Bobcats Making Headlines

Marshalltown High School will present the fall musical “The Addams Family” at 7 p.m. on November 9 and 10 at the MHS/Community Auditorium. Pictured in front are from left, Matthew Waldon as Uncle Fester, Phoebe Osgood as Grandma, Eli Thiessen as Gomez Addams, Yatnia Hernandez as Morticia Adams, Trace Markle as Lurch, Alex Stansberry as Pugsley Addams and Kassie Wilkins as Wednesday Addams.

The Marshalltown High School drama department will present the fall musical “The Addams Family” at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 9 and Saturday, November 10 in the MHS/Community Auditorium.

The musical comedy centers on America’s darkest family and a secret the daughter Wednesday has as she has fallen in love. It is based on the popular television show from the 1960s.

The musical is led by directors Grant Gale and Amy Ose, while Brett Umthun directs the pit orchestra.

Lead roles include Eli Thiessen as Gomez Addams, Yatnia Hernandez as Morticia Addams, Matthew Waldon as Uncle Fester, Kassie Wilkins as Wednesday Addams, Phoebe Osgood as Grandma, Alex Stansberry as Pugsley Addams, Trace Markle as Lurch, Lexy Perez as Mal Beineke, Olivia Adams-Zmolek as Alice Beineke and Colin Jensen as Lucas Beineke.

Tickets are $5 and available at the door. Activity tickets honored.

Pit Orchestra

Cast

Iowa State University President Dr. Wendy Wintersteen talked to students at Marshalltown High School on November 6 in the MHS/Community Auditorium.

The 16th president of Iowa State University talked to students at Marshalltown High School on November 6.

Dr. Wendy Wintersteen, the first female president of ISU, visited Marshalltown on the invitation of Larry McKibben, who is on the Iowa Board of Regents.

Wintersteen talked about a wide variety of ISU topics including college affordability, student groups and clubs, program offerings and more. She also answered several questions from the students.

In her leadership role at ISU, Dr. Wintersteen oversees a $1.5 billion budget and 6,000 faculty and staff who serve 35,000 students.

McKibben has also invited University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld to speak on November 13 at MHS. University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook spoke to students last fall at MHS.

MHS Principal Jacque Wyant, right, talks with ISU President Wendy Wintersteen and Larry McKibben of the Board of Regents.

Employee of the Quarter award winners for the first quarter for Marshalltown Schools include, from left, Fisher Elementary School Instructional Coach Jennifer August, District Electrician Todd Goulding and MHS Special Education teacher Emily Hunt.

Three Marshalltown Community School District employees have been recognized with Employee of the Quarter awards for the first quarter of the school year including Jennifer August from Fisher Elementary School, Todd Goulding from Buildings & Grounds and Emily Hunt from Marshalltown High School.

Jennifer August
Jennifer has been instructional coach at Fisher Elementary School for 7 years. The MHS graduate previously taught at Franklin Elementary School for 11 years. She has been with the district since 2001.

Jennifer was nominated for the award by three fellow Fisher staff members including teachers Mary Brown, Cynthia Eggers and Hilary Klyn.

“Jennifer is a model of positive thinking and problem solving as she works with students and alongside teachers,” Brown said in her nomination. “She understands what teachers need to do their jobs well and advocates for them, while also providing them with as much support as she can.”

Todd Goulding

Todd is the district electrician, a role he has had since 2011. He works in all of the buildings across the district.

He was nominated for the award by Director of Buildings and Grounds Chuck Springer who said Todd is dedicated to deal with school building issues no matter the time or day.

“Todd is an outstanding employee, citizen and friend,” Springer said. “He is the type of person you would wish to set as the example of excellence for your employees.”

Emily Hunt
Emily has been a special education teacher at MHS since 2015 after serving as a paraeducator for three years at MHS before that.

She graduated from MHS in 2010 and her Bobcat Pride is apparent on a daily basis. She is active as an advisor with the Student Senate, which involves planning and running Homecoming week among other events and duties.

Emily was nominated for the award by her fellow MHS teacher Jocelyn Frohwein.

“This teacher is a rock,” Frohwein said of Hunt. “She is a solid collaborator, a great co-teacher, has a heart of gold and goes above and beyond to support the learning of her students. She is dedicated to her job and works to get students to understand how gains and learning can help you with overall growth.”

Presenting Jennifer with the award are, from left, Curriculum Leader Erica Finders, Fisher Principal Mark Lee, Fisher teacher Cynthia Eggers, Jennifer August, Fisher teacher Mary Brown, Fisher teacher Hilary Klyn and Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte.

Pictured presenting Todd with the award are, from left, Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte, Jennifer Gray (B&G administrative assistant, Todd Goulding, Director of Buildings and Grounds Chuck Springer and Custodial Supervisor Travis James.

Pictured with Emily Hunt at her award presentation are, from left, MHS teacher Jocelyn Frohwein, MHS Principal Jacque Wyant, Director of Special Services Matt Cretsinger, Val Hunt (Emily’s mother and MHS teacher), MHS Associate Principal Justin Boliver, Emily Hunt and Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte.

Click here for a video of the award presentations

Sam Ibarra is a 2005 Marshalltown High School graduate who is an active volunteer in the community. He works in the shipping department at Emerson in Marshalltown.

Emerson employee takes pride in volunteering

Sam Ibarra said the Marshalltown community and the school district gave him so much when he was younger, that he considers what he does now as payback.

Ibarra is a 2005 Marshalltown High School graduate who works as a shipping department clerk at Emerson. He also has past experience in customer service and human resources at the leading global valve manufacturer. He toured Emerson while he was a sophomore at MHS and was impressed.

“I thought it was a great company,” Ibarra said.

Prior to his time at Emerson, Ibarra worked as a manager at Sports Page in Marshalltown, where he said Todd Thimesch served as a great mentor.

Community involvement
Ibarra, 31, is a youth soccer coach, serves on the United Way Board of Directors, the Marshalltown Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors and the Marshalltown Business Education Alliance, where he helped recently with area career tours for Marshalltown High School sophomores.

“It makes me feel like I’m doing the right things,” Ibarra said of his community involvement. “That I’m on the right path in a positive way.”

Impacted by supportive teachers
Sam arrived in Iowa with his family from Mexico in 1997 as a 10-year-old not knowing much English.

He said many Marshalltown teachers along the way impacted him in a very positive way including Bob Gilbertson at Woodbury Elementary School, and Deb Holsapple and Gary Mertens at MHS.

“They were supportive teachers who took me under their wing,” Ibarra said.

Gilbertson, who now teaches at Miller Middle School, said Sam and his brothers were hard-working, respectful and had a thirst for knowledge.

“Samuel learned things so quickly, picking up on English and learning the classroom content simultaneously,” Gilbertson said.

Ibarra plans to work toward an eventual bachelor’s degree in human resources and wants to continue to better himself to be even more productive in the community.

Continued support of the schools
Whether it’s helping with the MHS Trio Club program, tutoring Lenihan Intermediate School students, serving as a DJ at a school dance or helping high school students tour local businesses, Ibarra loves to give back to Marshalltown Schools.

“I get satisfied that I’m giving back to the school that gave me a lot,” Ibarra said. “It made me the man I am today.”

Miller Middle School students cleaned up litter along Highway 30 on October 31 as part of the Adopt-A-Highway program. Pictured from left are Kenley Goodknight, Brenden Finders, Rachel Jacobs, Ava Augustine and Miller teacher Chad Spear.

A group of Miller Middle School students volunteered to clean up litter along Highway 30 near Marshalltown on October 31 as part of the Adopt-A-Highway program.

The school has been a involved in this effort for five years and it is led by Miller Counselor John Augustine.

“It gets the students out helping in the community and hopefully it builds a better appreciation for the environment so they will not want to litter,” Augustine said.

The school volunteers as part of this program twice a year.

Pictured cleaning up litter are Miller students, from left, Rachel Jacobs, Kenley Goodknight, Brenden Finders and Ava Augustine.

Miller students pictured volunteering are Victoria McDonald, Jayda Matteson, Desy Sung and Joanna Parra.

Accepting school supplies and book donations from UnitedHealthcare representatives Andy Bates, left, and Kaye Taylor, right, is Woodbury Elementary School Principal Anel Garza.

UnitedHealthcare provided a huge donation of school supplies and books to Woodbury Elementary School on October 26 as a way to support the community after the July 19 tornado.

“After the storm this summer, the Marshalltown community rallied to help people in need including the children at Woodbury Elementary School,” said Anel Garza, principal of Woodbury Elementary School. “We appreciate UnitedHealthcare’s donation to our students as the entire area continues the process of rebuilding.”

For the UnitedHealthcare press release, click here.

Woodbury custodian David Murphy, center, helps Andy Bates, left, and Kaye Taylor unload the donated school supplies from UnitedHealthcare.

School accepts donation of winter clothing

Becky Faircloth, left, and Marcia Murty delivered winter clothing to Woodbury Elementary School on October 26.

Becky Faircloth and Marcia Murty delivered 10 bags of winter clothes as a donation to Woodbury Elementary School on October 26. Faircloth used money she earned from teaching a Pilates class to purchase the clothing at second hand stores. The clothes will be distributed to help tornado victims and others in need throughout the district.

Jean Klosterman of the Marshall County Farm Bureau talks to families at Rogers Elementary School’s Family Learning Center October 23. The night focused on farm to table activities.

Rogers Elementary School held its first Family Learning Center of the school year the night of October 23, this time with a focus on agriculture.

The school partnered with the Marshall County Farm Bureau and invited students and families to experience a  “Passport to Agriculture” through farm to table learning stations and activities.

Stations focused on soil and food with a goal to explain how food gets from the farm to the tables of local families.

“What better way to celebrate Farm to School month than to educate our families about what our local farms do for us?” said Rogers teacher librarian Erin Faas.

Angie Nelson of the Marshall County Farm Bureau

Families were also able to read books and do other activities at the event.

Pictured are Marshalltown High School students selected for the All-State Music Festival. Front row, from left Olivia Stone, Uriel Campos-Padilla and Luke Wymore. Back row, Kassie Wilkins, Jordan Blue, Eli Thiessen, Yatnia Hernandez and Amanda Hoffman.

Several Marshalltown High School music students have been honored with selection to the 2018 All-State Music Festival, which features the top high school musicians in the state and is set for November 15-17 in Ames.

Five MHS students were selected for the all-state choir and three made the all-state orchestra. Choir students included Yatnia Hernandez, Amanda Hoffman, Eli Thiessen, Kassie Wilkins and alternate Jordan Blue. Students selected for all-state orchestra included Uriel Campos-Padilla (violin), Olivia Stone (bass clarinet) and Luke Wymore (baritone saxophone).

All-state auditions were held on October 20 at Hampton-Dumont High School. Wilkins, who is one of the returning all-staters, said auditions take “commitment and courage” to make it through.

The all-state performance will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 17 at Hilton Coliseum on the Iowa State University campus.

Pictured with a plaque from the American Heart Association are Fisher Elementary School students who were among those who helped donate to a fundraiser earlier this year. Pictured front row, from left, Cohen Nunn, Aria Peck and Declan Meloy. Back row, Avery Polley, Kate Sandvick and Bryson Payne.

Fisher Elementary School was awarded a plaque and recognition from the American Heart Association for its support during a fundraiser earlier this year.

The school received the recognition for the highest percentage increase in online donations for North Central Iowa during the Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser.

Total donations to the American Heart Association topped $4,000 from Fisher students and staff during the fundraiser. Physical education teacher Mike Eggleston led the fundraiser at the school.

Trending Media General Manager Todd Steinkamp shows Marshalltown High School sophomores the KIX 101.1 country radio studio. The tour was one of dozens held during a career tour week for MHS sophomores.

Marshalltown High School sophomores participated in wide range of career tours, learning about local employers and businesses the week of October 15 to 19.

This is the third year this career tour has been held, orchestrated by a local committee of the Marshalltown Business Education Alliance known as the Student Partnership Program.

“It has been a great week,” said MHS counselor Meri Edel. “The businesses have been very gracious and very helpful.”

Careers covered the gamut from on the farm to manufacturing, graphic design to health care. Edel sensed the excitement level of many of the students after learning about these local careers.

“Many of our students have been very excited to learn about these career fields and now want to learn more,” Edel said.

Thank you to the local employers and the employees who gave of their time to talk about their careers. Any local business interested in opening its doors to MHS students next year can contact the counseling office at the high school at 641-754-1130.

Students get manicures while learning about Iowa School of Beauty.

Clemons Chevrolet service manager Jason Colby gives a tour of his department.

Students hear from staff at Animal Clinic- The Vet.

Operating Room Supervisor Nova Ebersole gave a tour of UnityPoint Health’s medical park.

Rheba Yost, left, and Cassandra Gerstandt talk about their marketing and graphic design company, Wild Key Creative.

Emerson Governor Road plant

Marshall County Sheriff’s Office

Emerson Innovation Center

Police/Fire Building Construction