Bobcats Making Headlines

Dr. Theron Schutte

Dr. Theron Schutte has been offered a contract to be the next superintendent of the Marshalltown Community School District. Dr. Schutte is a 1981 Marshalltown High School graduate.

Dr. Schutte has served as superintendent of the Bettendorf Community School District since 2009 and also has previous superintendent experience in the Boone Community School District.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education (history) from Central College in Pella, a master’s and education specialist degree in educational administration from Western Illinois University and a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies from Iowa State University.

There were 23 applicants for the position and four candidates were interviewed by the school board during the selection process, which was assisted by the search firm McPherson & Jacobson of Omaha, Nebraska.

The candidates also met with interview groups representing Marshalltown High School students, building administrators, central office administrators, business leaders, teachers and support staff, community members and parents. These groups provided feedback to the board prior to its selection.

Schutte will begin his duties on July 1. He takes over for Dr. Marvin Wade who resigned to take another superintendent position in Kansas.

The board will officially approve this appointment and release more details on the contract during the May 16 board meeting, which will begin at 5 p.m. in the district board room.

Ryan McDaniel with his mother, Maria McDaniel at his MCC graduation.

Marshalltown High School senior Ryan McDaniel has received a degree from Marshalltown Community College prior to his May 22 graduation from MHS, thanks to the dual credit program.

The accomplished student will head to the University of Iowa this fall.

For more information on this honor from Marshalltown Community College, click on this link.

Marshalltown High School attendance secretary Dianne Floyd exemplifies positivity and compassion on the job.

It didn’t take long for the newest attendance secretary at Marshalltown High School to make an impact.

On the job for just three months, Dianne Floyd has proven to be an important member of the staff. Floyd answers calls from parents on student attendance and is on top of field trips, athletic events and other events that pull students out of class.

The MHS office has received several positive remarks from parents on Floyd’s performance.

“I try to treat people like I want to be treated to the best of my ability,” Floyd said.

Floyd and her family moved to Marshalltown from Cedar Rapids. She credits fellow attendance secretary Cindy Velazquez for helping her learn the ropes in the attendance office.

“It’s a team effort,” Floyd said.

Floyd said the key to her job is trying to understand where the parent is coming from and have compassion for their situation.

“When life happens we have to be as careful as we can with people,” she said. “I care what happens to our students and I care what happens to our families.”

MHS Office Manager Trina Heimgartner said Floyd has a pleasant nature with parents.

“I’m very impressed with her attention to detail and her kindness,” Heimgartner said.

Pictured are the top three finishers in the Lenihan Intermediate School spelling bee held on May 10. First place went to Jason Strand, center, second place finisher was Sydney Hotchkiss, right, and third place was Dylano Castellanos, left.

Twenty-three Lenihan Intermediate School fifth and sixth grade students displayed their spelling prowess on May 10 in the 10^th annual Lenihan spelling bee.

Fifth grader Jason Strand emerged as the new spelling bee champion. Second place went to Sydney Hotchkiss, while coming in third was Dylano Castellanos.

There were 11 total rounds in the bee. Strand spelled words such as “hypothesis” and “occasionally” correctly on his way to the title.

“It’s really exciting,” Strand said after his victory.

The spellers qualified for the Lenihan bee after doing well on a written spelling test earlier in the school year.

Four Marshalltown High School students will hold a silent auction basket fundraiser at the high school on Friday, May 13 to raise money for a trip to Sierra Leone, West Africa. Pictured are, front row, from left Ruth Boland and Denali Gardner. Back row, Ellyn Boland and Naomi Boland.

Four Marshalltown High School students are part of a group getting ready for a trip to Sierra Leone, West Africa to help those in need.

MHS students Denali Gardner, Ellyn Boland, Naomi Boland and Ruth Boland are taking the trip to help teenage girls in Sierra Leone learn life skills and conduct a business seminar. They are leaving June 11 and will spend three weeks there.

To help pay for a portion of their trip, the students are having a silent auction of themed baskets from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, May 13 in the front hallway at Marshalltown High School. They expect to have 30 baskets up for auction.

“Whatever comes in we are grateful for,” Gardner said.

Ruth and Naomi are from Sierra Leone and were adopted by the Boland family, who live in Marshalltown. Gardner will be making her first trip to the country.

“We are very excited for the work we are going to do there,” Gardner said.

Three Lenihan Intermediate School students received awards at a speech and debate tournament on May 7 in Des Moines. Pictured, from left, are Drake Polley, Brynn Van Buren and Quinton Lacey.

Ten sixth graders from Lenihan Intermediate School competed in the middle school speech and debate regional competition on May 7 at Des Moines East High School.

Three of the Lenihan students placed at the event including: Drake Polley, third place for prose and poetry; Quinton Lacey, second place for humorous interpretation; and Brynn Van Buren, third place for humorous interpretation.

Other students from Lenihan who competed at the event included Ellie Draisey, Stephanie Urieta, Roger Villeda, Norah Wilson, Lilly Duff, Sydney Hotchkiss and Erin Stanley.

“The kids had an absolute blast,” said Lenihan Extended Learning Program teacher Vanessa Engel.  “This was an experience that I think they will always remember.”

Norma Dorado-Robles from Iowa State University Extension talks to students about nutrition during the health fair held at Marshalltown High School on May 3.

Hundreds of students and staff at Marshalltown High School attended the annual health fair at the school on May 3. Ten vendors participated in the event with a theme of encouraging healthy lifestyles.

“The goal of the fair is to educate students to help them make healthy choices,” said MHS nurse Renee Mathews.

At the American Lung Association booth, students and faculty participated in an interactive activity to learn how breathing is impaired from smoking cigarettes. The Marshalltown YMCA-YWCA did body fat analysis testing.

MHS School Resource Officer Craig Lageschulte demonstrated how drinking alcohol impairs vision and balance.  Carlie Beem, the I-Smile Dental Coordinator from Mid-Iowa Community Action, educated students on the healthy sugar alternative Xylitol.

The MHS health fair is sponsored by the MHS nurses office.

District Court Judge John Haney talks to students during the freshmen career day held at Marshalltown High School on May 4.

Marshalltown High School freshmen students were given the opportunity to interact with more than 60 current professionals from a wide array of career fields on May 4 as part of a career panel sponsored by the Student Partnership Program of the Marshalltown Business-Education Alliance.

Each student participated in three different career panel sessions of their choice. During the career panel sessions, the presenters delivered an overview of their professional experience.

“We wanted students to explore different careers at an earlier age for them to gain knowledge about potential careers and to help them explore their future career options,” said MHS Counselor Carrie Talbott.

The career clusters as part of the day included: Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources; Architecture & Construction; Arts, A/V Technology & Communications; Business Management & Administration; Education & Training; Finance; Government & Public Administration; Health Science; Hospitality & Tourism; Human Services; Information Technology; Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security; Manufacturing; Marketing; Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics; and Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

Colin Schmit, left, a sixth grader at Lenihan Intermediate School, and Brody Lang, a fourth grader at Fisher Elementary School, have both received awards in the Letters About Literature contest.

Two Marshalltown Community School District students have received recognition as part of the Letters About Literature contest. Letters About Literature is an annual national writing contest where students write letters to an author who inspired them. It is organized in the state by the Iowa Center for the Book.

Colin Schmit, a sixth grader at Lenihan Intermediate School, was named a finalist. Schmit wrote a letter to Gary Paulsen in regards to his book, “My Life in Dog Years.” Schmit was one of 24 finalists of the 656 students from the state entered in his level.

“I was pretty excited,” Schmit said when he was asked of his reaction to the award.

Schmit is a student in the Extended Learning Program at Lenihan led by teacher Vanessa Engel.

Brody Lang, a fourth grader at Fisher Elementary School, was named a semifinalist. Lang wrote a letter to Mary Pope Osborne, author of the Magic Tree House series. Lang was one of 37 semifinalists of the 656 students entered in his level.

“I think it’s really cool,” Lang said of the honor.

Lang is a student in the Extended Learning Program at Fisher led by teacher Deb Christenson.

Miller Middle School students and staff donated more than 200 books to Mid-Iowa Community Action to be used for summer reading programs for area youth. Pictured are, front row, from left, Jordan Joesting and Freddy Ross. Back row, Craig Van Pay of MICA, Miller teacher Jen Beals, Carson Johnson and Xavier Brawner.

Four Miller Middle School students and teacher Jen Beals delivered more than 200 books to Mid-Iowa Community Action on May 4. The donation will go toward summer reading efforts for youth orchestrated by MICA.

The book donation effort was led by Beals as part of a pay it forward grant from Project Jack. The $250 grant paid for 87 books and the others were donated by Miller students and staff as part of a book drive.

Linsdsey Upah, Spread the Words – Read by Third coordinator, said MICA gives out thousands of books a year to area youth and they are always in need of donations.

Pay it forward Project Jack grants are done in remembrance of Jack Lindaman and funded by the Iowa Association of Realtors. Jack was a 6-year-old Iowa boy who passed away in February 2010 from spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).