Lynx News

Loess Hills Elementary Newsletter – September 2025

From the Desk of Mrs. Voegeli, Principal

Theme: Mission Possible

Our Mission Possible is well underway! September brings exciting opportunities for our students as they begin to settle into classroom routines, build relationships, and set goals for the year ahead. Together, we are focused on helping every child grow academically, socially, and emotionally.

This month, students in grades K–5 will take the i-Ready assessments in both reading and math. These assessments help us better understand each child’s strengths and areas for growth so we can provide the right support and challenges. Please encourage your child to take their time and do their very best—their effort makes a big difference!

Classrooms are busy establishing rules and routines to set the tone for a successful year. Consistency, responsibility, and respect are at the core of our Mission Possible learning environment. Parents can support this at home by talking with your child about the importance of following rules, staying organized, and being kind to others.

We want to remind families of our no cell phone policy at school and on the bus. Cell phones can be a distraction from learning and a disruption to the classroom environment. If your child brings a phone, it must remain turned off and stored away during the school day and bus rides. Thank you for helping us maintain a focused and positive learning space.

Regular attendance is vital for your child's success in school. When students attend consistently, they gain a better understanding of the material, engage more deeply in classroom activities, and develop essential habits that will serve them throughout their education. We kindly ask that you prioritize your child's attendance and ensure they are at school every day.

• Arriving on Time: Please make sure your child arrives by 8:30 AM so they can begin the day with their classmates.
• Leaving Early: While we understand appointments may arise, early departures result in missed learning time. Whenever possible, please schedule appointments outside of school hours.

This year, we will again be using Talking Points as our primary tool for communication with families. Talking Points allows us to send important updates, reminders, and messages directly to your phone in your preferred language. This ensures that all families receive timely information in a way that is convenient and accessible. We encourage you to stay connected with us through Talking Points to keep informed about your child’s education and school events. If you need help getting started with the app, please reach out to us—we are happy to assist!

Together, we are on a Mission Possible—building strong readers, mathematicians, problem-solvers, and leaders. Thank you for partnering with us to make September a month of growth and success!

With appreciation, Mrs. Voegeli Principal

Hi everyone, my name is Miss Wanderscheid (Miss W.) and I am the School Counselor at Loess Hills. I am here to support all students at Loess Hills, academically, socially/emotionally, and for future career readiness. I want to help students to be their own problem solvers and to give them tools to help them to be the best they can be. Life can be tough, and I am here to be a positive support on their journey! I provide individual, small group, and classroom support. Please contact me if I can be of help, my email is: wander@live.siouxcityschools.com, or you can message me on TalkingPoints.

As a whole school, we use a program called “Character Strong” to help build social-emotional learning skills. The focus for the month of September is “Respect”. One way to think about Respect is to see value in all people and things, treating them with care. 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.

We helped many families last year and we are excited to help even more this year. Here is the list of items available in our food pantry:

Bulk water

Peanut butter, 16 oz

Applesauce, 15 oz

Cheddar cheese block, 4 oz

Grape juice, 4.23 oz

Mixed fruit, canned, 15 oz

Peaches, canned, 15 oz

Sweet peas, canned, 15 oz

Baked beans, canned, 16 oz

Tortillas, frozen, 8 count

Mozzarella cheese block, 4 oz

Potatoes, canned and diced, 15 oz

Carrots, canned, 15 oz

Pears, canned, 15 oz

Ground beef, frozen, 16 oz

Mandarin oranges, canned, 11 oz

Chicken, canned, 5 oz

Bagels, plain, 10 count

Spaghetti, dry, 16 oz

Instant oatmeal, 14 oz

Whole wheat spaghetti, dry, 16 oz

Milk, white, 2%, 11 oz

Please reach out to Tara Runyon via email or call 712-279-6772 ext. 3706. She can help you or a family.

The Homecoming Parade for West is at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 25. They are inviting us to have a group walk in the parade, if your child would like to participate, they may only walk if a parent or adult walks with them, if students would like to throw candy, they must bring their own.

We will provide you with more information about where to line up as the date comes closer.

Loess Hills Elementary PTO – Join Us!

Our PTO plays a big role in supporting students and teachers, and we’d love for you to be part of it!

Upcoming PTO meetings are:

Monday, Sept. 8 | 4:00–4:30 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 13 | 4:00–4:30 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 10 | 4:00–4:30 p.m.

Bring your students—there will be a kid's activity during the meeting! Parent involvement and volunteers are the heartbeat of our PTO, and your input helps us plan events and opportunities for our school community.

You can also support us by stopping by our Snack Cart Fridays—our main fundraiser that makes exciting things possible for our students and staff.

We hope to see you at a meeting soon!

Student attendance is very important. Vital instruction is given on a daily basis and anytime your child is absent or late to school they are missing out. We kindly ask that parents limit appointments and vacations to outside of the school day as much as possible.

All absences, for any reason, require a parent/guardian to call the school by 9:00 A.M. to notify us of the absence (712-279-6843). If calling after hours, please leave a message with student's first and last name and the reason for the absence. Any time no call is made the absence is entered as a truancy.

Picture Day is coming up on Wednesday, September 17! Order before Picture Day to receive free shipping to the school. Order online at https://inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/0093VGF

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September 17: School Picture Day

September 25 Homecoming Parade for West

Click the Translate Newsletter button to the right of this page to view this newsletter in over 100 languages.

Haga clic en el botón Translate Newsletter para ver una traducción automática de esta carta de noticias en más de 100 idiomas.

Loess Hills is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program which allows our school to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to our students. Loess Hills students will not be charged for breakfast or lunch during the upcoming school year.

A complete list of CEP schools in our district can be found on our website. If you have a student attending another school that is not a CEP school, we encourage you to complete the 2025-2026 online application for free and reduced meals. This will help ensure other students in your family receive the meals they need during the upcoming school year.

For questions or assistance with school meals, please contact the District’s Food Service Department at 712-279-6860 or 712-279-6862.

Have you reviewed the 2025-2026 SCCSD Parent/Guardian – Student Handbook? The handbook includes important information to help students reach their fullest potential at school. Families are encouraged to review the handbook with their students to make sure they are aware of what is expected of them as a student in the Sioux City Community School District.

Click here to view the 2025-2026 Parent/Guardian – Student Handbook.

Safe + Sound Iowa offers students and families a convenient way to anonymously report safety concerns related to our school. Trained dispatchers will share the information with appropriate school administrators and/or law enforcement so help can be given to those in crisis or at risk.

Visit Safe + Sound Iowa for more information.

The safety of our students and staff is paramount. The District uses Standard Response Protocol or common terms to communicate our actions and response to an emergency situation. The terms Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter are used so students, staff, and first responders understand the situation and how best to respond.

We encourage families to become familiar with these terms to better understand our school’s response and what to expect in a crisis situation. For more information on safety preparedness within the District, visit siouxcityschools.org.

The District and our school are continuously updating families on important school information, closings and cancellations, and other announcements. Information is shared through email, phone calls, and text. Make sure we can connect with you by keeping your contact information updated in our records. If you need to change your contact information, please contact the school office.

The District has cell phone protocols in place to ensure an engaging and distraction-free environment for our students. The protocols restrict the use of electronic devices during the school day.

If you need to contact your student during the school day, please contact our school office. Alternatively, if your student needs to contact you, they should come to the office.

For more information on our protocols for electronic devices, please review the 2025-2026 Parent/Guardian & Student Handbook on the District website.

Volunteers are needed to join the District’s Grassroots Advocacy Committee. As a volunteer, you will receive email updates about important legislative events that could impact public education and be asked to contact local and state leaders to advocate for our schools. Volunteer today and let your voice be heard! Contact Communications@live.siouxcityschools.com

to volunteer.

Looking for a part-time or full-time career with flexibility? Instructional assistants, bus drivers, and food service staff are needed to join our amazing team! Check out the District’s openings today!

Connect with your student’s teacher! TalkingPoints is a communication tool that allows you and your student’s teacher to easily communicate via text message. Text messages will be sent to you in your family’s primary language. Watch for a text from your student’s teacher or contact your student’s school if you have any questions.