December 7, 2018

Happy Friday! This first semester is quickly winding down. We have 2 weeks before break, then when we come back we have 4 days of class and then semester tests. Semester tests will be on Wednesday and Thursday, with Friday being the make up day. Please refer to the student handbook for the testing schedule. 

This week I had the opportunity to listen to a webinar about the new Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, previously Iowa Assessments. Later this month, they are supposed to have sample questions available. Pearson is also suppose to be having a training session for teachers sometime in the near future. As soon as the date and time is known, I will make that available. These tests will be different from the Iowa Assessments in many ways. Two big ones are: they are not timed and most of the students will be taking them on a computer. Since they are not timed and computers will be used, it will be very difficult to schedule all our students taking them at the same time. If you have any ideas, please let myself or one of the counselors know. Right now I am visioning one grade taking assessments in designated classrooms while the rest of the school is operating like normal. Then we will rotate grades. I know this is not going to be ideal, but it is one idea. We are set to give our exams the week of April 8. Freshmen and Juniors will have 3 tests to take and Sophomores will have 4 tests. The Sophomores will be taking the Science test, while the other grade levels will not.

Looking ahead, we have a district in-service on December 12. We also have our second extra hour meeting on December 19. On December 21, we have the Children's Theater. We will be dismissing sometime around 1:35 to check students in. Please remind students they must pay a dollar to watch the play. School will be dismissed that day after the performance. We come back to school on January 3.

Have a great weekend!
Mark

Students at Leaders

Staff News

Staff as Learners

Assistant Principal's Happenings

Only 2 more weeks before the break - help support our student council and celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas.
This coming week our Themes are:
Monday - December 10th - Wear a scarf to school
Tuesday - December 11th - Wear Christmas Socks (must still wear shoes) :)
Wednesday - December 12th - Winter Sweater/Sweatshirt Day
Thursday - December 13th - Elf Day - Wear Green or Dress like an Elf
Friday - December 14th - Ugly Holiday Sweater (Also theme for the game that night)

The LCHS Student Council is still collecting for their "Fight Cancer" campaign Dec. 4-18.  We are collecting monetary donations for families affected by cancer in the Bulldog Community.  The Student Council is accepting donations at the high school and t-shirts will be available through MJM Designs.  To order your shirt go to mjm-designs.com. Proceeds from the t-shirt sales will benefit our cause to fight cancer!  Tough Bulldogs wear pink in the t-shirt theme and we will have pink out at our January 11th game vs. Western Christian.

As part of our "Fight Cancer" campaign, we are asking our students to bring in $2.00 each with the possibility of earning a double open lunch on December 21st.  Please encourage your kids to bring in their money and make their donation. 

9th Grade = $318.00

10th Grade = $354.00

11th Grade = $338.00

12th Grade = $318.00

Book Nook - notes from the Librarian

Many of our students and staff love to listen to books while driving, walking, and exercising. Listening to text often aids many in their comprehension. There are many options out there for audio books, but many are very expensive. Our library uses MackinVia (paid by the AEA - though we can purchase our own titles as well if you would like some specific ones to aid your curriculum). The public library offers Libby through Overdrive, but the patron must have a public library card and often has to wait weeks to get a desired book. One can look on YouTube as well, but YouTube is starting to shut more of these sites down due to copyright infringement which this article explains a bit more: YouTube Cracks Down  There are always allowances for educational use when it comes to copyright, but this is not one of them. Please make sure your students are educated on copyright issues. If you want me to create a lesson on this and come in and teach it, I will be glad to. Just let me know. 

Instructional Coach's Technology Tid Bits

I has been a busy time in the green screen room lately with several classes using it for several projects. To ensure their availability when you want them, be sure to use the sign ups that Mrs. Isebrand created. There is one for the ipad carts and one for the green screen rooms themselves.

Have you ever considered changing the shortcuts to ones of your choosing on Chrome's new tab page? Go to File and then select New Tab. Click "+" to add a short cut. You can also hover over a shortcut and then click on the 3 dots to edit or delete a shortcut. 

If you want others to only view your Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, or Drawings document, you can cut  the clutter by making a Preview link. Your document, presentation, spreadsheet, or drawing is presented without menus and toolbars. What you do is copy the document's shareable link. Now paste the link and change "/edit" to "/preview" in the hyperlink itself.

Success Center

Even if you don't know their home language, here is a list of seven ways you can promote language learning in your classroom with our ELL students:

1.  See yourself as a language model.  Speak clearly and consistently, repeat important points, and write key words on the board as you go.

2.  Don't let ELLs sit silently, just watching and observing.  Give students plenty of chances to speak, read, and write in English.  Encourage them to participate in appropriate ways.

3.  Study your instructional materials and decide how to modify materials based on proficiency levels.  Avoid examples that do little to connect to your students' lives and prior experience.

4.  Be a "language detective." What are the high-mileage words and phrases to teach so your student can comprehend?  What should you avoid?

5.  Use the home language as support, but avoid constantly translating.  

6.  Plan for language practice i every lesson.  Remember that ELLs are still learning English and will need plenty of chances to try out the words and grammatical patterns.

7.  Encourage peer support.  Pair your ELLs with students who have empathy for the language-learning process; help the peer to know how to be a good partner through conversation and reading and writing opportunities.

Cloud, N., Genesee, F., & Hamayan, E. (2009). Literacy instruction for English language learners: A teacher's guide to research-based practices. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Article Worth Reading

Upcoming Activities

Friday, December 7

TBD Varsity Wrestling @ Council Bluffs
1:00 pm JV/Varsity Bowling @ Council Bluffs
4:45 pm Boy/Girl JV Basketball @ Cherokee
6:15 pm Varsity Girl Basketball @ Cherokee
7:45 pm Varsity Boy Basketball @ Cherokee

Saturday, December 8
TBD - Varsity Wrestling @ Council Bluffs
10:00 am Freshmen Basketball @ Sioux City West
11:30 am Freshmen Basketball @ Sioux City West

Monday, December 10
3:30 pm JV/Varsity Bowling vs. MMCRU
6:00 pm Freshmen Girl Basketball vs.Unity
7:15 pm Freshmen Boy Basketball vs. Unity

Tuesday, December 11
4:45 pm Boy/Girl JV Basketball vs. ELC
6:15 pm Girl Varsity Basketball vs. ELC
7:45 pm Boy Varsity Basketball vs. ELC

Thursday, December 13
6:00 pm Freshmen Girl Basketball vs. Western Christian
6:00 pm JV/Varsity Wrestling @ Cherokee
7:15 pm Freshmen Boy Basketball vs. Western Christian

Friday, December 14
4:45 pm Boy/Girl JV Basketball @ Storm Lake
6:15 pm Girl Varsity Basketball @ Storm Lake
7:45 pm Boy Varsity Basketball @ Storm Lake

Saturday, December 15
TBD - JV/Varsity Wrestling @ Spencer Tournament
8:00 am Robotics League Tournament @ Le Mars
10:00 am Freshmen Girl Basketball @ Heelan
11:30 am Freshmen Boy Basketball @ Heelan
1:00 pm Boy JV Basketball @ Heelan

Monday, December 17
3:30 pm Boy/Girl Bowling vs. Sioux Central
7:30 pm High School Holiday Concert

Tuesday, December 18
4:45 pm Boy/Girl JV Basketball @ Spirit Lake
6:00 pm Spanish Club Christmas Party
6:15 pm Girl Varsity Basketball @ Spirit Lake
7:45 pm Boy Varsity Basketball @ Spirit Lake

Wednesday, December 19
7:00 pm Athletic Booster Club Meeting

Thursday, December 20
5:00 pm JV/Varsity Wrestling @ Sioux City West
5:30 pm Girl Varsity Basketball @ Heelan
7:00 pm Boy Varsity Basektball @ Heelan

Thursday, January 3
3:30 pm Bowling @ Remsen
4:45 pm Boy/Girl JV Basketball vs. SBL
6:00 pm JV/Varsity Wrestling @ Sibley-Ocheyedan
6:15 pm Girl Varsity Basketball vs. SBL
7:45 pm Boy Varsity Basketball vs. SBL

Friday, January 4
3:45 pm Boy Varsity Basketball vs. Sioux City East @ Tyson Events Center

Saturday, January 5
TBA - Northwest Iowa Honor Band @ Morningside
10:30 am JV/Varsity Wrestling @ West Sioux

Monday, January 7
6:00 pm Girl Freshmen Basketball vs. Gehlen
7:15 pm Boy Freshmen Basketball vs. Gehlen

Tuesday, January 8
4:45 pm Boy/Girl JV Basketball @ Sioux Center
6:15 pm Girl Varsity Basketball @ Sioux Center
7:45 pm Boy Varsity Basketball @ Sioux Center

Thursday, January 10
4:00 pm Bowling vs. Sioux Central @ Spencer Bowl
4:45 pm Girl Freshmen Basketball vs. MOC
6:00 pm Girl JV Basketball vs. MOC
7:30 pm Girl Varsity Basketball vs. MOC

Friday, January 11
4:45 pm Boy/Girl JV Basketball vs. Western
6:15 pm Girl Varsity Basketball vs. Western
7:45 pm Boy Varsity Basketball vs. Western

Saturday, January 12
Robotics League Tournament @ WITCC Sioux City
9:00 am Girl Freshmen Basketball @ Sioux City East
10:00 am JV/Varsity Wrestling Home Tournament
10:15 am Boy Freshmen Basketball vs. Sioux City East (A and B games)