Bobcats Making Headlines

Goulding

Springer

Todd Goulding was named the interim District Buildings and Grounds director at this week’s special Marshalltown School Board meeting.

Goulding will bring his extensive experience working in the Buildings and Grounds Department as the District Electrician with him to his new role. The school board approved his hire as interim director for one year.

Goulding takes the place of former B&G Director Chuck Springer. Springer retired in June after three years at MCSD, during which he oversaw several successful construction projects and facilities improvements, including Phase II of the Marshalltown High School Roundhouse project.

Kaylee Peschong will bring years of on-the-court coaching and playing experience to the Bobcat volleyball program.

Kaylee (Smith) Peschong has accepted the top volleyball coaching position for the Marshalltown Bobcats. Peschong is set replace Chris Brees, who stepped down last month, and she will join assistant coaches Scott Ranck and Adam Edgington to lead the Bobcats. The hire is pending official school board approval. 

“We’re extremely excited about Kaylee taking over the helm of our volleyball program. Her past playing and coaching experiences, as well as her vision of team culture and leadership, will fit perfectly at MHS,” said MHS Activities Director Ryan Isgrig.

Peschong wants to use her past experience to grow the sport of volleyball in Marshalltown. It is her goal to develop and maintain a high cultural standard that promotes dedication, hard work, pride and respect. Her experience, combined with her dedication to mentorship will help shape young women to be confident young athletes of integrity on – and off – the court.

“I believe it is my responsibility to help shape the young women in my program…shape them into great athletes, great teammates, and great leaders,” Peschong said. 

Peschong is a 2017 graduate of the M.J. Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University at Fort Worth, Texas. Volleyball has been at the center of her life for as long as she can remember. Peschong – a native of Indianola – grew up on the court with her mother, who coached volleyball for 30 years at the high school and collegiate level. 

Coach Peschong brings an impressive cache of volleyball experience both as a player and a coach to Marshalltown High School. In 2020, she was inducted into the Indianola High School Hall of Fame for her illustrious volleyball prep career. Her collegiate experience began at the University of Iowa where she started as a setter. When the Hawkeye coach that recruited her moved away, she transferred to TCU.

Kaylee served up three more years of NCAA Division success for the TCU program. As the starting setter, she led her team to one of the most successful three-year stretches in TCU history. With positive energy, inclusivity, and on-court success, Kaylee marshaled her teammates to the NCAA tournament in 2015 and 2016. She was also named Academic All Big-12 every year at TCU and facilitated youth camps for more than 500 girls ages 5-18. 

Since January of 2018, she has been the head coach for Nebraska Elite Volleyball Club and helped train and develop 13 Division-1 scholarship athletes. That position has given her coaching experience at the highest club level. Her team has won the national qualifier gold medal (Boston) and qualified for nationals every season. 

She may be from Indianola, but Kaylee is no stranger to Marshalltown. Her husband, Tyler, is a proud 2008 MHS graduate. They are excited to raise their young family in this community. 

Volleyball practices officially start on Monday, August 10. If you are interested in participating in the Bobcat volleyball program please contact the MHS Activities office at 641-754-1142. For more information, visit https://marshalltownhsia.rschoolteams.com/.

The tentative 2020 volleyball season game schedule  can be found here.

Proud moments like this one were a common scene at Sunday’s MCSD Class of 2020 graduation ceremony. Graduates walked across the stage to pick up their diploma while families got an unimpeded view of the significant moment.

MCSD Class of 2020 graduates and their families celebrated a major stepping stone in life Sunday at the Marshalltown High School Roundhouse. This year’s unique graduation ceremony allowed families a front-and-center view of their graduate walking across the stage to pick up their diploma.

Sunday’s ceremony was quite different from celebrations past, with social distancing measures in place and free face-masks made available to graduates, families and school staff. Upon arrival in the Roundhouse gym, graduates stepped up to the stage to pick up their diplomas one-by-one; at the same time, graduates’ families stood directly in front of the stage to cheer, clap, and get a clear photo or video of the proud moment.

“On behalf of the Marshalltown Community School District, I want to congratulate the Class of 2020 because I know the diploma you’re receiving today represents years of hard work completing rigorous assignments, papers, and tests, and likely a few nights staying up late to do so,” said MCSD Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte in his virtual commencement address. “It also represents numerous individual, group, and team accomplishments while persevering through personal as well as collective struggles, challenges, and adversity faced along the way.”

He said graduates can feel confident that they have a strong educational foundation from which to launch into their future.

“I am confident that you are leaving Marshalltown High School ‘Bobcat Ready’ – well-equipped with the knowledge, skills, creativity and confidence to successfully pursue your dreams and aspirations,” Dr. Schutte said. “As you go forward today, I encourage you to be passionate about pursuing your dreams, be purposeful in pursuing excellence in whatever life path you choose, and most importantly, take great pride in who you are, where you come from, what you have accomplished and what you have set out to accomplish in the future.

MCSD School Board President Bea Niblock also said students should look confidently toward their future after walking across the stage.

“None of us participating in this graduation ceremony have ever participated in a virtual graduation, nor have we ever been faced with the challenges that a global pandemic presents,” she said, adding three pieces of advice for the young men and women to follow. “One – Be responsible, attitude and behaviors that you choose will pave the way to success; Two – do what’s right, err in the direction of kindness; Three – find something to be thankful for every day, no matter what happens in your life.”

Congratulations to all Class of 2020 Bobcat graduates! We know you are equipped to do great things wherever you go in life!

Check out the photos below for scenes from Sunday’s ceremony.

JBS Marshalltown Human Resources Director Niko Aguirre, center, delivers 4,000 disposable masks for use at this weekend’s Class of 2020 graduation ceremony. Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte, left, and MHS Principal Jacque Wyant, right, accepted the generous donation Thursday.

In a generous show of support for Marshalltown Schools and the Class of 2020 Bobcat graduates, JBS Marshalltown donated 4,000 disposable face masks for use during this Sunday’s modified graduation ceremony. 

MCSD Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte said the face masks are necessary to maintain safety as graduates and their families attend the ceremony at the MHS Roundhouse. He said he was impressed by the safety measures the company has taken in response to the current public health situation during a recent facility tour.

“I reached out to see if we could purchase enough disposable face masks to accommodate the needs of our graduate’s families who may arrive without their own mask,” Dr. Schutte said. “Being the great community partner they are, JBS has donated 4,000 disposable face masks to MHS for use in Sunday’s modified graduation ceremony.”

JBS Marshalltown Human Resources Director Nicolas “Niko” Aguirre said Bobcat Pride was at the heart of the decision to donate masks.

“An opportunity presented itself where we could directly show our support and pride for the graduates,” Aguirre said. “We are happy to support our community. Congratulations to the 2020 high school graduates!” 

Dr. Schutte said the show of support from JBS is deeply appreciated. 

“This significant gesture of partnership is just another example of how (JBS Marshalltown Plant Manager) Todd Carl, Niko Aguirre, and the JBS Team are committed to supporting our students, families, school district and community. We are very fortunate and appreciative of their ongoing partnership and support!” he said. 

For more information on the Sunday, June 28 MCSD Class of 2020 graduation ceremony, click here.

Marshalltown Schools is working with several community partners to ensure high-quality education continues when classes begin this fall, no matter what challenges are brought by the current public health situation. 

“The Marshalltown Return to Learn Team is composed of 73 people,” said District Director of Instruction Dr. Lisa Stevenson. “We are writing our plan with equity at the forefront of all of six of our teams.”

School districts statewide are working on Return to Learn plans in accordance with Iowa Department of Education requirements.

The MCSD Return to Learn team includes district administrators, teacher leaders, counselors, and nursing staff, as well as community organizations such as Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA), the Marshalltown YMCA-YWCA, St. Francis Catholic School, Bobcat Academy, Marshalltown Community College, and Central Rivers Area Education Agency. 

Each of the six Return to Learn teams – including Data, Infrastructure, Health and Safety, Special Education/English language learner education, Academic Standards, and Social-Emotional-Behavioral Health – has met weekly this month to plan for multiple education delivery scenarios this fall. 

Those possible scenarios include fully in-person student learning, fully digital or online student learning, and a hybrid model in which both online and in-person learning take place.

The Return to Learn work in June has included the creation and delivery of several surveys for district employees, students, and families, as well as planning the best ways to deliver education safely next school year amid ongoing public health concerns. We greatly value survey feedback, and all MCSD parents and students in grades 6-12 who have not yet taken their survey are encouraged to do so; survey links can be found here. 

Leaders from Marshalltown Schools and several community organizations work together during a weekly Return to Learn planning session.

Going forward
On July 1, Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte will affirm with the Iowa Department of Education that the district’s Return to Learn teams are creating plans and gathering key data. Additionally, the district will confirm the 2020-21 school calendar with the Department of Education; that calendar, approved by the Marshalltown School Board earlier this year, includes an Aug. 25, 2020 start date.

No final decision will be made on the district’s Return to Learn plan on July 1, but planning and data collection will continue as the district awaits further state guidance. The Marshalltown School Board will be responsible for making a final decision on the district’s Return to Learn plan.

“Ultimately, our plans need to allow for our District and its schools to be able to seamlessly transition from in-person teaching and learning to remote learning based on the health and safety needs of our students and staff,” Dr. Schutte said.

For more information, visit the Iowa Department of Education’s Return to Learn web page.

MHS Band students (from left) Drew King, KyLynn Glass, Kenton Niehouse, and Emily Diggins practice their percussion skills.

The usual summer sounds of Bobcat Band students practicing their musical skills have returned to the Marshalltown High School grounds.

MHS Instrumental Music Director Brett Umthun said the students had been taking online lessons prior to last week’s reopening. Several precautions are being taken with the reopening, including social distancing rules, requiring students exposed to or showing symptoms of COVID-19 to stay home, and more.

“Individual lessons are held in the morning and run until noon. Each student receives 30 minutes of private instruction,” Umthun said. “Sectionals are held in the afternoon from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. and are broken down into color guard, woodwind, brass, marching percussion, and frontline groups.”

For more information on Bobcat Band summer activities, including safety measures being taken, click here.

MHS Band students Jordan May (left) and Joshua Reynolds (right) keep their rhythm during practice this week.

The U of I College of Engineering Femineers Adopt-a-School program will bring new, high-quality STEM learning to Miller Middle School students over the next three years. 

Miller Middle School is one of just six schools statewide to be selected as part of the University of Iowa College of Engineering Femineers Adopt-a-School Program, which will bring new STEM learning opportunities to middle school students over the next three years.

Miller Extended Learning Program (XLP) teacher Ann Jackson said she applied for the Femineer program to bring another high-quality STEM educational opportunity to the middle school. She said the program will provide teacher training, and there will be a focus on increasing participation in STEM educational activities among female students.

“It is our goal with the Femineer program to expose our female students to STEM areas and help them discover that they are as capable of success in STEM areas as their male counterparts,” Jackson said. “The program will be implemented next year for Miller’s XLP students, but we are actively looking for ways to bring the curriculum to all of Miller’s female students.”

Each year of the program’s three-year implementation will have a unique area of focus. Creative Robotics will be the theme in the first year, followed by Wearable Technology in year two, and Pi Robotics in year three. 

For each of the three themes, students will work on a project to be presented at the Femineer Summit in the spring. 

The Femineer program is a teacher training program that was created and funded by Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Engineering in 2013 to inspire young women to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). For more information on the U of I College of Engineering Femineers Adopt-a-School Program, click here. 

Free meals to children 18 years old and younger will continue to be provided throughout the Marshalltown Community School District this summer. 

The MCSD Summer Meals program kicks off Monday, June 8 and will run through Friday, July 31 (excluding July 3 at all sites). Meals will be served in the same manner as they have been during the last several weeks of the 2019-20 school year due to school closure – that includes nine school building sites and on mobile meal bus routes. 

Food items may include sandwiches, cereal, graham crackers, muffins, fresh fruits and vegetables, and more. The district will also offer “Take and Bake” meals that can be picked up and then cooked at home.

All questions about the MCSD Summer Meals program should be directed to the MCSD Food Service Department at (641) 754-1000. Information on the school site and bus route meal schedules can be found here. 

ESPAÑOL: Para obtener información del programa Comidas de Verano MCSD en español, incluyendo el horario de comidas en los sitios escolares y las rutas de autobús, haga clic aquí.

Several Marshalltown residents took part in Monday’s “‘Taps’ Across America” musical event. Three MHS Bobcat students were among them, including Eysak Stanfield (bottom left), Lydia Hayes (middle right), and Tristan Weir (bottom right). Also pictured are community members Burt Tecklenburg (top left), Todd Metge (bottom center), and Brian Cox (top right).

Unique public health circumstances may have impacted many Memorial Day traditions earlier this week, but that didn’t stop several Bobcats from taking part in a new tradition to commemorate America’s fallen service members.

Responding to a nationwide call to “Play ‘Taps’ Across America” on Memorial Day Monday, several Marshalltown Schools students picked up their instruments and added to the chorus.

Participating students included junior Lydia Hayes. sophomore Eysak Stanfield and junior Tristan Weir. Lydia played the famous, somber tune on the flute while Eysak and Tristan employed trumpets.

“It was very exciting and there was excellent feedback,” said MHS Instrumental Music Director Brett Umthun. “One neighbor asked the student to do it again next year. They got inspired and played taps at a cemetery.”

These nine Bobcats are graduating high school with an associate’s degree from Marshalltown Community College this year. They are, from left: Carmen Araiza, Mia Barajas, Olivia Brintnall, Grace Fisher, Saylor Hempy, Amanda Hoffman, Trevor Ketcham, Kaci Uhde, and Liz Vargas.

Nine Class of 2020 Bobcat seniors are being rewarded for their hard work and dedication as their final year of high school comes to a close – all will graduate from high school with associate’s degrees. The graduate include: 

• Carmen Araiza
• Mia Barajas
• Olivia Brintnall 
• Grace Fisher
• Saylor Hempy
• Amanda Hoffman
• Trevor Ketcham
• Kaci Uhde
• Liz Vargas

The dual-enrollment partnership between Marshalltown Schools and Marshalltown Community College provides opportunities for high school students to take college coursework. The dual-credit courses are free to students and offer them additional high-quality learning opportunities.

The nine Bobcats Class of 2020 dual-enrollment graduates will leave high school with their diploma and associate’s degree in hand, ready for post-secondary life. 

Congratulations to all of these remarkable students!