September Newsletter

Note from the Principals:

Dear Families of Crete Elementary School,

The relationship between home and school is one of the most important factors in a student's success. A huge thank you to all the families who have already connected with your child(ren)'s teachers. These conversations are crucial for sharing insights, celebrating successes, and working together to address challenges. An email, a phone call, or a message through the Go Cards! app are the best ways to reach your child's teacher!

Mrs. Fye, Principal

Dr. Frans, Principal   

As the year continues, if you have questions or concerns, please reach out. You can communicate with us through any of the following options:

• Call Crete Elementary (402) 826-5822.

• Go to the Crete Public Schools website and click on the yellow button on the right side of the screen that says “Let’s Talk.”

• Go to the Crete Public Schools website, click on the elementary tab and then select staff. You will be taken to a page with all the staff members and the option to email them.

Reminders:

• Breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 7:55 a.m. Students may enter the cafeteria through door #10 on the elementary playground. The playground gates will open at 7:30 A.M., and that is when supervision begins. 

• For the safety of all our students, please drop off and pick up your student(s) along the designated curb area. This is a busy time of day, so we kindly ask all drivers to stay alert, watch for children, and allow extra time during morning and afternoon drop-off and pick-up.

• School pictures will be on September 23rd.

• Parent Teacher Conferences

  • Monday, September 29, from 6:00-8:30

  • Thursday, October 2nd from 8:00-11:00, 12:30-3:30, 5:00-8:00

  • Conferences will be by appointment only. Please call the Elementary School office to sign up for a time at 402-826-5822. More information will be sent home in Thursday packets.

• Monthly newsletters will be shared via email. They can also be found on our website.

• Download our district app by searching for Crete Public Schools.

• You can view your child’s attendance and lunch balance on the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.

• If your child will be absent or tardy, please call the office before 8:15 a.m.

• Homecoming week is September 16-19. The dress-up days are listed below.

  • Tuesday, September 16th- Hawaiian/Neon Day

  • Wednesday, September 17th- Wacky Day

  • Thursday, September 18th- Pajama Day

  • Friday, September 19th- Cardinal Spirit Day

Map Testing Information

At Crete Elementary, your child is given the MAP assessment from NWEA® in second grade. These tests are given in the areas of math and reading. The assessments help to measure students’ current academic achievement. These tests not only determine your child’s instructional level, but also measure his/her academic growth throughout the school year.

MAP tests from NWEA® are unique in that they are adaptive tests taken on a computer. This means the test becomes more difficult when your child answers a question correctly. When your child answers a question incorrectly, the test becomes easier. Ultimately, your child took a test specifically targeting their learning level. 

Your child’s MAP results are represented as RIT scores. RIT scores range from 100-300 and help measure students’ growth.  These scores indicate whether students are performing on, above, or below grade level.  RIT scores enable teachers to recognize where to focus attention to optimize your child’s learning and to monitor their progress. Crete Public Schools uses the data to monitor progress, differentiate instruction, and identify students who could benefit from additional support, instruction or intervention.

Your child will be testing at Crete Intermediate on the dates listed below: 

Math:  August 26-28

Language Arts:  September 3-5

The results of your students’ testing will be shared at parent-teacher conferences at the beginning of October.

Safety Update

• Photo identification will be required when picking up students from the office during the school day. This measure is being implemented to ensure the safety and security of all our students.  We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

• Our school will continue to use The “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP). Students and staff will be training, practicing, and drilling the protocol. 

• The premise is simple - five specific actions could be performed during an incident. When communicating these, the action is communicated first with one common word and then simple directions.  For example, if sheltering from severe weather, the students would be told "Shelter.  Tornado sirens are sounding.  Evacuate to a sheltered area."  Execution of the action is performed by active participants, including students, staff, teachers, and first responders.

• The SRP is based on the following actions: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter.  Please see the attached document for more information.

English SRP Poster

Spanish SRP Poster

Attendance Updates

Did you know...?

Children’s mental health is important. Students who miss just 2 days of school a month tend to be more stressed and anxious. Help lower student stress by encouraging attendance when students are feeling well.