Film Crew Postpones to April

The film crew from Nebraska Loves Public Schools has postponed their visit to Chadron Schools to April 2nd and 3rd.

They were originally scheduled to film in our schools next Tuesday and Wednesday.

A Film Crew Is Coming To Chadron Public Schools!

Nebraska Loves Public Schools is a team of filmmakers on a mission to showcase positive stories from Nebraska’s public schools.  Nebraska Loves Public Schools is a campaign funded by the Sherwood Foundation.  The group was guided to Chadron Public School after they asked the Nebraska Department of Education to recommend some schools that do a good job with individualized learning.

Nebraska Loves Public School will be filming at Chadron Public Schools on March 4^th and 5^th.  They will be conducting interviews and filming b-roll that will be part of a 30-minute film on individualized learning.  The finished film will air on The State of Education in Nebraska series NET2 World June 19^th, 2014 at 8:00 PM CST.  All videos can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and nelovesps.org.

If you do not want your high school child to be filmed, please contact the school office at 432-0707.

CPS Parent Technology Survey

Parents,

Please take a few minutes to fill out the Chadron Public Schools Technology Survey.  The results of this survey will be used to envision future technology enhancements for our school district.  Your name will be entered into a drawing for some great prizes after the survey is completed.  However, you may choose to complete the survey anonymously. 

Thank you for the many ways that you support Chadron Public Schools.

CHS Competes In Envirothon

The Envirothon is open to all 9-12^th grade students and encourages high school students to learn more about the natural environment. The contest challenges students’ knowledge on aquatics, forestry, wildlife, range, soils, land use and natural resource policy or issues and one special topic of national interest. Five-member teams compete in a setting where they learn that cooperation is needed to achieve success. 

Brooke Roes, Clay Madsen, Toni Doescher

For the first time Chadron High School sent (2) teams to compete.  Due to weather complications last week and rescheduling conflicts, each team was missing a member or two and were at a disadvantage from the start.  Nevertheless, they represented CHS very well. Chadron (1) tied for first in forestry, and placed third in policy and soils! The Chadron (2) placed second in aquatics! Overall they placed 8th and 9th out of 15 schools. For not knowing what to expect, great job!

Each year several regional Envirothon contests are held across Nebraska by Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts.  The winning team from each regional competition is invited to represent their region at the Nebraska State Envirothon Competition.  An additional eight wildcard teams are also invited. The state champion goes on to represent Nebraska at the National Envirothon contest which will be in Athens, Georgia in August 2014. Members of the top ten teams will be awarded National Scholarships that can be used toward a four year university, two year college or trade school.

No School Monday, Feb 17th!

Just a reminder that there will be no school for all K-12 students on Monday, February 17th due to teacher in-services.

CHS Parent-Teacher Conferences Feb. 13th

We want to remind parents of the upcoming Parent-Teacher Conference schedule for February 13 from
5:00-8:30 in the high school.

In addition, we will be hosting a 'mini-session' during conferences about Advanced Placement (AP) and dual-credit opportunities. The purpose of this meeting is to share as much information in preparation to scheduling classes for next school year. We just want to encourage students and parents to think about ways to earn college credits BEFORE arriving on a college campus. So, join us from 6:00-6:30 during conferences to hear the guidance staff assisted by CHS senior, Kaylee Gaswick, who will share the ways in which she earned credits while attending Chadron High School.

Recycle Cell Phones to Fund CMS Playground Project

(From Mr. Dressel's, Middle School Principal's blog)

Recycle Cell Phones to Fund CMS Playground Project

Do you have old, useless cell phones just laying around the house?  If so, bring them to Chadron Middle School to be recycled!  CMS is recycling cell phones as a fundraiser to raise money to move the playground to the west side of the building.  There will be a cell phone recycling box at Parent-Teacher Conferences on February 13th from 2-8 pm in the middle school gym.  So, put those old cell phones to use and help support the CMS Playground Project!

Professional Partner Program - Helping Families Stay Together

(The following is submitted by our partners at the Panhandle Mental Health Center)

Professional Partner Program ~ Helping Families Stay Together

By Janae Keener

Does your child suffer from a mental health illness; such as, ADHD or depression? Is your child having behavior problems or failing classes? Do you know a child who could benefit from being involved with community activities? Do you know a family who could use some help navigating the challenging and stressful world of social services? Do you want help setting goals for a child and watch them achieve them? The Professional Partner Program (PPP) is a positive solution to these common, yet difficult, situations.  

PPP is a wraparound program that focuses on the strengths of youth and their family members. The ultimate goals of PPP are: to keep youth in their homes, advocate for and empower youth and their families, and provide a sense of community with struggling families. PPP strives to help youth and their families build up their support systems, engage in community activities, provide resources and assistance, strategize and problem solve tough issues, and build success in school, home, and the community. PPP offers mentoring and tutoring services as well.  

Who is eligible for PPP?  PPP has a few key requirements for youth to be enrolled into the program. To be eligible for PPP services, the youth must be under the age of 21 and have a mental health diagnosis or a functional impairment. The youth must also be at risk of: becoming a state ward, being placed out of their home, dropping out of school, committing a criminal offence, or have committed a criminal offense. If you are unsure if you child has a mental health diagnosis, a Professional Partner can refer you to a counselor to have an assessment completed.  

How do I refer to PPP?  Make a referral to the program. Anyone can refer a youth to the program; including, a school staff member, therapists, counselors, friends, or family members. If you are unsure if a youth will qualify, please call and a Professional Partner will assist you with this process. If the youth doesn’t qualify, they will be linked to other services.  PPP Referrals can be found at www.region1bhs.net under youth services. Local school staff members have PPP referrals as well. You can always contact any Professional Partner and they can walk you through the process.

After the referral, what does PPP do?  Once the Professional Partner receives a referral for a youth, they will contact the family as soon as possible and explain PPP and the wraparound services that are provided. If the family is interested in receiving services, an intake meeting will be scheduled. During this first meeting, the Professional Partner and the family will complete intake paperwork, identify positive people to be a part of the family’s team, and start developing positive goals for the youth. Once a youth is enrolled in PPP, the Professional Partner will meet with the family and the team for monthly team meetings. They will also be in contact with the family throughout the month by providing various services and support for the family via phone calls, home visits, office visits, and school visits. It is PPP’s goal to work closely with the team members to help the youth accomplish their goals, make additional referrals as needed, and transition to a successful discharge from the program.  Janae Keener, a PPP worker, stated, “The key to the program is getting families to accept our help.  Many parents are scared to ask a school or agency for help because they fear their child might get taken away.  I want to help parents keep their kids in their home surroundings.  Parents need to understand that this is a voluntary program, which means they decide if they want services provided to them and when they feel they have reached their goals they can be discharged from the program. Parents need to know that this program keeps them in control of all situations and we act as a partner with them.”  The idea is to build on the strengths of each individual youth, and each case is treated uniquely in every aspect, from the hours needed with mentors to what other resources are utilized by the youth and his/her family.  Janae states, “I find community resources and create a plan of survival for the family. Often this plan can be broken down into monthly goals, which are checked up on in monthly meetings. The main thing to keep in mind is that the program is a Family Centered Practice, which means the family has access and ownership of the plan. I want every child to know they have strengths and a purpose in life.  I like to build additional strengths off their existing strengths. Remember, it’s okay to ask for help.  We all need it every now and then. Families don’t have to do it alone, there are services to help that are supportive to the family.”  PPP covers 11 counties in the Panhandle.

On the inverse, PPP is always in need of mentors for youth already participating in the program. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please call or visit with a Professional Partner today. If you think that you or your child may benefit from participating in the Professional Partner Program, please call 308-633-2070 or (toll-free 24/7 crisis hotline) 1-877-492-7001.

We'll Soon Begin Scheduling Classes For Next Year!

(Submitted by Carolyn Hinrichs, CHS Student Liaison)

Dear Students and Parents,

We are happy to provide you with the latest edition of the CHS Course Description Handbook.  The handbook outlines the requirements necessary to graduate from CHS.  It also contains course descriptions for the upcoming year.  Please remember that courses offered are based upon STUDENT REQUESTS.  If numbers are not sufficient, the class will probably not be offered.  Because we schedule based upon the “numbers”, it is imperative that you carefully select your courses, and be prepared to stay in those classes once you are given a schedule.   

The American College Testing organization recommends that “all high school students experience a common academic program, one that prepares them for both college and workforce training, regardless of their post-graduation plans.”  In other words, you need to develop skills for entering college and the workforce.  You can accomplish this feat by enrolling in a rigorous and varied class schedule.  

The CHS School Board adopted a new valedictorian selection policy in 2010.  Effective with the class of 2012, students with a 4.0 GPA AND two AP courses will compete for the honor of Valedictorian/Salutatorian.  Further details on the selection process are available in school board Policy 5127.1.  Please stop by the Guidance Office if you need more specific information regarding the policy.

So, how do you choose?  We recommend signing up for courses based upon graduation requirements, teacher recommendations, interests and abilities, past achievements and post-high school plans.  We would like you to utilize the career pathways recommended by the state, at www.nebraskacareerconnections.org.  Students have individual user ID’s and passwords and have already created Personal Learning Plans!  Please ask your student to show you their plan from last year!

We will schedule individual appointments with each student, but ask that you review this document ahead of time and think about possible course requests.  In addition, appointments with parents are always available.  Chadron High School offers all vocational opportunities/courses without regard to race, color, national origin, sex or disability.

Lastly, have fun with the process!  While we want you prepared for your future, please don’t forget that high school is a time to explore new avenues………try your hand at Drafting, Culinary or Ceramics - you just might discover some hidden talents or interests.  Check out our new Ag offerings and new Scholarship Writing class!

Students who are planning to play college sports are strongly encouraged to visit early (and often) with coaches regarding NCAA/NAIA requirements.  Please feel free to stop by the Guidance Office at any time for assistance.  It is our pleasure to be of service to you in any way we can!

(Click here for the entire letter and handbook)