Wildcat News

Welcome to another exciting school year at Laura Dodge Elementary! We are thrilled to welcome both our returning and new Wildcat families as we begin another year of learning, growth, and success together.

This year's school theme is "Leveling Up Through Reading and Writing!" While you'll see fun video game graphics and activities throughout the year, our mission is much bigger than a game. At Laura Dodge, we believe every Wildcat has the ability to level up academically, socially, and personally. We are committed to helping every student reach their highest potential by setting high expectations, providing outstanding instruction, and working together as one team.

Our focus this year is simple:

A + B + C = Academic Excellence

A = Attendance

Success begins with being at school every day. Students cannot learn if they are not here. Every lesson builds upon the one before it, and consistent attendance gives students the best opportunity to grow academically and socially.

• Students should arrive before the 8:50 a.m. late bell each day.
• School dismisses at 4:05 p.m.
• Whenever possible, please schedule appointments, vacations, and other activities outside of the school day.

Research consistently shows that for every day a student misses school, it can take three to five days to recover the learning that was missed. Every day truly matters.

Please review the school calendar below for important events and days when school is not in session.

B = Behavior

At Laura Dodge, every Wildcat can meet our behavior expectations:

• Be Respectful
• Be Responsible
• Be Safe
• Be Your Best

Our school is at its best when every classroom is focused on teaching and learning. We ask our families to partner with us by setting high expectations at home and reinforcing the importance of making positive choices at school each day.

Together, we can create a learning environment where every student feels safe, supported, and ready to succeed.

C = Curriculum

Omaha Public Schools has provided every classroom with high-quality curriculum that is aligned to the Nebraska State Standards. Our outstanding teachers will engage students every day using rigorous instruction designed to help all learners succeed.

This year, our instructional focus is on reading and writing across every classroom and every content area. Whether students are learning science, math, social studies, art, or physical education, they will be reading, thinking, discussing, and writing to deepen their understanding.

Strong reading skills are the foundation for success in every subject, and we are committed to ensuring every Wildcat becomes a confident reader and writer.

Our School Improvement Goals

Our School Improvement Plan, included below, aligns directly with the Omaha Public Schools Moonshot Goal of ensuring every student reads on grade level.

This year, our Laura Dodge goals are ambitious because we believe our Wildcats are capable of great things.

Goal 1: Reading Achievement

Our goal is for 75% of our Wildcats to be reading on or above grade level by the end of the school year.

Achieving this goal will require all of us—students, families, and staff—working together.

Students performing below grade level in reading will receive ongoing progress monitoring and targeted interventions designed to accelerate learning. Reading proficiency is one of the strongest predictors of future academic success, and we are committed to ensuring every student receives the support they need.

Goal 2: Positive Behavior

Last school year, Laura Dodge recorded 617 office referrals.

That represents 617 times instruction was interrupted or learning environments became unsafe.

This year, our goal is to reduce office referrals by 10%.

We know every Wildcat can demonstrate respectful, responsible, and safe behavior while doing their very best to learn each day. By working together as families and educators, we can create an even stronger learning environment for all students.

Goal 3: Excellent Attendance

Students must be present to learn.

Our goal is to reduce chronic absenteeism from 18.94% to 17.93% this school year.

Every day a student attends school increases their opportunity to grow academically, build relationships, and experience success. We appreciate your partnership in making school attendance a priority.

As we begin this exciting new school year, we are asking every Wildcat to accept the challenge to Level Up!

By focusing on Attendance, Behavior, and Curriculum, we know our students will continue to grow as readers, writers, problem-solvers, and leaders.

Thank you for trusting us with your children each day. We are honored to serve the Laura Dodge community and look forward to celebrating the many accomplishments our Wildcats will achieve this year.

Together, let's make the 2026–2027 school year our best year yet!

Let's Level Up, Wildcats!

Respectfully,

Cody Hays

Principal

At Laura Dodge Elementary, we know that our greatest power-up is our families! Research consistently shows that students are more successful academically, socially, and behaviorally when parents and families are actively involved in their education.

As we work toward our ambitious goals of:

• 75% of Wildcats reading on or above grade level
• Reducing office referrals by 10%
• Improving student attendance

we know we cannot accomplish these goals alone. It will take students, teachers, and families working together as one team.

Whether you have one hour a month or one day a week, your time makes a difference. Volunteers help create a positive school community by assisting with classroom activities, reading with students, supporting special events (such as class celebrations/parties), chaperoning field trips, helping in the library, and much more. Every volunteer helps strengthen the learning environment for our Wildcats.

If you are interested in volunteering at Laura Dodge this school year, we encourage you to complete the Omaha Public Schools volunteer application. All volunteers must receive district approval before volunteering in our school.

Complete your volunteer application here:

Omaha Public Schools Volunteer Application

Thank you for investing your time, talents, and support in our students. Together, we can help every Wildcat Level Up Through Reading and Writing and make the 2026–2027 school year our best year yet!

At Laura Dodge Elementary, our mission is to ensure that every Wildcat is reading on or above grade level. Technology continues to be an important instructional tool, but only when it is used intentionally and in ways that support student learning.

This year, Omaha Public Schools has adopted updated guidelines for student digital device use that reflect current research and best practices regarding screen time for young children. These guidelines place an emphasis on high-quality instruction, purposeful technology use, and meaningful learning experiences, ensuring that technology enhances learning rather than replaces excellent teaching.

As part of these updated guidelines, student iPads will remain at school during the school year. In addition, Omaha Public Schools is no longer providing LTE internet connectivity for district-issued devices, making it more practical for iPads to remain available for daily classroom instruction.

Students in grades 3-5, who are performing below grade level in reading may qualify to take a district-issued iPad home as part of their individualized reading intervention plan.

To participate, families must:

• Have a reliable wireless internet connection at home.
• Sign a parent agreement outlining appropriate use of the device.
• Understand that the iPad is to be used specifically for assigned literacy interventions and educational programs that support reading growth.

These students will continue to have access to digital learning tools such as Lexia, which provide personalized instruction based on each child's individual needs. These programs are most effective when students actively engage with the lessons by watching the instructional videos, following the guided practice, and completing each activity thoughtfully. We have found that students who fully participate in the instructional components make significantly greater progress than those who skip directly to practice activities.

Technology is only one part of becoming a successful reader. We encourage families to continue making reading a daily priority by reading together, talking about books, visiting the library, and providing opportunities for children to write at home. These experiences, combined with high-quality classroom instruction and targeted interventions, create the strongest foundation for literacy success.

Thank you for partnering with us as we work toward our goal of having 75% of Laura Dodge students reading on grade level by the end of the school year. Together, through purposeful instruction, meaningful technology use, and strong home-school partnerships, we can help every Wildcat continue to level up in reading and writing.

If you have questions about our digital learning expectations or your child's access to instructional technology, please don't hesitate to contact the school office.

Morning Drop Off

Students are allowed to arrive on campus at 8:25 AM. For the safety of your children, it is important that you follow these guidelines. Students who choose to participate in Grab and Go breakfast can be dropped off in the front drop off loop at the Southwest gym door. To assist with the flow of traffic, once you stop within the sidewalk area to the right of your car, please have your students exit your car and walk up to the gym door. If your child does not desire breakfast, Kindergarten, 1st and 3rd grade will line up at a designated location at the east end of the building (door 10). Students in 2nd, 4th and 5th who do not want breakfast will line up at a designated area at the main door (door 1). It is important to talk to your son or daughter about maximizing space between them and others in line.

Grab and Go Breakfast

We will continue doing a Grab and Go Breakfast from the gymnasium in the morning. At 8:30 students that are lined up outside the southwest gym door in the morning, will come in and form a well spaced line on the out-of-bounds line of the basketball court. At 8:35 students will receive a plastic sack and chose between hot breakfast or cold breakfast (cereal). Students will have the option to select milk, juice and fresh fruits. Students will then walk their sacked breakfast to class.

Finalsite

We will be using the Finalsite Communication System (Robo call, text message or email) to communicate this year. Please make sure to contact the office if you need to update your contact information.

Birthday Celebrations

Classroom parties will be allowed, with special attention to health and safety. Students and staff will perform hand hygiene before and after every activity. No home-baked goods: store purchased and individually wrapped treats only. Treats may be brought to the main office and school personnel will deliver the treats to the designated class.

Visitors

Visitors are welcome at Dodge Elementary. In compliance with the policies of the Omaha Board of Education, all visitors to Dodge must immediately report to the security desk. All visitors must enter the Main Entrance door (Door 1). School secretary will create a visitor's badge with photo ID. Personal guests of Dodge Students will not be permitted during regular school hours unless visitation has been approved by the building principal and must be escorted by security personnel. To minimize the interruption and distractions to learning environment, all approved classroom visits will be limited to 30 minutes in length. Pictures and video recording will not be allowed in classrooms to protect students’ educational rights. For the safety of our students and staff, dogs are not allowed on school grounds while students are present.

Personal Items

In the Omaha Public School's Student Code of Conduct (pg. 22) "Objects that have no school related purpose or that create a disruption to the learning environment may result in the object confiscated until the end of the day, and/or a parent/guardian being required to pick up the object." This includes cell phones, which are required to be turned off and turned into teachers for the entirety of the school day.

Signing out and Dropping off

To maximize instructional time and the opportunity to learn, students will only be called out of class when parents/guardians arrive at school to sign students out for appointments. Please plan accordingly to give yourself enough time. If your child is going to be signed out, parents must come into the main office to sign students out. If a child arrives late to school past 8:50, parents must come into the building to sign the child in.

Birthday Party Invitations

Please refrain from distributing birthday party invitations at school. This guideline aims to maintain inclusivity and equity among students. Thank you for your cooperation in fostering a supportive school environment.

Title 1 School

Laura Dodge continues to be a Title 1 school this year. We will be receiving addition Federal funding to support with Reading and Math student achievement, as well as fun activities for family engagement. Please see the attached Parent Compact.

Laura Dodge is excited to announce that we can now accept online payments from families through SchoolCash Online.

SchoolCash Online reduces cash and check payments to our school and lets families:

• Keep track of their students’ school items and activity fees
• Check their account history
• View and print receipts
• Pay for school fees with a simple click

Primary guardians received an invitation email from SchoolCash Online in late July with a link to register and connect their student(s) to their profile. Families can also create an account by visiting our district’s SchoolCash Online page using the same email address used for Campus Parent.

Once the primary guardian has created an account, they can provide access to other caregivers of their choice.

After you have signed up, you will receive notifications of upcoming events and items involving your student, including field trips, yearbooks, spirit wear, athletic fees and more.

Questions? See the Parent Help Desk for SchoolCash Online FAQ for additional details and troubleshooting information, or contact our office for assistance.

8/17 - Back to School Night 6-7 PM

8/19 - First day for KDG

8/20 - First day for Grades 1-5

9/3- PTA Meeting at 5:30-6:30 PM

9/7 - No School - Labor Day

9/18 - Carnival 5:30 PM

9/22 - Picture Day

9/29 - 2-hour late start (Students can be dropped off at 10:25, Late Bell at 10:50)

10/1 - PTA Meeting 5:30 - 6:30 PM

10/2 - No School

10/14 through 10/29 - PTA Cookie Dough Fundraiser

10/16 - 1st Quarter Ends

10/21- Student-Involved Parent Teacher Conferences 4:30 to 8 PM

10/22 - No School - Student-Involved Parent Teacher Conferences 1 to 8 PM

10/23 - No School

10/27 - 2-hour late start Students can be dropped off at 10:25, Late Bell at 10:50)

10/29- Fall Harvest Party and Parade 3 PM and PTA Trunk or Treat 5:30 to 6:30 PM

11/3 - No School

11/5 - PTA Meeting 5:30 - 6:30 PM

11/10 - Family Dinner Night Fundraiser at Don & Millie's (16130 Evans Plaza)

11/19 - PTA/Title 1 Family Culture Night 5:30-7 PM

11/23-11/27 - No School - Thanksgiving Break

11/30 - Laura Dodge Spelling Bee at 2 PM

12/3 - PTA Meeting 5:30 - 6:30 PM

12/10 - PTA Holiday School Store open during the school day and till 5 PM

12/15 - Winter Concert 9:30 AM and 2 PM

12/18 - 2nd Quarter Ends/ Winter Break starts at 4:05 PM

12/21-1/4 - No School - Winter Break

1/15 - District Registration Day/Kindergarten Round-Up 2 to 3 PM and 4:30 to 5:30 PM

1/18 - No School

1/26 - 2-hour late start

2/4 - PTA Meeting 5:30 - 6:30 PM

2/5 - PTA Bingo Night 5:30 to 7:30 PM

2/12 - No School

2/15 - No School

2/23 - 2-hour late start

3/4 - Title 1 Family Donuts and Data Conversation at 9:30 AM

3/4 - PTA Meeting 5:30 - 6:30 PM

3/10 - Student-Involved Parent Teacher Conferences 4:30 to 8 PM

3/11 - No School - Student-Involved Parent Teacher Conferences 1 to 8 PM

3/12 - No School

3/15 - 3/19 - No School - Spring Break

4/1 - PTA Meeting 5:30 - 6:30 PM

4/16 - No School

4/19 - No School

4/30 - PTA Fun Run 9 AM

5/6 - PTA Meeting 5:30 - 6:30 PM

5/13 - Spring Concert at 3 PM

5/21 - Family BBQ at 11:45 and Field Day 1:30 PM

5/25 - 5th Grade Recognition and Clap-Out 2:30 PM

5/26 - Staff vs. 5th Grade Kickball game and Last Day

Website: https://dodge.ops.org/Default.aspx
Location: 3520 Maplewood Boulevard, Omaha, NE, USA
Phone: 531.299.1300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Laura-Dodge-Elementary-1952015021691996
Twitter: @OPS_LauraDodge