Bobcats Making Headlines

Students in the Marshalltown High School show choir group known as South Side Transit are pictured during a recent rehearsal. MHS will host the state show choir festival on Monday, January 29 in the MHS/Community Auditorium.

​Marshalltown High School will host the Iowa High School Music Association State Show Choir Festival on Monday, January 29 in the MHS /Community Auditorium.  Eight school performances will be held from 4 p.m. through 9:30 p.m. with the host Marshalltown performing at 9:10 p.m.

The format for the evening includes approximately 20 minutes of performing for each ensemble followed by an on-stage judge’s clinic.  

Admission for the event is $6 for adults and $3 for all students K-12.  Because this is a state-level event, activity passes will not be honored for admission.

Performance Schedule

School – Performance time (followed by clinic)
BCLUW- 4 p.m.
Hudson- 4:40 p.m.
Ogden – 5:20 p.m.
Webster City – 6 p.m.
Des Moines East- 7:10 p.m.
Waukee Prairieview – 7:50 p.m.
Waukee Timberline – 8:30 p.m.
Marshalltown 9:10 p.m.

Miller Middle School students and a mentor are pictured with their city model project as part of the Future City contest held in Cedar Rapids on January 20. Pictured are Miller students, from left,  Jonny Needs, Madi Ricken and Jackie Diaz and local engineer Justin Strom from Clapsaddle-Garber Associates.

Miller Middle School students built city models and presented them as part of a competition called Future City at Prairie Point Middle School in Cedar Rapids on January 20. The students were participating in the project as part of a Miller Project Based Learning class from teacher Shan Mooney.

As they researched for the project, students learned about city infrastructure, scale and zoning and toured The Embers retirement community.

“The problem this year for the competition was to think of ways to make life better for senior citizens,” Mooney said. “We took a tour of The Embers to see what their facility has to offer seniors.”  

Models were built mostly from recycled materials. The group also enlisted the help of engineer Justin Strom from the Marshalltown-based civil engineering and land surveying firm Clapsaddle-Garber Associates.

“He helped the students with scale and looked over their essays and critiqued the student presentations,” Mooney said. “He was a great help in the whole process.”

Miller sent two projects to the Future City contest.

“The competing students did an excellent job for our first experience at this competition and are excited to introduce the project to students next year,” Mooney said.

Rebekah Stone is pictured with a city model project she created with fellow Miller Middle School student Eh Blu Moo.

These three Marshalltown High School seniors have received academic all-state honors from the Iowa Football Coaches Association. Pictured from left, are Ryan Bohan, Sam Irwin and Decker Mann. 

Three Marshalltown High School seniors have received academic all-state honors from the Iowa Football Coaches Association including Ryan Bohan, Sam Irwin and Decker Mann.

To be selected for the honor, students must meet three criteria: be a senior starter on the football team, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.7 or above by the end of their junior year and must be involved in other extracurricular activities.

Bohan plans to study education at the University of Northern Iowa. Mann plans to attend Marshalltown Community College and wants to study business or agriculture in the future.  Irwin plans to study biology, but is undecided on his college plans.

“All three of these guys are outstanding young men and students and are very deserving of this award,” said MHS head football coach Adam Goodvin. “They’ve put in a lot of hard work into both academics and athletics and are great leaders here at MHS. I have no doubt they will continue to work hard and be successful in whatever the future holds for them.”

The Bobcat Booster Club presented the Marshalltown High School athletic department with a check for $15,716 to purchase athletic equipment. Pictured from left, are MHS boys swimming coach Mike Loupee, girls soccer coach Stacy Galema, Carrie Loney of the Booster Club, MHS Activities Director Rollie Ackerman, boys track coach Doug Bacon and girls track coach Chad Pietig.

The Bobcat Booster Club has donated $15,716 to the Marshalltown High School athletic department to purchase several items for the school. The money will be utilized to purchase a new timing system for the swimming pool, two new soccer goals and new hurdles for the track and field program.

“I’m very appreciative of the Booster Club’s generosity,” said MHS Activities Director Rollie Ackerman. “The club is an invaluable asset that we have here in Marshalltown. They put a lot of effort and a lot of time into generating the funds.”

Carrie Loney of the Booster Club presented the check to Ackerman and several MHS coaches on January 19. She said the club raised the funds in several different ways some of which were apparel sales, club memberships, printed program advertising and more. Learn more about the Booster Club at www.mhsbobcatboosters.com.

Pictured are Marshalltown Community School District Employee of the Quarter award winners for the second quarter, from left, Jeff Braddock, Taylor Dubois and Abby Stanfield.

Three Marshalltown Community School District staff members recently received Employee of the Quarter awards for the second quarter of the school year after being nominated by their fellow staff members. Jeff Braddock, Taylor Dubois and Abby Stanfield were honored.

Jeff Braddock
Jeff is a night custodian at Miller Middle School. He has worked in the district since 2012. Jeff was nominated for the award by eighth grade science teacher Tiffany Bridgewater. She said Jeff is very positive and is always willing to drop everything to help students or staff.
“Jeff always has a smile on his face and greets everyone he passes in the hallway,” Bridgewater said. “He is willing to go the extra mile to make the classrooms ideal for the students and the staff.”  

Taylor Dubois
Taylor has been a special education paraeducator at Marshalltown High School since 2015. Taylor was nominated for the award by MHS special education teacher Sandy Dale who is also her mother and by special education teacher Peter Nieland. Sandy said Taylor has a passion for helping her students, even taking one student under her wing and throwing that student a graduation party.
“She truly cares about her students and her number one goal is for them to succeed,” Dale said. “She goes above and beyond to make sure they have all the help they need regardless of who they are.”  

Abby Stanfield
Abby is an English Language Learner teacher at Anson Elementary School. She has taught at Anson since 2013 and started as a fourth grade teacher before moving to her current ELL position this school year. She has taught previously in the district with eight total years of service to Marshalltown Schools.

Abby was nominated for the award by the three kindergarten teachers at Anson including Jessica Althaus, Danielle Platt and Kate Troskey. They all three agreed that Abby is very dedicated to helping staff and students locate learning resources and is a very positive person in interacting with staff, students and parents.

“She has been so helpful and works very hard to ensure all students are successful,” Althaus said.

Delivering the good news to Jeff Braddock are, from left, Miller Associate Principal Dave Glenn, Miller teacher Tiffany Bridgewater, Braddock, his wife Nancy Adams, Miller Principal Pat Rial and Marshalltown Schools Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte.

Presenting Taylor Dubois, center, with her award were, front row, from left, Director of Special Services Matt Cretsinger, Marshalltown High School Principal Jacque Wyant, Dubois, and MHS Associate Principal Deb Holsapple. Back row, Director of Human Resources Anthony Spurgetis, Special Education teachers Peter Nieland and Sandy Dale and MCSD Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte.

Pictured presenting Abby Stanfield with her award are, front row, from left, Abby’s husband Dave Stanfield, MCSD Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte, Abby Stanfield, ELL Director Rachel Inks, Anson kindergarten teachers Kate Troskey, Jessica Althaus and Danielle Platt. Back row, Director of Human Resources Anthony Spurgetis and Anson Principal Ronnie Manis.

Franklin Elementary School teachers Cheri Bolar, left and Jacque Kopsa are pictured. Bolar recently won a Make Someone Smile award after being nominated by Kopsa for her selfless nature.

Franklin Elementary School Title I reading teacher Cheri Bolar always puts others first.

“It’s my nature to be giving,” Bolar said. “That’s the nature of being a teacher.”

Her fellow Title I reading teacher at Franklin, Jacque Kopsa, thought it was time Bolar got credit for her selfless acts. Kopsa nominated Bolar for a contest through Kimball & Beecher Family Dentistry and the radio station Energy 106.7 known as the “Make Someone Smile” contest.

Bolar won the contest and won two $250 Visa gift cards. She was surprised during an on-air radio interview.

“She always goes out of her way to help others and puts other people first,” Kopsa said of Bolar. “She needs to be put first.”

Bolar organized efforts to help a Franklin family in need after a family tragedy last school year and is always looking at ways to support students and their families.

“I know that if my students get support both out of school and in school they will do better,” Bolar said.

It’s no surprise that Bolar is already thinking about how her winnings can help others, of course after she uses part of it to take Kopsa out to dinner.

“I’d like to pay it forward,” Bolar said.

Cheri Bolar works on some reading skills with her students.

The Gentlemanly Gamer Puppies received the judges award at the State Lego League contest on January 13 in Ames. Pictured are Miller Middle School students, from left, Quinton Lacey, Taylor Vaughn, Kaiden McWilliams and Locke Bloomquist.

Two teams of students from the Marshalltown Community School District received awards at the State Lego League tournament in Ames on January 13.

The Miller Middle School 8th grade Robocats received an overall core values honorable mention certificate.  The Robocats are led by Miller Extended Learning Program teacher Ann Jackson.  The Gentlemanly Gamer Puppies, a team of Miller students led by parents Amanda and Travis Bloomquist, won one of the two judges awards.

The Miller Middle School Robocats Lego League team won an honorable mention award at state. Pictured, from left, are Lilly Duff, Alivia Eaton, Marcus Barker, Derek Peng and Jacob Swartz.

Miller Middle School eighth grader Phoebe Hermanson, center, won first place in the school’s spelling bee on January 12. Also pictured and tying for second place were Rebekah Stone, left, and Erin Stanley.

Miller Middle School eighth grader Phoebe Hermanson won the school’s annual spelling bee on January 12 and advances to the state contest. A total of 25 finalists competed in seven rounds of spelling at the Miller bee.

Hermanson’s championship word was “vanquishment” which she spelled correctly to take the title.

Two Miller spellers, Erin Stanley and Rebekah Stone, tied for second place at the bee. Hermanson will compete in the state bee on Feb. 21 at Augustana College in the Quad Cities.

Andrew Kodis

Veronica Herrera Torres

Marshalltown High School junior Jane Ragland was selected as a finalist in the Know Your Constitution contest from the Iowa State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division.

Jane was one of 100 finalists recognized from across the state at a luncheon in Johnston on January 12. The Know Your Constitution Project is designed to enrich students’ understanding and appreciation of the Constitution.

Students are selected finalists based on their performance on a quiz and an essay on the Constitution. More than 1,000 students from across Iowa competed in the contest. Jane was accompanied to the luncheon by Marshalltown High School Extended Learning Program teacher Susan Fritzell.

Marshalltown Learning Academy teachers Brighid Mathews, left,  and Nicole Critchfield have been selected for the University of Iowa STEM Innovator program. They will learn ways to link STEM learning at MLA with community partners to help students achieve college and career readiness.

Two Marshalltown Learning Academy teachers have been selected to be part of the STEM Innovator program at the University of Iowa.

Nicole Critchfield, career development and STEM coordinator at MLA, and Brighid Mathews, ELL teacher at MLA, will be taking the online course this semester and then learn on the University of Iowa campus this summer as part of the program. It is designed to help teachers learn how they can connect STEM learning in the classroom with community partners in the science, technology, engineering and math fields.

“We have STEM activities going on at MLA already,” Critchfield said. “This class is going to teach us how to take our current activities and bring in community partners.”

Mathews said this will allow her to open up STEM opportunities for the English Language Learners.

“It’s a good way to get ELL students access to high-paying jobs,” Mathews said.

MLA is an at-risk high school that is part of the Marshalltown Community School District. MLA Principal Eric Goslinga said they continue to look at ways to help students become college and career ready when they graduate.

“We want them to graduate with marketable skills,” Goslinga said.