Masters Elementary

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Welcome to the 2026 - 20267school year. We are off to a great start and are settling in with 237 kindergarten - fifth grade students. Thank you for your help! The Masters staff is excited and pleased to work with you and your child(ren) this year. We encourage you to participate in the school's activities and your child's education. Strong support and involvement of our parents will help ensure the success of our students. Please feel free to contact the school at (531) 299-1800 if you have any questions. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Together we will have a terrific year!

Sincerely,

Lynnette Keyes

Principal

As we begin this new school year, we would like to welcome several new staff members to our Masters family. Lexi Ritterbush, Reese Jackson, Amanda O'Rourke, Savannah Snawerdt, Jacob Meade, and Rhys Plowcha have joined us as second grade, fifth grade, special instruction, P.E. and art teachers respectively. Welcome to everyone and best wishes for the 2026 - 2027 school year.

For your convenience, Masters Elementary accepts online payments from families through SchoolCash Online at https://omahapublicschools.schoolcashonline.com/.

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

Through SchoolCash, primary guardians can connect their student(s) to their profile. Families can also create an account by 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.

A few yearbooks for the 2025 - 2026 school year are still available for purchase. If you are interested in purchasing one, please stop by the school office. Yearbooks are $15.00.

The 2026 - 2027 school hours are 8:50 a.m. - 4:05 p.m. A complimentary breakfast is served daily beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the school cafeteria. Students not eating breakfast should not arrive at school prior to 8:30 a.m. unless they are participating in Kids Club. Weather permitting, students will wait outside in front of the main doors until the 8:30 bell rings.

There will be no school on Monday, September 7th, due to Labor Day. Enjoy the time off with your child(ren)!

With the start of the new school year come traffic and parking lot challenges at arrival and dismissal. As a reminder, the curb lane is for loading and unloading ONLY. There must be a driver in the car in the curb lane. In the afternoon, please pull all the way forward when picking up your child. This allows traffic to keep moving. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE IF IT IS NOT PARKED IN A PARKING STALL AND PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN DESIGNATED "NO PARKING" AREAS OR BUS LOADING ZONES ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING. We are off to a great start and with your continued cooperation, we can more efficiently move traffic along. Thank you for your patience!

We are so excited to welcome our kindergartners this year! As a reminder to all kindergarten families, students were to have a physical exam, vision exam and needed to be up to date on all immunizations before starting school. This is a requirement based on Nebraska state law.

The required exams are:

• Physical Exam (completed on or after March 1 of the current year)
• Vision Exam (completed on or after March 1 of the current year)
• May be completed by an Optometrist, Ophthalmologist, or your child's health care provider.

Bring copies of health information to school OR have the health care provider fax records to the school - Attention: School Nurse. If you have already submitted this information, no additional paperwork is needed.

Registration for Omaha Public Schools Fall 2026 Swim Lessons will be held on Saturday, August 29th from 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. For more information, please go to https://tinyurl.com/72bn49w6 for more information.

Show your Masters spirit by wearing Masters attire on Mondays and Fridays. Forms were sent home at Back to School Night and will be sent home in next week's Thursday Folder or go to https://tinyurl.com/5t3pybsp to download a form. These make great holiday gifts. Order forms are due by Monday, August 31st.

My name is Hanna Wills, and I am so excited to be a part of the Masters community! I look forward to supporting all students in the areas of academic success, social-emotional growth, and college and career development through lessons, small groups, and individual counseling. It is my joy to work alongside families, staff, and students to help every child thrive. Please know my door is always open. I am here to help!

Separation anxiety is a common developmental stage that many children experience. It is a normal part of a child's emotional development, but it can be challenging for both the child and the parent. Here are some strategies to help you and your child as they transition to school (perhaps for the very first time!).

Be Patient and Reassuring: Understand that separation anxiety is a natural part of growing up. Be patient with your child's emotions and provide reassurance that you will always come back. Let your child express their emotions and validate their feelings. Acknowledge that feeling sad or anxious is okay and that you understand.

Create a Predictable Routine: Children feel more secure when they know what to expect. Establish a consistent daily routine for getting ready for school and for drop-off and pick-up.

Avoid Lengthy Farewells: Prolonged goodbyes can make the separation more difficult for both you and your child. Once you say goodbye, leave promptly and confidently.

Say Goodbye: Always say goodbye to your child when leaving, even if they are upset. Sneaking away may lead to increased anxiety and distrust. Keep your goodbyes brief and positive.

Stay Calm: Children can pick up on their parents' emotions. Stay calm and confident during drop-offs to help your child feel more at ease.

Remember that separation anxiety is often temporary, and most children adjust to the school environment quickly! By keeping yourself calm and providing support, understanding, and patience, you can help your child navigate this new stage more smoothly. Please feel free to contact the school counselor, Miss Wills, at (531) 299-1800 with any questions or concerns.

Masters Elementary’s behavior program, MTSS-B (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support - Behavior), is a framework for creating safer and more effective schools by structuring the learning environment to support the academic and social success of all students. The process supports the adoption and long-term implementation of efficient and effective discipline throughout the school environment.

Masters’ focus this school year will continue to be as follows:

Be Respectful and Kind

Engaged

Safe

Take Responsibility

Please see our school-wide behavior matrix for a more detailed list of behavioral expectations at Masters BEST 2026-2027 Schoolwide Expectations.

The Omaha Public Schools will again provide all students with a technology device for the 2025-2026 school year. As the parent/guardian, you are responsible for the loss, theft, or damage to the device. The district has initiated a Voluntary Device Protection Program. You may enroll in the Voluntary Device Protection Program for the 2025-2026 school year by paying a one-time, annual fee of $20.00 per device/child. This voluntary protection is available athttps://tinyurl.com/3dxyhtke.

The Omaha Public Schools is committed to using technology as a learning tool to support or enhance learning. The following OPS Elementary digital learning student device expectations for the 2026-2027 school year are as follows:

• Student iPads are not stored in student desks
• Student iPads remain at school and do not go home with students
• Students may not access gaming, social media or AI chatbots on district devices

11:40 - 12:10 Mrs. Wolf and Mrs. Quandt

11:45 - 12:15 Mrs. Riblett and Miss Jackson

11:50 - 12:20 Mrs. Rinehart and Miss Ritterbush

12:10 - 12:40 Mrs. Bassett and Mrs. Willson

12:15 - 12:45 Mrs. Hosler and Mrs. Steiner

12:20 - 12:50 Miss Haynes and Mrs. O'Rourke

Attendance: Masters has an automated attendance calling system. This system generates automated phone calls to parents to verify a student’s absence. Parents are encouraged to call the school office at (531) 299-1800 by 9:30 a.m. to report a student’s absence as it will eliminate the automated call. If a phone call is not received prior to 9:30, please call the school after receiving the automated call. Students not being verified as absent after this call will be marked unexcused.

Sign In: Please remember to always sign your child in/out in the office when arriving after the start of the school day or leaving before the end of the school day.

Birthday Treats: In an effort to be sensitive to our students with food allergies, we ask that non-consumable birthday treats such as pencils, erasers, stickers, etc. be considered and given in honor of a birthday.

Dismissal Arrangements: Please make dismissal arrangements with your child prior to arriving at school each morning. Any communication from home is necessary when your normal routine is altered. End of the day messages are difficult to relay and may sometimes be impossible if a classroom has already dismissed for the day. Verbal communication from a student will not be accepted.

Pets: When dropping off or picking up students, we ask that no pets be brought onto school property, as some students may be frightened of certain types of animals.

Attendance Matters - Did you know it takes an average of three days for students to catch up for every one day they're absent? Omaha Public Schools is committed to working with our families to support student attendance every day, because we know every minute counts. Our district has updated our action plan to follow state guidelines on assisting students who miss a significant amount of class time. Our student attendance team will meet with families of students who have 20 total absences, whether or not those absences are excused. The team will work with the family to create a collaborative plan to improve attendance. You can make an impact on your student's attendance now, and we're here to help. If anything is getting in the way of getting your student to school, please contact your school's principal, school support liaison, school counselor or bilingual liaison for help.

As a fun incentive to encourage students to get to school by 8:50 and remain at school until the end of the school day at 4:05, students with perfect attendance will be entered in a drawing weekly for a chance to win a day in the Attendance Chair in their classroom. Additionally, students who miss 1 day (405 minutes) or less for 8 out of the 9 months of the 2026-2027 school year, will attend a zoo field trip in May.

9/7 No School, Labor Day

9/29 Two Hour Late Start