Wildewood Elementary - Ralston Public Schools

back to school
a guide to the 2015-16 school year at Ralston Public Schools
A Message from the Superintendent
Dr. Mark Adler
On behalf of the Ralston Public Schools, I would like to
welcome the students, parents, staff, and community
members back for the start of the 2015-2016 school
year. The purpose of this “Back to School”
communication is to update you with important information as we start
another year serving our students and the Ralston community. Whether
you are a family with students in school or a valuable member of our
school community, I want to invite you to our schools for events or to
reach out to us if there is anything we can do to serve you during the
2015-2016 school year. As a school district, we are certain that our
success and strength relates directly to our outstanding parents and a
supportive community. It is my honor to serve all of you, our students,
and families as Superintendent of Schools.
This year, the district will be welcoming 35 certified and 23 classified
staff members to the Ralston Public Schools. For those of you who are
new to Ralston, I hope you will embrace and celebrate the diversity of
our student body. Each year, approximately 3,200 students attend the
Ralston Public Schools. 60% of our students are Caucasian, 27% are
Hispanic, 7% are African American, 4% are bi-racial, and 2% are Asian.
Currently, 54% of our students qualify for free or reduced lunch. In all,
31 different languages are spoken in our district.
As we begin the 2015-2016 school year, I want to outline some of the
hard work and progress being made within the district. After achieving
District Accreditation through AdvancED in 2013, Ralston’s
students and staff continue to strive for improvement through the
District Achievement Plan. Ralston has emerged as a leader in the metro
area and across Nebraska in early childhood education as
evidenced by our partnership with the Buffet Early Childhood
/
10
10
Achievement Character Technology
Center. Technology equipment and infrastructure upgrades continue
to be implemented to allow students and staff access to state of the
art, 21st Century learning opportunities. Going forward, college and
career readiness will be our focus as we work to provide our secondary
students relevant career pathways including college attendance,
vocational preparation, military service, or fast track certification
programs. In the end, our success will be defined by the quality of life
enjoyed by our students. More than ever before, Ralston has
established itself as a community dedicated to achieving excellence
through purposeful instruction and nurturing a climate of hope.
At the start of the 2015-2016 school year, I challenged every school
employee to strive to improve 1% every day. I asked them to reflect
on their non-negotiables, or the things they will do 10 out of 10 times
because it matters to them. Likewise, I would like to ask each of you to
think about your 10 out of 10. What will you do every day to make a
difference for our students, the people around you, or yourself? Think
about it, identify it, and be ready and willing to commit to it 10 out of
10 times to achieve that 1%!
As I look ahead to the upcoming year, I consider myself fortunate to be
a member of the Ralston Public Schools and the Ralston Community. I
want to extend an invitation to all of you to engage our students, staff,
and schools during the 2015-2016 school year. If there is anything
we can do as a school district to serve you, please do not hesitate to
contact us. I hope each of you are as proud as I am to be part of an
organization and community dedicated to making positive contributions
to the lives of our students.
Follow Dr. Adler on twitter!
Best wishes,
Dr. Mark Adler
Superintendent
1
%
every day
@drmadler
RALSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS BELIEVES...
The educational process is a partnership
involving the school, the family, the student,
and the community
Students learn best when they are actively
engaged in the process
All students can learn
Students learn best when schools maintain
high expectations for learning
The foremost responsibility of any
educational organization is the student
The essence of education is the ability to
develop lifelong learners to deal responsibly
with choice in a changing world
OUR PURPOSE
A community dedicated to achieving
excellence through purposeful instruction
and nurturing a climate of hope.
OUR DIRECTION
Cultivating resilient citizens prepared for
the diverse demands of the future.
New Faces at Ralston
The district is happy to announce some changes to the
Ralston Public School’s administrative team for the
2015-2016 school year.
Cecilia
Wilken
At the Central Office, Cecilia Wilken has been selected to
serve as Ralston’s Director of Elementary Education, while Dr.
Tiffanie Welte has been chosen to serve as the district’s
Director of Secondary Education. Both Cecilia and Tiffanie
were selected by a panel of district and building level
administrators.
Ms. Wilken has been a Ralston employee for the past three
years, serving as an elementary principal first at Karen
Western Elementary, then at Mockingbird Elementary. After
graduating from the University of Iowa, Cecilia began her
career as K-6 resource teacher at Liberty Elementary in the
Omaha Public Schools. She later served in OPS first as an
instructional facilitator, then as a special education
instructional coach before coming to Ralston in 2012.
Dr. Tiffanie
Welte
Dr. Welte has served the district for the past 11 years as an
assistant principal at Ralston High School. After graduating
from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Tiffanie began her
career as an English teacher in Eureka, Missouri, before
moving first to Waverly, then finally to Papillion. She also
had the opportunity to serve the Papillion-LaVista schools as
a CADRE Associate for one year before coming to Ralston in
2004.
Lee Frye has been selected to serve as the next Director of
Student Services for the Ralston Public Schools. He has been a
professional educator for the past 32 years, including 18 years
in school administration. For the past 12 years, he has served
Lee as the Director of Student Services for Elkhorn Public Schools.
Frye He was also the Director of Special Education for West Point
Public Schools. Over the course of his career, Lee has also
served students as a school rehabilitation counselor, a
guidance counselor, and a special education teacher.
Peyton
Lewis
Mr. Peyton Lewis will serve as the next principal at Blumfield
Elementary. After working as an art director for the Boys and
Girls Club of North Omaha, he began his professional teaching
career as an art teacher/media specialist at St. Mary’s School
in O’Neill, Nebraska. He then taught art at Gretna Public
Schools before being selected as the PK-12 principal with the
Johnson-Brock Public Schools. Peyton currently holds a
Bachelors of Fine Arts in graphic arts design, a Bachelors of
Science in K-12 art education, as well as a Masters degree in
Educational administration.
Jody
Blessen
Brian
Ferguson
Ms. Jody Blessen will be the next principal at Seymour
Elementary. Jody has served as a professional educator for 21
years. After graduating from Midland University, she began her
career as an elementary teacher at St. Paul’s Lutheran School,
then later as a 5th and 6th grade language arts teacher with
the Randolph Public Schools. For the past 16 years, she has
served Ralston Public Schools teaching first at Seymour then
Blumfield. She completed Ralston’s Leadership Academy
program in 2011, and has been on the District Steering
Committee. Jody served as an interim principal at Blumfield
Elementary in the fall of 2013.
Mr. Brian Ferguson will move from principal at Seymour to
principal at Mockingbird Elementary. Brian began his
professional career as an 8th grade science teacher in the
South Sarpy school district. He then became an assistant
principal at Bellevue Public Schools. He returned to South
Sarpy as the principal at Westmont Elementary before coming
to Ralston in the fall of 2010. For the past five years, he has
been principal at Seymour Elementary. Brian has earned his
Bachelors degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney
and completed his Masters degree in educational leadership
through Doane College.
Mr. Landon Blanchard and Mrs. Melissa Stolley have been
appointed to serve as the new Deans at Ralston High School.
Landon Blanchard began his professional career as a CADRE
teacher at Ralston High School where he taught Behavioral
Science classes and American History. He has served Ralston
Public Schools since August of 2006 teaching American
History, American Government and Civics, Modern Concepts,
and Introduction to Criminal Justice. He has coached Freshman
and JV boys basketball and served as the assistant varsity boys
basketball coach. Currently, he is serving as the Varsity Girls
Softball coach. Landon has earned his Bachelors degree and
completed his Masters degree in Secondary Education from
the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He has also earned his
endorsement in school administration from Wayne State
College.
Melissa Stolley graduated from the University of Nebraska
at Kearney. Upon graduation, Missy began her career as an
elementary resource teacher at Fontenelle Elementary in
Omaha Public Schools. For the past 8 years, Missy has served
the Ralston Public Schools as a middle school resource teacher.
Missy completed Ralston’s Leadership Academy program, and
has also served as a representative to the District Problem
Solving Team, RMS School Improvement Team, District Safety
Committee, and District Steering Committee.
Landon
Blanchard
Missy
Stolley
Ralston Schools Contact Information
Blumfield Elementary
Karen Western
Elementary
Meadows Elementary
Mockingbird
Elementary
Principal: Peyton Lewis
10310 Mockingbird Drive
Principal: Dr. Josh Wilken
6224 “H” Street
Principal: Lisa Schroeder
9225 Berry Street
Principal: Brian Ferguson
5100 S 93rd Street
blumfield.ralstonschools.org
karenwestern.ralstonschools.org
meadows.ralstonschools.org
mockingbird.ralstonschools.org
402-331-0891
402-731-7477
Seymour Elementary
Wildewood
Elementary
402-339-6655
402-331-6954
Ralston Middle School
Ralston High School
Principal: Jody Blessen
4900 S 79th Street
Principal: Heather Nebesniak
8071 Ralston Avenue
Principal: Andy Parizek
8202 Lakeview Street
Principal: Steve Schrad
8969 Park Drive
seymour.ralstonschools.org
wildewood.ralstonschools.org
rms.ralstonschools.org
rhs.ralstonschools.org
402-331-0540
402-331-6475
Ralston Safe Schools Hotline
1-844-964-7103
available 24 hours a day
Ralston Safe Schools Hotline
This year, Ralston Public Schools is again working with The Boys Town
National Hotline. Students facing issues or having difficulties in any
area such as depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, bullying and
other relationship concerns can call the hotline. Students, parents and
community members can also use the Ralston Safe Schools Hotline
number to report unsafe behavior.
Arbor Family Counseling Services
Ralston Public Schools has partnered with Arbor Family Counseling
to provide services to all students within the district. Students may
receive 2 consultations at no charge. Payment for any subsequent
services will be negotiated directly between families and Arbor Family
Counseling. If you would like to utilize these services, please contact
your student’s school counselor or building principal.
Free Children’s Clothing Outreach
Lost and Found Children’s Clothing Center
Free Children’s Clothing Outreach
Sponsored by Trinity United Methodist Church
8009 Q Street • 402-331-4054
and Ralston Public Schools
www.ralstonschools.org
Check our website for open hours
402-331-4701
402-331-7373
✳Calendar✳
August
January
11 - First Day PK-6, 7, 9
12 - First Day 8, 10-12
1 - Winter Break
18 - District Inservice (no school)
26 - RHS Parent/Teacher Conferences
September
7 - Labor Day (no school)
14 - District Inservice (no school)
21-30 - Elementary Parent/Teacher
Conferences
22- RHS Parent/Teacher Conferences
29- RMS Parent/Teacher Conferences
October
1 - RMS & Elementary Parent/
Teacher Conferences
2- Comp Day for Conferences
(no school)
16 - Instr. Prep Day (no school)
November
2 - District Inservice (no school)
10 - RHS Parent/Teacher Conference
25 - Early Dismissal
26-27 - Thanksgiving Break
December
21-31 - Winter Break
February
1-12 - Elementary Parent/Teacher
Conferences
4 - 8th Grade Open House @ RHS
11 - RMS Parent/Teacher Conferences
12 - No School
15 - Comp Day for Conferences
(no school)
18 - ILP - RHS Early Dismissal
March
14 - Instr. Prep Day (no school)
15-18 - Spring Break
25-28 - No School
April
15 - No School
May
16 - 6th Grade to RMS - RMS
Early Dismissal
25 - Last Day of School (1/2 Day)
Free & Reduced Lunch / Lunch Accounts
Fee Waivers
Free & Reduced Lunch applications have been mailed to each family.
If you did not receive one, you can get one from your child’s school or
the central office. Please remember that at any time during the school
year, you may fill out an application to see if you qualify for free or
reduced meals.
Families that qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch may also qualify to
have their student fees waived. The Student Fees Policy, as well as
what those fees include is listed on the District website. In order to
qualify, you must complete a student fee waiver form, which can also
be found on the District, RHS or RMS websites.
Returning Students: Your NEW application for the 2015-16 school year
must be received and approved before your status from last year’s
application expires on 9/22/15, in order to avoid interruption in
benefits. Please be aware that if your status changes from last year,
based on this year’s application, the change occurs immediately.
Newly Applying Students: You must allow time for your application to
be processed. When your application is approved, you will receive a
letter informing you of the results. In the meantime, please make sure
there is money in your child’s meal account to cover the cost of meals.
Approval is NOT retroactive.
Breakfast and Lunch Fees for 2015/16:
Breakfast Prices
K-6 - $1.55
7-8 - $1.95
9-12 - $2.50
R-Kids
All Ralston schools offer the R-KIDS (Ralston Knowledge, Information,
Data Site) online grading. The online grading system creates a more
efficient way for parents and students to monitor their progress in
school. Teachers will post grades in a timely manner, based upon the
assignment and the teacher’s schedule. Parents are encouraged to
monitor their child’s progress by checking the system weekly. When a
student is missing an assignment, the incomplete box will be checked.
Once the work is made up, the grade will be entered and the late box
will be checked.
Parents can login from the school or District websites. For any issues
logging into R-Kids, please contact your child’s school office.
Lunch Prices
K-6 - $2.30
7-8 - $2.65
9-12 - $2.80
There are two different ways to put money on your child’s breakfast
and lunch account. You can either send cash or a check with your child
to school, or you can use our online payment system
Myschoolbucks.com. This system enables you to see how your child is
spending the money in his or her account and can be set up to notify
you when your child’s balance is getting low.
Blumfield Elementary School
Karen Western Elementary School
Meadows Elementary School
Mockingbird Elementary School
Seymour Elementary School
Wildewood Elementary School
Ralston Middle School
Ralston High School
@RPSBlumfield
@RPSKarenWestern
@RPSMeadows
@RPSMockingbird
@RPSSeymour
@RPSWildewood
@RalstonMS
@RalstonHS
Ralston Schools Board of Education
Susie Haas Tiehen
President
Bob Brown
Vice President
Deb Gerch
Secretary
Tresha Rodgers
Treasurer
Linda Richards
Member
Jeff Zdan
Member
Meet the School Board Members
Susie Haas Tiehen - President (20 years on Board)
Susie Haas Tiehen is a proud Ralston High graduate, as is her Attorney
husband, Tom. Their three adult children are also Ralston Public School
products: Dr. Justin, Natalie, and (finishing Ph.D) Jeanne. Susie and Tom have
3 grand-daughters, Anabel (5), Simone (2 1/2), and Felicity Jeanne (FeJe is 2).
Susie has a B.S. in Education magna cum laude from UNO, plus graduate hours.
She has worked many careers: bank manager, substitute teacher, Director/
Teacher for a private pre-school, and business owner of School of the Stars.
Susie is a devoted volunteer, working with Seymour PTO, scouts, RABA, Baright
Public Library, TeamMates, Ralston United Church of Christ and other churches,
Food Bank of the Heartlands, RCT and other theatre groups, and of course,
service on the Ralston Board of Education for twenty years.
Bob Brown - Vice President (14 years on Board)
Bob Brown is originally from Beaver City, NE. He has been married to his wife
Connie, a former school teacher, for 37 years. They have 2 children, Elizabeth
(25) (RHS alum) who attended Cornell College and will now be attending IU for
her Masters, and Chris (22) (RHS alum) who attends Nebraska Wesleyan.
Bob has a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska –
Lincoln. He has been the CFO of Aurora Cooperative in Aurora, NE for 7 years
and he was previously the CFO for PennField Animal Health.
Deb Gerch - Secretary (3 years on Board)
Deb Gerch is originally from West Point, Nebraska. She has been married to
her husband, Dave (RHS class of ‘82), for 26 years. They have two kids, Zach
(RHS class of ‘11), who attends Ottawa University in Kansas and Michael, a 6th
grader at Blumfield. The family loves baseball. Both boys play and Zach coaches
as well.
Deb attended Nebraska College of Business. For 23 years, she has worked at
Applewood Hy-Vee where she is currently the Human Resources Manager.
Ralston Schools Foundation
The Ralston Schools Foundation (RSF) is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization
that provides support to the Ralston Public Schools. The Foundation funds
scholarships and financial support for special projects within the school district.
RSF hosts an annual golf outing and the annual Heart of Learning Banquet
which celebrates teachers and staff within the school district.
Ralston Schools
Foundation
Golf Classic
Thurs, Sept. 10th
12:00 - Eagle Hills
ralstonschoolsfoundation.org/golf
Tresha Rodgers - Treasurer (7 months on Board)
Tresha Rodgers was born and raised in Omaha. She has been married to her
husband, Corey, for 20 years. They have two sons, Keaton (13) who attends
Ralston Middle School and Kade (10) who attends Blumfield.
Tresha has a B.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska- Omaha
and an M.B.A. from Bellevue University. She is currently the Treasury
Management Relationship Manager at US Bank.
Linda Richards - Member (20 years on Board)
Linda Richards is a Ralston native. She grew up in Ralston and graduated from
RHS in 1990. She has been married to her husband, Jason, for 21 years and
they have two sons, Nathan (15) and Tyler (13), who attend RHS and RMS.
Linda has a B.A. in Political Science from Creighton University. She and her
husband own PRISM advisors, LLC, a management consulting firm. She has
also worked as a paralegal and served as the Legislative Assistant for State
Senator Matt Conneally (LD 16).
Linda is currently the Vice President of the Nebraska Association of School
Boards and will serve as President­Elect in 2016, and President in 2017.
Jeff Zdan - Member (6 months on Board)
Jeff Zdan is originally from Carter Lake, Iowa. He is married to his wife, Tasha,
who works as an Accounting Manager. They have two children attending
Wildewood, Natalie (5) who is in Kindergarten and Annabelle (4) who is in
Pre-school.
Jeff attended the University of Missouri - Columbia as well as the University
of Nebraska - Omaha. He has a B.S. and M.S. in MIS. He is currently the Vice
President of his family owned company, DataServ Corporation, where he has
worked for 18 years. He is also a part-time Fitness Instructor at the YMCA.
Bratfest - Come to the Tailgate!
Ralston High School will be sponsoring “Bratfest” before the football game on
Sept. 4th. This is a Ralston tradition where fans can come early and purchase a
brat or hot dog and some extras and visit with other fans, district
administrators, and Ralston High School staff. It is one big tailgate party!
We invite all patrons to attend and the proceeds directly benefit our athletes.
Bratfest
Date: September 4th
Time: 5 - 7 pm (Kickoff)
Ralston vs. Beatrice
Non Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Omaha, NE
Permit No. 851
RALSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
8545 Park Drive
Ralston, NE 68127
402-331-4700
www.ralstonschools.org
The Ralston School District does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color,
national origin, religion, gender, marital
status, disability, or age in admission or
access to, or treatment of employment,
in its programs and activities.
El Districto Escolar de Ralston no
diferencia en base a la raza, colore,
origen nacional, religión, género,
estado matrimonial, invalidez o edad
en admisión o acceso a o tratamiento
de empleo, en sus programas y
actividades.
Lil’ & Tiny Rams
The Ralston Schools Foundation operates the school-age before
& after school program called Lil’ Rams and the early childhood
learning center called Tiny Rams. Tiny Rams operates at the
Ralston High School. Lil’ Rams operates in the Ralston elementary
schools. During the school year, Lil’ Rams offers before and after
school care for children kindergarten through 6th grade. The
program also provides care on teacher workdays, certain holidays,
and during the summer. The summer camp program is very
exciting and packed full of activities, field trips, and on-site
activities for a fun-filled summer.
Our mission is to provide a naturally stimulating environment in
which all will learn, blossom, and become stronger individuals
together. Children have access to art supplies, sport and outdoor
activities, dramatic play areas, sensory tables, books for reading,
and educational computer games. We are committed to providing
children with both a safe and healthy environment in which their
minds, bodies and spirits will grow. Our programming teaches
independence and interdependence while building self-confidence
and self-reliance. Children are stimulated while having fun.
Lil’ Rams 2015-2016 Weekly Tuition Tiny Rams 2015-2016 Tuition
Full Time (before & after school)
$60.00
Before School Only or After School Only
$47.00
Early Release Only (1:30-6:00pm only)
$20.00
Full Time (4 or 5 days) Infant: $210/week
Daily Infant: $52.50/day
Full Time (4 or 5 days) Toddler: $175/week
Daily Toddler: $43.75/day
Full Time (4 or 5 days) Preschool: $165/week
Daily Preschool: $41.25/day
More information and enrollment
applications are available at
www.ralstonschoolsfoundation.org