December 2025 Newsletter

Hello, Bulldogs!

It is the holiday season, and it is time to count our annual blessings and the things we are thankful for at Le Mars Community Schools. We have a lot of great things occurring within our district, making our educational system one of the best in the state of Iowa.

Let’s look at a few of the areas we are thankful for here at Le Mars Community, in no particular order:

First, we have a great, caring staff working vigorously each day to help students succeed by providing the best teaching strategies and support to meet students’ individual needs within a rigorous academic program. Our students continue to achieve above the state and national student achievement averages on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress. Our ACT scores continue to shine by exceeding the Iowa and national composite scores.

Additionally, our PK-12 programs provide much-needed academic and socio-emotional support programs to help our students through issues, which, many times, lead to dropping out of school. Our graduation rate is one of envy within a state with a high graduation rate; Le Mars Community's graduation rate was 94.2%, whereas the state rate was 88.3%. This is a tribute to parents, school, and community partners making education a priority.

Second, we have great extra-curricular, co-curricular, and club programs. We consistently have elementary, middle school, and high school students participating, growing as individuals, and representing the community of Le Mars with strong character and dignity throughout the state.

Third, our school board is one of the best in the state of Iowa. They are the only school board in the history of the state of Iowa to earn a 25th consecutive Iowa Association of School Board’s Achievement Award in Better Boardsmanship. This represents the dedication, continued school board education, and student-first attitude our school boards have exhibited over the years.

Finally, we are thankful to be able to live and work in a school district that supports our children and school at such a high level. It takes everyone working patiently, respectfully, and collaboratively to create an educational system that will help our students meet the demands of an ever-changing world. We thank you!

Have a great holiday season, Bulldogs!

Unfortunately, I probably sound like a broken record. Our school buses have now experienced 37 total school bus stop violations this school year. People continue to disregard the school bus stop signs and flashing lights when children are entering and exiting a school bus. This is 37 times that students' lives and well-being have been put in jeopardy since August.

Since the beginning of keeping track of the number of bus stop violations in 2017, we have had over 600 stop sign violations in the Le Mars Community School District! Please keep our children safe by stopping when the bus stop arm and flashing lights are in use! Their lives depend on it.

Every year, 5th graders from all three elementary schools participate in the annual Flag Essay Contest, a long-standing tradition with Officer Plueger and the American Legion. Students write about what the flag means to them, and Legion members select three winners from each school—plus one overall winner.

This year’s school winners were:

• Franklin Elementary: Claire Koopman, Avery Van Kley, Connor Kinney
• Clark Elementary: Jake McDougall, Ruby Trometer, Makanui/Savannah Stephenson (tie for third)
• Kluckhohn Elementary: Davis Dahlbeck, Hudson Diede, Lauren Simonsen
• The overall winner was Claire Koopman from Franklin Elementary! Her essay will now advance to the state level.

Congratulations to all our talented students for their thoughtful and inspiring work—and thank you to the American Legion for supporting this meaningful tradition!

The middle school held its annual Penny Wars fundraiser November 17–21, where students and staff competed to collect the most pennies to raise money to support the Weekend Backpack Program, which provides food to students and families in need in the Le Mars area.

This fundraiser is always a fun, friendly competition that brings our school together to support a great cause!

Congratulations to Alternative High School Teacher Kellie Bork for being named the LCS Foundation’s Employee of the Month for November!

Driver Education for 2026 will only offer one classroom instruction session for the year. This session will meet on Saturdays beginning on March 7, 2026. Each classroom session will run from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on the following Saturdays:

• March 7, 14, 21, and 28
• April 11, 18, and 25
• May 2, 9, and 16

There is one make-up day scheduled for Saturday, May 30.

Driving times will be scheduled separately and may start as early as March or as late as July, depending on enrollment and weather conditions.

Registration Forms:

Starting January 5, 2026, you may pick up registration forms from the Le Mars Community High School or Middle School Principal’s office. These forms must be returned on or before Friday, February 6, 2026, with the proper fee attached.

Cost:

The cost will be $375.00 for students who are residents of the Le Mars Community School District and $500.00 for students living outside the Le Mars Community School District.

Le Mars Community School District offers in-town busing for students. Students must have a bus pass from their school to ride the bus. Riding the bus is a privilege and can be lost if the student does not have a pass or if the rider does not follow the rules. Students must carry their passes with them at all times and show them 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. Please remind your child that misbehavior distracts the driver. If the driver needs to watch the students, he/she is not watching the road.

Some rules to follow are:

• Remain seated with seat belts buckled (on certain buses) while the 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.

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

Winter vacation will be from December 22, 2025 to January 2, 2026.

The 2025 Fall semester will end before winter break.

The semester test schedule is as follows:

Day 1 (December 17): Students take semester tests for odd class periods (1, 3, 5, and 7)

Day 2 (December 18): Students take semester tests for even class periods (2, 4, 6, and 8)

Make-up Day (December 19): Students take any missed tests

Important notes for semester test days:

• All students have an open campus for lunch (including freshmen)
• Students will not need to attend the Study Hall or the Success Center
• Students must still attend all other classes (even if they don't have a test that day)

Registration for the 2026-27 school year starts in January. On January 15, 8th graders will attend CTE Day to explore Career Technical Education programs (Agriculture, Automotive, Business, Computer Science, Construction/Engineering, Family Consumer Sciences, Manufacturing/Welding). Students will create or update their 4-year plans, identifying career interests and course selections to help us forecast future class needs.

Sophomore parent meetings will be scheduled soon. These meetings cover credits,

career plans, and post-secondary preparation. Watch for a letter with your appointment

time—call the guidance office if you need to reschedule.

The Franklin Elementary birthday breakfast will be held on December 11.

• November 27-28: Thanksgiving Vacation (No School)

• December 10: 2 Hour Early-Out for Teacher In-Service

• December 17-19: Semester Tests Begin (LCHS)
• December 22-January 2: Winter Vacation (No School)
• January 5: Semester 2 Begins

Le Mars Community School District students, parents, patrons, staff and outside service workers/contractors are hereby notified about the presence of asbestos containing building materials in the district’s buildings. This material is managed in complete compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Asbestos-Containing Material in Schools final rule 40 CFR Part 763, Subpart E of October 30, 1987, and in compliance with Iowa Administrative Code Chapter 82— School Facilities; Asbestos-Containing Materials in School Buildings, December 12, 1987. A management plan has been prepared for each building and is on file for public inspection at each administrative office. Questions about the district’s Asbestos Management Plan should be directed to Mr. Jayden Wurth, 940 Lincoln St SW, Le Mars, phone 546-6035 or 546-4155.

Iowa law defines a “homeless child or youth of school age” as a child or youth between the ages of 5 and 21 who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence and includes a child or youth who is living on the street, in a car, tent, or abandoned building or some other form of shelter not designed as a permanent home; who is living in a community shelter facility; or who is living with non-nuclear family members or with friends.

Anyone who has knowledge of any such child or youth should contact Mrs. Rachel Leavitt, Curriculum Director at 546-4155. The Le Mars Community School District is obligated to identify these children or youth and to strive to get them enrolled in school when appropriate. The Le Mars CSD has examined its policies and rules to assure that there are no barriers to the enrollment of homeless children or youth.

Students, parents, patrons and staff of the Le Mars Community School District are hereby notified that the Board of Education has adopted student responsibility and discipline policies to include those pertaining to attendance, use/possession of tobacco or nicotine products, use/possession of alcoholic beverages or any other controlled substance, disruptive behavior, suspension/expulsion, corporal punishment, participation in extracurricular activities, academic progress and citizenship. In accordance with the School Rules of Iowa, by this notice the Board publicizes its support of these policies, and its support of the staff in enforcing them.

The Le Mars Community School District’s local wellness policy entails goals that were approved by the Board of Education. The district is required to make potential stakeholders aware of these goals, as well as provide opportunity to aid in the development, review, update, an implementation of these goals and policy. Below, you will find these policies and goals, and we invite you to provide suggestions or comments concerning their betterment. As such, please contact Dr. Steve Webner, Superintendent, at steve.webner@lemarscsd.org with suggestions or comments.

Student Health and Wellness

The Le Mars Board of Education promotes healthy students by supporting wellness, good nutrition and regular physical activity as part of the total learning environment. The school district supports a healthy environment where students learn and participate in positive dietary and lifestyle practices. By facilitating learning through the support and promotion of good nutrition and physical activity, the school district contributes to the health status of students. Improving health optimizes performance potential.

The school district provides a comprehensive learning environment for developing and practicing lifelong wellness behaviors. The entire school environment, not just the classroom, shall be aligned with healthy school district goals to positively influence a student’s understanding, beliefs and habits as they relate to good nutrition and regular physical activity. The school district is in compliance with the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

The school district supports and promotes proper dietary habits contributing to students’ health

status and academic performance. All foods available on school grounds and at school-sponsored activities during the instructional day should meet or exceed the school district, state and federal nutritional standards. Foods will be served with consideration towards nutritional integrity, variety, appeal, taste, safety, and packaging to ensure high-quality meals.

The school district will make every effort to eliminate the stigma attached to, and prevent the overt identification of, students who are eligible for free and reduced priced meals. The school district will comply with all regulations and guidelines issued by the Secretary of Agriculture for reimbursable school meals.

The school district will provide nutrition education and engage in nutrition promotion that encourages healthy choices during school breakfast, school lunch, and in school vending machines. The school district will provide health education and engage in promoting healthy lifestyle choices and behaviors.

The school district will provide physical education opportunities and promote self-management skills to maintain a physically active lifestyle. The school district will provide physical education opportunities and promote self-management skills to maintain a physically active lifestyle.

Building principals will monitor the effectiveness of the policy. Building principals will report to the superintendent or designee annually regarding established health, nutrition, and physical education wellness policy guidelines.

Wellness Regulation

To implement the Wellness Policy, the following district specific goals have been established:

Goal Area 1 -- Nutrition Education and Promotion: Schools will provide nutrition education and engage in nutrition promotion that help students develop lifelong healthy eating behaviors. The goal(s) for addressing nutrition education and nutrition promotion include the following:

• Provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health;
• Promote fruits, vegetables, whole-grain products, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, and healthy foods.

Goal Area 2 -- Physical Activity: Schools will provide students and staff with age and grade appropriate opportunities to engage in physical activity that meet federal and state guidelines,

including the Iowa Healthy Kids Act. The goal(s) for addressing physical activity include the following:

• Promote the benefits of a physically active lifestyle and help students develop skills to engage in lifelong healthy habits;
• Engage students in moderate to vigorous activity during at least 50 percent of physical education class time;
• Scheduled to avoid extended periods of inactivity (i.e. periods of two or more hours).

Goal Area 3 -- Other School-Based Activities that Promote Student Wellness: Schools will support student, staff, and parents’ efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle, as appropriate. The goal(s) for addressing other school-based activities that promote student wellness include the following:

• Share information about the nutritional content of meals with parents and students;
• Permit students to bring and carry water bottles filled with water throughout the day;
• Make drinking water available where school meals are served during mealtimes.

Public Involvement: There is a process for permitting parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, teachers of physical education, school health professionals, the school board, administrators and the public to participate in the development, implementation, and periodic review and update of the policy. The superintendent invites suggestions or comments concerning the development, implementation, and improvement of the school wellness policy. As such, interested persons are encouraged to contact the superintendent.