Lincoln Public Schools families,
We will send you information on the last Friday of each month. Here is an index to help you navigate this month’s update:
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 this upcoming event:
Keeping Current: Youth Vaping and Mental Health
Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Lincoln Medical Education Partnership Vrbka Classrooms – 4600 Valley Road (Entrance 1, first floor)
Vaping poses significant health risks to our youth. While youth may start vaping for a variety of reasons, a large number of young people vape nicotine or marijuana to lessen feelings of stress, anxiety or depression.
When better coping skills are developed, there may be fewer temptations to try to manage mental health challenges through vaping, reducing the possibility of addiction and the risk of negative health outcomes.
Lindsay Brundege, a therapist with Jenda Family Services, will discuss:
Nicotine/marijuana and their impact on the developing brain
Addiction and the brain, and why it’s difficult to “just stop”
Why teens vape
Vaping and mental health concerns
How parents, adults and professionals can help
Resources available to support teens’ mental health and substance use
Please contact Abbe Edgecombe, SCIP Coordinator for Lincoln-Lancaster County, for questions at (402) 327-6841 or aedgecombe@lmep.com.
Families, we are seeing an increase of school disruptions that begin with inappropriate conversations on social media outside of school. Digital Citizenship is something we teach at Lincoln Public Schools. We encourage you to also have a conversation with your child about responsible digital citizenship to help reinforce these lessons.
We would also like to remind you that most social media user agreements (Like Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok) do not allow full use of their apps for anyone under the age of 13. This means elementary and most middle school students should NOT have access or be using social media according to these apps and their terms of service.
For more and tips about social media use, you can visit these resources:
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 March edition preview of Community News online.
Go the extra mile – help combat food insecurity by supporting the Food Bank of Lincoln’s BackPack program. Lincoln Public Schools and the Food Bank of Lincoln invite you to help raise money and awareness for the program during the 17th annual Extra Mile Walk.
Extra Mile Walk
Saturday, April 20, 2024, 10 a.m.
East High School, 70th and A Streets (park in the west parking lot at Seacrest Field)
For more information, visit the Food Bank of Lincoln’s website at https://www.lincolnfoodbank.org/extramile/
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people age 10-24. Awareness is important so we can all work towards prevention. This can be a hard topic but these uncomfortable conversations are valuable. Talking about suicide does not increase the chances it will occur, in fact putting light on it helps a struggling individual feel supported.
It’s really important if you or your child are not feeling well in any way to reach out for help. Our Signs of Suicide curriculum teaches students to use the ACT process when they or someone they know is struggling. ACT stands for Acknowledge (listen to your friend, don’t ignore threats), Care (let your friend know your care), and Tell (tell a trusted adult that you are worried about your friend).
School counselors, social workers, and psychologists are available at school and there are resources below that can be accessed anytime of the day or night. We never want anyone to believe that suicide is the only option.
It is important for families to know that there are steps you can take to help reduce the risk of suicide. The Suicide Prevention Resource Center provides the following recommendations for families:
Reducing access to lethal means – in particular, medications or weapons – saves lives. Some of these are general household health and safety precautions should be used regardless of suicide risk. Examples include limiting access to medications (prescription and over the counter) and storing weapons safely when not in use (American Academy of Pediatrics – healthychildren.org).
If you are concerned about yourself or a family member, these resources are available to help anytime of the day or night, any day of the year.
We continue to encourage all students and families to support our high school student-participants during competitions. As we work to keep our student-participants, coaches and spectators safe at our contests, the following rules are in place for all students attending extra-curricular events at our high schools.
We are now accepting applications for 2024-25 LPS Preschool year. Application materials are available on our website and also available in our Early Childhood Department Office, located at 300 S. 48th Street (enter door #2) between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Families of children who will be at least three years old (born on or after July 31, 2021) and who are not yet kindergarten age eligible (born on or before July 31, 2019) are welcome to apply.
Our inclusive preschool classrooms are located at 31 LPS buildings across the district and serve three-to-five year olds.
Applications along with the required materials may be submitted by:
Do you have a child – or do you know of a child – that will start kindergarten next year? Lincoln Public Schools is now accepting kindergarten registrations for the 2024-2025 school year.
Parents of children turning five years of age on or before July 31, 2024 can go to lps.org and click on the red “Enroll Your Student” button. Here you will also find all the information necessary for registering, the required documents needed and answers to frequently asked questions.
For children who turn five between August 1 and October 15, parents may request an assessment for their child to receive a waiver to attend school early. That information is also located on the kindergarten registration page.
Parents who do not have access to the online registration, or wish to register their child in person, should contact their attendance area elementary school as soon as possible. Questions about kindergarten registration should also be directed to the child’s attendance area school.
For more information about kindergarten registration and assessment testing for incoming students, please go to: https://home.lps.org/studentservices/kindergarten-registration-assessment/.
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
