Aardvark News

January 2026

A Message From Principal Kluck-Spann

Hello Irving students, families & staff,

Season's Greetings and Happy New Year to our Irving community! I hope you have all enjoyed time away from school and are ready to begin 2nd semester with renewed energy, new goals to accomplish and bountiful hope for all that is to come in 2026. Please take a minute to read the January newsletter and feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. My best to all of you as we take on the semester!

Irving students please remember to check out your 2nd semester schedule on StudentVue and to charge your chromebook in preparation for the new semester. And, Monday, January 5, 2026 is a 'Y' day!

Monday, January 5: 1st day of 3rd Quarter/2nd Semester (it is a 'Y' day)
Wednesday, January 7: Report cards posted in StudentVue/ParentVue
Friday, January 9: Deadline for ordering an Irving yearbook
Monday, January 12-Wednesday, January 14: MAP Growth Winter Assessment-Math
Tuesday, January 13 at 6:00 pm: IPTSO meets in the library
Monday, January 19: NO SCHOOL (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)
Wednesday, January 28: Evacuation Drill at 11:00 am
Thursday, January 29: 8th grade high school registration at Irving with high school counselors

Special Events Calendar: Special Events Calendar 2025-2026

HOMEWORK HUB: AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS!

Homework Hub is a fantastic resource available for all Irving students! Several Irving teachers sponsor Homework Hub and help students complete daily homework assignments, complete missing work, study for upcoming assessments and create a space for students to focus on learning and develop strong study habits.

Homework Hub occurs Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afterschool from 3:10 - 4:00. Any student is welcome and sometimes if/when a student has a missing assignment or needs a space to complete an assignment, teachers will reach out to families to assign Hub to ensure students have every opportunity to successfully complete and turn in assignments.

Several Irving teachers are sponsoring Homework Hub! Cathy Mohlman is our Homework Hub liaison & her email address is cmohlman@lps.org.

Homework Hub Flyer-Homework Hub, M, W, TH, F 3:10-4:00 Cafeteria. Get caught up on homework, partner with Irving teachers for extra help, or just enjoy a quiet place to study. For more information or questions, please contact Cathy Mohlman cmohlman@lps.org

January Intramural Updates...

BOYS BASKETBALL INFORMATION

Lincoln Public Schools does post updates and intramural schedules. This site can be found here.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me at rokamoto@lps.org or individual team coaches. We are really looking forward to a great basketball season. Go Aardvarks!

Irving Intramural Sports is always accepting sports supplies that are in good condition.

High need items at the moment are soccer cleats in size 8 mens (6.5 mens) and larger, soccer balls size 5 (full size), small soccer goals, men's basketballs, track spikes size 8 mens and up.

Additional supplies are always appreciated. Please email Grayson Vaughn (gvaughn@lps.org) or Robyn Okamoto (rokamoto@lps.org) if you have any supplies you would like to donate.

As a reminder, only immediate family is allowed to attend games and any sibling or child in the household who is not participating in the game or meet can be in attendance must have an adult to supervise. Students not playing are not allowed to attend and will be asked to leave. Schools do not have the space nor supervision to allow additional spectators.

NEWS FROM THE COUNSELING CENTER...

Greetings 8th Grade families!

The "Preparing for High School" page has been updated with 9th grade course information.

Students and families can now see what courses will be offered at every high school at the 9th grade level for the 26-27 school year. The links below will take you to each high school's course offerings. This information is also available on the LPS Preparing for High School 2026-2027 website.

Remember that your student will be going over these courses in January with their classes (pre-registration) and then again with high school counselors (registration) on January 29.

If you have any questions, please reach out to me through email (jfiero@lps.org) or call Irving at 402-436-1214. Thank you!

Lincoln High 9th Grade Courses

Lincoln East 9th Grade Courses

Lincoln Northeast 9th Grade Courses

Lincoln North Star 9th Grade Courses

Lincoln Northwest 9th Grade Courses

Lincoln Southeast 9th Grade Courses

Lincoln Southwest 9th Grade Courses

Lincoln Standing Bear 9th Grade Courses

For more information on specific courses, use the LPS Course Guide.

Janis Fiero

8th Grade Counselor

Student Council Meeting dates: January 27, March 17, April 21, May 12 after school in Room 112.

NEWS FROM THE LIBRARY....

Learn about Gale Digital Resources

LPS students have access to a vast collection of digital resources, including reference materials, magazines, and newspaper articles. One of the best tools is the Gale database, where you can find answers to almost any question and dive deep into topics that interest you. Whether you're working on a research project or just curious about the world, Gale is a fantastic resource to explore!

To access Gale, click the icon on the LPS Portal and choose the most relevant Gale Database for your needs.

Digital Citizenship Tips

At LPS, we teach students that privacy policies are in place to protect their personal information when they are at school or use LPS devices. Take a moment to extend their learning on data privacy by discussing the following questions with your student:

What is a privacy policy? (It explains how an application or service will use your personal information, photos, videos, and may include age requirements.)
What private information do some companies collect through apps and online services?
Why is it risky for companies to have your private information, and what could they do with it that might be harmful?

Want ideas for supporting digital citizenship in your home? Follow your school, LPS Library Services, or #lpsdigcit on social media to get weekly tips. Find additional digital citizenship tips on our website: Library Services Digital Citizenship Tips

A sketched circle with the words "The School Nurse" inside. There is also an image of a stethoscope and a heart inside the big circle

NEWS FROM THE DISTRICT OFFICE...

Chromebook use during Winter Break (Secondary Only)

LPS Chromebooks may be used for any type of learning activity during Winter Break. Keep in mind that Chromebook use is governed by a responsible use agreement (lps.org/go/rua) and that all websites are filtered by LPS. Be sure your student follows these best practices:

Charge the Chromebook every night to ensure enough life in the battery to support learning during the day and upon their return to school in January.
Restart the Chromebook occasionally to keep the Chromebook software up-to-date and avoid some of the most common problems experienced by students.
If leaving the house, carry the Chromebook in the LPS-provided protective bag.

First Semester Report Cards

In an effort to get families information about their student's grades sooner, your school will post your child's report card in ParentVUE on Jan 7, 2026.

ParentVUE is used by families across Lincoln Public Schools to quickly access information like grades, attendance, and report cards. If you do not currently have a ParentVUE account and would like one, please contact our school office for assistance.

Personal Computing Devices

This time of year often brings questions about whether students are allowed to bring/use personal computing devices at school. Where connecting to the LPS network and/or completing school work is concerned, the answer is “no.” There are a number of reasons for this, but you should be aware that the LPS Chromebook comes with limits on the web sites that can be visited and the applications that can be accessed. You can support teachers’ efforts in managing a consistent learning environment by encouraging your student to use the district-issued Chromebook for all school work.

Messaging Your Student’s Teachers

Parents/Guardians can easily send messages to their student’s teachers from within ParentVUE. Clicking on the small “envelope” button next to a teacher’s (or other staff member’s) name anywhere within the platform (e.g., Current Schedule, School Information, Grade Book, etc.) will begin a draft message within Messages/Synergy Mail. More information about messaging your student’s teachers can be found on the LPS ParentVUE Quick Guide.

Irving Traffic & Plan for drop off/Pick Up (repeat reminder)

In the coming weeks, there will be a four way stop installed at Lake St and 22nd St. Currently, there is a two way stop with stop signs on 22nd St. Stop signs will now be added to Lake Street as well. This will hopefully reduce speeding on Lake St and it will enhance the safety of everyone using that intersection (people in vehicles and students walking).

In addition, you may have noticed, the morning drop off & after school pick up at Irving is a busy time. In order to keep our students safe and to increase efficiency, we have worked with our district safety and security personnel to develop a traffic plan for before school drop off & after school pick up. This plan was established in 2022-2023, and reviewed regularly as we promote a safe drop off/pick up process. You will notice at the beginning of the year, administrators will be at student cross walks before and after school and there will be an increase in supervision as we know it will take all of us working together to ensure the new traffic plan is a success. Below is a link that describes the plan in detail:

DOWNLOAD THE TRAFFIC PLAN HERE

news from IPTSO...

Mark your calendars!

Please consider joining us on January 13th, 2026 at 6:00 pm for the Irving PTSO Meeting in the library.
January 21st - Dine Out at Taco Inn (48th & Pioneers) - Please mention Irving before payment

News from Rec center...

After School Program

Lincoln Parks and Recreation has been serving Irving Middle School families after school since 1977. Much has changed in the past 39 years, and we believe supervised, safe, fun, and meaningful after school activities are as important as ever for middle school students. Some students visit the rec. center simply because they need a place to go after school; however, our staff is intentional about making the center "more than just a place to go." After school staff does this by focusing on a positive environment, supportive relationships, and constructive programs. During after school hours at Irving Recreation Center, middle school students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of age-appropriate, fun, and enriching activities. Students can stay as busy as they’d like with homework, clubs, and special events, or they can simply choose to socialize with friends. We encourage all students to be engaged and take advantage of the activity choices available at the rec. center.

HOURS

Irving Rec. Center is open exclusively to Irving students upon school dismissal until 5:00 p.m. Students are welcome to stay after 5:00 p.m. when the rec center opens to the public. Closing times vary by season.

AFTER SCHOOL MEMBERSHIP

Students must submit an After School Member Form participate in clubs and be eligible for discounted punch cards and year passes. Need-based scholarships are also available to qualifying members.

FEE INFORMATION

•$4.00 per day

•$50.00 for a 20-day punch card (38% discount)

•$360.00 for a school year pass (50% discount*)

*Year pass discount calculated at 180 days.

PROGRAM INFORMATION

HIGHLIGHTS

•Homework Room

•Special interest clubs, classes and activities

•Game room

•Field trips

•Adult supervision

THE BASICS

•Students must have a pass to enter the rec center after 3:10 p.m.

•A student cannot enter the rec center on another student's punch card.

•Loitering and/or waiting for rides outside the rec center are not allowed.

•Students who drop-in following school intramurals must pay the daily fee at that time.

•Students may remain at the center after 5:00 p.m. The center is open to the public at that time.

•Make sure to sign up to receive our monthly email newsletter!

CLOSED

Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day After Thanksgiving, New Year's Day, M.L. King Jr. Birthday, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, the Last day of School and Election Days (the Rec center is a polling location.

January Newsletter: January Newsletter

Thanks for taking time to stay informed about our Irving Community!

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