ESHS Students to Perform “The Addams Family”

They’re creepy and they’re kooky………These are not your typical next door neighbors. “The Addams Family” is a hilariously dark musical loosely based on the original TV series. Come and see talented ESHS students sing and dance this fun and zany show you won’t want to miss, April 6th-9th. April 6th-7th show times are 7:00 pm. April 8th show times are 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm. April 9th show time is 3:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at https://www.showtix4u.com/ for $10, or at the door for $12.

addams-logo_rgb_sm-1

ESHS Student Chosen to Attend United States Senate Youth Program

Elkhorn South High School (ESHS) student Jacob McNeil was recently announced as one of two Nebraska high school students chosen as a delegate for the 55th annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP), held in early March in Washington, D.C.   “I love debate, and last summer I worked on a political campaign so this is a perfect opportunity for me to see government and politicians up close and personal in action.  I’m very excited,” said McNeill.

 

McNeil, a senior at ESHS planning to major in English in preparation for a law degree, is heavily involved in both his school and community.  His school involvement includes serving as senior class vice president, student council secretary, and captain of the ESHS debate team.  McNeil also takes pride in community involvement by being a member of both the mayor’s Youth Advisory Council and Senator Deb Fischer’s Omaha Youth Advisory Council.

 

The USSYP, an extremely competitive, merit-based program, annually brings 104 outstanding high school students to Washington, D.C. for a week-long study of the federal government.  The program is designed to increase young Americans’ understanding of the interrelationships of the three branches of government and emphasize the vital importance of democratic decision-making. While in Washington, students attend meetings with senators, members of the House of Representatives, Congressional staff, the President, and a justice of the Supreme Court; they also tour several national monuments during their stay. As part of the program’s funding, The Hearst Foundation also provides all participants with a $10,000 undergraduate scholarship, which McNeil will use toward tuition at Yale University in the fall.

District and Building Websites Updates

District and Building Websites Updates

The new District and Building websites are now live so please take a moment to check them out! Below are a few items to make note of:

  • All websites are now mobile friendly and automatically adjust to whatever device you’re using.
  • All information will be accessible through an improved navigation structure and all content will remain searchable.
  • Quick links on the front page will provide more efficient access to information commonly accessed.
  • The staff and student login links have moved from the top right corner to the top left corner of the district website.
  • The Technology website has been eliminated and all of its content has been merged into the Teacher Resources website.
  • The content from the High School Activity websites can now be found under the “Activities” menus on the High School websites.

If you would like to be able to access any of the Elkhorn Public Schools websites directly from the home screen on your mobile device, please follow the listed steps:

Apple

  • Open the web browswer and go to http://www.elkhornweb.org
  • On the bottom of the screen, click “Share Now” (square with arrow) and click “Add to Home Screen”
  • Click “Add”
  • The website will now be featured as an “App” link on your home screen

Android

  • Open the web browser and go to http://www.elkhornweb.org
  • In the top right hand corner, click “More Options” (three vertical dots) and click “Add to Home Screen”
  • Click “Add”
  • The website will now be featured as an “App” link on your home screen

The above directions can be followed for any of the EPS websites, including the main district website and all building sites.

EPS Tech Savvy Parent Tip: January 2017

GOOGLE SITES
Google has made a recent change to Google Drive.  In the past, the district did not allow the option for students to create websites via Google due to privacy concerns and the fact that these websites could have been accessed by anyone on the Internet. With the recent change, we now have the ability to allow students to create websites as a part of class projects, with the assurance that these sites will only be shared within the district.  Students will now be able to create websites just like any other Google Drive resource (Docs, Sheets, Slides).  We see this change to Google Sites as a great, new educational resource for EPS students and staff.  Google Sites will be available to students after 2/1/2017.

7th Annual AP District Honor Roll

7th Annual AP District Honor Roll

For the Fifth Consecutive Year the Elkhorn Public Schools District was Placed on the College Board’s 7th Annual AP® District Honor Roll for Significant Gains in Student Access and Success

433 School Districts Across the U.S. and Canada Are Honored

The Elkhorn Public Schools District is one of 433 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the 7th Annual AP® District Honor Roll. To be included on the 7th Annual Honor Roll, the Elkhorn Public Schools District had to, since 2014, increase the number of students participating in AP while also increasing or maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher. Reaching these goals shows that this district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for AP.

According to Superintendent Steve Baker, “Receiving this recognition, now for the fifth consecutive year is reflective of the culture our staff has worked to create. One of our goals is to constantly raise the academic bar for all students, and our students have consistently demonstrated that they are up to the challenge.” Baker added, “Participation in AP courses and exams increases student success in college and allows students the opportunity to save in college expenses.”

The Elkhorn Public Schools District has a K-12 enrollment of 8,400 students with two high schools. Since 2010 AP enrollment has more than tripled and the number of AP exams taken at both high schools has quadrupled. These results are credited to the increase in course offerings and the culture of rigor at Elkhorn Public School District High Schools.
National data from 2016 show that among black/African American, Hispanic, and Native American students with a high degree of readiness for AP, only about half are participating. The first step to getting more of these students to participate is to give them access. Courses must be made available, gatekeeping must stop, and doors must be equitably opened. The Elkhorn Public Schools District is committed to expanding the availability of AP courses among prepared and motivated students of all backgrounds.

“Congratulations to all the teachers and administrators in this district who have worked so tirelessly to both expand access to AP and also to help students succeed on the AP Exams,” said Trevor Packer, the College Board’s head of AP and Instruction. “These teachers and administrators are delivering real opportunity in their schools and classrooms, and students are rising to the challenge.” Helping more students learn at a higher level and earn higher AP scores is an objective of all members of the AP community, from AP teachers to district and school administrators to college professors. Many districts are experimenting with initiatives and strategies to see how they can expand access and improve student performance at the same time.

In 2016, more than 4,000 colleges and universities around the world received AP scores for college credit, advanced placement, or both, and/or consideration in the admission process.

Inclusion on the 7th Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on a review of three years of AP data, from 2014 to 2016, looking across 37 AP Exams, including world language and culture. The following criteria were used.

Districts must:

  • Increase participation/access to AP by at least 4% in large districts, at least 6 % in medium districts, and at least 11% in small districts;
  • Increase or maintain the percentage of exams taken by black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native students; and
  • Improve or maintain performance levels when comparing the 2016 percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher to the 2014 percentage, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70% of its AP students earn a 3 or higher.

When these outcomes have been achieved among an AP student population in which 30% or more are underrepresented minority students (black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native) and/or 30% or more are low-income students (students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch), a symbol has been affixed to the district name to highlight this work.

7th-annual-ap-district-honor-roll-min

Superintendent Baker Retiring, Dr. Habrock Named Incoming Superintendent

After 8 years as Superintendent of Elkhorn Public Schools and 42 years with the District, Superintendent Steve Baker will be retiring at the end of June, 2017.  Transitioning into the position will be current Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Bary Habrock. Dr. Habrock, who will begin his 18th year with the District with the 2017-2018 school year, is looking forward to working closely with all those who make the District so special.  “Thank you for the trust and opportunity to serve the students, families, educators, and staff that collectively make up the Elkhorn Public Schools District. I am honored to serve,” said Dr. Habrock.

While Mr. Baker is looking forward to retirement, he will miss his work with those in the District, especially the students.  “Working with the students, staff and community has been a blessing. I’ve especially enjoyed the opportunity to observe our students’ accomplishments in and out of the classroom,” said Mr. Baker. “I’ll greatly miss being part of the day-to-day goings on, but I leave knowing that the pathway has been paved and that continued success lies ahead for Elkhorn Public Schools,” he said.