Vol. 4, Issue 30 - March 15, 2024
March
21st Kindergarten Music Program
22nd Spirit Day
25-29th NO SCHOOL - Spring Break
April
2nd Autism Awareness Day -
Wear Blue!
3rd National Paraprofessional Day
9th PTO Meeting @ 6:30 PM
10th K/1 Mission Imagination
15th-19th Teacher Appreciation Week
19th Spirit Day
24th Secretary Appreciation
25th 2nd Grade Music Program
26th NO SCHOOL
Dear Falling Waters Families,
We enjoyed seeing everyone at the Pancake Man last night and the book fair! The book fair will continue all through next week as well. Families can shop online or create an eWallet for their student(s) here: scholastic.com/bf/fallingwaterselementary2.
Yearbooks are now available for purchase. Please be sure to read on below for more information. We have also updated our Printable Flyers as well as our social media with information regarding upcoming summer opportunities for camps. Families can sign up for many of camps via the LinqConnect.com.
Lastly, our future building principal, Mrs. Vobejda (pronounced 'vo' 'beta'), stopped by our building this past Thursday. We spent some time visiting with students and, if possible, Mrs. Vobejda is hoping to join us for a school event before the end of the year.
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
-Dr. H
Sunshine Cart
We created a sunshine cart at the beginning of this year to bring to classroom teachers with snacks. Our cart is running low on snacks and treats. If you would like to donate a to the cart, here is our sign-up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090A44ACAD22AAFF2-44344432-teacher
We also welcome any snacks not listed! Our staff members love all kinds of treats.
The Gretna Public Schools Foundation is pleased to announce the 2nd Annual Educational Excellence Awards presented by MCL Construction.
Click here to make a nomination!
We are opening nominations today to all Gretna Public Schools Families. This year, we will be giving out the following awards:
Administrator of the Year
Educator of the Year (K-5)
Educator of the Year (6-8)
Educator of the Year (9-12)
Rookie Teacher of the Year (GPS Teacher for less than 3 years)
Pre-K Educator of the Year
Para/SPED of the Year
Counselor of the Year
Custodian of the Year
Driver of the Year
Grounds/Maintenance Staff of the Year
Nurse of the Year
Nutrition/FANS Staff of the Year
Secretary of the Year
Each winner will receive both a physical award and a monetary award to be given by the end of the school year. The Administrator of the Year will receive a grant to be used towards any needs they see fit in their school building. All other staff will be given a personal check from the Gretna Public Schools Foundation.
The nomination period will close on Sunday, March 31st, 2024 and then go to the selection committee. Nomination forms may be shared excluding any names of students or families unless otherwise noted in the nomination statements provided.
Any questions on the award or nomination process, please contact Holly Radke, Executive Director of the Gretna Public Schools Foundation 402.332.3265.
Thank you to MCL Construction for sponsoring the 2024 Education Excellence Awards!
Teachers for Next Year
Dear Falling Waters Elementary Parents and Guardians,
Meetings for placement in classes next year will soon begin. As parents and educators, we desire the same thing for our children - the best possible education. We are committed to every child’s success. It is essential that equitable, compatible, balanced classes be assembled that will optimize each child’s learning potential. You can be sure that, throughout the placement process, our concern will be to assign your child a room in which he or she will flourish, both academically and socially. At each grade level, the classroom teachers and our professional staff will meet to provide input for placement for the coming year. As you may know, each of our classes is comprised of a balanced group of children. There are many factors that are taken into consideration when placing a student in a class.
The factors include:
• Male to Female ratio
• Special Education and regular education ratio
• Learning style of the students
• Teaching style of the teachers
• Classroom dynamics and discipline balance
The professional staff has the responsibility of determining the best placement for each child. If you feel your child has an extenuating need that is not known to the school, please submit your concerns in writing to me by April 1st, so that I may share it with the team. Please do not make requests for individual teachers, but rather give us necessary information that will enable us to select the best group placement for your child. We appreciate your input and will give it serious consideration. By following this procedure, our teachers will be able to contact students in August to inform them of their room placement. As we work together, we are confident that we can provide the best possible instructional program for every student. All of these placement considerations will be shared with future principal, Mrs. Vobejda, to ensure a smooth transition.
Thank you for your continued partnership & support.
Dr. H
March 7, 2024
Parents and Guardians:
The mission of the Gretna Public Schools Counseling Program is to unconditionally support all students while fostering skills to promote their well-being as responsible contributing citizens. To help make sure our students are safe and supported, school counselors teach students throughout the school year using evidence-based materials, which includes Second Step curriculum. In one of the units taught in the fourth quarter, students will learn three types of safety skills:
Personal Safety. Students will learn important safety rules, such as safety with weapons, sharp tools, and fire, and when riding on wheels or in cars. They will also learn ways to help them decide if something is safe or not.
Touching Safety. Students will learn about safe, unsafe, and unwanted touches. They’ll also learn to say no to unsafe or unwanted touches, and to tell an adult if someone breaks the rules.
Assertiveness. These lessons will also give students a chance to practice asking an adult for help, telling an adult about an unsafe situation, and being assertive to get out of unsafe situations.
If you have any questions about this unit or Second Step please contact Counselor, Sarah Hall at 402-332-3938, to schedule an appointment.
Kind Regards,
Dr. Hellbusch & Mrs. Hall
Contact the PTO anytime at fallingwaterspto@gmail.com.
Our Falling Waters PTO has some exciting plans! Follow the PTO on Facebook @FallingWatersElementaryPTO for the latest events.
The Falling Waters Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization is preparing for the 2024-2025 school year and will host PTO board elections in April. You may be wondering, what are the responsibilities of a PTO?
· Coordinate activities to enrich your child’s education
· Foster a fun learning environment
· Bring our learning community together
· Raise funds to benefit our school
· Show appreciation to staff
Consider joining us a running for a board position at our next meeting April.
10:50 AM 2nd Grade
11:00 AM 4th Grade
11:30 AM 1st Grade
11:40 AM 3rd Grade
12:10 PM Kindergarten
12:20 PM 5th Grade
Parents are able to access their child's lunch account online. Visit our Food & Nutrition Services website here. Accounts and payment information can be found here.
If you should have any questions regarding your child’s lunch account, please feel free to contact our lunch paraprofessional, Mrs. Kelly Leahy at 402-332-3938 or kleahy@gpsne.org.
Students are welcome to celebrate their birthdays at school! Please be sure treats are store bought. Check with your child's teacher if they are a nut-free classroom.
To help your child's birthday celebration run smoothly, please send the treats with your child to school in the morning.
Guests are welcome to join us at lunch. There will be special "Guest" tables set up in the lunchroom for you and your child to eat. Your child will not be allowed to invite another student to eat with them at the guest table.
We do ask that you limit lunch visits to birthdays only until after Labor Day to allow for us to teach expectations and help students learn the routines and procedures. Thank you for your help and understanding.
Meal Benefit Applications are available by clicking here.
Be sure to check out our Printable Flyers website.
Find new information programs and extra curricular opportunities!
Kindergarten - 5th Grade
8:30 AM-3:30 PM
Monday-Friday
Preschool
Morning: 8:00 AM-11:15 AM
Afternoon: 11:55 AM-3:10 PM
Monday-Thursday
The Mission of Gretna Public Schools is to accept all unconditionally and maximize their potential.