Lincoln Public Schools

“Her work as a SLP promotes special relationships with students that last far beyond the years they are on her caseload. Deb is a staple in the Lincoln running community. She has developed a cross country program at Irving Middle School that feeds quality runners to many area high schools.” - Chris Pultz, ed tech analyst, LPS computing services. In a few sentences, briefly describe your role at LPS. I have a couple of roles within LPS. First, I'm a speech language pathologist (SLP) at Irving Middle School and Saratoga Elementary School. My job is to help students become better communicators through speaking, listening, reading and writing or via Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Second, I coach middle school cross country and track at Irving.   How long have you worked for LPS? This is my 32nd year. What inspired you to become part of the education field at LPS? I did my first student teaching experience out of state in the South. It was not the greatest experience. Then I was hooked up with a veteran speech pathologist at West Lincoln Elementary School, and she gave me experiences that demonstrated how SLPs in the educational field should work to be effective in schools. The University of Nebraska has a strong program and support of training SLPs in LPS. While I was in college, LPS had the reputation of excellence for its SLP team. What has been your favorite part of working here? I love working with a wide range of special needs students and disabilities to help them become more independent and confident in their communication abilities. Another rewarding aspect is working with and learning from other speech language pathologists. Our team is always evolving and growing to apply new research and strategies. Did you attend LPS as a student? If so, which school(s)? If not, where are you from? I attended Arnold (K-1), Beattie (2-6), Irving Jr. High and Lincoln Southeast High School. What path did you take after completing your formal education? After graduating from Lincoln Southeast, I attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for both my undergraduate and graduate work in communication disorders. I also have a master's degree from Concordia University in the area of literacy/reading with an endorsement in English Language Learners. I was a summer graduate, so I only had a few days off before I started my job as a SLP in LPS. What do you enjoy most about the Lincoln community? Lincoln has always been a city with a smaller town feel. When you meet new people you can often make a connection with someone you are both acquainted with. What is your favorite childhood book or a book that has influenced your life positively? "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein. Share a shout out to a teacher who impacted your life. Mrs. Jane Reinkordt https://lnkd.in/giYvwpeK

Today is World Mental Health Day. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and there are several resources within Lincoln Public Schools to utilize if you or someone you know needs support. LPS has many therapists, psychologists, counselors and social workers in our buildings to support student mental health and wellbeing. We are also grateful for the community partnerships we have built with mental health services in Lincoln to ensure students at all grade levels have the support they need. If you are in need of any of these resources, reach out to a trusted adult or Hope Squad member at your school to help connect you. #LPSCares #WorldMentalHealthDay If you or someone you know is struggling and needs support, please call, text or chat 988, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Lincoln Public Schools is hiring paraeducators! Join us for Paraeducator Interview Day on Friday, Oct. 18, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. We're looking for general paras, special education paras, and English learner intervention paras, with a salary range of $15.96–$18.65 per hour. Walk-ins are welcome, but completing the pre-event application will help speed up the process. This is a great opportunity for stay-at-home parents, retirees, future educators, college students and independent contractors. Apply at bit.ly/lpspara

Good morning, LPS! We hope you're all enjoying the crisp fall morning 🍂 Here is some #MondayMotivation to get your week started. Make it a great day! #LPSProud

Happy National Coaches Day to all the amazing coaches at Lincoln Public Schools! Thank you for your time, dedication and inspiration in helping students dig deep and reach their full potential. Your leadership teach valuable lessons that go far beyond the competitions. We appreciate all that you do! #LPSProud #NationalCoachesDay

STAFF SPOTLIGHT 🌟 Meet Stacie Arndt, library paraeducator at Randolph Elementary School. She truly cares about connecting students with books they'll enjoy and inspiring a love for reading. Learn more about Stacie in her Q&A below.  “We are so lucky at LPS to have so many excellent paraeducators. Stacie Arndt is one of them. Stacie has a passion for matching students with the books they will love to read. She always goes above and beyond expectations, reflected in how she reads many of the latest, greatest children's literature so she can inspire that connection.” -  Mark Weddleton, Randolph Elementary School librarian How long have you worked for LPS? This is my fifth year at LPS. My first year I worked in reading intervention at Fredstrom Elementary and this is my fourth year at Randolph. What inspired you to become part of the education field at LPS? I volunteered many, many hours all through my boys' elementary years. I loved working with the kids so much that I decided it might be a good fit for me to work in the LPS system. What has been your favorite part of working here? What aspect of your job do you find most rewarding? My main job is to get students excited about reading. Matching them to the perfect book is my goal, and nothing makes me happier then when they come bounding into the library telling me that they loved the book and can we find another one. It's interesting to hear their take on what they've read. I read all the time as a kid so it's rewarding to get to help them make those connections. I feel very fortunate to be tasked with the care of the Randolph library. It's a really beautiful space. Did you attend LPS as a student? If so, which school(s)? If not, where are you from? My family moved around a lot as a kid.I was in Oklahoma for elementary school, Iowa for middle school and graduated high school from Northwest High School in Grand Island, Neb. What path did you take after completing your formal education? I graduated with a CMA in medical assisting from Iowa Western Community College and worked many years in the medical field.  What do you enjoy most about the Lincoln community? I think it's the absolutely best place to raise a family. What is your favorite childhood book or a book that has influenced your life positively? “Charlotte's Web” and “Little Women." Share a shout out to a teacher who impacted your life. Since I didn't go to school here I'm going to give a shout out to the teachers in LPS who made a huge difference in my boys’ education:Risa Udell, Julie Zitek, Allison Arndt, Linda Roh and Kyle Thompson. You may not even be aware of the impact you had, but you did! THANK YOU, from a mom! #LPSProud #LPSStaffSpotlight https://lnkd.in/gP2U9Aky

Today we celebrate our incredible custodial team! From keeping buildings welcoming to setting up for events and handling every unexpected issue, you make our district a better place. Thank you for everything you do! #lpsproud

🚍 Join us for our Transportation Interview Day on Monday, Oct. 14 from 12:30 to 4 p.m. at Culler Middle School (5201 Vine St, Lincoln, NE). We're hiring Drivers: Once licensed and assigned a route, $26.65/hour. Driver Training: $20/hour during training. Transportation Paras: $17.30/hour. Walk-ins are welcome, or speed up the process by completing the application beforehand ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gaMKQKmK

STAFF SPOTLIGHT 🌟 Meet Joshua Genrich, website specialist in LPS Communications. Josh’s work isn’t limited to websites. From graduations to Board of Education meetings, he’s crucial to the success of livestreaming events across LPS. We’re lucky to have someone so dedicated to making sure our events reach the community! Learn more about Josh in his Q&A below.  In a few sentences, briefly describe your role at LPS. I help maintain and update the numerous websites that LPS hosts, which includes simple things like helping post announcements on school websites to making sure that content meets web accessibility standards. In addition to helping with websites, I also stream various LPS events and work with other Lincoln organizations to make sure that our content is getting where it needs to be. How long have you worked for LPS? I started working as a mentor for the Highly Gifted program in January of 2012, and began as a website technician in February of 2019. What inspired you to become part of the education field at LPS? I was excited to help advance the education of others, and to continue to serve the wonderful community of Lincoln, Nebraska. What has been your favorite part of working here? What aspect of your job do you find most rewarding? I have always loved solving problems and relish any opportunity to challenge myself with an odd situation. This job has allowed me to do that, whether I'm figuring out why a certain part of the website is behaving oddly or digging through cables trying to figure out how to properly patch through video at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Did you attend LPS as a student? If so, which school(s)? If not, where are you from? I attended Humann Elementary School starting from early childhood, then Pound Middle School and finally Southwest High School. What path did you take after completing your formal education? I attended Nebraska Wesleyan University after graduating high school, while helping to coach Lincoln-Douglas debate at Southwest High School. After getting my bachelor's degree, I started working as a mentor for the Highly Gifted program here at LPS. That job aged me by about a decade, either from hearing middle school students call me "patient and kind" or from them calling the original Pokemon games "ancient.” Following that, I worked as the communications director at my church before applying to my current position here at LPS. What do you enjoy most about the Lincoln community? The Lincoln community has always been a place that supports others regardless of their background, and as I have grown older I've seen more and more the impact of that mindset on the vibrancy of the city. What is your favorite childhood book or a book that has influenced your life positively? “Slaughterhouse Five." That was the first book I remember that truly challenged me to think about the perspectives of others. Share a shout out to a teacher who impacted your life. Mrs. Heimes at Lincoln Southwest. https://trst.in/TYIEpe

Introducing the story of Lincoln North Star educator Ali Ridha! His experience as an EL student helps him connect with students navigating new challenges. Discover the impact of teaching at LPS through Ali’s story! Check out more Classroom Calling videos for firsthand experiences on what it’s like to teach at LPS: https://lnkd.in/g77brj2T. #LPSClassroomCalling #LPSProud