Le Mars Community School District

Iowa Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) Revenue Purpose Statement

On November 7, 2023, the Le Mars Community School District voters will have the opportunity to vote on the continued usage of the Iowa Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) funds provided to school districts by the State of Iowa. Below is information regarding SAVE funds and their usage.

What is SAVE?

In 2008, the Governor signed into law the dispersal of statewide sales tax funds to each public school district on a per pupil basis. These funds can only be spent on infrastructure. Infrastructure includes, but not limited to: purchasing student and teacher computers, upkeep and improvements of buildings and grounds, debt service payments, purchasing of school buses, and purchasing of building safety and security systems.

What is the Revenue Purpose Statement?

The Revenue purpose statement explains how the school district will spend the SAVE funds received for infrastructure. The newly proposed revenue purpose statement has the same intent as the revenue purpose statement approved by Le Mars Community School District voters in 2013; allowing the funds to be spent on lawful purposes according to Iowa Code. Again, examples include, but not limited to: purchasing student and teacher computers, upkeep and improvements of buildings and grounds, debt service payments, purchasing of school buses, and purchasing of building safety and security systems. Our current revenue purpose statement remains in effect until January 1, 2031. A renewed revenue purpose statement will expire on January 1, 2051.

Will voting “Yes” increase taxes?

No. The sole purpose of the vote on the Revenue Purpose Statement is to describe the infrastructure uses for which the funds provided by the State of Iowa may be used within our school district. Le Mars Community School District taxes will NOT increase because of this Revenue Purpose Statement.

What happens if voters don’t approve the extension of the Revenue Purpose Statement?

Failure to approve the proposed Revenue Purpose Statement will not eliminate the existing Revenue Purpose Statement, which remains in effect until January 1, 2031. If a majority of eligible electors voting on the question fail to approve the proposed Revenue Purpose Statement, then upon expiration of the current Revenue Purpose Statement revenues received by the school district from the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) fund shall first be expended for reduction of the PPEL levy (current $0.33 per thousand of assessed valuation) and used for any authorized infrastructure purpose of the school district as defined in Iowa Code Section 423F.3(6). PPEL is the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy used for such things as student technology and infrastructure. On an annual basis, once this levy is paid from SAVE funds, the district may use any remaining revenues from the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education fund for any legally eligible infrastructure purpose.

Please contact me at steve.webner@lemarscsd.org or (712) 546-4155 if you have any questions.

Go Bulldogs!

October 11, 2023

October 25, 2023

High School

• Thursday, October 5 --- 4:30 pm - 8:00pm
  
• Monday, October 9 --- 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Middle School

• Thursday, October 19 --- 4:30 pm - 8:00pm
• Monday, October 23 --- 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Clark, Franklin, & Kluckhohn Elementaries

Parents,

A school picture proof will be sent home with kids within 3-5 business days. The proof will include a unique ID code for your student. You will then use that code to order your student's photos online! If your student doesn't bring home the proof, please contact Digital Solutions (402-844-0004) or your student's school to get a copy. Retake picture day is set for October 27th.

Make It A Great Day!

We have successfully made it through the month of September. School pictures and homecoming are both done for the school year. I want to draw your attention to the dates for our parent/teacher conferences. This year we will have our conferences on October 5 and 9 from 4:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Preference will be given to those parents that schedule conferences in advance. To schedule your appointment, please call the main office and Deb or Amy can help you schedule these appointments.

I would like to remind everyone of the high school attendance policy. Students who miss more than 10 periods of a class will meet with Mr. Moss and an attendance contract may be set up. If a student doesn’t follow the attendance contract, he/she will receive a “NC” for classes where the contract was broken. A “NC” stands for no credit. Please check the student handbook for more information about our attendance policy. The student handbook can be found online at www.lemarscsd.org. Click on the parent tab, then on handbooks and policies. As this school year progresses you will want to make sure you understand the policy. If you have questions, please contact Mr. Moss.

You may have also noticed we have started using automated calls for when your student is marked absent in class and we have not been notified. Instructions on how to change your preference are on the school website (www.lemarscsd.org) under Schoolmessenger on the right hand side of the page. Schoolmessenger can also be used to send out reminders or other information as needed. Messages can be sent through email, text, or phone. You will want to make sure you set your preferences for how you want your messages to come to you.

Hopefully you have had a chance to talk with your child’s teacher sometime, either through email, visit, or phone conversation. If you haven’t, please take the time to contact the teacher, especially if you have a concern about how your child is doing. I have asked the teachers to do the same. Also, feel free to contact Mr. Moss or myself if something comes up.

Be Great!

Email: melissa.hill@lemarscsd.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/lemarscsd.org/lchs-counseling/home
Twitter: @lemarsguidance

Email: judd.kopperud@lemarscsd.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/lemarscsd.org/lchs-counseling/home
Twitter: @lemarsguidance

Saturday, November 11, 2023 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Saturday, February 24, 2024 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Saturday, April 20, 2024 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

All meetings we will be in Room 101- Mr. Bahr at the high school.

Link to sign up - https://bit.ly/LCHSACTPREP

Letters were sent out to qualifying (GPA 3.6 and above) 10th and 11th graders to take the PSAT Wednesday, October 11, 2023 8:30 AM in the High School Library. If interested in signing up, please bring $18.00 to the Guidance Office. If your student didn’t receive a letter but is still interested in taking the test they may do so.

College Night will be held in Carey Gym on Monday, October 2, 2023 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Approximately 50 colleges will be in attendance. All high school students are invited to attend.

Visit https://app.strivescan.com/students (get your barcode ahead of time!)

Stop by the guidance office and get a pass from Amy Schmidt if you are interested in meeting with any of these college representatives

The Big Red Marching Band has been working hard on their fall show, 1000 Cranes. They will perform at Starfest in Sioux City, Algona Band Day Festival, the State Marching Band Festival, and the Dutchmen Field Championships. Their last home performance of the show will be at Homecoming, September 29. The final home game, October 13, will be the Mass Band Show with the 7th and 8th grade band students. We'll present a spooky show for Friday, the 13th.

The LCS Music Department is hosting All-State Music Auditions on Saturday, October 21. We have gained a lot of respect from directors in northwest Iowa for how well we run these auditions. We rely on a large number of volunteers to help throughout the day. The main job for volunteers is door monitoring: letting students know when to enter the audition or warm-up room. It is a simple, but important job. There are also jobs involving giving pitches if you have a piano background. If you can help, contact an LCS Music teacher.

You can always check the band website for more info: https://sites.google.com/lemarscsd.org/lchsbigredband/home or just search "Le Mars Big Red Band."

Email: jason.martin@lemarscsd.org

Email: abby.johnson@lemarscsd.org

Hi everyone and welcome to the 2023-2024 School Year!

We want everyone at the middle school to have a fantastic and successful year, and want to help students in whatever way we can. Some ways Mr. Martin and Mrs. Johnson can assist you and your student include individual counseling, classroom guidance, and helping the students feel heard when problems arise. Our individual counseling sessions are typically short-term in nature and focus on solutions to help your child succeed in all areas of their development.

We are continuing to provide a mentoring group between 6th and 8th graders to help 6th graders navigate middle school and some of the challenges that come with it. In September, we discussed Homecoming and what to expect during that week at the middle school. During the month of October, we will look into bullying and harassment, and how the 8th graders have navigated it previously.

The month of October is Bullying Prevention Month, and we want to bring awareness to everyone both in and out of the school about the impact bullying has on students. According to the Indicators of School Crime and Safety Report, 22% of U.S. students aged 12-18 reported being bullied at school in 2019. A big way parents can help is talking with your student about bullying so they would feel comfortable bringing it up with a parent or adult. These conversations provide opportunities to communicate values and learn about your child’s experience. They make it easier for your children to turn to you if they witness or experience bullying.

Thank you for all you do for the students, and continue to help them learn and grow this upcoming school year! Feel free to reach out to Mr. Martin or Mrs. Johnson with any questions.

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to the Middle School on the nights of parent-teacher conferences on October 19th and 23rd from 5:00 pm - 8:30 pm. There will be a wide selection of books to choose from. Books make great gifts for all occasions! Purchases can be made in person, online, or by using eWallet funds for students. Students are given an opportunity to fill out a short survey to qualify in a drawing for a free book. This is all made possible thanks to local businesses and their generous cash or noncash donations. Our fundraiser sale of $5 books and posters proceeds will go to the Le Mars Food Pantry. Be sure to check out our book fair bake sale and gift item table. Only cash or checks can be accepted for the $5 book/poster sale, bake sale, and gift item table. Come join us for a fun night at the Book Fair!

Clark and Franklin Elementary School Guidance Counselor

kari.kopperud@lemarscsd.org

Kluckhohn Elementary School Guidance Counselor

abby.simington@lemarscsd.org

This year at Le Mars Elementary Schools, students will be learning about positive character traits. We will be focusing on one trait each month and students will receive instruction on that trait during their large group guidance class, as well as at the monthly whole school assembly.

This month’s focus is RESPECT. One way to think about respect is “seeing value in all people and things & treating them with care.” Many people feel respected in different ways. We hope this month inspires discussions with your family about what respect means to you and how you can practice it together! Respect is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students BE KIND. Across grade levels, students will be developing skills like perspective-taking, conflict resolution, and leadership. All students in the building helped create a RESPECT AGREEMENT that we will be using throughout the year to make sure we are showing respect in our buildings.

Here are some conversation starters you can use with your child when talking about RESPECT:

• Can you share or show what RESPECT means?
  
• What is 1 way you have practiced RESPECT lately?
  

Now practice as a family:

Agree as a family to set aside a certain time each day this week to unplug from devices and plug into family time. It shows RESPECT to practice being present in the moment without the distractions that can come from technology. Debrief and discuss this challenge afterward. Consider embracing this practice at least 1 day each week!

Le Mars PTO Mission Statement -- Encourage our children's education and support teachers by building relationships with students and parents in our community.

Thank you to all that ordered the PTO merchandise. Our fundraiser would not be possible without you.

We are very excited about this year's birthday breakfast. This event helps benefit our children's school library. With your monetary donation and/or the purchase of a book in your child's name, the book you purchase will stay in their school library for the life of the book.

Served at birthday breakfast this year will be Lally's VanderMeer's Bakery donuts, along with Bellissimo's coffee, chocolate milk, and orange juice, of course. We will also have a PTO member available to take family photos. We look forward to seeing you.

Sponsors of this event are: Primebank, American Bank, Iowa State Bank, Turnaround, 1st Choice Realty, Schmidt Farms Adam & Amy Schmidt, Total Motors, LeMars Veterinary Clinc, Smith Co Manufacturing, Kylie Petty Century 21, Julie Hurt Century 21, Tail Trends, Schroeder Dozer Service, Clarey Drywall, AgriVision, Beyond Chiropractic, Kass Aesthetics, Langels Plumbing & Heating, and Lifewise Academy. Please thank them for their donation. Without them this would not be possible.

On October 4, 2023, all three Le Mars Elementary Schools will be participating in National Bike or Walk to School Day. Students are encouraged to walk or bike to school. If students choose to do this, be sure to review all safety expectations with kids. School will be reviewing these as well.

The Transportation Department is again offering in-town bussing for our students. Students must have a bus pass from their school to ride the bus. Riding the bus is a privilege. This privilege can be lost if the student does not have a pass or if the rider does not follow the rules. It is important that each student have a pass. These passes must be carried with them at all times and should be shown to the driver whenever asked.

The bus rules are posted in each bus. Please let your student know how important it is to follow these rules. Distracting the driver can be very serious. If the driver needs to watch the students, he/she is not watching the road. Some of these rules to follow are:

• Remain seated while bus is in motion.

• No loud talking or profanity.

• No fighting or pushing.

• Always keep your hands to yourself.
  
• No throwing objects in or out of the bus.
  

There may be additional requests made by the bus driver that all students will be expected to follow for overall safety.

Let’s all do the best we can to provide the students a safe ride to and from school this year.

Every year, several people pass our stopped school buses when the stop sign is out and the lights are flashing.

This creates a dangerous situation for the students loading and unloading from the bus. Help keep our children safe; know the rules about a stopped school bus.

If you are meeting a school bus from the front and the yellow lights are flashing, you need to prepare to stop, just like you would for a yellow traffic light. If you meet a bus from the front and the red lights are flashing, you are required to stop and stay put until the lights turn off and the stop sign retracts. If you are approaching the bus from the rear and the yellow or red lights are flashing, you are required to stop. You are never allowed to pass the school bus from the rear if yellow or red lights are on.

The fines for a first offense are as follows:

• At least $250 dollars, but not more than $675 dollars.
  

• The court may order imprisonment not to exceed 30 days in lieu of or in addition to a fine.

• Driving Privilege Suspension for 30 days. When you get your driving privileges back, you will be required to obtain SR-22 insurance (high risk).

All parents and district patrons are reminded that all visitors to any of the district’s school buildings must enter the school only at the main entrance and must report to the principal’s office before proceeding to any other area in the building. Visitors will be required to sign in and out and will be required to wear an identification badge while in the building. Access to certain locations may be limited. These procedures have been put in place to enhance security in the interest of the safety of students, staff and guests. The district sincerely appreciates the cooperation of all concerned with the implementation of this additional safety measure.

Parents and guardians are advised that the school will not provide non-prescription medications such as Tylenol, Advil, etc. for students. We have been advised that these medications must be included under the same regulations that govern the school administration of prescription medications. Medications shall not be administered to students without written authorization from a parent or legal caretaker. All medications must be in their original containers with original labeling. Prescription medication labels must include name of student, name of medication, and administration instructions to include frequency, dosage and duration. Medications will be appropriately and securely stored in the school nurse’s office. Students may not carry their own medications at school without written authorization from a parent or legal caretaker and approval of the building principal.

Parents/guardians may apply for open enrollment at any time for the current year.

Open enrollment students whose family income meets eligibility requirements are eligible for transportation assistance. Assistance may be in the form of actual transportation being provided or a stipend paid to parents/guardians.

Parents should be aware that Open Enrollment may result in loss of athletic eligibility. Open enrollment information and application can be found at the Iowa Department of Education website (https://educateiowa.gov/pk-12/options-educational-choice/open-enrollment).

Questions should be directed to the Superintendent’s Office, 940 Lincoln St SW, LeMars, IA 51031 712-546-4155.

All Iowa public school districts are required to provide instruction in human growth and development, including instruction regarding human sexuality, self-esteem, stress management and interpersonal relationships in grades one through twelve. The law also requires schools to annually provide parents/guardians with information about this requirement to include the procedure by which parents/guardians may inspect instructional materials prior to them being utilized in the classroom. A student shall not be required to take instruction in human growth and development if the student’s parent/guardian files with the principal a written request that a student be excused from the instruction.

Parents/guardians are hereby advised that prior to their student receiving human growth and development instruction, they will receive notice from the principal and upon receipt of notice, they should immediately contact the appropriate principal(s) if they want to inspect the materials to be utilized for instruction.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act permits the release of most student records in most circumstances only upon the authorization by a parent or legal caretaker or by the student if he/she is at least 18 years old. Parents/legal caretakers have the right to review students’ records and the right to request that the records be amended.

Certain information known as “Directory Information”, which in the LeMars CSD includes: student’s name, address, date of birth, class designation, extra-curricular participation, student’s achievement awards or honors, student’s weight and height if a member of an athletic team, student’s photograph, and the school attended prior to enrolling at LeMars may be released without authorization unless the school has in its files a written notice from a parent/legal caretaker or qualified student directing that this information not be released.

Anyone objecting to the release of directory information must file a written notice with the appropriate principal no later than October 13, 2023.

Students, parents and patrons of the Le Mars Community Schools are hereby advised that the possession and use of laser light devices at school, at school-sponsored events and on school-provided transportation are prohibited.

These laser light devices are disruptive to the educational process, may cause injury to the eye, and are potentially very dangerous because they project a beam of light that cannot be distinguished from a weapon-sighting device.

The possession and use of these devices by students will result in permanent confiscation of the device accompanied by disciplinary action. Any person using one of these devices during a school activity can expect permanent confiscation of the device and ejection from the event.

*Parents/guardians are encouraged to sign up for school emergency alerts via text messages, email, or phone, impacting health, life, or safety (including weather related announcements) through the following address: http:/www.lemarscsd.org/ and click "School Messenger (All Alerts)" for directives.

PARENTS/GUARDIANS: In the event there is an emergency requiring a school building lockdown, lockout, evacuation, or shelter, parents/guardians and community are directed to do the following:

1. Do not come to the school building. This is a request from the Le Mars Police Department, Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department, Le Mars Fire Department, and school district. Our public safety servants request this of you due to their inability to provide total focus on student safety while attempting to control parents/guardians and community members at the site.
2. Do not contact your child on cell phone. Your child may not be able to use their phone; which may cause you alarm if they do not answer. Additionally, if there is an intruder, your contact may alert the intruder to student locations. Also, student information may not be accurate. Accurate information will be provided to parents through School Messenger and KLEM.
3. Do not call the school. Employees will be working to secure the situation and phone interruptions may prevent this effort. Information will be provided through School Messenger and KLEM radio stations 96.9 FM and 1410 AM.
4. Wait for School Messenger alerts and/or tune into KLEM radio. Communication from the Le Mars Community School District will be provided through Schoolmessenger, and when appropriate, through KLEM radio stations 96.9 FM and 1410 AM.

Lockdown --- A lockdown is called when there is a threat or hazard inside the school building. Students will be inside locked classrooms and/or remain out of the line of sight.

Evacuate --- An evacuation is called when the need to be moved out of a specific location due to a threat or hazard.

Parents will be able to access their information to manage what notifications they would like to receive by using their email provided during registration. It is very important that you have a valid email and cell phone number on file in our current PowerSchool SIS system. All information should have been updated during the registration process before signing up for SchoolMessenger.

A text message was sent asking parents to opt-in to receive text messages via SchoolMessenger. If you have lost or feel you did not receive that text message, if you have provided a cell number to the school you can participate in this free service just by sending a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our school’s short code number, 67587 on the wireless cell phone number which the district has on file.

Just Send “Y” Or “Yes” To 67587

Opt-In From Your Mobile Phone Now!

You can also opt out of these messages at any time by simply replying to one of our messages with “Stop”.

Follow these steps to Manage Your SchoolMessenger Account

To manage parent message setting, you will be able to create an account using the email address that you currently have on file in PowerSchool. That should be the same email you have entered during the registration process. If you do not know the email on file you will need to contact the secretary at the building your student attends. If you have multiple students in multiple buildings you can choose any secretary.

You may sign up by going to
http://go.schoolmessenger.com
and clicking sign-up in the top right corner
or downloading the blue SchoolMessenger app from the Google App or Apple App store.
It is recommended to go to the http://go.schoolmessenger.com on your computer before signing up on the app.

If you do not wish to receive any additional text messages, no further action is required.

The service may also be used to communicate general announcements or reminders. Le Mars Community Schools will continue to report school closings due to snow or weather on local radio & TV stations and will use this system as an overlay to the public announcements.

When used, the service will call all phone numbers in our selected parent contact lists and will deliver a recorded message from a school administrator. The service will deliver the message to both live answer and answering machines. No answers (phones ringing over 40 sec.) and busies will be automatically retried twice in fifteen minute intervals after the initial call.

We encourage community members to sign-up to receive electronic messages from the district! If you do not currently have children in Le Mars Community Schools, you will need to go through the registration process below. This will allow you to select general news, snow day alerts, and/or individual school messages.

SchoolMessenger Sign-Up Process

If you currently have a child enrolled at Le Mars Community do not use this Link!

1. You can create an account by clicking on the SchoolMessenger link on this website: https://asp.schoolmessenger.com/lemarscsd/subscriber/

2. Click the Sign Up Now link near the bottom of the page.

3. You will be taken to the Sign Up page where you will need to confirm the encrypted image, your name, a valid email address and a password. You’ll use your email address and the password you enter here to sign in later. Review and accept the Click when you are done.

Site Access Code: <Access Code>

[Note: SchoolMessenger has a strict privacy policy and does not sell or distribute your contact information to any 3rd party.]

4. Check your email. There will be an Account Activation email from support@schoolmessenger.com with the subject Account Activation, which contains a link to activate your account; activation codes are valid for 24 hours. This link will take you to a confirmation page where you must enter your password in order to activate your account.

5. Once you’ve activated your account, you’re ready to select your notification preferences.

6. Simply select the type(s) of notifications you wish to receive and the groups to which you belong.

7. When you have finished making selections click Save.

8. Follow the instructions to add additional contact information, such as additional email and phone numbers, to your account.

Thank you for signing up and we hope you enjoy the SchoolMessenger system!

The Le Mars Community School District will not engage in any illegal discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, socioeconomic status, and marital status in its educational programs, activities or employment policies and practices.