Nathan Hale Newsletter: Home

Main Office

(402) 557 - 4200

Administration

(402) 557 - 4202

Attendance

(402) 557 - 4202

Nurse

(402) 557 - 4215

Reading  -- The sixth-grade reading teachers, Ms. Hodge, Mrs. Worthy, Ms. King, and Ms. Harvey, and their students have been busy during first quarter.  They completed their "personal triumphs" unit reading stories such as "Maxx Comedy" and the "The Color of My Words" and learning about the text structures of fiction and learning about plot.  They also read non-fiction biographies such as "The Wright Brothers" and "Wilma Unlimited" to study text structures of non-fiction such as chronological order. During second quarter, they will move on to a novel unit.  Some classes will be reading Holes by Louis Sachar and others will be reading the sequel to Holes called Small Steps. 

Math -- Things are adding up in the 6th-grade math classes at Nathan Hale!  Ms. Rech, Mrs. Conley, and Ms. VonCannon and their math students focused on multiplying, dividing, adding, and subtracting decimals.  They also worked on finding the area and perimeter of various shapes.  During second quarter, they will study fractions.  The students in Ms. Ross' Making Math Counts classes worked on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions and reviewing the order of operations.  During second quarter, they will begin solving one-step equations. 

Science -- Can you name the steps of the water cycle?  The 6th-grade science students at Nathan Hale can.  Science teachers, Mr. Novotny, Mr. Clerc, and Mrs. Swain, and their students spent first quarter studying the water cycle, natural resources, magnetism, rocks and minerals, and the Earth's interior.  They went on a fantastic field trip to Fontenelle Forest.  Things will really start "shakin" and "rockin" during second quarter as they investigate the Earth's forces, plate tectonics, volcanoes, and the rock cycle.  

Social Studies -- Let's start at the very beginning!  Ms. Johnson, Mrs Violett and their students learned about the first humans and first civilizations during first quarter.  For their culminating activity, Ms. Johnson's students made brochures about Ancient Sumer.  During second quarter, the sixth-grade students will study Ancient Egypt.  

Language Arts -- The students in Ms. Moore's and Ms. Johnson's language arts classes wrote friendly letters and descriptive paragraphs about Fall during first quarter. They will never have trouble deciding if they should use their, there, or they're ever again as they studied homophones, too, two, and to!   They will get more of the write stuff during second quarter as they write more stories using graphic organizers. The students in Mrs. Violett's classes wrote two assignments about themselves and a story about a bad picture day.  

Parents/Guardians, 

Time is flying by, hard to believe that school has been in session for more than three months already and first quarter is done.  I hope that you are finding that your family has been able to settle into a routine now that we are back in school.  One of the most important routines is coming to school on time and making sure your child is here every day and getting to their classes on time.

We love movies in my family, don't you?  It drives me crazy when I miss the first part of a movie, and I have to figure out what is going on.  It is almost impossible without interrupting and asking somebody who is who and what did I miss!  DVRs have really changed things, because we can stop and REWIND!  It is too bad that we cannot rewind real life sometimes.

When students miss a day of school, a class period, or when they are tardy, it is just like a movie.  It is impossible to get real time back, so it takes a lot to figure out what they missed.  Therefore, school starts at 7:30 a.m. for students.  Once we hit play, we can't rewind, and the "show" doesn't stop until 3:15 p.m.  Let's try not to miss a minute.

Parents can assist with this task by assuring that their student is doing the following, by attending parent/teacher conferences, and by utilizing the Parent Portal at your child's school to monitor their progress from home.  To be successful, you student shoud be:

 * On time to school daily

* Prepared for class -- pencil, paper, and agenda

* Getting adequate sleep -- 8 - 10 hours nightly

* Doing his/her homework

* Respecting staff and peers

* Participating in at least one extra-curricular activity

* Participating in community service

Sincerely,

Ms. Redinbaugh (Sixth-Grade Counselor)  

(402) 557-4210

Mrs. Janzen (Seventh and Eighth-Grade Counselor)

(402) 557-4211

Nathan Hale Patriots are encouraged to take advantage of tutoring sessions every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights after school from 3:25 p.m. to 5:10 p.m. in the library.  Students must complete a tutoring permission slip to attend, and they must come prepared to work.  

Tutoring is an excellent place to receive extra help on confusing concepts, complete missing assignments, or take make-up tests and quizzes. Another important activity that takes place during tutoring is having students check their grades and current progress on Infinite Campus.  

Greetings Patriot Community!  This is our very first digital newsletter.  We would like to know what your thoughts are about the newsletter and about receiving it in a digital format.  Please email your comments and feedback to Mrs. Tetschner at angela.tetschner@ops.org.  Thank you.

Dear Patriot Community,

We are a few months into the school year, and we want our parents to know that we are committed to the learning environment of our school.  We have a few students who have been a challenge, however, the majority of our students are representing themselves, their families, and our school community in a positive manner.  Our staff is hard at work teaching, assessing, and examining data within teams to ensure student learning is increasing.  Our students are engaged in learning during the school day and busy with their activities, athletics, play practice, and tutoring after school.  Given the busy schedules of our entire Nathan Hale Learning Community, we see our newsletter as one of the important way we maintain communication between school and home.  It contains a variety of academic updates as to what your child is learning and provides you with an overview of learning and additional items about the middle school experience.

We want our families to know that we are committed to developing our students who are creators, collaborators, and critical thinkers.  As part of our commitment to addressing current challenges, we are having an in-service day on Tuesday, November 22.  There will be no school for students on this day, and we will be planning on steps to move forward as a school.  The building leadership, as well as, teachers and staff will dedicate the day to planning additional steps for the school.

We want our parents and guardians to know that we are working hard to continue the success that we have had in the past years.  We ask for your support as we transition from a two-grade school (7-8) to a three-grade school (6-8).  Although we have shown improvement the past couple of weeks, we still have work to complete.

Earlier this month during grade-level assemblies, I took the time to meet with all students.  The main purpose of these meetings was to reinforce the importance of their education, highlight a few specific areas in the handbook, and inform them as to why those policies are in place.  I shared with our students that our core values are to "Be Respectful.  Be Responsible.  Be Safe."  We remind our students to "give more to society than you take."  In other words, work hard to ensure your success at Nathan Hale because you are practicing habits that will help you in your future endeavors.  Parents, I personally thank you for sending your child to Nathan Hale.  Go Patriots!

Sincerely,

Darrin Williams

Principal

Science -- In seventh-grade science, Mr. Schaben and his students are starting a unit on human body systems.  In his Physical Science classes, they are studying matter.  Students in both classes will soon start preparing for the Science Fair.  

Math -- Mr. Stark and his mathletes are currently learning how to divide integers.  They have already covered adding, subtracting, and multiplying integers.  

Language Arts --  Mrs. Foley and Mrs. Bridgeford's students are piloting new language arts textbooks.  They will be reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, followed by the short story "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes.  Students will practice how to do a close reading, with a focus on text-evidence analysis.

Social Studies -- Mr Garcia and the seventh-grade social study students have ventured halfway across the world to see how the people of Southwest Asia are living their lives.  The students have explored many different geographic wonders, new people, and exciting cultures that are much different from their own.

Reading -- During first quarter of Reading Skills and 21st Century Literacy, the students in Ms. Vaiskunas' classes focused on the elements of a story and covered different reading strategies that they will be using throughout the school year.  In second quarter, Reading Skills classes will be working on summaries and different literary genres.  The 21st Century Literacy classes will be working out of the anthology Decisions, Decisions and will be focusing on analyzing characters and their decisions.  

Leadership 7 & 8 -- During first quarter, the students in Ms. Benson's leadership classes have learned the basic leadership skills which are applicable in their lives, and they learned how to use these leadership skills for their benefit.  In second quarter, they will use their leadership skills to help the homeless population in the community.  

Service Learning 6 -- The sixth-grade students in Ms. Benson's classes have been learning how lack of food affects homelessness.

Girl's Physical Education -- In Girl's PE, Ms. Kowal and her athletes have focused on fitness and soccer.  The gym has been full of planks, push ups, scooters, and soccer.  Fitness is fun!  Second quarter will find them playing flag football, badminton, volleyball, and basketball.  

Vocal Music -- Ms. Boesch and Ms. Haas had their general music students and chorus students working on rhythms, note names, and singing during first quarter. Ms. Haas also had her students connecting music to other subject areas and cultures.  Both teachers would like to invite everyone to attend the Winter Concert on December 8, 2016 at 6:00 p.m.  The concert will be in the Nathan Hale auditorium and admission is free.

Instrumental Music -- Mr. Karpf teaches band, orchestra, and percussion.  His students have been dusting off the summer cobwebs and are reving up to put on a great winter concert on December 8th! He encourages everyone to attend.

Computer Applications -- During computer applications students learn to navigate some of the most useful tools a computer has to offer.  Not only is this class used as a keyboarding/typing experience, but students also get to navigate all aspects of Microsoft Office, while honing in on Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.  During those projects, there is a key focus on proper use of a computer, internet safety, and proper research skills that can be used throughout all subject areas.

Tech & Living -- ​Introduction to Careers is a new class for sixth-grade students taught by Mrs. Kildow.  She has her students studying about possible, future careers.  They also will learn about appropriate behaviors on the job, appropriate attire, conflict resolution, problem solving, and how to write a resume. 

Boy's Physical Education -- Do you know what an "invasion sport" is?  If not, you can ask any sixth or seventh-grade student from Mr. William's P.E. class.  They may tell you how they closed space playing ultimate football, opened space playing basketball, or even combined the two in a sport called handball.  In fact, right now, these students are playing a new invasion sport, hockey!  There is more fun in store for second quarter when Mr. Williams has them testing their volleyball skills, hitting the weight room to build strong muscles, and finally seeing just how fit they really are by participating in the Fitnessgram. 

During the first quarter of Mr. Clayburn's eighth-grade physical education class, the students participated in football, handball, cricket, and P.A.C.E.R. testing.  The upcoming second quarter activities that the eighth-grade physical education class will participate in include floor hockey, volleyball, and strength and conditioning.

ACP -- Ms. McNeil and her students have been working on plants and how they grow.  The students planted a flower.  They also worked on the solar system and the three states of matter.  Ms. McNeil's students mailed letters and wrote poems about themselves.  They collected a lot of recyclables during first quarter and encourage all Patriots to keep filling up those recycling bins!  Ms. McNeil's students also have been touring the United States with a map and learning about popular attractions within each state. 

ESL -- In the ESL classes with Ms. Mottl, students are practicing finding the main idea and three details of a story.  They also are working on lots of new vocabulary words, and they are making progress!  Ms. Mottl encourages parents to continue to allow their children to read to them in the evenings.  She is so proud of the progress the ESL students are making.

Social Justice --  Ms. Skradski has her social justice students thinking about the past, connecting to the present, and problem-solving for the future.  Her seventh-grade students are learning about poverty -- what it means to live in poverty, methods and means of escaping poverty, and practical ways to assist those struggling with poverty.  Her eighth-grade students are studying the criminal justice system.  During first quarter, they finished a units on the court system and police actions. 

Do not miss this deadline!

There have recently been some changes in Nebraska Healthcare Marketplace, which require all recipients of NE Medicaid to re-enroll for services by January 31, 2017.  Enrollment is open now.  Those who do not re-enroll will be at risk of losing their current Primary Care Provider, and The Marketplace will choose their provider for them.  Re-enrolling is not like reapplying, as it requires much less paperwork.  You may re-enroll on your own by going to EnrollNebraska.org/Local, or you can contact the following agencies for assistance (recommended):  Charles Drew Health Center, Inc. at (402) 457-1207 or One World Community Health Center at (402) 502-8888.

Recientemente han habido cambios en el Mercado de Cuidado de Salud en Nebraska, que requiere que todos los que reciben Medicaid de Nebraska necesitan volver a inscribirse para los servicios antes de 31 de enero del 2017. La inscripción esta abierta ahorita. Los que no se inscriben otra vez, tomaran el riesgo de perder su Proveedor Primario de Cuidado, y el Mercado escogerá al proveedor por ellos. El inscribirse de nuevo no es lo mismo que volver aplicar, ya que requiere menos documentos. Ustedes pueden inscribirse de nuevo en el sitio de EnrollNebraska.org/Local, o contacte a las siguientes agencias para asistencia (esto es mas recomendado): Charles Drew Health Center, Inc. al, 402-457-1207, o One World Community Health Center al 402-502-8888.

Football -- The word that would describe the Nathan Hale football team this year would be "resilience."  The team finished the season with a 1 - 5 record, but all the individuals who finished the season never gave up.  This was displayed time and time again during the season.  The coaches, Mr. Sweeney, Mr. Matthews, and Mr. Lesley would like to wish the eighth-grade students good luck in their future endeavors once they reach high school.  To the seventh-grade students, the coaches would like to encourage them to keep working hard and get ready to have a great season in 2017.  Go Patriots!

Mrs. Peters is applying for National Board Certification in Early Adolescent Mathematics.  National Board Certification is an opportunity for teachers to analyze and improve their teaching.  This certification is available to teachers with at least two years of experience and can take up to five years to achieve.  Teachers submit three portfolios with examples of student work and videos of their classroom teaching.  They also take a content test.  Board certification allows teachers to hone their practice, showcase their talent in the classroom, and demonstrate their dedication to their students and their profession.

Omaha Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, age, genetic information, citizenship status, or economic status in its programs, activities and employment and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.  The following individual has been designated to address inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Superintendent of Schools, 3215 Cuming Street, Omaha, NE 68131  (402-557-2001).

Las Escuelas Publicas de Omaha no discriminan basados en la raza, color, origen nacional, religion, sexo, estado civil, orientacion sexual, discapacidad, edad, informacion genetica, estado de ciudadania, o estado economico, ensus programas, actividades y empleo, y provee acceso equitativo a los "Boy Scouts" y a otros grupos juveniles designados.  La siguiente persona ha sido designada para atender estas inquietudes referentes a las polizas de no discriminacion:  El Superintendente de las Escuelas, 3215 Cumming Street, Omaha, NE 68131 (402-557-2001).

PTSC Meetings

Please mark your calendars with the dates for the remaining Parent, Teachers, Students, and Community (PTSC) meetings.  The group will meet on Tuesday, January 10, Tuesday, February 14, and Tuesday, April 11 at 6:00 p.m.in the Nathan Hale library.  The group will discuss the status and progress of work at Nathan Hale and how parents and community members can help students and teachers be successful.  In the spring, the group will set up a scholarship-selection committee. Again, PTSC will meet on the following days:  

Tuesday, January 10

Tuesday, February 14

Tuesday, April 11

School Play

Everyone is invited to attend the Fall play on Thursday, November 17th at 6:00 p.m. in the auditorium.  Admission is free.  The play, which is presented by Nathan Hale's Drama Team, is called 21 Guaranteed Ways to Get Detention (Even When Your Principal Doesn't Want To Give You One).  Ms. Workman is the sponsor of Drama Team, and she encourages everyone to come watch the efforts of some hard-working and talented Patriot students.

Science Fair

Nathan Hale's science teachers would like parents to know that all seventh and eighth-grade Nathan Hale students should be preparing a science fair project for the school's annual Science Fair.  The sixth-grade students in Mrs. Swain's classes also are completing a science fair project.  The actual date for the Science Fair's evening showcase has yet to be determined, but it will be held very soon after Winter Break.  The students are currently working on the preliminary steps of the process -- such as identifying their science fair question, and determining the independent, dependent, and controlled variables.  The science teachers would like all students to have their science fair experiments completed by December 2nd, and the results written up and displayed by December 14th.  Parents are encouraged to call their child's science teacher with any questions.  

Language Arts -- Ms. Carlson and Ms. Lee's language arts students have read Edgar Allen Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart, engaged in lively discussions, and defended their inferences while answering questions.  During second quarter, the will be resolving emotional conflict by looking at literature and the theme Can all conflict be resolved?  They also will be practicing their paraphrasing.  

Reading -- What's the big idea?  In Mr. Irvin and Mr. Samson's reading classes it is summarizing main idea in non-fiction text.  

Social Studies -- The students in Mr. Bedore's classes have completed units on the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.  The students have a better understanding of their rights located in the Constitution.  Go West Young Men And Women!  The students will study Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion during second quarter.

Science -- It is all about chemistry in eighth-grade science.  Mr. Elder's students have been learning chemistry.  They have been working to understand what makes up everything in the known universe.  The students have been enjoying this wild and fun concept.  

Math -- Mr. Matthews and Mrs. Patton had their students working with real numbers, expressions, and classroom procedures during first quarter.  They will move on to solving equations and test prep during second quarter.

Thank heavens Mrs. Ridgley can multi-task because the activities in the Gifted and Talented department are happening at fast and furious pace.  

The students in her HSP classes have started to work on their WWII study for Pentathlon.  They are currently reading the novel Number the Stars by Lois Lowry,as well as other Holocaust-related literature.  The eighth-grade HSP students will be attending a leadership, team-building workshop in November.

The Quiz Bowl team had a great time at the first district match, and they are busy preparing for the second competition.

The Poetry Slam on October 27th was a huge success.  There were many wonderfully thoughtful submissions.  Two students were selected to represent Nathan Hale at the district-wide poetry slam at the Pizza Shoppe in Benson.

The Eighth-Grade Scholars attended a etiquette workshop at Benson High School during the last week of October.

The Seventh-Grade Scholars will attend a Gallup strengths workshop at the end of November.

The Student Council is preparing for elections and have worked closely with UNO to start a Coat Drive that will bring in coats for refugees arriving to Nebraska.

There are many opportunities for Nathan Hale students to participate in extra curricular activities.  Several clubs meet after school each week.

Math Club -- Mrs. Peters hosts Math Club.  The club meets on the first and third Wednesday of every month in room 34.  Students play games, do labs, and study for math competitions.

Drama Team -- Drama Team (under the direction of Ms. Workman) has been very busy producing the first play of the school year.  It is called 21 Guaranteed Ways to Get Detention and was written by Ian McWethy.  This comedy takes place at a fictional high school where the principals are only allowed to give out twenty detentions per year.  However, the student body breaks the rules in such ridiculous ways, they might hit the maximum in just one day!  The cast features 20 hilarious actors and two dedicated student-directors.  To see this wacky and unforgettable showcase of bad behavior, come to the Nathan Hale auditorium at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 17th.  Admission is free and open to the community.  

Comic and Game Club -- The Comic and Game Club meets every other Wednesday after school in room 54.  The two teachers who run the club are Ms. Vaiskunas and Mr. Schaben.  At the club, students play board/table top games and draw/read comics.  In the future, they hope to have a Wii night.

Juegos -- Juegos is a Spanish immersion club led by Mrs. Peters.  This club is for all grades and meets once a month, on a Wednesday,  at 3:25 in room 34.  The members of the club play games in Spanish, watch videos, and enjoy treats from different countries.

Kindred Club -- The Kindred Club is a club designed to embrace the different cultures within the school, honor them for being amazing, and help students from all cultures to be comfortable within their surroundings. Ms. Benson is the club's sponsor. 

Science Olympiad -- Students who are science enthusiasts meet every Tuesday and Thursday after school from 3:15 - 5:10 in Mr. Elder's room for Science Olympiad.  Science Olympiad is an opportunity for students to engage in competition-based science.  Students will enjoy inquiry through hands-on science across a variety of topics.  They will represent our school in 23 different science events. 

Student Council -- Nathan Hale's student leaders come together every other Tuesday in room 43 for Student Council meetings and activities.  Mrs. Ridgley is their sponsor.  This group works together to make positive changes in our school and community.  One way they will do this is by working closely with the UNO student council to participate in two service-learning projects this year. 

Latino Leaders -- Ms. Johnson and Ms. Moore are the sponsors of the club called Latino Leaders.  The mission of this group is to bring together students who are passionate about becoming strong leaders in our school and community by learning and sharing knowledge about Latino culture, traditions, and history.  The group meets most Wednesdays in room 18.