The RPS Weekly Message

Below is the RPS Weekly Message for October 22, 2026. We feel it is important for families to take the time to read The RPS Weekly Message and stay connected with what’s happening across RPS.

This week’s message includes information on the following topics listed below:
• Deadline Approaching! Order Your Legacy Brick Today!

• Ralston Reads Tips and Ideas - Cozy & Spooky Storytelling

• Ralston Reads - October Staff Book Recommendations

• Reminder Elementary Students: Turn in Your October Book It! Reading Logs

• RHS CTE Advisory Boards - We Need You!

• Community Resources - Holiday Assistance
• Community Events

• Register Today - Ralston High School Blood Drive

• Order Your RHS Yearbook NOW and SAVE $$
• Open Store Yearly Event Coming Soon!
• RHS “Rake Ralston” Community Service Event

• RPS Senior Thanksgiving Luncheon

Time is running out to secure your permanent piece of Ralston High School history. Next week marks the final deadline to order a personalized brick for the Legacy Plaza Brick Project.

These custom bricks will create a stunning welcome wall at the entrance of D.E. Speck Nelson Stadium, a lasting tribute visible to every student, fan, and community member for generations to come.

Whether you want to honor alumni, showcase your family name, commemorate a graduating class, or highlight a local business, this is your chance to leave a lasting mark. Best of all, proceeds directly support future athletic projects at Ralston High School, ensuring our student-athletes continue to thrive.

Project Highlights:

• Deadline: The 2026 campaign closes October 31, 2026.

• Impact: Funds directly support RHS athletic initiatives.

• Tax Benefit: All purchases are tax-deductible through the Ralston Schools Foundation.
  
  

Don't miss your chance to be part of this transformative project. Leave your legacy today!

Capitalize on the changing season to build imaginative oral and written storytelling skills.

Elementary (PK–6): "Flashlight Reading"

• Try This: Turn off the lights, build a blanket fort, and give your student a flashlight to read their favorite books. Add a fun twist by making up a quick spoken ending to the story using funny or spooky voices.

• The Why (Engagement & Fluency): Changing up the environment makes reading feel like an event rather than a chore, building positive associations with independent reading time.
  
  

Secondary (7–12): "Two-Sentence Ghost Stories"

• Try This: Challenge family members to write a "Two-Sentence Ghost Story" on a sticky note and put it on the fridge. The goal is to set a scene and deliver a surprise twist in just two sentences.

• The Why (Writing & Word Choice): Writing short-form fiction teaches teens word economy, suspense building, and how precise word choices shape tone.

As part of our district-wide focus on literacy, Ralston Public Schools is excited to highlight favorite book recommendations directly from our teachers and staff.

We hope these recommendations help your family discover your next favorite book!

• The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams (Elementary). Recommended by Mrs. Stacy McCormick (Mockingbird Elementary). This is a classic fall story that blends familiar items for students to recognize and act out as they read. It's a silly story that also teaches how stories build from one event to the next (teaching sequencing) - just like they'll see at the end.

• The Hallo-Wiener by Dav Pilkey (Elementary). Recommended by Mrs. Margaret Knight (Mockingbird Elementary). This fun Halloween tale is written by an author mostly known for his wildly popular series, Dog Man. It showcases a character who is struggling to fit in with his peers but who is able to save the day by using his unique costume.

• The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass (Upper Elementary & Middle School). Recommended by Ms. Deanna Anderson (Wildewood Elementary). When a mysterious little free library shows up one day, eleven-year-old Evan and his best friend Rafe investigate its origins and find unexpected connections to their town's past. The book also features the perspective of Mortimer, an old orange cat who guards the library. Ms. Anderson recommends this mystery for its themes of friendship, family, and forgiveness.

• The Book With No Pictures by BJ Novak (Elementary). Recommended by Ms. Jenna Coil (Ralston High School). Ms. Coil thinks every student should make an adult read them The Book With No Pictures because it makes adults say ridiculous things and makes the students belly laugh the entire time.

• Jaws by Peter Benchley (Secondary). Recommended by Mr. Tyler Zahn (Ralston Middle School). Jaws is a novel by American writer Peter Benchley, published by Doubleday in 1974. It tells the story of a large great white shark that preys upon a small Long Island resort town and the three men who attempt to kill it. You may never want to go into the water again.

We love seeing the fantastic reading habits happening across Ram Nation! As a reminder, the October Book IT! monthly reading logs are due soon.

To earn a Reading Award Certificate redeemable for a FREE One-Topping Personal Pan Pizza® from Pizza Hut, students must:

1. Complete 20 minutes of reading a day for at least 15 days in the month.

2. Have a parent or guardian sign the bottom of the log. (Unsigned logs will not count)

3. Turn the signed log into their classroom teacher.
   
   

Remember, all reading counts! Whether your child is reading graphic novels, listening to audiobooks, or following along with recipes, every minute builds great habits.

Thank you for supporting your reader at home. Let’s get those signed logs turned in!

Ram Nation, We Need You! Looking for members of the community to serve on Advisory Boards for our Ralston High School CTE programs. Please see the informational graphic below for more information.

If interested, an Informational Session will take place on Monday, November 9th from 1:30 to 2:30 pm at Ralston High School (8969 Park Dr.). If you have questions or need more information, please contact Mr. Jovan Luceo at jovan.lucero@ralstonschools.org.

Please see the attachments for information on Holiday Assistance programs from 3Sisters and the Salvation Army.

Register for the Ralston High School Fall Blood Drive. This is the first RHS Medical Academy's blood drive of the year.

It takes place on Friday, October 30th, in the main gym at Ralston High School from 8 am to 1:30 pm. This event is in cooperation with the American Red Cross. Anyone interested can schedule an appointment by clicking the link below.

Registration Link - https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?order=DATE&range=10&zipSponsor=RalstonHSNebraska

The Ralston High School Yearbook staff wants to remind Ram Nation the best time to order your 2026 - 2027 yearbook is NOW! Through November 13th, the RHS yearbook will only cost $70.

After November 13th, the price of the yearbook will increase. The RHS Yearbook staff will not have another sale like this for the remainder of the year.

If you are interested in a RHS yearbook, NOW is the best time to order. If you order online, you can set up a payment plan. Click on the LINK to purchase your yearbook today!

** Do you love taking photos? **

The RHS Yearbook staff loves taking photos as well and also enjoys seeing great photos of Rams activities. If you take a great photo and want to submit it for the yearbook, click HERE and be taken to a website where you can submit photos for the publication.

Families are invited to attend the 15th Annual Open Store event on Saturday, November 7th, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Hope Center for Kids (2209 North 20th Street).

This community event is completely free of charge and offers gently used clothing, shoes, books, toys, household items, and more. Supported by local school districts, including Ralston, Bennington, Blair, and Omaha Public Schools, it is a fantastic opportunity to gather needed items for your household at no cost.

If you or someone you know could use some extra support clearing autumn leaves and tidying up the yard this season, the Ralston High School National Honor Society is offering free yard-raking services on November 14, 2026, from 8 am to 12:00 pm.

Student volunteers will be out in the community to help residents in need tackle heavy seasonal yard work. To sign up for assistance, please contact Carrie Mason by email at carrie.mason@ralstonschools.org or by phone at (402) 331-7373.

Ram Nation, help us spread the word to local senior citizens in the Ralston community. The annual Ralston High School Senior Thanksgiving Luncheon is coming up on Tuesday, November 17th. It starts at 11:30 am in the Ralston High School gymnasium.

This event is FREE and open to any Ralston resident 60 years or older.

There is no need to register. We are asking all seniors to be there a little ahead of time, as we will start serving lunch at 11:30 am. Guests can park in the school's main parking lot (east side of the building) and enter through the front doors.

We would greatly appreciate your feedback on the RPS Weekly Message to help us

improve future editions. Please email your thoughts and suggestions to jim.frederick@ralstonschools.org.