The welcome mats are out at area schools in anticipation of the start of the 2012-13 school year. Some students will begin classes as early as next week, and everyone should be back in the classroom before month's end.
Everyone will have to adapt to some kind of change, even if it's just a new grade, teacher or principal.
At some schools, major building projects - a new gym or track, an additional wing - have finally been completed and can be enjoyed.
However, a few "lucky" students will find new construction projects under way. Yes, there will be noise, dust and inconvenient detours to endure. But remember, patience will be rewarded.
Some may attend schools where cosmetic changes are evident: renovated classrooms, more parking, fresh paint, better lighting. Others may not notice anything outwardly different but will find new wiring, improved fiber optics or new computers that could make learning easier.
Fall and football are right around the corner. And the annual back-to-school challenge begins.
Click here to see what's new at area schools.
Already in session
Wilson Focus School in Omaha Public Schools, started Aug. 1
Grant and Washington Elementary Schools in Fremont Public Schools, started July 16
Mockingbird Elementary optional calendar students in Ralston Public Schools, started July 13
Monday, Aug. 13
Blair Community Schools
Fremont Public Schools
Omaha Christian Academy, grades 9-12
Omaha Creighton Prep, freshmen
Tuesday. Aug. 14
Arlington Public Schools
Bellevue Public Schools, grades K-9 and new students in grades 10-12
Douglas County West Community Schools
Elkhorn Public Schools
Lincoln Public Schools, grades K-9
Omaha Concordia, grades 7-12
Omaha Creighton Prep, grades 10-12
Omaha Westside Community Schools
Papillion-La Vista School District, grades K-9
Ralston Public Schools, grades K-6, 7 and 9
Westside Community Schools
Wednesday, Aug. 15
Bellevue Public Schools, returning students in grades 10-12
Bennington
Blair Christian Academy, grades K-3
Carroll (Iowa) Kuemper, grades 1-12
Council Bluffs Community Schools
Council Bluffs Lewis Central School District
Council Bluffs St. Albert School
Fremont Bergan
Glenwood Community School District, grades 3-12
Jesuit Academy (formerly Jesuit Middle School)
Lincoln Public Schools, grades 10-12
Logan-Magnolia (Iowa) Community Schools
Louisville Public Schools
Millard Public Schools
Omaha Concordia Academy, grades K-6
Omaha Roncalli
Papillion-La Vista School District, grades 10-12
Ralston Public Schools, grades 8 and 10-12
Riverside Community Schools
Thursday, Aug. 16
A-H-S-T Community School District (Avoca, Hancock, Shelby and Tennant, Iowa)
Carroll (Iowa) Kuemper, kindergarten
Elkhorn Mount Michael
Fort Calhoun Community Schools
Glenwood Community School District, grades K-2
Gretna Public Schools
Lincoln Pius X
Missouri Valley Community Schools
Omaha Duchesne
Omaha Mercy
Omaha Public Schools' Nathan Hale Magnet Middle School
Plattsmouth Community Schools, grades 1-9
Springfield Platteview Community Schools (formerly South Sarpy School District 46)
Underwood Community Schools
Friday, Aug. 17
Omaha Gross
Omaha Marian
Omaha Skutt
Plattsmouth Community Schools, grades 10-12
Monday, Aug. 20
Omaha Madonna School
Omaha Public Schools, grades K-9, Lewis and Clark Middle school Focus Program and Omaha Burke Focus Program
Omaha Roncalli
Plattsmouth Community Schools, kindergarten
Tuesday, Aug. 21
Omaha Christian Academy, grades 6-8
Omaha Public Schools, grades 10-12
Wednesday, Aug. 22
Omaha Christian Academy, grades K-5
Blair Christian Academy
Thursday, Aug. 23
Council Bluffs St. Albert
Friday, Aug. 27
Omaha Brownell-Talbot
* Parish elementary schools have varying start dates.
Omaha Public Schools
New school administrators are Bryan Dunne, principal of Marrs Magnet Middle School; Mark Kelln, principal of Adams Elementary; Christina Windsor, principal of Belvedere Elementary; Adriana Vargas, principal of Castelar Elementary; Nanette Beller, principal of Columbian Elementary; Margie Reed-Schmidt, principal of Crestridge Magnet Elementary; Tynisha Northcutt, principal of Jackson Elementary; Tylee Hanson, principal of Rose Hill Elementary; Heather Harbison, principal of Western Hills Magnet Elementary; and Kim Jones, principal of Sherman Elementary.
Construction of a United Nations classroom to support the magnet program at Omaha Northwest; installation of new artificial turf and synthetic track at Omaha North; construction of a competition softball field for Omaha South; new playground equipment at Standing Bear, Jackson, Fullerton and Conestoga Elementary Schools; new outdoor fitness equipment installed at Fontenelle and Conestoga Elementary Schools in partnership with Project Fit America, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Omaha Schools Foundation; added 30-stall parking lot at Prairie Wind Elementary; added third phase of interior lighting retrofit for energy conservation at Omaha North, South and Benson.
The curriculum and learning department continued the District Action Plan to Raise Student Achievement with extensive coaching of teachers to support best instructional practices; established a new secondary grading scale and proficiency scale using a 4.0 scale intended to make sure report cards reflect student knowledge and not other factors, such as attendance, diligence in doing homework, classroom behavior or differences among individual teachers; elementary grades three and four will receive letter grades (A, B, C, D and F), like grades five through 12, but the letter grades will continue to correspond to the 4.0 scale; standardized academic vocabulary instruction in reading, math and science so that terms taught at a specific grade level will not be retaught in subsequent years; new math textbooks for grades seven through 12; added a new ninth-grade reading course (academic literacy), which will be required for all students reading below grade level; added eight new early childhood classrooms; expanded dual language classrooms to two middle schools and one elementary; expanded block scheduling to Omaha Burke and Omaha Bryan; implemented the Focus program at Burke for students entering from Lewis and Clark Middle School's Focus program; International Baccalaureate program to begin at Omaha Central.
Millard Public Schools New school administrators include Heather Phipps, principal at Kiewit Middle School; Jason Farwell, principal at Black Elk Elementary; Skip Hanlon, principal at Ackerman Elementary; Scott Ingwerson, principal at Millard North Middle School; Melissa Poloncic, principal at Reagan Elementary; Jennifer Reid, coordinator of E.L.L., Poverty, and Federal/State Programs.
New K-12 science curriculum.
Ralston Public Schools
Adminstrative changes are Mark Adler, superintendent; Steven Schrad, interim principal of Ralston High; Heather Nebesniak, principal of Wildewood Elementary; Elizabeth Gomez, principal of Blumfield Elementary; and Cecilia O'Donnell, principal of Karen Western Elementary.
Westside Community Schools
Blane McCann is the new superintendent. Glen Jagels is the new principal at Westbrook Elementary. Russ Olsen is the new principal at Westside Middle School.
All buildings had some work done, including painting.
Larger projects included installing more handicapped accessible equipment on the playground at Rockbrook Elementary; adding handicapped accessibility to the playground and an additional kindergarten classroom at Oakdale Elementary; restroom remodeling at Paddock Road, Swanson, Sunset Hills and Underwood Hills Elementaries; additional kindergarten room at Sunset Hills; new flooring at Westgate Elementary; new HVAC system at the high school.
Elkhorn Public Schools
All schools built prior to 2010 received security updates including cameras and controlled access panels.
Elkhorn High received a makeover to the entry, commons, front offices and family and consumer science area. The entry will now reroute guests through the office of the school resource officer and attendance secretary to improve security.
Elkhorn High School, Elkhorn Middle School and Westridge Elementary received new carpeting and tile.
High school students may now enroll in AP Spanish, a fifth-year Spanish language course; AP Statistics will offer students another option for an upper-level mathematics course; AP World History will be added to the social sciences offerings and will provide 10th-grade students with coursework comparable to a college-level history course; natural science courses for high school freshmen have been reorganized to better align with state science standards.
The district also will begin to house its own young adult program for students 18 to 21. Previously, the young adult program was contracted through outside providers. The program focuses on transition and helps prepare special education students for adulthood.
Bennington
Therese Nelson will be the principal at the new Heritage Elementary.
The district added a 650-seat auditorium with stage at Bennington Junior-Senior High School, track and visitor seating at the football stadium and lighting at the softball field.
The high school has added Advanced Placement classes in French and American history.
Blair Community Schools
Chris Stogdill is the new principal of Otte Middle School.
Fort Calhoun Community Schools
Drew Wagner is the new elementary school principal.
Douglas County West Community Schools
Dan Schnoes is the new superintendent. Jim Knott is the new high school principal.
The high school will re-introduce family and consumer science classes with advanced foods.
Lighting throughout the high school is being upgraded this semester. The elementary computer lab has new computers. The business curriculum at the high school is new. Seniors will get iPads this semester, possibly expanding to juniors in the second semester.
Springfield Platteview Community Schools, formerly South Sarpy School District 46
Brett Richards will begin his first year as superintendent.
Besides the district's new name, which took affect in June, each student in grades seven through 12 will get an iPad to use at school and at home.
Papillion-La Vista School District
Brent Holder is the new principal at Papillion Junior High.
In November 2012, residents of the Papillion-La Vista School District will be asked to vote on a $59.6 million bond issue for a new middle school, new elementary school, renovations at both junior highs, renovations at four elementary schools, money to purchase land for new schools and money to purchase fiber for technology infrastructure.
A new K-5 science curriculum will be implemented throughout the district. This curriculum is a more inquiry-based, hands-on approach to teaching science. Incoming ninth-graders can gain a jump-start on future careers by enrolling in the new STEM academy. This four-year pathway will prepare students to pursue a post-secondary education and career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field.
The district will roll out a new automated calling system and communication vehicle. It will include a district app for parents and community members.
Gretna Public Schools
Ellen Ridolfi will be the principal at the new school, Whitetail Creek Elementary.
The high school is getting a two-story addition, which is ongoing construction, and a different front entry.
Louisville Public Schools
Brett Schwartz is the new middle and high school principal.
A major addition included a multipurpose room, vocal music and band room, weight room, concession stand, football field and track, broadcast multimedia lab and a technology room. All three parts - elementary, middle and high schools - of the single-building district were affected by the renovations. The parking lot also more than doubled and the high school got a new entrance off U.S. Highway 50.
Curriculum changes abound, too:
iPads have been added for in-school use in the elementary area. A new writing program will be introduced for the elementary level. The middle school and high school class times have been changed to add instructional minutes to core classes. Electives have been added, including culinary arts, broadcasting, industrial technology, earth science and astronomy.
Bellevue Public Schools
Ronald Oltman is the new principal at Birchcrest Elementary.
All buildings will implement Response to Intervention (RtI) this school year. The district will switch from Terra Nova standardized testing to the adaptive Measures of Academic Progress testing.
Plattsmouth Community Schools
Upgrades completed to the Plattsmouth Academic and Equipment Complex. A diesel mechanic program has been added at the high school. Through the Providing Opportunities for Plattsmouth Schools (POPS) Foundation, the district will begin a major fundraiser for PACK, Plattsmouth Activities Complex for Kids. Money raised also will be used to add a baseball field with synthetic turf and to remove the football field's natural grass turf and replace it with synthetic. Artificial turf will provide increased outdoor opportunities for students in marching band, physical education classes, soccer, softball, football and baseball. The high school track also is a topic of discussion for potential improvement.
Lincoln Public Schools
Vann Price is the new principal at Lincoln North Star. Brent Toalson is the new principal at Lincoln Southeast. The new Kloefkorn Elementary will open with Sue Braun as principal.
McPhee and Hartley Elementaries will move back into their renovated permanent buildings after a year away at a temporary site.
Roper Elementary has a new annex for students in fourth and fifth grade and also gives the school a unique feature, a second library. The annex was needed due to population growth. This is the first elementary annex LPS has built.
The Educare building, a partnership project with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the Buffett Early Childhood Foundation and LPS, is under construction at Belmont Elementary School. The center will open in January.
The new data center is in operation in an old boiler room across the street from Lincoln High.
Fremont Public Schools
New principals are Nicole Lanum at Washington Elementary, Heather Beekman at Clarmar Elementary, Gale Hamilton at Johnson Crossing Academic Center (grades five and six) and Chuck Story at Fremont High.
Major projects include construction of a new grades five and six school, Johnson Crossing Academic Center; expansion of Clarmar Elementary; renovation and expansion of Linden Elementary; and addition of classroom space and a commons at Fremont High. The district established full-day kindergarten at all schools and two continuous calendar (year-round) elementary schools.
Johnson Crossing Academic Center captures the best of the traditional elementary school and middle school. A literacy coach has been assigned to the facility.
Twenty minutes were added to the school day at the elementary level and equivalent additions to the Johnson Crossing, Fremont Middle and High School schedules. Five days have been added at all levels to the instructional calendar for 2012-13 with the intent of providing greater emphasis on basic instructional areas.
Council Bluffs Lewis Central School District
Joel Beyenhof will be the new high school principal.
The football field has new artificial turf. A portion of the middle school has been renovated.
Construction will finish in October or November for a new administrative office building.
Council Bluffs Community School District
New principals are Bill Huggett at Carter Lake Elementary, Casey Moran at Lewis & Clark Elementary, Garry Milbourn at Longfellow Elementary, Melissa Byington at Kirn Middle School and Kim Kazmierczak at Wilson Middle School.
New laptops will be given to every high school student for use at school and home; new student-run branch of Treynor State Bank at Thomas Jefferson; new home and visitors bleachers at Council Bluffs Stadium; new pre-engineering coursework at the middle schools through the organization "Project Lead the Way."
Missouri Valley Community Schools
Alan Moritz is the new principal for pre-K through eighth grade.
Riverside Community Schools
Minor renovations are being made to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
New curriculum for 3-year-old preschool class is being added.
Underwood Community Schools
Renovations were made to the high school to include an auditorium, practice gymnasium, wrestling room and fitness room.
Students in grades five through 12 will receive personal laptops as part of the One-to-One initiative.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Brownell-Talbot School
Sylvia Rodriguez Vargas is the new head of school.
Administrative offices have moved out of the school to 14258 West Maple Road.
New advance placement classes in Spanish, physics, U.S. history and literature and composition.
Students will notice lots of construction this year for the $6.9 million project that will include a new gym, six new classrooms, an expanded commons/cafeteria area and more parking, to be completed July 2013.
Council Bluffs St. Albert School
David Schweitzer is the new junior-senior high principal.
Will open an additional section of kindergarten for a total of three.
Elkhorn Mount Michael
The school is restarting the Academic Decathlon program.
A new waste water treatment plant is under construction.
Lincoln Pius X
The science lab is newly renovated.
The school has a new weight room and wrestling room.
Omaha Christian Academy/Blair Christian Academy
Amy Nylin is the new principal and activities director.
Mandatory study hall has been eliminated. Middle School specials have been added outside of band and choir: sixth-graders can choose between art or home economics; eighth-graders can choose wood crafts or home economics and weight training or gardening.
Blair Christian Academy is adding third grade (was K-2 last year).
Omaha Creighton Prep
The Rev. Andy Alexander is the new president.
A new program this year is VEX Robotics Club.
Omaha Duchesne
Construction is almost complete on wheelchair-accessible entrance, wheelchair-accessible restrooms in the auditorium, new elevator and meeting room, and renovated cafeteria. The new spaces will be usable in November.
Omaha Gross
Dorothy Ostrowski is the new president and John Schultz is the new principal.
Omaha Jesuit Academy
Troy Wharton is the new principal.
Omaha Madonna School
Michelle Urban is the new principal.
Omaha Marian
New classes this year include anatomy and physiology, and creative writing.
The Mary Joy and Tal Anderson Performing Arts Center is under construction and is scheduled for completion in August 2013.
Omaha Mercy
The original Mercy sign over the entrance has been renovated (not replaced). It definitely has a new look.
Omaha Roncalli
Technology updates include iPads in the science classroom and Wacom tablets for the art classes.
The activity center, which is home to wrestling and other activities, has been completed.
Omaha Skutt
Jon Burt is the new principal.
New synthetic turf was added at Moylan Stadium. The marching band has new uniforms. New flooring and paint in academic hallways; new Apple computer lab; remodeled commons area with glass entryway, new tables and chairs and conversation pits with recharging stations.
New student management system called Blackbaud's Education Edge, will provide students with enhanced online learning opportunities, and state-of-the-art parent and faculty online portals to maximize communication between school and home.
Compiled by Sue Story Truax, Carol Bicak and Kelsey Stewart.
