Elkhorn South High School

As we venture into the second semester, I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the parents, students and teachers for making first semester incredibly positive. I am continually amazed by the accomplishments of our students. With all the negative news in the media today, it is great to see our young people so involved, so engaged and working so hard to positively represent themselves, our school and our community.

We continue to discuss the most effective ways to challenge our students to fight off our most dangerous enemy…complacency. We believe that ‘good’ is the enemy of ‘great’ and we must continue to push our students in order to see growth and to maximize their potential.

This theme is embraced by our teachers, coaches and activity sponsors and is discussed frequently in conversations. I would ask that you reflect upon your student’s goals, involvement and course selections and have a conversation with them about taking advantage of all opportunities available at Elkhorn South. This conversation is especially important during the process of registering students for next year’s courses. Few high school decisions are more important than course selection, as the learning indelibly shapes students’ futures.

IMPORTANT SCHEDULE CHANGE FOR APRIL 7th

The Nebraska Department of Education has moved away from NeSA assessments to the ACT for all High School Juniors. On Tuesday, April 7th, all Juniors will take five sections of the ACT: English, Math, Reading, Science and Writing. Juniors will be dismissed at approximately 1:00pm. ESHS 9th and 10th Graders will take the pre-ACT on April 7th which includes English, Math, Reading and Science tests. 9th and 10th grade students will be dismissed at approximately 12pm. No lunch will be served on April 7th. Seniors will not in school on Tuesday, April 7th.

Please see schedule below for important spring dates:

• Parent-Teacher Conferences 2/19, 2/20
• No School 2/21
• Spring Break 3/19, 3/20, 3/23
• ACT National Testing Day at EHS 4/4
• State ACT and Pre-ACT at ESHS 4/7
• No School 4/9, 4/10
• Prom 4/18

I send these dates out as far in advance as possible in order to have your assistance in ensuring that all Juniors are present at school these days. Please do your best to plan vacations, trips, and the like during Spring Break. As we get closer to the ACT dates, I will send emails with full details. The administration and counselors work to ensure that loss of instructional time to all students is minimized during these assessments.

I would like to personally invite all ESHS parents to our Parent Teacher Conferences on Wednesday, February 19th and Thursday, February 20th from 5:00-9:00pm. Please note the dismissal time for these two days is 2:20pm and school is not in session on Friday, February 21st. Parent-Teacher conferences are focused on affording stakeholders the opportunity to have conversations regarding the achievement of students.

February may indeed be the busiest month of the year with fine arts, activities and athletics in full swing. We continue to encourage students to take care of themselves by proper hydration, plenty of rest, quality nutritional diet, exercise and appropriate winter wear. I appreciate your continued conversations, as I believe hearing the same message from multiple sources makes a difference.

Speaking of staying healthy, we have seen an increase in the number of students absent on a daily basis due to illness. This often causes several missing assignments, including tests and quizzes. You may notice zeros, DND’s, or failing grades in PowerSchool. Please understand that this is our teachers’ way to encourage students to get caught up as soon as possible when they return. It also serves as a reminder for students and teachers that work is missing. Please encourage your students to meet individually with teachers if they miss school for any reason. This will greatly reduce their stress levels and get their grades back on track. Thank you for your assistance.

Please know that we care about your students and their academic success and strive to maintain a solid working relationship with all parents. I encourage you to call or email your students’ teachers with questions or concerns. I have enjoyed the many conversations with parents this year and I welcome your call or email as well. Amazingly, we are already in February and the second semester always goes more quickly than the first. I am proud to be your students’ principal and I am proud of the students and staff of Elkhorn South.

Mark Kalvoda

mkalvoda@epsne.org

289-0616

Congratulations to the following Elkhorn South Band Students selected to participate in prestigious Honor Bands in the area. The B's are proud of your efforts and your representation of the Elkhorn South Band!

UNO BOCH Honors Festival: McKinley Kalvoda, Mayard Larweh, Grace Maciorowski, and Ellie Zentner

UNL Winter Winds Honor Band: Amanda Courtney and Marvin Larweh

NE Wesleyan Honor Band: Lexi Borkowski, Amanda Courtney, Marvin Larweh, Maynard Larweh, Kaelyn McShannon, Julia Patterson, Yutika Singh, Linda Xu, Ellie Zentner

Upcoming Band Events:

February 4th 2020- Concert with ESHS Bands and EVV and ERMS 8th Grade Bands

February 18th 2020 - Color Guard Spinning Night for all students interested in Fall 2020 Color Guard

February 22 2020 - Elkhorn Band Olympics hosted at ESHS

DECA students participated in the District Competition on January 18th, held at Millard South High School. Students competed against other students in a variety of events, testing their knowledge and skills against those in the metro area. Each student completed a 100 question test and a role play with judges from various industries.

Students placing in the top 3 include; the team of Kate Aksyonov and Skyler Evans, 1st place in Business Law and Ethics, the team of Alaina Lorkovic and Claire Lyons, 3rd place Business Law and Ethics, and Marie Pfannenstiel, 3rd place in Restaurant and Food Service Management. Other participants include Anna Campbell, Veronica Garzon-Puente, Pranay Neelakanta, teams of Will Nixon and Jack Smiley, and Jojo Epps and Mia Lutt.

These students will now have the chance to attend the State DECA competition and compete among 800 students from across the state for a chance to qualify for the International Career Development Conference in Nashville, TN April 29th-May 3rd

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION – EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The Elkhorn Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, veteran status, national or ethnic origin, marital status, age, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, childbirth or related condition, or any other category protected by law in its education programs, administration, policies, employment or other district programs.

It is the intent of the Elkhorn Public Schools to comply with both the letter and spirit of the law in making certain discrimination does not exist in its policies, regulations, operations or employment practices. Grievance procedures have been established for anyone who feels discrimination has been shown by Elkhorn Public Schools. These procedures can be obtained from the Executive Director of Personnel.

Inquiries concerning the application of the Elkhorn Public Schools’ policy of nondiscrimination should be directed to the Executive Director of Personnel, 20650 Glenn Street, Elkhorn, NE 68022, (402)289-2579.