Our year is wrapping up. It is hard to believe we have about a month and half remaining. It is always busy, but spring time becomes more busy for everyone. To keep things simple, here are the upcoming dates and events to keep on your radar:

April 12 -13 - Conditions of Learning Survey sent to students to complete

April 18-21 - Iowa Assessments Begin - Mandatory Attendance

May 1-12 - Advanced Placement and MAP Testing

May 12 - North High School Lip Dub 2023 - Party in the U.S.A.

May 13 - Senior Prom

May 27 - Class of 2023 Graduation at the Tyson Event Center at 11:00 AM.

May 30 - Last Day of School

Additionally, summer school will be held this year. We will be informing parents of those students who will be required to attend.

From April 1 through 28, parents and families of students in preschool through grade 12 have the opportunity to participate in the Parent Conditions for Learning. It coincides with the Conditions for Learning student survey which students in the District take the week of April 11. The parent survey focuses on areas that range from student safety and positive adult and student relationships to school rules and how they are enforced. Participation in the survey is encouraged, but it is completely voluntary, and all questions are optional to answer. Visit the District website for more information and a link to the parent survey.

Do you have school fees that need to be paid? Visit the Sioux City Community School District website and click on the “Parents” tab. On the Parents page, you will see a button for “Pay Fees” which will take you to MySchoolBucks where you can pay your student’s school fees online.

We have been trying to reach you (not about car warranty). However, we have discovered that some of our students have blocked the North High School phone number (712-239-7000) on their parents devices. We love the creativity of our students! However, we want to make sure we are able to reach every parent when we need to do so.

How to unblock a number on an iPhone:

Tap Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts. Swipe right to left across the number, then tap Unblock. To unblock people who text you: Go to Settings > Messages > Blocked Contacts. Swipe right to left on the number and tap Unblock.

How to unblock a number on an Android:

Open your Phone app .Tap More .Tap Settings. Blocked numbers. Next to the number you want to unblock, tap Clear. Unblock.

Cell phones have impacted our ability to engage students. To improve engagement, cell phones and Bluetooth earbuds will not be allowed during instructional time. This means, students may not have their phones out for any reason during class. This includes homeroom and study halls. Students may have their devices in use in the hallways and at lunch.

Students may only use wired headphones when needed by an instructional activity. This means, students will not be listening to music while completing work. Students who fail to follow these expectations will have a series of consequences.

Compliant Students: Any student who immediately follows adult direction

First Infraction - Referral Written and Phone Call Home

Second Infraction - Referral Written and Phone Call Home

Third Infraction - Referral, one day in school suspension, transfer revoked

Fourth Infraction - Referral, three days of out of school suspension

Fifth Infraction - Referal, five days suspension and Sioux City Alternative School

Non-Compliant Students:

First Infraction - Referral Written, student sent home, one day suspension

Second Infraction - Referral Written, student sent home, one day suspension

Third Infraction - Referral, two days out of school suspension

Fourth Infraction - Referral, three days of out of school suspension

Fifth Infraction - Referal, five days suspension and Sioux City Alternative School

Any student with two infractions in one period will automatically be sent home.

Vaping is not allowed in school. This includes use or possession. Students observed to vape are subject to search by school personnel. Students found in possession or use of a vape device will receive the following consequences:

1st Offense: The student is sent home and will serve one day Out of School Suspension the following day. The school resource officer will issue the student a legal citation. An optional diversion class will be available for first-time offenders. If the student is on a transfer, the transfer will be revoked.

2nd Offense: The student is sent home and will be assigned Out of School Suspension until an Intermediate Hearing is held. The parent/guardian and student must attend an Intermediate Hearing with a district hearing officer before reentry to school. The school resource officer will issue the student a legal citation. The minimum recommendation will be school probation; a student may receive alternative placement at the Sioux City Alternative School. Additional consequences can/will be determined at Intermediate Hearing.

3rd Offense: The student is sent home and will be assigned Out of School Suspension until an Intermediate Hearing is held. The parent/guardian and student must attend an Intermediate Hearing with a district hearing officer before reentry to school. The school resource officer will issue the student a legal citation. The minimum

recommendation will be alternative placement at the Sioux City Alternative School. Additional consequences can/will be determined at Intermediate Hearing.

This is a rare problem at North High School. However, we want to ensure that staff know they are supported with consequences outlined. Further, our administrative team are committed to ensuring no one talks this way to anyone - regardless of role or position.

What is derogatory language? Any form of communication by a student directed at a staff member that uses profanity directed at the staff member. This includes a threat by a student directed at a staff member, a student using derogatory language by name-calling a staff member, and/or communicating derogatory words and/or actions towards a staff member directly.

Consequences for Violation of Policy

*All suspensions require a parent meeting with the school principal before reentry

1st Offense: The student is sent home and will serve one day minimum of Out of School Suspension the following day; transfer revocation is possible

2nd Offense: The student is sent home and will serve two days minimum of Out of School Suspension the following days; transfer revocation possible

3rd Offense: The student is sent home and will serve three days minimum of Out of School Suspension the following days; transfer revocation

4th Offense: The student is sent home and will be assigned Out of School Suspension until an Intermediate Hearing is held. The parent/guardian and student must attend an Intermediate Hearing with a district hearing officer before reentry to school. The student will serve a minimum of 5 days Out of School Suspension at Sioux City Alternative School. Additional consequences can/will be determined at Intermediate Hearing.

Students have five minutes to get from class to class. Any student who is over five minutes late to class will be marked absent. Students marked absent risk dance eligibility, leveled attendance hearings, consequences for truancies, and ineligibility for school activities.

First period begins at 7:55 AM. Any student who enters class after 8:00 AM will be marked absent. This includes all classes and homeroom. Additionally, if a student leaves class early or for an extended period of time, they will be marked absent from that class period.

Winter activities have begun! Here are the head coaches of those activities:

Boys Basketball:

Trevor Alfredson (alfredt@live.siouxcityschools.com)

Girls Basketball:

Angela Kristensen (kristea@live.siouxcityschools.com)

Wrestling (Girls and Boys):

Trevor Case (caset@live.siouxcityschools.com)

Drama:

Tim Hess (hesst@live.siouxcityschools.com)

Indoor Winter Percussion and Guard; Jazz Band:

Pat Toben (tobenp@live.siouxcityschools.com)

Esports:

Josiah Schiller (schillj1@live.siouxcityschools.com)

To ensure balanced school size, the Sioux City Community School Board adjusted attendance boundaries and the transfer policy. At the beginning of a student's 9th grade year, students must re-submit the request for transfer to attend a school outside of his or her attendance zone. At the end of the school year, all 10-12th grade students were called in to complete the paperwork. Failure to complete this paperwork could jeopardize your student's attendance based on attendance, behavior, and grade/credit completion.

Check your address boundary here: https://siouxcityschools.mapmyschools.com/Locator

If you are in the "North High School" boundary, no action needed. If you are in a different high school boundary, complete this form: https://fs2.formsite.com/siouxcitycommschools/mp6m0ppymj/index.html

For all information about the boundary and transfer policy, please see the information on our district website: https://www.siouxcityschools.org/parents/enrollment-and-registration/voluntary-transfers/

Iowa Immunization law requires that all students entering 7th grade have both a Meningococcal vaccination and a Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis/whooping cough) vaccination before school starts in the fall. Here is a link to specific requirements: https://idph.iowa.gov/ohds/oral-health-center/school-screenings

Iowa law requires that all students entering 12th grade have a Meningococcal vaccination. The requirement is 2 doses of meningococcal (A,C,W,Y) vaccine for students in grade 12, if born after September 15, 1999; or 1 dose if received when students are 16 years of age or older are required before school starts in the fall.

The Tdap requirement has been in place since the 2013/14 school year and requires a booster dose of Tetanus, Diphtheria, and acellular Pertussis containing vaccine for students entering 7th grade, regardless of the interval since the last Tetanus/Diphtheria containing vaccine. Pertussis (whooping cough) is a very contagious disease that causes violent coughing fits that make it hard to breathe.

The meningococcal vaccine has been required since the start of the 2017/18 school year. Meningococcal disease is a life threatening illness that is caused by bacteria that infects the brain, blood, and spinal cord. It easily spreads in crowded settings. The vaccine is required prior to both the 7th and 12th.

What does this mean for you? You will need to call your physician’s office to make an appointment for these vaccines. You will need to check your home records or call your physician’s office to see what your student’s status is. If you do not have insurance, you can contact the Siouxland District Health Department at 279-6119. Please send a copy of your student’s updated immunization record to the school nurse prior to the first day of school. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.

This year's Parent/Guardian and Student Handbook provides an in-depth description of many important topics relevant to a student’s education. Please review the handbook closely. You will be prompted to view the handbook during online verification. You can also access the handbook any time at www.siouxcityschools.org under the Handbooks and Guides page of the Parents section.

Student attendance is crucial to learning. There are also statutory requirements with which parents must comply. Please refer to the Parent/Guardian and Student Handbook to review the District’s attendance policy. Parents/guardians should notify a student’s school regarding an absence within the first hour of the school day. If an absence is not reported, and a student does not attend school, the student’s household will be contacted by the school office to report the absence home and inquire about the reason for the absence. Parents may be notified by phone call, email, and/or text. Limited information will be available by text message, so parents/guardians are encouraged to contact the school, review voice messages, and refer to email for extended information.

A parent or guardian must call the school within 24 hours of the absence. For example, if your student is absent Thursday, you will have until 4:00 pm on Friday to call. Messages can be left for excusing of absences. After 24 hours, students will be marked truant and may face consequences for them. Students who have any truancies will not be eligible for dances. Be sure to communicate absences with the main office at 712-239-7001. Students with unexcused absences will initiate automatic calls and text messages to inform parents/guardians.

Parents/guardians that download the Infinite Campus application available for Android and iPhone can also elect to get notifications pushed to a mobile phone with attendance updates from the school.

It is the responsibility of all visitors, students, and staff to safely drive to and on campus. Here are a few pieces of information about driving and parking on campus for new parents/students and those who need a refresher:

1. Park in designated areas. All allowed parking spaces are indicated by white lines. All vehicles must be within two lines when parked.
2. Students must park in the first main lot and spaces along the drive. The rear parking is designated for staff and visitors.
3. Parking in the fire lane is not tolerated due to safety. This may mean visitors and students will need to walk a bit to get to the front door.
4. The parking lot is filled with pedestrians. Speed should not exceed 10 mph.
5. ADA entrances and handicap accessible parking is located in two places. They are along the commons beneath the skywalks and behind the building in staff parking.
6. Parking permits are not required to park on campus.

The 2022-2023 Calendar has been set and is available here: http://www.siouxcityschools.org/calendars/ There are snow days built in this calendar. Please use this calendar when planning vacations. Please also consider leaving a few days, after the end of the year, as possible school make up days.

In 2018, we launched a program to engage our seniors in school. When we give tours to alumni, many times they comment that they wished they would have been more involved. This program allows us to "gamify" the experience. Seniors will complete a variety of missions to earn 15,000 points. Each student who earns those points will recieve a "Uniquely North" Medallion at graduation practice to wear at graduation. In 2018, we awarded 31 medals and placed 6 students on the Hall of Fame (25,000 or more points). Last year, we awarded 39 medals and added 10 students to the Hall of Fame.

Who is Eligible?

All North High students who would like to help the community and others.

How Do I Qualify to receive the Silver Cord for Graduation?

Students must complete a minimum of forty hours of committee-approved community service in their sophomore, junior and senior years at North High School. You cannot average 40 hours over the three year span; forty hours must be completed within each school year. Our goal is to instill the idea of community service as a life-long pursuit. If students successfully complete the amount of hours necessary they will receive a silver cord to wear at commencement similar to the gold cords worn by academic award winners.

Important Details:

Documentation: Students MUST document all service activities on the Silver Cord Award Form provided by North High – one form for each site or project, signed by a supervisor at the site. (A note confirming the students’ service signed by the supervisor at the project is also acceptable. It must be attached to the Silver Cord Form). Forms can be submitted to the activities secretary at North High School at any time during the year. For sophomores and juniors: if you don’t turn in forms by the end of the school year, you may submit them at any time during the following fall. There is no specific deadline for underclassmen to submit forms, although it is best to turn them in as soon as they are completed. Seniors should submit all Silver Cord forms by May 2nd of senior year. Forms may be picked up from the office or can be printed using the links below.

Summer Service: Service hours earned during the summer after the academic year may be applied toward EITHER the prior or following year – student’s choice. (For example, the summer after the sophomore year can apply toward either the sophomore or junior 40 hour requirement or divided between the two as needed). It is recommended that all summer projects be pre-approved in writing by the activities secretary in the main office or a principal to make sure they are acceptable. Summer service that complies with the Silver Cord criteria will be accepted even if students were not able to submit pre-approval forms. Students should pick up blank Silver Cord Award forms before the end of school to use for documentation summer service. Please keep completed forms until you return to North in the fall. The Silver Cord Adviser will be responsible for keeping students’ Silver Cord files.

Important details regarding the Silver Cord Award:

Acceptable service activities: Silver Cord hours must be for providing a SERVICE or meeting a clear NEED for a non-profit agency, church, school, park, charity program, fundraiser or community event. The service should be “above and beyond” one’s usual scope of involvement and could be part of required service for a program such as Scouts or religious education. While some organizations meet during the school day, only hours outside of school time could be applied to Silver Cord service. If there is any question about whether a specific volunteer experience meets the criteria of “providing service” or “meeting a need” students should get prior approval from the Silver Cord Committee by submitting a pre-approval form. The Silver Cord Review Committee makes final determinations regarding service.

Organizations/Activities that have been approved:

Blood Bank/Blood Drives

Food Bank

United Way

Gospel Mission

Friendship Connections

Beyond The Bell

Goodwill

Watchful Eye Foundation

Local church activities

YMCA

Red Cross

Peer Tutoring/Extended Day

S.T.A.R.S

Humane Society

Head Start

Local medical centers

Retirement Homes

Salvation Army

Big Brothers/Big Sisters

Habitat for Humanity

Special Olympics

Ronald McDonald House

Junior League

American Heart Association

Art Splash

Ragbrai

Mid-Steps Service

Santa House

Political Organizations or Candidates

Important details regarding the Silver Cord Award:

Silver Cord hours CANNOT BE for a relative, or for pay or compensation of any kind. Other activities that would not be acceptable: NHS sports team managing, training or event timing or administration; most NHS music program events; concession stand or fundraising events in which proceeds benefit a NHS program; serving as a camp counselor while receiving free room and board (some exceptions made for camps for children with disabilities); performing in a musical, dance, or theater group unless related to a social cause or charity benefit; participation on committees in which the focus is on one’s own leadership development and does not include outreach to larger community. Court ordered community service hours are not eligible.

We expect students to continue their education after high school. The ACT is one of the college entrance requirements of many schools. Here is the latest information on the upcoming tests:

Visit here to sign up and log in!

The Sioux City Community School District offers career and technical programs in the following areas: Business & Marketing, Family & Consumer Science, Health Science, and Industrial Arts, Technology, & PLTW.

The Sioux City Community School District is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information (for employment), national origin, religion, age (for employment), disability, socioeconomic status (for programs), marital status (for programs), or veteran status (for employment) in its educational programs and its employment practices. The District is required by Title IX and 34 CFR Part 106 not to discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs, activities, or employment.

Inquiries or grievances under Section 504 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act may be directed to Dr. Dora Jung, Director of Student Services & Equity Education/Title IX Coordinator at 627 4th Street, Sioux City, IA 51101, (712) 279-6075, jungd@live.siouxcityschools.com. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations to the District may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, or both. Please see District Board policies 103 and 504.4 for additional information on available grievance procedures.

Sioux City North serves over 1,600 students as one of three comprehensive high schools in Sioux City, Iowa.

Website: http://www.siouxcityschools.org/north-high-school/
Location: 4200 Cheyenne Boulevard, Sioux City, IA, United States
Phone: (712)-239-7000
Facebook: facebook.com/SiouxCityNorth
Twitter: @SiouxCityNorth