Le Mars Community School District

Hello, Bulldogs!

Within our August/September newsletter (click https://secure.smore.com/n/nc958) we provided

you information regarding the process the Le Mars Board of Education has taken in order to meet the infrastructure needs of the district and desires of our school district residents. Based on a majority of the feedback that was provided by our residents, on the November 5, 2024 ballot voters will have the opportunity to decide whether or not to support a new preschool through 5th grade elementary building to serve all of the district’s elementary school students with a general obligation bond for up to $49.97 million.

The benefits of one elementary building includes, but is not limited to:

• Cost efficiency of maintenance, utilities, instructional materials, equipment, etc.
• Improved teacher collaboration for improved teaching and learning
• Improved curriculum alignment and continuity for improved teaching and learning
• Elementary administration housed in one building to improve support for teachers and students
• Transportation efficiency which may include elementary students able to ride the bus directly to and from the elementary building without the need to change buses
• Smoother student transition between grade levels due to not having to change buildings
• Greater balancing of class sizes

These educational benefits can contribute to a more cohesive, effective learning environment

that supports student growth and achievement throughout the elementary years. The increased

teacher collaboration and resource sharing can lead to more innovative teaching practices and

a more responsive education program overall.

I invite you to visit our district website where information can be found to answer questions

about the proposed plan. Click the following link for more information:

https://sites.google.com/lemarscsd.org/elementaryschoolbondissue?usp=sharing

Most importantly, exercise your right to vote!

October 9, 2024

October 23, 2024

High School

• Thursday, October 3 --- 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm
  
• Monday, October 7 --- 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Middle School

• Monday, October 14 --- 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm
• Thursday, October 17 --- 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Clark, Franklin, & Kluckhohn Elementaries

November 15th from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm in the new HS gym entryway. Seniors that have donated three times will receive a red cord for graduation. This blood drive is open to qualifying students and staff. Please stop in the HS office or sign up online at lifeservebloodcenter.org to register. Community blood donations are welcomed as well.

Seventh graders need Tdap & meningococcal vaccinations and seniors need second meningococcal vaccination by the start of the school year. If this hasn't been done already or an exemption form completed, please do so ASAP.

Ninth graders need a dental screening performed by a licensed dentist or dental hygienist as soon as possible. Dental screening forms may be found under the district health tab on the school website. Forms can be faxed, emailed, or submitted to the office.

Le Mars, IA – Le Mars Community High School is excited to announce its upcoming production of the hit Broadway musical Little Shop of Horrors. This darkly comedic musical tells the story of Seymour Krelborn, a hapless floral assistant who discovers a mysterious plant with a voracious appetite for human flesh. As Seymour tries to navigate his feelings for his co-worker, Audrey and the demands of his carnivorous companion, chaos ensues in this delightful tale of ambition, love and the consequences of greed.

Join us for three unforgettable performances on November 7, 8 and 9, 2024, at 7:30 PM in the Middle School Auditorium. This production promises to entertain audiences of all ages with its catchy tunes, memorable characters and a healthy dose of humor.

Performance Details:

• Dates: November 7, 8 and 9, 2024

• Time: 7:30 PM

• Location: Middle School Auditorium, LeMars Community School District

• Tickets: $10 each, available for purchase in the high school office starting October 7, 2024.

Don’t miss your chance to experience the thrills and laughs of Little Shop of Horrors! Gather your friends and family for a night of entertainment you won’t forget. For more information, please contact the high school music department.

A big thank you for a successful start of the school year! School pictures will be taking place on October 3. I also want to draw your attention to the dates for our parent/teacher conferences. This year we will have our conferences on October 3 and 7 from 4:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Preference will be given to those parents that schedule conferences in advance. To schedule your appointment, please call the main office and Deb or Amy can help you schedule these appointments.

WIth a month of school under belt, I would like to thank all the students for their cooperation with our new cell phone policy. I have been rather impressed with the students and their compliance without complaining about the new rule. I am finding it interesting that since we started the new cell phone policy, the number of students needing to go to the restroom has also decreased. This is an unintended humorous result since they aren't going to the restroom to play on their cell phones.

We are all still getting used to the new chronic absenteeism law. Just a reminder that under the new law, all absences count against the student regardless if they are excused or unexcused. There are some exceptions the state has set out. Those exceptions are:

1. Completed requirements for graduation or obtained a high school equivalency diploma.
2. Excused for sufficient reason by any court or judge.
3. Attending religious services or receiving religious instruction.
4. Unable to attend school due to legitimate medical reason(s).
5. Individualized Education Program (IEP) that affects attendance.
6. Section 504 plans under the Federal Rehabilitation Act that affects attendance.

The common question we get about absences is about illnesses. A common illness, like a stomach bug, still falls under the chronic absenteeism law. A student with a more serious illness or condition can be exempt if we have a note from a medical professional. Also, vacations count toward the law. So when a student misses 10% of a grading period, we are required to send a certified letter to the parent and inform the county attorney. At 15%, we are required to have a meeting with the parent and the student to come up with a plan on how to get the student to attend school. If the parent refused to attend the meeting, then we are required to turn this over to the county attorney. At 20%, we are then required to turn the student into the county attorney for truancy.

You may have also noticed we are using automated calls for when your student is marked absent in class and we have not been notified. Instructions on how to change your preference are on the school website (www.lemarscsd.org) under School Messenger on the right hand side of the page. SchoolMessenger can also be used to send out reminders or other information as needed. Messages can be sent through email, text or phone. You will want to make sure you set your preferences for how you want your messages to come to you.

Hopefully you have had a chance to talk with your child’s teacher sometime, either through email, visit or phone conversation. If you haven’t, please take the time to contact the teacher, especially if you have a concern about how your child is doing. I have asked the teachers to do the same. Also, feel free to contact Mr. Moss or myself if something comes up.

Be Great!

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, October 5, 2024 - 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Saturday, December 7, 2024 - 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Saturday, January 11, 2025 - 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Saturday, February 1, 2025 - 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Saturday, April 19, 2025 - 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Saturday, May 17, 2025 - 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

Letters were sent out to qualifying (GPA 3.6 and above) 10th and 11th graders to take the PSAT Wednesday, October 16, 2024 8:30 AM -12:30 PM in the Multi-Purpose Room. If interested in signing up, please bring $18.00 to the Guidance Office. If your child didn’t receive a letter but is still interested in taking the test they may do so.

Jamie Haden Enrollment Recruiting Specialist 515-574-1001

haden_j@iowacentral.edu

Mikellie Grant Admissions Counselor - Morningside University

1501 Morningside Ave.

Sioux City, IA 51106

712-274-5240 | m: 712-635-0526 | morningside.edu

Colleen Morrissey Freshman Admissions Counselor | University of Northern Iowa

Jaclyn Mendez Recruitment Specialist

jaclyn.mendez@witcc.edu

Call: 712-317-3216

Sioux City Campus, Room A216

Arianna Wibben Admissions Counselor Dordt University

712.722.6958

Arianna.Wibben@dordt.edu

dordt.edu

Schutte, Brandon Dean Dept: ADMIS Title: Student Recruiter I (NE)

Email: bschutte@iastate.edu

Office: 515-620-6735

Office Enrollment Svcs

2433 Union Dr

Ames, IA 50011-2042

Lee Stover, BA Enrollment Management Specialist - Northwest Iowa Community College

712-324-5061/800-352-4907 ext. 228

lstover@nwicc.edu

Email: jason.martin@lemarscsd.org

Email: abby.johnson@lemarscsd.org

Hi everyone and welcome to the 2024 - 2025 School Year!

We want everyone at the middle school to have a successful school year, and want to help students in whatever way we can. Some ways Mr. Martin and Mrs. Johnson can assist you and your student with individual counseling, classroom guidance, and helping the students feel heard when problems arise. Our individual counseling sessions are typically short-term in nature and focus on solutions to help your child succeed in all areas of their development.

The month of October is Bullying Prevention Month, and we want to bring awareness to everyone both in and out of the school about the impact bullying has on students. According to the Indicators of School Crime and Safety Report, 22% of U.S. students aged 12-18 reported being bullied at school in 2019. A big way parents can help is talking with your student about bullying so they would feel comfortable bringing it up with a parent or adult. These conversations provide opportunities to communicate values and learn about your child’s experience. They make it easier for your children to turn to you if they witness or experience bullying.

This year our parent-teacher conferences are October 14th and 17th from 4:30 to 8pm. They are student led conferences where the students prepare and showcase what they have been learning in their classes. Teachers will be checking in with their homebase students to find a time that works for everyone. Last year we had over 90% attendance during conferences which was amazing! We would love to see everyone at conferences coming up!

Thank you for all you do for the students, and continue to help them learn and grow this upcoming school year! Feel free to reach out to Mr. Martin (Jason.Martin@lemarscsd.org ) or Mrs. Johnson (Abby.Johnson@lemarscsd.org) with any questions or concerns.

Save the dates! The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to the Le Mars Community Middle School library during parent-teacher conferences on October 14th and 17th from 4:30-8:00 pm. Books make great gifts for all occasions! Purchases can be made in person, online or by using eWallet funds for students. Proceeds from the Book Fair sales will help us to purchase books for our library so we can continue to give our students new choices as well as continue a book series they are currently reading.

Students are given an opportunity to fill out a short survey to qualify in a drawing for a free book thanks to local businesses and their generous donations. Our fundraiser sale of $5 books and posters proceeds will go to the Le Mars Food Pantry.

Be sure to check out our book fair bake sale and gift item table. We would love any homemade or purchased items like bars, cookies and treat bags for the students to sell. Gift certificates or other nonfood items are so much appreciated and will be sold on the gift table. Proceeds from these items will help more students pick out a free book! Food items can be dropped off at the office or library on the day of the book fair!

Only cash or checks can be accepted for the $5 book/poster sale, bake sale and gift table. We are open to the public, so please come and view our wide selection of books!

Clark and Franklin Elementary School Guidance Counselor

kari.kopperud@lemarscsd.org

Kluckhohn Elementary School Guidance Counselor

abby.simington@lemarscsd.org

This month we are talking about Responsibility. One way to define Responsibility is “taking action and understanding the impact of our choices.” Taking action can mean doing the right thing or completing the tasks you have been assigned. Understanding the impact of our choices means that our actions matter. Positive and responsible actions can help people and irresponsible actions can hurt others. Responsibility is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students Be Strong. Across grade levels students will be developing skills like focusing, organizing and goal-setting.

Here are some conversation starters you can use with your child when talking about RESPONSIBILITY:

• Can you share or show what it means to be Responsible?
• How can we help each other practice being more Responsible?

Now practice as a family:

Review Responsibility as a family! Responsibility is taking action and understanding the impact of our choices. Choose 1 household chore (or more!) that requires multiple steps. Then have each member of the family select 1 step to complete to help get the job done! Maybe it’s washing the dishes, doing laundry, cleaning the living room or unloading the groceries – whatever it is, see who can be the quickest or most effective at their task!

Clark, Franklin and Kluckhohn Elementary Schools will host Scholastic Book Fairs November 4 -7 during Parent - Teacher Conference week.

Hope to see you all there!!!

Birthday Breakfast

The LeMars Elementary PTO has kicked off the school year with our first set of birthday breakfasts where we celebrated all of the August, September and October birthdays. Every elementary student is invited throughout the year to attend with their families. Donuts are provided from Lally’s and coffee is donated by Belissimos. Kids also have an opportunity to purchase a book for their school's library. When they purchase a book a sticker with their name and birthday is placed inside and they get to be the very first student to check out the new book!

We would like to thank this quarter’s bank sponsor Primebank. They provided their generous support of birthday breakfast as well as servers to help our students celebrate.

Upcoming events

Conferences will be coming before we know it! Please be on the lookout for sign ups to help provide teacher meals on conference evenings. Many hands make light work!

If you missed out on shirt orders, they will be available again before Christmas, so be on the lookout!

Join us!

P.T.O. meets on the first Monday of the month at 7:00 pm in the central office conference room. All are welcome to join us.

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook at LeMars PTO for updates, reminders and school information.

There will be an Elementary School Title Meeting on Tuesday, October 1st starting at 5:15 pm. This meeting will be for elementary parents and will explain Title I programming and answer any questions related to programming that parents may have. The meeting will take place at the Educational Service Center: 940 Lincoln Street in Le Mars, Iowa.

The Transportation Department is again offering in-town busing for our students. Students must have a bus pass from their school to ride the bus. Riding the bus is a privilege. This privilege can be lost if the student does not have a pass or if the rider does not follow the rules. It is important that each student have a pass. These passes must be carried with them at all times and should be shown to the driver whenever asked.

The bus rules are posted in each bus. Please let your student know how important it is to follow these rules. Distracting the driver can be very serious. If the driver needs to watch the students, he/she is not watching the road. Some of these rules to follow are:

• Remain seated while bus is in motion.

• No loud talking or profanity.

• No fighting or pushing.

• Always keep your hands to yourself.
  
• No throwing objects in or out of the bus.
  

There may be additional requests made by the bus driver that all students will be expected to follow for overall safety.

Let’s all do the best we can to provide the students a safe ride to and from school this year.

Every year, several people pass our stopped school buses when the stop sign is out and the lights are flashing.

This creates a dangerous situation for the students loading and unloading from the bus. Help keep our children safe; know the rules about a stopped school bus.

If you are meeting a school bus from the front and the yellow lights are flashing, you need to prepare to stop, just like you would for a yellow traffic light. If you meet a bus from the front and the red lights are flashing, you are required to stop and stay put until the lights turn off and the stop sign retracts. If you are approaching the bus from the rear and the yellow or red lights are flashing, you are required to stop. You are never allowed to pass the school bus from the rear if yellow or red lights are on.

The fines for a first offense are as follows:

• At least $250 dollars, but not more than $675 dollars.
  

• The court may order imprisonment not to exceed 30 days in lieu of or in addition to a fine.

• Driving Privilege Suspension for 30 days. When you get your driving privileges back, you will be required to obtain SR-22 insurance (high risk).

All parents and district patrons are reminded that all visitors to any of the district’s school buildings must enter the school only at the main entrance and must report to the principal’s office before proceeding to any other area in the building. Visitors will be required to sign in and out and will be required to wear an identification badge while in the building. Access to certain locations may be limited. These procedures have been put in place to enhance security in the interest of the safety of students, staff and guests. The district sincerely appreciates the cooperation of all concerned with the implementation of this additional safety measure.

Parents and guardians are advised that the school will not provide non-prescription medications such as Tylenol, Advil etc. for students. We have been advised that these medications must be included under the same regulations that govern the school administration of prescription medications. Medications shall not be administered to students without written authorization from a parent or legal caretaker. All medications must be in their original containers with original labeling. Prescription medication labels must include name of student, name of medication and administration instructions to include frequency, dosage and duration. Medications will be appropriately and securely stored in the school nurse’s office. Students may not carry their own medications at school without written authorization from a parent or legal caretaker and approval of the building principal.

Parents/guardians are hereby given notice of the following deadlines pertaining to open enrollment opportunities:

March 1, 2025 - Last date for Open Enrollment requests for students in grades 1-12 for the 2025-2026 school year.

Parents of children who will begin kindergarten in 2025-2026 must file for Open Enrollment no later than September 1, 2025.

Open enrollment students whose family income meets eligibility requirements are eligible for transportation assistance. Assistance may be in the form of actual transportation being provided or a stipend paid to parents/guardians.

Parents should be aware that Open Enrollment may result in loss of athletic eligibility. Open enrollment information and application can be found at the Iowa Department of Education website (https://educateiowa.gov/pk-12/options-educational-choice/open-enrollment).

Questions should be directed to the Superintendent’s Office, 940 Lincoln St SW, LeMars, IA 51031 712-546-4155.

All Iowa public school districts are required to provide instruction in human growth and development, including instruction regarding human sexuality, self-esteem, stress management and interpersonal relationships in grades one through twelve. The law also requires schools to annually provide parents/guardians with information about this requirement to include the procedure by which parents/guardians may inspect instructional materials prior to them being utilized in the classroom. A student shall not be required to take instruction in human growth and development if the student’s parent/guardian files with the principal a written request that a student be excused from the instruction.

Parents/guardians are hereby advised that prior to their student receiving human growth and development instruction, they will receive notice from the principal and upon receipt of notice, they should immediately contact the appropriate principal(s) if they want to inspect the materials to be utilized for instruction.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act permits the release of most student records in most circumstances only upon the authorization by a parent or legal caretaker or by the student if he/she is at least 18 years old. Parents/legal caretakers have the right to review students’ records and the right to request that the records be amended.

Certain information known as “Directory Information”, which in the LeMars CSD includes: student’s name, address, date of birth, class designation, extra-curricular participation, student’s achievement awards or honors, student’s weight and height if a member of an athletic team, student’s photograph, and the school attended prior to enrolling at LeMars may be released without authorization unless the school has in its files a written notice from a parent/legal caretaker or qualified student directing that this information not be released.

Anyone objecting to the release of directory information must file a written notice with the appropriate principal no later than October 11, 2024.

*Parents/guardians are encouraged to sign up for school emergency alerts via text messages, email or phone, impacting health, life or safety (including weather related announcements) through the following address: http:/www.lemarscsd.org/ and click "SchoolMessenger (All Alerts)" for directives.

PARENTS/GUARDIANS: In the event there is an emergency requiring a school building lockdown, lockout, evacuation or shelter, parents/guardians and community are directed to do the following:

1. Do not come to the school building. This is a request from the Le Mars Police Department, Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department, Le Mars Fire Department, and school district. Our public safety servants request this of you due to their inability to provide total focus on student safety while attempting to control parents/guardians and community members at the site.
2. Do not contact your child on cell phone. Your child may not be able to use their phone; which may cause you alarm if they do not answer. Additionally, if there is an intruder, your contact may alert the intruder to student locations. Also, student information may not be accurate. Accurate information will be provided to parents through SchoolMessenger and KLEM.
3. Do not call the school. Employees will be working to secure the situation and phone interruptions may prevent this effort. Information will be provided through SchoolMessenger and KLEM radio stations 96.9 FM and 1410 AM.
4. Wait for SchoolMessenger alerts and/or tune into KLEM radio. Communication from the Le Mars Community School District will be provided through SchoolMessenger, and when appropriate, through KLEM radio stations 96.9 FM and 1410 AM.

Lockdown --- A lockdown is called when there is a threat or hazard inside the school building. Students will be inside locked classrooms and/or remain out of the line of sight.

Evacuate --- An evacuation is called when the need to be moved out of a specific location due to a threat or hazard.

Parents will be able to access their information to manage what notifications they would like to receive by using their email provided during registration. It is very important that you have a valid email and cell phone number on file in our current PowerSchool SIS system. All information should have been updated during the registration process before signing up for SchoolMessenger.

A text message was sent asking parents to opt-in to receive text messages via SchoolMessenger. If you have lost or feel you did not receive that text message, if you have provided a cell number to the school you can participate in this free service just by sending a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our school’s short code number, 67587 on the wireless cell phone number which the district has on file.

Just Send “Y” Or “Yes” To 67587

Opt-In From Your Mobile Phone Now!

You can also opt out of these messages at any time by simply replying to one of our messages with “Stop”.

Follow these steps to Manage Your SchoolMessenger Account

To manage parent message setting, you will be able to create an account using the email address that you currently have on file in PowerSchool. That should be the same email you have entered during the registration process. If you do not know the email on file you will need to contact the secretary at the building your student attends. If you have multiple students in multiple buildings you can choose any secretary.

You may sign up by going to http://go.schoolmessenger.com and clicking sign-up in the top right corner or downloading the blue SchoolMessenger app from the Google App or Apple App store.
It is recommended to go to the http://go.schoolmessenger.com on your computer before signing up on the app.

If you do not wish to receive any additional text messages, no further action is required.

The service may also be used to communicate general announcements or reminders. School Messenger will be the primary form of communication for district emergencies and weather related announcements.

When used, the service will call all phone numbers in our selected parent contact lists and will deliver a recorded message from a school administrator. The service will deliver the message to both live answer and answering machines. No answers (phones ringing over 40 sec.) and busies will be automatically retried twice in fifteen minute intervals after the initial call.

We encourage community members to sign-up to receive electronic messages from the district! If you do not currently have children in Le Mars Community Schools, you will need to go through the registration process below. This will allow you to select general news, snow day alerts and/or individual school messages.

SchoolMessenger Sign-Up Process

If you currently have a child enrolled at Le Mars Community do not use this Link!

1. You can create an account by clicking on the SchoolMessenger link on this website: https://asp.schoolmessenger.com/lemarscsd/subscriber/

2. Click the Sign Up Now link near the bottom of the page.

3. You will be taken to the Sign Up page where you will need to confirm the encrypted image, your name, a valid email address and a password. You’ll use your email address and the password you enter here to sign in later. Review and accept the Click when you are done.

Site Access Code: <Access Code>

[Note: SchoolMessenger has a strict privacy policy and does not sell or distribute your contact information to any 3rd party.]

4. Check your email. There will be an Account Activation email from support@schoolmessenger.com with the subject Account Activation, which contains a link to activate your account; activation codes are valid for 24 hours. This link will take you to a confirmation page where you must enter your password in order to activate your account.

5. Once you’ve activated your account, you’re ready to select your notification preferences.

6. Simply select the type(s) of notifications you wish to receive and the groups to which you belong.

7. When you have finished making selections click Save.

8. Follow the instructions to add additional contact information, such as additional email and phone numbers, to your account.

Thank you for signing up and we hope you enjoy the SchoolMessenger system!

The Le Mars Community School District will not engage in any illegal discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, socioeconomic status, and marital status in its educational programs, activities or employment policies and practices.