Bobcats Making Headlines

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has fully reimbursed the Marshalltown Community School District in the amount of $642,149.51 – the IRS had initially charged the fines in 2018 due to a payroll reporting oversight.

“That was really good news,” district Business Director Paulette Newbold said Monday evening, shortly after the IRS sent notification of the refund. She said she ensured the refund checks were put in the bank immediately.

“We were pleasantly surprised to have received the full refund of the fees and penalties,” said district Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte.

He credited Newbold and the entire Business Office team, as well as attorneys Chris Wertzberger and Bruce Baker, for their hard work in getting the funding returned to the district.

Since the payroll reporting issue was discovered by current Business Office staff in 2018, school officials have comprehensively reviewed oversight and reporting processes for all aspects of district finance.

Miller Middle School Lego League students show some of the products available at the school’s food pantry. They have taken on a project to put unused foods from the Miller cafeteria into the
pantry. Pictured, from left, are students Meredith Codis, Jay Helton, Braden Stewart, Elazia Davison and Roan Jelken.

Six Miller Middle School eighth graders have found an elegant solution to help solve two challenges: food waste and food insecurity. 

After extensive research and brainstorming, Miller teacher Ann Jackson said the Lego League students started a project to take unused food from the Miller Middle School cafeteria and stock it in the school’s food pantry for students and families in need.

“I really liked the whole idea of giving back to the community,” said Braden Stewart, one of the six Lego League students who took on the project. 

Student Meredith Codis said she was happy the group found a way to help solve multiple issues. 

“I like the feeling that we’re doing something about it,” she said. 

One important goal of the project is to improve students’ and families’ knowledge of the Miller food pantry, including how to find it. 

“We took a survey to see who knew about the food pantry and 81 percent of (Miller students) said they did not know about it,” Braden said. 

In response, the students plan to put up signs showing where the pantry is located in the building. The signs will be put in the school’s vestibule areas to direct users toward the pantry, which is located inside the entrance on the school’s northwest side; it is accessible from the parking lot off of Boone Street. 

Another way the group plans to make the food pantry more accessible is by keeping it open two days per week from noon to 1:30 p.m. The students themselves will take turns attending to the pantry during those times. 

Braden, Meredith and fellow group members Jay Helton, Elazia Davison, Roan Jelken and Katelyn Schwartz said it feels good to give back to their school community.

Student Marissa Dunham, left, enjoys Tuesday’s meal with her mother, Cathy.

Students from Miller Middle School and Lenihan Intermediate School put together a fine feast for their families at St. Henry Catholic Church this week. 

The students made all kinds of Thanksgiving fare, from mashed potatoes to tasty pies and light refreshments. 

“I made a blueberry pie and lemonade,” said eighth grader Robby Noriega. 

He said his favorite Thanksgiving food to eat is pie with sugar-sprinkled crust. 

Classmate Gustavo Carrillo said he particularly enjoyed peeling the potatoes before they were mashed. He said his favorite food to eat over the holiday is turkey. 

“My favorite part is spending time with family,” Gustavo said. 

Diego Cervantes said he helped make the apple pie for Tuesday’s meal. He said he looks forward to all the good food during Thanksgiving. 

Enjoy the holiday break! We’ll see everyone at school Monday, Dec. 2.

Students and staff crack some eggs while cooking Tuesday. Pictured from left are student Marissa Dunham, teacher Susan Arifi, student Robby Noriega and paraeducator Samantha Lammert. 

Marshalltown High School Class of 1989 members (from left) Geoff Hubbard, Kimberly Morford Baeth, Julie Wise Batterson, Lynette Buchwald and Amy Pollard stand with boxes full of books for kindergarten and first grade students. 

A generous gesture by Marshalltown High School Class of 1989 members ensured kindergarten and first grade students at all six Marshalltown Schools elementary buildings got a book of their own Tuesday. 

The classmates said it brought immense joy to hand out the 700 books to students this week. 

“It’s so nice to just be able to give the books to the kids,” said Class of ‘89 member and Hoglan Elementary teacher Amy Pollard. 

She said the idea came from previous efforts to get books into the hands of Hoglan students. 

“I just told the story to (fellow classmates) about some of the kids in my classroom last year and their reactions to getting books and how they were like ‘I can keep it? It’s my book?’” 

The students certainly got a kick out of picking a book to take home this week. Kindergartner Kamaeya Tribby picked up a copy of “Paddington and the Magic Trick” and said she was excited to take it home to read with her mother. 

“It has fun things in it … it has cool drawings,” she said. 

Fellow kindergartner William DeFoil also said he was excited to read his new book, one from the “Pete the Cat” series. 

“I want to put mine in my book box,” he said. 

Pollard said she hopes to continue this kind of book-giving activity in the future. In addition to this year’s book giveaway effort, the Class of ‘89 also raised $1,000 toward the Veterans Memorial Coliseum rebuild in downtown Marshalltown.

Marshalltown High School was represented by six student musicians at the 73rd Annual All-State Music Festival held this past weekend in Ames. From left: All-State Chorus members Amanda Hoffman, Olivia Adams-Zmolek, Elijah Thiessen, and Deonte Dean; All-State Orchestra member Uriel Campos-Padilla and All-State Band member Rebekah Stone.

Marshalltown Community School District was well-represented last weekend at the 73rd Annual All-State Music Festival at Iowa State University in Ames. 

Marshalltown High School students Amanda Hoffman, Olivia Adams-Zmolek, Elijah Thiessen, Deonte Dean, Uriel Campos-Padilla and Rebekah Stone all performed at the festival.

The weekend began with chair placement auditions on Thursday afternoon and evening, followed by a full day of rehearsals for each ensemble on Friday, as well as rehearsals on Saturday morning and afternoon. The students’ musical talent was put on full display in the Festival Concert held at Hilton Coliseum Saturday evening. 

The concert opened with the traditional presentation of “America the Beautiful” performed by the All-State Orchestra and Chorus and closed with a rousing performance of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” performed by the All-State Band and Chorus.  

Within each ensemble the students were given the opportunity to stretch their musical knowledge and musicianship further than they ever had before.  Music literacy was a focus in all ensembles, leading to the impeccable concert given on Saturday evening.

The All-State Music Festival Concert will be aired on Iowa Public Television on Thursday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 8 at 1 p.m.  

Bell was an accomplished athlete as a student at MCSD. Here is poses with his fellow cross country runners in 1974.

A former Marshalltown Schools coach and athletic director is to be honored by the Iowa Association of Track and Field Coaches next month.                     

Tim Bell will be inducted into the IATC Hall of Fame in Ames Saturday, Dec. 7. He coached Marshalltown track and field and/or cross country for nearly four decades at Marshalltown Schools, with 32 of those years coaching cross country. 

“I was proud and excited that a lot of former runners and other coaches took the time to nominate me for this honor,” he said. 

Bell, the longest-serving head coach in MCSD history, said he is proud not only of the statistical accomplishments during his time as a coach, but also of the relationships he built. 

In his time as cross country head coach, Bell oversaw an incredibly successful program. His achievements as a the Bobcats Cross Country coach include:

• 3 state runner-up teams  
• 3 state meet 3rd place teams 
• 25 state meet team appearances, with an unbroken streak of 18 appearances
• 10 conference team titles
• 11 state qualifying meet team titles
• 3 Individual state champions  
• 15-time Regional Coach of the Year 
• 11-time Conference Coach of the Year
• Averaged 47 athletes on his team for 32 years
• Won 107 Varsity invitational meets

Bell’s successful career at MCSD can be summed up in myriad other ways: he coached 541 cross country runners at MHS in his time at the district, he coached ninth grade boys basketball, as well as high school girls track and junior high track. 

In addition, Bell worked for 12 years as a junior high health teacher, nine years as a high school assistant principal and 14 years as the district’s athletic director. He retired from the district in 2013. 

He said he got an important piece of advice from a fellow cross country enthusiast early in his career: create a sense of family and be positive in motivating the runners. The training methods and success will take care of itself. Bell combined that attitude with high expectations for his runners. 

In 2017, Bell was honored with the dedication of a cross country shelter at Marshalltown Community College. More can be read on that honor here. 

For more information about the IATC Hall of Fame event, click here. 

Tim Bell was a head coach at MCSD for decades and collected many accolades in his career. 

MHS Al Éxito students wrap lights around their tree in the Orpheum’s Black Box theater earlier this week. They and many other students are preparing for projects and performances at Saturday’s Holiday Stroll in downtown Marshalltown.

A winter chill has crept into Marshalltown and the 28th Annual Holiday Stroll will be a chance to celebrate the holiday season. Many Marshalltown students are getting ready for the weekend’s festivities. 

The Holiday Stroll runs 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 along Main Street between North 3rd Ave. and North 3rd Street. Marshalltown Schools students will be involved in several events, including: 

• The Miller Middle School Jazz Band will perform at First Presbyterian Church, 101 S. Center St., from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

• Marshalltown High School Band, Drumline and Color Guard students will perform in the Holiday Stroll parade, which runs from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

• Two student groups are participating in the Festival of Trees (4 p.m. to 8 p.m.)  in the Black Box theater of the IVCCD Orpheum Theater Center, 220 E. Main St. One  is Marshalltown High School’s Al Éxito group, the members of which decorated their tree in a vintage style and highlighted the history of their families with photos of their grandparents and great grandparents. Another group with a tree is the MHS Dance Team, whose Bobcat pride is evident in their blue-and-red decorating theme. 

Take some time to come out and enjoy all the great projects and performances of Marshalltown students at Saturday’s Holiday Stroll!

Marshalltown High School Dance Team Captain Justice See stands with some hard-earned hardware: a second place overall award for her performance in Class IX of the ISDTA State Solo Championships earlier this month.

An impressive group of Marshalltown High School students traveled to Newton earlier this month for the 2020 Iowa Dance and Drill Team Association (ISDTA) State Solo Championships. 

MHS Dance Team Captain Justice See stood out in the competition, taking home the second place overall award in Class IX for her performance. She is the first ever Bobcat to finish in the top five in the solo championships. 

Fellow dance team soloists Carissa Stalzer, Makenna Dungan, Avery Case, Megan Sills and Samantha Snyder also represented Marshalltown Schools at the Nov. 2 competition. All of the soloists received Division I ratings and were among the 65 soloists from around the state performing in the championships. 

Congratulations to all MHS Dance Team soloists!

Six MHS Dance Team soloists traveled to Newton earlier this month, all with Division I rankings. They were among 65 soloists from around the state competing in the 2020 ISDTA State Solo Championships. Pictured, from left: Carissa Stalzer, Makenna Dungan, Justice See, Avery Case, Megan Sills and Samantha Snyder.