As you receive this newsletter, we will have already completed two weeks of the 4th quarter. Third quarter report cards were mailed on March 13. Please contact your child’s teacher if you have questions or concerns.

Beginning in April, we start to actively recruit all children who are eligible to attend Kindergarten next year. Children who will turn five on or before July 31, 2026, are eligible to attend Kindergarten this fall. You can find more information about
Kindergarten registration following my letter.  

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Aurora Parent-Teacher Board for the many things they do each year! They started the school year off with the Back To School Bash and have also planned and promoted the Scholastic Book Fairs, Family Literacy Night, and Read-A-Thon. The Parent-Teacher Board was also responsible for the development of the School Annual and the design and promotion of the elementary spirit wear! The Parent-Teacher board is comprised of eight parents and five staff members. A special thanks to Parent-Teacher Board members MiKayle Ehlers, Emily Jasnowski, and Jamie Sands, as they will be going off the board at the end of the school year.

This is the final newsletter for this school year. The end of the year seems to always bring about some changes, and this year is no exception. Mrs. Meyer and Mrs. Wilson will be retiring at the end of the school year. These two individuals have served the children of the district for several years! We will also be saying goodbye to Mrs. Roth and Mrs. Otto as they have both resigned from their positions. Best wishes to each of these staff members as they begin a new chapter of life!

As you are aware, I will be retiring at the end of the current school year. I have spent the past 36 years working in education, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the last 21 years serving as the elementary principal. I often say that I wish I could have arrived in Aurora earlier in my career. I will deeply miss working in this excellent school system! I would like to begin by thanking Mrs. Teahon, who has been the assistant principal for the past 10 years. Thank you so much for your unwavering support and commitment to our school! I wish you the best in your new position as elementary principal at West Park Elementary in Columbus. I would also like to thank the elementary staff members that I have had the opportunity to work alongside for their dedication and commitment to the students of Aurora. Finally, I would like to thank the parents and patrons for their support. I am excited for the future of Aurora Elementary, and at the same time, I am personally looking forward to spending more time with my family, especially my three grandchildren!

As your family is making plans for summer vacation, you will want to keep in mind that the 2026-2027 school year will open on Thursday, August 13. The 2026-2027 School Year calendar is now available on our district website (www.aurorahuskies.org).
I would like to wish each family a great finish to the school year and a fantastic summer break! We appreciate your continued support!

Mark Standage
Principal 

Children who will turn five on or before July 31, 2026, are eligible to attend Kindergarten this fall. Parents of age-eligible children were mailed a letter on March 26. This letter provided information about the On-Line Registration that will need to be completed in April as well as information about Kindergarten Kick-Off that is scheduled for Tuesday, August 4th. It also included information about the New Student Parent Information meeting on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, this letter also outlined information that Nebraska State Statutes requires each parent or guardian to provide the school before
their child can attend Kindergarten.

Parents of children who will not be five years of age before July 31, 2026, may contact the school to inquire about the Kindergarten Early Entrance Assessment. Parents must begin the process by April 15th for their child to be considered for early entrance for the 2026-2027 school year. 

My name is Cody Hoegh (pronounced Hegg), and I am so excited to introduce myself as your new Principal. While I’m new to the building, many of you might recognize me from my nine years as an administrator at Aurora High School. After nearly a decade of helping our older students get ready for graduation, I am thrilled to move to the "starting line" and support our elementary students.  I already know that Aurora is an awesome elementary school with truly amazing teachers, and I feel lucky to join such a dedicated team.

My commitment to this community is both professional and personal. My wife, Emily, and I have four kids who keep us very busy: Tinley (14), Hadley (13), Huxley (11), and Remy (7). I spend most of my free time traveling with my family or at the fields and gyms, coaching and watching my kids in their various sports and activities.

Having children at nearly every level of our school system gives me a unique perspective as both an educator and a parent. It drives my passion for making Aurora Elementary a safe, joyful place where every child is excited to come to school. I’m looking forward to partnering with you to make this a fantastic year, and I can’t wait to meet you all! 

Go Huskies!

My name is Nick Lonowski, and I’m excited to be joining the Aurora school district and community. It already feels like the right place for me because I’ve spent a lifetime correcting people on the pronunciation of my last name, and my go-to tip is that it rhymes with “husky!”

I come to Aurora from Blue Hill Elementary, where I’ve spent the past 10 years. During that time, I've taught 5th and 6th grade reading, 3rd grade, and most recently, served as the elementary principal. While at Blue Hill, I also had the opportunity to coach varsity wrestling and junior high football.

I grew up southwest of Hastings and graduated from Adams Central. My experience in a smaller district has been amazing, but I’m really looking forward to being part of a larger district again. My wife, Paige, also attended a larger school district in Pratt, Kansas, and together we’re excited to give our three kids—Tucker (4), Lucy (3), and Lainey (1)—the same kinds of opportunities we had growing up.

We’re currently looking for a home and hope to be living in Aurora by mid-summer. If you see me around, I’d love for you to stop and say hi! And if you want to talk wrestling or Cubs baseball, that’s an added bonus!