The Marshalltown High School Activities Department had another successful year with the Bobcat Golf Fundraiser. The estimated $28,000 that was raised on Thursday, June 22 will go towards supporting Bobcat activities.
“We are incredibly thankful for the overwhelming support that the Bobcat Golf Fundraiser has garnered from dedicated alumni, passionate supporters, and the entire community,” said Marshalltown High School Activities Director Ryan Isgrig. “This event serves as a true testament to the enduring spirit of Bobcat Pride. I extend my deepest appreciation for everyone who played a part in making this event successful and I feel confident that we have made a great impact on the future of our student-athletes.”
Over 300 golfers participated in the 2023 Marshalltown Bobcat Annual Golf Fundraiser held at the American Legion Golf Course. Tim Holmgren, Chet Johnson, Ross Thede, and Brian Ricken scored 17-under-par to earn first place in the morning group. The afternoon group that took top honors was Nathan Minkel, Cole Jansen, Travis Hunt, and Peter Collison with 20-under-par.
Additional awards were given to Ross Turbiville (longest drive for men), Nicole George (longest drive for women), and Elia Meyer (closest to the pin).
Not all elementary students can say they have already left a mark at their school district, but the Marshalltown Community School District’s class of 2034 have made an artistic impression.
During early May, first-grade students at all six elementary schools helped paint tiles to be part of a bigger art installation at the soon-to-open Welcome Center. Minnesota-based artist Greg Preslicka instructed the students on how to approach the project.
Anson first grade students painting their tile for the Welcome Center art installation.
“(The students) have all that energy that comes out onto their piece,” said Preslicka. “They are not the ones that will paint it all one color. They’re going to have energy with their brushstrokes.”
Preslicka has done many art installations personally, particularly designing art pieces that engage students. His process of collaborating with kids starts with a design, transferring it onto hundreds of tiles, then allows young artists to paint the masterpiece. Preslicka then pieces together all of the tiles and retraces the lines.
“I came up with this program where kids get to paint what they want in their piece and then to unify it all together afterwards,” he said.
Preslicka presented MCSD with several design options and one was selected, which centered on the idea of diversity and inclusion.
Minnesota based artist Greg Preslicka helping a Rogers first grade student.
“This mural installation showcases our communities’ diversity in a fun and childlike way,” said Curriculum and Professional Development Leader Julie Thede. “We hope families who come to the Welcome Center will find it appealing and stop for a moment to feel the friendliness of it.”
Marshalltown elementary art rooms welcomed Preslicka, who informed all of the first graders about the mural and how to mix colors. The young Bobcats were eager for the project while geared in painting shirts and paint brushes in hand. Students would fill in empty space with particular colors and accents.
“It was a fantastic opportunity for our young art students to meet an artist who makes a living through his artwork,” said K-4 Art Teacher Maggie Parks. “This will have a huge impact on their perception of art as a viable career path throughout their time as students at MCSD.”
“It is extra significant because our first-grade students were able to collaborate with the artist and our elementary art teachers to help with the painting of the mural. It was a memorable learning experience for the students that will have a lasting impact on the new space,” Thede said.
Greg Preslicka installing the new art installation at the Welcome Center.
Preslicka installed all of the tiles onto the wall and retraced the lines at the Welcome Center in mid-May. He said it was a fun time working with the elementary students since their excitement was translated into the final piece.
“(The students) were wonderful and it’s great working with all of the art teachers,” said Preslicka.
Marshalltown community members will be able to see the art installation at the MCSD Welcome Center at the ribbon cutting ceremony and open house on Tuesday, June 27. The ribbon cutting will take place at 5:30 p.m. and the open house will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The Marshalltown Community School District is proud to announce 56 members of the MHS Class of 2023 have earned the Iowa Department of Education’s Seal of Biliteracy.
To earn the seal, a high school student must achieve proficiency on a state English assessment and establish proficiency in another world language assessment. The seal encourages students to pursue biliteracy, recognizes the value of language diversity, prepares high school graduates for a 21st-century world and workplace, and takes an asset-based view of language diversity, cultures, and heritage.
MHS Dean of Students Dan Terrones handing out a Seal of Biliteracy on Thursday.
Being biliterate is different from being bilingual. Bilinguals can speak and understand oral discourse in two or more languages. Biliteracy requires balanced language proficiency across all domains of listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
The number of students who have received the Seal of Biliteracy this year is a new record high count for MCSD. Majority of the students are proficient in Spanish, but the district also served students proficient in languages from Burma.
“MCSD values the assets of all students and wants to emphasize that language skills are an asset, too,” said English Learner and Migrant Program Coordinator Rachel Inks. “Each Bobcat holds the potential to earn the Seal of Biliteracy upon graduation. MCSD offers rigorous core courses in English and multiple pathways to build proficiency in Spanish. Young students may elect to join the district’s dual language program. Older students can elect to take Heritage Speakers Spanish classes, or traditional world language classes. Our bilingual parents also hold a pivotal role in maintaining the home languages while nurturing cultural identities.”
“The MCSD is extremely proud of our students and their teachers for a record number of Marshalltown High School students attaining the Seal of Biliteracy in 2023,” said Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte. “The ability to speak and/or understand two or more languages is a huge asset for them personally and professionally and their future employers.”
Seniors receiving the Seal of Biliteracy will be recognized at Senior Night on Thursday, May 25 and will be wearing a medal during the commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 28.
The Marshalltown Community School District will be hosting Dr. Adolph Brown as an educational keynote speaker for families and community members on Monday, May 15.
The topic is “‘REAL TALK’ Parent Reminders. Parent’s Night Out”, which centers on supporting and uplifting the role parents have in the rearing of children. This lecture will re-examine priorities and fundamental values through true stories and research.
Brown is an internationally renowned credentialed master teacher, character education leader, servant leadership consultant, educational and clinical psychologist, author, researcher, entrepreneur, and an influential thinker/practitioner in the fields of education, human behavior, and neuroscience. He was once the youngest tenured full professor in the nation and being the first in his family of five to graduate from high school.
Brown is a graduate of the College of William & Mary with degrees in Psychology, Anthropology, and a minor in Education. He completed his graduate studies in clinical psychology at the College of William & Mary extension of the Virginia Consortium for Professional Psychology (Child & Family and Education tracks). He completed his residency at the Eastern Virginia Medical School.
He writes and teaches from the perspective of an experienced award-winning educator and research scientist, an innovative and effective business leader, and an engaging consultant. Brown has devoted his life’s mission to positive human development. He educates, informs, challenges, and delights with some amusement and a little “show and tell.” Brown customizes each masterclass or workshop for the audience with lots of audience participation, profound challenges, multiple takeaways, and big fun.
Brown will take the stage at the Marshalltown Performing Arts Center, located at the Marshalltown High School campus, at 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. The local and surrounding communities are invited to join this free educational event.
For more information about Brown, please go to docspeaks.com. Individuals with questions about the event can email Dr. Theron Schutte at tschutte@marshalltown.k12.ia.us or Shauna Smith at ssmith2@marshalltown.k12.ia.us.
Every penny made a difference this week at Hoglan Elementary School.
The school held its “Penny War” from May 1 to May 5 to support the K-9 units for the Marshalltown Police Department and the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office. At the end of the week, Hoglan students and staff raised approximately $3,400 through spare change and bills.
“The Marshalltown Police Department is humbled by the fantastic support Hoglan Elementary has shown our police K-9 program this week,” said MPD Chief Mike Tupper.
“The kids and families really go all out for Penny Wars,” said kindergarten teacher Amy Pollard. “The kids are excited because they know that all the money’s going to a good cause.”
How the Penny War works is each class is working to have the most pennies by the end of the week. Pennies are considered positive points for a classroom while “silver”, other coins and dollar bills, are negative points. Students drop their silver into rival classroom’s collection containers to try to take the lead.
This is not the first time that Hoglan has held the Penny War but it has been awhile since the last one. Pollard explained the fundraiser is easy to organize and has been used to support a variety of local organizations.
Hoglan chose to support the K-9 units for the Marshalltown Police Department and the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office because of how many students and staff have ties to local law enforcement.
“The kids get really fired up on which teacher they’re going to try to sabotage, that’s the word they like to use,” she said. “The kids look at the totals and the teachers look at the totals and then we try to just take each other down.”
Pollard said Hoglan students and staff “knocked it out of the park” with the fundraiser this year.
“I feel it’s important to invest in Marshalltown. It’s a great community and our schools are a great place to send your kids,” she said. “We’re trying to do great things for our community.”
“Police officers had the opportunity to hang out with staff and kids a couple of times this week as the Penny War waged. It was a lot of fun. Thank you Hoglan Elementary for your generous support,” Tupper said.
Jerry Gazaway (left) and Tom Kurth (right) were teammates of Don Nelson’s during the 1961 championship season.
A celebration more than 60 years in the making took place during halftime of Friday evening’s MHS Boys Basketball game vs. Waterloo East, as legendary Bobcats center Don Nelson’s #33 jersey was officially retired.
While Don and his wife, Janet, were unable to accept the honor in-person, several of his former teammates and peers gathered at the Roundhouse to publicly celebrate the Bobcat star’s illustrious high school basketball career. The event was recorded and live streamed so the Nelsons could enjoy the ceremony.
Nelson’s former teammates Jerry Gazaway and Tom Kurth (pictured, at right), as well as Regina Petersohn – wife of former teammate Mike Petersohn – were among those who accepted retirement of the #33 jersey. Former Bobcats Basketball cheerleaders Karen Davis and Jackie Bolar were also among the group, as was Ev Cochrane, Jr., son of Nelson’s former head coach Ev Cochrane.
Nelson was a key player in the Bobcats’ back-to-back state championships in 1960 and 1961. He also earned the following recognitions:
1st Team All-State (1960 & 1961)
1st Team All-CIC Conference (1960 & 1961)
Inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys Basketball Hall of Fame (1994)
Des Moines Register’s List of the 50 best Iowa High School Boys’ Basketball Stars of All Time (2018)
The framed jersey at the center of Friday evening’s ceremony is a replica of Nelson’s original jersey. It will be commemorated with a place in the MHS Trophy Room, and will feature engraved plates generously donated by Adland Engraving.
Congratulations to Don Nelson, and thank you to all of the Bobcats who helped us celebrate his accomplishments on Friday evening!
Former Bobcats Basketball teammates, cheerleaders, and their family members gather for the official retirement ceremony for Don Nelson’s #33 jersey.The state-qualifying 2007-08 Bobcats Basketball team was also recognized at Friday evening’s game.
Marshalltown High School has announced the hiring of two new coaches that will be taking over this summer’s Bobcat athletic programs. Jason Bowers has been named head coach of the Bobcat softball program and Allen Mann has been named interim head coach of the Bobcat Baseball squad.
Bowers
Coach Bowers Jason Bowers has a long history of coaching softball in the Marshalltown area, specifically working within the East Marshall High School softball program. He has over ten years of head coaching experience, and served as the assistant varsity softball coach and junior varsity head coach at EM, posting a 25-3 record during the 2022 season. In addition, Bowers has been heavily involved in the Laurel Youth Softball Program and specializes in teaching the fundamentals of the game.
“Saying that I am thrilled would be an understatement. I’ve been entrusted to bring passion and excitement into the Bobcat Softball program, and I will work tirelessly at that,” Bowers said. “‘Patience’ probably best describes me as a coach.
Bowers said his vision for the softball program’s involves engaging not only with student-athletes, but also with MCSD faculty & staff, assistant coaches, and parents. He said his goals are for the team to be respectful and relentless, to have a team-first mentality, and to effectively handle failure and adversity.
As he takes on this new role with the Bobcats, Bowers will continue to work at Emerson Automation Solutions as the Welding Department Manager. In addition, he has served in the United States Navy.
Coach Mann Allen Mann will take the helm as interim leader of Bobcat Baseball for the 2023 season. The 2009 MHS graduate is in his sixth year as a strength and conditioning teacher and coach at MHS. In addition, he serves as a Bobcat assistant football coach, overseeing the running backs.
Mann
Mann’s previous coaching experience includes six years as an assistant baseball coach at MHS under Head Coach Steve Hanson. Prior to that, he was an assistant baseball coach in Johnston, Iowa.
While a student at MHS, Mann was an outstanding athlete – he was named an All-State football player and was a state qualifier on the 2008 & 2009 Bobcat Baseball teams. He continued his athletic career at Central College, participating on the Dutch baseball team.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to coach a great group of kids, teaching the importance of hard work, intent, community pride, and accountability while playing a sport that I’ve always been passionate about.” Mann said. “I will work to the best of my abilities to help our Bobcat Baseball players develop and have a chance to reach their fullest potential.”
MHS Activities Director Ryan Isgrig said Bowers and Mann will provide high-quality leadership to their respective programs
“The MHS Activities Department is very excited about these two coaches.” Isgrig said. “They both exemplify what Bobcat Pride is about – hard work and dedication, passion for the game, and developing students to be successful on and off the field.”
The FIRST Lego League Robotics regional champions, the Waterboys, will compete at the Jan. 28 state championship! Pictured, from left: Aiden Holmgren, Gavin Freiberg, Jaden Schwartz, James Marquess, Garrett Thede, Aidan Boozell, Oliver Young, and Miller XLP teacher Ann Jackson. Not pictured: Logan Bailey.
The Miller Middle School Waterboys FIRST Lego League Robotics team were crowned champions at their regional competition earlier this month. Now they set their sights on the state-level contest, which is set for Saturday, Jan. 28 at Iowa State University in Ames.
The Waterboys, true to their name, chose to tackle hydroelectric power generation as their area of focus for this year’s project. We look forward to cheering them on at state!
Four exemplary Marshalltown CSD staff members have been recognized with an Employee of the Quarter award for the First Quarter of 2022-23. The honorees include:
The Employee of the Quarter honorees for the first quarter of the 2022-23 school year are, from left: Nivath Baccam, Sierra Ferneau, Brad Rahmiller, and Jocelyn Schmidt.
Nivath Baccam – Marshalltown High School 10-month secretary
Sierra Ferneau – Hoglan Elementary paraeducator
Brad Rahmiller – Marshalltown High School government teacher
All four were nominated by their peers for their dedication to student success, positivity with peers, and for going above and beyond in their respective roles.
“Nivath seeks to ensure staff, students, parents and community members feel welcomed when coming to the main office at MHS – she greets them joy in her voice and a smile in her eyes,” said MHS Principal Jacque Wyant, who nominated Baccam. “It is hard to keep having a bad day after interacting with Nivath.”
Employee of the Quarter honoree Nivath Baccam, second from right, is joined by Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte, left, MHS Principal Jacque Wyant, second from left, and MHS Associate Principal Michael Dale, right.
At Hoglan Elementary, Sierra Ferneau regularly goes the extra mile to serve students and is an excellent collaborator with special education teacher Sara Nichols, who nominated Ferneau for the first quarter award.
“[Ferneau] knows students’ abilities and does a great job helping me find ways to include them in the lessons that are appropriate for their abilities.” Nichols said.
Dr. Schutte, left, Hoglan special education teacher Sara Nichols, second from left, and Hoglan Principal Amy Williams, right, celebrate with Employee of the Quarter honoree Sierra Ferneau, second from right.
MHS government teacher Brad Rahmiller was commended for his ability to successfully engage students in class lessons. Rahmiller was also praised for supporting his fellow teachers.
“In my experience as a new teacher, Brad is always willing to lend a hand,” said MHS social studies teacher KayLeigh Behounek, who joined fellow teachers Alex Abbe and Aaron Benscoter in nominating Rahmiller. “The projects and assignments [Rahmiller] creates cater toward all students.”
Pictured, from left: Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte; MHS teachers KayLeigh Behounek, Alex Abbe, Brad Rahmiller, and Aaron Benscoter; MHS Principal Jacque Wyant, and Director of Instruction Shauna Smith celebrate Rahmiller’s Employee of the Quarter honor.
Anson fourth grade teacher Jocelyn Schmidt goes out of her way to find creative ways to meet her students’ needs. Anson Instructional Coach Jennifer Nelson said she nominated Schmidt for doing an excellent job of collaborating with her students and fellow staff members.
“Jocelyn sets students up to be leaders and gives them the space to be responsible for their own learning,” Nelson said. “It is evident that students feel they belong in their classroom.”
Pictured, from left: Dr. Schutte, Anson Principal Ronnie Manis, Schmidt, Director of Instruction Shauna Smith, and Anson Instructional Coach Jennifer Nelson.
Congratulations to these four incredible school staff members!
Franklin Elementary kindergarten teacher and Iowa Teacher of the Year finalist Amy Phillips works with her class on a lesson.
Longtime Franklin Elementary kindergarten teacher Amy Phillips was among the five finalists for this year’s Iowa Teacher of the Year Award.
Franklin Principal Tim Holmgren, who nominated Phillips for the award last spring, called the 31-year educator “One of Marshalltown’s finest.”
After being named as a finalist, Phillips presented for several state-level leaders in education. Throughout the process, she said she received great support and feedback from her fellow Franklin staff members.
“I am the teacher I am because of the people I work with,” Phillips said, adding that she has adapted to many changes over her long teaching career at Franklin.
Prior to teaching kindergarten, Phillips started her teaching career in a Franklin preschool classroom. She said she enjoys working with young students and providing them with a strong foundation for academic success.
Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte emphasized the magnitude of Phillips’ accomplishment.
“It is a huge honor just to be among the top five in the state,” he said. “We’re really proud and happy that you’re with us at the Marshalltown Community School District.”
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