Happy Holidays

Happy holidays everyone! It doesn’t seem possible that we’re already at the end of the first semester. For our elementary and middle school families, I hope it has been a productive and enjoyable first term. For our high school families, best of luck as you complete your final exams and prepare for second semester.

The holidays are a special time in the Rikli home. My wife Amy loves to decorate our home with holiday trimmings, and the Christmas tree is usually up by the time the Thanksgiving leftovers are eaten. We have two very naughty elves, Holly and Jolly, who create mischief and mayhem every night, much to the delight of our youngest son Sam. Holiday music is a staple, of course, and we love reading “The Night Before Christmas” to our kids before waking up on Christmas morning and unwrapping gifts. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

Across the District, our students and families are creating their own holiday traditions and growing the #BeKind initiative in the process. This year we have demonstrated a commitment to #BeKind through a variety of projects and initiatives. As we entered the holiday season the acts of kindness flourished throughout PLCS.  Over 90 families were supported with holiday gifts. Over $11,000 was raised for charities. Over 1,000 toys were donated.  Over 7,500 diapers were donated and over 8,500 food items and supplies were given to those in need. It is truly amazing to be a part of this school district where students, staff and families are so very quick to open their hearts and demonstrate kindness.

We are so blessed, all of us, to live in this great country and this great community. I hope all of you are able to spend time with loved ones, take a break from work and school, and reflect on 2018. It was a very good year in so many ways, and the coming year promises to be even better. So, from the Rikli family to yours, here’s wishing everyone a happy, safe, and relaxing winter break and holiday season. See you in 2019!

First Taste of Winter

Now that we’ve gotten our first taste of winter, I thought it might be helpful to discuss snow days and the process behind the decision-making.

We will always make decisions with student safety as our top priority. I have three school-age children, and my wife and I both work outside the home. I certainly understand getting kids to school on bad weather days can be stressful. If you don’t feel safe sending your children to school because of inclement weather, please keep them home. Every day, parents drop off their children late and/or pick them up early for reasons ranging from athletic contests to dental appointments. We want to see regular school attendance, of course, but we also trust parents to make good decisions for their children.

I understand many families get upset when we don’t cancel school after snow or ice. We live in Nebraska where bad weather is a weekly — If not daily! — occurrence, but we don’t cancel school every time it snows. I suspect most parents understand this, but it bears repeating. Snow days create challenges for many families. Many students live in single parent households or in homes where both parents work. Cancelling school can create hardships for families who need daycare for their children. Some parents are forced to leave young children at home with little or no supervision because they can’t miss work. This too is a safety issue.
When bad weather is anticipated, I typically communicate with area superintendents throughout the evening and early morning. We will always make a decision that is best for Papillion La Vista Community Schools, but if one school district in the metro cancels, generally all public schools in the metro cancel. There are exceptions, but since weather patterns don’t stop at school district boundaries, it makes sense that area school leaders discuss closings. Yes, I do wake up at the crack of dawn to drive our streets and check on snow removal. No, I don’t drive a monster truck! (haha).

It is my goal to communicate the decision as soon as possible, but in most cases, I prefer waiting until the morning. Snowfall projections are notoriously fickle, and we are blessed with outstanding snow removal crews, so we don’t want to cancel too early. We will always communicate on the District website, Facebook, and television. If you want to get a jump on the announcement, please follow me on Twitter @AndrewRikli. I typically post snow day cancellations there first. Students, a bit of good-natured complaining on social media is expected and occasionally funny, but please don’t be mean to my family or use profanity. We are better than that. Above all, #BeKind!