Le Mars Community School District

Hello, Bulldogs!

On March 21, the Le Mars Community School District held a “Community Input” meeting regarding our facility study that was performed this year by ISG Architecture and Engineering Firm. ISG led the community input meeting with three goals in mind:

1. Understand the current state of district buildings

2. Tour Franklin Elementary School

3. Understand enrollment and capacity challenges

Approximately 40 community stakeholders from different walks of life and schools took part in the input meeting. The team’s next meeting will take place in April where they provide input on possible projects and learn about options for financing such projects. It is an exciting time!

On April 24th, the Le Mars Community School Foundation will hold the annual Honors Banquet beginning at 6:30 pm at the Le Mars Convention Center. This is a great evening to honor the district's Teacher of the Year, the employees of 25 years, the Employee of the Month recipients, the top 5% of the graduating class, and the Distinguished Alumni recipient. Tickets are available in the superintendent’s office and information about the banquet is available in every district building.

May is just around the corner and this means it will be time to recognize the important role our teachers play in creating a better future for not only our students, but our country. May 6 through May 10 is National Teacher Appreciation Week and May 7 is National Teacher Day. If you feel so inclined, please consider sending our teachers a message of thanks for their efforts to improve the lives of every student.

The month of May is School Board Recognition Month. School board members are volunteers who are dedicated servants of their community who give of their time and talents to provide the best education possible for our students. Le Mars has been blessed to have such outstanding school board members over the years and are viewed as one of the top school boards in the state of Iowa. May is a time to show our appreciation for their efforts. Please consider providing a message of thanks for working to create a school system in which all students are provided opportunities for success.

Take care, Bulldogs!

April 10, 2024

May 8, 2024

March 28, 2024

March 29, 2024

April 1, 2024

Do not send your child to school if they have:

• A fever at 100.0 degrees or higher (Child must be fever-free for 24 hours without any fever-reducing medication)
• Thrown up or had diarrhea in the last 24 hours

All students entering 7th grade must provide proof of a T-dap booster and meningococcal vaccine before the start of the school year. Start thinking ahead for next year and get your child's appointment scheduled now.

All students entering 12th grade must provide proof of a meningococcal vaccine before the start of the school year. If your student has had a meningococcal vaccination BEFORE the age of 16, a second meningococcal vaccination is required by law. Start thinking ahead for next year and get your child's appointment scheduled now.

All Freshmen need to show proof of a dental exam within the last year. If you need a form, have your student stop by the office to grab one. Otherwise, one can be found at any dental office. This can be dropped off to the office or faxed to 712-548-4450.

Happy April! April and May seem to be the busiest months in terms of things going on in the school. We have lots of spring activities taking place, starting to wrap up the 2023-2024 school year, and planning for the 2024-2025 school year.

Students should receive their 24-25 schedule by the end of April. This will allow them to start making schedule changes before we leave for the summer. We have already hired a couple new staff members for next school year. Jecenta Sargisson will be joining us to teach Ag Science 1 and Biology and Casey Thomas will be joining us as the new district librarian.

Prom will be taking place on April 6. Promenade will start at 7:30 pm. Carey Gym doors will open at 6:45 pm. The after-prom committee will be charging admission. Funds from the promenade assist in providing the after prom party. We ask that you clear out the promenade area so we can get the dance started promptly at 9:00 pm. The dance will end at 11:00 pm and the after prom will run from 11:00 pm to 3:00 am. Yes you read that right, 3:00 am. Parents will be notified if your student leaves the dance prior to 10:30 pm. Students will also need to change at the school for the after prom. Students will be able to take their formal clothes to their cars between the dance and after prom. Students are not allowed to leave the school grounds though during this time. Thank you to all of the volunteers to help make this night a success! Without your assistance or donations, this night would not be possible for the students. A bit thank you to Ashley Ludwig, who is our prom sponsor and to Tina Laskie and Janelle Bixenman for organizing after prom.

Graduation is right around the corner. The following dates are for senior parents to remember: the last day of regular class will be on May 10; Senior semester tests will be on May 13 & 14. The senior awards night will be on Wednesday, May 15 at 6:30 p.m held in the middle school auditorium. Graduation rehearsal and senior breakfast will also be on May 15 starting at 9:00 am. If your senior wants to eat at the senior breakfast, the cost is $5. The breakfast is catered by Home Plate Catering. Students will need to pay the high school office by May 6 so we can give an accurate count. Graduation then will be on May 19 at 3:00 pm. The decision on the location will happen by Friday, May 17. The goal is to have it at the stadium. If the weather looks like rain or too cold, then it will be held in the competition gym.

As always, if you have any concerns about your child’s progress in school, please contact his/her teachers.

Have a great April!

Email: melissa.hill@lemarscsd.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/lemarscsd.org/lchs-counseling/home
Twitter: @lemarsguidance

Email: judd.kopperud@lemarscsd.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/lemarscsd.org/lchs-counseling/home
Twitter: @lemarsguidance

Saturday, April 20, 2024 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

All meetings we will be in Room 101- Mr. Bahr at the high school.

Link to sign up - https://bit.ly/LCHSACTPREP

Seniors will have to complete the senior survey to meet graduation requirements.

Senior Survey

Email: jason.martin@lemarscsd.org

Email: abby.johnson@lemarscsd.org

May is on the horizon and with it comes the last full month of the school year for your students! After a long year, it’s not uncommon for your child to be losing the motivation to work hard at their assignments and tests. However, the end of the year is one of the most vital periods for students. Many teachers will begin to teach the foundations of topics that will be introduced at the beginning of the next school year. We have a few tips to help your student finish the school year strong!

Create Routines

A steady routine keeps your child in a state of comfort while still making sure that they are leaving time for any school work. Your routine should reserve time for academics and include regular aspects, such as bedtime. This is because, as the days get longer, your child likely will be tempted to continue playing outdoors and postpone getting sleep. However, it is essential that middle school aged students get between nine and twelve hours of sleep every night. Enough sleep each night will ensure they are well rested and prepared for the next day.

Maintain A Positive Attitude

While it is important for your student to maintain a positive attitude, what is even more vital is for the parent to set the example. Frequent remarks about wishing it was summer and being tired of working can rub off on your students' motivation. As a parent, your actions influence your child’s values and beliefs, including educational choices. Instead, encourage your child and show them that each and every school day is a chance for them to improve!

Set Goals With Them

Whether you set goals centered around grades or not, you should always set achievable goals with your student. Working with your student to set goals that they are passionate about can increase their drive and passion for their school work. If your student is starting to lose motivation, it may be time for you to help them re-engage. Keeping them in a routine with goals and a positive attitude can drastically improve their school performance. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact either Jason Martin or Abby Johnson.

Clark and Franklin Elementary School Guidance Counselor

kari.kopperud@lemarscsd.org

Kluckhohn Elementary School Guidance Counselor

abby.simington@lemarscsd.org

We are excited to focus on COURAGE this month!

One way to think about Courage is “choosing what is helpful, right, and kind even when it is hard or scary.”

Courage is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students Be Strong. Throughout the school, students will be developing skills like focusing, organizing, and goal-setting.

While practicing Courage this month, students will be focusing on flexible thinking. Students will work on their ability to adapt to new situations and challenges by finding multiple solutions to different problems.

One of the ways we will be practicing these flexible thinking skills is by setting TOP Goals:

TOP stands for…

• Target: Visualize your goal and think about why this is important for you.
• Obstacles: Plan for challenges. If _____ gets in the way, then what can you do?
• Plan: Create 3 action steps you will need to take to complete your goal.

Conversation Starters:

• Can you describe how flexible thinking helps you to make Kind choices?
• Share with me how you use flexible thinking to help show Courage.

Have some fun connecting as a family this month while practicing Courage. Here is a “PurposeFull Pursuit” for you to complete together.

We have all demonstrated Courage in our lives. Many of us have seen people practice Courage in ways that have inspired us. Stories are powerful tools for connecting as a family. Protect time this week to share stories about Courage with each other. At the end of the conversation, think of 1 way you can practice Courage this week.

Story Prompts:

• A time I (or someone else) showed Courage was _____.
• An act of Courage that changed/challenged me was _____.

Kind Regards,

Mrs. Kari Kopperud (Clark & Franklin School Counselor)

Mrs. Abby Simington (Kluckhohn School Counselor)

The Le Mars Art Center will be hosting our annual youth art exhibit featuring artwork created by the elementary students in Le Mars. Student artwork, ranging from grades kindergarten through 5th grade, will be featured from May 2nd through May 31st. A reception honoring the artists will be held on Saturday, May 4th from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. This reception is free to the public and will feature artwork created by students from all 3 Le Mars Community elementary schools, as well as Gehlen Catholic. Each elementary school will be submitting approximately 20 pieces of art to be part of this year’s collection. The students are very excited to have their families, friends, and the community of Le Mars, stop in to see their creations! We would like to extend a big thank you to the Le Mars Art Center for hosting this event! We look forward to seeing you there!

The 5th graders from Franklin Elementary visited the Iowa State Capitol building and the Science Center of Iowa on Thursday, March 21st. The students have been studying government and Iowa History in social studies so it was great to be able to see things we’ve been learning in real life. The 5th graders were also fortunate enough to meet their Representative, Dr. Thomas Jeneary, and he was able to take the students onto the floor of the House of Representatives. This trip is often the highlight of the year for these students as it’s not something they’d typically get to experience outside of school. We are grateful that our district provides this opportunity for our students, and we appreciate the LeMars Optimist Club who graciously donates every year to this field trip to help cover admission costs to the Science Center.

It will take place before the Parade of Bands.

Music students in grades 6 - 12 will have tickets for sale ($8) beginning April 8th

LEEP board members met for their regular meeting on Monday, March 4, at the middle school. MENuMASTERS 2024 is scheduled for Saturday, September 21. Mark those calendars and save the date. As in past years the MENuMASTERS committee will be recruiting chefs. If you are interested in being a chef at the 2024 event or would like more information please contact Mike Jacobsma email: mike.jacobsma@iowastatebank.net. Chefs are limited to 24 groups/teams. Be watching the May newsletter article for updates. LEEP needs volunteers to support the chairpersons in making this event a success. Thank you in advance for the community’s support.

Teacher requests honored at the March meeting were as follows:

• Sidney Baumgartner, MS 7th Literacy: Requisition for $79.57, to purchase mini white boards. Mini white boards are a great way to get students engaged in the lesson and check for understanding.
• Benji Kasel and Kayla Koopman, 5th grade Franklin: Reimbursement in the amount of $180.00 a piece that was used to purchase two “Super Quizziz” subscriptions. “Super Quizziz” allows students and teachers to access a much larger library of already made quizzes and storage space for lessons created by Benji and Kayla.

The next LEEP meeting will be Monday, April 8, 2024, beginning at 5:30 p.m. This is one week later due to spring break. All meetings are open to the public and located in the middle school library.

This summer’s program will be divided into two sessions. Classes will run each day from 7 am until 10 am.

The first session will begin Monday, June 3rd and run each weekday through June 14th.

Some driving times may be scheduled between June 17 and June 22.

The second session will run on the following dates:

• Monday, June 24 through Friday, June 28
• Saturday, June 29
• Monday, July 1 through Wednesday, July 3
• Friday, July 5

Some driving times may be scheduled between July 8 – July 13.

Starting dates are subject to change if the school year is extended due to weather.

Preference will be given to older students in requesting sessions.

REGISTRATION FORMS:

Starting March 1st you may pick up your form from the Le Mars Community High School Principal’s office. These forms must be returned on or before Friday, March 29th with the proper fee attached.

Le Mars Community & Gehlen Catholic students will need to pay $375.00 for this class. Gehlen Catholic students who live outside the Le Mars Community School District will need to pay $500.00. Those students residing outside the Le Mars Community School District who attend a school other than Gehlen Catholic will pay $500.00 also.

Le Mars Community School District will accept online applications for 4 yr. old preschool beginning March 1, 2024. The online application link can be found here: 2024-25 Clark Preschool Application

or on the school website www.lemarscsd.org under the Clark Elementary tab/Elementary Quick Links. If needed, computers will be available at the Clark Elementary office for parents to use to complete the application. Preschool applications must be submitted by Monday, April 1, 2024.

Enrollment is open to 4-year old children in the community with the goal of having a well-rounded diverse group of children that is representative of the population of Le Mars. Children must turn 4 years old by September 15, 2020 to be eligible.

Selection of children will be held during the first two weeks of April and parents will be notified about the selection of their child before April 15th. Selection will be based on a random selection process. The Le Mars School District reserves the right to enroll children based on gender, age, race, ethnicity, special needs and membership of low-income families for the purposes of high-quality preschool experiences.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jodi Fisher, Clark Elementary Secretary at 546-8121 or jodi.fisher@lemarscsd.org.

The PPRA requires the LeMars CSD to notify parents/legal caretakers and obtain consent or allow students to opt out of participating in certain activities. These activities include a student survey, analysis, or evaluation that concerns one or more of the following “protected information surveys”:

• Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parents;
• Mental or psychological problems of student or student’s family;
• Sex behaviors or attitudes;
• Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
• Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships;
• Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;
• Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the students or parents;
• Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.

This requirement also applies to the collection, disclosure or use of student information for “marketing surveys” and certain physical exams and screenings. Prior to administering any protected information surveys, the school district will contact parents/legal caretakers to provide the opportunity to opt out. Parents/legal caretakers also have the right to review, upon request, any survey that concerns one or more of the above protected areas, any instructional materials used in connection with any survey that concerns one or more of the protected areas, and any instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum for the student.

Parents/eligible students who believe that their rights have been violated may file a complaint with:

Family Policy Compliance Office

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20202-5920

Phone: 1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327)