Bobcats Making Headlines

Former NFL player and Iowa Hawkeye Nate Kaeding gives high fives to students at Hoglan Elementary School after speaking to the students on Sept. 10.

Former NFL football player and Iowa Hawkeye Nate Kaeding spoke to students at Hoglan Elementary School on Sept. 10 in the school gym.

Kaeding’s message to the students focused on the importance of working hard, having fun and listening and paying attention. He also answered several questions from students during his visit.

Kaeding is a native of Iowa City and his wife, Samantha, is from Marshalltown.

Kaeding high-fived all the students as they left the gym after the presentation. Many students and staff dressed in Iowa Hawkeye clothing to welcome Kaeding to their school.

Kaeding also spoke at a United Way campaign kickoff luncheon while in Marshalltown Thursday.

To view a video of his visit to Hoglan, click here.

Marshalltown High School Project Lead The Way Engineering teacher Mike Lazere, center, is pictured with students Nicholas Summers, left, and Jose Garcia with their robotics project at the school this past spring. MHS has received national certification for the Project Lead the Way Engineering and Biomedical Science programs.

Marshalltown High School has recently received national certification status for the Project Lead The Way Biomedical Science and Engineering programs at the school.

The certification process involved the completion of a self-study report and a visit by Iowa PLTW representatives to classes as well as having them meet with teachers, counselors, school leaders and partnership team members.

The national certification indicates MHS has successfully demonstrated a commitment to the PLTW national standards.

“We passed with flying colors,” said MHS PLTW Engineering teacher Mike Lazere.

Other Project Lead The Way teachers at MHS include Erica Malloy and Sue Ellen Beek while Lydia Arevalo serves as the PLTW counselor at the school.

Marshalltown Schools Superintendent Dr. Marvin Wade thanked the dedicated staff, students, parents and community leaders who made this prestigious certification possible.  Wade stated, “this is the latest of many examples of Marshalltown implementing high quality educational programs that meet the needs of our students and community.  Continued aggressive pursuit of these pre-kindergarten through 12th grade opportunities will remain a priority in Marshalltown Schools.”

The 2015-16 school year is the third year for the Biomedical Science and Engineering PLTW programs at MHS, a school that has been a trailblazer in the state in Project Lead The Way and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) curriculum.

PLTW, a nonprofit organization, offers a rigorous world-class curriculum that allows students to apply what they are learning in math and science class to real-life activities, projects and problems. By achieving this certification status, MHS students in PLTW may be eligible for preferential college admissions, college credit, scholarships or other opportunities.

Marshalltown High School ACT scores from 2015 have been released.
The scores indicate MHS students had an average composite score of 22.1, up from the previous year average composite score of 21.3. The state average composite score for 2015 was 22.2.

Test scores saw the biggest jump in the area of science as the average science score among the 102 MHS students taking the test was 23.2, which is up from 21.8 the previous year.

Marshalltown scores also saw gains in English, mathematics and reading portions of the test from the previous year.

The ACT measures college readiness among high school students. Marshalltown Community School District students took this test this past April or June and most who took the test were in the junior class last school year.

2015 ACT SCORES
                           MCSD   State
English               20.9       21.6
Mathematics      21.9       21.5
Reading               21.8      22.7
Science                23.2      22.3
Composite       22.1     22.2

2014 ACT SCORES
                           MCSD   State
English                  20.3     21.5
Mathematics        20.9     21.4
Reading                 21.6     22.5
Science                  21.8     22.2
Composite        21.3     22.0

Marshalltown Schools will host another parent rally to seek feedback from parents and the community on Aug. 31. It will be led by Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch, right, and Marisa Rivera, left. It will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the media center at Marshalltown High School.

The Marshalltown Community School District is taking the next step in an increased effort to reach out for feedback from parents with another parent rally scheduled for Monday, August 31. The event will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the Marshalltown High School media center and is open to the public.

The rallies will be moderated by Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch and Marisa Rivera. Both are consultants with expertise in getting parents involved in how their children are educated. Both have visited Marshalltown and talked with parents already this summer in a total of four separate parent rally events.

The program will be presented in English, Spanish and in languages from Burma. Light refreshments will be available. Marshalltown High School is located at 1602 S. 2nd. Ave.

Marshalltown High School welcomed hundreds of visitors to the Roundhouse for an open house on August 21. Guests received tours of the new gym, Hall of Pride, weight and training room and other portions of the newly-renovated facility.

Work still continues on the facility, but the gym is usable for action as the MHS volleyball team practiced during the open house and hosts its first game tonight.

Tours were led by Activities Director Craig Huegel as many community members commented how impressive the renovated facility looked.

To view a 2 minute, 43 second video on the open house, click here.

Four current Marshalltown High School students and one 2015 MHS graduate have been named AP Scholars as a result of their scores on Advanced Placement exams taken in the spring.

Those students honored as AP Scholars are Collin Krukow, Ryan McDaniel, Beau Ragland and Elliot Weidenaar and recent graduate Andrew Walker.

All of these students averaged a score of 3 (out of 5) or higher on three or more AP exams. Additionally, Beau Ragland received an “AP Scholar with Distinction” honor for earning a score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of the exams. The tests were completed by the students this past May.

Marshalltown High School will host an open house and tours of the renovated Roundhouse on Aug. 21.

The free public event will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the same night as the annual Blue & White Classic football scrimmage at Leonard Cole Field.

The freshmen scrimmage will be held at 6 p.m., the youth Marshalltown Football League scrimmages at 6:30 p.m. and the Bobcat varsity scrimmage is at 7:30 p.m.

Admission to the scrimmages is a free will offering of a non-perishable food item that will be donated to the Emergency Food Box pantry or dog/cat food or cat litter to be donated to the Animal Rescue League.

The Bobcat Booster Club will be grilling and the concession stand will be open.

A big opening celebration for phase one of the Roundhouse work will be scheduled later in the fall.

The Marshalltown Community School District is preparing for school to start for the 2015-16 school year.

The first day of school will be August 25 with a one-hour early dismissal that day.

A series of Back to School nights will be held throughout the district leading up to the first day of school for students and their families.

Miller Middle School will host an open house from 5 to 6:45 p.m. for seventh grade and from 6:45 to 8 p.m. for eighth grade, both on August 20.

All elementary schools in MCSD will have a Back to School Night from 5 to 6 p.m. on August 24. Lenihan Intermediate School will host a Back to School Night from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on August 24. Students are encouraged to bring their school supplies for the year during these Back to School nights.

Marshalltown High School will host a ninth grade/new student orientation from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on August 24.

The first day of preschool will be September 1 in the district. For a listing of school supplies needed and other information on the 2015-16 school year, visit the MCSD website at www.marshalltown.k12.ia.us

Marshalltown High School teacher Susan Fritzell, right, is shown assisting with a tree planting at MHS this past spring. Fritzell will be awarded an Iowa Soil Conservation Teacher award from the Iowa Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

Marshalltown High School extended learning teacher Susan Fritzell will be the recipient of a 2015 Iowa Soil Conservation Teacher award from the Iowa Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

The purpose of the award is to recognize public or parochial school teachers who are performing outstanding service in creating public awareness of the need to safeguard natural and human resources, according to the award announcement.

Fritzell

Fritzell has been heavily involved in boosting the respect and knowledge of the environment in her students.

She has led eight state champion Envirothon teams in the past 12 years at MHS, had five past students awarded international internships in the World Food Prize Youth Program and orchestrated an effort to plant 50 trees on the MHS campus this past spring with more than 100 students as part of a Trees for Kids Grant.

Fritzell will receive the award at the 69th Annual Conference for the Iowa Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioners on Sept. 2 in Altoona.

Marshalltown High School and Marshalltown Learning Academy parents and students are asked to attend a very important meeting to learn more about responsibilities with the school issued Chromebooks for the 2015-16 school year.

This meeting will have all the necessary steps to take to ensure students are ready to receive their Chromebook when they are distributed at the beginning of the school year. The meeting schedule is listed below. Parents and students are asked to attend one meeting that fits in their schedule. For more information about the Chromebooks visit the following website www.marshalltown.k12.ia.us/mhs/chromebook2015.html

Parents will also be given the option to participate in the cooperative loss program for a fee of $25.