Bobcat
Insider
Volume 28, Issue 2
Inside this Issue:
- STEM Day at AEA
- Anson teacher gets married
- A culture of excellence,
hidden but not lost
For Employees of the Marshalltown Community School District
October 2016
Teacher inspires students through her poetry
I AM
By Jocelyn Frohwein
I am rising from my surroundings,
first in my family to succeed,
trying my hardest to live the dream.
Parents wanting me to reach the stars,
With my impossible schedule I try to
do it all.
Marshalltown High School student Keyara McDowell reads a poem written
by MHS teacher Jocelyn Frohwein at an awards night on September 28.
An inspirational poem written by
a Marshalltown High School English
teacher has spread throughout the district and received
accolades from
several different
staff and community members.
Teacher Jocelyn
Frohwein penned
the piece “I AM”
which is a nod to
Frohwein
the immigrant student population at
MHS and explains the challenges they
face on the way to success.
The poem was read by MHS student Keyara McDowell at the Aca-
demic Awards Night at the school on
September 28. Frohwein was nervous
prior to her poem being read at the
awards night.
“I write poetry almost every day,
but I normally use a pen name,”
Frohwein said. “This is one of the first
pieces that I have placed my name on.”
Frohwein hopes her students will be
inspired to write by seeing their teacher
produce poetry regularly.
“I enjoy the idea that if the students
see me writing and putting my stuff
out in the world they hopefully will
feel that they can do it also,” Frohwein
said. “I like the idea that poetry can
bring out an emotion or thought that
connects the essences of an idea.”
I am the future, the present, yet part of
the past.
In a multitude of generations of
bobcats.
I am the one that walks in the hallways
to my class,
Trying to participate and not fall in the
cracks.
I make connections with my teachers,
peers and staff.
I am learning for me, my family and
community.
I am Native and I am an immigrant.
I am success- I am a BOBCAT
I am all of you, all of me and everyone
who I meet.
I am a part of the story that makes
Marshalltown complete.
I am me,
That is all I can be!
Page 2
Bobcat Insider
October 2016
Teacher librarians take part in STEM Day
Five of the district teacher librarians
attended “STEM in the Library Day” at
AEA 267 in Cedar Falls on September 20.
They participated in professional development focused on science, technology, engineering and math in the library by exploring robotics, books with STEM themes,
AEA databases with STEM resources, and
learned more about the science standards.
Pictured is the catapult competition winning team of Alicia Patten (Fisher), right,
Sue Inhelder (MHS), left, and Sarah Staudt
(Mason City). Other MCSD teacher librarians in attendance were Erin Faas (Rogers), Jeni Sloan (Hoglan) and Sue Cahill
(Woodbury).
4
questions with...
Josh Wesley, Director of Technology
Marshalltown Schools
What led you into the technology field and what do you enjoy
about working in the field?
Josh: “I had a cousin who took me to a computer parts sale when I
was young and showed me how to build computers and that sparked
my interest. I enjoy that the field is always changing.”
If a movie was made about your life, which actor would star in it?
Josh: “I’m not sure who would star as me, but I would need a co-star
to spice up the movie to make it interesting like Dwayne “The Rock”
Johnson.”
Where would be your dream vacation location and why?
Josh: “Scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef. I’ve always enjoyed
aquariums and fish tanks.”
What are some things unique about you (hobbies, activities or
interests)?
Josh: “Exercising, biking, playing the guitar and playing chess.”
The Marshalltown Community School District
Bobcat Insider is distributed as a project
of the District‘s Communications Office.
Unless indicated, articles are written by
Andrew Potter, Director of Communications
for Marshalltown Schools. Articles and
story ideas may be submitted to the editor,
Andrew Potter, Central Office, 1002 S. 3rd
Ave. Marshalltown, IA 50158 or apotter2@
marshalltown.k12.ia.us.
It is the policy of the Marshalltown
Community School District not to illegally
discriminate on the basis of race, color,
national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed,
age (for employment), marital status (for
programs), sexual orientation, gender identity
and socioeconomic status (for programs) in
its educational programs and its employment
practices. There is a grievance procedure for
processing complaints of discrimination. If
you have questions or a grievance related to
this policy please contact the district’s Equity
Coordinator, Anthony Spurgetis, Director
of Human Resources, 1002 S 3rd Ave,
Marshalltown, IA 50158. Telephone 641-7541000 or [email protected].
October 2016
Bobcat Insider
Niehouse awarded
Congratulations to Marshalltown High School art teacher Kirk Niehouse for
winning the 2016-17 Outstanding Secondary Art Educator Award from the Art
Educators of Iowa. He is pictured with elementary art teacher Maggie Parks,
who nominated him for the award.
Wedding Bells
Samantha Randall
married Philip Nelson on
June 18, 2016 at the Iowa
Arboretum in Madrid.
Samantha teaches
preschool at Anson
Elementary and is
originally from Matteson,
Illinois. Phil is a product
engineer at
Emerson/Fisher and is
originally from Gibbon,
Minnesota. The bride
now goes by
Samantha Nelson.
Page 3
Homecoming fun
Above, Marshalltown High School
special education teachers and daughtermother combo Emily (left) and Val Hunt
got into the Homecoming spirit with this
dress up day. Below, teachers Erica
Malloy, left, and Shelly Chandler get
pumped up to take on the students in a
pre-Homecoming assembly competition.
Page 4
Bobcat Insider
October 2016
A culture of excellence, hidden but not lost
As a school-aged child growing
up in Marshalltown in the late 1960s
through the early 1980s, there was no
question that the name Marshalltown,
whether in reference to the city or the
school district resonated great pride
to the citizens who lived, worked, and
were educated here and our school
community was revered by those who
didn’t. Though probably best known
for its success in the athletic arena, the
culture of excellence permeated all
aspects of school life from the classroom to the arts. There is no question
that Marshalltown has gone through
significant demographic and socialeconomic change over the years which
has created challenges for our students,
parents, staff and the community as a
whole. That being said, Marshalltown’s
population is relatively the same size as
it has been and its diversity is a closer
reflection of the so-called “real world”
that we are raising and educating our
children to be successful and productive citizens in. I contend that our
diversity can and should be seen as an
asset and that Marshalltown’s culture
of excellence has simply been hidden,
not lost.
It is hard to put a finger on just how
such a culture of excellence gets established within a community or organization. People who have lived elsewhere
and/or attended more than one school
district would tell you that something
exists within a culture of excellence
that is more than the sum of its assets or
even its people. There simply isn’t just
one way to look at a District’s culture.
An organization’s culture can cover a
wide range of things, some that you
can readily see such as the quality of its
buildings, furnishings, grounds, technology, logos and symbols, traditions
and rituals, and ways of talking, dressing and interacting; as well as, things
you don’t easily see such as its values,
goals, organizational structure, relationships, processes, and methods for
improving behavior and performance.
By Dr. Theron J. Schutte
MCSD Superintendent
One of the things that significantly
compelled me to come back to my
hometown was the synergy of leaders
within this school community to want
to make a significant positive difference. We, as a school district, must
make a similar commitment toward
being transparent and showcasing the
great work and accomplishments of
our students and staff (for which there
are many) while also a willingness to
recognize our current challenges and
weaknesses in order to make a concerted effort toward continuous improvement. In doing so, we will establish
attainable goals and trajectories that
will ultimately position ALL of our
students for success (college and career
readiness).
We are very fortunate to live, work,
and play in a school community where
there is a deep desire for high expectations to exist for students, staff, parents,
and community. We understand, appreciate, and honor our predecessors who
previously set the precedent for such
high standards of excellence. I believe
that the most powerful aspects of a
culture of excellence are those underlying mental models and values, which
are not seen but which shape the way
our students, staff, parents, and community think, speak, and act. A culture of
excellence is a way of being driven by
a spirit of commitment to excellence. It
is about striving rather than settling and
it’s about the desire to achieve beyond
the ordinary.
I vividly remember attending the
2009 Iowa High School State Football
Championship game in which three
quarters of the UNI Dome was filled
with Marshalltown fans cheering on a
Bobcat team which had a magical 13-1
season. Not too dissimilar is a student
getting their first high mark on an assignment or test, or making the honor
roll for the very first time, performing
at a level of excellence can be a transformational experience. Though athletic
success tends to get a lot of the media’s
attention, the reality is that all of our
students have opportunities for excellence within their academic, fine arts,
club, service organization, and athletic
pursuits and experiences. Through
these collective educational experiences
our quest is for every Marshalltown
Community School District graduate to
have the knowledge, skills, creativity,
and confidence to pursue their dreams
and to lead productive, fulfilling, and
successful lives as adults. Once a
student sees that he or she is capable of
excellence, that student is never quite
the same. There is a new self-image
and a new notion of possibility. After
students have had a taste of excellence,
they’re never quite satisfied with anything less.
A culture of excellence is an environment where people are called upon
to contribute to each other and to the
success of the organization. It is not
just a set of rules to be followed. It is
a commitment to the fulfillment of an
organization’s vision, mission, and
beliefs. It requires a vision of what is
possible, a plan to set it in motion, and
the practices to generate and sustain it
on an ongoing basis. The students, staff,
parents, and community who contribute
to Marshalltown’s culture of excellence
will consistently strive for their personal best and I’m confident our school
community will support bringing out
the best in them.
This article was printed in Inside Education
in the Marshalltown Times-Republican.