Lakeview students learn language skills through farm experience
The joyful expressions that Sajad, Aliaa and Angel exhibited when they met turtles, rabbits and horses could be understood in any language.
The three Lakeview Elementary School students were among 58 children who gained a world-sized amount of confidence at Whispering Acres Tails and Treasures. The English Learners students soaked in knowledge about life in Nebraska and gained language skills that they will use in their classrooms.
Sajad, a fifth grader, showed how the language of childlike happiness is universal when he and his friends visited a small pond of painted turtles. They cheered each time that Squirtle the Turtle ate bits of food that they tossed into the water. They later petted horses, held an emu egg and reviewed a range of reptiles on the farm.
“It’s really cool,” Sajad said. “It’s really fun to come here and see the ponies and the horses. I really loved the bearded dragon because he let me hold him on my shoulder.”
Aliaa, a fourth grader, beamed when Whispering Acres Barn Manager Kambrie Singleton placed a small rabbit on a blanket in her lap. She looked up in delight as the bunny let her gently pat it for more than a minute.
“They’re really fluffy and they shed a lot, so I got some hair all over me, but that was okay,” Aliaa said.
Angel did not know any English when he started school. Now, as a first grader, he is able to speak English well and has been learning
new words every day. What did he like seeing at Whispering Acres?
“Bunnies and dogs,” Angel said. “Because those are my favorite.”
Jessica Anders has taught EL classes for the past eight years and is in her second year working with Lakeview students. The 18year Lincoln Public Schools veteran said she was inspired to see the many smiles on display.
Some group members have been in LPS classrooms for several years, but one of her kindergarten students arrived at Lakeview the week before the trip. Anders said it was heartwarming to watch how the visit was helping him.
“He’s been really nervous and kind of scared, but I’ve seen him here come out of his shell,” Anders said.
“He wants to touch the animals, he’s asking questions. He’s just gaining so much vocabulary and having an amazing experience.”
Lakeview EL teachers chose to come to Whispering Acres after the school received the Jan Simonson Memorial English Language Learner Opportunity Award. The award, which is designed to help students experience American culture, covered the cost of two buses from Lincoln to the site’s location in between Beatrice and Fairbury.
Jill Kuzelka, the founder and president of Whispering Acres, applied for a second grant that covered the cost of admission for all 58 students.
Anders said the school district’s new curriculum, CKLA, covers the subjects of farming and agriculture in every grade level.
She and other teachers felt their students would benefit from having close-up experiences with animals. Not only would they be able to practice speaking new English words, but they would also get to see many types of mammals, lizards and birds for the first time.
“We thought this would be a great opportunity for them to get that vocabulary and that background knowledge, so it’s been really great,” Anders said. “The kids are getting a little time with each group of animals, and they’re getting to pet them and learn new things and ask questions.”
Students came to Whispering Acres with a wide range of English proficiency levels. Many older children like Sajad are currently in Level 3 of the EL program, while others in Level 1 have recently started speaking the language.
“Some of the kids in my group, I started with them in kindergarten, and they came to us with zero English, so today has been really fun just hearing them speak in English and how much they’ve grown,” Anders said. “Even if they don’t know the right word, they’re trying to ask about the animals.”
Kuzelka and other Whispering Acres team members guided students in five groups throughout the late morning and early afternoon. The list of species includes horses, ponies, Patagonian cavies, peacocks, guinea pigs, emus, painted turtles, chickens, tree frogs, zebus, sheep, rabbits, Schneider’s skinks and fish. A hermit crab, bearded dragon, red kangaroo, Kunekune pig and sulcata tortoise also live on the farm.
“It was fun,” Sajad said. “It was really cool to see animals that I didn’t see in the wild.”
Anders said it was meaningful for her to watch her students have fun at the farm. The trip proved that there are no language barriers when it comes to the joy of watching and caring for animals.
“Now you’re going to make me cry,” Anders said. “This is just amazing. It’s so awesome to see everything they’ve learned and their growth and excitement. It’s so cool.”
To learn more about our English Learners (EL) program, visit our website at home.lps. org/federal/ ell-english-language-learner-program/.
WHAT’S INSIDE:
SECTION A:
A3 TeamMates: Michael and Nick: Growing Into the Future
A5 Sustainability at LPS: Scrap Metal Drive
A6 Wellness: 8 Little Secrets to Raising a Thankful Kid
A9 ConnectLPS
A9 Looking for a Book?
A10 Digital citizenship lessons help LPS students safely navigate online
A11 Menus
A12 Northwest students solve mysteries through forensic science class
It was really cool to see animals that I didn't see in the wild.
- Sajad, Student
Lincoln TeamMates Michael and Nick: Growing Into the Future
Nick has noticed the change in their relationship too.
“It’s grown,” he says, spreading his hands wide. “Michael’s interests have expanded, and looking to the future is becoming more prominent. He’s thinking about what comes next.”
Maybe that is why Michael chose the word “motivating” as one of the ways he would describe Nick.
He’s already got the mentoring spirit going.”
Nick Hernandez remembers his sixth grade mentee Michael as friendly and social when they first met, something Nick wasn’t at that age.
Nick volunteers that it was Michael who dominated on the court.
Michael agrees, but it wasn’t just about hoops.
“Hearing all of your stories, all of your past motivates me. A while ago, you were in the same spot I am now. You help me see how I could see and do things differently and just keep going.”
It is one of the things that may continue to spur his interest in pursuing a career in medicine. After an accident landed him in the hospital with a broken leg, Michael found that he enjoyed the community there and realized what a difference it makes to bring a positive outlook and caring into that setting. It’s something Nick has modeled too.
“I can tell he cares what’s going on in my life. That has made me realize how much I care about my future, what I want to do in college and after.”
“I feel like I am doing fine, as an adult, but I did not have what he has.”
And Nick is grateful to have learned that he can connect with younger people.
“We talked about a lot of subjects I didn’t really understand at the time but now that I’m older, I’m understanding more. He definitely brings up some topics that are pretty interesting.”
Both Nick and Michael enjoy making connections with other people, but their motivations are different. With Nick, it is about finding people to explore ideas with. For Michael, connection is part of making sure others around him are happy and comfortable.
“I didn’t know if things had changed so much that I couldn’t. It turns out I’m doing okay.”
Michael remembers Nick as much taller than him! Naturally, they gravitated to basketball.
“We played a lot of ‘horse’ and ‘around the world.’ It was cool.”
Michael says those conversations opened his mind more about everything in and outside of school.
Nick says of Michael, “He really likes working with younger kids.
little secrets to raising a thankful kid
By Michelle Welch, RD, LMNT LPS District Wellness Facilitator
Our world is pretty busy showing us all that we don’t have. From social media, to TV and gaming, there seems to be a constant push for more. Though raising achievement driven kids can be a good thing, it might also create some entitlement that is far from desirable. Here are some great reminders to help keep your kids’ feet on the ground while they reach for the stars.
• Make purpose the center of what you do as a family. Talk about what you do and how it helps others. Find ways you can volunteer together as a family to help those who might be less fortunate.
• Teach how to write a good note of thanks as a habit. Be it a birthday, holiday gift or special effort made to attend an event by a relative or friend,; a handwritten thank you note is both saved and treasured. It’s a skill that will make them stand out in future job interviews as well.
• Celebrate little ways you catch them being good. Hyping up your child when you notice them saying thank you or doing something polite without being prompted is a way to help cement that choice into their ways of living life.
• See them mirror how you live. Kids are the clearest mirrors we will ever own. If we are thankful and helpful, they will be too. Our kids are regularly deciding if they want to follow in our footsteps and if they like what they see. When you see the choices your kids are mirroring back to you, how do you feel? Keep modeling the choices you want to see them make.
• Keep pointing out the helpers in tough times. Sensitive souls have especially tough times during turmoil. Do what you can to keep having them watch for the helpers in the mix and become helpers where they can.
• During the holiday season, focus more on thanks and giving instead of stuff. If you are part of a community church
or organization where they have opportunities to give to the less fortunate through giving trees, kids often become very excited to take part in those activities. It might mean spending time visiting the elderly, caroling or bell ringing for charity.
• Keep talking about the little ways you are thankful for each other. How their nose wrinkles when you tell a silly joke. How your pets greet you when you get home. That kind of positive talk is downright contagious.
• Recognize the service people around you. Where would we be without the folks willing to work at those tough jobs at the grocery store? The restaurants? The gas stations? Showing them kindness costs nothing and helps teach kids that all people who help are valuable people. We never know what others are experiencing. Keep thanking them. It matters.
Together, we can continue to build a more thankful community for future generations. Keep the kindness flowing.
Contact Jenn Boettcher at jenn.boettcher@mtko.org or 402.817.0615 with any questions.
starts to complain of symptoms like a headache or stomachache, it is important to quickly determine whether this is related to anxiety or a physical illness that might require missing school. If the challenge is anxiety, staying home may worsen the situation.
What can families do?
Here are some tips that you can use to help your child tackle potential challenges and return to school quickly:
• Do not punish your child for refusing to go to school. This can make things worse.
• If possible, avoid letting your child stay home. Staying home may provide short-term relief for your child, but can cause your child to feel disconnected from teachers and classmates and fall further behind, creating more stress and anxiety.
• Speak with your child to learn what is bothering them and why they are avoiding school.
• Make it clear you are there to support your child and that together you can tackle whatever issues are keeping them from school.
• Take advantage of school resources. Talk with the school nurse, counselor, social worker, psychologist or teacher to discuss challenges and identify what will help your child return to school.
If symptoms persist or are very severe, your child’s anxiety may be due to an underlying behavioral health disorder (i.e., anxiety disorder, panic disorder), an undiagnosed learning disability or the result of a physical or chronic health condition and should be evaluated by your child’s medical provider.
Every Day Counts when it comes to your child being successful in school!
We value your partnership and know you also want your child to succeed. Let’s work together to ensure your student regularly attends school! Check out this brochure for more information about how to address anxiety in children: bit.ly/LPS_attend_anxiety
Digital citizenship lessons help LPS students safely navigate online
Lincoln Public Schools students like Raeleigh, Avery and Myla are learning that digital citizenship can help them safely navigate the ocean-sized amount of information that is available online.
The three Randolph Elementary School fifth graders are joining thousands of LPS students in comprehensive digital literacy lessons each week. The school district is giving everyone in grades K-12 the knowledge they will need to sail on smooth internet seas. The detailed strategy includes lessons on everything from being kind online to the positive and negative effects of social media.
Raeleigh, Avery and Myla spent one morning learning how companies create digital content to try to get people to buy things. Mark Weddleton, a computer science teacher and librarian at Randolph, talked about commercials, branded content and product placement in online games and businesses for children. He told students that these items were neither good nor bad, but they needed to be aware of them in order to make informed decisions.
“I liked it because we got to talk about a lot of different things,” Avery said. “You can actually apply it to what’s going on in real life on the computer.”
“It’s really important to learn stuff like this,” Raeleigh said. “You need to know what’s going on.”
“It was fun being able to do some activities and answer some questions,” Myla said. “You have to know how to work on the computer, especially if you want to find a good job someday.”
Weddleton has led computer science classes at LPS for a decade
and has 30 years of experience as a teacher. He said digital citizenship skills have become increasingly vital in a world including smartphones, laptops and social media.
“The deluge of information that kids can access can be overwhelming, but it also has this beautiful thing of ensuring you’re not just reliant on one source,” Weddleton said. “There are definitely pros and cons, and rather than focusing on only the cons, we try to educate kids and help them sift through it all and help them be conscious as they explore this information.”
Angela Christensen-Fischer is leading the same type of digital citizenship effort at Standing Bear High School. The school librarian teaches about media and information literacy, digital safety and wellbeing and the social responsibilities that come with technology. Standing Bear has incorporated these lessons into advisement period meetings to reach students in all grade levels.
Christensen-Fischer said she and other LPS teachers recognize the significance of these lessons in a technology-based landscape.
“Many of the topics we cover, such as password security and being kind online, are ones that LPS students have been learning about since early elementary,” Christensen-Fischer said. “However, as students get older, they find themselves in a digital world that is much more complicated, and we have a responsibility to help them navigate it. Not only do we teach about digital safety and how to interact appropriately, we try to help students understand how to use technology responsibly as a learner and citizen.”
LPS wants to remind scholars and their families of the importance of digital literacy during National Digital Citizenship Week, which is being held Oct. 14-18. The annual celebration highlights the value of making kind, safe and smart online choices.
The school district has developed lessons that are woven into classes at every grade level. For example, the digital citizenship plan for fifth graders like Raeleigh, Avery and Myla includes comparing different types of digital communication, learning how to use multimedia tools and understanding how users knowingly and unknowingly provide data to companies.
In addition to in-person education, LPS Library Services also releases digital literacy tips every Tuesday on social media. Previous tips covering various technology topics are also available on the department’s website.
Weddleton has seen many positive outcomes from the digital citizenship classes. One of those is students realizing they are not alone in their online journeys.
“Once you start introducing things, it’s really fascinating to see what the kids know and what their experiences have been,” Weddleton said.
“For example, when we talk about cyberbullying, kids’ hands shoot up. They all want to talk about it because they’ve all had experiences with it.”
Christensen-Fischer also felt the digital lessons are paying divi-
dends. She said students’ mindsets about social media, for example, have been changing over the past several years.
“While most students do seem to use social media, I hear more and more students talking about the downsides of it as well,” Christensen-Fischer said. “We are trying to help them be mindful of the effects, and while I don’t see many students giving up social media, I am hopeful that we can continue to influence how they use it and how tied to it they are.”
Weddleton said printed books act as mirrors, windows and open doors because they can help readers learn more about both themselves and others. Online tools can offer those same benefits if they are applied wisely, which is why LPS is investing so much time and energy helping students sail on the digital literacy ocean.
“A lot of what we’re doing is making kids aware of those things so they can be thoughtful in their use of online information,” Weddleton said. “When we’re thoughtful on how we use it, it does open up a whole different world.”
To learn more about our Digital Citizenship curriculum, visit our website at lms. lps.libguides.com/LPSdigitalcitizenship
You can also check out our other digital literacy resources for students and families at home.lps.org/technology/keyconcepts
Once you start introducting things, it's really facscinating to see what the kids know...
- Mark Weddleton, Teacher and Librarian
Northwest students solve mysteries through forensic science class
Northwest High School students
Betsabee, Antenai, Lucia and Arlette were sure they were making an unsolvable mystery as they painted blood splatters on a lifesized paper outline of a person.
The four Falcons were in the middle of creating their own crime scene as part of a forensic science course at school. Groups of students filled an upper hallway with fingerprints, blood spots and other vital clues for detectives. They then went up and down the hallway trying to crack their classmates’ cases. Antenai said she and her three teammates liked how they had prepared their crime scene. They developed a storyline and then used brushes, markers, paint and other artistic tools to make the scenario come to life.
“It was very messy, but I think we’re going to throw them off,” Antenai said. “Everybody’s thinking that it’s one person who killed our person, but I think we’re going to throw them off. I think we did good.”
Fellow senior Shamarr felt the same type of confidence as his team worked on trying to decipher a puzzle near a window. They used a magnifying glass to look at the fingerprints of Mr. Addams, Mrs. Addams, Rosie, Daisy, Mrs. Addams’ sister and Rosie’s cousin. Rosie, the oldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Addams, had gone missing during a family vacation in Hawaii, and the family had called the police to try to find her.
“I think we accurately solved it,” Shamarr said. “There were a few things that we didn’t understand, but I think we ended up figuring it out at the end.”
Cindy Larson-Miller praised students as she watched them use an evidence-based process to unravel the mysteries. Larson-Miller is science department chair at Northwest and also leads classes at the Bryan College of Health Sciences Focus Program. She said the 16 Falcons in the course were gaining lifelong skills by learning how to gather facts and answer questions in a scientific way.
“I think it’s using what you see around you to figure something out,” Larson-Miller said. “You can apply that to any problem you have in your life, if you look around and you look at the evidence and you try to make sense of it and you look at things carefully. Even if that’s all they take away from it, I’m happy.”
Larson-Miller has taught forensic science classes for 12 years and is in year two of the program at Northwest. She and University of Nebraska-Lincoln student teacher Jon Matulka began the nine-week course in August by creating a crime scene for everyone to investigate. That set the stage for a full series of lessons and labs at school.
Larson-Miller and Matulka taught the Falcons how to examine fingerprints, bones and teeth at crime scenes during the class. They showed them how scientists extract DNA from hair and blood to
collect clues about both the victim and villain, and they talked about the different techniques to gather and preserve physical evidence. They also shared information about investigators, psychologists, data analysts and other potential law enforcement careers.
Antenai said she has enjoyed learning about the forensic science profession. She has watched crime shows on television for many years, and she jumped at the chance to take the class when she found out about it.
“It was really fun,” Antenai said. “I didn’t know that I was going to enjoy this class so much, but I would always go home and I would tell my mom, ‘We lifted fingerprints today,’ and I was really excited. I liked this class.”
Shamarr said the class inspired him to consider becoming a crime scene investigator. He is now exploring the possibility of majoring in criminal justice in college, and he has visited several campuses with that in mind. He said Larson-Miller and Matulka have equipped everyone in the course with the knowledge they will need to be successful.
“I feel like if I would get into that sort of field, I would already know what I’m looking at,” Shamarr said. “I know what I’m doing right now. I really like it.”
In addition to providing a strong forensic science background, Shamarr said the class has also
helped everyone develop teamwork skills. His group put together a storyline that included a teddy bear, empty glass, small purse and fingerprints of five people.
“You have to start asking questions, and then everybody’s ideas start pulling together, and then you get something really good that comes out of it,” Shamarr said. “I think what came out of our ideas was pretty good.”
Students on each team presented their theories about the other crime scenes they looked at during the final class period. Larson-Miller and Matulka will grade them based on how well they documented, preserved and judged the available evidence.
Larson-Miller said she believes the class will continue to grow at Northwest in future years. She said it is fun to watch students become actively interested in science.
“It’s so engaging that kids want to be here,” Larson-Miller said. “They want to learn. They realize that science can be fun, and I think it’s just really a way to reel kids into school.”
Visit home.lps.org/science to learn more about the wide range of enriching science classes available at Lincoln Public Schools.
...Everybody’s ideas start pulling together, and then you get something really good that comes out of it.
- Shamarr, Student