October 2025 Newsletter

• October 8: 2-Hour Early Out (Teacher In-Service)
• October 9: School Picture Re-Takes (Middle School & High School)
• October 10: School Picture Re-Takes (Clark, Franklin & Kluckhohn Elementary Schools)
• October 9 & 13: Middle School & High School Parent-Teacher Conferences, 4:30-8:00pm
• October 22: 2 Hour Early-Out (Teacher In-Service)
• November 3 & 6: Elementary School Parent-Teacher Conferences, 4:30-8:00pm

DO NOT send your child to school if they have:

• A fever of 100.0 degrees or higher (child must be fever-free for 24 hours without any fever-reducing medications)
• Had diarrhea or vomiting in the last 24 hours

If you have questions, please contact your child's school nurse.

• Elementary: Rhonda Lassen, rhonda.lassen@lemarscsd.org
• Middle School & High School: Erin Rolling, erin.rolling@lemarscsd.org

The Transportation Department is again offering in-town busing for students. Students must have a bus pass from their school to ride. Riding the bus is a privilege, which can be lost if the student does not have a pass or fails to follow the rules. Passes must be carried at all times and shown to the driver when requested.

Bus rules are posted on every bus. Please remind your student how important it is to follow them. Distracting the driver can be very dangerous—remember that if the driver is watching the students, they are not watching the road. Key rules include:

• Remain seated 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

Additional requests from the bus driver must also be followed for overall safety. Let’s all do our part to provide students with a safe ride to and from school this year.

Every year, several drivers illegally pass stopped school buses with their stop signs extended and lights flashing. This creates a dangerous situation for students loading and unloading. Help keep our children safe by knowing the rules:

• If you are approaching a school bus from the front and the yellow lights are flashing, you must prepare to stop, just like you would for a yellow traffic light.
• If you are approaching a bus from the front and the red lights are flashing, you must stop and remain stopped until the lights turn off and the stop sign retracts.
• If you are approaching a bus from the rear and the yellow or red lights are flashing, you must stop. You may never pass a bus from the rear if its yellow or red lights are on.

• A $250-$675 fine.
• Up to 30 days in jail, instead of or in addition to a fine.
• 30-day suspension of driving privileges. Upon reinstatement, SR-22 (high-risk) insurance is required.

Important Dates

A big thank you for a successful start of the school year! School pictures retakes will be on October 9. I also want to draw your attention to the dates for our parent/teacher conferences. This year, conferences will be held on October 9 and 13 from 4:30 to 8:00pm. Please note that these dates may differ from what was listed on the school calendar. Preference will be given to parents who schedule conferences in advance. To schedule your appointment, please call the main office, and Deb or Amy can help you schedule these appointments.

Chronic Absenteeism Law

During the last legislative session, some changes were made to the Chronic Absenteeism law. Under the law, all absences count against the student regardless of whether they are excused or unexcused. The state has outlined some exceptions:

1. Completed requirements for graduation or obtained a high school equivalency diploma

2. Excused for sufficient reason by any court or judge

3. Attending religious services or receiving religious instruction

4. Unable to attend school due to legitimate medical reason(s)

5. Individualized Education Program (IEP) that affects attendance

6. Section 504 plans under the Federal Rehabilitation Act that affects attendance

7. NEW - Attending a wedding or funeral

8. NEW - Leave for military purposes

A common question we receive is about illnesses. Typical illnesses, such as a stomach bug, still count under the chronic absenteeism law. A student with a more serious illness may be exempt if we have a note from a medical professional. Unfortunately, vacations count toward absences under this law.

• When a student misses 10% of a grading period, we are required to notify the parent and inform the county attorney.
• At 15%, we are required to have a meeting with the parent and the student to develop a plan to improve attendance. If the parent refuses to attend, the case is referred to the county attorney.
• At 20%, the student is referred to the county attorney for truancy if the absences are negatively affecting the student’s grades in the opinion of the administration. (This last part is also a change in the law.)

School Messenger

You may have noticed we are using automated calls 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 School Messenger in the upper right corner of the page. School Messenger can also be used to send out reminders or other information as needed. Messages can be sent through email, text, or phone. Make sure your preferences are set for how you want to receive messages.

Hopefully, you have had a chance to connect with your child’s teacher—via email, a visit, or a phone conversation. If you haven’t, please take the time to reach out, especially if you have concerns about your child’s progress. Teachers have also been asked to reach out to parents proactively.

As always, feel free to contact Mr. Moss or me if you need anything.

Be Great!

The Life Serve Blood Drive will be held on November 14 from 9:00am to 2:00pm in the new high school gym entryway. This blood drive is open to qualifying students, staff, and the community. Seniors who have donated at least three times will receive a red cord for graduation. Please stop in the HS office or sign up online at lifeservebloodcenter.org to register.

9th graders must complete dental screenings as soon as possible. Dental screening forms can be found at the link below. Forms can be submitted to the office, faxed to 712-548-4450, or emailed to erin.rolling@lemarscsd.org.

Save the dates! The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to the Le Mars Community Middle School library during parent-teacher conferences on October 9 and 13 from 4:30pm to 8:00pm. Purchases can be made in person, online, or by using eWallet funds for students. Proceeds from the Book Fair sales will help us to purchase books for our library so we can continue to give our students new choices, as well as continue a book series they are currently reading.

Students are given an opportunity to fill out a short survey to qualify for a drawing for a free book, thanks to local businesses and their generous donations. Our fundraiser sale of $5 books and posters proceeds will go to the Le Mars Food Pantry.

Only cash or checks can be accepted for the $5 book/poster sale, bake sale, and gift table. The book fair is open to the public, so please come and view our wide selection of books!

Book Fair Bake Sale & Gift Item Table

Be sure to check out our book fair bake sale and gift item table. We would love any homemade or purchased items like bars, cookies, and treat bags for the students to sell. Gift certificates or other non-food items are so much appreciated and will be sold on the gift table. Proceeds from these items will help more students pick out a free book! Food items can be dropped off at the office or library on the day of the book fair!

October is recognized as National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, a time for schools and communities to come together to raise awareness about the harmful effects of bullying and the importance of creating safe, supportive environments for all children. As a middle school counselor, I see firsthand how bullying can impact students’ emotional well-being, academic success, and confidence. This month is an important opportunity to remind students, staff, and families that kindness, respect, and inclusion are essential values we can all model and reinforce.

At the middle school level, bullying can take many forms—verbal, physical, relational, or online. Social media, in particular, adds an extra layer of complexity as conflicts can extend beyond the school day. It’s important for parents to talk openly with their children about their online and in-person interactions, encourage them to share concerns, and remind them that it’s okay to seek help when something feels wrong. By keeping those lines of communication open, we can work together to intervene early and prevent small issues from growing into larger problems.

We encourage students to speak up if they see or experience bullying and to support their peers with kindness. Parents can help by reinforcing these messages at home, monitoring technology use, and celebrating acts of empathy and respect. Together, we can create a school culture where every student feels safe, valued, and able to focus on learning and growing. If you have any concerns, please feel free to reach out to Jason Martin or Abby Johnson at the Middle School.

PTO Meeting Recap:

Thank you to all of the members (former and new) who attended the September PTO meeting. We are so excited for all the great things that will take place this school year!

PTO Officers for 2025-26:

Kaitlin Oetken: President & Clark Rep

Shayla Krantz: VP & Social Media

Maylon DenOuden: Treasurer

Katelyn Gradert: Secretary

PTO School Reps for 2025-26:

Kaitlin Oetken: Clark Elementary

Bailey Weets: Kluckhohn Elementary

Katie Youngers: Franklin Elementary

If you were not able to make it to the first meeting, we invite you to join us on October 6. Questions? Contact lemarspto@gmail.com. See you there!

Are you a proud Le Mars CSD alum? We’d love to hear your story!

Tell us how your experience at Le Mars CSD shaped your life, influenced your career, or made a lasting impact. Your story could inspire current students and help celebrate the legacy of Le Mars CSD!

If you know someone who is a proud Le Mars CSD alum, please share the link with them to share their story!

• Parents and guardians are advised that the school will not provide non-prescription medications (such as Tylenol, Advil, etc.) for students. These medications must follow the same regulations that govern the school's 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 the name of the student, the name of the 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.

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 12. 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 a written request with the principal that the 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.

Parents/guardians are encouraged to sign up for school emergency alerts via text messages, email or phone. Emergency alerts may impact health, life, or safety (including weather-related announcements). To sign up, visit the LCSD website and click "School Messenger" for directions.

Parents will be able to access their information to manage which notifications they would like to

receive by using the email provided during registration. You must 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.

Opt-In Text Message:

A text message was sent asking parents to opt in to receive text messages via SchoolMessenger. If you have lost the message or believe you did not receive that message, you may do the following:

• If you have provided a cell number to the school, you can participate in this free service by sending a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our school’s short code number, 67587, on the wireless cell phone number that the district has on file. Send “Y” Or “Yes” To 67587.

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

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 follow

the registration process via the link below. This will allow you to select general news, snow day alerts, and/or individual school messages.

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 everyone in implementing this additional safety measure.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) permits the release of most student records only with authorization from a parent or legal guardian or from the student, if he or she is at least 18 years old. Parents and legal guardians have the right to review their child’s records and to request that records be amended.

Certain information, known as “Directory Information,” may be released without authorization. For Le Mars CSD, Directory Information includes:

• Student’s name
• Address
• Date of birth
• Class designation
• Extra-curricular participation
• Achievement awards or honors
• Weight and height (if a member of an athletic team)
• Photograph
• School attended prior to enrolling at LeMars

If a parent, legal guardian, or qualified student does not want Directory Information released, a written notice must be filed with the appropriate principal no later than October 10, 2025.