The Miller Middle School 8th grade team won the champions award at the Lego League Regional at Marshalltown Community College on December 2. Pictured, from left, are Jacob Swartz, Alivia Eaton, Lilly Duff, Derek Peng and Marcus Barker. Back row, is Miller Extended Learning Program teacher and team coach Ann Jackson.

Several Marshalltown Community School District students participated in the FIRST Lego League Competition Regional Qualifying Competition at  Marshalltown Community College on December 2.  Many local teams competed, shared their projects and shared their new learning about hydrodynamics. There is also a robot competition, where a robot is programmed to do tasks.

The Miller Middle School eighth grade team, the Robocats, won the champion award, topping the field and qualifying for the state competition at Iowa State University. The Robocats are coached by Miller Extended Learning Program Teacher Ann Jackson.

Also qualifying for state was a parent-led team coached by Amanda and Travis Bloomquist, named the Gentlemanly Gamer Puppies.

The state-qualifying Gentlemanly Gamer Puppies include, from left, Quinton Lacey, Kaiden McWilliams, Amanda and Travis Bloomquist (coaches), Locke Bloomquist and Taylor Vaughn.

Other MCSD students competing included:

The Hydrobots featuring Miller 7th graders.

The Hydrobots team, from left,Derek Ketcham, Josh Reynolds, Kaden Ricken, Gavin Jablonski and Nile Christensen.

The Tiny Turbo Turbines is a team of Lenihan Intermediate School students and won first place for the project about installing tiny turbines into the Marshalltown Water Works.

The Tiny Turbo Turbines from Lenihan Intermediate School include, front row, from left, Zander Pennington Farmer, Roan Jelken, Jay Helton, Katelyn Schwartz and Isaac Benscoter. Back row, Coach Aaron Dickey, Alexa Oliveros, Coach Vanessa Engel, Victoria Corona, and Eduardo Yanez. 

The Wizard Engineers are a group of fourth Grade students from Fisher Elementary School participating as outside enrichment.  

This fourth grade team from Fisher Elementary School participated including, front row, Leah Kurian. Second row,  Porter Niedermann, Emerson Eastman, Max Reed, Anessa Morrison, Harper Wilson, Josiah Kurian, Lucas Hagen and Sam Hatcher. Back row, coaches  Kate Niedermann, Matt Morrison, Reji Kurian and Laura Fricke.

Pictured are members of the Marshalltown High School dance team at the Iowa State Dance & Drill Team Association state competition in Des Moines on December 1. The team received three Division I ratings at the contest. Pictured are, front row, from left, Jillian Hicks, Anna Hernandez, Lauren Batterson and Tatum England. Middle row, Avery Case, Sami Snyder, Justice See, Cari Gassman, Mayah Carson, Madi Dougall, Xaria Garcia, Makenna Dungan and Megan Sills. Back row, Emma McWherter, Adelaide Oberender, Jane Ragland, Haley Reid, Kynlie Ladehoff and Janell Lewis.

The Marshalltown High School dance team competed in the Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association state team contest on December 1 in Des Moines.

The team received Division I ratings on all three routines it competed in including hip hop, pom and lyrical. To receive a Division I rating the team must receive a score of 60 or higher out of 70.

The team also received an Academic Excellence Award for having a team grade point average between 3.0 and 3.49. The routines can be viewed during halftime at upcoming MHS home varsity boys basketball games. The team is coached by Miller Middle School teacher Kaitlyn Schweer.

Marshalltown High School construction teacher Larry Kadner, right, directs students Marco Rios, left, and Keaton Baccam as they work on roofing a shed being built by the students at MHS. 

Marshalltown High School students in the Construction II class taught by Larry Kadner are weeks away from completing a shed project at the school.

Roofing work was being done on December 1, with vinyl siding and steel door installation to come in the future.

Kadner said the goal is to have the project finished before the holiday break later this month.

“The weather has been kind to us,” Kadner said.

The 10-foot by 12-foot shed will store the Gator vehicle used on the MHS campus by staff. Kadner said the students are learning a wide range of building construction skills as part of this project.

“This is all new learning for them,” Kadner said.

Marshalltown Community School District staff raised $1,000 recently for the Assistance League’s “M” project in town. Pictured delivering the check to the Assistance League are, from left, MCSD Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte, Marshalltown High School teacher Shelly Chandler, Woodbury Elementary School teacher Becky Jacobson and Assistance League representatives Missy Sharer-Pieters, Shannon Naughton and Kristin Polley. 

Marshalltown Community School District staff members donated $1,000 to the “M” project of the Assistance League. The money was raised as staff donated if they wore jeans during a recent professional development day in the district.

Assistance League of Marshalltown is raising community awareness and pride through the myMarshalltown project.  Seventeen large concrete “M’s” have already been purchased and placed around town along with dozens of smaller “M’s.”  

“We would like to send out a big thank you to the MCSD staff for donating $1,000 towards the myMarshalltown project,” said Shannon Naughton of the Assistance League. “We have raised $11,439 of the $15,000 needed to place a large, red and blue ‘M’ at each MCSD school, which means only $3,561 to go.”

To donate towards the school fund, order a large “M” for a business, or purchase one of the 10 remaining smaller “M’s” for your home, visit this website, www.mymarshalltown.org, or the myMarshalltown Facebook page or talk to an Assistance League member.

Steve Seberger, an electrical engineer with Emerson, volunteers his time to coach the MathCounts team at Miller Middle School.

An electrical engineer is sharing his love of math with a group of Miller Middle School students after taking on the role of volunteer coach. Steve Seberger, an engineer with Emerson, volunteers weekly at Miller to coach the MathCounts team.

“I like math and this is all about math,” Seberger said. “I’ve never coached anything other than a sport before.”

MathCounts provides engaging math problems to students in order to build confidence and improve attitudes towards math and problem-solving. The team is also preparing for a competition in January.

Ann Jackson, Extended Learning Program Teacher at Miller, also helps with the team.

“Steve has been a tremendous help this year,” Jackson said.  “He brings great expertise to the MathCounts students.  He is constantly connecting the math concepts that students are studying with his real-world experiences.  My students and the entire district are lucky to have such tremendous community resources who are willing to share their wisdom.”

Steve also has a grandson on the MathCounts team. The connections to Miller don’t stop there for him as his wife, Cindy Seberger, managed the kitchen at the school before retiring recently.

Hands-on robotics activities will be just one of many technology-related exhibits at Family Coding Night from 5 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, December 6 in the gym at Miller Middle School. All district students and families are invited to attend.

All Marshalltown Community School District students and families are invited to Family Coding Night from 5 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, December 6 at Miller Middle School. The event will take place in the gym and will feature several student and staff demonstrations including STEM, computer science, robotics, Lego League and more.

There will also be a presentation on the new ST Math curriculum, which is being utilized in preschool through sixth grade in the district, and a recognition of donors to ST Math.  

“Marshalltown Community School District is excited to offer Family Coding Night for the second year,” said Dr. Lisa Stevenson, Director of Instruction with Marshalltown Schools. “Families will be able to visit all of the interactive games and exhibits together to learn more about coding, computer science and STEM.”  

No pre-registration is required and the event is free and open to the public. This event is held in conjunction with the national Computer Science Education Week from December 4-10.

Miller Middle School is located at 125 S. 11th St.

Marshalltown High School will host the annual holiday concert at 3 p.m. on December 10 in the MHS/Community Auditorium. It will feature instrumental and vocal performances by students.

Marshalltown High School will host the annual holiday concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 10 at the MHS/Community Auditorium.

As part of the vocal performance, the treble choir, concert choir and the MHS holiday singers will present selections. Instrumental music will close the show and will be provided by the MHS symphonic band and wind symphony. Holiday music will be prominent throughout the show.

“Students have been hard at work preparing a wide selection of music that is sure to excite the audience,” said MHS Instrumental Music Director Brett Umthun.

Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students (K-8) with activity cards honored.

MHS Band Fruit sale

The MHS band is once again holding a fruit sale fundraiser with proceeds going toward new marching band uniforms, contest registration and transportation.  Anyone interested may contact  Mr. Umthun directly at the high school at 641- 754-1130 or ask a band student for an order form by December 4.

Marshalltown High School biology instructor Lynne Diggins is pictured with poinsettias during last year’s sale at MHS. She is again leading a sale of poinsettias to raise money for updating the MHS greenhouse.

Marshalltown High School will be holding a poinsettia sale for the second straight year to help raise funds to update the MHS greenhouse. Poinsettia colors available will be pink, red and jingle bells and are $13 each.

Orders will be taken through December 11 and can be made through MHS science teacher Lynne Diggins by emailing ldiggins1@marshalltown.k12.ia.us or at the main office at MHS.

The greenhouse once flourished at MHS and is in need of an update, according to Diggins. The goal is to increase its use and provide a better learning environment for MHS students.

Miller Middle School students arrange food that was donated as part of the school’s food drive, which collected 3,607 food items for those in need.

The Miller Middle School Student Council led the annual food drive at the school November 6-17. The school collected 3,607 food items over the course of two weeks.

“We far surpassed my expectations,” said Miller teacher Lindsey Roberts.

The donations went to Miller’s food pantry and the Salvation Army.

Miller students are pictured with the food collected, from left, Reagan Ford, Averi Bolar, Norah Wilson, Ava Augustine, Chesni Uhde, Alyssa Jordan, Ellie Seberger, Alexa McKeever and Rachel Jacobs.

Engineers from Emerson visited Miller Middle School to talk to the Lego League team on November 17. Pictured from Emerson, front row, from left, Jordan Mandernach, Paul Alman, David Goode, Patrick Clark and Edward Peng. Back row, from left, Miller students Jacob Swartz, Marcus Barker, Lilly Duff, Alivia Eaton and Derek Peng.

The Miller Middle School eighth grade Lego League team, the Robocats, had the opportunity to share their learning and get feedback from five engineers from Emerson on November 17.  The engineers from the leading global valve manufacturer spent more than an hour with the students  discussing the design merits of their robot and attachments, helping them to debug code, and discussing cost/benefit analysis as it relates to the engineering process and the Lego League robot game.  

“Emerson should be recognized and applauded for their commitment to the students of Marshalltown Schools,” said Miller Extended Learning Program Teacher Ann Jackson. “We are so fortunate to have such tremendous resources in our community.”

The Robocats are preparing for the Regional Lego League Tournament which will take place at Marshalltown Community College on December 2.