Aloha to Summer! Here is a look behind the scenes at our team getting into the tropical spirit for the ESU 16 Summer SPED Meeting tomorrow.
Be sure to come dressed in your Hawaiian shirts and join in the Aloha spirit!!

about 12 hours ago, ESU 16
Two smiling women stand in a doorway under a green palm leaf "ALOHA" banner, wearing festive tropical glasses and colorful outfits surrounded by bright balloons.
Two smiling women stand in a doorway under a green palm leaf "ALOHA" banner, wearing festive tropical glasses and colorful outfits surrounded by bright balloons.

The High Plains Early Learning Connection (HPELC) Fall 2026 Newsletter is here!
Check out the latest quarterly update to discover upcoming training opportunities, professional development resources, and news across our region.

Serving early childhood professionals, partners, and trainers across ESU 15 & 16 counties (Arthur, Chase, Dundy, Frontier, Grant, Hayes, Hitchcock, Hooker, Keith, Lincoln, McPherson, Perkins, Red Willow, and Thomas).

about 13 hours ago, HPELC
A fall-themed flyer titled "High Plains Early Learning Connection FALL Newsletter 2026." The flyer features autumn leaves, pumpkins, and butterflies against a light yellow background. It contains a message from Coordinator Melissa States thanking early childhood professionals and inviting them to read the quarterly newsletter for training opportunities. Her contact info is listed as mstates@esusixteen.org and 308-534-2416. The flyer encourages readers to follow "High Plains Early Learning Connection" on Facebook, featuring a QR code leading to the page alongside an illustration of books and tea. It also details the High Plains Early Learning Connection Mission, noting service to Nebraska ESU 15 and 16 counties (Arthur, Chase, Dundy, Frontier, Grant, Hayes, Hitchcock, Hooker, Keith, Lincoln, McPherson, Perkins, Red Willow, and Thomas), with funding provided by Grant Number 93.575 from the Child Care and Development Block Grant.
Cheers to Grant Creager on his birthday! Wishing you a day full of happiness and celebration. We appreciate you serving on our Board!
about 18 hours ago, Administration/Business
Happy Birthday Grant Creager
Wishing our OWLS Instructor, Laurie Vak a very Happy Birthday and a day filled with happiness!
3 days ago, Administration/Business
Happy Birthday Laurie Vak
Medication Aide Training - September 2, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. MT - 11:30 a.m. MT at the Ogallala Central Office. Zoom option is available. Please register here: bit.ly/ESU16reg
8 days ago, Administration/Business
Medication Aide Training, September 2, 2026
Asbestos Awareness Training & Asbestos Designated Person Training; Tuesday, September 1, 2026 at ESU 16 in North Platte. Please register by end of day August 22 if you would like to attend.
9 days ago, Administration/Business
Asbestos Training, September 1, 2026
Asbestos Training, September 1, 2026

The ESU 16 Fall SPED Meeting is scheduled for August 26, 2026. Register by August 19th if you plan on attending!

12 days ago, Administration/Business
Fall 2026 SPED Meeting agenda
We hope our Administrator, James McGown has a birthday filled with smiles, laughter, and celebration!
15 days ago, Administration/Business
Happy Birthday James McGown
The SSC NP Office will be Closed all day on Tuesday, August 11th for maintenance. Sorry for any inconvenience.

15 days ago, Teaching and Learning
Background Color: Bright blue Graphic Element: An orange "X" graphic at the top containing bold white text reading: "WE ARE CLOSED" "The SSC NP Office will be closed all day on Tuesday, August 11th for maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience."
What a great way to kick off the new school year with our 3rd Annual Para Impact Conference!

We had a wonderful day filled with professional development, networking, and great opportunities to connect with others. We were also fortunate to have booths represented by ESU 16, Special Olympics, and Region 2.

A huge thank you to our incredible presenters for sharing their time, knowledge, and expertise with us! We also got to celebrate Jason Gieschen’s birthday, which made the day even more special!

Thank you to NACO for being so accommodating and helping us throughout the day. The NACO building is absolutely wonderful for hosting this conference!

And, of course, to all of our amazing paraeducators—we appreciate everything you do! Your districts are lucky to have you, but more importantly, the students you work with are so blessed to have you supporting them each day. Have a wonderful school year!

We also want to extend a special thank you to the Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation. Through an Applegate Grant, they helped fund this conference, and we are so appreciative of their support.
18 days ago, ESU 16
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Join us in celebrating Jason Gieschen today! Wishing you a very Happy Birthday and a great year ahead.
19 days ago, Administration/Business
Happy Birthday Jason Gieschen
The past 2 days brought over 60 educators together to collaborate around the Science of Reading! We learned and strategized ways to weave evidence-based literacy instruction into our time with students. So thankful to work with such amazing educators this week!
#SoRinAction! #LiteracyMatters
19 days ago, ESU 16
Team Reflection
Teachers talking together
Lesson planning
Ready to expand your early childhood education skills? 🧩 High Plains Early Learning Connection is hosting the 2026–2027 Virtual Early Learning Guidelines Workshops!

All sessions take place virtually from 6:30-9:30 CT
Offered By: High Plains Early Learning Connection
Register on NECPRS: https://necprs.ne.gov/user/training/list
19 days ago, HPELC
Flyer for the 2026-2027 High Plains Early Learning Connection Virtual Early Learning Guidelines Workshops. Bright yellow background decorated with colorful building blocks and clouds. Top Left Blue Cloud: Cost $30, Clock Hours 6. Central Text List of 2026-2027 Workshop Dates (6:30-9:30 PM Central Standard Time): - Sept 8 & 10, 2026: Health & Physical - Oct 13 & 15, 2026: Approaches To Learning - Nov 3 & 5, 2026: Math - Dec 8 & 10, 2026: Language & Literacy - Jan 12 & 14, 2027: Social & Emotional - Feb 23 & 25, 2027: Science - March 2 & 4, 2027: Creative Arts Bottom Blue Cloud: Offered By High Plains Early Learning Connection, email mstates@esusixteen.org. Bottom section shows a QR code alongside a Google Forms registration link.
Bringing people together around good work is the BEST way to kick off the year! Teachers and leaders in ESU 16 collaborated around the IPG today. It's exciting to support strong instructional moves in our amazing districts!
#WhatInspirESU?
20 days ago, ESU 16
Team talk
Teachers talking together
ESU 16 Presentation
People Collaborating
We're kicking off the year strong at ESU 16 with 50 participants
diving into the Science of Reading Series!
We love learning alongside our districts and are already looking forward to the next session in our five-part series. Let's keep the momentum going-here's to a year of powerful, evidence-based
literacy learning!
#ScienceOfReading #ESU16 #Literacyleadership #Welovelearning
#Professional Development
26 days ago, Teaching and Learning
This photo collage features four images of people engaged in activities. In the top left image, colored markers are arranged around a "Science of Reading" notebook with dates ranging from 2026 to 2027. The next photo on the top right displays a large group discussion with individuals sitting around several small tables and large TV screens. Below this photo is an individual engaged with several people around a table while looking at a presentation being given on a small laptop screen. The last photo on the right shows a person leading a small group at a table
Lots of new faces coming soon! Please help us welcome our new ESU 16 staff members!
New Staff Orientation will be held on August 5th at the Ogallala Central Office.
30 days ago, Administration/Business
New Staff Orientation
Cheers to John Frates on his birthday! Wishing you a day full of happiness and celebration. We appreciate you serving on our Board!
about 1 month ago, Administration/Business
Happy Birthday John Frates
Join us for the World Language Workshop featuring Joshua Cabral! 🗺️💡

Learn practical, Acquisition-Driven Instruction strategies, adapt activities for all three communication modes, and refresh your classroom approach.

🗓️ Date: Wednesday, August 26th

⏰ Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM MT

📍 Location: Ogallala ESU 16, 314 W 1st St. Ogallala, NE

Cost & Registration:

Title IIA Districts: No fee! Sub reimbursement and registration are fully covered.

Non-Consortium Districts: $75 registration fee.

Deadline: Register by August 20th.

How to Register: Visit registration.esu16.org
about 1 month ago, Teaching and Learning
Flyer for World Language Workshop with Joshua Cabral on August 26th at Ogallala ESU 16. Includes event details, registration link, and logos for Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation and ESU 16.
Just a reminder there is no board meeting in July - see you in August!
about 1 month ago, Administration/Business
No Board Meeting in July.
📚 Prep is underway for the Science of Reading 2026-27 series! 🧠✨

We are getting the manipulatives, binders, and materials ready for our ELA educators serving K-3 readers. We can't wait to launch this 6-part journey and dive deep into how to link the Foundations of Reading Standards with high-quality instructional materials.

🗓️ Mark your calendars: Our launch kicks off on July 28, 2026!
📍 Where: ESU 16 North Platte Office (9:30 AM - 3:30 PM CST)

Get ready for hands-on learning, coaching, and tools to support your classroom implementation. See you there!

👉 Register today: bit.ly/ESU16reg
about 1 month ago, Teaching and Learning
Subject: A high-angle shot of a gray, textured countertop cluttered with various educational manipulatives and workshop materials organized in cardboard shipping boxes and laid out on the surface. Central Focus: A white three-ring binder stands upright in the center. The front cover features a colorful design of watercolor-style circles in yellow, pink, blue, and green, with the cursive text: "Science of Reading 2026-27." Left Side of the Counter: An open cardboard box containing small, transparent plastic bags filled with brightly colored plastic tubes (orange, pink, and red). A smaller cardboard tray filled with round, double-sided yellow and red tokens. Another open box behind it holding stacks of round white and blue plastic tokens. To the far left, a low cardboard tray holds packaged items labeled "Syllaboards." A black mesh zipper pouch lies flat on the counter. Right Side of the Counter: A large cardboard box filled with small green, purple, and orange plastic items. A yellow box containing "Linking Cubes" (multicolored connecting blocks). Large, organized piles of colorful chenille stems (pipe cleaners) in green, brown, red, pink, and white laid out in neat fans directly on the counter.
Header Title: "ESU 16 Training for The Science of Reading. Support NE Law & Literacy Project for ELA Educators serving K-3 Readers." Key Features & Focus Areas:Professional Learning Tenets: Science of Reading Professional Learning Tenets 1-3 & 4. Support & Coaching: "Walkthroughs, data and coaching to support instructional implementation." Standards Alignment: "Link Foundations of Reading Standards w/HQIM. We'll learn HOW to apply our learning to meet the ELA Standards with a direct link to your high-quality instructional materials!" Series Schedule (6-Part Series in 2026-27): The series follows a chronological path: Launch: July 28, 2026 July 30, 2026 October 12, 2026 November 30, 2026 March 1, 2027 Conclusion: May 18, 2027 Event Logistics:Time: 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM CST Location: ESU 16 Office, North Platte (1221 West 17th St.) Cost:Free (Registration & Sub/Stipend reimbursement are covered) if part of ESU 16 CLSD funding. $75 Registration Fee per event for Non-Consortium Districts. Registration Link: bit.ly/ESU16reg Contact Information: For questions, contact Mackenzie Carstens