January 15, 2016

By -

Happy Friday! Welcome to the last day of 1st Semester. It is hard to believe that we have finished one semester already. For those of you who did PASS plans don't forget to turn in an end of semester grade report for any student that failed a course. I should have these by Monday with grades. If a student can do credit recovery please let Mr. Borchers or Mrs. Addison know. If the student needs to retake during summer school please let them know that as well.

As we begin second semester, students have 5 days to add a class and 10 days to drop. Mr. Borchers and Mrs. Addison have tried to get the students to come in the last couple of days to change courses so we shouldn't see the huge amount of changes as in the past. 

Our English teachers will be giving our third STAR assessment next week. That means we will meet as a group on the library on January 27 to create new SMART goals for the third quarter. 

Have a great weekend!
Mark

Students as Leaders

Good Luck and Congratulations to the following students who are participating in Northwest Iowa Honor Choir on January 18 in Sioux Center at Dordt.

Cole Berkenpas
Ericka Cockburn
Ross Curry
Charlie Ellis
Caitlyn Niehus
Jacob Pottebaum
Maria Renken
Kylie Sherlock

Good Luck and Congratulations to the following students who are participating in the Northwest Iowa Orchestra Festival on January 21 in Sioux Center @ Dordt.

Andrea Barrett
Sarah Benton
Chloe Evans
Kajsa Hallberg
Kitty Hungwattanakul
Diana Loutsch
Dominc Loutsch

Good Luck to the Jazz Band as they participate in the Iowa Lakes Jazz Festival in Estherville.

Sam Vacura
Tylon Chapman
Cameron Albus
Diana Loutsch
Lincoln Collins
Kristen Heimgartner
Jocelyn Hernandez
Sarah Benton
Madi Brown
Tessa Hansen
Mariah Schilmoeller
Zach Spieler
Ote Albrecht
Cole Berkenpas
Jacob Looyenga
Landen Parmelee
Chloe Evans
Anna Vacura
Caden Washburn
Jeff Ahlers
Mary Meis
Dominic Loutsch

Assistant Principal's Corner

It is that time of year again to think about candidates for Boy's State.  If you have any junior boys that you think would represent LCHS in a positive manner and may have strong leadership skills, please submit a name to me by February 21st.

With the start of a new semester and new classrooms of students I ask that teachers consider these ways to promote the respect, positive relations, and order that helps prevent bullying in the classroom:

1. Create Ground Rules
      - Develop rules with students so they set their own climate of respect and responsibility.
      - Use positive terms, like what to do, rather than what not to do.
      - Support school-wide rules.

2. Reinforce the Rules
      - Be a role model and follow the rules yourself.  Show students respect and encourage them to be         successful.
      - Make expectations clear.  Keep your request simple, direct, and specific.
      - Reward good behavior.  Try to affirm good behavior four to five times a week.  Positive phone           calls home are a great idea!
      - Use one-on-one feedback, and do not publicly reprimand.
      - Help students correct their behaviors.  Help them understand violating the rules results in  
        consequences.  "I know you can stop....and if you choose to continue, then..."

* Information gained from: www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/at-school/index.html

Librarian's Corner

Social media is a great way to communicate with others. It can provide easier access to become more aware of what is going on in the world. However, can it also limit that awareness? Does it provide all points of view and/or information about the other side of the story? The following article shows that sometimes social media can cause a rather limited amount of information. http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/10/19/diversity-social-media-269/  As in all information, sometimes we need to do a bit more research to discover the "rest of the story."


Instructional Coaches Corner

How to use Kahoot to host a book tournament -- http://www.Ointegration.com/2015/03/30/using-kahoot-to-host-a-book-tournament/

OK--I openly admit that this Google Sheets Add-On may not have an education use that I can see yet but I still think it is worth sharing -- Secret Santa. Secret Santa helps you organize a blind gift distribution. It even allows you to specify participants who should not offer presents to each other.
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/secret-santa/eoognkhkcdgmnhmlobgnehlpjmdcngkk?utm_source=permalink

3-D Charts is a Google Sheets Add-On that allows you to create fully rendered 3-D bar, pie, line, and area charts using google sheets. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/3d-charts/ikpcjgddlgdeimhcaopikbidjppjfjlp?utm_source=permalink

If you haven't signed up yet to participate in one of the 2 Breakout EDU PD offerings, there is still time:  http://goo.gl/forms/KkuE6PHyct     If you are unable to participate on Monday, January 18 at 4:00 pm or Tuesday, January 19 at 7:00 am BUT you are interested in experiencing what Breakout EDU is all about, send me an email with a date and time that works for you and I'll see if I can offer another PD day and time that works for you. There might be others in the same position as you!

If you have any tech PD requests OR you would like assistance in your classroom for an activity OR you are interested in writing a tech grant and would like some assistance (info coming soon) OR want to bounce a tech idea off of me OR some other instance that I can help you do what you do just send me an email and we'll get together ASAP!

Tracy


Articles Worth Reading

Coding Movement Looks to Grow Past Its Hour of Fame
Four Reasons Why Your Students Should Blog Frequently

Up Coming Events

Friday, January 15                4:45 pm Girls JV Basketball vs. Emmetsburg
                                              4:45 pm Boys JV Basketball vs. Emmetsburg
                                              6:15 pm Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Emmetsburg
                                              7:45 pm Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Emmetsburg

Saturday, January 16             Robotics Competition @ Hull
                                              Quiz Bowl: KCAU Qualifying Tournament @ Morningside
                                              9:00 am Girls Freshmen Basketball vs. SC East in MS gym
                                              10:00 am Le Mars Wrestling Invite
                                              10:30 am Boys Freshmen Basketball vs. SC East in MS gym

Monday, January 18              NWI Honor Choir @ Dordt
                                               5:00 pm Wrestling @ Storm Lake
                                               6:00 pm Girls Freshmen Basketball @ Western Christian
                                               7:00 pm Music Boosters Meeting
                                               7:30 pm Boys Freshmen Basketball @ Western Christian

Tuesday, January 19              ILCC Jazz Festival
                                               4:45 pm Girls JV Basketball vs. Western Christian
                                               4:45 pm Boys JV Basketball vs. Western Christian
                                               6:15 pm Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Western Christian
                                               7:45 pm Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Western Chrisitan

Wednesday, January 20         1:30 pm Dismissal 2:00 pm In-Service
                                               7:00 pm Athletic Booster Club Meeting

Thursday, January 21             NWI MS/HS Honor Orchestra Festival @ Dordt
                                               4:00 pm Varstiy/JV Bowling @ Haywarden
                                               6:00 pm Varsity/JV Wrestling @ ELC
                                               6:30 pm Girls Freshmen Basketball vs. Storm Lake
                                               7:45 pm Boys Freshmen Basketball vs. Storm Lake

Friday, January 22                4:45 pm Girls JV Basketball vs. Spencer
                                              4:45 pm Boys JV Basketball vs. Spencer
                                              6:15 pm Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Spencer
                                              7:45 pm Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Spencer

Saturday, January 23            8:00 am District Large Group Speech
                                              9:00 am Wrestling @ Sioux City West - Heelan Duels

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

March 7, 2025

By -
Image
  Friday Focus  Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a great week.  On Monday, I attended a DCAP workshop. You may be asking what is a DCAP workshop? DCAP is our District Career Academic Plan. Just like the student ICAP, Individual Career Academic Plan, the district must have one also. In the DCAP, we spell out what we are doing to prepare our students for college career readiness and employability skills. The DCAP consists of 7 sections, the main sections deal with course planning, work-based learning, and 5 essential components of ICAP.  The course planning section deals with the students 4 year plan and how the students and parents are advised on progress towards graduation. This is why we have the grade level registration meetings, our 8th grade CTE day, 8th grade parent meeting, etc so we can meet this requirement.  I am sure by this point, you are asking yourself how does this apply to me? This gets us into the next few sections with what we do in class matte...
Read more

May 16, 2025

By -
Image
  Friday Focus Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a great week. We made it through graduation breakfast, practice, and award night. I was thinking that Wednesday is just as about as busy of a day as the Friday of homecoming for me.  This will be the last Friday Focus for the school year, so I'll try to remember to have everything you need to know to get through the last week of classes. Please remember contracts are due to Central Office on the 23rd. I do have a basket on my desk where you can turn it into me and I'll get it to Central Office.   We will be running the advisory schedule on Monday. On Tuesday, we will use the last day of school schedule. On the last day of classes students will be checking out. Please sign their check out sheets. If they have school property that needs to be returned, please document it on the sheet. During advisory that day, they will turn in their laptops. Please look at each laptop and make them turn it on for you. If there is any da...
Read more

September 19, 2025

By -
Image
  Friday Focus Happy Friday!   I hope everyone has had a great week. Today is midterm of the 1st quarter. Please make sure all grades are up to date. Amy will run midterms and we will hand them out during 8th period.   I have had my first PASS plan turned in, congrats to Ms. Hommes to be the first one to get one done. Unfortuately is is for a senior that needs his credits. Next week is homecoming, let the fun begin. Monday night at 7:30 pm is the coronation. Come out to the competition gym to see who will be crowned this year's King and Queen.  On Monday, we will have class meetings so students can sign up for the different competitions. Freshmen will be in the Little Theater, Sophomores in the Library, Juniors in the Commons, and Seniors in the Competition Gym. Teachers with the asterick by their name in the Teacher Handbook are the lead teachers and will need to take charge of these meetings.  Dress up days for Homecoming Week. YOU CAN PARTICIPATE!...
Read more