement opportunities and other resources as well,” she said. “Since the Hartley CLC partners with CEDARS, we’re able to have a behavior therapist on site two days a week. Our therapist is able to work with our students individually and in peer groups, as well.” The role of a CLC aligns perfectly with the mission of CEDARS, which is to provide children with safety, stability and enduring family relationships. “By participating in the CLC’s before- and after-school core program or after-school clubs, students are provided a safe and structured learning environment outside of traditional school hours that further promotes their academic learning and social-emotional development,” said CEDARS Service Director Amara Madsen. “This also provides recreational and enrichment opportunities they might not otherwise have access to.”
“By participating in the CLC’s before- and afterschool core program or after-school clubs, students are provided a safe and structured learning environment outside of traditional school hours that further promotes their academic learning and social-emotional development.” Hartley CLC, the school and CEDARS also partner to offer numerous activities and programs that strengthen the bond between families and the Hartley neighborhood, including a family literacy program, a community advisory group and annual neighborhood celebrations. Hartley and the other 28 Lincoln CLCs invited the community to celebrate “Lights on Afterschool” by highlighting student artwork and writing.
December 2020 | Community News | Section A
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The unexpected gifts of health from 2020 By Michelle Welch, RD,LMNT, LPS District Wellness The impacts of the recent health crisis have touched most parts of our lives. It’s been tragic in countless ways. Is there anything positive that we can take from this experience? Yes. Here are a few examples to help us remember to look on the light side and discover opportunities to connect whenever we can. Immediate family time. Most families of 2020 have never spent this much time together, especially if you have students in many activities. If you used to live on the road to tournaments and practices, the slow-down may have given you a chance to play in the yard or explore the trails together. Certainly, not all of these times are perfect and peaceful, but likely they will be looked back upon as cherished memories by your kids. Remembering the range is for cooking. Who had time to make bread? Many parents took the leap and impressed with new family favorites! Fractions in math class make so much more sense when you cook and bake with your kids, plus it passes on valuable life skills. Also, a lack of normal ingredients can make for some interesting “chopped” battle-style meals. Rediscovering meals together. Prior to this time, how often did your family sit down for meals together? Has it changed? Mealtime can be powerful family connection time. Even if you are doing takeout food instead of cooking, it’s much more about the benefit to kids having that eye contact time with you to test out your worst dad jokes. Gateway skills to sewing. Many of you made face coverings for yourselves and others, perhaps unlocking an interest in sewing and creativity on the part of your kids. They are also a nice, small project for learners and teach several key skills, again polishing math, art and creative skills in a sneaky way. You might have unleashed the start to a future project runway star. Focus on health and hand washing. As a dietitian and slight germaphobe, I can’t help but celebrate that more people are washing their hands. I hope that really sticks around as a lifelong habit for years to come. I’d sure like to eventually go back to hugs and that’s one way to get there. Welcome back to free play. With modified schedules and activities, take advantage of this time to build more free play into kids’ lives and your own. Build epic snow people or forts, battle in table tennis, dust off the old family games like Twister or even make new games or obstacle
courses from five found objects. Setting specific screens off/free play times can lead to so much fun. Appreciation for connection. This one is especially bittersweet. So many of us long to see extended family that we are protecting from exposure. We want to go out with friends. As much as this is a negative short-term, it is a positive long-term. Once we can safely reconnect with others in-person, it will be a celebration indeed. In the meantime, our discovery of other methods may help us stay better connected regularly in the future with our bigger circle of old friends and family. Kids are feeling this even more, so keep doing all you can to fill the love gaps with special time together, doing everything—and nothing. Together we are building a brighter future for our students and community. Thank you for all that you do.
From chores to jobs, finding the path to eventual adulting By Michelle Welch RD, LMNT, LPS District Wellness Over this past unusual year, what new skills has your child picked up? Being home more often opened some doors to opportunities for kids to pitch in and learn skills. It also likely put some wrinkles in your usual routines, some more appreciated than others. Can you resist the urge to redo some chores that kids do in a different way than you would? Though our kids will be ours forever, these years are meant to help us teach them to eventually be able to “adult” and leave the nest successfully. Doing everything for our kids can work against their success. There is no “right time” to this formula, but it’s something we need to be considering regularly as parents. What skill are they ready to start learning today? What this looks like is extremely varied from family to family, child to child, depending on many circumstances. Chatting with parents of classmates may give you a picture of where you are on this journey. For example, my kids started doing their own laundry when they were nine but didn’t start jobs until they were 16. Others may be teaching their kids laundry skills on the way out the door to college, but that child may have been detasseling since age 14. I started this role with LPS when my boys were both in elementary school. Learning how to do the job of school, be a kind person of character, enjoy outside activities and be helpful around the house were their jobs. We had them work independently alongside us as much as possible. Learning to use planners and lists as they became a little older also helped them understand responsibility and deadlines. Now they are in high school and college, so I discuss this from an “ending the final launch” phase. Wow. There’s so much they still need to learn before launching. In addition to school and activities, working a job helped both of my guys learn more about how the world works. How to find a balance, deal with complex situations and people, be managed, do parts of a job well even if you don’t like them and when it’s time, how to leave on a positive note are all critical skills. We not only want to raise good workers, but also good people. Sometimes it’s easy to forget how important that part may be if we are too busy focusing on the chore list. Isn’t that our biggest goal of all? Not only is it good to teach our kids how to change a tire by the time they are driving, but to be “that guy” who stops and helps a friend who might have not gained from that lesson yet. Thanks for all you do as a parent and community member to help us build a brighter future for all.
December 2020 | Community News | Section A
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ConnectLPS
Here’s some of our favorite photos from LPS schools in the past month. Want to see more? Connect with your school’s social media at lps.org/connect.
Saratoga Elementary School
Elliott Elementary School
“While learning about food chains and food webs, students in fourth grade had the chance to dissect owl pellets. Students worked in teams to identify what the owl consumed.”
“Learning numbers and counting with them is important kindergarten work! #ElliottHope”
Lincoln North Star High School
Hill Elementary School
“The Latinos Unidos club created this beautiful ofrenda in honor of Dia de los Muertos.”
“Mrs. Branum’s class pledges to be drug free.”
Calvert Elementary School
Lincoln Northeast High School
“Fourth graders got a virtual visit from a prairie expert, Ms. Faas, for a special Q-and-A.”
“Our music department did their Broadway Musical Review! Help us congratulate the students involved.”
Hartley Elementary School
Scott Middle School
“It’s a beautiful day to practice some music outside.”
“It’s a day off from school and these Scott Stars are out volunteering! #Proud #WeScottThis.”
December 2020 | Community News | Section A
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Sustainability at Lincoln Public Schools
Electric vehicle charging stations installed across LPS Electric vehicle(EV) charging stations are the newest sustainable features at Lincoln Public Schools. Thanks to funding made available by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy and Lincoln Electric System, seven level-2 Chargepoint electric vehicle charging stations were installed at LPS sites. Each of the six high schools have a station near their main entrance and one is at the LPS Operations building. These charging stations are available to support EV use in the Lincoln community. EVs offer many benefits, including decreasing harmful greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation, and reducing reliance on oil and fossil fuels. Lincoln residents have also been given resources for making the switch to an EV. On September 1st, Lincoln Electric System announced $120,000 in rebate funding available to residential customers purchasing or leasing a new electric vehicle for the first time. As of November 5th, all of the rebates had been claimed! (les.com)
The LPS EV charging stations are connected to an online dashboard that tracks station use and quantifies environmental impacts like greenhouse gas emissions avoided. Since installation at the end of August, 57 charging sessions have been tracked and they have spanned across all seven stations. This has avoided 132 kg of greenhouse gas emissions, which is the equivalent of planting 3 trees and letting them grow for 10 years. We are excited to continue watching these impacts grow over time and share with the community. The charging stations are available for public use! Find them on google maps or on the Chargepoint station map.
The Stats (August 25 - November 16) • 57 charging sessions • 77 hours and 21 minutes of charging • 132 GHG emissions avoided • 39 gallons of gas saved
Culler students start t-shirt business, donate profits A group of students at Culler Middle School raised more than $400 for a local non-profit organization by selling t-shirts they designed. Students in Josh Scheffert’s and Tamra Westmoreland’s sixth-grade Humanities classes presented the money to representatives from the Center for People in Need on Oct. 19 at Culler. As of then, they had sold 90 t-shirts. Last year students designed t-shirts and “competed” for Scheffert’s business as a potential consumer, similar to the popular TV show “Shark Tank.” They didn’t actually produce and sell the t-shirts, though. “This year we decided to actually execute the business plan,” Scheffert said. Every student designed a t-shirt, then they voted on their three favorites. They used a website titled “Kidz of Culler: A store with purpose” to sell the shirts. They sold them to family, friends and Culler staff. They also researched local non-profit groups they could donate their profits to and ultimately chose the Center for People in Need. “I hope the students learned the process of starting a business from scratch,” Scheffert said. “I also hope they learned economic principles such as supply and demand, as well as cost and how to price items based on starting cost and how to generate revenue.”
Students said they learned a lot from the experience. Here are some of their responses: • We learned that starting and running a business is difficult and is a process. • We learned that we were helping people in need. • We learned how to design products. • We learned how to use google forms to vote on shirt designs. • We learned how to research different charities in the community. • We learned how to market and advertise to different people. • We learned how to make a logo.
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Irving students use video skills to document school during a pandemic No one will forget what it was like to attend school during a pandemic. But Madison Granger’s eighth-grade English students will have video proof of their lives at Irving Middle School. Granger’s students recently completed a week-and-a-half project in which they created mini-documentaries about school during a pandemic. They interviewed other students, Irving staff and family members, then combined those interviews with other video footage and still images. Granger said her students typically complete a unit on mini-documentaries, but by producing their own it gave both in-person and remote learners an opportunity to better show what they learned. “I think it will be cool to have the memory of documenting it,” she said. “I hope they realize this is a more contemporary mode of getting information out there and that yes, we can get tons of knowledge from reading books but with technology there are other ways we can communicate information, as well.” One of the students, Maizie, said she learned a lot from the project. “I thought it was really fun to show how the school has made changes to accommodate for our safety, like how the water fountains are closed now and how we are staying socially distanced,” she said. Carolyn, her partner for the project, agreed and said it was interesting to hear people’s different perspectives.
“Now we think it’s interesting but it’s just our everyday life. But in 50 years or 20 years we’ll be like, whoa, that really happened..” “Some people talked about financial struggles for people, some people talked about sanitizing - we really learned a lot from the other people,” she said, later adding, “Now we think it’s interesting but it’s just our everyday life. But in 50 years or 20 years we’ll be like, whoa, that really happened.”
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December Breakfast
December 2020 | Community News | Section A
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December Elementary Lunch
December Secondary Lunch
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Cassata named Nebraska Principal of the Year Sue Cassata does not enjoy the spotlight. “My motto is under the radar - totally under the radar,” said the Lincoln East High School principal. “I don’t think people really need to know who I am.” There was no avoiding the spotlight Nov. 10. She was honored at the Lincoln Board of Education meeting with a formal resolution for being named the 2020 Nebraska High School Principal of the Year by the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals. After school on Nov. 9, Cassata talked about her 29 years in education, including the last 12 at East. She didn’t plan on being an educator when she entered Nebraska Wesleyan University more than 30 years ago. She wanted to be in student government, though, and the only open seat was from the education college - so she majored in education. She eventually fell in love with teaching and went on to teach social studies at Lincoln Southeast High School. Lincoln Public Schools Director of Secondary Education Pat Hunter-Pirtle was principal of Southeast at the time. He convinced Cassata to take a coordinator position, a move out of the classroom and into administration that she never envisioned. She remembers first thinking, “What the heck am I doing?” Eventually she warmed to the idea of being able to take a bigger picture view of education. “I fell in love with the idea of thinking bigger about schools - what can we do for all students, what can we do for all teachers, what can we do for all families,” she said.
“I’m here to be an advocate for East High School, but I’m also here to be an advocate for all kids, to help others think about how we serve students and the conditions under which that service occurs.”
She realized how much she loved helping others through her role as a She’s also here for a good laugh. She’s known for her sense of humor and coordinator, an assistant principal at Lincoln North Star High School and can’t imagine working somewhere and not having fun with her colnow principal at East. leagues. “I’m here to serve others. I’m here to serve staff and students and families. I’m here to help them create the best learning spaces for kids,” Cassata said. “I’m here to be an advocate for East High School, but I’m also here to be an advocate for all kids, to help others think about how we serve students and the conditions under which that service occurs.”
“I love the people I work with. I don’t know what it’s like to have a job and not enjoy the people I work with, whether it’s kids or staff or parents. I love collaborating with them, I love laughing with them, I love celebrating with them, I love also consoling them. People are what make the job - for me - the best.”
High School virtual open houses scheduled for January Informational events at the six LPS high schools in January are an important component of the transition process for eighth-graders. The events are designed to share information about the opportunities available at each school. Due to COVID-19, all high schools will their informational events virtually. You will have the opportunity to attend more than one event. East High School - Wednesday, January 6 Southeast High School - Tuesday, January 12 Southwest High School - Wednesday, January 13 Northeast High School - Tuesday, January 19 North Star High School - Wednesday, January 20 Lincoln High School - Thursday, January 21 Watch for more information about times and how to access these events later in December.
High School Choice Form Each student is assigned to a high school based on their address. You can find the high school for your address by going to LPS.org and clicking on "Home School Lookup" under Essentials. If you want your child to attend a different high school than the home high school assigned for your address, you will need to submit the High School Choice form by the January 31 deadline. The form also can be found at LPS.org, simply type High School Choice in the search box.