I'll list the usual fixes below, just in case, but it sounds like your best bet would be to delete and re-add your mail account in Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars. As long as it's an IMAP or Exchange account, you won't lose anything. You don't say what kind of email account you have, but I'm going to guess it's provided by the school. Make sure you have the most recent setup instructions available.
Or, before you do this you might want to ask the school's IT department if they've made any recent changes to the mail servers, like authentication or document/attachment size limitations.
Good luck.
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The usual fixes:
When you have problems with an app it's a good idea to clear it from RAM.
Close/Clear the app: With the problem app closed, double tap on the Home button to get the multitask bar. Tap and hold on any icon in the bar until they jiggle, then tap the minus sign on the problem app. This will remove it from RAM and insure a clean start the next time you launch the app.
If that does not work try a restart,
Restart: Hold down the power button until the power off slider appears. Slide it off. When the iPad finishes shutting down, hold down the power button again until the Apple logo appears. Apple recommends you restart the iPad at least once a month.
and then a reset if that does not work.
Reset: Hold down the power and home buttons until the Apple logo appears. The iPad will reboot. This usually takes a bit longer than a restart.
Reset All Settings: Another, somewhat more drastic thing you can do is Reset All Settings. You'll find this under Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings. It won't erase any of your content, apps, or accounts; but you will have to go through most of your other settings and re-tweak them back to your liking.
