Standing Bear Elementary

Greetings Standing Bear Families,

We’ve wrapped up the beginning weeks of school year, and we’re now in full swing! Teachers have established routines and procedures, and students are working hard to get off to a strong start.

As the excitement of the new school year begins to settle, please remind your student to continue putting forth their best effort each day. Consistency and focus are key to a successful year.

In the coming weeks, all grade levels will participate in MAP testing. This is a great opportunity for students to show what they know and how much they've grown. Please encourage your student to take their time and do their best on all assessments.

It’s been a great start to the year—thank you for your continued support!

School Safety and the Standard Response Protocol

Safety is a top priority at Standing Bear Elementary. Our district uses the terms and actions outlined in the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) as we manage events outside of our regular routine such as a fire, evacuation, severe weather or other disruption.

We regularly practice Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate and Shelter procedures so students and staff can easily understand what to do and expect in each situation.

To ensure open communication, families will receive a message when we have an SRP response at Standing Bear.

Attendance

September is School Attendance Awareness Month. Omaha Public Schools promotes daily attendance while providing support and resources to students and families that help address challenges to arriving every day on time.

Students who attend school regularly are:

• more likely to be on or above grade level academically.

• more likely to be socially and emotionally connected to the school community.

Ensuring students arrive on time and attend school throughout the day is everyone’s
responsibility. Regular school attendance, especially in early grades, is strongly linked to reading on
grade level in third grade. Good attendance prepares students to excel in college, career and life.

Improvement Day
On Sept. 29, all students will begin two hours late for the first of four Improvement Days
in our district. Staff will use the extra time for data-driven work to improve teaching and learning across Omaha Public Schools. This allows teachers to collaborate and maximize each minute with students in the classroom. Staff will take attendance as they do on a regularly scheduled school day.

Stay positive, patient and flexible!

Sincerely,

Bridget O'Melia

Dear Families,

We want to share some information about a reading assessment your child will be taking this school year. As part of our commitment to helping every student become a successful reader, our school is using an assessment called DIBELS to assess students’ early reading skills. It is a brief, research-based assessment designed to help teachers understand how students are developing important reading skills. Nebraska has approved DIBELS 8th Edition for use as a reading assessment under the Nebraska Reading Improvement Act. Depending on your child’s grade level, DIBELS looks at important foundational reading skills such as:

• Recognizing and working with sounds in spoken words
• Connecting letters and sounds
• Reading words accurately
• Reading fluently
• Understanding what is being read

The assessment is designed to be brief and is given individually or in a small setting. It is not a traditional test that students study for. Instead, it gives teachers information about the skills your child has developed and the skills that may need additional practice or support. We use DIBELS as one piece of information when looking at your child's reading development. Teachers also consider classroom performance, reading behaviors, student work, and other assessment information when making instructional decisions. If a student is identified as having a reading deficiency under Nebraska's requirements, we will communicate and develop an Individualized Reading Improvement Plan outlining the additional support the student will receive. We appreciate your partnership as we work together to help every child become a confident, capable, and lifelong reader.

Thank you for partnering with us!

Message from Traci Melanson

Students enrolled in Omaha Public Schools are provided free health screening in accordance

with Nebraska State Statute. Screenings are conducted throughout the school year and may begin

as early as August.

Students in early childhood, kindergarten, first, second, third, fourth, seventh, and tenth grades

are screened for hearing, vision, dental, height, and weight per the rules and regulations set forth

by the state of Nebraska. The screening is conducted to help identify health concerns in as early a

stage as possible, in an effort to enhance learning. Screening is not intended to be diagnostic, but

to identify students with potential problems. Findings that need further evaluation by a health

care provider will be sent home.

Per Nebraska State Regulations, a parent/guardian may supersede the mandated school health

screening by submitting a statement signed by an authorized health care provider attesting that

the required screening has been completed in the previous six months. An updated healthcare

provider statement must be submitted each school year.

Contact your school nurse for any questions regarding screening.

The first days of school: Kindergarten students will begin on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, and students in 1st through 5th grade will begin on Thursday, August 20, 2026.

September:

7th- No School for All Students (Labor Day)

18th- Scholastic Photo Day

29th- 2 hour late start for all students

October:

2nd- No School for All Students

22nd-23rd- No School for All Students

21st-22nd- Parent Teacher Conferences

27th- 2 hour late start for all students

November:

3rd- No school for students (teacher planning day)

23rd-27th- Thanksgiving Recess (No School)

December:

21st-31st- Winter Break (No School)

January:

1st & 4th- Winter Break (No School)

15th- District Kindergarten Registration day (No school for kindergarten students)

18th- No School (Martin Luther King Day)

26th- 2 hour late start for all students

February:

12th- No School for All Students

15th- No School for All Students (Presidents' Day)

23rd- 2 hour late start for all students

March:

11th-12th- No School for All Students

10th-11th- Parent Teacher Conferences

15th-19th- Spring Break (No School)

April:

16th- No School for All Students

19th- No School for All Students

May:

26th- Last Student Day

Specific details for events will come out closer to the event.

This list is complete as of today. Events will be added as necessary.

You can always check back for updates and check the PTO postings. Thank you!

We have a website and app. We hope you like it! Make sure to check it out and get your student added to the directory! Directions on the image.

We would love for you to join the PTO too ($10), but that is not required to add your student. The directory is only available to those that are connected to the school and sign-up, it is not public.

• FOR SAFETY, PLEASE USE THE SIDEWALKS AND CROSSWALKS. DO NOT WALK OVER THE GRASS AND INTO THE PARKING LOT
• Drop off is 8:35AM, that is when breakfast is open and staff are on duty
• Please have student(s) ready to get out when you pull up
• Pull all the way down if able
• If you need to get out to assist your child, go into the parking lot lane not the main drive
• If your student is NOT eating breakfast they need to enter through the main front doors rather than the cafeteria doors
• Grab and Go Breakfast- If your student is eating breakfast, they need to enter the building through the cafeteria doors. They should have their BREAKFAST SCAN CODE on their backpack and visible. They may enter through the main front doors if they choose not to eat the district provided breakfast.

When parents pull onto school grounds, outside staff will input your family number to indicate that you have arrived. Classroom teachers will get your student(s) ready to dismiss.

How this works- We will enter your Family Number into a form, this will be visible to classroom teachers in the building and they will dismiss. Students will be dismissing out the main front doors staggered based on your arrival time. Students will NOT be dismissing out any other doors.

It will be extremely helpful if you let your student(s) know your preferred lane for pick-up. This will help them know to look for you in the main drive or the parking lot lane. Once your student(s) are loaded, you can pull out of the pick-up line to leave. DO NOT EXIT YOUR VEHICLE

What you will need at dismissal:

• You will need to place your car hanger number on your rearview mirror so it is clearly visible to outside staff.

• You will need to pull all the way down to the front door (as cars move ahead, you move ahead) if you are picking up on the main drive, pull all the way down to the front main entrance or up to the vehicle in front of you. If you are picking up in the parking lot lane, you will still need to pull all the way forward. ALL students will exit out the main front doors.

• We will call your student(s) out as you arrive, continue to pull forward whenever possible until all your students are loaded.

• Kindergarten students- dismissal will remain the same for parents who walk up to get kindergarten students. If you are choosing to drive through for pick up, parents will still pull up like all other vehicles with their family number visible.

• Early Childhood will remain the same. Parents will need to park and come check out their child.

• Walk up parents- A staff member will be located out front, you can provide them with your family number so teachers are aware you are ready to pickup. Your student(s) will then be dismissed. Parents do not need to enter the building. If you need to go into the building to pick up your student, you MUST stop at the office for a visitor badge and to sign the check out sheet.

Each family will receive 2 car hangers. If you would need additional ones, please contact the office. It is imperative not to lose your issued designated car hanger numbers. Please clearly display upon arrive so there is no confusion to expeditiously release your child for pick-up.

WE WILL BEGIN DISMISSAL (ENTERING NUMBERS) AT 4:00PM. PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE AT SCHOOL BEFORE 3:55PM TO PREVENT AN INITIAL BACKUP. The line moves very fast once we begin the dismissal process.

Thank you for everything!

Early Pickup for Students

If you are picking up your students early for a doctor appointment, etc please call the office at least 5 minutes ahead of time and we will have you child ready to go at the designated time. Parents will need to come into the office to check out your student(s).

Building Security

For the safety and security of our students and this building, anyone entering the building must stop in the office first.

Drop Off Zone

We ask that you please continue to pull all the way down to the second crosswalk if possible (by main front doors). We can then unload around 10 vehicles rather than 5.

We currently have a school staff member assisting your child to breakfast or the classroom at the main doorway for all student’s morning arrival. REMINDER: School doors don’t open until 8:35 AM for classroom entrance and breakfast opening hours.

We ask again for you not arrive for end of school day pick-up until 3:55pm to prevent traffic flow congestion issues .

Please be attentive and cognizant of all school crossing guard officials and adhere to their requests during student morning drop-off and pick-up times. Our goal is to ensure your child’s overall safety.

Birthday Celebrations

We ask that only non-food items be brought for birthday celebrations. Please check with your child's teacher to discuss day and time for treats to be dropped off.

Safety remains our top priority in the Omaha Public Schools. We now have a Visitor Management System to ensure we are provided the most secure environment. Visitors will need to ring the outside doorbell. Once the secretary answers, she will verify your student's name and visitor's name prior to opening the front door. If the visitor's name is not in our system, they will not be let into the building. We ask that you understand that it may take a few minutes to gain access into the building while the secretaries verify your information. Please make sure you have updated contact information and that your emergency contacts are current.

Visitors will need to use the kiosk to get a visitor badge. This will require you to get a photo taken and use the printed visitor badge with your photo.

Large events such as holiday celebrations, music programs and family nights will not require the same check in process. Entrance into these events will be monitored by staff.

Email: bridget.omelia@ops.org
Website: https://standingbear.ops.org/HOME/tabid/36/Default.aspx
Location: 15860 Taylor Street, Omaha, NE, USA
Phone: 531-299-2140

Omaha Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, age, genetic information, citizenship status, or economic status in its programs, activities and employment and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following individual has been designated to address inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Superintendent of Schools, 3215 Cuming Street, Omaha, NE 68131 (402-557-2001).