November 13, 2024

Ushering in The New Season

As I write this note I'm enjoying the final colors of fall and the cooler temperatures. It has been a rewarding start to the school year, filled with student achievements, enriching programs, and positive growth among our students.

I am excited to share that our new administrative building is now open! This facility marks a new chapter in our commitment to enhancing educational support for our students, families, and staff. This move shifts our administrative departments to a new building, clearing the way for expanded learning and collaboration space for our high school students in the former Learning Resource Center. We are excited to see the greater collaboration and programming opportunities made possible by this move, and look forward to sharing more about how this shift will bring even more learning experiences to our students.

We look forward to concluding a successful, productive, and inspiring fall season together, and we're looking ahead at the upcoming winter with anticipation and excitement. We look forward to sharing highlights from the season with you along the way.

Superintendent Amy Kortemeyer

Veterans Day Commemorations

Students at Boulder Peak Intermediate contributed photos of family and friends who are veterans to a display.

Hazel Point Intermediate students participated in a special assembly that paid tribute to those who served and sacrificed in the US Armed Forces.

This Veterans Day many of our Linn-Mar students and staff honored the courage and dedication of our nation’s veterans through heartfelt events and classroom activities. These commemorations included guest speakers, displays, and programs at some of our buildings, and each included expressions of gratitude to the veterans in our community.

District Administrative Offices Relocate

The district's leadership team met in the large meeting space in the new administrative building for the first time in late October.

Administrative staff who were formerly housed at the Learning Resource Center moved to the district's new administrative building, located at 3556 Winslow Road, in mid-October. Staff housed in this new building include those in finance and payroll, communications, human resources, technology, food and nutrition services, community relations/volunteers, student services, directors of teaching and learning, the Linn-Mar Foundation, and members of the cabinet.

As we have shared previously, a student committee is driving the process to rename the building formerly known as the Learning Resource Center and the district's new administration building. The students have selected names for both buildings from those submitted, and will present those recommendations to the Linn-Mar Board of Directors at an upcoming board meeting.

Board Meetings To Shift to New Administrative Building

The Linn-Mar Board of Directors will host their meetings in the district's new administrative building beginning with the December 9 meeting. As always, all meeting details can be found on the district's website.

Winter Weather Reminders

While the temperatures still feel fall-like this week, we know that winter weather is around the corner.

Be prepared for the change of seasons! This district web page summarizes the district's general weather guidelines and answers many frequently asked questions about weather-related delays and closures.

In Case You Missed It: Linn-Mar Website Highlights

Linn-Mar Students' Work Featured in Art Exhibition

Three high school students showcased their artistic talents in the...

Student Spotlight- Ananya Oli

Meet Ananya, a senior at Linn-Mar High School ...

Mental Health and Disabilities Resource Fair

Linn-Mar has collaborated with Marion Independent School District as they host their second annual Mental Health & Disabilities Resource Fair for all area families who have students with disabilities, mental health issues, and/or other differences that may impact daily life.

This event will be held Tuesday, November 19th from 5:30pm-7:30pm at Marion High School. This will be an open house event with more than 40 Marion and Cedar Rapids community resource organizations represented.

Linn-Mar staff are collaborating with Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services to schedule informational sessions for families to attend during the open house event. Informational sessions will include the following topics: benefits planning, waiver information, self employment, and assistive technology. We hope many of our families join us!

Healthy Habits Reminder

We often see an increase in student and staff illnesses this time of year, and this year is no exception. The Centers for Disease Control recommends preventive actions like avoiding people who are sick, covering your cough and washing your hands to stop the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses.

Each day parents are faced with a decision: should they keep their student home or send them ill to school? As a reminder, a student should remain at home when he or she:

Vomits or has diarrhea within the last 24 hours
Has oral temperature higher than 100.0 degrees
Coughs almost constantly or complains of difficulty breathing
If your student is positive for COVID, keep them home until they are fever-free for 24 hours without medication and feel better

Keeping a sick student home prevents the spread of illness at school. We understand that sometimes a student will be ill, and our district will allow up to four health-related absences per semester per student that will be exempt from the tracking as outlined in the state’s new attendance truancy law. Additional details on those attendance guidelines can be found here.

Join the Pride!

We Are Hiring!

Did you know Linn-Mar has more than 200 paraeducators / student support associates working on our team? Hear from one of our Student Support Associates, Dave Blum, about the most rewarding part of his work!

You can be part of the pride! The district continues to hire student support associated and for roles in transportation and nutrition services. Check out our openings!

Inspire Learning. Unlock Potential. Empower Achievement.