What We did on our Summer Vacation

By Tom Hinrichs LCPS Superintendent

  Traditionally, the first assignment of the new school is an essay titled, What I did on my Summer Vacation. It only seems fair that I start- so here is what members of the LCPS family did over the summer.

While juggling the responsibilities of families, farms and businesses, our dedicated Board Members:

·       Prepared for, attended and followed up on monthly BOE meetings

·       Attended planning meetings for each monthly BOE meeting

·       Met as members of  facilities, transpiration, personnel and negotiations committees

·       Attended workshops in school law, finance, and negotiations

·       Stayed informed of school business through weekly updates by the administrative team

·       Encouraged our work with visits phone, calls and emails.

The summer maintenance staff of Tim Piontkowski, Denise Kuligowski, Elsie Kieborz, Jody Horner, Bonnie Sekutera, Joy Hostetler, Karen Lonowski, and Ramona Kelly:

·       Prepared each classroom by waxing the floors, cleaning the desks and fixtures and making repairs where needed- making the buildings shine!

·       Shampooed carpets in all the buildings

·       Cut back the shrubs around the front of the building to provide an unobstructed view for increased safety

·       Painted hand railings in the school buildings

·       Cleaned the commons area

·       Washed windows

·       Replaced ceiling tiles and lights

·       Cleaned and disinfected restrooms and locker room areas

Our teachers have been busy spending the summer learning new skills, techniques, and methods to make them more effective instructors and to make sure our students receive the best education anywhere. This summer:

·       Several teachers took summer classes in a variety of programs and subjects.

·       Many of our teachers became licensed to drive our 15-passenger Red Raider Bus

·       Sara Paider and Amy Hostetler continued to work on their master's programs in educational administration. Mrs. Paider has been invited to instruct teachers in Texas in our reading program.

·       FACS Instructor, Tammy Nelson, accompanied a student to National FACS conference in California.

·       Music Instructor, Kyle Knaub, lead our annual band camp.

·       Coaches Sara Paider (volleyball), Nick Hodge, (football)  Josh Asche (Girls' basketball) Paul Henry (Boys' Basketball) Lindsay Gappa (cheerleading), Jamie Lewandowski and Lisa Harrington (Dance team) conducted summer camps for Red Raider athletes.

·       Several teachers attended Quantum Learning training in Kearney

·       Numerous staff members got a jump on our new MAP  assessment program by attending summer training.

·       Coaches Nick Hodge, Josh Asche, Lindsay Hartman, Wayne Klein, Paul Henry, and Larry Baker opened the weight room and supervised athletes every morning and evening.

Our office staff has been busy updating technology and getting ready for 24/7 Learning. This summer LCPS business manager Janelle Swanson, technology director Janet Kuscak  secretaries Jamie Lewandowski, Donna Mendyk, and Cathy Placzek :

·       Supervised the installation of new high speed copier/printers in the offices and workroom.

·       Updated the district's ADT mass notification program

·       Took delivery of the new laptops, mobile carts and computer cases.

·       Incorporated the new vans in to the district's fleet of vehicles

·       Received, inventories and distributed classroom supplies and materials

·       Updated student records and laid the ground work for the new school year

·       Completed state reporting and student-management duties

·       Worked with the new Google Applications that will be standard in the district this year.

Other summer projects, which were approved by the LCPS Board of Education, and supervised by Maintenance Director Tim Piontkowski Include:

·       Repainting of the walls, striping, logos, and lettering in the Junior-Senior High

·       Re-carpeting and painting in the band room

·       Removal of two trees, which created safety hazards, at the Primary School

·       Created loading zone at east side of Primary School

·       Upgraded drainage on the east side of the main building

·       Cleaned the exhaust hood in the wood shop

·       Refinished the South and North Gym floors

·       Replaced annex gutters and downspouts

·       Repairing concrete at the Primary School playground

With all of the summer projects, upgrades, and improvements that were completed this summer our Board members, administrative team, teachers, and staff members still managed to spend time with family and friends, attend many ball games, and get rejuvenated and ready for the coming school year.

Through the dedicated efforts and teamwork of members of the LCPS family; the buildings are shining like new facilities, cutting-edge technology is ready to support teaching and learning, and 24/7 learning is ready to launch. It's been quite a summer-all in preparation of a great year at LCPS.

LCPS Back-to-School Night

Please join us for back-to-school night on Thursday August 17^th. This event is an opportunity  for students to drop off school supplies, find their classroom, meet their teachers & bus drivers. The Loup City Booster Club will be providing hot dogs, chips, and a drinks for students, parents, and staff. Back-to-School Night activities include:

• 6 p.m. Elementary Parents Meeting. Mr. Hinrichs will meet with elementary parents to answer questions and to explain the 5^th and 6^th grade departmentalized instruction model that we will use this year.
• 7 p.m. 24/7 Learning Meeting. Mr. Hodge will meet with parents of grades 9-12 students for a mandatory orientation to our 1 to 1 laptop program.
• The Loup City Booster Club in addition to providing a hot dog meal will hold a membership drive and announce the results of the Drive One 4 Your School program.

All events will be held in the Junior-Senior High School commons.

2010-11 Year in Review

The 4th of July has passed and the back-to-school displays are up in the stores. Before you gear up for the 2011-12 school year, check out the many accomplishments of the 2010-11 school year at LCPS.

http://blog.loupcity.k12.ne.us/thinrichs/files/2010/08/2010-11-Year-in-Review.pdf

Leadership Rules

1. If you're not at the table; you're on the menu.
2. You never know what will walk through that door.
3. Never wrestle with a pig- you will get dirty and the pig likes it.
4. Today's pig is tomorrow's pork.
5. Scorpions do what scorpions do.
6. Nobody wants to hear about the labor pains; but everybody wants to see the baby.
7. You can't fix parents.
8. If everything is important, nothing is important.
9. The world is run by people who show up.
10. A horrible ending is better than horrors without end.
11. There is no mud on the high road.
12. It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.
13. Overkill is underrated.
14. If you don't have an M.D. in your pocket, don't give medical advice.
15. Down time is reading time.
16. Never argue with someone who buys ink by the barrel.
17. Once the local media attacks- you are finished.
18. It doesn't matter where you are on the food chain when the feeding frenzy starts.
19. Budgeting is a matter of priority; schools can have everything that they want- they just cannot have everything that they want.
20. Education is about evolution-not resolution; but you had better evolve fast.
21. You can't tap dance on the deck of a sinking ship.
22. The formula for insanity: Do the same thing and expect different results.
23. The recipe for failure is to acquire a larger piece of a shrinking market.
24. Nobody looks for a shark in their swimming pool.
25. A scheme beats a dream every time.
26. You can't counted in until you can be counted on.
27. A is A
28. Nature to be commanded must be obeyed.
29. You cannot have your cake and eat it too.
30. Function follows form.
31. Politics is the art of controlling your environment.
32. Pigs get fat- and hogs get slaughtered.
33. Paranoia will destroy ya.
34. Don't try to do the job of a Board Member until you are elected.
35. Show me the money.
36. Sometimes nothing is a real cool hand.
37. I do nothing- but everything gets done.
38. If you hand out cookies; you make cookie monsters.
39. The last word is expensive.
40. First thought wrong.
41. Good artists copy- great artists steal.
42. Drive for show- putt for dough.
43. When you put blood in the water- you will have to kill the sharks.
44. A lot of people have won one in a row.
45. If you've got no animals; you've got no zoo.
46. We don't just follow the rules we like.
47. Two people can keep a secret- if one of them is dead.
48. Don't let the bankers run your business.
49. Leave your parent hat at home.
50. Don't mess in the affairs of dragons if you are crunchy and taste good covered in ketchup.
51. Tough times do not build character- they reveal it.
52. Don't be nice in writing.
53. Everyone is going to tell you how smart you are, and how cleaver you are; and we both know you ain't.
54. Don't lose a game to prove a point.
55. I would rather win than lose, be ahead rather than behind, and have the ball rather than not have the ball.
56. Water the flowers and pull the weeds.
57. The circus don't stay in town all year.
58. Eliminate those who are not motivated.
59. How many trees do you need to see?
60. It's a big chair.
61. Clowns and leaders don't mix.
62. What you have the power to do; you have the power not to do.
63. Mind your business- keep your hands to yourself.
64. Unless the police laugh- It's not a joke.
65. It suffices.

Summer is in full swing at LCPS

Classes may not be in session, but there is a lot going on at LCPS this summer. Some of the major facilities projects that are in the works include:

• Re-carpeting the band room
• Painting the walls in the secondary wing 
• Re-finishing both gym floors
• Replacing annex gutters and down spouts
• Upgrading drainage on the west side of the elementary building
• Creating a pick-up and drop-off (no parking)  zone at the Primary School

We are currently waiting to take delivery on the new copiers and will be getting the new laptops ready for students as soon as the new computers arrive.

Many of our staff members will take part in various training this summer, and we are planning  for  MAP training for teachers in August.


The board of education will continue to work on its vision for the district and address district goals and priorities. As you can see, we'll be busy. Have a great summer!

Go Red Raiders

LCPS Moving to 24/7 Learning Model w. Increased Technology

The Loup City Public schools will partner with Computer Hardware and Lenovo Corporation to significantly upgrade district technology beginning in the fall of 2011.  The technology plan, approved by the Loup City Board at a Special May 19th meeting will feature the addition of  laptop carts (each containing 30 computers)  in the Primary (grades K-3), Elementary (grades 4-6), and Junior-High  (grades 7 & 8) grades. Students in grades 9-12 will be part of the district's 1 to 1 student laptops program.

The  24/7 Learning program, which has been more than a year in the making, has been developed by Junior-Senior High School Principal Nick Hodge. Mr. Hodge and the Jr.-Sr. High School faculty are developing curricular enhancements to take advantage of the enhanced potential of 1 to 1 student laptops. Administrative intern Sara Paider, is working with the elementary faculty to develop curricular, enrichment, and accelerated learning applications that will integrate the K-6 mobile laps into teaching and learning at the elementary school.

Earlier this year, the wireless capacity of the two district attendance centers was enhanced to handle the increased demands of a significant upgrade in district technology. Loup City Public Schools now features state-of-the art infrastructural and technology models to prepare K-12 students for 21st century learning.

With the addition of new mobile  labs and 1 to 1 student laptops, computer labs in the district are being phased out. The new technology model will also provide increased capacity to meet the demands of for district testing, specifically the NeSA and MAP assessments.

The Loup City Board of Education deserves special commendation for being foresighted and proactive in approving the technology plan in these uncertain economic times. The Board has set aside funds for technology upgrades for several years- making this project possible.

Work has already started to make sure that 24/7 learning is ready to roll out on day one of the 2011-12 school year.

Five LCPS Classes Achieve Reading Incentives

At the beginning of the school year,  LCPS classes were challenged with readings goals in either the DIBELS (grades K-2) or NeSA (grades 3-8, 11) reading assessments. Five classes achieved their goals and will be rewarded with an incentive, which was chosen by the students. Classes achieving their reading goals and the incentives that they earned are:

• 2nd Grade (Pizza and Movie)
• 3rd Grade (Pizza and Picnic)
• 4th Grade (Pizza and Bowling)
• 6th Grade Lock-in)
• 11th Grade (1/2 day off of School)

The bar will continue to be raised next year, when our students will be challenged with lofty goals in both both reading and math. Our district philosophy in assessment is to be successful by any measure- and we are proud of the effort put forth by our teachers and students in as we peruse high standards of achievement.