Our classrooms are buzzing.

We recently embarked upon the final stage of our Responsible Return to In-Person Learning by welcoming elementary and middle school students back to a five-day, in-person schedule. High school students who wish to attend in-person five days per week will begin on Wednesday, Feb. 17. Our students are getting back into their normal routine and we couldn’t be happier to return them to some semblance of normalcy.

One of the things we’ve learned in the midst of this pandemic is we can give every student a device to learn remotely. We can provide them with accessibility by equipping those devices with connectivity. But, through a computer screen alone, we cannot recreate that close, personal connection students experience with teachers and peers inside our schools. We simply cannot. Our academic data has shown many of our students depend on daily exposure to in-person learning for their educational success.

Our community—and the country for that matter—has learned plenty about what works and what poses challenges for our kids when there is sudden disruption, abrupt change and the removal of a normal, predictable daily routine. As our children interact in-person with one another, we continue to rely on our layered approach to health and safety. That approach includes:

We’re incrementally moving toward a new normal, together. We’re learning together and our leadership team remains engaged in ongoing discussions about our short and long-term academic recovery plans.

We intend to continue having discussions and conversations as a community about the best path forward for our young people in the weeks and months to come. We will be certain to keep you updated. Stay tuned.

After a long year filled with new beginnings, we are excited to have many of our students learning in person five days a week once again.

Dr. Kimberly Jackson, principal of Morton Middle School, greeted students as they arrived on Feb. 2, some for the first time in person this year.

"Some of our students haven't seen their friends from the other side of the alphabet (A-K, L-Z groups) in person since last March and some students came back from the Remote Learning Program, so they're stepping foot in a classroom for the first time since March,” said Dr. Jackson. “There were happy little reunions all around our school today."

As high schools return to in-person learning five days on Feb. 17, another round of reunions will take place.

Health and safety have been our priority as we planned for this responsible return to school. We care deeply about our students, staff and families. We have implemented layers of precautions which include district-provided facial coverings, hand sanitizer throughout our schools, frequent hand-washing and enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures. We take these measures most seriously, and if you’d like to learn more about these procedures, click here.

Our students have faced a number of academic challenges in the midst of the disruption caused by the pandemic. This return to in-person learning five days per week is just part of how we plan to move forward.

As Melissa Comine, chief academic officer for Omaha Public Schools, shared during the Jan. 21 Board of Education meeting, "The educational disruptions our students have faced in this pandemic call for urgent and compassionate action that will accelerate student achievement and learning, and will support the individual needs of students as we move forward together."

The focus of our academic recovery work is to accelerate learning by creating outcome-driven plans for students featuring short, medium and long-term goals stretching into 2023. In that time, staff will work with each student to create their own unique recovery plan to best fit their educational needs.

The core strategies of our academic recovery plan include:

"While the pandemic may have disrupted our progress, it has not derailed our commitment to the education of our students," explained Dr. Fateama Fulmore, principal supervisor for Omaha Public Schools. "With compassion, high expectations, unwavering support and collective impact we can deliver on our promise of every student, every day, prepared for success."

To learn more about our academic recovery plan, watch the presentation to the Board of Education from Jan. 21.

February is the time for students in grades 8-11 to register for their high school classes for next year. See below for important information and deadlines for your student's course registration, or click here for more information on our website.

Our mission at Omaha Public Schools is to prepare all students for success in college, career and life. That is why we are expanding opportunities in our high schools through our College & Career Academies and Pathways. This refocus of current programming will provide skills essential for students beyond high school.

To ease the transition from middle school, students will begin their high school careers in the Freshman Academy. In this program, students will learn skills for success in high school alongside their core curriculum classes. Additionally, they will experience a number of career opportunities and visit colleges to help them better visualize what they want for their future.

Although this is an evolution of programming for Omaha Public Schools, it is not entirely new to our district. Benson High was recently recognized as a Model Academy under this curriculum plan. Carl Sweiner, a sophomore, felt his year in the Freshman Academy prepared him for the rest of his time at Benson.

“They explained what each pathway or academy is about and showed us what kind of jobs we could do in the future if we followed that path. It really helped me understand what my options were,” explained Sweiner. “They also really stressed the importance of doing things right and getting them done on time. No one wants to hire someone who is always late.”

As students complete the Freshman Academy, they will work with teachers and counselors to decide what academy or pathway they would like to pursue.

In both academies and pathways, students will have fun, engaging and hands-on learning opportunities. No matter which program a student selects, they will have access to advanced academic courses through a variety of programs like advanced placement and dual enrollment.

Paw Thlay Wah is a senior at Benson, where she takes part in the Health Professions Academy.

“They’ve let me get hands-on experience in the medical field already in high school,” Wah said. “I’ve learned so much from the program that I wouldn’t have been able to get from a different program, and it’s really set me up for college next year.”

Angela Johanek serves as Benson High’s curriculum specialist, and she is proud to be a part of this opportunity for students.

“I think one of the biggest benefits of the program is exposure for the students. They get to see and visualize what their future might be, and they have a direct path that will help them attain it,” Johanek shared.

Students will still be able to take part in extra-curricular activities and electives like performing and fine arts, JROTC and world languages. New clubs and organizations may also be available to coincide with academies and pathways.

To learn more about our College & Career Academies and Pathways, visit our website.

When Madelene McCracken joined the Burke High counseling staff in the summer of 2020, she knew it wouldn’t be an easy transition.

“Starting a new job is always different and can be difficult, especially during such a crazy year,” said McCracken. “I had just gotten started in July. As the school year began, I built up momentum by meeting with students and starting to build those relationships. It was exciting and I was happy to start connecting with the kids.”

But for McCracken, the difficulties reached far beyond the new job and the pandemic.

“On August 21, I came to school and was typing an email when, all of a sudden, my left hand just wasn’t working,” she recalled. “I was taken to the emergency room where they found that I had a brain tumor.”

Over the next weeks, McCracken underwent surgery to remove the tumor then spent time recovering before starting radiation therapy.

McCracken explained, “It was like a wall came down. I wanted to be meeting with students, I wanted to start these relationships and help them, then I was just stopped dead in my tracks. The hardest part of my diagnosis was that I couldn’t be there for the students when they needed me.”

During her treatment, McCracken was diagnosed with COVID-19, causing her to miss additional time.

“This was definitely not the first semester I hoped for, but I couldn’t be more thankful for the team around me here at Burke,” said McCracken. “I haven’t been with them very long, yet so many coworkers jumped in to help in my absence that I didn’t have to worry about a thing while I was gone. My director reminded me regularly that they had me covered."

Despite her difficult year, McCracken never lost her positive attitude.

“It’s easy to focus on the negative. It’s easy to complain and even get bitter or resentful and angry and all of those things. But just focusing on what I’m thankful for and for the job and team and students that were ready and rooting for me to get better, that really kept me positive through it all,” she said.

McCracken was able to return to Burke High full-time at the beginning of October, jumping into action to help Burke’s twelfth-grade students during their senior interviews.

“My job is to help these students be prepared for life after high school,” explained McCracken. “When I work with these kids and we talk about their problems or barriers, I always want them to know that I’ll do whatever I can to help them be successful, no matter their goals.”

McCracken is excited to be back in the office and is ready to help her students with whatever lies ahead.

“No one ever expects or plans to go through trials like this. Now that I have, I feel like I can better work with students who are going through difficult times and help them through it and empathize with them,” McCracken shared. “No one should ever go through difficult times alone, and that’s why we’re here to help.”

Omaha Public Schools announced leaders for the district’s two new high schools, scheduled to open in August 2022.

Dr. Carrie Carr will serve as principal of the new high school at 60th and L streets and Mr. Thomas Lee will serve as principal of the new high school at 156th and Ida streets. Those appointments are scheduled to begin in June 2021. Both leaders will continue at their schools through the end of the 2020-21 school year.

Dr. Carr joined Omaha Public Schools in 2005. She currently serves as principal of Norris Middle. Dr. Carr began her time at Norris Middle in 2017, after serving as a Spanish teacher and high school administrator.

Mr. Lee has served the Omaha Public Schools community since 1988, first as a teacher, then in various high school administrator roles across the district. He has served as Northwest High’s principal since 2014.

Facilitated by the Omaha Public Schools Human Resources team, the consideration and selection process included a review of qualifications and a panel-style interview with central office administrators, a member of the Board of Education, secondary staff members and families from the new school’s attendance area.

Both Mr. Lee and Dr. Carr have served the students of Omaha with exceptional dedication and leadership and will continue to do so in their new roles.

Omaha Public Schools will begin the process of identifying the next principal for both Norris Middle and Northwest High, keeping staff and families informed of the work to come.

Anyone can nominate a Top Teacher at CHIhealth.com/TopTeachers.

If you would like to view the latest CHI newsletter devoted to youth issues, please click here.

As we continue our transition to five days of in-person learning, below are some important upcoming dates:

National Science Foundation - A diverse collections of lessons and web resources for classroom teachers, and their student’s families. Materials are arranged by subject area to help you quickly find resources in your interest area.

Stories of Women in STEM - Do you know who created the paper bag machine or who researches invertebrate sea life at the world's largest museum and research complex? For too long, women’s contributions to science have widely gone untold. The Smithsonian Science Education Center, Smithsonian American’s Women History Initiative, and Johnson & Johnson created Stories of Women in STEM at the Smithsonian to champion the ingenuity that has transformed America and beyond.

Exploratorium's Learning Toolbox - Timely educational topics, hands-on learning activities and find general support for learning at home, this resource will support

... to Giovanna Zermeno of Norris Middle School for being awarded the Nebraska Middle School Counselor of the Year award and the Nebraska School Counselor of the Year. Zermeno will represent the state of Nebraska at the American School Counselor Association's 2022 celebration of National School Counselor Week.

... to Dr. Carrie Carr of Norris Middle School for being recognized as the Nebraska School Administrator of the Year by the Nebraska School Counselors Association.

... to Jacqueline Hotz of Walnut Hill Elementary for being awarded the Nebraska Elementary School Counselor of the Year award by the Nebraska School Counselors Association.

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