LPS families,
On the last Friday of every month, Lincoln Public Schools will be sharing important district information and reminders via email throughout the school year.
We want to hear from you!
The Lincoln Board of Education wants to hear from staff, students, parents and community members on the roadmap that will guide Lincoln Public Schools’ priorities and next steps.
Everyone is invited to participate in one of the nine community meetings to learn more and provide feedback about the draft proposed vision, draft emerging themes and sample priority language. There will be four meetings happening concurrently on two different nights, and one virtual session. Those interested in providing feedback can select the date and location that is convenient for them.
More information about the strategic planning process can be found at https://home.lps.org/strategicplan.
Each month LPS publishes Community News in an effort to help share family-friendly community events and activities from non-profit organizations. Check out the October edition preview of Community News online.
We want to provide important reminders for all students and families to help ensure safety at school and school events.
Weapons of any kind – including but not limited to pocket knives, pellet/bb/airsoft/paint/Orbeez guns, mace or pepper spray – are NOT allowed on school property at any time. This includes during athletic events and school activities.
Students who have these items at school or school events will face appropriate school and legal consequences. School consequences may include long-term suspension, expulsion, or mandatory reassignment.
Lincoln Public Schools is taking this opportunity to remind families the importance of keeping weapons and ammunition safely away from children and adolescents to prevent intentional and unintentional harm. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that the most reliable and effective measure to prevent injuries in children and adolescents is an absence of weapons. Safe weapon storage reduces a child’s risk of injury.
School safety takes a community. If you have a safety concern, please tell a trusted staff member, call Lincoln Police at (402) 441-6000, or use the green Safe to Say button on the LPS website.
Schools, parents, caregivers and communities all play a role in providing supportive pathways for our youth as they navigate childhood and adolescence. Lincoln Public Schools is partnering with School Community Intervention and Prevention (SCIP) and Region V Systems to put on valuable community presentations about how to support the health and well-being of our community’s youth.
Please join us for our first event:
Keeping Current: Marijuana Vaping Among Youth
Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, from 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Lincoln Medical Education Partnership Vrbka Classrooms
4600 Valley Road, Lincoln (Entrance 1, first floor)
Marijuana continues to be one of the most prevalent substances of abuse among our youth. While there are many different modes of use, the practice of using vaping devices to consume marijuana products is becoming increasingly widespread among youth. Vaping delivers greater amounts of THC, the primary intoxicant in marijuana which increases the risk of adverse health problems, especially for our youth whose brains are still developing.
Officer Andre O’Conner, a licensed drug recognition expert with the Lincoln Police Department and previous LPS school resource officer, will discuss:
Please contact Abbe Edgecombe, SCIP Coordinator for Lincoln-Lancaster County, for questions or additional information: (402) 327-6841 or aedgecombe@lmep.com.
Every year, Lincoln Public Schools Elementary Principals Network organizes and distributes winter clothing through the Bubba’s Closet event.
Families who are in need of winter coats for their pre-school and elementary aged children are asked to fill out a form (bit.ly/Bubbas23) by Friday, Oct. 6. You will need to include your contact information, the child’s size, age and school. We cannot guarantee a new coat for every child, but we will do our best to fulfill as many requests as possible. Coats will be distributed to students through their school by mid-November.
Donating to Bubba’s Closet:
Those who are interested in donating to Bubba’s Closet this year are encouraged to give through the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools Fund a Need campaign bit.ly/donatecoats23. Funds raised will be used to help fill the coat requests from families.
LPS Focus Programs are a customized high school experience rooted in connection and opportunities. With close to a dozen different choices, your student can choose their own high school journey.
We invite families and students in grades 8-11 to explore LPS Focus Programs during our October events:
October 3 at 6:30 p.m.
Located at Southwest High School, everyone is invited to explore all LPS has to offer for your high school student to choose from.
October 5 at 5:30 p.m.
Come learn about one of our new focus programs. This event will be at The Bay (2005 Y Street).
October 9 at 5:30 p.m.
Stop by 643 S. 25th Street to learn more about one of LPS’s original focus programs.
In-person on Oct. 10, 5:30 p.m. or virtually on Oct. 12, 5:30 p.m.
Located on Southeast Community College campus at 8800 O Street, TCA offers students an opportunity to pursue 16 different career pathways. Contact TCA Director Josh Jones at jjones7@lps.org for a link to the virtual session.
October 19 from 5–6 p.m. OR 6–7 p.m.
Stop by 1222 S. 27th Street to learn more about one of LPS’s original focus programs located inside the Lincoln Children’s Zoo.
October 22 from 1–3 p.m.
Located on Southeast Community College campus at 8800 O Street, TCA offers students an opportunity to pursue 16 different career pathways.
VIRTUAL: October 24 at 5 p.m.
Learn about one of our new focus programs embedded at Northwest High School. Contact Director Jason States at jason.states@bryanhealth.org for a Zoom link.
October 26 at 5 p.m.
Located at Northeast High School (2635 N. 63rd Street), learn about this program designed to educate and train high school students in citizenship, character, and self-discipline while promoting community service and instilling personal responsibility.
Is your child looking for a job or other extended learning opportunity? Students can use their Chromebook or LPS Student Portal account to check out our electronic bulletin board by going to lps.org and typing in the keyword “JELO”. (Students must be logged in to their LPS Student Portal to view the board.)
Students in grades 6-12 will find information about a wide variety of opportunities available. This includes activities, camps, jobs and internships. We update the board every Wednesday afternoon.
Are you a business or organization wanting to share your opportunities with LPS students?
If so, please enter the information about your program/opportunity here: www.bit.ly/stujobslps.
Once you submit the information on the form, we will review it to ensure that it fits with our Board policies and regulations before we post it to the electronic bulletin board. Once an opportunity is posted, students in all middle and high schools are easily able to access the information. Please note: anyone outside of the LPS network or without LPS Portal access will not be able to access the eBulletin board.
Lincoln Public Schools is the second largest public school district in Nebraska, located in the heart of the plains, renowned for its long-standing legacy of educational excellence and tradition of rigorous academic achievement. The school district is growing and thriving, serving over 42,000 students in more than 60 schools and programs.
Lincoln Public Schools is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for all persons, including people with disabilities. Learn more
