November 21, 2025

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Friday Focus

Thanksgiving Gratitude

I hope everyone had a wonderful week! As we head into Thanksgiving break, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our incredible staff. Your passion and dedication continue to amaze me daily. I hope each of you – whether you're a teacher, aide, custodian, cook, or counselor – can truly disconnect during this break and enjoy quality time with your loved ones.

Academic Calendar Update

When we return, we'll have:

  • 12 days of regular classes
  • 3 days of semester tests
  • Important deadline: Grades and pass plan summaries due December 20th

PASS Plans and Incomplete Procedures ⚠️

Students with Existing PASS Plans:

  • If a student with a PASS Plan did not pass your class: complete and submit the PASS Plan summary form - You can email or turn in a print copy. Please use this form so I have a form for each student.
  • Please send a copy of the PASS Plan summary to the parents.
  • If the student passed, then nothing needs to be submitted.

Students Without PASS Plans:

  1. Issue an incomplete grade
  2. Communicate this status to both parents and student (mail a copy of the form home)
  3. Submit the incomplete form to the office. Please use this form so I have a form for each student.

This documentation is crucial for our academic records and student support systems.

Schedule Changes & Course Updates

Semester Schedule Adjustments

To better accommodate student course requests, we've implemented a new approach this year by splitting certain year-long classes that don't require specific period assignments. This flexibility has allowed us to fulfill more student preferences.

Remember to return Monday and Tuesday next week! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving break with your families.

Mark

Key Dates to Remember

  • Nov. 26-28 - No School
  • Dec. 3 - Shelter Drill @ 2:50 pm
  • Dec. 10 - Inservice
  • Dec. 17 - Semester Exams (Odd Periods)
  • Dec. 18 - Semester Exams (Even Periods)
  • Dec. 19 - Semester Exams (Make Up)
  • Dec. 19 - Grades due 3:30 pm
  • Dec. 19 - PASS Plan Summaries Due in the office and please mail a copy home
  • Dec. 19 - Incomplete Forms Due in the office and a please mail a copy home


Assistant Principal's Happenings

Things I'm Thinking About:
Last week I had the opportunity to attend Special Ed Law conference. If you are interested, here is a folder that contains all the presentations from the conference.  

If you want to geek out further,  I made a Notebook LM that can make the presentations searchable.  Treat it like ChatGPT by searching or asking a question.  (For example: "Give me a summary of all the information presented regarding FERPA."). Then it will search only the files that are in the notebook.  Pretty cool. Also check out the "mind map" on the side.

More Important:
Speaking of FERPA -- (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. FERPA grants parents/eligible students the right to inspect records, request amendments, and control disclosure of personally identifiable information.  Think of it like "HIPAA" at the doctor's office, but for education.  (It isn't as restrictive as HIPAA, however.)

There was one case that was discussed at the conference where two school employees were attending a basketball game and were overheard gossiping about a student.  They were sued, alleging that FERPA was violated.  The teachers won the lawsuit, but it is worth keeping in mind that people are aware of our conversations in public.


Thankful for you!

Moss


Upcoming Activities


Friday, Nov. 21
TBD - All State Music Festival

Saturday, Nov. 22
TBD - All State Music Festival
10:00 am Girl Wrestling @ West Monona

Monday, Nov. 24
3:00 pm Boy/Girl Bowling vs. Council Bluffs Abe Lincoln

Tuesday, Nov. 25
5:00 pm Boy Swimming vs. Spencer @ SC West
5:30 pm JV Girl Basektball vs. Lewis Central
7:00 pm Varsity Girl Basketball vs. Lewis Central

Monday, Dec. 1
3:30 pm Bowling vs. Sioux City West

Tuesday, Dec. 2
4:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball vs. Spirit Lake
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Basketball vs. Spirit Lake
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basektball vs. Spirit Lake

Thursday, Dec. 3
5:30 pm Boy/Girl Wrestling vs. SC East & Council Bluffs Lincoln
6:30 pm Swimming @ Spencer

Friday, Dec. 5
4:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball @ SBL
5:15 pm Freshman Boy Basketball @ SBL
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Basektball @ SBL
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Wrestling @ Viborg-Hurley (South Dakota)
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball @ SBL
7:30 pm Madrigal Dinner

Saturday, Dec. 6
10:00 am Varsity Boy Wrestling @ Long Lines
10:00 am JV Boy/Girl Wrestling @ SC North
7:30 pm Madrigal Dinner

Monday, Dec. 8
5:00 pm JV Girl Wrestling @ Long Lines Sioux City
5:00 pm JV Boy Wrestling @ MOC

Tuesday, Dec. 9
4:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball vs. SC East
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Basketball vs. SC East
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball vs. SC East

Thursday, Dec. 11
3:30 pm JV/Varsity Boy/Girl Bowling vs OABCIG
6:30 pm JV/Varsity Boy/Girl Wrestling vs. Okoboji and Sioux Center

Friday, Dec. 12
11:00 am Varsity Boy/Girl Wrestling @ Mid-America Center, Council Bluffs
12:30 pm JV/Varsity Boy/Girl Bowling @ Bowlero Bowl, Council Bluffs
4:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball vs. Heelan
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Basketball vs. Heelan
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball vs. Heelan

Saturday, Dec. 13
9:30 am Varsity Boy/Girl Wrestling @ Mid-America Center, Council Bluffs

Monday, Dec. 15
1:30 pm JV/Varsity Boy/Girl Bowling vs. SBL
4:30 pm JV Boy Wrestling @ SBL
5:30 pm Swimmng vs. Carroll @ SC West
7:30 pm HS Holiday Concert

Tuesday, Dec. 16
4:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball vs. CB Lincoln
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Basketball vs. CB Lincoln
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball vs. CB Lincoln
5:30 pm JV/Varsity Boy Wrestling @ MVAOCOU

Thursday, Dec. 18
6:00 pm JV/Varsity Boy Wrestling vs. Heelan

Friday, Dec. 19
4:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball @ SC North (Boys @ North Middle School)
5:00 pm JV Boy Wrestling @ Spencer
5:00 pm Varsity Girl Wrestling @ Fort Dodge
5:30 pm Freshman Boy Basketball @ SC North (North Middle School)
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Basketball @ SC North
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball @ SC North

Saturday, Dec. 20
10:00 am Varsity Boy Wrestling @ Spencer
11:00 am Swimming @ Ames

Saturday, Jan. 3
11:00 am Swimming @ Cedar Falls
1:00 pm JV Boy Baskeball vs. Pocahontas Area
2:30 pm Varsity Boy vs. Pocahontas Area

Monday, Jan. 5
1:00 pm Bowling vs. SC North @ Plaza Bowl, Sioux City
4:30 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball @ Sioux Center
6:00 pm Freshmen Boy Basketball @ Sioux Center
6:00 pm Varsity Girl Basketball @ Sioux Center
7:30 pm Varsity Boy Basketball @ Sioux Center

Thursday, Jan. 8
4:30 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball @ MOC
5:00 pm Swimming @ Lewis Central
5:30 pm Wrestling @ SC North vs North and SBL
5:45 pm Freshmen Boy Basketball @ MOC
6:00 pm Varsity Girl Basketball @ MOC
7:30 pm Varsity Boy Basketball @ MOC

Friday, Jan. 9
4:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball vs. Storm Lake
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Basketball vs. Storm Lake
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball vs. Storm Lake

Saturday, Jan. 10
TBD - NWI HS Honor Band
9:00 am Boy Wrestling @ Linn-Mar
9:30 am Girl Wrestling @ North Mahaska
12:00 pm Swimming @ Linn-Mar

Monday, Jan. 12
TBD - Morningside Vocal Arts Festival
3:30 pm Bowling @ Council Bluffs TJ - Bowlero Bowl
5:00 pm Girl Wrestling @ North High - MRAC Conference Tournament

Tuesday, Jan. 13
4:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball vs. Sioux City West
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Basketball vs. Sioux City West
5:30 pm Swimming @ Atlantic vs. Atlantic and Waukee
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball vs. Sioux City West

Thursday, Jan. 15
4:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball vs. Council Bluffs TJ
5:30 pm Freshmen Boy Basketball vs. Council Bluffs TJ
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Basketball vs. Council Bluffs TJ
5:30 m Wrestling @ Council Bluffs TJ vs. TJ and SC West
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball vs. Council Bluffs TJ

Friday, Jan. 16
4:00 pm Girl Wrestling - Le Mars Invite

Saturday, Jan. 17
8:00 am HS Show Choir Clinic and Showcase
8:00 am JV Boy Wreslting vs. Sioux Center
10:00 am Boy Wrestling - Le Mars Invite
10:00 am Swimming @ Fort Dodge



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