See below for important information regarding the upcoming school year.
District
Junior High/High School
Elementary
Welcome Back Letters and School Supply List 2022-23
Teammates Mentors Needed
Please consider becoming a Mentor for the Fort Calhoun Chapter. Male Mentors are especially needed right now. Go to Teammates.org and fill out an application.
The Mission of TeamMates is to positively impact the world by inspiring youth to reach their full potential through mentoring. Established in 1991 by Tom and Nancy Osborne, TeamMates was formed in an effort to provide support and encouragement to all school-aged youth. The goal is to see young people graduate from high school and pursue a post-secondary education. TeamMates has touched the lives of thousands of youth and mentors across the Midwest. Right now, more than 10,200 matches are meeting in schools across Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Wyoming, and South Dakota.
The impact of the TeamMates match on the mentee and mentor is profound.
Percentages for our Fort Calhoun Chapter:
54% of mentees showed improved academic achievement after being matched with their mentor.
85% of mentors report they feel more hopeful after meeting with their mentee.
98% of mentees say they trust their mentor.
More than 95% of mentees report that they are happy when they meet with their mentor, that their mentor talks to them about what they do well, they feel important when they are with their mentor and that they trust their mentor.
Attendance amongst mentees has improved by 67%
Reported Behavioral Problems with mentees has dropped 90%
TeamMates has been recognized as a “Best Practice” mentoring organization which means the structure, policy and procedures are in place for a safe and consistent program. TeamMates adheres to the Elements of Effective Practice which were developed by the National Mentoring Partnership as the national standards for running a quality mentoring program.
The National Mentoring Partnership reports 1 in 3 children will go through life without a mentor. TeamMates believes all children, no matter their life experience, can benefit from a relationship with a safe, caring adult. You don’t have to be an expert. You just have to be there.
It truly is a rewarding experience for both mentor and mentee. “I don’t do this for the accolades, but when my mentee says ‘thank you’ or ‘good to see you’, it touches me to my core,” Mentor Teri Zavadil said.
The Fort Calhoun Chapter currently has 29 matches and our goal is 45. There are children waiting to be matched within our school district, so mentors are in high demand right now. You need to meet with your mentee once a week during the school year for 20 minutes to an hour depending on their schedule. You have to be at least 18 years old and you will need to pass a background check.
Please consider becoming a Mentor for the Fort Calhoun Chapter. Go to Teammates.org and fill out an application.
If you have any questions, please call 877-531-8326 to speak to a member of the Teammates Team or 402-237-9558 to talk to the Fort Calhoun Coordinator, Teri.
Thank you!
Meal Benefits Update
School districts have been notified that the USDA does not have the authority to extend waivers that allow no-cost meals to all students. In light of this, Fort Calhoun students will pay for school meals. To alleviate some of the financial hardship this may cause, a waiver was put in place that allows schools to use the benefits that were on file from the 2019-20 school year to grant a 30 day carryover of the benefits from that time. This will allow families extra time to file meal applications for 2022-23.
If you have already received notification of 2022-23 benefits granted through direct certification, your student(s) will begin receiving them on the first day of school. If you have not, we urge you to complete the necessary paperwork immediately if you believe you qualify. Students will have to pay for meals until such time this is received. School board policy states “The district’s policy on charged meals is: “If a student has no funds available to pay for a meal, the student will be permitted to charge up to five meals. Thereafter, if a student has no funds available to pay for a meal, no food will be provided.”
If you have any questions, please contact the District Office at 402-468-5591.
PAC Summer Camp Goes Green
In the first week of PAC summer camp, the students had the chance to learn about the different parts of plants, how they grow, and the different types. They got to “dissect” a flower to see the different parts. They had fun painting their own pots and planting grass in them. The pot was the face and the grass was the hair! Every day we did a different STEM and Art Project related to plants. Then at the end of the week, we went to Lauritzen Gardens. What a fun week!
