Anson students named “Principals for a Day”

Posted on March 21, 2012 by marshalltownschools

Dr. Marvin Wade, superintendent of schools (left) meets with Anson Elementary Principals for a Day: Jayden Avalos (center) and Danny Solares (right).

Anson Elementary was under new leadership today – that of students Jayden Avalos and Danny Solares, honorary principals for a day.

Ms. Avalos, a second grade student, and Mr. Solares, in fourth grade, were selected for this annual honor because of their hard work during the Iowa Assessments (formerly known as the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills). Teachers nominated students who worked hard and took the exams very seriously. Out of those nominees two names were drawn out of a hat.

As principals for a day, Ms. Avalos and Mr. Solares did a morning safety walkthrough with Principal Bea Niblock. They also completed two classroom observations (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) and followed each with an email to the teacher reporting what they saw. They also worked a lunchroom duty, tracked daily attendance and printed perfect attendance sheets, and learned more about the day-to-day tasks of an elementary principal.

In the morning they met with Superintendent Marvin Wade and Mr. Solares took a call from a parent, his mother.

The student principals will each get to have recess duty with their classes sometime next week.

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244 teams compete in Miller March Madness

Posted on March 20, 2012 by marshalltownschools

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Miller Middle School hosted its annual Miller March Madness March 15, with 244 teams competing in the basketball hot shot competition.

Over 40 staff members helped run the shoot-out, which included the basketball contest but also concessions and a number of door prizes and other give-away items.

Results:

Mother/Son
1. Shelly & Tony Smith
2. Sam & Peggy Rogers
3. Aaron & Chris Hauser
Father/Daughter
1. Ellyn & Mark Boland
2. Ruth & Mark Boland
3. Courtney & Mike Schmidt
Father/Son
1. Tony & Scott Smith
2. Aaron & Mark Hauser
3. John & Mark Boland
Student/Sibling
1. Cale Friest & Chanse Creekmur
2. Tony Smith & Jacob Smith
3. Tony Smith & Cory Smith
Student/Other
1. Aaron Hauser & Chanse Creekmur
2. Jackson Schulte & Sam Weatherman
3. Tony Smith & Chanse Creekmur
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Miller launches ‘Manner Up!’ video series

Posted on March 14, 2012 by marshalltownschools

Bob "Bob Cat" Gilbertson.

On Monday afternoons everyone at Miller Middle School can expect “Mama Cat” and “Bob Cat” to appear on their television screens. The duo star in Manner Up!, a new video series produced by and starring Miller staff and students with messages about good manners and respect.

Language arts teacher Mary Fitzgerald portrays “Mama Cat”, while “Bob Cat” is social studies teacher Bob Gilbertson. Media specialist Dave Stanfield is in charge of filming the videos, which along with Fitzgerald and Gilbertson will feature a variety of Miller students and staff.

The first video – “Dare Not to Swear” – premiered Monday afternoon (March 12). Following the 11-minute video, classrooms had discussions about behavior expectations and being held accountable for them.

Mary "Mama Cat" Fitzgerald.

“I am very excited about this initiative to improve our climate at Miller regarding respect and manners,” Principal Sharon McKimpson said. “Many talented hands are helping with Manner Up!.”

A new video will premiere every Monday afternoon for the rest of the school year.

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Job shadowing links MHS student passions to real-world experiences

Posted on March 13, 2012 by marshalltownschools

Jesse Gale always wanted to be a rock star. His passion for classic rock and his desire to work in the music industry prompted Marshalltown High School teacher Creighton Jenness to set up a job shadowing experience with KGGO radio, one of several job shadowing experiences helping MHS students connect their interests with real-world opportunities.

Gale spent Feb. 20 in the KGGO studios with radio personality Clutch. He was able to tour the studio, sit in on a live broadcast, and even go on the air live with Clutch.

“KGGO did an amazing job with this experience and Clutch was first class,” Jenness said. “Clutch talked with Jesse and [me] about school and how important it is to go to classes…He also gave Jesse some advice about how to get into the music industry and into radio.”

Gale found the experience extremely rewarding.

“I will never forget this because this is something I’ve wanted to do since elementary school,” he said. “Now I think I know what is needed for this job because you can’t just hop onto [the radio],  you have to start with a basic broadcasting college class then you work your way onto a station. It takes lots of patience and a positive attitude.”

Another MHS teacher, Justin Boliver, also connected one of his students with a job shadow opportunity with the Department of Natural Resources.  MHS science teacher Erica Malloy, whose husband works for the DNR, helped arrange that job shadow.

Jenness says they are still in the early stages of developing the job shadowing program, but he hopes to see more opportunities for students in the near future.

“I think that these job experiences are very beneficial for the students and it helps them see that the things that they are learning during their time in the Marshalltown Community School District are important and will help them throughout their entire life,” he said. “Many students only have the opportunity to learn about what their parents or siblings do.  They do not realize there are so many opportunities for them outside of home.”

The Work Experience Program at MHS is coordinated by Aaron Shipley.

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Two Marshalltown Speech performers selected for All-State

Posted on March 13, 2012 by marshalltownschools

Two Marshalltown High School students were selected as Outstanding Performers by the Iowa High School Speech Association, earning them invitations to perform at All-State Speech March 26 at the University of Northern Iowa.

Lily Larsen and Chandler Fisher earned the All-State bids based on their performances at the State Speech Contest held in Clinton March 10. Larson was selected for Improvisation and Fisher for Storytelling. Both will perform at UNI’s McLeod Center on March 26, with Larsen scheduled for 10am and Fisher 3pm.

Five other performances at state speech also deserve accolades. Senior Gwen Morrison brought home two Division I ratings in the areas of Storytelling and Acting, Senior Hanna Carter earned a Division I rating in Poetry with original poems, Zakary Herink earned a Division I rating in Prose, and Chandler Fisher earned a second Division I in Literary Program.

Four other performances received Division II ratings at State Contest. Christian Kremer competed in Prose and in Spontaneous Speaking, Daniel Blom participated in Spontaneous Speaking, and Belgium exchange student Emilie Nyssen performed in the category of Acting.

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Sixth Annual Battle of the Books held Monday

Posted on March 13, 2012 by marshalltownschools

Twenty teams participated in the Sixth Annual Battle of the Books Bash Monday, March 12, at the Marshalltown Public Library.

The BOB season started with 42 teams of five students from Lenihan Intermediate School and St. Mary’s. Each team was assigned to read 40 books from this year’s list. Before the BOB Bash all the teams took a qualifying test, which included the memorization of all 40 authors and a question from each of the 40 books. From there 20 teams qualified for Monday’s event.

The morning consisted of workshops based on the books, including a “Confectionary Concoction” workshop run by Pat Byer from Lenihan Intermediate. One of the books on this year’s reading list was Candy Makers by Wendy Mass, so to go with the candy theme students made colored sugar art, colored popcorn balls and had a chocolate fountain. Lenihan Media Specialist Erin Feingold led a seminar on how to create animations using the computer program Scratch.

This was the first year every student participating was able to receive a book. All participants also received certificates, while members of the top three teams received medals as well.

The winning teams were:

  • First Place: The Lime Green Banjo Squirrels Bearing Scarves
  • Second Place: Book Brigade
  • Third Place: The Hippie Page-Turners

Sponsors were Friends of the Library, Lennox, and Assistance League.

Click on a photo to enlarge: 

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Miller March Madness set for March 15

Posted on March 5, 2012 by marshalltownschools

 Miller Middle School will host the annual Miller March Madness basketball contest Thursday, March 15, 2012, 4-6:30p.m. in the Miller gym.

The basketball hot-shot competition has six categories: Mother/Daughter, Mother/Son, Father/Daughter, Father/Son, Sibling, Student/Other. The cost is $2 per entry.

Concessions will be available and door prizes will be awarded.

Don’t miss this night of fun for the family!

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Miller students selected for Blank Summer Institute

Posted on March 5, 2012 by marshalltownschools

L to R: Jack Kester, Mitch Eberle, Olyvia Mathews, Hayley Hodges, Ellyn Boland, Cailyn Ernat, Emma Alman, Ethan Thill.

Eight Miller Middle School students have been selected for the Blank Summer Institute June 24-29 at the University of Iowa.

The Blank Summer Institute for Arts & Sciences is a one-week residential program for 120 of Iowa’s talented and gifted students in seventh and eighth grade. Administered by the Connie Belin and & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talented Development, the Institute “provides exceptionally talented students with an intensive and advanced educational experience designed to enhance their intellectual and social growth.”

The Institute consists of eight rigorous week-long courses with high school and college-level courses. Only 15 students in the state are selected for each course.

Students were nominated by their teachers based on high achievement and motivation. Those selected receive a $300 Myron and Jacqueline Blank Summer Scholarship to cover a potion of the cost.

Students from Miller selected for the Institute are:

Jack Kester—Innovation and Invention

Mitch Eberle—Math Problem Solving

Olyvia Mathews—Visual Arts

Hayley Hodges—Social Sciences alternate

Ellyn Boland—Global and Cultural Studies

Cailyn Ernat—Creative Writing

Emma Alman—Performing Arts

Ethan Thill—Advanced Science alternate.

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MHS senior wins Iowa’s Poetry Out Loud contest

Posted on March 5, 2012 by marshalltownschools

Marshalltown High School senior Gwen Morrison won Iowa’s Poetry Out Loud competition March 3 in Des Moines, earning herself a trip to the national contest in Washington, D.C.

This is Morrison’s third trip to state for Poetry Out Loud, “a contest that encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation.” In 2010 she placed second in Iowa. In 2011 she was third.

“Gwen did an amazing job – she’s a great talent,” said Susan Fritzell, who coordinates the Extended Learning Program at MHS.

As state champion Morrison earned $500 in poetry books and materials for MHS, as well as a paid trip to the national competition May 13-15 in Washington, D.C.

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Miller Mathcounts team competes at regionals

Posted on March 1, 2012 by marshalltownschools

Front (L to R): James Drummer, Mary Drummer, Whitney Canaday, Justin Keane, Frank Iole. Back: Collin Krukow, Tim Potter, Jacob Ramsey-Smith, Mitchell Schwandt, Eric Lizarde, coach Beverly Fisher.

The Miller Middle School Mathcounts team competed at regionals Feb. 23 at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, improving their team ranking from last year and placing several students in the top 25 percent.

Miller finished 14th out of 36 teams, with Tim Potter the top scorer on the team. Potter, along with Collin Krukow and James Drummer finished among the top quarter of all participants in the state of Iowa.

Mathcounts is a nationally established organization involving middle schoolers across the U.S.  The club engages them in fun and challenging math programs, either for the pleasure of being in a math club or to pursue competition among peers in a regional/state/and national level.

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