LCHS Friday Focus

      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 ...

    Friday Focus I hope everyone has had a productive week! I want to start by thanking you for your hard work during Wednesday’s inservice. Our CIA team has done an excellent job all year providing professional development that is both meaningful and easy to implement in the classroom. 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 . ISASP Testing Changes This year, we are returning to a familiar format for ISASP administration: testing will take place in advisories at the start of the school day. To ensure a smooth and secure testing environment, please note the following: Training: All staff—including senior advisory teachers and any paras who will be in the room—must complete the ISASP test security training . Senior advisory teachers are included in this requirement so w...

   Friday Focus  I hope this message finds you refreshed and rejuvenated after our winter break. It's wonderful to see our halls filled with energy once again as we begin the second semester. I want to express my sincere gratitude for your dedication in making the start of this semester such a success. As we move forward, I'd like to share some important updates regarding our student pass plans. For students who were on pass plans last semester: If the existing plan proved effective, teachers simply need to notify both parents and myself that the student will continue with the same plan. On the PASS Plan spreadsheet from 1st semester, I did mark in the last column if the PASS Plan is eligible to be carried over to the 2nd semester. However, if the plan didn't achieve the desired results (whether due to class performance or incomplete requirements), we'll need to develop a new approach with fresh strategies. For teachers seeking additional intervention strategies, I enco...

  Friday Focus  I hope everyone has had a great week! This will be the last Friday Focus of 2025.  Thank you for your work during in-service on Wednesday. This year we have been focusing on getting back to the basics. Like CIA has said, many of the strategies they have gone over have been strategies you have used in the past, but maybe didn't know the science behind it. Using the 4 power tools, Retrieval Practice, Spacing, Interleaving, and Feedback-driven Metacognition will help our students learn and remember your content better.  We only have 2 instructional days and 3 semester test days left in this semester. As we quickly approach the end of the semester there are a few items I want to remind you about to ensure they are completed. I don't have a lot of new information in this week's Friday Focus, so here are the reminders for the end of the semester. 1. Grades are due before you leave on December 19. You will need to verify your Semester 1 grades. Please double...

Friday Focus  I hope everyone has had a great week! I am out of the building after 11:00 am  attending the state dance competition in Des Moines. I will be out of the building on Monday also. Attending a workshop at Mount Vernon High School. If you put in for a sub late on Monday morning, please let Mr. Moss know via text (541-2785). We only have 7 instructional days and 3 semester test days left in this semester. As we quickly approach the end of the semester there are a few items I want to remind you about to ensure they are completed. 1. Grades are due before you leave on December 19. You will need to verify your Semester 1 grades. Please double check a few calculations to make sure PowerSchool is doing this correctly. Steps to verify your grades: 1. Log into PowerTeacher Pro, 2. Go to 'A+ Grading' and Click 'Traditional', 3. Click 'Final Grade Status' in the bottom right-hand corner, 4. Check the box for 'S1 Final Grades are Complete' and then click ...

           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...

          Friday Focus Happy Friday, everyone! I hope everyone had a great week. Thank you for your work during in-service on Wednesday. When I was walking around the library, I heard some good conversations taking place on how you are incorporating the Science of Learning. This will have a positive effect on our student learning!  Today is the last day of the 1st trimester and it is also midterm of the 2nd quarter. It is hard to believe we are already to this point. The rest of this semester will fly by with Thanksgiving break in a week and a half. When we come back from break, we will only have 12 days of class before semester tests. That means after today, we have 19 class days left before semester tests.  On Tuesday, a team of us went to the AEA to develop our action plan for being on the target list. We spent the day looking at our Iowa School Performance Profile and identifying what areas we wanted to focus on. Then we worked on our SAMI (Se...