In alignment with newly adopted Strategic Plans goals, and a focus on the mental health and overall well-being of students and staff, EPS will host Dr. Jean Twenge, Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, as she presents “Parenting and Guiding the Smartphone Generation”. In addition to Dr. Twenge’s presentation, a Q&A session will follow featuring Creighton Volleyball Coach, Kirsten Bernthal Booth, EPS high school counselor, Martha Dowd, and EPS students. Parents are encouraged to attend this event being held on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at 6:30 PM at Elkhorn South High School. The presentation will be free and open to the public.
Parenting and Guiding the Smartphone Generation
Today’s teens and young adults are Gen Z, the first generation to spend their adolescence with smartphones. Gen Z is growing up more slowly as adolescents, spending more time online, and spending less time hanging out with their friends in person. They also sleep less. Perhaps as a result, they are more likely to experience unhappiness, anxiety, and depression. You’ll walk away with ideas for how to help your family find a better balance with technology and be healthier and happier.
Dr. Jean M. Twenge
Jean M. Twenge, Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, is the author of more than 180 scientific publications and seven books, including Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future and iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy–and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood. She holds a BA and MA from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
Kirsten Bernthal Booth
3x National Coach of the Year, Kirsten Bernthal Booth will enter her 22nd year as the Creighton Volleyball Coach in the fall. In addition to her accomplishments in coaching, Booth is the mother to three teenage daughters in an ever-evolving, technologically advanced society. Drawing from her experiences in both parenting and coaching, Booth offers insight into the joys, struggles, and mistakes of parenting the smartphone generation.
In a direct display of their support for education, Elkhorn voters approved a $122.9 million bond measure on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, with 63% of voters in favor of the measure.
One of the greatest strengths of the Elkhorn Public Schools (EPS) is the partnership the district shares with our community, and the passing of the proposed bond is another indicator of that strength. This bond issue marks the 12th time since 1992 that voters have partnered with the school district to make the educational needs of students a top priority. The quality of our school district was built and still depends on broad community support, and EPS continues to be grateful! This is the outcome needed in response to growth and to make our schools safer; now, it is the District’s job to continue being responsible stewards of the taxpayer dollars that our community has invested as we continue the important work of educating lifelong learners.
All EPS buildings will observe a Thanksgiving and Winter Break schedule to include the following no-school days:
The 2023-2024 calendar which includes all important EPS dates can be viewed here.
In an effort to assist parents in understanding the impact of social media use on student mental health, Elkhorn Public Schools is offering two opportunities for parent engagement and education.
On Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at 6:30 PM at Elkhorn South High School, EPS will host an educational panel for parents on the “Effects of Social Media on Student Mental Health”. The panel will include insight from the perspective of mental health experts, parents, and District administrators as offered by the following individuals:
As part of the evening, panelists will offer insight into their experiences and provide resources for parents in the area of social media use, specifically regarding its impact on student mental health.
Additionally, on Wednesday, November 15 at 6:30 PM at Elkhorn High School, EPS will partner with Project Harmony as they present “Online Safety for Parents, Guardians, and the Community.” Additional information about this training can be found at https://projectharmony.com/training/course-catalog/2885858/
Both opportunities are free and open to the public. Questions can be directed to info@epsne.org.
Parent/Teacher Conferences for all EPS buildings will be held on Tuesday, September 26 and Wednesday, September 27. Time frames by grade level are listed below. For building-specific information, please refer to your building principal’s most recent newsletter.
Grades K-5: 3:00 -6:30 PM
Grades 6-8: 4:00 – 7:30 PM
Grades 9-12: 4:30 – 8:00 PM
Additionally, there will be no school for EPS students on Thursday, September 28 and Friday, September 29, 2023.
Recently released rankings of schools by the US News and World Report show an EPS school topping the list at all levels and nearly all EPS schools with available data in the Top 12 for Nebraska schools at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Research conducted by US News and World Report includes data on over 100,000 schools country-wide and focuses on information garnered from assessment data and other data as gathered from the Nebraska Department of Education.
To view the full ranking lists, please visit: https://www.usnews.com/education/k12