This Is The Gretna Way - https://tinyurl.com/yc794t7m
What is The Gretna Way?
It’s more than a phrase. It’s who we are and how we show up for one another.
It’s our students supporting each other. It’s staff members lifting one another up. It’s families cheering our schools on. It’s community members stepping in to help. It’s choosing positivity, finding joy, and making sure the people around us know they matter.
The Gretna Way belongs to all of us.
We asked members of our Gretna community what The Gretna Way means to them. We didn’t give them answers or tell them what to say. We simply asked them to share their experiences with Gretna Public Schools.
What they shared is a powerful reminder of the culture we have created together.
Our students feel it. Our families see it. Our community believes it.
As we begin another school year, let’s continue to support one another, embrace our imperfections, choose positivity over pessimism, find joy, and spread it every day.
Because we don’t do it alone.
We do it together. And that’s The Gretna Way.
Take a few minutes to watch the video and hear from the people who help make Gretna Public Schools such a special place.
A special thank you to Jacht for helping us capture the voices, stories, and spirit that make The Gretna Way so special.
What is The Gretna Way?
It’s more than a phrase. It’s who we are and how we show up for one another.
It’s our students supporting each other. It’s staff members lifting one another up. It’s families cheering our schools on. It’s community members stepping in to help. It’s choosing positivity, finding joy, and making sure the people around us know they matter.
The Gretna Way belongs to all of us.
We asked members of our Gretna community what The Gretna Way means to them. We didn’t give them answers or tell them what to say. We simply asked them to share their experiences with Gretna Public Schools.
What they shared is a powerful reminder of the culture we have created together.
Our students feel it. Our families see it. Our community believes it.
As we begin another school year, let’s continue to support one another, embrace our imperfections, choose positivity over pessimism, find joy, and spread it every day.
Because we don’t do it alone.
We do it together. And that’s The Gretna Way.
Take a few minutes to watch the video and hear from the people who help make Gretna Public Schools such a special place.
A special thank you to Jacht for helping us capture the voices, stories, and spirit that make The Gretna Way so special.
Guardians in training! 🎖️💪 Our students are reviewing G.P.S. building wide expectations at 'Basye Bootcamp'. We are focusing on building a positive, safe, and proactive school culture right from the start by 'Giving Kindness', 'Practicing Accountability', and 'Staying Safe'. 👏☀️
A Warm Welcome to Our New Staff
We’re excited to welcome our newest members of the Gretna Public Schools family!
Journey Church recently hosted a breakfast for our new staff members, giving them a chance to connect, enjoy a meal, and begin getting to know one another as they start their journey with Gretna Public Schools.
Starting a new job comes with plenty of excitement and a few nerves, so having our community come alongside our new staff to make them feel welcome means a lot.
We are grateful to Journey Church for their generosity, support, and hospitality. Thank you for helping us welcome our newest Gretna Greats and for spreading the joy!
This is The Gretna Way in action.
Arrival reminders at Thomas Elementary. We are excited to see everyone tomorrow on the 1st day of school.
Ninety-six of our special education paraprofessionals gathered at Gretna East High School for a day of professional development as they prepare to support students throughout the 2026-27 school year.
This is an incredibly committed group of staff members who bring compassion, patience, and dedication to their work every day. They are constantly learning, growing, and looking for ways to better support the students they serve.
Most importantly, they live out Gretna Public Schools' mission to unconditionally accept all students and maximize their potential.
We are incredibly grateful for the important role these staff members play in the lives of our students. Their work, their commitment, and the care they bring each day are a powerful example of The Gretna Way.
🏫 Open House & New Family Orientation:
The doors are open and the excitement is building for the 2026-2027 school year! 🗺️✨ From finding new classrooms to meeting our amazing Special Area teachers in the library, tonight was all about welcoming our families back to school. To our newest Guardians—we saw those first-day jitters, but we promise you're going to love it here! Welcome to the family and we can't wait to see everyone on Wednesday for the first day of school! 👋❤️
The doors are open and the excitement is building for the 2026-2027 school year! 🗺️✨ From finding new classrooms to meeting our amazing Special Area teachers in the library, tonight was all about welcoming our families back to school. To our newest Guardians—we saw those first-day jitters, but we promise you're going to love it here! Welcome to the family and we can't wait to see everyone on Wednesday for the first day of school! 👋❤️
We can't wait to see all of our Thomas friends on Monday, Aug. 10th for 'Open House'!
5th grade teachers from across the GPS district are working hard with back to school staff development. We are so lucky to have such an amazing team preparing for our kids!
Behind the scenes and hard at work! ☕️✨ Our incredible staff is back in action for the 2026-2027 school year. With 'open house' just a couple days away (Monday, Aug. 10th) our staff is diving into prep work, collaboration, and getting everything perfect for our students. Year 2026–2027, we are ready for you! ⚡️🏫
Need Help Getting Ready for the 2026–27 School Year?
Gretna Public Schools is here to support families with:
• Free and Reduced-Price Meals
• Return-to-school registration and school forms
• School supplies
• Technology and school apps
• Transportation and bus questions
If your family could benefit from any of these resources, please complete the Family Support Form by July 29. We'll connect you with the programs and support that best meet your family's needs.
Questions? Contact Anne Doerr at adoerr@gpsne.org or 402-332-3265.
Attention All Gretna Residents!
Thank you to everyone who has already completed the annual Census. If you have not yet completed it, please take a moment to do so by June 18th. Your participation is vital and helps shape the future of Gretna and supports the continued growth of our school district.
You may complete the census in several convenient ways:
Go directly to the online form
Scan the QR code provided
Complete and return the postcard sent in the mail
Visit www.gpsne.org and select “GPS Census”
NEW: Drop off your completed postcard at the district office or any Gretna Public Schools building
We appreciate your time and support of this important community effort.
Census Form:https://tinyurl.com/mprxjsxs
We are excited to see the playground project underway at TES. The 'pebble pit' area will be repurposed into an interactive play space & a new swing set will also be installed, with more to come.
The Gretna Public Schools Transportation Department wrapped up the school year with a special last day breakfast celebration. Along with enjoying time together and reflecting on another successful year, the department also recognized three outstanding drivers on their retirement: Ardell Savage, Denny Savage, and Tracie Hurtz.
Ardell, Denny, and Tracie have each dedicated years of service to safely transporting students and supporting Gretna Public Schools every day. Their commitment, reliability, and care for students and families have made a lasting impact on our district and community.
We are incredibly grateful for everything they have done throughout their careers and wish them happiness and relaxation in retirement. Congratulations and thank you for your service.
Thomas students have continued to earn Thomas Tickets and have been using them to 'vote' for differentTES staff members that they wanted to pie in the face. Today, Mrs. Reelfs, Mrs. Gostanzik, Mr. Kohout, Mr. Harriger, and Mr. Basye were the 5 lucky 'winners' of the vote and got a pie to the face in front of the school. The real winners were the 5 students who were chosen to do the 'pie'ing'! Great work Guardians and keep earning those Thomas Tickets!
The Thomas Elementary Unified Guardians held their historical first game on Friday, May 15th in front of a packed house. The Guardian athletes practiced for 6 weeks leading up to the game and didn't disappoint in front of some amazing fans. These athletes showed off their hitting, fielding, and base stealing abilities in front of their friends and families. We are so proud of the athletes and our coaching staff for all of your hard work, the unbelievable smiles, and our sense of TEAM pride! Great work Guardians!
Gretna Public Schools Summer Libraries will be open at several school locations throughout June and July to help students stay engaged in reading during the summer months. Families are encouraged to visit their neighborhood school library to check out books and enjoy continued access to learning resources.
Summer Library Schedule
Whitetail Creek Elementary
Wednesdays | 9:00-11:00 a.m.
June 3-July 29
Falling Waters Elementary
Tuesdays | 9:00-11:00 a.m.
June 2-July 28
Harvest Hills Elementary
Wednesdays | 9:00-11:00 a.m.
June 3 -24 and July 15-29
Palisades Elementary
Every other Wednesday | 9:00-11:00 a.m.
June 10 & 24 and July 8 & 22
Aspen Creek Middle School
1st and 3rd Wednesdays | 12:00-2:00 p.m.
June 3 & 17 and July 1 & 15
Gretna High School
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. on June 10, July 1, and July 15
We encourage all students and families to take advantage of these summer reading opportunities.
Summer Library Schedule
Whitetail Creek Elementary
Wednesdays | 9:00-11:00 a.m.
June 3-July 29
Falling Waters Elementary
Tuesdays | 9:00-11:00 a.m.
June 2-July 28
Harvest Hills Elementary
Wednesdays | 9:00-11:00 a.m.
June 3 -24 and July 15-29
Palisades Elementary
Every other Wednesday | 9:00-11:00 a.m.
June 10 & 24 and July 8 & 22
Aspen Creek Middle School
1st and 3rd Wednesdays | 12:00-2:00 p.m.
June 3 & 17 and July 1 & 15
Gretna High School
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. on June 10, July 1, and July 15
We encourage all students and families to take advantage of these summer reading opportunities.
We very proud to announce that Mr. Cole Kohout (2nd Grade Teacher at Thomas) was named the 'Elementary Educator of the Year' for the Gretna Public Schools. Mr. K was presented this award by the GPS Foundation and MCL Construction after being nominated by classroom parents and staff members. He will formally be awarded this honor at the Education Excellence Awards on Tuesday, May 19th at Gretna East High School. Congrats Mr. K!!!!
Last week, our first and second graders at TES had a wonderful opportunity to share their writing with one another! It was so special to see students proudly read their work, listen to their peers, and celebrate each other’s ideas. We are so proud of all of our young authors! ✏️📚
Kindergarten students rotated through classrooms to learn about different habitats before their trip to the zoo later this month!
The TES kindergarten students are working hard to prepare for their music program tonight (Thursday, April 9th) at 6:30 PM. The doors open at 6:10 PM. We can't wait to see them perform!
