March 2015 Newsletter - Elkhorn Public Schools

Elkhorn High School
1401 Veterans Drive
Elkhorn, NE 68022
402.289.4239
March Newsletter
2015
From the Principal………… Dan Radicia
Our February Parent-Teacher conferences allowed me an
opportunity to listen to the parents as they talked about
their student’s academic progress, participation in extracurricular activities and the upcoming events. The conversations were very helpful because it gave me another opportunity to meet parents and understand their core beliefs
and values. Attendance at the February Parent-Teacher
conferences were similar to last years attendance numbers. EHS embedded registration for 9th, 10th and 11th
graders with two presentations each night so that our parents could understand more about our curricular offerings.
69% of our parents showed up for parent-teacher conferences. If you were not able to attend conferences, EHS
sent home a progress report showing the first 5 weeks of
the 2nd semester. If you feel that you need to contact a
teacher regarding your student’s progress, please log on to
EHS’s PowerSchool, locate the staff’s link and find the
teachers’ name with a hotlink and email them.
NESA Testing for juniors begins in late March and concludes the first week of May. NESA Reading, Math and
Science tests are standardized assessments that the Nebraska Department of Education has created for all public
schools in Nebraska. EHS juniors will be taking three assessments during this six week window. Each assessment
has two one-hour tests. On Wednesday, March 25 and
Thursday, March 26, EHS juniors will be taking two MATH
assessments in our technology labs. All of the assessments are web based and students will be practicing in
their respected classes prior to taking the tests. The juniors will take the NESA Reading test Tuesday, March 31
and Wednesday, April 1. The final NESA Science test begins Tuesday, April 7 and Wednesday, April 8. All make up
assessments will be completed the first week of May. It is
important that EHS has 100% participation with the NESA
assessments. If a certain percent does not complete the
test, EHS could be marked as a failing school as a result of
percentage of students who did not take the test.
All NESA assessments will be administered from 9:00 a.m. 11:20 a.m. on the scheduled test dates. Please try to keep
your student from being called out for appointments during
the testing days and times. Thank you for understanding that
we will want the optimal testing conditions for our students
and will restrict interruptions while the students are engaged
in the NESA testing process. Please encourage your junior
student to do his/her very best on these standardized assessments. Our results matter because it could impact our
decisions regarding instruction, curriculum, pacing, and assessments.
ACT at EHS on Saturday, April 18, 2015
College placement tests: ACT and SAT are two standardized
tests that colleges and universities use to select and sort
students for scholarships and admissions. The admission
officers analyze course rigor, grade point average, class rank
and involvement with co and extra-curricular activities and
clubs and the ACT score. There is a direct correlation between academic rigor and higher achievement scores on the
ACT. In fact, EHS students who take AP level course work,
chemistry and physics, four years of math have scored 4 or
more points higher than students who take the college prep
course work. It is better to have a transcript that illustrates
rigor than to take classes that are less difficult in order to
inflate the grade point averages. Grade point averages have
variables that universities cannot control: different grading
scales among school districts, class rank for a graduating
class of 38 compared to 305 or even 520 students. AP
courses have to be approved by a national standard; therefore, admission officers tend to default to course rigor by
means of AP coursework and the ACT/SAT scores.
Historically, the majority of EHS juniors takes the ACT for the
first time in April and retakes the assessment the fall of their
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senior year before admissions and scholarships are due in
January. Please encourage your student to practice taking
the ACT before the April test so he/she feels comfortable
taking close to a four hour exam. Practice tests are online
at the ACT website and ACT resources and CD are sold at
bookstores in the reference sections.
The winter activities are almost over; the spring activities are beginning to emerge. Our girl’s basketball team
begins their title quest on Thursday night at 7:00 at the
Bob Devaney Complex. Our Robotics team took first at
state and our quiz bowl teams are consistently winning all
of their contests. Around the school, spring activities are
beginning their conditioning for the end of the school year.
Thank you to all of our students, coaches, sponsors, parents and fans for your support and interests in our programs. The staff at EHS appreciates your help in creating
a positive environment with our students. I look forward to
seeing you at the various upcoming spring activities.
EHS Prom
The junior-senior prom will be held on Saturday, April 11th,
at Elkhorn High School from 9 p.m. to midnight with coronation at 11 p.m., parents are welcome to the coronation
program. Our prom sponsors Tomi Connelly and Jaimie
Mosby along with their Junior Class Boards, are working
hard to make this a memorable social experience for our
students. Prom is a formal affair, so the dress must be
semi-formal to formal. The invitations should be received
in the mail by the middle of March. Tickets can be purchased for $20.00 during lunch starting on Monday, March
23. Doors for prom will close at 10 p.m. Senior parents
will be valet parking and the high school administration is
requiring that all students partake in the valet parking. All
students will be breathalyzed upon entering the
dance. The use of breathalyzers reminds our students and
parents of the district’s position of zero tolerance on the
use of alcohol and creates a safe environment for all students. On the evening of Prom, staff will be using alcosensors to check students as they enter the commons. The alco-sensors will only be used by trained staff
members and if positive results are obtained from the
breathalyzers, the student will be subject to discipline and
the student’s parent(s) or guardian(s) will be notified imme-
diately. After-prom will be held at Elkhorn High School and
a special thanks to the many junior parents who are working
hard to create a safe, fun, parent-sponsored post-prom celebration.
EHS Safety Plan
As a part of an ongoing safety plan, Elkhorn High School in
conjunction with Omaha Police Department and Douglas
County Sheriff’s Department will be scheduling a practice
lockdown drill second semester. I asked the Omaha Police
Department to supervise the second lockdown drill so it
could be documented in our school safety plan. EHS had a
lockdown drill first semester and I think that it would be
prudent to have another drill in the future.
Guest Speakers
Holocaust Guest Speaker/Survivor Rachel Rosenberg is
coming to EHS on Friday, March 27 at 10:00 a.m. to speak
with Sophomores with permission from their period 2/3
teachers. This event will last from 10:00-11:00 a.m. with
time for questions at the end. English teacher Ms. Sara
Breetzke has coordinated the speaker in conjunction with
the sophomore reading novel, NIGHT by Elie Wiesel. We are
very fortunate to have Ms. Rosenberg as our guest speaker.
The 3rd annual student council guest speaker visited EHS
last week from the Rachel’s Challenge Project. Rachel’s
Challenge is a national speaking group that begins with the
story of Columbine High School shooting and ends with the
students understanding some of the challenges that Rachel
sets forth in her personal writings. Rachel was one of the
students who died that day, but her inspirational challenges
have been discussed throughout the United States for the
past 10 years. Rachel’s uncle Dave spoke to the students
for an hour, then to a standing ovation, he challenged the
students to be kind to one another, dream and told them
that they had value.
Our students need to be reminded of the subtle and overt
bullying that exists. We have to address bullying- it happens
in our classrooms, hallways, via social media, activities and
cafeteria. I am interested in helping those students who
watch it happen, to take the initiative to intervene to stop it
from continuing. Students witness bullying behaviors and
It is the policy of Elkhorn Public Schools not to discriminate on the basis of gender, disability, race, color, religion, marital status, age or
national origin in its education programs, administration, policies, employment or other district programs.
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can have a greater impact on stopping it while it is happening. As the building principal, I would like to prevent 100%
of the bullying behaviors at EHS but know that is not realistic. However, I would like the students to say to students
who bully, “Not here, not now, not ever.”
Please call me at 402-289-4239 or email me-
ATTENTION
SENIORS
[email protected]
Dan Radicia
Make-up Days for Missed School Days
For those that have not yet ordered your cap
& gown for graduation, please do so at your
earliest convenience. Please contact
Jostens/School Traditions at 402.733.0300
and they will be able to assist you.
As a reminder, EPS students will have regular
classes on Friday, April 17 and Friday, May
22. These two days were built into the school
calendar to account for the first two missed school
days due to inclement weather. There are no
other make-up days scheduled at this time.
Summer Activity Camps
Each summer Elkhorn coaches and sponsors offer
a variety of sports/activity camps for students of all
ages. Available camps will be posted online
at elkhornweb.org/antlers and elkhornweb.org/
NO SCHOOL Friday, March 13th ~
Teacher In-Service
storm by April 1, 2015. Parents can go online to
browse camps and download registration flyers.
Please note: Elkhorn Public Schools only posts
summer camp information for camps hosted by an
NO SCHOOL March 16th-20th ~
Spring Break
EPS coach or sponsor as related to his or her duties
within the school district.
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SENIOR check-out sheets will be mailed home with Quarter
3 report cards. EVERY senior needs to return this to the
Counseling Center. Information about sending final
transcripts and scholarships is on this sheet.
They are due Friday, April 17th.
Senior Reminders
Scholarship Information:
***Check Naviance regularly for scholarship
updates. Individual colleges are the source of
the most scholarship dollars, so apply early and
meet with the Office of Financial Aid on your college
visits to ask specific questions unique to your student
and your family.
COUNSELING CENTER STAFF
(402) 289-4239 Option 2
Desiree Merrihew A-G
Martha Dowd H-N
Jeanne Hightower O-Z
Tracy Frevert, Secretary
WEBSITE: www.elkhornweb.org—>EHS—>Counseling
College Entrance Testing:
For Juniors
A common question from junior parents this time of
year centers around when juniors should take the ACT/SAT.
Most students test twice—-once junior year and once senior year.
***Visit the scholarship link on Educationquest.com for
more local scholarships and reputable national scholarship searches.
Most juniors wait to take the test until spring of their junior year.
***Complete the FAFSA form as many scholarships and
grants require this to be submitted. Check with your
college on the priority date but it is typically somewhere
between March 15 to April 1.
spring, many junior teachers provide some strategies and refresh-
Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation
ACHIEVE Program:
Seniors taking 4 or more AP courses and having elective
course sequences, community service and school activities
are invited to apply for the ACHIEVE program. Monetary
awards and recognition at graduation will be given to all
students who meet the criteria. For more information,
please visit the www.elkhornfoundation.org under
“Scholarships & Awards.” Due Wednesday April 22 at 3:30.
College & Military Reps Visiting EHS: During the spring
semester, juniors and seniors are able to visit with the
college reps that come to EHS. Watch the bulletin or look
on Naviance account for upcoming visits. Juniors and
seniors must sign up at least 2 days in advance to be excused from classes. Students sign up online through their
Naviance account.
AP Test Registrations were given to students in
February . Registrations are due to the counseling
center by March 6th. Late registrations will be
accepted March 9th to March 12th but there will be a
$25 PER TEST late fee assessed.
As the test is content based, being further along in classes helps
improve the chances for a higher score. Additionally, in the
er work in preparing for the exam.
ACT (www.actstudent.org)
Test Date
Registration Deadline
Late Fee Deadline
April 18, 2015
March 13
March 14-27
June 13, 2015
May 8
May 9-22
Note:
***Students with disabilities might possibly receive test accommodations. See your counselor for information.
***Fee waivers are available to students on Free/Reduced Lunch.
See your counselor for information.
Important note about score reporting: It is the student’s responsibility to submit test scores to their college of
choice. Upon registration for the test, students can select up to 4
colleges to receive their test scores. To avoid paying extra to send
your scores at a later date, please ensure that you have selected 4
colleges of your choice at the time of registration.
Test Prep Resources
Full length practice tests can be picked up in the counseling center. Visit the Counseling Center website (www.elkhornweb.org),
click on Elkhorn High School, Counseling Center, Testing, Test
Prep Resources or see your counselor for more information on
test prep resources/classes.
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Exploring is a career education program for young men
and women ages 14 through 20 under the Learning for Life
organization. Race, religion, gender, sexual orientation,
ethnic background, economic status and citizenship are
not criteria for participation. Exploring’s adult volunteer
leaders give their time and expertise in order to provide
real-world career experiences for young adults. The Exploring program is not about lectures and slide shows –
it’s about gaining practical, hands-on experience in a career field – resulting in a program full of activities that
helps youth pursue their special interests, build character,
and develop life and job skills.
The overall goal of Exploring is to help young adults make
a more informed decision about future careers and determine if a particular career is the right one for them. Typically, a young adult in Exploring will either (1) get involved,
learn about a career, and decide to pursue it or (2) learn
enough about the career to determine it’s not the right fit
for them. We believe it is better for a young adult to learn
more about a career earlier in life, rather than spending
money and time on further education before discovering it
may not be the right fit for them after all.
EHS Tutoring Program:
Peer-tutoring is available for students
struggling in classes. Students can sign
up in the Counseling
Center.
Each year the local Career Exploring Office, in cooperation
with area middle and high schools, administers Career Interest Surveys. Students select their top two career choices from over 100 professions. This information is then
used to invite these students to join local Career Exploring
programs, and start new programs for career exploring
opportunities which are not yet available.
Explorer posts can specialize in a variety of career skills.
Exploring programs are based on five areas of emphasis:
career opportunities, life skills, citizenship, character education, and leadership experience.
EducationQuest is a free college planning
service provided to all students in Nebraska. They
have a monthly email service that offers tips and
advice to high school students and parents. To
sign up to receive these emails, visit
There are new exploring opportunities now. To see what is
available now and possibility for next year, visit the directory on http://www.omaha.exploring.org.
www.educationquest.org.
Important Websites:
http://www.elkhornweb.org/schools/ehs This site contains information for all students.
http://connection.naviance.com/ehsne Naviance is our college and career planning tool, complete
All Elkhorn 9th, 10th, 11th, and
12th graders have access to the program provided free to them by the school district.
Student logins are the same as their school computer logins. See your counselor
with any questions.
with personality inventories, career information, college search tools, and more.
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FROM THE DESK OF THE ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR
Mike Zeplin
ELKHORN SPORTS/ACTIVITIES ARE ON THE WEB!
Patrons of the Elkhorn school district may now access
the most current information as related to high school
and middle school athletics/activities, by logging on
www.easternmidconference.org to navigate your way to
the Elkhorn High School page, and select the sport/
activity, level and gender of your choice. You will also
have access to the most updated calendars, game information, and even maps and driving directions to many of
the schools we participate against.
Sign up for Remind 101 – receive text updates from
activity office. Text “@ehsac” to:
(402) 858-9215 for one way updates.
A very big THANK YOU to Robin Nelson for organizing
the meals for the staff during parent/teacher conferences.
We truly appreciate this wonderful luxury during the
busy time of conferences.
Thank You to all EHS parents that contributed to the
delicious dinners!
Robin Nelson, Kristen Blair, Renee Berger, Kim Neil,
Steve & Monica Samek, Regale Amundson, Stacy
Schutte, Sheri Trapp, Tina Oetter, Carrie Gottsch,
Lorita Johnson, Ken Jones, Beth Stiles, Rachele Epp,
Hang Tat, Carrie Hart, Stefani Hazlewood, Bill & Heidi
Nordin, Michael Oestmann, Jennifer Wilkins, Amy
Headley, Grand & SuZanne Rogers, Heather Witt, Don
& Lisa Fedde, Tammy Perry, Renee Gebeke, Cindy
Weber, Brenda Brune, Karen Spanel, Shelly Uhing,
Brenda Brune, Jill Uleman, Renee Gebeke
SPORTSMANSHIP! Can’t play games without it!
The 2015 Spring Sports season will begin with the first
practice on March 2nd at Elkhorn High School. These
activities include boys and girls track, boys soccer, girls
soccer, baseball, boys golf, and girls tennis. Parents
should note that the dates and times of spring sports
sometimes need to be rescheduled after the printing is
completed on these schedules. Please be advised that
the most current information is available through your
son's/daughter's head coach.
Spring athletic physicals will be held on May 6th
from 4:30-8:00 p.m. at Skyline Medical Center.
The cost is $25.00 cash!
-Skyline Medical Center, 1908 N. 203rd St., Elkhorn
The cost is $25 CASH – NO CHECKS ACCEPTED.
More information will be available on our website at
www.elkhornweb.org/antlers/.
Beginning April 1st, please contact Mary Lynch to schedule your appointment:
ESHS – 402-289-0616 or at EHS – 402-289-4239 Ext. 3.
Please leave a message if there is no answer, and Mary
will get back to you to schedule an appointment.
You may also email Mary at [email protected].
It is recommended that your child has an appointment,
as walk-ins will be asked to wait for the next available
time slot.
TECH SAVVY PARENT TIPS
Parental Controls
Did you know you are able to limit your student’s access
to websites, email contacts or even control the time of
day and the duration in which they use the computer?
By creating different user profiles and customized parental controls on your home computer you can help make
sure your child is viewing age-appropriate content.
Popular Apps—Tinder
Tinder is a photo and messaging dating app for browsing photos of potential matches within a certain mile
radius of the user's location. Swipe right to "like" a
photo or left to "pass." If a person whose photo you
"liked" swipes "like" on your photo, the app allows you
to message each other. Along with seeking and messaging matches, users can post "moments," which are
images and messages that exist for 24 hours and then
disappear. Tinder's terms of use indicate that it can be
used by anyone 13 and up, but the app's widespread
reputation, use of location, and its lack of privacy
settings make it most suitable for adult users.
(Courtesy of www.commonsensemedia.org)
(Elkhorn Public Schools Policy 507.13—Internet Safety Policy was written in
compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act)
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EHS HALE HAPPENINGS
Summer Opportunities
HALE is Elkhorn Public Schools’ High Ability Learner Education. Visit
the HALE Activity link from the Elkhorn High School website to learn
more about services and to keep track of upcoming opportunities via
the online HALE calendar.
All Girls Math - Summer Mathematics Camp for high school
girls. http://www.math.unl.edu/programs/agam
Robotics
The two EHS robotics teams are having a great year; they’re sponsored
by Glenn Benes. Congratulations to the NE State Robotics Champions
(Anthony Benes, Devin Welch, Emma Fanning, and EJ Rehn). The senior robotics team (Tim Aulner, Jessee Zhang, Collin Roessner, Emily
Benes, Eric Nielsen, Jimmy Nugent, Justin Garrison) took 2nd place at
Omaha Benson and both teams (in an alliance) took 2nd place in the
Mount Michael League. Both teams will be competing at the U.S. Open
– spectators are welcome at the Mid America Center in Council Bluffs,
April 7-9.
Joyce Ivy Foundation Summer Scholars program – scholarships for female leaders (grades 10 and 11) http://
www.joyceivyfoundation.org/apply/application.html
Kaneko Open Space for Your Mind – www.thekaneko.org
Creative Writers - http://finelines.org/
Duke Tip - Duke TIP Summer Studies Programs for 7th through
10th graders. www.tip.duke.edu/summer
MCC Student - http://www.mccneb.edu/secondary/
Youth Learning Center - several health career exploration programs for elementary to high school students in NE. http://
www.unmc.edu/studentservices/ylc/
Quiz Bowl
NextStep Program – summer classes for high school students
at Creighton University. https://www.creighton.edu/nextstep/
Two teams competed in the ESU#3 Quiz Bowl. The team consisting of
Collin Roessner, Maddie Kimme, Jessee Zhang, and Jacob Carmichael
placed 1st and qualified for State Quiz Bowl, April 29.
UNL Summer Academic Summer Camp http://4h.unl.edu/4hcamps/bigredcamps
UNO Internships in Information Technology - https://
intern.ist.unomaha.edu/
TEAM+S (Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science)
Congratulations to the students who competed in the TEAM+S “The
Power of Engineering” contest held at UNO on February 17h. In Part 1
of the competition, both the Varsity and JV teams took 1st place. This
year, 32 EHS students worked collaboratively in groups of 8 as they
applied their math and science knowledge in practical, creative ways to
solve realistic engineering problems.
PKI Summer Academies - https://pki.nebraska.edu/new/
pages/outreach/holland-academy-of-excellence/ and https://
pki.nebraska.edu/new/pages/outreach/academy-ofsustainable-environments-renewable-energy/
UPCOMING EVENTS
AMC and USABO national testing
March 6 – Bellevue University Quiz Bowl
15 students took the challenging American Mathematics Competition
tests and 11 students completed the USA Biology Olympiad test in
February. We’re awaiting final results from both competitions.
March 9 – EMC Quiz Bowl
Olympus Club
The annual Olympus Club Lock-In will be held at Common Ground on
Saturday, April 18th from 10:00pm to 6:00am. This is a rare opportunity for students from both high schools to spend time getting to know
each other as they play dodge ball, basketball, volleyball, air hockey,
board games, and go swimming. The Iron Mind Competition tradition
will continue as students from both schools try to win the traveling
trophy.
NAG Scholarship Opportunity
The Nebraska Association for the Gifted is pleased to offer the Leta
Hollingworth Scholarship, in the amount of $1,000. Applications are
due April 1 at http://www.negifted.org/NAG/Scholarships.html
March 27 – Nebraska Wesleyan Quiz Bowl
April 7-9 – Robotics US Open
April 18 – Olympus Club Lock In
EHS Cheer Tryouts
2014-2015 season
Elkhorn High School Cheerleading tryouts are just around the corner! The
information below will help prepare you for the tryout process.
*Current 8th grade students are eligible to tryout*
A mandatory meeting will be held for all parents and interested students
(currently in 8th-11th grade) on Sunday, March 2nd at 4:00 p.m. in the EHS lecture
hall. If your parents can not attend, but you would still like to try out please speak with Barb Schmidt.
Tryout prep clinics will be March 24th through the 27th, with tryouts on Friday, March 28th at 4:00 p.m. All tryout clinics will be held
in the wrestling room. Please see practice schedule below:
Monday, March 24th:
Tuesday, March 25th:
Wednesday, March 26th:
Thursday, March 27th:
Friday, March 28th:
6:30-7:30 a.m. AND 3:45-5:15 p.m.
3:45-5:15 p.m.
3:45-5:15 p.m.
3:45-5:15 p.m.
Tryouts begin at 4:00 p.m., please arrive at
3:30
Feel free to call Barb Schmidt at 402-289-4239 with any questions. We are very excited
about the upcoming season and hope to see you cheering on the Antlers!
Barb Schmidt & Anna Strohm, Elkhorn High School Cheer Coaches
Elkhorn Dance Team
Tryouts
Mandatory Parent/Student
Informational Meeting
★ Sunday, March 8
★ 4:00 PM
★ EHS Lecture Hall
Tryout Prep Clinics
April 6-8 * Aux Gym * EHS
★
★
★
Monday, April 6 ~ 3:30-5:30
Tuesday, April 7 ~ 3:30-5:30
Wednesday, April 8 ~ 3:30-5:30
Tryouts
★ Thursday, April 9
★ 4:00 (Please arrive by 3:30)
★ EHS Aux Gym
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Lunch Reminders
If you have not received an email from Taher, please contact your school to make sure they
have a correct email address on file, or check your spam folder. This is the only
communications you will receive from us. There is no charging at the Secondary levels.
Emails are sent on a daily basis for students at $0.01 and below and at the end of each month
regardless of the balance. Parents are encouraged to go online and set up their accounts to
receive emails prior to going negative.
Lunch accounts can be set up and viewed through our District website at www.elkhornweb.org. Click on
Parent/Student log in, and then click Lunch Account and then Access Lunchtime Online
at: https://accounts.elkhornweb.org/lunchtime/
You will need to create an account, once this is finished on the student main page click Configure Notification
settings, then modify and then follow the instructions.
You will need your student id numbers which are available at our office or from your student.
If you have any questions about your account, please call our office at 402-289-0443.
Thank you.
John Hermann
Food Service Director
Elkhorn Public Schools
Bids 4 Kids
LADIES’
NIGHT OUT
FUNDRAISER
WITH SILENT AUCTION, RAFFLES & FOOD
REGISTER ONLINE OR IN PERSON
Advance registration is open now through April 8th
online at ElkhornFoundation.org, or in person at the
Foundation of�ice located at 20214 Veterans Drive, Suite
400. Tickets will also be available at the door the night
of the event. Register early and save!
CAN’T ATTEND? YOU CAN DONATE!
The Foundation welcomes monetary donations or
auctionable items at any time. All proceeds from the
Bids 4 Kids fundraiser bene�it classroom grants and
reading and math intervention programs.
For more information, visit ElkhornFoundation.org
APR
09
2015
6pm-9pm
ADVANCED
THRU APRIL 8TH
$20
DOOR PRICE
$25
THE RIDGE
20033 Elkhorn Ridge Dr
Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022
Proceeds bene�it programs at the