Mickle Families,

We look forward to seeing families at parent/teacher conferences on February 7 and 9.  In person conferences will be held at school from 4:30-6:30 on Tuesday, February 7.  On Thursday, February 9, in person conferences will take place from 3:30-6:30.  One hour will be reserved on  each day for remote or phone conferences.  These will take place from 3:30-4:30 on Tuesday, and from 5:30-6:30 on Thursday.  If you would like to schedule a remote conference, please let you student's teacher(s) or counselor know. 

As we move closer to the fourth quarter of the school year, I'm excited to share that Mickle will be undergoing renovations in many of our lab style classrooms (FCS, Art, and STS areas) as well as our cafeteria and front entrance.  The end result of these renovations will offer updated features in classrooms and increased space for students in the cafeteria.  As with any construction project, there will be changes and inconveniences we will work through.  As a school, we will communicate with families throughout the process to keep you informed on any temporary changes to our procedures and to share the improvement as they take place.

Jason Shanahan

Principal

Social Media

While social media can be a great tool for connecting with friends and staying informed, it can also be a source of cyberbullying and misinformation. The LPS Key Concepts in Digital Citizenship emphasize students’ ability to “Know appropriate responses to social interactions online that could be considered hurtful to others“ and to “Know appropriate responses to social interactions online that could be considered inappropriate and risky.” 

Here are some resources for parents/guardians looking to talk with their children about navigating the digital world safely and responsibly:

• The American Academy Of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends families have thoughtful conversations around the purposes for using digital media and offers an online tool for creating a “personalized family media use plan.” https://lps.org/go/y8ov

• Common Sense Media provides resources and information to help parents navigate the digital world with their children. Check out their resources about social media here: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/social-media

By having these conversations and providing resources to our children, we can empower them to make healthy choices and have a positive experience with social media and technology.

Safe Searching Tools

The LPS Key Concepts in Digital Citizenship emphasize students’ ability to “Apply strategies for effective and efficient searches for information” and “Evaluate and select appropriate sources to answer questions.” LPS Educators work hard to help students understand not every search should be a “Google” search. Students have access to high-quality digital content, from school and home, linked from our library web page. These resources include: eBooks, encyclopedias (in multiple languages), databases of periodicals and reference resources, streaming media, and more!

Student calendar changes for February

In November, the Lincoln Board of Education voted to revise the student calendar to provide staff with two more plan days this school year. There will be no classes for students on Feb. 21, 2023. You can find the updated student calendar on our website here: https://home.lps.org/calendars.

What does this mean for your student:

• Students will not attend classes on Feb. 21. This is a staff work day.

• High School activities/athletic events and practices will continue as scheduled.

• Elementary and middle school activities and athletic practices and events will be canceled on these days.

• School offices will be closed.

• Please check with your Community Learning Center or afterschool care provider at your school about child care opportunities on this day.

• Offices as the Steve Joel District Leadership Center (district office) will be open.

• Reminders and more information will be sent from your child’s school. 

Thank you for allowing our staff the ability to recoup valuable plan time that is missed while they are covering classes. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Athletics and Activities

Winter attendance reminders for elementary and middle school students

We continue to encourage LPS elementary and middle school students and families to support our high school student-participants in basketball, wrestling, bowling, swimming and diving, cheer, dance and band. As we work to keep our student-participants, coaches and spectators safe at our contests, we are advising the following:

• LPS elementary and middle school students are encouraged to attend LPS high school athletic/activity events with family members and/or a responsible adult.

• LPS elementary and middle school students are expected to follow the directions of event staff and the public address announcer. Any students unable to follow directions may be asked to leave. Any student who is required to leave who did not attend with a family member or responsible adult will need to have a way to contact someone to pick them up. 

• School rules apply at all LPS athletic/activity events. Violations to the Rights and Responsibilities of Students may result in disciplinary action for students.

• LPS elementary and middle school students are expected to be seated in designated areas during events.

• LPS elementary and middle school students are not allowed to loiter in concourses, concessions and/or restroom areas. No outside food is allowed to be brought into LPS high school athletic/activity venues; however, a wide range of delicious concessions are available at most events. Food and drink must be consumed in the seating area of the venues.

• LPS elementary and middle school students are expected to be picked up by family members and/or a responsible adult immediately following the conclusion of an event, or if students are asked to leave early.

• LPS elementary and middle school students often want to express their loyalty to their future high schools. Please contact your future high schools if you would like to purchase team gear.

Social Media reminders and tips for families

Digital Citizenship is something we teach at Lincoln Public Schools. Families, we encourage you to also have a conversation with your child about responsible digital citizenship to help reinforce these lessons. 

We would also like to remind you that most social media user agreements (Like Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) do not allow anyone under the age of 13 to use social media. This means elementary and most middle school students should NOT have access or be using social media according to these apps and their terms of service.

Some key reminders for your child that reinforce what we teach:

• We should think before we post: Are we being safe, respectful and responsible citizens? You're part of the community, don't stir up trouble, be a force for good. In other words, think critically, behave safely and participate responsibly.

• Even though we think we might be posting something privately, everything online can be shared and is public. Screenshots of “private” social media posts are shared often.

• As you post, are you thinking about your future self? A social media post is searchable and permanent. College admissions officers and future employers can see what has been posted in the past.

• Don't share private information, including passwords, your home address, where you go to school, date of birth, your location, or revealing photos.

• If you see something on social media that concerns you, tell a trusted adult immediately. That might be a parent, family member, counselor, teacher or administrator.

For more and tips about social media use, you can visit these resources:

• Common Sense Media

• SCIP Nebraska

• SCIP Talk: Unplugged (Finding Balance with our Social Media and Connections in our Life)

Stay up-to-date with the most current happenings in our district by clicking HERE.

Click here for the list of first semester honor roll students.

Access Amazing Library Resources from Home!

Did you know many of our fabulous library resources can be accessed from home? If your student is looking for educational games to play or fun activities to do online, we encourage them to check out the library resources at home! The library provides access to fun educational sites for students for free. To do this, go to your school library website and click on “Home Access” to get the login information. Many of the library’s resources can also be accessed by logging into the portal from home. Go to portal.lps.org and type in your student’s LPS ID number and password to see what is available for your student to access from home!

For more information, visit the library web page found on our school’s website.

Meredith Fickes

School Librarian

Mickle Middle School

402-458-3100 Ext. 95447

Stay current on upcoming school events by checking the February school calendar here.