Bobcats Making Headlines

Marshalltown Community College student Kaylee Howe reads to students at Woodbury Elementary School on Nov. 20. A group of students from MCC spent a few hours at the school reading to the elementary students.

A group of Marshalltown Community College students visited Woodbury Elementary School on Nov. 20 to read to students. Nine MCC students visited the school as part of a recognition of National Children’s Day.

The visit was organized by Chelsea Vajgrt, an MCC student attended Woodbury when she was younger.

“I love how former Woodbury students want to give back to current Woodbury students,” said Woodbury Principal Anel Garza. “She is a fantastic role model for our dual language students.”

The college students stopped at the kindergarten, first and second grade classes at Woodbury during their visit. The MCC students were very popular with the students at Woodbury.

“Many Woodbury students were captivated and gave their full attention,” Garza said. “It’s wonderful when we can get our young community members in here to read to our kids. It’s a great opportunity for our students to see young adult readers in action and share the value of reading with our kids.”

Students on the Lenihan Intermediate School Lego League team gave a demonstration to members of the Noon Optimist Club on Nov. 19.

Nine students from the Lenihan Intermediate School Lego League team presented their work to the Noon Optimist Club on Nov. 19.

Led by Lenihan Extended Learning Program teacher Vanessa Engel, the team talked about preparing for this year’s First Lego League tournament and displayed the robot they built and programmed for this year’s contest. The tournament is Dec. 5 at Marshalltown Community College.

The fifth and sixth graders are also coached by Connor Reynolds. The team meets three times a week either before or after school to work on the robot and other portions of the competition.

Members of the team include Locke Bloomquist, Connor Hugen, Jose Alvarez, Elexus Ocasio, Derek Peng, Ashten Finders, Marcus Barker, Lilly Duff and Josh Reynolds.

Pictured are members of the Lenihan Intermediate School Lego League team. Front row, from left, Josh Reynolds, Connor Hugen, Jose Alvarez and Ashten Finders. Back row, coach Connor Reynolds, Marcus Barker, Lilly Duff, Locke Bloomquist, Elexus Ocasio, Derek Peng and coach/Lenihan teacher Vanessa Engel.

Former Ohio State University football player and motivational speaker Joel Penton spoke to students at Marshalltown High School on Nov. 18.

Marshalltown High School held a special assembly on November 18 in the Roundhouse. The assembly started by honoring two staff members – Lydia Arevalo and Kraig Lageschulte.

Arevalo was honored with the Iowa High School Counselor of the Year award recently by the Iowa School Counselor Association.

Lageschulte, School Resource Officer at MHS, was recognized for his Meritorious Service Award from the Marshalltown Police Department

The assembly then took a different direction as the students heard from motivational speaker Joel Penton.

Penton is a former football player at Ohio State University and speaks throughout the country to groups of students. Penton stressed the importance of making the right choices and also spoke about how keeping your commitments can lead to success.

For a brief video of the acknowledgement for Mrs. Arevalo by fellow MHS counselor Mrs. Meri Edel, click here.

Unmesh Datar is pictured in the Marshalltown High School Library, where he volunteers an hour each morning. He is an exchange student at MHS from India.

Volunteering for an hour at the Marshalltown High School Library each school day is just one of the many ways Unmesh Datar gives back. Datar is an exchange student from India and is a junior at MHS.

Giving back comes natural for Datar, who also packed meals in West Des Moines as part of Meals from the Heartland and has volunteered with the Evening Lions Club. He said he loves to volunteer.

“If I get an opportunity to volunteer, I do, because I feel I owe something to the community,” Datar said.

The 16-year-old also likes to get involved in school activities. He had a major role on stage in the recent MHS fall play “Almost, Maine.” He also just started as manager of the Bobcat boys’ basketball team and is on the speech and debate team.

“It develops me in different types of skills, such as social skills,” he said of getting involved in activities.

Datar also participated in the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute last month in Des Moines. His research paper as part of the institute focused on food insecurity and water scarcity in India. He said following college he would like to find a career helping others.

“I really want to do something for other people,” he said.

As a result of all of his activities, Datar was recently named the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Student of the Month. His host mom here for the year is MHS teacher Janelle Hawk, who Datar said inspires him.

“She has helped me see myself in the future and shaped me,” he said.

This group of Marshalltown High School students visited the Ape Cognition and Conservation Initiative in Des Moines on Nov. 10. Pictured are front row, at right, Unmesh Datar, Second row, from left, Madeline Jelken, Phoebe Osgood, Fatima Perez Negrete, David Wahl and Caleb Summers. Back row, Lucas Thiessen, Elliot Weidenaar, Dayana Carrera, Emily Sickles, Molly Bach, Hadley Wagner, Ryne Downey and Anna Carlson.

Fourteen MHS students traveled to Des Moines to visit the Ape Cognition and Conservation Initiative (ACCI) on Nov. 10.  The group, all members of the Literature Over Lunch group (LOL) at MHS recently read and discussed the book “Endangered” by Eliot Schrefer.

This novel tells the story of a girl trying to rescue herself and a baby Bonobo as she runs from invading rebels in worn-torn Congo.  LOL sponsor and youth librarian at the Marshalltown Public Library, Joa LaVille, arranged to have the LOL students visit the ACCI as it is the only research facility in North America to house and study Bonobos.

An endangered great ape species, Bonobos can be found only along a small stretch of the Congo River Basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa in the wild.

While visiting the center, students were able to observe the Bonobos through glass and communicate with them using hand signals as well as words.

LOL is advised by MHS Librarian Sue Inhelder and Extended Learning Program teacher Susan Fritzell. LOL operates in partnership with Marshalltown Public Library and funding for this trip came from the generous contributions of the Friends of the Marshalltown Public Library.

Nick Johnson, a 2003 Marshalltown High School graduate, talks to a Film Analysis class at MHS on Nov. 12 about his work as a project manager building sets for Broadway shows and concerts.

Students in the Film Analysis classes at Marshalltown High School welcomed a special guest with real world experience to their classroom on Nov. 12.

Nick Johnson, a 2003 MHS graduate, talked about his experience working as a project manager who helps builds sets for Broadway shows and concerts.
Johnson has a theater degree from Drake University and also has a degree from the Yale University School of Drama.

He worked his way up to project manager and has been responsible for how the stage looks for grand scale shows and concerts through the years, especially in the New York City area.

“I never thought I would be working in Broadway, but I’m happy with what I’ve done,” Johnson said.

The Film Analysis class is taught by Kathi Hale at MHS. It’s a class Johnson took himself as a student at MHS.

Several students from an after school program at Rogers Elementary School delivered Veterans Day cards to veterans at the Iowa Veterans Home on Nov. 11.

Students in a Rogers Elementary School after school program took time to thank veterans as they delivered homemade Veterans Day cards at Iowa Veterans Home on Nov. 11.

Accompanied by Caleb Carver and Emily Goodall from Iowa State University Extension and Karina Hernandez from Mid-Iowa Community Action, the students visited dozens of veterans at IVH Wednesday.
Many veterans returned smiles and talked with the students about their service.

Most students were second graders at Rogers with one fourth grader also in attendance.

Miller Middle School teacher Brett Comegys talked about his military experience and the importance of serving others to seventh graders at the school on Nov. 10.

Conveying the message of service to others, Miller Middle School social studies teacher Brett Comegys presented his annual talk to seventh graders at Miller Middle School on Nov. 10 in advance of Veterans Day.

A veteran himself with 14 years of service in both the U.S. Marine Corps and Army National Guard, Comegys told students the importance of serving others in everyday life, not just in the military.

“Do something for somebody else,” Comegys said. “Just serve somebody, somewhere.”

Comegys told stories about military life and said through the ups and downs he knew he was doing something important.

“I always thought I was part of something special,” he said.

Comegys has presented annually to Miller seventh grade students the week of Veterans Day for the past several years with a focus on service, sacrifice and duty.

MHS honors veterans on staff

At Marshalltown High School, student David Blom took to the intercom on Nov. 11 to salute veterans on the MHS staff. The salute also featured a performance by the MHS National Anthem singers. For a video of this salute, click here.

Hands-on science activities will be served up in the Marshalltown High School cafeteria on Nov. 17 as part of a Science Extravaganza event.

The event is from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. with science workshops and activities starting after a free pizza dinner. All ages are welcome to this free event.

The event is sponsored by MHS along with the Iowa State University chapters of the Society of Hispanic Engineers and Latinos in Science and Engineering.

Mike Lazere, MHS teacher, said the event has two main goals – to get students excited about science and engineering and to inform parents about the college application process and financial aid.

Ken O’Connor, who is known as “The Grade Doctor” will speak at 6 p.m. Nov. 17 in the Marshalltown High School Library

An educational consultant and author known as “The Grade Doctor” will speak during a presentation on Nov. 17 in Marshalltown.

Ken O’Connor will present from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Marshalltown High School Library at the invite of the Marshalltown Community School District.

O’Connor specializes in issues related to the communication of student achievement, especially grading and reporting. He will speak about what it means to grade for learning and how the Marshalltown Community School District can create a system for reporting student progress that is beneficial to students.

“As a district, we are focused on student-centered learning,” said Dr. Susan Pecinovsky, Associate Superintendent of Student Achievement with Marshalltown Schools. “The primary goal is for students to have grades that are accurate, meaningful and consistent.”

Community members and parents are invited to attend to learn more about this subject. His presentation is free and open to the public.