Kloefkorn students spark imaginations with creative twist
Isabelle and Josh flipped on their creative lightbulbs at Kloefkorn Elementary School this fall through a new curriculum idea in their art classrooms.
The Kloefkorn fifth graders joined scores of other students in TASK activities at the beginning of the year. The main goals of the art lessons – also known as TASK parties – are to help students solve problems in imaginative ways, learn how to brainstorm with their classmates and gain confidence in their own creative-thinking abilities.
Isabelle felt the TASK parties were a bright way to learn at Kloefkorn. She enjoyed being able to figure out how to reach her artistic goals with her friends.
“I think it’s good to work with other people and share ideas,” Isabelle said. “And I think that’s my favorite part.”
Josh said he gained a sense of accomplishment from the activities. He said it was fun to choose how best to complete an art project instead of following a prescribed format.
“My favorite part about doing it was making and actually achieving the task and actually being able to finish them,” Josh said.
Kloefkorn students held TASK parties in their art classes for the first time this year during National Arts in Education Week. The celebration highlighted the importance of art education in schools across the country from Sept. 9 - 13.
Audrey Jurek smiled as she watched students work together in one of her Kloefkorn classes. Jurek and other Lincoln Public Schools art teachers learned about the na-
It's really fun to see what they come up with.
- Audrey Jurek. Art Teacher
tionally-based TASK concept at professional development sessions this summer. She felt it was a good way for students to soak up knowledge that will help them in the future.
“It’s all of those lifelong skills that we hope that all of our students develop,” Jurek said. “It’s a lot more important to me that someone is a critical thinker, rather than knowing how to blend colors well. So, it’s how can I, as an art teacher, teach them lifelong, important skills that are important for all students and all learners, not just the ones that are interested in art class?”
Isabelle, Josh and other Kloefkorn students in grades 3-5 reached into a box and picked cards that listed an open-ended art assignment. They then used random classroom materials to design their very own interpretation of the project. They were encouraged to share ideas with classmates on what to make.
Some examples of assignments included creating a school mascot, making the tallest hat you can and wearing it, making wearable art, making a map to an exciting place and creating an art room pet. The flexible nature of each idea made it possible for students to travel on their own personalized artistic adventures.
Jurek said it is rewarding to see students realizing that they don’t have to follow a specific script on an art project. Instead of having everyone make the same school mascot, for example, there could be 20 different animals, people or objects that appear as drawings, paintings or sculptures.
If each student grabbed a different task out of the box, here could be
an endless lineup of art creations to look at after the TASK party is over.
“Students a lot of times these days, when they’re given an open-ended task, they freeze because they’re not being told exactly what to do,”
Jurek said. “And sometimes they do that now. Like the task will say, ‘Create a camera and take a selfie,’ and it takes them a while to fully understand that they are in charge of it and it’s an open-ended project.
“And so when they are actually, ‘Oh my gosh, I can do this this way or this way or this way,’ and then they start to have fun. And it’s really fun to see what they come up with.”
Jurek’s students were able to spark each other’s creativity during and after the artistic process. They spent one day working on their task with their friends and spent another day presenting it to the entire class. They explained how and why they came up with their idea.
Isabelle said that large-group teamwork has been valuable for her. Sometimes she inspires her friends with her own artistic choices, and sometimes she picks up cool suggestions from listening to others speak.
“So when we are doing our whole group, like projects that we work on for a really long time, we can know, ‘Oh, I did this. Maybe I should do something similar,’” Isabelle said. “Like, think beyond what you are already doing.”
Jurek said she has been pleased with the positive response she has seen to the TASK parties. She was happy to watch students plug in skills like creativity and cooperation to their growing list of personal talents.
“It’s always the goal, obviously, to have your students participate and also to have fun,” Jurek said. “And in art class, you know, I want my kids, my students, to be having fun. So when I see genuine excitement and joy on their face and working together, that’s always a great feeling. And then when I just hear them problem solving with each other, instead of asking me for help or coming up with their own solutions, that’s just a great feeling for a teacher.”
Learn more about LPS Art curriculum by visiting our website at https://home.lps. org/art/
Lincoln TeamMates TeamMates Matches Pay it Forward
Last year, TeamMates matches said “yes!” 718 times to creating something that would land in the hands of someone who might need an extra boost, including lunch sacks for recipients of Meals on Wheels.
“We call them Community Service Projects,” said Audrey Watson, TeamMates match support specialist. “We wanted a way to model
‘giving back’ while doing a fun activity together.”
Watson can attest that a lot has sprung from that seed.
“We’ve seen this project grow so much since 2017 when we made 16 paper-flower bouquets for then-St. Elizabeth Hospital. Now, we see an average of 150 completed projects per month.”
Community service can be habit forming too.
“I think we have done every single service project because I sign up for them at the beginning of the year,” TeamMates mentor Kendra Orth said. The projects inspire creativity and TeamMates pride too.
“Our projects keep getting featured in the pictures, like at the top of the stack,” said Kendra’s mentee, Kennadi.
Some community partners have received love-filled gifts from TeamMates matches for years. Cancer Partners of Nebraska, for instance, has been the recipient of hundreds of fleece hearts.
Dr. Mark Stavas, a radiologist for Cancer Partners, believes that not only do the hearts serve as a reminder that the patient is not alone, they also serve as “a metaphor for spiritual, emotional and physical healing.”
“I actually shared the news of my own diagnosis with my coworkers
when we were delivering the fleece hearts one year,” said Christine Davis, TeamMates grant management specialist.
It is not a stretch to call the projects conversation starters with a purpose.
"This was another great project to really get us, as TeamMates, to think and discuss health issues and others who may be hurting,” wrote mentor Heather Snodgrass after completing the hearts with her mentee, Genesis.
Having a mentor they can rely on brings so much to a young person’s life. It seems fitting that they would want to pay it forward.
This year’s community service partners include the Asian Community and Cultural Center, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Lancaster County, Mourning Hope Grief Center, Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach and Eastmont Towers.
Six secrets to helping kids add variety to lunch choices
By Michelle Welch, RD, LMNT
LPS District Wellness Facilitator
This fall, LPS Wellness is focused on nutrition variety at lunch for students. We are using BINGO card activities, challenges, scavenger hunts and more to make food fun for everyone at LPS.
It can become easy for kids to fall into a routine and not try new food experiences. Families may only see what main entrée is featured, but not know what other options are available through school meals. Here are some tips.
Talk to your student about what sides they are choosing and eating with school meals. Often the sides make the meal. LPS features fresh, local produce from farmers in our area. Cut, fresh fruits are helpful for those chewing-challenged kids who can’t bite into a piece of fruit, due to braces or tooth fairy visits. Softer canned fruits and veggies are also available. All foods can fit. Work to kick
out the “good food/bad food” labels.
Add variety through flavors they find familiar. For instance, if they like to dip items in barbeque sauce at home, you might encourage them to try items at school with barbeque flavors or that come with barbeque sauce. Dipping sauces generally are a great tool to help kids try most any new food—at home or at school.
Try, try again. It may take up to 20 exposures to a food before we know if we really like it. Start with little bites at home. The less of a big deal we make of it, the better.
Explore the wide variety of meatless options. If meatless entrees are a preference, there are more than 25 alternatives offered. There is a wellness BINGO card specifically made with meatless entrée options. There’s a BINGO card with traditional entrees as well as for sack lunches.
Utilize the LPS Nutrition Services webpage Our staff in Nutrition Services are dedicated to helping students be nourished and fueled for learning. They have resources for families about school meals on their page, from menus, to images of meals and more. Go to www.lps.org/ns for all information regarding LPS school meals.
Help students who pack meals sack up some variety. Picky eaters are often sack lunch kids; however, they might be ready to add some new options to the mix as they grow. Keep giving them a chance to consider new foods to pack or explore the school lunch menu and try specific days of the week for a food favorite. There is a wellness BINGO card for sack lunch variety to ensure we don’t miss including students who bring meals from home. Cold milk is al ways available for purchase for sack lunch students.
Together, we can create a brighter future for our students and our community.
We know that food insecurity is an issue for many Lincoln families. If your family is struggling to have enough food resources, please ensure that you have completed the information to receive free and reduced meals for your student. If you have questions, contact LPS Nutrition Services at https://home.lps.org/ns/free-reduced/ or call (402) 436-1747.
Making a difference: LPS early intervention programs key to student success
Laura Baumgartner’s library-sized talents are helping local children like C.J., Killian and Jaeden experience bright moments as Lincoln Public Schools Early Childhood early intervention program graduates.
Baumgartner, a LPS early intervention special education teacher, is part of a team of educators who are making a difference for local infants and toddlers. LPS early childhood staff provide free early intervention services for more than 600 eligible children (ages birth to 3) each year. They also evaluate more than 1,400 infants and toddlers to determine if they are eligible for the program.
Baumgartner, a ten-year LPS veteran, said the early intervention services give children a strong start in life.
“I think it’s critical,” Baumgartner said. “Studies show that when you intervene early and often, the longterm progress for children is way better than it would be if you had no intervention prior to kindergarten. We are very sad to see children later showing up in kindergarten and needing help or support. We really want to catch those kids early and be able to support them prior to kindergarten. Their longterm trajectory is much better.”
Mother Katherine has watched those success stories play out with three of her children. Baumgartner has worked with Jaeden, 5, Killian, 5, and C.J., 3, during in-home visits. Katherine smiled as she recalled the many ways Baumgartner has assisted the family over the past three and a half years.
“Having somebody there to help you navigate all that is wonderful,” Katherine said. “We absolutely
love Miss Laura. She is a rock star to us.”
The early intervention program serves children from ages birth to three who live within LPS boundaries. Teachers and specialists work with students who are showing either moderate or significant delays in any of the key areas of early childhood development: expressive communication (what they say), receptive communication (what they understand), selfhelp skills, social-emotional development and fine and gross motor skills.
Lincoln residents who are concerned about a child’s development can refer a family to the LPS Early Childhood’s early intervention program. Referrals often come from a family, childcare provider or hospital, but anyone in the community can make a request.
“They do a lot of work to try to get the word out to physicians, to childcare facilities, so people understand that you can make a referral,” Baumgartner said. “The parent might not decide to go with the evaluation, because it is voluntary, but we really want to get as many referrals in as we can.”
After receiving the referral, service coordinators with the LPS Early Development Network contact families to obtain consent to evaluate their child. If families agree to have a free evaluation, teachers like Baumgartner will make inhome visits. If they determine the child is eligible for services, they will join forces with occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists and hearing and vision specialists to create an individualized family service plan.
Baumgartner said every effort is made to help children and families in their natural environment.
In many cases, this is the home or apartment that the family lives in. Teachers can also travel to community childcare or daycare facilities if the child spends a majority of time there.
“When we talk about natural environment, a lot of times we’re talking about after 5 o’clock, because parents work all day,” Baumgartner said. “We don’t want to penalize them and not provide support to the parents, so we’re doing late afternoon and some evening visits to make sure that happens.”
Katherine said that level of care has been critical for Jaeden, Killian and C.J., who have all since moved from the early intervention program into preschool. Baumgartner visited several times each month and provided Katherine with a wide array of supportive strategies for addressing developmental delays.
For example, if Katherine was reading books with her children, Baumgartner would point to a picture in the book and say a word that described that object. She and Katherine would then ask them to repeat the word to work on their speech development. They would also make sensory boxes with Cheerios, practice sharing skills in a playroom and work on motor development by setting up toilet paper rolls for miniature bowling.
“Having that extra resource of help with my kids has just been phenomenal,” Katherine said. “If
I could constantly keep Laura, I would definitely keep her.”
Baumgartner praised Katherine for trying new developmental tips. She said her willingness to follow the coaching suggestions on a daily basis have boosted the growth of all three children.
“It’s very flexible,” Baumgartner said. “Every visit the parent helps decide what strategy they want to work on, and we as professionals talk them through that ahead of time. Then, they do the strategy. They practice it.”
LPS Director of Early Childhood Cara Lucas-Richt said approximately 200 students successfully transition from early intervention programs to preschool classes each August. Children also join preschool at other points during the year. They enter the LPS buildings with newfound confidence in their social, emotional and academic abilities. LPS offers early intervention services all throughout the year, even when school is out of session.
Katherine said it has been rewarding to spend time with LPS professionals who have helped place Jaeden, Killian and C.J. on an upward path in life.
“Everybody I’ve worked with here has been absolutely wonderful,” Katherine said. “They’ve been kind.”
If you have questions about your child’s development, you can call the LPS Early Childhood Department at 402-436-1920 or visit our website at https://home.lps. org/earlychildhood to learn more about the department’s services.
Forever Cousins By Laurel Goodluck and illustrated by Jonathan Nelson
Having that extra resource of help with my kids has just been phenomenal.
- Katherine, Parent
Holmes families have fun with bike and garden night activities
Holmes Elementary School students enjoyed an entertaining evening by riding bicycles, roaming through a garden and relishing tasty ice-flavored treats.
Dozens of families and students flocked to campus for the second annual Holmes Family Bike and Garden Night. The school’s Community Learning Center (CLC) gave people a chance to meet their neighbors, discover more about the Holmes community garden and watch children bike around an obstacle course.
Students Avery, Emily, Will and Alex grinned as they set down their bikes on grass next to a school parking lot. They came to the event because they thought it would be a great way to spend a Friday night.
“We’re all friends and we wanted to have a good time here,” Alex said.
“We wanted to have fun,” Avery said as she ate a red and purple ice slushie out of a cup. “This is something that’s pretty nice.”
Holmes School Community Coordinator Dani Drbal said it was vital to provide strong family and community engagement through programs like the bike and garden night. She spent the evening overseeing activities for both adults and children.
“I think it’s really important for our families to have ways to engage with our school and the things we have to offer,” Drbal said. “It’s really nice for them just to come and
hang out with their kids. Their kids get to hang out with their friends and their parents get to meet their kids’ friends. It’s really nice overall.”
School leaders launched the event last year after brainstorming ideas for promoting the community garden. Organizers decided to add the bike component to attract additional interest from children. Approximately 40 families came to the inaugural celebration.
“We felt like it went well,” Drbal said. “We did get some people last year who ended up being garden volunteers, which was really the main goal, drawing attention to the community garden. It was successful all in all.”
Local resident Anja Romhild was among those who supported the Holmes garden. She enjoyed her family’s experience at last year’s bike and garden night so much that she decided to help out in the garden at this fall’s event. She watched her daughter ride her scooter on the obstacle course before moving to the northwest side of the building.
Romhild and fellow volunteer Diane Petersen led children in a bingo scavenger hunt activity throughout the night. Students had to find a combination of flowers, insects and other garden items to complete their bingo cards. They could then ask Petersen to cut a flower from the garden to take home as a prize.
“I think it’s super important for these types of activities to happen,” Romhild said. “It brings families out and allows everyone to meet each other in a really fun environment. It’s a good thing for everyone.”
The evening’s lineup included several activities in the southwestern parking lot. Students motored around cones and moved under streamers hanging from a finish line gate in the obstacle course. They also took part in bike washing and bike decorating stations with parents and guardians.
Visitors encountered two educational booths as they moved along the western side of the school building. Katie Berck, an intern with the LPS Sustainability Department, provided people with information about the school district’s efforts to promote community gardens. She is supporting gardening programs and outdoor classrooms across LPS this year.
Four AmeriCorps students helped others enjoy free food through the Partnership for a Healthy Lincoln program. They offered visitors skewers that included tomatoes, basil seasoning and mozzarella cheese balls. There were also jalapeno poppers and pesto-and-cracker samples for them to try out. All
of the produce at the booth came from the Holmes garden.
“Their AmeriCorps members come to school and lead a free after-school program for us, so we brought them out to help showcase our garden,” Drbal said.
Emily decided to try some green pesto on a wheat cracker when she visited the booth. She and the four volunteers grinned as she put the two ingredients together and ate them. She then received a small garden-based prize for participating in the activity.
Many families had supper together on wooden picnic tables after visiting local food trucks on site. Drbal said organizers invited the businesses to come this year in hopes of creating more fellowship opportunities around supper time.
Avery, Emily, Will and Alex said they were enjoying spending time together at Holmes. They were happy the school created an event where everyone could have fun and learn together.
“I’ve been excited about this ever since I found out we were having it again,” Alex said. “I think it’s a pretty cool thing to have.”
To learn more about Lincoln Community Learning Centers, visit our website at https://clc.lps.org/
It's really nice for them just to come and hang out with their kids.
- Dani Drbal, Community Coordinator
Zeman students honor rescue crews on Patriot Day
Zeman Elementary School students expressed their gratitude to Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews today with gifts of flowers, artwork and large smiles.
Members of Lincoln Fire and Rescue (LFR) Station #6 visited K-5 students at Zeman as part of a community outreach effort on Patriot Day. They showed them the different parts of a fire engine and ambulance, answered questions about their jobs and gave encouraging smiles, high fives and fist bumps.
Fifth graders Cassandra, Kajah and Phoenix said they were happy to talk with LFR crews. Their class gave crew members Amanda Morgan, Malik Knox and Brian Jones pink and yellow carnations and a full packet of personalized artwork. They said it was important to say thank you to emergency members for their lifesaving work in the Zeman neighborhood.
“We learned that they go around helping people even if there’s a little thing, and they risk their own lives every day doing it,” Kajah said. “I think they do it because they want to spread kindness.”
“It was really cool,” Cassandra said. “I like how this small thing, just making artwork for people, turned into this big thing.”
“It’s pretty special because we get to give them to the firefighters because they do so much for us,” Phoenix said.
LFR Public Information Officer
M.J. Lierman said it was especial-
ly meaningful to come to Zeman. Members of Congress approved a joint resolution in December 2001 to designate Sept. 11 of each year as Patriot Day. Non-profit organizations developed the idea for a national day of service in 2002, and Congress approved an official designation for a “national day of service and remembrance” in 2009.
“What we would really like to focus on is the day of service and that feeling of everybody joining in and being neighbor helping neighbor, doing things for your community, being patriotic,” Lierman said.
“The 9/11 day of service is what Lincoln Fire and Rescue is promoting today and throughout the rest of the month and as long as we get it rolling. We’d like to build on this every year doing more with the schools, teaching service opportunities and just being good people and good neighbors and good community members.”
Zeman Principal Rudi Wolfe asked Station #6 members to come to Zeman for several reasons. She felt students would be able to form positive bonds with them and learn about the critical work they do for others. She also wanted to ensure students could see how much it means when someone thanks another person with acts of kindness.
“It’s important because it serves as a way for students to see that firefighters and rescue crews are there for them,” Wolfe said. “I think it gives them a sense of safety and security knowing that it’s a safe person when you see someone in an emergency uniform. If we teach
them early on about what firefighters and rescue crews do for all of us, then I think it can really build a lot of confidence and inspiration for our students.”
Lierman said emergency crews enjoy meeting students throughout the year. Jake Wilderman, a three-year member of LFR, showcased that joy by giving high fives to Zeman kindergarteners as they walked around the side of an ambulance.
“We like to show them that we’re just like regular people, like your mom, like your dad, like your teachers, but sometimes we might be dressed like this,” Lierman said. “Especially as they get younger, we do this a lot, we go all over the community, but today we’re really focusing on it at all of the schools.”
Zeman students gave their artwork to emergency crews as part of a kindness unit in their art classes. Students spent several lessons watching videos about the good works that other people have done. Cassandra said they learned that one person donated proceeds from his artwork to charity, and another person gave food to the homeless in their community.
Kajah said she and her classmates were excited when they discovered they would be creating personalized pieces of art. The project also gave them a chance to discover that emergency crews handle all types of calls throughout the day and night.
“It was really fun because I thought we learned a lot about kindness
and empathy, and it was very cool learning about firefighters and what they do,” Kajah said.
Morgan, Knox and Jones stood next to a fire engine as fifth graders lined up in front of them for the gift-giving ceremony. They displayed wide smiles when they saw what the students had done for them. All three said thank you to the group, and Jones said they would be hanging the artwork on the walls of the fire station later this week.
Phoenix and classmate Nora said their hearts filled with gladness when they watched the ceremony. Why did they feel it was fun to be a part of?
“Because they care for us a lot,” Phoenix said. “They’re at emergencies and they help us, so it felt good to give to them.”
“We enjoyed making the firefighters happy,” Nora said.
Lierman said she felt the visit and gifts of artwork strengthened bonds between Zeman students and Station #6 emergency crews.
“We are a community and a family within LFR and with our partners in all law enforcement and public service, so we just want to make everyone comfortable,” Lierman said. “In an emergency, there’s a sense of fear and danger, so when we can do these community events and go to the schools, it just helps ease the kids when there is an emergency. When they are scared, they know that we’re there to help them.”
They're at emergencies and they help us, so it felt good to give to them.
