January 23, 2026

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Friday Focus

Happy Friday, I hope everyone has had a good week. As I am writing this, we have been placed in a cold weather warning, so who knows where you will actually be when you read this.

I have been busy this week working on our District Career Academic Plan or DCAP for short. The District Career and Academic Plan (DCAP) is a state-mandated roadmap that outlines how our district supports every student in grades 5–12 with their Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP). 

What is the DCAP?

The DCAP is a high-level framework designed to ensure we are providing the necessary resources, experiences, and guidance for students to transition successfully into postsecondary education or the workforce. It is not just a document for administrators; it is a "living context" for our school's mission to prepare future-ready graduates.

Key components of our DCAP include:
  • The DCAP Team: A mandated group including administrators, school counselors, and teachers (general education, CTE, and special education) who review and revise the plan annually.
  • Grade-Level Activities: Specific career-related activities for each grade (5–12) that meet state requirements, such as interest inventories, job site visits, and 4-year course planning.
  • Five Essential Components: Focus on self-understanding, career information, career exploration, postsecondary exploration, and career/postsecondary decision-making.
  • Recent Mandates: Integration of work-based learning (WBL) and advisement on completing the FAFSA (financial aid application).
Why is it important for us to have this plan?
  • Ensures Equity and Consistency: It provides a scaffolded, inclusive experience so that every student—regardless of their background—receives the same level of career readiness support.
  • Alignment with Teaching: It connects classroom learning to real-world employability skills, helping students understand the "why" behind their coursework.
  • Strengthens Partnerships: The plan encourages us to build relationships with local businesses, industry partners, and higher education institutions to provide students with hands-on learning.
  • Continuous Improvement: By reviewing the DCAP annually with data, we can adjust our strategies to better serve student needs and meet state accreditation standards.
Having a strong DCAP means we aren't just checking a box; we are building a supportive environment that helps every student identify their interests and confidently choose their path after graduation.

Recognizing Excellence

The Le Mars Foundation is currently seeking nominations for Employee of the Month. We have an incredible team here; please take a moment to nominate a colleague who goes above and beyond. You can find the nomination form here.

Key Dates to Remember

Jan. 28: Inservice
Feb. 4: Midterm (3rd Quarter)
Feb. 25: End of Trimester 2
Apr. 1: PASS Plans due (Trimester 3 and Semester 2)

Have a great weekend!
Mark

Assistant Principal's Happenings

Things to remember:
I haven't written about BoysTown in a long time.  I haven't seen anything that requires a "reminder", but I was reviewing this myself this week and wanted to share it with you.

When teaching a new skill, addressing improper behavior (or even giving general classroom directions for a transition), parts of this process can be used.  I'm not always perfect to get every single step, but the underlying framework leads to success:

1. Initial praise or empathy: Start with a positive or "I understand...".
2. Description of inappropriate behavior: Be specific and neutral.
3. Consequences: Apply the classroom consequence if warranted.
4. Description of appropriate behavior: Clearly state what they should be doing.
5. Rationale: Why does this skill matter in the real world?.
6. Request for acknowledgement: Ensure they understand the expectation.
7. Practice: Do a quick "dry run" or role-play of the skill.
8. Follow-up praise: End the interaction on a win.

Things I'm learning:
Perhaps you are already aware of this, but one of the updates to the Chrome browser is "read-aloud mode".  The directions are pasted below.  Try it out -- it may be beneficial to some of your students.  All you have to do is right-click on the page and pick the "Open in reading mode".

Have Chrome read pages aloud

Chrome can now read web pages aloud. Words on the page are highlighted to help you follow along. Read aloud is best for content like news stories, articles, or even PDFs.

  1. To use read aloud, right-click on a page, and select Open in reading mode. This opens the side panel, which has controls you can use for read aloud.
  2. Click the Play  button.
  3. You can adjust the voice  , speed , and highlight style  in the toolbar next to the Play button.

Moss


Upcoming Activities


Friday, Jan. 23
TBD - Iowa Lakes Jazz Band Contest
12:30 pm Boy/Girl Bowling @ Council Bluffs
4:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball @ SC East
5:00 pm Freshman Boy Basketball @ SC East
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Basketball @ SC East
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball @ SC East

Saturday, Jan. 24
8:00 am District Large Group Speech @ TBD
8:00 am Varsity Boy Wrestling @ Heelan
9:30 am Boy Swimming @ Lewis Central
10:00 am Varsity Girl Wrestling @ SBL

Monday, Jan. 26
1:00 pm JV/Varsity Boy/Girl Bowling @ MRAC Tournament - Council Bluffs
4:00 pm State Jazz Band Festival - Middle School Auditorium
6:30 pm 8th grade parent registration night - Competition Gym

Tuesday, Jan. 27
4:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball @ Heelan
5:15 pm Freshman Boy Basketball @ Heelan
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Basketball @ Heelan
6:00 pm Boy Wrestling @ West Sioux
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball @ Heelan

Wednesday, Jan. 28
8:00 am Iowa Lakes Vocal Jazz Festival

Thursday, Jan. 29
8:00 am NWI HS/MS Honor Orchestra Festival @ Northwestern
4:00 pm Boy Wrestling - MRAC Confernce Meet @ SC North

Friday, Jan. 30
TBD - High School Honor Band - USD
4:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball @ CB Abe Lincoln
5:15 pm Freshman Boy Basketball @ CB Abe Lincoln
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Basketball @ CB Abe Lincoln
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball @ CB Abe Lincoln
7:00 pm Girl Wrestling Regionals - TBD

Saturday, Jan. 31
TBD - USD Honor Band
TBD -  State Jazz Choir Festival - Le Mars
9:30 am Boy Wrestling @ Kinsley-Pierson
10:00 am Boy/Girl Wrestling - Le Mars Invite

Monday, Feb. 2
TBD - High School State Show Choir
5:00 pm JV Boy Wrestling @ MOC

Tuesday, Feb 3
4:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball vs. SC North
5:30 pm Freshman Boy Basketball vs. SC North
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Basketball vs. SC North
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball vs. SC North

Wednesday, Feb. 4
TBD - HS Jazz Band Festival @ Morningside
TBD - HS Girl State Wrestling

Thursday, Feb. 5
3:30 pm Boy Bowling @ Sweet 16 Lanes
4:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball @ Western Christian
5:30 pm Freshman Boy Basketball @ Western Christian
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Basketball @ Western Christian
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball @ Western Christian

Friday, Feb. 6
TBD - Cyclone Honor Band
4:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basektball @ SC West
5:15 pm Freshman Boy Basketball @ SC West
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Basketball @ SC West
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball @ SC West

Saturday, Feb. 7
12:00 pm - Boy District Swimming @ Waukee
TBD - Cyclone Honor Band
8:00 am State Large Group Speech @ Cherokee

Monday, Feb. 9
TBD - State Jazz Choir - Spirit Lake 
4:00 pm Freshman Boy Basketball vs. Lewis Central
5:30 pm JV Boy Basketball vs. Lewis Central

Tuesday, Feb. 10
4:00 pm Freshman Boy Basketball @ CB TJ
4:00 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball @ CB TJ
5:30 pm Varsity Girl Basektball @ CB TJ
7:00 pm Varsity Boy Basketball @ CB TJ
7:30 pm HS Jazz Concert

Thursday, Feb. 12
TBD - Northern Festival of Winds @ UNI

Friday, Feb. 13
TBD - Northern Festival of Winds @ UNI
4:30 pm JV Boy/Girl Basketball @ Spencer
5:00 pm Boys Swimming State Meet @ Iowa City
6:00 pm Varsity Girl Basketball @ Spencer
6:00 pm Freshman Boy Basketball @ Spencer
7:30 pm Varsity Boy Basketball @ Spencer

Saturday, Feb. 14
TBD - Nortern Festival of Winds @ UNI
8:00 am Crimson and Black @ Harlan
12:00 pm Boy Swimming State Meet @ Iowa City

Monday, Feb. 16
8:00 am NWIBA District Jazz Band @ LCHS

Tuesday, Feb. 17
6:00 pm Le Mars Dance Team Exphibition 

Thursday, Feb. 19
6:00 pm 9th Grade Honors Program Meeting

Friday, Feb. 20
8:30 pm Winter Dance

Saturday, Feb. 21
8:00 am All-State Large Group Speech @ Ames

Friday, Feb. 27
7:30 pm HS Vocal Concert

Saturday, Feb. 28
8:00 am Crimson and Black @ Heelan
8:00 am District IE Speech @ TBD



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