Tag Archives: Woodbury Elementary

Garza named next Woodbury Elementary principal

17 Jun

Garza, AnelAnel Garza de Sandoval will be the next principal at Woodbury Elementary beginning July 1, 2013.

Before becoming associate principal at Perry Elementary in Perry, Iowa, in 2012, Garza was a classroom teacher at Woodbury Elementary for 10 years, teaching second grade (2002-2011) and kindergarten (2011-2012).

“I’m very happy that I’m coming back to Marshalltown, especially to Woodbury,” she said. “It’s my first home, my first love.”

Garza received her Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education with endorsement in English Language Learning from the University of Northern Iowa, where she also earned her Master of Arts degree in educational leadership.

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Marshalltown students earn meritorious awards at Project Share

21 May

Several Marshalltown students earned meritorious awards at Project Share, the annual student project showcase held May 9-10 at Marshalltown Community College.

Project Share included students from all Marshalltown elementary schools and Lenihan Intermediate School, as well as MACS, BCLUW, Dike-New Hartford, Gladbrook-Reinbeck, East Marshall, West Marshall, Eldora-New Providence, South Hardin, Green Mountain-Garwin, Madrid and South Tama school districts.

Each day students were  treated to a performance workshop called “Shakespeare’s Sister” led by Marta Barnard of Willow River Arts. Barnard played Joan Shakespeare, the famous playwright’s sister, and led the students in performances from several of Shakespeare’s plays.

Project Share provides a fun venue for area students who are involved in their school districts’ enrichment programs. During this event these high-ability students showcase their independent study projects and have the opportunity to share their expertise with a supportive audience.

Marshalltown students receiving meritorious awards were:

Kaden Allison, Franklin, Elementary
Project: “Technology-It’s Easy to Understand”

Mary Kate Gruening, Hoglan Elementary
Project: “Mary Kate and Chemistry”

Stephanie Zavalza Flores, Eli Theissen, Abbey Welden, Woodbury Elementary
Project: “Service Learning: School-wide Recycling: SEA the Difference!”

Jordan Anderson, Bennett Hageman, Lucas Kramer, and Trevor Ketcham, Lenihan Intermediate
Project: “Civil War: Confederate vs. Union”

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Woodbury students prepare care packages for teacher serving in Afghanistan

6 May
Third Grade students at Woodbury helped pack up seven Woodbury Cares packages to the service men and women in the platoon of their teacher, Petty Officer Richard Ortega, who is serving in Afghanistan.

Third Grade students at Woodbury helped pack up seven Woodbury Cares packages to the service men and women in the platoon of their teacher, Petty Officer Richard Ortega, who is serving in Afghanistan.

Woodbury students created  care packages for their teacher, Petty Officer Richard Ortega, and members of his platoon currently serving in Afghanistan.

“Each grade brought a different item,” said Jackie Hernandez, third grade student who helped pack the boxes.  “We had to keep going back to the post office to get more boxes!”

The care packages contained gum, candy, drink mixes and other snacks. The students had all read stories about life in Afghanistan and the life on a military base in the area. The second, third and fourth grade students created questions and typed letters to the troops. The letters were included along with the food and drink mixes in the Woodbury Cares packages.

Kindergarteners and first grade students decorated kites and sent special wishes to the troops. Flying kites is one of the popular pastimes of children in Afghanistan.

“Mr. Ortega should be the most popular guy around when he gets those packages,” said Sue Cahill, who helped organized the project.  He will have enough packs of gum and Lifesavers to share with hundreds of friends!”

Ortega is slated to return to the United States in September or October of this year. He serves as a Petty Officer in the Sea Bees Unit of the United States Navy.

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Attendance, reading celebrated at Woodbury Elementary

1 May

Eighty-five students with perfect attendance were among those celebrated at Woodbury Elementary School’s monthly recognition assembly Tuesday, April 30.

Nearly 150 Woodbury students were acknowledged for excellent attendance, missing two or less days during third quarter. Among the 85 students achieving perfect attendance were 12 kindergarteners, all showing commitment to daily participation and engagement with their learning.

Community members from Marshalltown’s initiative Spread the Words – Read by Third were in attendance to distribute handshakes, smiles, and awards to students with excellent or perfect attendance. Students were congratulated by Lt. Ronald Ohrt from the Marshalltown Police Department; Chamber President Ken Anderson; Fire Chief Steve Edwards; Lindsey Upah, Spread the Words – Read by Third coordinator; Carol Hibbs and Wendy Soltero of the YMCA-YWCA; and MCSD School Board member John Johnson. One of the kindergarteners was heard excitedly telling his dad, “We had a great assembly today. I got to see a fire fighter and a policeman.”

The program aims to achieve 90 percent of Marshalltown third graders reading proficiently by 2016 and earned Marshalltown an All-America City distinction in 2012. One of the initiative’s task forces aims at improving attendance, specifically increasing the number of kindergarteners attending school regularly. Anyone interested in being involved with the effort should contact Lindsey Upah, Spread the Words – Read by Third coordinator, at 641-752-7162 ext. 155.

Reading was also celebrated at the assembly, with a group of fourth graders presenting a reader’s theater based on the popular book The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss.  The student body enjoyed watching the words from the pages come to life on stage.

“We have a very talented group of actors in our fourth grade class,” said Sue Cahill, Woodbury teacher librarian. “It is great to see them be able to use and develop their talents.”

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Elementary Battle of the Books held at Public Library

24 Apr
Olivia Adams Zmolek, Nayeli Becerra Hernandez, Denice Vega, Lilianna Victor, Abbey Welden, Teacher Librarian Sue Cahill.

Battle of the Books Champions: Olivia Adams Zmolek, Nayeli Becerra Hernandez, Denice Vega, Lilianna Victor, Abbey Welden, Teacher Librarian Sue Cahill.

Woodbury Elementary came out on top of the annual Elementary Battle of the Books held Tuesday, April 23, at Marshalltown Public Library.

More than 100 students participated in the battle, with students squaring off in three rounds. In the end, only a few points separated the teams.

Students participate in improv comedy between Battle of the Books rounds.

Students participate in improv comedy between Battle of the Books rounds.

Tom LaVille and Brenda Morris conducted improvisational comedy between rounds. Improv teaches students to think quickly and creatively by creating new situations and responding to suggestions from the crowd and their teammates.

Teams were coached by the teacher librarians in each building: Beth Steffa, Anson; Alicia Patten, Fisher; John Fritz, Franklin; Jeni Sloan, Hoglan; Ellen Youds, Rogers; Sue Cahill, Woodbury.

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Preschool registration planned April 13

26 Mar

Early Registration for Marshalltown Community School District Preschool will be Saturday, April 13, from 10am to 12:30pm in the Lenihan Intermediate School commons.

Students must be 4 years old by Sept. 15, 2013, to enroll. Please bring a copy of the child’s birth certificate to registration. There is a one-time $25 registration fee due at sign-up. There is no monthly tuition!

In 2013-2014 preschool classes will be offered at seven locations in Marshalltown – Anson Elementary, Fisher Elementary, Franklin Elementary, Hoglan Elementary, Rogers Elementary, Woodbury Elementary and St. Paul’s Preschool.

The MCSD Preschool Program is guided by the Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards (IQPPS) and Iowa Early Learning Standards. Through use of The Creative Curriculum, students will develop language and literacy skills, learning and thinking skills, social skills and large and small motor functions.

Each preschool classroom is led by a teacher certified in Early Childhood Education and Special Education. Paraeducators, Speech-Language Pathologists, and other staff provide on-site support (Bilingual tutors are available at the six elementary school sites).

For more information about the MCSD Preschool Program call 641-754-1000 or 641-754-1070.

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Kindergarten Registration set for March 8

12 Feb

Students entering kindergarten this fall are invited to registration Friday, March 8, 9am to 3pm at all Marshalltown Community School District elementary schools.

Students must be 5 years old by Sept. 15, 2013, to enroll in kindergarten for 2013-2014. Please bring a copy of your child’s birth certificate and updated immunization records. Book rental fee is $40.

Families should register their kindergartener at their neighborhood elementary school. A map of District attendance zones is available at www.marshalltown.k12.ia.us under the “Parent Resources” tab. Students living in the Central Zone or rural areas may register at any building on March 8, though enrollment building will be determined according to class sizes, sibling enrollment, etc.

An informational meeting about the District’s Dual Language Program will be held Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 5:30pm at Woodbury Elementary. Students who enroll in the Dual Language Program attend Woodbury Elementary.

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Iowa Assessments next week

29 Jan

Students throughout Marshalltown Schools will participate in the Iowa Assessments next week, Feb. 4-8, 2013.

The Iowa Assessments are a set of tests that measure academic growth. This is the second year for students to take the Iowa Assessments. Before that students took the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED).

Testing days and times vary by building.

Marshalltown High School students will take the assessments Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 5 and 6. A schedule for those days is available here on the MHS website.

For more information about the Iowa Assessments, including how to read the scores and sample test questions, visit the Iowa Assessments page on the MCSD website.

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Marshalltown student artwork on display at State Historical Building

22 Jan
Artwork by Mia Krukow.

Artwork by Mia Krukow.

Artwork by Marshalltown Community School District students is part of the 2013 Youth Art Month Show at the State Historical Building in Des Moines.

Student art from Lenihan Intermediate and Woodbury and Fisher elementary schools will be on display with the creations of students from across Iowa during Youth Art Month in March. The month is a time to celebrate the value of art education, which develops critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, community awareness and visual communication skills.

The students from Lenihan with artwork on display are David Dickey, Kathy Del Real Sanchez and Jonathan McKeever. Mia Krukow from Woodbury and Caleb Lauer and Dillon Walsh from Fisher also have artwork on display.

The students are invited to a reception at the State Historical Building March 2, after which fifteen pieces of artwork – including work by Dillon Walsh – will be displayed at the governor’s office. Dillon has also been invited to a special reception with Governor Terry Branstad.

Both events are sponsored by the Art Educators of Iowa.

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A kind heart for others: Woodbury student helps classmates

7 Jan

Nicole Rodriguez has been winning hearts in her third grade class at Woodbury Elementary School, especially with her teacher, Tanda Stanton.

Stanton said the student’s kindness makes her stick out.

Read more of Nicole’s Spotlight in today’s Marshalltown Times-Republican.

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