NPPS District News

We are always excited to be out seeing the great things happening in our classrooms! Lake Maloney students were working on spelling words, practicing math, and learning about tall tales. Whether students were in a class discussion, small groups, or working independently, everyone was engaged and was happy to share what they were learning about.

Jefferson Elementary students were eager to share math skills, tall tales in english, and comparing/contrasting opinions in social studies.

Our Lincoln Lions were evaluating math problems by identifying which examples were done correctly, worked on a stacking activity in PE, gave us a preview on their progress for their music concert, and worked well in group settings. Students at recess were very enthusiastic about about getting pictures taken outside on a beautiful day.

Cody Panthers shared a celebration for reaching their goal on a summative assessment (they were very excited). We also saw students working on a fine-motor activity where they used paint drops to write their names in braille. One class shared everything they had been learning about knights. Our last stop was in PE, where students were practicing their catching with partners.

Homecoming is a special time as we all get to celebrate our schools with a lot of spirit and pride. Once again, we were able to celebrate homecoming down town on the bricks on a beautiful evening. The parade participation was outstanding. Great job to the activities, organizations, and schools who displayed their creativity and passion with their floats. It was great to see students, staff, and parents get involved! After the parade was a community pep rally that was followed with a firework show. It is always great to see downtown filled with blue and gold. Thank you Booster Club for all your hard work organizing this event!

Our Middle Schools have been enthusiastic about The Power of ICU. Madison 6th graders were surprised at the end of a Friday afternoon when they had the opportunity to go outside and play games with staff as a reward for not being referred to the ICU program. This provided opportunities for students to be recognized for their work, and also gave students an opportunity to get caught up on work or continue building necessary skills in their classes.

HR has been busy scheduling recruiting trips across the state, which has brought NPPS representation to Wayne State, MPCC, and University of Nebraska Kearney. Every stop has generated interest with prospects who could be great fits at North Platte Public Schools. An enticing draw for North Platte is teachers like the idea of working with collaborative teams, and all the opportunities we have for staff growth.

A big shout-out to our District Guiding Coalition, as they met on their own time on a Wednesday evening doing important work for our schools. They spent time discussing their purpose, then discussed opportunities, challenges, and successes they have seen so far this school year.

North Platte High School hosted their fall college fair. This provided juniors and seniors the opportunity to visit with many institutions, including junior colleges, state colleges, universities, and military representatives. The guidance office did a great job planning and organizing the event with QR code sign-ins, and a layout that had a nice flow of traffic. Staff did a great job of supervising and engaging with their students.

Our work on Wednesdays continues, as buildings have been meeting to discuss where students are currently at for specific essential standards, and finding the best way to help those students who need extra support, while engaging students who have already mastered the topic.

District AdCo met with Dr. Joshua Ray in smaller groups (elementary, middle school, and high school) on September 16th. During their time together, principals were able to discuss the importance of using data to identify students who need specific skills, and brainstorming ideas for reteaching. Dr. Ray also shared advice for sustaining a culture of collaboration so we can continue to support student learning. AdCo also met in small groups for a book study discussion, and finished with a session from SPED Strategies. The Inclusive practices discussion gave administrators the opportunity to discuss the benefits of an inclusive practice walk-through tool.

Our community events page includes flyers for events in the district, and district approved information from organizations around our community. This helps us make sure all students have access to the same information, removes the burden of taking extra papers home, and lets our offices know everything is district approved. The link can be found here. Feel free to share with your communications.

North Platte Public Schools will be utilizing Safe2Help as our anonymous reporting system. This tool allows staff, students, and families to share information to keep themselves and others safe. Here are some resources to help familiarize you with Safe2Help.

PSA Video: https://youtu.be/M79BI34Rm90?si=ZgMlcAMKYlIzGaif

Parent guides: https://5il.co/36sre (English) and https://5il.co/36srd (Spanish)

Student guide: https://5il.co/36src

Flyer: https://safe2helpne.com/for-districts-schools/

More information can be found on the Safe2Help website at: https://safe2helpne.com/

Rooms is our district-approved communications platform. If parents or students need help or have questions about getting started, this video can help.