Raider Future: The Raider Way is to provide meaningful experiences for all learners to become College, Career, and Civic Ready.
Learning starts long before kids come to school, continues after they leave school, and goes beyond the classroom. At Sidney Public Schools each student has opportunities to acquire key competencies like problem solving, working together, learning through doing, and sometimes failing in a safe environment. We utilize the Nebraska Career Readiness standards throughout the educational environment. Our career exploration curriculum and career pathways opportunities are aimed at connecting what’s taught at school to real-world learning. Students discover their passions and turn what they like to do into future college degrees, careers that they enjoy, and involvement in community based learning opportunities.
The Career Pathways Program at Sidney Public Schools is a system created to provide workplace learning experiences to students K-12. Within this program we believe that all students should have real world exposure and exploration built systematically within their educational experiences.
Education has changed more in the last fifteen years than in the 100 years prior. The integration of technology and its constantly changing nature has challenged schools to provide appropriate experiences that help prepare students to be ready for postsecondary life. “Today’s students must be prepared to thrive in a constantly evolving technological landscape.” (ITSE) At Sidney Public Schools, technology is ubiquitous. It is a part of every day learning. Students use it seamlessly in their learning to tackle projects, solve problems, and collaborate with others. Students use technology to aid their communication and express themselves in a safe and meaningful way digitally. The world of technology is ever-changing and so is the way it is used at Sidney Public Schools. Students are exposed to multiple, job-ready, technology tools that give them a head start in the career of their choice. At Sidney Public Schools, we build digital leaders who recognize the importance of a good digital footprint.
Sidney Public Schools is 1 to 1 with devices for all students from grades K-12. Students in grades K-2 utilize iPads and single sign on through Clever. Grades 3-12 have Chromebooks and utilize the Google for Education suite of apps. Use of devices has a strong focus on developing adaptive digital skills and sound digital citizenship. SPS teaches students to be responsible online and also responsible for taking care of devices in their possession. A focus is put on students to develop the skills and attributes they each need to meet their own goals. This is given in a wide variety of options and opportunities from computer programming, digital photography, robotics, cyber security, and many more as outlined in the K-12 Technology Scope and Sequence.
Being a lifelong learner comes in large part from having a variety of meaningful and enriching experiences that increase our enjoyment of and appreciation for learning new things. At Sidney Public Schools, we want our students to have extended learning opportunities that help them develop and realize new and varying interests that they might not have had the opportunity to do. Meaningful learning opportunities are at the heart of learning that makes a difference in the lives of each student. We want to help our students not only add to their knowledge and skills in the content areas, but also to their passion and excitement for learning new things today, tomorrow, and into their futures.
At Sidney Public Schools, students are provided many additional enrichment opportunities outside of the classroom. The transition process at Sidney Public schools allows students the comfort of moving from grade to grade or building to building. Each building has a transition plan on how they make this process smooth and less worrisome for our students. As students progress through Sidney Public Schools they will participate in transitions from grade to grade, school to school, and finally into their postsecondary plans as they are ready to graduate high school.
At Sidney Public Schools, students at all levels have opportunities to participate in foregin language, computer science, field trips, guest presentations, and other educational opportunities that are brought into the school. These are education based and provide students additional opportunities of interests outside of the classroom. As students move into middle and high school these additional opportunities continue to be brought into our building. Students also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities such as band, choir, one acts, and a large variety of athletics. At Sidney Public Schools, we are proud to provide our students with many different opportunities to peak the interests of all students and to include all students in enrichment opportunities outside of the regular classroom.