November 1, 2019

Happy Friday! As we wrap up the first week of quarter 2, please make sure you have completed PASS Plans for all at-risk students by 11/26/19. I have already talked to all the seniors that failed a first semester class and will be working on the other grades. Mr. Formanek is also talking to those seniors and will be pulling opens. 

I have had some questions regarding the retake policy. The retake policy does give you the flexibility to determine what the student has to do to show they have learned the material better. Please don't ask them to do a ton of work while they are trying to keep up with the current work. Many of the students I am talking to about their grades, tell me they don't do the retake because they can't do that and current work. They don't realize that I have their grades up when I am talking with them, so I ask them why they are not doing their current work. For these students, who are not doing anything, we need to wear them down. We need to be relentless in making them come before or after school. Keep bugging them until it is easier to do the work then to be bugged for not doing the work. One of the books I read, Power of ICU, discusses how to create an environment where everyone is checking in on students and making sure they have their work completed. By everyone asking, you break down that apathy. 

Sophomore and Junior advisory teachers please have your students log into the MAP program (www.planyouradventure.net) to update and review their academic plan. Mrs. Hill will send out instructions on Monday to you and the students. 

Our extra hour meetings this month will be on November 6 and 20. We also have a shelter drill on November 7.

Have a great weekend!
Mark

Students as Leaders

Good Luck to Chloe Calhoun, Jason Sudtelgte, and Ethan Hulinsky at the State Cross Country meet! They will be running Saturday in Ft. Dodge.

Congrats to the students who made it to the All-State Music Festival in Ames. Representing the choir: Adriane Stamer Fuetes, Aaron Hauser, Jack McInnis, Brody Ohm, and Logan Gerdes. Representing the band: Luke Benton, Ellie Clark, Luke Geitz, Devin Hansen, Emily Martin, Drake Oswald, and Daniel Vacura. Representing the Orchestra is Sarah Meis.

Members of the Student Council attended the Student Council Leadership Conference in Des Moines on Monday. The council received Honor status with meritorious distinction.  

Members of the FFA will be attending the National FFA Convention this week in Indianapolis.

On Monday, Ms. James, along with Kaleb Koerselman, Mia Haage, and Camden Schroeder, presented to the school board on Monday night.

Assistant Principal's Happenings

I attended the Student Council Leadership Conference this week and was reminded about the hard work these kids put into our Student Council at Le Mars.  The kids, with the help of Mrs. Isebrand, take a lot of pride in their work and are great leaders for our school district.  We are looking at several ways to make some changes to continue to keep our Student Council in a position to be a role model for the school.  Over the next couple of weeks expect to see some different activities led by these students around the school.

I met with Seniors that were failing at the quarter, took away Opens, and added them to the Success Center.  Please keep tabs on these students and provide some support as most of them are at risk of not graduating on time as well.  Hopefully, that extra assistance will help them focus.  They have the opportunity to earn back that Open if they maintain a C average by Midterm with no F's. 

Only 5 students were academically ineligible at the quarter, meaning they were not passing at least four classes.  I know all of those students were brought up at the grade level meetings.  I encourage all of you to keep reaching out to other teachers if you have a student you are struggling with in class.  Other teachers are working with these students every day as well and you shouldn't be alone in figuring out a strategy that will work with certain students.

Notes from the Librarian

A few weeks ago, we gained more understanding on checking for understanding with our students. Richard Byrne, a technology expert, just wrote an article about a new Google add-on that allows you to use Google slides to poll your students and get live results. Read and watch here: How to create Google polls.  

Success Center Update

Good assessment is a reflection of instruction.  Whether we are considering formative or summative assessments, HOW we assess students is as important as WHAT we assess.  There are two considerations here: assessing the same way students have practiced throughout the lesson, and providing the same supports in assessment that students have used in instruction.  

First, it is important to create consistency and structure between instruction and assessment.  I read an article by Jim Taylor that talked about "testing to the teach."  In other words, our assessments should be structured in the same way we teach and should assess the essential learnings of the standards.  If you teach using short answer or fill-in-the-blank formative assessments, organize your summatives the same way.  When you do that, students are familiar with the expectations and structure, and you get a truer picture of what your students actually know.  

It is also important to give students the same supports in assessment that they have available in instruction.  When we differentiate instruction, we provide supports and scaffolding for students as needed.  The supports that are provided to students during instruction should also be available during the assessment process.  For example, if pictures are used during instruction to support learning, pictures should also be included as part of the assessment process whenever possible.  If a word bank is provided throughout the lesson, a word bank should be provided on the test, or students should be told in advance that one will not be available.  The more consistency we create between instruction and assessment, the more clearly we are assessing what students know, rather than how well they understand the structure of the test.

Tracy's Technology Tidbits.

Upcoming Activities

Friday, November 1
7:30 pm Indoor Marching Band - Competition Gym

Saturday November 9

NWI HS Honor Band Auditions

Thursday, November 14

7:00 pm Fall Play

Friday, November 15

TBD - Robotics

7:00 pm Fall Play

Saturday, November 16

TBD - Robotics

7:00 pm Fall Play

Monday November 18

7:00 pm Music Boosters Meeting

Wednesday November 20

7:00 pm Athletic Boosters Meeting

Thursday, November 21

All State Music Festival @ Ames

Friday, November 22

All State Music Festival @ Ames

6:00 pm JV Girls Basketball - Hall of Pride Scrimmage

7:30 pm Varsity Girls Basketball - Hall of Pride Scrimmage

Saturday, November 23

All State Music Festival @ Ames

Monday, November 25

3:30 pm JV/Varsity Bowling vs. Sioux Central

6:00 pm JV Girls Basketball @ Spencer

7:30 pm Varsity Girls Basketball @ Spencer

Monday, December 2

1:00 pm JV/Varsity Bowling @ Sioux City North

6:00 pm Freshmen Girls Basketball @ Sioux Center

7:15 pm Freshmen Boys Basketball @ Sioux Center

Tuesday, December 3

6:00 pm Spanish Club Party

Thursday, December 5

4:00 pm JV Boys and Girls Basketball @ SBL

5:30 pm Varsity Girls Basketball @ SBL

5:30 pm JV/Varsity Wrestling @ Heelan

6:00 pm Freshmen Girls Basketball vs. Sioux City North

7:00 pm Varsity Boys Basketball vs. SBL

7:15 pm Freshmen Boys Basketball vs. Sioux City North

Friday, December 6

4:30 pm JV/Varsity Wrestling @ Hinton

6:30 pm Madrigal Dinner


Saturday, December 7
6:30 pm Madrigal Dinner

Monday, December 9
4:30 pm JV Wrestling @ MOC

Tuesday, December 10
4:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball vs Council Bluffs AL
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Basketball vs. Council Bluffs AL
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball vs. Council Bluffs AL

Thursday, December 12
3:30 pm Bowling vs. OABCIG
5:30 pm JV Girl Basketball @ Heelan
6:00 pm Freshmen Girl Basketball vs. MOC
7:00 pm Varsity Girl Basketball @ Heelan
7:15 pm Freshmen Boy Basketball vs. MOC

Friday, December 13
1:00 pm Bowling @ Council Bluffs
1:00 pm Wrestling @ Council Bluffs
4:00 pm Freshmen Basketball @ Heelan
5:30 pm JV Basketball @ Heelan
7:00 pm Varsity Basketball @ Heelan


Saturday, December 14
9:00 am Freshmen Girl Basketball @ Gehlen
10:00 am Wrestling @ Council Bluffs
10:00 am Girl Wrestling @ Oakland, IA
10:15 am Freshmen Boy Basketball @ Gehlen
1:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball vs. Western Christian
2:30 pm Varsity Girl Basketball vs. Western Christian
4:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball vs. Western Christian

Monday, December 16
3:30 pm Bowling vs. Sioux City East
5:00 pm Girl Wrestling @ SBL
7:30 pm HS Holiday Concert

Tuesday, December 17
4:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball vs Council Bluffs TJ
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Basketball vs. Council Bluffs TJ
5:30 pm Wrestling @ Western Christian
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball vs. Council Bluffs TJ

Thursday, December 19
4:00 pm Freshmen Girl Basketball @ Sioux City North
5:30 pm JV Girl Basketball @ Sioux City North
5:30 pm Wrestling @ Council Bluffs TJ
7:00 pm Varsity Girl Basketball @ Sioux City North

Friday, December 20
4:00 pm Freshmen Boy Basketball @ Sioux City North
5:30 pm JV Boy Basketball @ Sioux City North
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball@ Sioux City North