8/14/2026

Welcome back to a new school year at Cedar Bluffs Public Schools! We are excited to welcome our students, families, and staff back for another year of learning, growth, and Wildcat pride. This newsletter is your go-to guide for starting the year strong, with important information, helpful resources, upcoming dates, and updates from across our district. Whether you are returning to Cedar Bluffs or joining our school community for the first time, we are glad you are here. We look forward to working together to make this a positive, successful, and memorable year for all of our Wildcats. Here’s to a great year ahead—Go Wildcats!

We encourage families to use these scheduled breaks to plan appointments, family trips, and vacations whenever possible. Scheduling during these dates helps students maximize their time in the classroom and avoid missing valuable instructional time.

At Cedar Bluffs, Wildcat PRIDE is more than a slogan—it represents the qualities we want our students to demonstrate each day in the classroom, throughout the school, and during extracurricular activities. P – Positivity means approaching each day and new opportunities with a positive attitude. R – Respect means accepting and valuing others, even when we have differences. I – Integrity means knowing our values and doing the right thing even when nobody is watching. D – Dedication means remaining committed to our schoolwork, activities, and personal success. E – Empathy means understanding and considering the feelings of others. Together, these five qualities help us build a positive school culture where students can learn, grow, and become strong leaders.

Throughout the year, we will continue to make PRIDE visible, meaningful, and fun! Once each month, students and staff will come together for a PRIDE Celebration to recognize and celebrate the great things happening throughout our school. We will also continue our popular ** PRIDE challenges**, giving students and staff creative ways to demonstrate Positivity, Respect, Integrity, Dedication, and Empathy—with some prizes along the way! We encourage families to talk about these five qualities at home and help us continue building Wildcat PRIDE both inside and outside of our school.

Students will have August 20–24 to request changes to their class schedules. A copy of each student’s schedule will be provided at Open House and on the first day of school. Students wishing to make a change must complete a Course Change Form for each course they are requesting to change, and the form must include signatures from the parent/guardian, teacher, and administration acknowledging the requested change. Please remember that submitting a Course Change Form does not guarantee that a schedule change will be approved. Changes will be based on teacher and administrative approval, class availability/enrollment numbers, and the student’s graduation requirements. Students will not be permitted to change their core subject schedule. We encourage students and families to carefully review schedules at Open House and submit any requested changes during the August 20–24 window.

Regular school attendance is essential for student success. Being present each day helps students stay on track academically, build positive relationships, and develop consistent learning habits.

To support student success and comply with Nebraska attendance requirements, families will receive an attendance letter after 5 unexcused absences. An unexcused absence is any absence without a doctor’s note or one that is not the result of the school sending a student home due to a fever or vomiting.

After 10 unexcused absences, an additional attendance letter will be sent home. A meeting with the student’s parents/guardians, teachers, and administration will also be scheduled to discuss attendance concerns and develop a plan to improve attendance. At that time, Saunders County ARRIVE will also be contacted.

After 15 unexcused absences, another attendance letter will be sent, and a meeting will be scheduled with the ARRIVE Coordinator to provide additional support and address continued attendance concerns.

After 20 unexcused absences, another attendance letter will be sent, and the county attorney in the family’s county of residence will be contacted.

We understand that circumstances may arise that impact a student’s ability to attend school regularly. Our goal throughout this process is to partner with families, identify barriers to attendance, and provide support whenever possible. If your family is experiencing challenges that are affecting your child’s attendance, please reach out to the school so we can work together to help your student be successful.

Energy drinks and caffeine pouches are not allowed at school. These products can contain high levels of caffeine and other stimulants that may negatively affect students’ focus, behavior, and overall well-being during the school day. To help maintain a safe and productive learning environment, students should not bring, use, or consume energy drinks or caffeine pouches at school. If a student is found with an energy drink or caffeine pouch, the item will be confiscated.

At Cedar Bluffs Public Schools, our “Bell to Bell, No Cell” policy is designed to keep students focused, engaged, and connected to the learning taking place in our classrooms. High school students are expected to keep phones off or on silent and place them in the classroom’s designated device holder, while middle school students are expected to keep phones in their lockers during instructional time. Limiting access to phones, smart watches, earbuds/headphones, and other personal electronics during class helps reduce distractions and encourages students to interact with their teachers and classmates. At the same time, we recognize that electronic devices are part of students’ everyday lives, so personal electronic use is permitted during passing periods and lunch. These designated times give students an appropriate opportunity to check messages, communicate, and enjoy their devices without interfering with valuable instructional time.

To support consistent expectations, consequences increase with repeated violations. On a first offense, the student will turn the device in to the office, where it will remain until the end of the day. On a second offense, the device will remain in the office until a parent or guardian retrieves it, and the student must turn the device in to the office each morning for the remainder of the quarter. On a third offense, the device will again remain in the office until a parent or guardian retrieves it, the student will serve one week of Wildcat Reflection, and the device must be turned in to the office each morning for the remainder of the semester.

Our goal is not to eliminate technology, but to help students develop healthy boundaries and understand that class time is learning time! We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of this policy throughout the school year and make adjustments as needed to ensure it is meeting the needs of our students, staff, and school community while maintaining a positive and productive learning environment.

Cedar Bluffs Public Schools is transitioning from Remind to ParentSquare as our school communication platform. All parents and students should have received an email with instructions for getting started. ParentSquare can be accessed by parents through the ParentSquare app and by students through the StudentSquare app, or both can access the platform from a desktop computer. Moving forward, important school information, announcements, and alerts will be shared through ParentSquare just as they were previously shared through Remind. We encourage all families and students to get connected so they don’t miss important updates! If you need assistance setting up your account, please stop by and see us at Open House, call Mrs. Sass at 402-628-2080, or email sarah.sass@cbwildcats.org.

PowerSchool is the main tool our district uses to keep families connected to their child’s education. Having a PowerSchool account allows parents and guardians to:

• Stay informed about grades and progress – Check assignments, grades, and overall performance in real time.

• Monitor attendance – See if your child is in class each day and track attendance trends.

• Receive important updates – Get communication from the school about schedules, attendance, and lunch balances

• Support your child’s success – By staying up to date, you can step in quickly if your child needs extra help or encouragement.

A PowerSchool account is one of the best ways to stay engaged in your child’s learning and ensure a strong home–school partnership.

If you need assistance setting up your PowerSchool Account, please reach out to Mrs. Sarah Sass in the high school office.

A Canvas Observer account allows parents and guardians to stay connected to their child’s learning in our online system. With an Observer account, you can:

• View assignments and due dates – See what your student is working on and when tasks are due.

• Check grades and feedback – Stay up to date on progress and teacher comments for most classes.

• Monitor course materials – Access class announcements, resources, and calendars.

• Support your student – Use the information you see to help your child stay organized, meet deadlines, and reach out for help when needed.

While Observers don’t complete work or submit assignments, this account gives parents a window into the classroom and helps foster communication between school and home.

If you would like to setup a Canvas Observer Account for your child, please reach out to Mrs. Headid.

To support student success, all freshmen through seniors have access to John Baylor’s OnToCollege ACT Prep, a proven program designed to help students boost their ACT and PreACT scores while building confidence and test-taking skills. This resource provides engaging lessons, practice tests, and strategies to maximize performance.

Login Information:

• Username: Student’s school email

• Password: ontocollege

Students can log in and start preparing today at www.ontocollege.com.

Please join us for the Booster Bash on FRIDAY, AUGUST 21ST! Check out the schedule below for a full lineup of activities and fun. Admission is a freewill donation of Gatorade or snacks to help support our fall sports teams: Cross Country, Golf, Volleyball, and Football. Come out, have some fun, and help us kick off a great fall sports season!

ACTIVITIES FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST

Cedar Bluffs Middle & High School

Athletic/Transportation Director: Adam Tranmer

Main Office: Sarah Sass & Shaylee Siems

Website: cedarbluffsschools.org
Location: 110 East Main Street, PO BOX 66, Cedar Bluffs, NE 68015
Phone: 402-628-2080
Facebook: facebook.com/cedarbluffspublicschools