LCHS Friday Focus

Happy Friday! Congratulations! We have made it through the first day of school. I always enjoy this time of year when everyone comes back and I get to hear about the great trips or activities you all have done over the summer. It is also exciting to get the students back and for us to meet the new students. I just want to take this first issue of the Friday Focus and go over some reminders that we skimmed over at the staff meeting on Monday. Don't forget grades need to be updated on Monday at 8:30 for the previous week. I understand projects/papers sometimes take a little longer to grade and sometimes life happens. Lesson plans should be updated on the lemarscsd.org website before you leave on Friday for the following week. I have posted our PLC handbook and meeting form on the the 16-17 PD website. Please upload the meeting form like last year. Your group should meet every week we do not have an extra hour meeting. Our extra hour meeting this year will be: 9/14 & 28, 10/...

Happy Friday! Only three more days left of school after today. Students who do not have to take semester tests and will be gone on Tuesday, can check out today. If a student has to take semester tests and does not have an advance make up, they will check out on the test days. Otherwise, everyone else can check out on Tuesday. We will have advisory on Tuesday. If you haven't done the last reflections with them, do that first, then have them clean out their lockers. If the locker is clean (no trash, tape on the door, etc.) you may sign the students check out sheet for the locker. If the locker is damaged, please have Neal or I check it out. All lockers should shut and lock, if they don't, that is some of the damage we are looking for. We will follow the second semester test schedule. It is as follows: Wednesday 8:30 - 9:40 Period 1 9:45 - 10:55 Period 2 10:55 - 11:45 Lunch 11:50 - 1:00 Period 5 1:05 - 2:15 Period 6 2:20 - 3:30 Period 7 Thursday 8:30 - 9:40 Period 3...

Happy Friday! It is finally graduation weekend. It is hard to believe how fast the school year has gone by and how fast this group of students has moved through high school. Some of you are thinking right now that it wasn't fast enough for some students. But as a whole, this class has provided us with good memories and has helped carry on a tradition of excellence. As they get ready to move on to the next phase in their lives, we prepare for a new crop of freshmen coming in. Mr. Utesch will be making recommendations to the board on some handbook items and I will be informing them of our grading policy for next year on Monday night. When you write your welcome letters for next year, you may either include the policy or refer the students to the student handbook. The policy will be placed in there for students and parents to access. Thank you for your patience and dedication as we wrap up this school year. Things should quiet down in terms of activities and other distractions t...

Happy Friday! We are getting closer to the finish line, keep pushing the students to continue learning. Seniors will be done with regular class on Monday and will be taking semesters on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. If you would like Mr. Martin to proctor your test for seniors, please get him the test today with the students name on the test. The last day of class will be May 31 for the rest of the students. Semesters will be on June 1 and 2. Please look at the student handbook for the schedule of tests. June 2 is an early dismissal for the district with the an all-staff assembly in the high school commons. We will have our Senior Awards night on Wednesday at 6:30 in the competition gym. On Thursday, the seniors will have their breakfast, then graduation practice. The junior ushers for this year are: Kyle Marek, Mary Meis, Sydney Rand, Kelli Susemihl, Kajsa Hallberg, and Tessa Hansen. They will be helping on Thursday morning with the breakfast and then practice. Please get sen...

Happy Friday! The first week of May is done! Great job on keeping the students learning. I know we have had lots of distractions this week with all the activities and the science room remodeling. This coming week, the science rooms will have the asbestos removed, then the real noise will begin. Next Wednesday we will have our second to last extra hour meeting. You will meet in your department PLCs and work on your local assessment or discuss curriculum changes for next year or how your strategy from you last SMART goal turned out. The seniors will be done with regular class on May 16. On that day, any senior who doesn't need to take a semester test will check out. Semester test will be on May 17 and 18. Mr. Martin has agreed to proctor those test. If you want him to proctor your test for seniors, please give him the test with the students name on it and scantron if needed by May 13. We have told the seniors if they have to take fewer than 4 exams they need to be done on Tuesd...

Happy Friday! We made it to another weekend. As we get closer to the end of the school year, students are going to test our patience. Remember to take a deep breath before reacting to something. We do not want to get into arguments or power struggles with students, especially if their is an audience. In these instances nobody wins. I hope you all commended your students on their behavior at the assembly on Wednesday. I was very impressed with the students. I do think this is something we need to do more of and I will look for more ways to recognize our students. I think an assembly like this should become the norm next school year during our advisory time. Wednesday night at the annual Foundation Banquet, we had several staff members recognized for 25 years of employment. I would also like to recognize these people, they are: Brett Oetken, Sherri Permewaran, and Kevin Westhoff. Thank you for your years of service and hard work to help educate the youth of Le Mars! Also that night...

Happy Friday! It is midterm of the 4th quarter today. I am some of you just shouted for joy, while others are thinking of everything they have to get done yet. As we wind down the school year, keep pushing the students academically to the end. They are not going to be as motivated with the nice weather so it is important that we keep the focus and exercise extra patience with the students. This will make the time easier on you as well. I wanted to give everyone a remodel update. The de-construction is set to begin on May 2. At that time, all the cabinets that are left in the rooms will be demolished. Mr. Moss and Mr. Gerdes will move out of their rooms on Thursday next week. Josh, Scott, Tim, and Mike will remove cabinets and shelves the district is going to keep. Any cabinets left in there Friday after school are up for grabs, but you will need to remove them by Sunday. Once the cabinets and labs have been removed, the asbestos removal will begin. After that, the fun really star...