The ESU2 Community Navigator Program serves 12 districts within the ESU service area. Throughout these districts, they support students’ individual needs through assistance in overcoming hardships, navigating resources and building relationships that empower families and help their students in being successful academically and personally. 

Before COVID-19 struck, our Navigators had uncovered a need that was lacking support within the districts: supplemental food options. This prompted ESU2 to start a food drive where employees could donate for those families in need. This fall additional steps were taken and a partnership was formed with the Food Bank of Heartland. After sending a survey out to two pilot districts, the team received feedback from a total of 58 families that were in need of supplemental food support. Staff at ESU 2 were able to pack 50 reusable bags that contained enough items for 2-3 meals for each family.

On Friday October 23, the navigators took these bags to Wisner-Pilger elementary where they were able to provide supplemental food support to 25 families and 80 children.

The navigators will continue to move forward with these pilot schools and their partnership with the Food Bank for the Heartland. While a schedule has not yet been determined, deliveries will continue to be made to those families seeking supplemental food supports.

Full-Time Substitute Teacher

These are full-time positions with benefits.  

Duties:  Provide substitute teacher services to ESU 2 districts. 

Qualifications:  Qualified candidates must hold a valid NE teaching certificate and/or NE substitute teaching certificate.  

This position is to begin as soon as possible.

To Apply for this position:

          Email a letter of application & resume to:              

Dr. Ted DeTurk, ESU 2 Administrator tdeturk@esu2.org

ESU 2 is an EOE/Veterans Preference Applies

NEWS RELEASE

LYONS-DECATUR NORTHEAST TEACHER NAMED NEBRASKA TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Paul Timm, a science teacher in grades 7-12 at Lyons-Decatur Northeast Secondary School in Lyons, was named the Nebraska 2021 Teacher of the Year during a surprise award presentation today.

Nebraska Commissioner of Education Matthew Blomstedt presented the award.

Timm was one of three finalists for the Nebraska Teacher of the Year award. Michael Sandstrom of Chadron High School in Chadron and Sarah Staples-Farmer of Lincoln East High School in Lincoln were also finalists and will be recognized as Award of Excellence winners.

Timm began his teaching career in Laurel, Nebraska where he taught agriculture education. He currently teaches 7-12^th grade science at Lyons-Decatur Northeast Secondary School where he has been since 2008.

In addition to his classroom experience, Timm is an active member of the school community in the National Honor Society, as a Student Assistant Team Coordinator, and as a coach for the Quiz Bowl, and cross country and track teams. Timm also represents Lyons-Decatur in the Nebraska Water Project multi-school collaboration, the National Geographic Districtwide Partnership, and helped to establish a research program in the district.

In his Teacher of the Year application Timm said he viewed learning as an entrepreneurial venture. The students are not just employees at the job, but business owners building an enterprise of learning with passion, personal choice, and full ownership. 

“I begin by fostering a culture which promotes curiosity and questions, sharing of ideas, celebrating successes, and willingness to learn from failures,” says Timm. “Project- and inquiry-based learning drives education to the highest levels while extending the learning environment beyond the classroom and providing student choice.”

Using this philosophy, Timm strives to prepare his students for life outside school.

Timm has been a teacher for 17 years and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture Education and a Master’s Degree in Entomology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

A panel of Nebraska educators selected Timm as the 2021 Nebraska Teacher of the Year. The Teacher of the Year program recognizes the contributions of classroom teachers who are exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable, skilled, and who have the ability to inspire students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn.

Timm, Sandstrom, and Staples-Farmer will be honored by the Nebraska State Board of Education at a February luncheon.

Timm will participate in the National Teacher of the Year competition later this year.

Educational Service Unit 2 and the Nebraska Department of Education are excited to announce a partnership that will provide the Canvas Learning Management System to public and non-public schools and districts across the state of Nebraska. Canvas is already widely used throughout the K-12 school system as well as in many state colleges and universities. This learning management system connects all the digital tools teachers use into one place and has seamless integration with Google for Education applications. With this partnership, public and non-public schools and districts will receive Canvas at just $3 per seat/user annually until 2023. All other fees such as implementation and Tier 1 support will be covered by the Nebraska Department of Education. 

Canvas training will be provided by Shara Johnson of Educational Service Unit 2. She will be training ESU personnel across the state via Zoom, in-person, and through virtual course work to aid in the implementation and support of Canvas throughout Nebraska's public and non-public districts. Coaches will also be sent out to support districts with Canvas instruction and training.

We highly encourage everyone to participate and not miss out on this amazing opportunity. If you have any questions about the Canvas Consortium, please contact Heather or Shara at necanvas@esu2.org.

Article supplied by the West Point News

Schools in the area aren’t the only ones adapting to new modes of educating children and their families during this time when buildings have been closed because of the cornonavirus.

The Early Development Network at Educational Service Unit #2 based in Fremont also continues to provide services to children from birth to age 3 who have developmental delays and/or health care needs.

Jenna Koperski-Bohn, ESU #2’s Services Coordinator for Cuming and Burt counties, said this week that she wants families to know that services continue year-round.

“We’re still providing services for our area,” she said. “We are working with families through Zoom meetings and phone calls and are providing them with resources. We’re doing everything we can to help. We want them to know we are still here for them.”

Families in need of the Early Development Network’s services, which are provided free, can call 402-727-4130 for more information.

There is also a Facebook page (Early Development Network-ESU#2) that families can visit to find activities to do with their children each day.

Five services coordinators currently cover the four-county area that ESU 2 serves. Those counties are Cuming, Burt, Dodge and Saunders.

Koperski-Bohn said her job is to follow up on referrals to the Early Development Network and connect the families to the services their children need. Those include physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and more.

A child is eligible for services if he or she is not developing typically, or has been diagnosed with a health condition that will affect his or her development.

Referrals can come from doctors, parents who have used the services before, schools and other sources. The family must give permission for the referral to be made.

Prior to the coronavirus, services coordinators visited the families in their homes and were sometimes accompanied by a therapist. In other cases, arrangements are made to connect the families with therapists in the school district or local hospital.

Koperski-Bohn said a lot of the services are moving to a “coaching model” based on the premise that the parents know their children best.

“We find out what the child needs, what they are doing and what the child is having difficulty doing,” she said.

For example, she said if a young child is having trouble walking the services coordinator and therapist will show them something to try. The parent then is encouraged to work with the child and come up with more strategies on their own.

The developmental delays children have vary, KoperskiBohn said, as is each child’s rate of development. One child may be able to walk earlier than another, and others might talk later than others their age.

“We don’t know the exact reason for the delay, but we work to help them overcome it,” Koperski-Bohn said. “We see a variety of developmental delays. A lot of time they don’t need the services anymore by the time they reach preschool.”

That’s why early intervention is important, she added. “Kids grow and change so much at that age,” she said. “Our goal is to address what is going on early in their life. A lot of time, by the time they go to school the child – and their parents – feel comfortable with that new setting.” Koperski-Bohn has been involved with early child development for 10 years and says “it’s the best program ever.”

“It’s cool to see children develop over the years,” she said. “I’ve met children when they were babies and to see them develop and grow and head off to preschool is rewarding.”

After age 3, the child’s needs are provided by the school district in which they live. Special education services are required for children from birth (or date of diagnosis) to age 21.

All credit for this article goes to the North Bend Eagle

Reporter | Mary Le Arneal

North Bend Eagle

All children in Nebraska are entitled to educational benefits from birth to age 21. Nicole Bose work with the youngest ones as a services coordinator with the Early Development Network  out of Educational Service Unit 2 in Fremont. She works with children age birth to 3 years old who have developmental delays or a medical diagnosis that would benefit from outside services.

Bose, a 2009 graduate of North Bend Central, graduated from Wayne State College with a degree in human services counseling. She worked at the Department of Health and Human Services before coming to EDN in August 2018.

“The Early Development Network services are voluntary and free,” Bose said. “We support parents and other caregivers of children on ways to help their child learn during everyday activities.”

Research shows that the first three years are the most important time for learning in a child’s life. Early intervention, providing developmental supports and services early improves a child’s ability to develop and learn. The help may prevent or decrease the need for special help later. The goal of early intervention in Nebraska is to “open a window of opportunity” for families to help their children with special needs develop to their full potential.

“As a services coordinator, I provide families with support and resources,” Bose said. “Typically when I go into homes I am checking in with families to see how services are going and to see if they need any other supports. I work with a team of early intervention providers that support families in meeting their child's goals. The role of the provider is to coach parents in working with their child to best meet the goals they have set.”

EDN services are designed “to meet the developmental needs of an infant or toddler with a disability and the needs of the family to assist appropriately in the infant’s or toddler’s development” as outlined in state law.

The EDN provides services coordination, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language therapy, vision services, audiology services, and early childhood teacher. For children age birth-3 years, all services are provided at the home year around. If services are still needed once the child turns 3, they would be eligible to receive services through an Individualized Education Plan. 

Parents, school or medical personnel may refer a child to EDN. To see if a child is eligible for services, call 402-727-4130 or by make an online referral at ESU2.org.

ESU2 Early Development Network provides services to families that reside in North Bend school district and 15 other school districts from Wisner-Pilger to Ashland-Greenwood. Bose covers the North Bend, Cedar Bluffs, Wahoo, Mead, Yutan and Oakland-Craig school districts.

Bose says the personal aspect of the job is what she likes most. 

“I love seeing the progress that each child has from the time we begin services to the time that they transition to an Individualized Education Plan or no longer need services,” she said. “I also love getting to know the families and being there to support them in any way that they need.” 

Bose said that the EDN is still accepting new referrals during the COVID-19 pandemic

“Services will look different during this time as we are not able to go into family homes,” Bose said. “Currently we are meeting with families virtually with tele-conferencing or over the phone.”