We Know You Are Smart!

“Are you smart?”------“Yes!”
“Do you know you’re smart?”------“Yes!”
“We know you are smart too!”

This familiar chant of positive reinforcement is one that rings through The Partnership For Our Kids elementary school classrooms as a means of getting students excited about achieving their academic goals.

The staff and teachers of Miller Park Elementary, and many other Omaha Public Schools have added a new spin to this idea of positive reinforcement and academic encouragement. They now use it as a way of preparing for state tests. A recent Omaha World Herald article paints a picture of the pep rallies and pizza parties that Miller Park and several area schools have been holding in order to psych students up to score well on the upcoming state tests. Miller Park Principal, Lisa Utterback believes that the motivation will give the students the confidence they need to do well. "Our kids know that this is their time to show what they know," she says.

For the full Omaha World Herald Article, click here

Dine Out For The Partnership For Our Kids!

Dine out with The Partnership For Our Kids during the month of January. Thanks to generous restaurant partners, Julio’s and Portovino Ristorante, you can support the Partnership by going out to eat! From the Pancho Goldberg Enchilada Platter to Penne Bolognese, whatever you order will benefit the 5,000 students that participate in our programs.

On Tuesday, January 17th, join us at Julio’s West, 123rd and Center Sts, for Taco Tuesday! Stop in between 5p.m. and 9p.m. and a percentage of any purchase you make will be donated back to The Partnership For Our Kids! If you don't have time to dine-in, Julio's will also donate back a percentage of the proceeds on all take-out orders!

Also be sure to swing Midtown Crossing's newest restaurant, Portovino Ristorante anytime throughout January a portion of the proceeds will also come back to support our programs.

Finally, an excuse to eat out for a great cause!

For more information, call 402-930-3000.

Thank You Clothes For Our Kids Supporters!

This past fall, Partnership Administrative Assistant, Jennifer Arnold received a note from Janice Burris a school counselor and Partnership program liaison at Jackson Elementary. Burris had a small request regarding her monthly stipend. “She asked if we might be able to substitute her usual check with a gift card to Plato’s Closet,” Arnold explains. “She mentioned that her students were in need of warm clothing for the upcoming winter months and she would feel better knowing that they were taken care of rather than have the extra spending money,” Arnold continues.

Moved by Burris’ generosity, Arnold reached out to the Partnership’s staff, volunteers, corporate connections and community contacts in hopes that they would support an impromptu clothing drive. “I felt an urgency to help this selfless woman and her classroom, and before I knew it, the idea grew from helping one classroom of students into helping four of our target schools,” Arnold says.

The response to Arnold’s initial appeal was something of a holiday miracle. “We had an overwhelming response. First National Tower, Omaha State Bank, Burlington Capital and Solution One each hosted a clothing bin at their offices,” Arnold says. With the multi-location drop-off sites, Arnold says that more clothing was collected that she ever thought possible. “The office we used to sort the clothing was overflowing into the hallway, and many of the items were brand-new with the tags still intact.”

Arnold wasn’t the only one pleasantly surprised by the community’s outpouring of generosity. “We are so appreciative of the effort and we welcomed the opportunity,” says Jackson Elementary Counselor, Janice Burris. “Our student population has a great need for weather appropriate clothing, especially during the winter months,” Burris explains. “All of the donated clothes went to great use.”

“All of the schools we dropped off at were so excited to receive the donations,” adds Arnold. “Some of them even designated rooms for the clothing donations so students can stop by whenever they might be in need throughout the year.”

To learn how you can contribute to the students and families served by The Partnership For Our Kids, visit us at www.thepartnershipforourkids.org/donate.shtml