Marrs Falcon Flyer
November 23, 2020
Principal's Greeting
Hello Falcon Families,
Happy Thanksgiving!! Although 2020 has proved to be very challenging, we have much to be thankful for and this is a time to focus on the blessings we all have in our lives. Personally, I am very thankful for this amazing school community that I have the privilege to serve. I am thankful for all of our families, teachers and the support staff, for their dedication and commitment to the education of the children. I am also so thankful for our students who remind us daily why we do the work we do – they are so funny and smart and help us all keep our perspective during these difficult times.
As I have said so many times, please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, comments, or concerns as we work together for your child’s success in both their academic and social growth. We have counselors, deans, a social worker and an administrative team that is here to support and serve you and your children.
Safety and security continue to be our priority and I continue to be so impressed with how amazing our students are about following all of the new “rules and regulations” that have been put in place. Their commitment to helping us stay safe would not be possible without you, as parents, instilling in your children how important following these new “rules” is to everyone’s safety. You are amazing and I am so very thankful for all of you.
We are committed to the following for every student:
*A welcoming, safe and supportive environment where each student is known and valued
*High academic growth for every student
*Social emotional learning and character building
Please remember that except when it is extremely cold, we will be going outside every day for about 10 minutes after lunch for some fresh air. Please remind your children to dress appropriately for the cooler temperatures.
Please read this newsletter to see some of the exciting things we have planned here at Marrs.
Phased Return In-Person After Winter Break (from OPS website)
From our layers of precautions to the pioneering OPS PROTECTS testing program, Omaha Public Schools makes each decision with health and safety at the forefront.
With that in mind, Omaha Public Schools will begin the second semester of this school year with a phased return in-person. Staff will teach from their classroom and students will start the semester as scheduled on Tuesday, Jan. 5 using their district-provided device from home.
Here are the dates for that phased return in-person:
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Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021: All students begin with remote instruction following the normal bell schedule. JP Lord School returns in-person five days a week.
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Monday, Jan. 11, 2021: K-12 ACP, Transition, Elementary BSP, Early Childhood Special Education, Homebased/Homebound, and Hearing Impaired classrooms return in-person five days a week.
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Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021: All students return in-person following the Family 3/2 Model attendance calendar. Gateway to College, OPS/UNO Middle College Program, Parrish, Student Success Program and the Zoo Academy return in person five days a week.
In-person instruction will continue with the Family 3/2 Model in the weeks that follow Jan. 19. At this time, there are no district-wide changes to our instructional model between now and winter break.
OPS PROTECTS! Saliva-Based COVID-19 Testing
Health and safety is our priority in Omaha Public Schools. Recently, we wrote to your family to introduce OPS PROTECTS, a first of its kind partnership with medical professionals to proactively test staff and students who opt-in, and to collect environmental samples from three pilot schools: Marrs Middle, Norris Middle and Bryan High. This is opportunity is optional, and only available for students who attend school in-person.
If families choose to have their child(ren) attending one of these schools participate in testing, your children will be tested using a quick, easy, and accurate saliva-based test. Testing will occur each week – once on AK days and once on LZ days. The University of Nebraska Medical Center lab will test samples rapidly. If a student’s results are positive, families will receive communication from OneWorld Community Health Centers with guidance and resources. Results are shared with the county health department and Omaha Public Schools, but personal information is otherwise kept strictly confidential.
This testing is provided at no cost to your family. Not only does it offer another layer of protection for your family, but the more students who participate, the more effective this pilot program will be for the health and safety of everyone at your student’s school.
Your child’s OPS student number is required for enrollment.
Your child likely knows their student number – it is the number they use for their meal plan at school - or you can get your child’s student number through the following options:
- Your child’s report card, IEP, or other official mailings specifically about your child;
- Parent Portal; or
- Calling your child’s school.
Once you have your child’s student number, click on the link below to access the UNMC medical registration system to enroll your student in the testing program:
NEW: OPS Inclement Weather Plan
Following the successful implementation of our district 1 to 1 Technology Initiative, Omaha Public Schools is able to support student engagement on days where inclement weather or other unexpected events would prevent people from attending on-site. The remote day will consist of shortened live instruction and virtual office hours for students and families. Students will follow their normal A-day or B-day schedule; however, blocks have been shortened to accommodate the modified school day. Teachers will be available during "Office Hours" from 1 - 2 pm.
Secondary Inclement Weather Schedule:
Block 1/2: 8:40 - 9:10 am
Block 3/4: 9:15 - 9:45 am
Block 5/6: 9:50 - 10:20 am
Block 7/8: 10:25 - 10:55 am
Student Office Hours: 1 - 2 pm
Sample 6th Grade Student Schedule:
Block 1/2: ELA
Block 3/4: Music/PE (Music, 9:15 - 9:30 am and PE, 9:30 - 9:45 am)
Block 5/6: Math
Block 7/8: Science (A-day) or Social Studies (B-day)
Office Hours from 1 - 2 pm
Please feel free to contact your student's counselor or grade-level administrator with questions or for clarification.
3rd Quarter Remote Learners' Materials Pick-up/Drop-off
Help your student prepare to rock the 3rd quarter! The remote learners' materials pick-up and drop-off are scheduled for December 7th to December 10th. Parents or students may pick up class materials from 8am to 5pm at the main doors. 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students and parents should return their 2nd quarter ELA novels, books or materials during the pickup. Students may keep any consumable materials (math books, notebooks, etc).
Teachers will also remind students what materials will need to be returned to school. If you have questions about the materials pick-up or what needs to be dropped off, email Ms. Mitchell at Tracy.Mitchell@ops.org
Falcon Virtual Tutoring Begins
After school tutoring returns to Marrs on Tuesday, November 10th. Students can join tutoring sessions virtually on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays from 3:20 pm to 4:20 pm. Marrs teachers will tutor in Reading/Language Arts and Math. Students can participate in homework help and individual support.
Sign-up your student for tutoring by clicking this link http://bit.ly/TutoringRegistrationForm2021 and completing the form. A staff member will reach out to you to sign-up for classes.
Marrs School Improvement Plan (SIP)
Gifted and Talented News
While things may look different this year for our GATE students, they have been busy! Students are reading the 10 Book Blasters books to prepare for a modified building level competition in the Spring.
Our African American History Challenge team is meeting once a week to prepare for their competition. We are super excited to compete in the AAHC this year and have Mrs. McCauley as our coach!
Poetry Slam officially kicked off this month with the theme of Courage. We have some very talented writers participating.
Our 8th grade National Junior Honor Society students will be holding elections for officer positions this month. The NJHS students are finding very creative ways to complete their community service requirement; we are proud of them for helping their neighbors and families.
Check out what's happening in classrooms this week!
Meals2Go lunches available from 8:30 to 9:30.
With that, if students stop and think and work to control their response in a positive manner then the likelihood of a more positive outcome increases. If their response is a more negative one, then the event is more likely to snowball and lead to a worse outcome.
This instruction will not just focus on events at school but focus on events occurring at home as well. We are very excited about this new framework and are looking forward to employing it with our students.
Mrs. McCauley and Mr. Hamilton, Deans of students
Marrs Skill Development – Winter 2020
Boys Basketball and Girls Volleyball skill development for 7th and 8th grade interested students will be starting on November 16th and running through the end of the semester. Students must have a current physical on file with the school nurse and proof of insurance. Information including dates and times will be handed out to students at school in the upcoming days. Only in-person students may attend.
Boys Basketball & Girls Volleyball
7th and 8th Grade
Must have to participate:
1. 7th grade physical, 8th grade athletic physical
2. OPS Athletic Contract
3. Proof of Insurance
Boys Basketball (Monday, Thursday) 3:15 – 4:45
A-K November 16th, 30th, December 7th
L-Z November 19th, December 3rd, 10th
Girls Volleyball (Tuesday, Friday) 3:15 – 4:45
A-K November 17th, December 1st, 8th
L-Z November 20th, December 4th, 11TH
Skill Development
During 100% virtual learning, no in-person athletics or activities
During less than 100% in-person learning:
o Practices and skill development are permitted.
o Participation is strictly voluntary.
o All students must obtain a pre-participation physical.
o All students must complete required OPS forms.
o Only students who are present for in-person learning are permitted to attend daily practices and activities. (Student Family Group A-K may attend Monday/Tuesday and Student Family Group L-Z may attend Thursday/Friday).
Pre-workout Screening:
o Coaches and sponsors will educate students regarding screening protocol and conditions required for daily participation.
o Signs detailing the screening questions will be printed and hung in high traffic areas.
o Students should take their temperature each day before attending school/practice/contest.
For more information, contact Mr. Wisdom (joel.wisdom@ops.org).
As we are reaching the end of the first semester and looking forward to a fresh new beginning in second semester, we need to be thinking about how to best support our kids. Teachers and staff have been working hard to come up with creative ways to support their students, both in school and online. We want to help you continue to do the same from home. Here are some ideas on how to support your online learners as well as an article about the benefits of parental involvement in the educational process.
· Make sure there is a set time for kids to go to bed and get up (ideally the students will get 8 hours of sleep each night)
· Breakfast is important to support their brains and help with concentration
· If possible, try to have a quiet, set place for school at home
· Minimize distractions in the house (it’s so easy to lose concentration!)
· Come to school to pick up required materials for each quarter
· Take time to ask your kids how they are doing, what they are struggling with and make some time for activities that are not technology based.
· Take time for YOU! Do some positive self-care for yourself every day!
Contacting your Counselor
No matter if you are learning in-person or remote, counselors are here to help students and families. If you want to talk to your counselor, please reach out. There are several easy ways to contact the counselors; you can call, email, or fill out the electronic request (link below).
5th grade Jeff Ruzicka 531-299-8782 jeffrey.ruzicka@ops.org electronic request
6th grade Cean Ingram 531-299-8827 elizabeth.ingram@ops.org electronic request
7th grade Tara Vaughn 531-299-7480 tara.vaughn@ops.org electronic request
8th grade Anjel Fields 531-299-8742 anjelica.fields@ops.org electronic request
Social Worker Meredith Wipf 531-299-8862 meredith.wipf@ops.org electronic request
About us
Email: marrs.principal@ops.org
Website: marrs.ops.org
Location: 5619 South 19th Street, Omaha, NE, USA
Phone: (531) 299-2420
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RM-Marrs-Magnet-Middle-School-244556262362440/
Twitter: @OPS_RMMarrs