Gothenburg Public Schools - Excellence is an Expectation

Good Evening! We were made aware this evening that the intersection by the bus barn is now open. This allows for a couple of critical adjustments to our drop-off and pick-up that will improve traffic flow and increase student safety. 7-12 Normal Drop-Off K-1, 5-6 use 13th Street then left turn to Avenue G. K-1 dropoff on Avenue G. 5th & 6th continue to parking lot drop off. 2nd, 3rd, and 4th will drop off on 13th & H. This removes one extra grade from Avenue G congestion and pulls 3rd and 4th out of the parking lot, improving traffic flow and allowing students to exit on the right-hand sidewalk. We apologize for the last-minute change. These two changes will improve student safety and increase traffic flow in the morning so we didn't want to wait to implement the changes. Thank you for being so flexible as we work to navigate our current "normal". Please give yourself a few extra minutes in the morning. While road construction continues on Avenue G between 11th & 12th Street, please feel free to drop students off at a central location (preferably that of the youngest child) and allow them to walk to their assigned doors. If high school students are in charge of drop-off for your family, elementary students can walk to their designated locations from the high school.

Be Here. Be You. Be A Swede! Check out the t-shirts from Valley Promo LLC to support our Gothenburg Public Schools theme this year! The opportunity to order will end on 8/22 so place your order soon! gps24.valleypromodsco.com

We are excited for Open House tonight from 5:30-7:00. Be sure to check out the yard sign on the west side of Dudley for a fun Back To School photo. Additionally, we have some special signs in front of the big bulletin board for a fun family photo tonight! See you all soon!

Thank you to The Crossing for treating our educators to a yummy snack this morning! Your support means the world to us and we always appreciate the community's recognition of the important work we do every day!

🌟 "Be Here. Be You. Be a Swede!" 🌟 We kicked off the 2024-2025 school year today by welcoming staff back to campus! The day was jam-packed with professional development ensuring we're ready for a successful year ahead. Highlights included a heartfelt welcome from Dr. Jonas, Superintendent, informative sessions on such things as Swede Essentials, Technology, Staff Wellness, and School Safety and a warm Swede Welcome to the new TeamMates Mentoring Program Coordinator, Tabitha Venteicher. A big thank you to Flatwater Bank for providing a delicious lunch, and to everyone who presented today. We have a few more days to prep for the new school year but we're feeling energized and excited to see students at Back-to-School Night on Monday, August 12th!

Mrs. Ostendorf and Miss Zach... "The Dynamic Duo"... presented at our Mentor / Mentee Program Luncheon on Wednesday at Good Life Gothenburg. These two 1st grade teachers were paired up last year as Mentor and Mentee and truly exemplified the spirit of the program. They shared success stories, offered invaluable advice, and created space for meaningful discussions - all while sprinkling in some classic 1st grade nuances and humor! 😊 Their passion for teaching, dedication to our students, and commitment to collaboration was evident! #SwedesLead

Things to do today: 1. Log into your PowerSchool Parent Portal on a computer or web browser 2. Click "Food Service" on the menu 3. Follow account activation prompts (after you activate your account you will not need to. Hooray for Single Sign On!) 4. Fill out meal application to get $10 per student on your family account 5. Fund lunch account if necessary. 6. Go about life knowing that this process just got easier!

We just wrapped up two incredible days of Swede Orientation with 15 outstanding new members of our team! 🌟 Our group includes 11 new or new-to-the-district teachers, 3 staff members stepping into new teaching-type roles, and a dedicated student teacher. Their enthusiasm, active engagement, and commitment to student success have already set the tone for an exciting year ahead. We're thrilled to welcome these passionate educators to the Swede Family for the 2024-2025 school year! L-R: Mrs. Hailey Kuefner (2nd Grade), Miss Marley Kennicutt (Student Teacher), Miss Allison Nichols (4th Grade), Mr. Paul Hamilton (MTSS Behavior Support), Mrs. Epley Hamilton (Business), Mr. Ryan Eshleman (5th Grade), Miss Brooklyn Elwood (English), Mrs. Sharayah Phillips (High School Choir & Accompanist), Miss Elise Johnson (Agriculture), Mr. Ryan Johnson (Band and High School Choir), Miss Selena Bloos (English), Mrs. Blayre Miller (Kindergarten), Miss Mashaela Foster (Spanish Class Proctor), Mrs. Kristin Hastings (Special Education), Mrs. Saraid Brock (Spanish Class Proctor)

We're thrilled to welcome Ms. Kara Libich to our elementary MTSS Team as an MTSS Interventionist for the 2024-2025 school year! Ms. Libich brings a wealth of teaching experience, having taught multiple grade levels as a country school teacher and then later teaching 5th and 6th grade at Dudley Elementary. For many years, Ms. Libich served as our lower elementary art teacher and keyboarding teacher, and even in her new role, she will continue to teach lower elementary art (while Mrs. Stortenbecker will maintain her role teaching 2nd - 6th grade art). Keyboarding instruction will now be integrated into the classroom. Ms. Libich's diverse background and dedication make her the perfect fit for this role. Please join us in congratulating Ms. Libich on her new MTSS position!

Do you have a child starting Kindergarten this year? Please be sure to return the following information to Nurse Haas by JULY 30! -Physical and Eye exam (within the last 6 months) -Updated immunizations -Copy of original Birth Certificate -Completed Health form

In the near future, K-6th students will be excited to receive some mail about the 2024-2025 school year. We are looking forward to the new year!

Attention! Parents of incoming 7th Graders! State of NE requires for ALL 7th graders to have a physical and a Tdap Booster shot prior to starting the school year. Please turn this documentation into Nurse Haas ASAP - if you have questions, call 308-537-3651 and ask for Nurse Haas or email melissa.haas@goswedes.org.

We announced in February that Mrs. Blayre Miller would be joining Gothenburg Public Schools as a Special Education teacher for the 2024-2025 school year. However, we have some updated and EXCITING news to share! Due to an internal shift in positions... causing an opening in kindergarten... Mrs. Blayre Miller is NOW going to be a Kindergarten Teacher!!! After student teaching in kindergarten in the spring, Mrs. Miller found a passion for this grade level and is super excited to collaborate with the kindergarten team! Welcome to KINDERGARTEN, Mrs. Miller!

Do you have a child starting Kindergarten this year? Please be sure to return the following information to Nurse Haas by JULY 30! -Physical and Eye exam (within the last 6 months) -Updated immunizations -Copy of original Birth Certificate -Completed Health form

We are thrilled to announce that Mrs. Michelle Mroczek will be joining the 2nd grade team for the 2024-2025 school year! With her background as a classroom teacher and her valuable experience as an MTSS Specialist within our district, Mrs. Mroczek brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her new role. We’re confident she’ll be a fantastic addition to our 2nd grade team and will continue to make a positive impact on students. Please join us in welcoming Mrs. Mroczek to the 2nd grade team! 🍎📚

Congratulations to Madison Smith! 🎉 At tonight's School Board meeting, Madison was honored for her outstanding achievement in track and field! She received the All-Class Gold Medal in the discus at the State Championships in May. Madison not only earned the Class B Gold Medal in the discus for the third consecutive year but also achieved the All-Class Gold Medal for the third year running! What an exceptional feat! Due to the unique format of the State Track and Field Championships, All-Class winners don't receive their medals at the State Meet. Instead, they are mailed to their schools. Coach Mahlberg was present at the meeting to personally hand over her well-deserved medal. We are incredibly proud of Madi... and as she continues her athletic career at UNK this fall, we wish her all the best!

Congratulations to 2023 GHS graduate Ally Goad on her summer internship at the Robert Henri Museum & Art Gallery (RHM) in Cozad! Ally credits her success and passion for the arts to her high school art teachers, Mrs. Jami Stortenbecker and Miss Samantha Janda, who played a significant role in shaping her journey and decision to pursue a career in the arts. “With the assistance and support of Gothenburg Elementary Art Teacher and High School Graphic Design/Photography Instructor Jami Stortenbecker, I also applied to the Hastings College summer program for the arts: Open Space, which I believe was a main factor in my decision to attend Hastings College. I had the opportunity to meet the entire Fine Arts staff and I fell in love with the school,” Ally shared. “When I returned from Open Space for my senior year at GHS, I was greeted by a brand new art teacher, Samantha Janda. Ms. Janda did an amazing job with her first year of teaching and was also a factor in my college decision-making process,” Ally explained. The Robert Henri Museum & Art Gallery is open Tuesday - Saturday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Make sure to stop by and say hello to Ally! We are so proud of her accomplishments and can't wait to see what she achieves next! 🌟 https://www.cozadlocal.com/news/local/ally-goad-interns-at-the-robert-henri-museum/article_fa59b94a-3b30-11ef-92ab-6f4fc13e1dc0.html

We're thrilled to announce the School Counselor assignments for the 2024-2025 school year! As we have shared previously, Mrs. Baker will be transitioning to the High School Counseling position, taking over for Mr. Jerry Wiggins, who retired in May. Mrs. Baker's dedication and experience make her a perfect fit for this role. We are also delighted to welcome Mrs. Wendy Bartels to our counseling team! Mrs. Bartels, a distinguished 2nd grade teacher in our district for many years, brings her immense passion for student success to her new role. She will be working with Kindergarten and 1st graders and serving as the Safe Schools Coordinator. With her extensive experience on the Crisis Team and the Quick Response Team, Mrs. Bartels is well-equipped to excel in these positions. Our veteran team member, Ms. Michelle Stevens, will transition to the 6th through 8th grade School Counselor position, previously held by Mrs. Pam Glodowski, who also retired in May. With her background as a K-12 School Counselor in another district, Ms. Stevens is ready to make an immediate impact. Mrs. Michelle Stienike, now in her second year as a School Counselor, will continue working with 3rd through 5th graders. Her unwavering commitment to student well-being is evident daily as she strives to meet their needs. Additionally, all three elementary counselors will serve 2nd grade, each taking a classroom to ensure comprehensive support. We are incredibly excited about our passionate counseling team and can't wait to see them in action!

With the city road work getting closer to the front doors of Dudley this week, please use extra caution when students are being dropped off and picked up from their session at Camp Dudley. Thank you for keeping our students safe!

Inquiring minds asked - now you're all in the know! The 2024-25 district calendar is available under the Quick Links menu on the Gothenburg Public Schools Website. It's also attached here!