Bobcats Making Headlines

Marshalltown High School student Rosa Yanez has been selected to participate in a health careers exploration program at Drake University on July 20 and 21. Yanez will be a senior this fall at MHS.

Marshalltown High School student Rosa Yanez has been selected to participate in the Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences D-PREP program.

The two-day program will include a number of activities that will help participants learn about careers in the healthcare field and the work being done at Drake by current college students. It will be held July 20 and 21 at Drake.

Rosa, who will be a senior this fall at MHS, has an interest in pursuing a nursing career.

“I’ve always had a passion for helping people,” Yanez said.

She said she is excited to learn more about the medical field during this two-day program.

Rosa is also active in the MHS student leadership group Al Exito. MHS teacher and Al Exito director Jocelyn Frohwein said she feels Rosa has a big future ahead of her.

“Rosa is well-organized, professional and has a very good work ethic,” Frohwein said.

D-PREP stands for Discover, Prepare, Research and Explore Pharmacy.

Marshalltown High School will host a Friday Night Lights youth football camp on Friday, July 28. The event will be held at Leonard Cole Field at MHS from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. It is for all youth entering grades kindergarten through eighth grade.

Youth will receive coaching in the fundamental skills of football from the MHS coaching staff and current Bobcat players.

The camp is free but to register email new head Bobcat football coach Adam Goodvin at agoodvin@marshalltown.k12.ia.us. Walk up registrations are welcome the night of the camp.

Coach Adam Goodvin

“Having the young campers under the lights on a Friday night with current MHS football players will hopefully be a special time for them,” Goodvin said. “Hopefully we can all have a great night of football.”

Athletes are asked to wear a T-shirt, shorts and shoes to the camp.

Mark Lee is pictured during his first week as principal of Fisher Elementary School.

New Fisher Elementary School Principal Mark Lee has started on the job and said he was excited to get going.

“There are so many good things in place here at Fisher and I’m excited to pick up with the things that are working great,” Lee said.

Lee also has been impressed with Marshalltown during his brief time here saying it has all you need without the hassle of trying to get around a big city.

Mr. Lee talks about his early goals, his impressions of Marshalltown and his time in Alaska in a video available at this link.

Marshalltown High School students and one descendent from the Fisher family participated in a two-week STEM academy at Emerson in June. Pictured in the Emerson flow lab are three MHS students, from left, Stella Roseburrough-Borras, Javier Ramirez and Sam Estrada as well as family descendent Jasper Fisher.

Global valve manufacturing leader Emerson recently hosted Marshalltown High School students as part of its first ever STEM Academy. The two-week job shadow program gave students the opportunity to learn about careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) at Emerson.

The program ran June 12 to 23 and included four MHS students and one student who is a descendent of the original Fisher family which founded the company.

The four MHS students included Javier Ramirez, Felipe Bautista, Sam Estrada and Stella Roseburrough-Borras and the descendent was Jasper Fisher.

Emerson Group Vice President Terry Buzbee met with the group as part of the academy as well.

Emerson Group Vice President Terry Buzbee talks to the students as part of a STEM Academy at Emerson in June.

Pictured are STEM Academy participants at Emerson including Javier Ramirez, Felipe Bautista, Sam Estrada, Jasper Fisher and Stella Roseburrough-Borras. All but Fisher are Marshalltown High School students.

Marshalltown High School student Stephanie Sanchez is pictured with MHS Principal Jacque Wyant at the University of Northern Iowa’s Minority Educators for Today and Tomorrow academy, which was held June 18 to 22.

Marshalltown High School student Stephanie Sanchez participated in the University of Northern Iowa’s Minority Educators for Today and Tomorrow academy from June 18 to 22.

During this weeklong workshop, Stephanie traveled to an elementary school to work with students, examined her confidence in helping others to learn and established a plan to further her desire to become a teacher.

All participants earned a $500 scholarship from UNI. Terri Lasswell, head of the UNI Department of Teaching, led the program. Also in attendance at the program was MHS Principal Jacque Wyant.

Stephanie will be a senior this fall at MHS.

Melissa Keeler

Franklin Elementary School will host a retirement open house for Melissa Keeler from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 29 at the school.

All are invited to honor Mrs. Keeler as she retires after 41 years working for Marshalltown Schools. The event will be held in the Franklin playground area or indoors at the Franklin media center if there is inclement weather.

Mrs. Keeler started working in the district in 1976 and has worked at Albion Elementary, Marshalltown High School, Glick Elementary and is retiring as secretary at Franklin.

Franklin Elementary Principal Tim Holmgren said Mrs. Keeler has provided tremendous support for him during his 10 years as principal.

“You can’t measure the impact Melissa has had on students, families and staff,” Holmgren said. “I have always appreciated her support, commitment and consistency. Mrs. Keeler will be greatly missed.”

Mrs. Keeler asks that no gifts be given, but cards will be accepted at the open house.

Erica Finders

Erica Finders has been named the new Curriculum and Professional Development Leader for the Marshalltown Community School District for the preschool through sixth grade level.

As part of this role, which is under the Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) system, Finders will help implement elementary and intermediate level curriculum and professional development.

Finders, a 1997 Marshalltown High School graduate, moves from her role as instructional coach at Lenihan Intermediate School, which is also a part of TLC. She taught previously at Lenihan and the former Anson Middle School. Finders said she looks forward to helping implement the new math curriculum this year and other new curriculum to come.

“I’m very excited to be able to work with all the elementary schools in addition to continuing to support Lenihan in a different capacity than I have in the past,” Finders said. “We have such amazing educators in Marshalltown and I can’t wait to work with even more of these dedicated teachers and principals next year.”

MCSD Director of Instruction Dr. Lisa Stevenson said Finders has been a successful instructional coach at Lenihan and a valuable team member in the district for many years.

“Erica is well-respected by her fellow TLC staff as well as by teachers across the district,” Dr. Stevenson said. “I am looking forward to learning and leading with her.”

Finders holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Northern Iowa, a master’s degree in education from Viterbo University and a certificate of advanced studies (comprehensive literacy coach) from UNI.

Katia Saldana recently finished her eighth grade year at Miller Middle School. She also was one of six Miller students to earn the opportunity to receive college credit in Spanish courses.

Six Miller Middle School students earned the opportunity to secure college credit as eighth graders as part of an exam they took after years in Marshalltown’s dual language program.

The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) test is arranged for dual language learners, who have been learning English and Spanish since their years at Woodbury Elementary School.

This online exam measures the knowledge and skills students have acquired in Spanish through their educational experiences and academic learning as part of the program.

Each college reserves the right to set its own academic standards in accepting CLEP test results for credit.

Should these students enroll at Marshalltown Community College after graduation from Marshalltown High School, they would have already completed 12 college credits in foreign language coursework.

The Marshalltown Community School District will have four school board seats up for election during the September 12, 2017 school election.

The four seats are currently held by board members Kendall Derby, Ben Fletcher, Bea Niblock and Mike Miller.

Three of the seats up for election are four-year terms and one seat has two years remaining on the term. The first day to file nomination papers with MCSD Board Secretary Brian Bartz will be July 10. The deadline to file completed forms as a candidate is August 3, 2017.

To become a candidate
Those looking to be on the ballot for the September 12 election are required to complete an affidavit of candidacy and acquire 50 signatures from eligible voters in the school district.

The forms can be picked up currently from Brian Bartz at the school district offices at 1002. S. 3rd. Ave., the auditor’s office in the Marshall County Courthouse or via the Iowa Secretary of State’s website.

An affidavit of candidacy can be located at sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/candidates/affidavit.pdf and a nomination petition can be located at sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/candidates/nompetnonpartisan.pdf.

These completed forms would need to be returned to Brian Bartz, MCSD Board Secretary, 1002 S. 3rd. Ave., Marshalltown, Iowa, 50158 by 5 p.m. on August 3, 2017.

For more information, call the school district offices at 641-754-1000 or email bbartz@marshalltown.k12.ia.us.

These four Marshalltown High School students are part of six total students who are taking part in the summer internship program with Emerson. Pictured, front row, from left, Riley Lolwing and Calvin Morrison. Back row, Noah Albee and Aaron Walker.

A group of Marshalltown High School students are spending their summer learning real world skills as part of an internship with Emerson.

The students are part of a 10-week paid internship program as they learn about work at the global leader in valve manufacturing. The internship group is primarily made up of seniors this fall.

“The main goal is to have them come back as full-time employees eventually,” said Sam Ibarra, Human Resources Admin at the Emerson Governor Road plant.

The six total students are spending the first two weeks in the classroom learning from retired Emerson employee Jimmy Richardson. Then, the program moves into eight weeks of work at the Governor Road plant as they learn skills in manufacturing.

“The first two weeks they learn the basics and the last eight weeks is more hands-on,” Ibarra said.

MHS student Calvin Morrison is an intern in the program and said his dad works in manufacturing at Lennox.

“I’m following in my dad’s footsteps,” Calvin said of his potential career field.

He also said it’s enjoyable for him to work in the manufacturing field.

“You get to work with your hands and it’s challenging,” Calvin said.

Jimmy Richardson goes over the basics of a blueprint with the internship class on June 7.

Sam Ibarra, right, of Emerson Human Resources, talks to Emerson intern Aaron Walker.