May 3, 2024

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Happy Friday! I hope everyone has had a great week. Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week, on Friday Mr. Moss and myself will be providing lunch. A huge thank you to the entire staff for all you do for our students. 

Last week, I attended an AI workshop in Des Moines and found it really cool on what you can do. In the morning we were able to play with different AI tools and in the afternoon we discussed ethical uses and creating guidelines. This student guideline poster is good starting point for discussions on how we can teach students the appropriate use of AI. One thing that I learned is that AI checkers will be obsolete within 3 years. I also learned that programs like Grammerly are AI based and that will set off the AI checkers. Also, any computer program that will offer you word suggestions as you are typing use AI to do this. I know we have some students that use Grammerly, so if you accuse a student of using AI, just know it could be because of Grammerly or the word program they use uses AI to suggest words and he/she may have just hit the tab button to accept the suggestion. Many of us use AI every day and don't realize it. 

Our ISASP data is in. This is the percentage of students proficient. 

2023-2024ELAMathScience
9th Class of 2777%56%
10th Class of 2680%67%71.35%
11th Class of 2577%80%
Average78%68%71%


This is our data from last year for comparison.

2022-2023ELAMathScience
8th Class of 2779%61%68%
9th Class of 2672.58%63%
10th Class of 2584.71%76%78%
11th Class of 2481.82%85%
Average79.36%75%78%

As you can see, in math the Class of 26 and 25 increased the percentage of students proficient and the Class of 27 decreased. In ELA, the Class of 25 percent proficent decreased and the percent proficient for the Class of 26 & 27 increased. The reading data will not be available until August, so this means so far we did not hit any of our goals. Our goal was to have 78% student proficient in each testing area. 

Our Seniors are coming close to the end of their school year, they just have next week of regular classes, then tests the following week. If you have a senior who will not pass your class, please let me know. I have been talking with those seniors that are in jeopardy. Senior tests need to be done on May 14 by noon. Final grades for Seniors are due at 8:00 am on May 15. This is a hard deadline as Amy will need to run final awards for that night. All seniors will need to have 50 credits at this time or he/she will not be walking at graduation. 

On May 7, Dr. Webner will be holding staff information meetings on the facility study and possible buildings. He will hold 2 meetings in the HS/MS complex that day, one from 7:40-8:00 am and another from 3:40-4:00 pm. These meetings will take place in the Little Theater.

End of the school year schedule:

May 23 - Last Day of Regular Class

Period 1:  8:30 - 9:12
Period 2: 9:16 - 9:58
Period 3: 10:02 - 10:44
Period 4: 10:48 - 11:30
Period 5:
1st Class: 11:34 - 12:16
2nd Lunch: 12:16 - 12:48
1st Lunch: 11:30 - 12:02
2nd Class: 12:06 - 12:48
Period 6: 12:52 - 1:34
Period 7: 1:38 - 2:20
Period 8: 2:24 - 3:06
Advisory: 3:10 - 3:30

Semester Test Days           May 24                 May 28                 May 29
8:30 - 9:45                      Period 1                Period 2                Period 7
9:50 - 11:05                    Period 3                Period 4                Period 8
11:10 - 12:10                  Lunch                   Lunch                    Lunch
12:15 - 1:30                    Period 5                Period 6

Have a great weekend,

Mark

Assistant Principal's Happenings

Just a few thoughts this week.

*Thank you for all your help communicating the semester test list to seniors.


*Thank you for your consistent care for our students.  That was on display in multiple situations this week!


*Thank you for simultaneously holding our students to high standards yet working hard to help them meet those standards.  As we enter May, motivation can be hard to find for both kids and adults.  Your work to help these students finish strong is as important now as it was before.


*Let’s all be careful as we become more tired as we finish off the year.  I’ve caught myself more than once needing to take a few deep breaths before talking to a student.  It is important to have self-awareness and know when I am more likely to lose my cool.


*Thought of the week:  " 'Finishing well' is one of the hardest things in life, no matter your age or situation."  It is difficult to continue to put in the same amount of effort when you know time is short.  Let's encourage our kids (and our adults:) to finish well.


*2nd Thought of the week:  A staff member, who shall remain nameless, challenged me this week.  He told me about how he attended the state's premier conference on wind instruments and their keynote speaker said something to this effect:  "Would your students want to consider teaching as a career after hearing how you talk about your job?"  This was convicting.  I don't think I do a good job talking about my job in a positive manner -- such that young people look at the job and say, "I would like to do that".  Most of us are now teachers because we had a positive experience in school.  The BOEE reports that new license applications are at an all-time low.  Join me in being more aware about the way I talk about education in front of students.  And maybe tell me to lighten up and have some fun -- when students see us having fun at work, they are more likely to be tomorrow's teachers.


Let's make it a great Friday, together.

Adam


Adam


Upcoming Activities

Friday, May 3
TBD - State Large Group Music @ MOC
10:00 am Girl Golf @ Old Dane Golf Course
5:00 pm Boy JV Soccer vs. Thomas Jefferson
6:30 pm Boy Varsity Soccer vs. Thomas Jefferson

Saturday, May 4
9:00 am Girl Tennis @ Spencer
11:00 am Girl JV Soccer @ MOC Floyd Valley
12:30 pm Girl Varsity Soccer @ MOC Floyd Valley
11:00 am Boy JV Soccer vs. MOC Floyd Valley
12:30 pm Boy Varsity Soccer vs. MOC Floyd Valley

Monday, May 6
5:00 pm Boy JV Soccer vs. Heelan
6:30 pm Boy Varsity Soccer vs. Heelan
5:30 pm Girl JV Soccer @ Heelan
7:00 pm Girl Varsity Soccer @ Heelan
6:00 pm Speech/Thespians Awards Banquet

Tuesday, May 7
10:00 am Girl Golf - MRAC Meet @ Willow Creek
7:30 pm HS Vocal Concert

Wednesday, May 8
7:00 pm Alternative School Graduation

Thursday, May 9
5:00 pm Girl JV Soocer @ Denison
6:30 pm Girl Varsity Soccer @ Denison

Friday, May 10
Senior's last day of regular class
5:00 pm Girl JV Soccer vs. Boyden Hull/Rock Valley @ Rock Valley
6:30 pm Girl Varsity Soccer vs. Boyden Hull/Rock Valley @ Rock Valley
5:00 pm Boy JV Soccer vs. Boyden Hull/Rock Valley
6:30 pm Boy Varsity Soccer vs. Boyden Hull/Rock Valley

Monday, May 13
Senior Semester Tests
10:00 am Girl Golf @ Green Valley
4:00 pm Girl JV Soccer @ Thomas Jefferson
5:30 pm Girl Varsity Soccer @ Thomas Jefferson
4:00 pm JV Baseball double header vs. Heelan @ Briar Cliff
5:30 pm Varsity Baseball double header vs. Heelan

Tuesday, May 14
Senior Semester Tests

Wednesday, May 15
9:00 am Senior Breakfast
10:00 am Graduation Practice
6:30 pm Senior Awards Night

Thursday, May 16
TBD - Boy/Girl State Track Meet @ Des Moines
5:30 pm JV Baseball double header vs. SC East

Friday, May 17
TBD - Boy/Girl State Track Meet @ Des Moines
5:00 pm JV Baseball @ Harlan
7:00 pm Varsity Baseball @ Harlan

Saturday, May 18
TBD - Boy/Girl State Track Meet

Sunday, May 19
3:00 pm LCHS Commencement Exercises

Monday, May 20
4:00 pm JV Softball @ SC West
5:30 pm Varsity Softball double header @ SC West
5:30 pm Varsity Baseball double header @ SC West
5:30 pm JV Baseball double header vs. Sioux City West

Tuesday, May 21
5:00 pm Freshman Baseball double header vs. SC West
5:00 pm Freshman Softball double header vs. SC West

Wedesday, May 22
5:30 pm JV Baseball double header @ Thomas Jefferson

Thursday, May 23
4:00 pm JV Softball vs. Thomas Jefferson
5:30 pm Varsity Softball double header vs. Thomas Jefferson
5:30 pm Varsity Baseball double header vs. Thomas Jefferson

Friday, May 24
Semester Tests Periods 1, 3, 5
4:00 pm Varsity Softball @ Heelan Classic

Saturady, May 25
10:00 am Varsity Softball @ Heelan Classic

Monday, May 26
Memorial Day Parade

Tuesday, May 27
Semester Tests Periods 2, 4, & 6 
4:00 pm JV Softball @ SC East
5:30 pm Varsity Softball double header @ SC East
5:30 pm Varsity Baseball double header @ SC East

Wednesday, May 28
Semester Test Periods 7 & 8
5:30 pm JV Baseball double header vs. SBL
5:30 pm JV Softball double header vs. SBL

Thursday, May 29
Teacher Check Out Day








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