Spring Ridge Review

The whole month of February is the Winter Reading Olympics

February 2nd - PTO meeting @ 6:30

February 6th - Valentine Parties @ 2:30

February 10th & 11th - Parent/Teacher Conferences; Early Dismissal 2:06

February 12th - No School/Teacher In-service

February 13th - No School

February 16th-20th - Kindness Week

February 19th - Book Swap

February 25th - Eagle Earning Lunch with the principal

February 25th - ERMS preentation for 5th graders @ 2:15

February 26th - ERMS Band demo for 5th graders @ 8:45

February 26th - 2nd/3rd Music Program (2nd @ 5:30) (3rd @ 6:30)

February 27th - Jazz Band/Show Choir Tour 1:00-1:30

February 27th - Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony @ 1:30

For the most current information subscribe to our online calendar. You'll want to subscribe to both the Spring Ridge & District calendars.

February is here, and with it comes so much to celebrate at Spring Ridge.

This month we are excited for our Winter Reading Olympics. What a fun way to keep our students engaged and motivated during these winter weeks. We love seeing the enthusiasm for reading throughout the building.

A huge thank you to our amazing PTO for hosting a fabulous Bingo for Books Night. It was wonderful to see so many Spring Ridge families filling our halls with laughter and fun. Events like these remind us how special this community truly is. We are also so grateful to the PTO for providing a delicious Breakfast for Lunch for our teachers this month. It was so thoughtful, so yummy, and very much appreciated.

February also brings Parent Teacher Conferences. We sincerely appreciate your willingness to meet with your child’s teacher. The partnership between home and school has a greater impact on student success than almost anything else we do. Your involvement, communication, and support truly matter, and we are thankful for each of you.

As always, thank you for being such an important part of the Spring Ridge community. We are grateful for the way you support our students, our staff, and one another. 💙

Warmly,

Kelli Hayworth
Principal, Spring Ridge Elementary
khayworth@epsne.org

402-637-0204

Conferences this year will take place on Tuesday, February 10th and Wednesday, February 11th. Please note that there will be an early release on both of those days. Students will get out at 2:06 p.m

Teachers will hold one conference per student. If both parents would like to participate but are unable to attend at the same time or in the same location, teachers can support flexible options:

• One parent may attend in person while the other joins via Zoom

• Both parents attend virtually

If there are specific family circumstances that teachers should be aware of, parents should communicate that information directly with the child’s teacher ahead of time. In rare circumstances, if two separate conferences are necessary, those situations will require administration approval.

Here are the steps to sign up to attend conferences. The online scheduler opened at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, January 26th, and closes on Friday, February 8th at 11:59 p.m. We are looking forward to having meaningful conversations with you to help us ensure the best possible future for your students.

Our Winter Reading program this year celebrates not only reading, but also the best parts of the Olympic Games: perseverance, teamwork, positivity, and confidence.

At home, students will bring home a Reading Bingo sheet. Each week in February, they can complete one full four-in-a-row bingo (squares may be reused). When they earn a bingo, they can turn in the slip at the bottom of the page to their teacher. These will help us fill in the Olympic Rings in the library and show just how much our Eagles are reading.

At school, we will kick things off on Monday February 2nd. Throughout the month, classrooms will focus on Olympic-inspired goals and show Eagle spirit through fun activities, encouragement, rewards, and of course, lots of books.

If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Omo in the library at somo@epsne.org.

When your child will be absent from school, please be sure to communicate with both your child’s teacher and the front office. This helps us quickly determine who is absent and ensures attendance is coded correctly in PowerSchool.

The easiest way to notify the front office is to CC Laura Holder on the email you send to your child’s teacher.
📧 Laura Holder: lholder@epsne.org

Thank you for your help and partnership in keeping our records accurate and our school running smoothly. We truly appreciate your support!

With colder weather arriving, please make sure your child comes to school dressed for Nebraska winters. A warm coat, hat, and gloves are essential, especially as we continue to go outside for Walking Club and recess when the “feels-like” temperature is 15 degrees or higher.

Our student Safety Patrol also follows these same guidelines. They will be outside helping students arrive safely, even on chilly mornings. A quick wave or encouraging smile goes a long way in letting them know their efforts are appreciated.

When temperatures drop below freezing, we will have limited staff available at crosswalks. Please plan extra time in the mornings to ensure your child can safely enter school grounds.

Thank you for helping us keep all Eagles safe, warm, and ready to learn this winter.

We know traffic can be a challenge during drop-off and pick-up, and we truly appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation in helping us keep students safe. While we’ve shared the full list of procedures in previous newsletters, we want to highlight a few specific areas that continue to cause concern.

1. Shadow Ridge Drive:
If you are traveling west on Shadow Ridge Drive, please remember that the right lane is for the drive-through pick-up line and the middle lane is to continue straight on Shadow Ridge. Vehicles in the middle lane should not turn right onto 178th Street across the pick-up lane. This creates a dangerous situation for students, including those on Safety Patrol, as it can be difficult for drivers to see them. We understand this may add a few extra minutes by having to go up to 180th Street to turn, but this rule is in place strictly for student safety.

2. Staff Parking Lot:
Please do not park in or use the staff parking lot unless you have a parking pass displayed in your window. This lot is reserved for students who require assistance getting to and from their cars with the help of a staff member.

Your continued support in following these procedures helps us ensure the safety and efficiency of our pick-up and drop-off routines. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Thank you for helping us keep all of our Eagles safe! 🦅

Each classroom teacher places blue tickets into their class bucket throughout the week when students demonstrate kindness, effort, responsibility, and our Spring Ridge expectations. At the end of the week, every teacher pulls one ticket, and those students are recognized as our Weekly Soaring Eagle winners. Their names are announced on the morning news, and they get to visit the office to choose a prize from our Eagle Prize Cart.

While there are too many Weekly Soaring Eagles to list individually, we want families to know how proud we are of these students. They join our Golden Eagle winners and our Eagle Earning lunch with the principal winners in showing what it means to be leaders in our school. We love celebrating their hard work, positive choices, and the way they lift up our Spring Ridge community every day.

PTO is seeking volunteers for Bingo for Books to make popcorn, hand out bingo cards, write bingo numbers on whiteboard, and set/cleanup.

If you would like to stay up to date with all Spring Ridge PTO events and news, please subscribe to the PTO emails by visiting https://springridgepto.com/contact/ and enter your name and email.

Contact Information:

Email: Contact@springridgepto.com

Website: https://springridgepto.com/

At Spring Ridge, the doors will remain locked during the school day, and all visitors will gain access using the security camera/access panel outside of the school’s main entrance. Office staff will grant access after you do the following steps:

1. Push the button and wait for an identification request.

2. Give your name and purpose for entering the school.

3. When you hear the door unlatch, enter and proceed to the door leading to the office.

4. The second office door will unlatch and you may proceed to the office.

5. Sign in on the visitor sheet and take a visitor sticker/badge.

6. When leaving the building, return to the office, sign out and return your visitor badge or place your sticker in the trash can.

Please do not go directly to the classrooms (including portables) without checking in at the office.

Breakfast:

Students coming up for breakfast will enter the main entrance doors. Breakfast will be served from 7:35 to 8:00. This allows students to be finished eating by 8:10. At 7:55, students who have finished eating will join walking club. To ensure students have enough time to eat and be in their classrooms by 8:10, they must be in the cafeteria no later than 8:00 a.m.

Visiting for Lunch:

We love welcoming family members to Spring Ridge and invite you to enjoy lunch with your student during the school year! Visitors are welcome to bring an outside lunch for themselves and their student; however, food may not be shared with other students for safety and allergy reasons. Thank you for helping us keep all students safe and included during lunchtime.

Thank you for your understanding and support! We look forward to seeing you in the lunchroom soon!

When needed, school closing announcements are communicated via email, phone call, and, if opted in, an SMS text message. If you did not receive the announcement through these channels for the most recent Inclement Weather School Closing, please contact your school to verify that your contact information is correct.

To opt in to receive EPS text messages, text “Yes” to 67587.

Registration for children who will attend kindergarten during the 2026-27 school year is now open at https://www.elkhornweb.org/parents/new-students/. Of note, students must be at least 5 years of age by July 31, 2026, to attend Kindergarten in August 2026.

To assist with planning, please take a moment to register your incoming kindergartener at your earliest convenience. Doing so will also ensure you receive information about Kindergarten Round-up and the associated parent meeting planned for early March.

• Elkhorn Swim + Dive 8th Grade Night: Join Elkhorn Swim & Dive and experience swimming and diving hands-on. 8th grade students interested in learning more will have the chance to watch the meet, cheer on the swimmers, and receive a grab bag! Click here to learn more.

Email: khayworth@epsne.org

Phone: 402-637-0204

Website: https://www.elkhornweb.org/springridge/

Address: 17830 Shadow Ridge Dr. Omaha, NE 68130

The Elkhorn Public School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex, disability, race (including skin color, hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, religion, veteran status, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, sexual orientation or gender identity, or other protected status in its programs. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination Policies:

Students: Mark Kalvoda, Executive Director of Student Services, 20650 Glenn Street (402) 289-2579,(studentservices@epsne.org).

Employees and Others: Don Pechous, Executive Director of Personnel, 20650 Glenn Street (402) 289-2579, (Personnel Contact Form).

Complaints or concerns involving discrimination or needs for accommodation or access should be addressed to the appropriate Coordinator. For further information about anti-discrimination laws and regulations, or to file a complaint of discrimination, contact the OCR at One Petticoat Lane, 1010 Walnut Street, 3rd Floor, Suite 320, Kansas City, Missouri 64106, (816) 268-0550 (voice), Fax (816) 268-0599, (800) 877-8339 (telecommunications device for the deaf), or ocr.kansascity@ed.gov. Title IX Information