MC Proud-Mason City Community School District

Mason City Community School District

Mr. Hamilton's Headlines

The Power of Consistency

I will borrow a quote from our girls wrestling coach, Jake Phillips, that he used to explain his daugther, Layla Phillips, capturing the 1051b state championship.

The quote captures a truth: "Success comes from a special commitment to doing un-special things consistently" This quote captures one of the most important keys to success. Success doesn't come from the big things alone but is achieved through consistently executing everyday tasks with the commitment of doing things right. Often, the small, mundane tasks and actions lay the groundwork for big accomplishments.

Each day, whether completing assignments, attending classes, participating in extracurricular activities, or simply showing kindness to one another, our students are presented with opportunities to demonstrate their commitment to being the best version of themselves. Our students sow the seeds of success in these ordinary tasks.

Consistency breeds mastery. When embracing a mindset of doing even the most minor tasks well, our students build a foundation upon which their character is developed. Whether mastering a new concept in class, honing their skills on the field or stage, or volunteering within our community, their willingness to consistently perform the un-special tasks can set them apart. Success isn't solely big accomplishments but is often found in the daily habits and routines that shape our students' character. I ask our parents and community members to help our students understand the importance of doing the

un-special things with exceptional consistency. If we all work together to reinforce this with our students, we will help set them up for success today and in the future.

Sincerely,

Pat Hamilton

Superintendent of Schools

District News

Bryan DeGabriele Mason City High School

It's pretty simple, he's da goat. Bro manages to make everyone laugh in class while being a good teacher and always willing to help kids out if they need a little extra help.

-Submitted by

Aspen Cole

Erika Drumheller Hoover

Mrs. Drumheller is amazing! My daughter loves her! She takes the time to understand my child's emotions and helps her process them. She is the best!

-Submitted by Bethany Sloan

Nicole Cadena Mason City High School

Señora Cadena is the nicest teacher anyone could ever have. She is very kind and funny and is always there to help. I have heard the same from at least 6 other people:)

-Submitted by

KaeZiera Shackleton

John Lee

Mason City High School

Josh Reuter

Mason City High School

These two men have been a huge part of my life. I have the upmost respect for both, as parents, teachers, and coaches. What they have done for the Mason City community is amazing.

-Submitted by

Brady Foster

Amy Rollene

Lincoln

A HUGE thank you again this year to Mrs. Rollene for being the school advisor for the Lincoln Builders Club (Kiwanis). We really appreciate her giving her time and for dealing with us making a mess in her room at least once a month. Thank you, Mrs. Rollene!

-Submitted by

Amy K

Betsy Kirby Jefferson

Mrs. Kirby always puts on amazing productions at the school, but within the last few weeks, she's also put on two huge events for two area non-profits! (Music Man Square and The Surf Ballroom) We appreciate her dedication to her students inside and outside of the classroom!

-Submitted by

Amy K

Mr. Jensen and Mr. Pruisman definitely deserve to be raved about because of the work they have put into the Follies variety show this year. Their feedback and coaching has made Follies an enjoyable experience to watch as a crew member. Mrs. Everist also deserves to be raved about because her beautiful accompaniment makes all the musical acts even more special. All of these people have been working very hard to put together an amazing show everyone is bound to love.

-Submitted by

Madison Heard

Do you have a Riverhawk staff member who you want to RAVE about?

Please click HERE to complete the survey and submit your Riverhawk Rave so that we can share the amazing things our Riverhawk staff are doing with the community!

Riverhawk Raves will be shared in upcoming MC Proud newsletters.

Riverhawks Flying High Feature

L to R: Drew DeGabriele, JP Miles, Brayden Miller, Logan Eide, Jack Boedeker

An important part of the MCHS basketball program has always been to focus on treating officials well. This year, as Coach Nick Trask was working with volunteer coach Tony Buhr on how to improve the Talons Youth Rec League, they had an idea to offer the Riverhawk players a chance to become a certified official. The benefits of helping the boys get certified included giving them skills they can use, giving them a certification they can use to earn money, and addressing the referee shortage the state and nation are struggling with. Senior Drew DeGabriele said "Getting my referee certification has been a great experience that has allowed me to learn more about the game of basketball and help out with the ref shortage. I am very glad that I got to be a part of this program." Turning this opportunity into a tradition would add referees from the MCHS basketball program every year to to the pool of officials and make a major impact on the shortage in the long run.

Coach Buhr took the lead and contacted the officials organization to schedule trainings. He also works with the players to improve their skills and assist them with finding jobs. "Refereeing has been a great addition to my life that helped me sharpen my basketball knowledge, but also helped me learn the responsibility of having a job and being counted on" explained senior JP Miles. Coach Trask shared "We are really proud of these players' commitment to the process and the help they are giving the area by providing good, quality certified officiating to the area youth making these tournaments better."

Another benefit to this effort is seeing the players explain why referees make certain calls to their teammates. It has opened up a whole new perspective of respect towards the officials and the jobs they provide us. "I think refereeing has given me a different perspective of the game and proved to me you can't be too tough on officials" senior Logan Eide shared. "It has also been a great chance to give back and show what the MC basketball program is about."

The work these young men are doing has been highlighted in the Globe Gazette, Waterloo Courier, and the National Coaches Association Newsletter. The coaches and players are in hopes that their story will inspire other school districts' basketball programs to follow suit in this effort to assist with the official shortage in their community.

Thank you to Coach Trask and Coach Buhr for your dedication and hard work. A huge THANK YOU and congratulations to these five Riverhawks who are helping themselves, their team, and their community. We are so proud of you and thank you for representing Mason City so well!

#WingsUp

Building News

Harding Elementary

Harding Elementary 1st graders celebrated the 101st day of first grade 101 Dalmatian style! We wrote 101 words, counted out 101 pieces of dog food (cereal) for snack, played a dice game to race to 101, plus many other 101-themed activities. And of course we ended the day by watching 101 Dalmatians!!

Hoover Elementary

The Hoover Elementary 2nd grade teachers challenged their students to raise their aReading scores by 20 points from fall to winter. Each student was progress monitored weekly and took home reading fluency and comprehension packets forming great home/school connections. When the students finished their winter testing the teachers were so proud of their scores! Each class chose their top seven students who made growth to "pie a teacher" at school. When those 21 students were finished, each student in the class had the option to get a "pie" in their face for their hard work and progress. This is something our 2nd graders worked hard toward and we are so proud of them!

Jefferson Elementary

Our Jefferson Elemenary 4th graders love writing to their RSVP Pen Pals. Four times a year students write to their pen pals and their pen pals write a letter back to them. They love to learn about each other and share photos and stories throughout the year. In May they will get the chance to meet their pen pals at school and this is one of the highlights of their year! We are so thankful for Alison Mason and Mary Ellen Smith for their work with RSVP and the Pen Pals program.

John Adams Middle School

John Adams Middle School 7th grade students have put their understanding of potential and kinetic energy into action with a thrilling roller coaster project. Applying the principles they learned earlier in the year, these young engineers are immersing themselves in the steps of the Engineering Design Process to craft working roller coasters destined for amusement parks. Students start out by researching a variety of different types of roller coasters and then design a few ideas of their own. Once they have a few sketches drawn up, they get into groups and share their ideas with team members and collaborate on a final roller coaster design they will build together. Students use marbles to test their final prototype and redesign/adjust any parts that do not work and then get the opportunity to share their final build with guest judges. School staff and 8th grade students serve as guest judges for awards in various categories, including tallest coaster, longest running time, most creative design, and highest overall points scored!

Lincoln Intermediate

In the general music classroom, students are currently focusing on guitar and ukulele. They are instruments that are accessible to this age group, and they are very popular units of study.

In the choirs, we are focusing on languages. The 5th and 6th grade choirs are learning sign language so they can use it to perform with a choral piece. Singing in sign language allows the deaf/hearing impaired community to be included in a concert setting. The 5th grade choir is also learning a song in Spanish. The 6th grade choir is learning how to sing in Latin and Swahili.

We are also finishing our honor choir season where students represent Lincoln Intermediate at the district Honor Choir Festival. In order to qualify for the honor choir, the students went through an audition process. Out of 350 eligible choir students, only 60 can be selected to perform.

We are so proud of the singers who are representing Mason City!

Mason City Alternative School

Key Club International, also called Key Club, is an international service organization for high school students. As a student-led organization, Key Club's goal is to encourage leadership through serving others. The Mason City Alternative School is sponsored by the Mason City Kiwanis.

Mason City High School

On Friday, January 26 MCHS was a host site for the girls super regional wrestling tournament. Over 500 wrestlers and nearly 2,000 spectators from the area were onsite for the event held in our fieldhouse! This was a tremendous success and our Riverhawk girls finished 2nd in the tournament qualifying seven for state wrestling. A huge shout out to our activities department and all that helped organize this day! It was a great way to showcase our new facilities and the Mason City community. Everything from hotels, to restaurants, to our own programs benefited from having this event take place here.

Last week, our Riverhawk girls wrestlers carried their success and represented Mason City well at the State Tournament. Several wins were accumulated with two of our athletes making the podium! Congratulations to all wrestlers, with a special nod to Kyleigh James for her 5th place finish and Layla Phillips, Mason City's first ever girls state champion!

Go Riverhawks!

The MCHS Speech team participated in the State Speech in Dubuque last weekend. MCHS performed in four categories including Group Improvisation, Musical Theatre, Radio Broadcasting, and Ensemble Acting. The Radio Broadcasting was selected as Outstanding and will be performing in Ames at the All-State Festival on Feburay 17.

Congratulations and thank you for representing MCHS!

Back L to R: Maggie Gerrietts, Ishnoor Kaur, Annemarie Hansen, Brynn Christianson, Sophie Johanns; Front L to R: Coach Bailey, Merin Teeter, Acacia Allen, Sky Martin, Coach Rother

The MCHS Speech team is hosting the District Individual Speech Contest for the IHSSA on Saturday, February 24, 2024. There will be hundreds of performers coming to show off their talent so A LOT of volunteers are needed. Please contact Heather Jo Bailey at hbailey@masoncityschools.org or Becky Rother at rrother@masoncityschools.org

Pinecrest Center

Pinecrest Center students in grades K-8 made a variety of valentines for residents at the IOOF Home. Their goal was to make 60 so that each resident could have one. They ended up with 77 so they could also display them around the building! Some of the students from Mrs. Lindsay's and Miss Birke's class got to go to the IOOF Home and visit the residents, deliver the valentines, and help hang them up! What a great project for everyone involved!

Roosevelt Elementary

During the month of January, Roosevelt Elementary was able to partner with North Central Iowa Ag to bring agriculture to the classroom. Some of the lessons the students were able to participate in include Animal Families, Where Our Supper Comes From, and Our Food, Culture, and Communities. We thank them for coming and providing our students with a great experience!

The 4th grade students had the opportunity to go to the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake and participate in the Winter Dance Party! Students learned some music history, enjoyed some music and dancing, and had a lot of fun!

Employee Spotlight

Administrative Center

Cindy Garza is in her 3rd year of serving as a Mason City Community School District Board of Education member. She was elected as the board president last November. Cindy grew up in Mahtomedi, MN, a North St. Paul suburb. After graduating high school, she attended the Univeristy of North Dakota in Grand Folks, which is where he father attended college. Cindy's daughter also attended the University of North Dakota, making her the third generation to graduate from there. Cindy works as a geological engineer for the State of Iowa and has done so for over 20 years. Cindy enjoys spending time with her husband, Bob, and keeping up with their five children and 17 grandchildren.

Harding Elementary

Kristi Burt has been a reading specialist with MCCSD for 14 years. She is an MCHS alumni and graduate of the University of Northern Iowa. Kristi loves MC Schools because of the students and staff she gets to work with every day. Our schools go above and beyond to meet the needs of our students. Something interesting about Kristi is that she was a student here and now is the given the gift to teach here. She gets to help make the same impact on students as the teachers at Mason City once did for her.

Hoover Elementary

Barb Sabin serves as the instructional coach at Hoover Elementary. She has been with the district for 15 years. Barb attended Urbandale High School before heading to the University of Northern Iowa and then Northern Illinois University. She loves MC Schools because the diversity of our student population allows us to learn about so many cultures. The teachers give their all for their students both emotionally and academically. Barb is grateful to learn something new every day while working with students, teachers, and administration! Barb's favorite thing to do when she isn't teaching is spending time with her five wonderful grandchildren. She also enjoys gardening and going to comedy shows, theatre, and movies.

Jefferson Elementary

Abby Hansen teaches 3rd grade at Jefferson Elementary and has been with MCCSD since 2015. She is a graduate of Fort Dodge High School and the University of Northern Iowa. Abby loves MC Schools because of the warm and welcoming environment that is at school. The staff truly care about the students, not just their educational needs. She is proud when students give their all and put forth the effort to achieve a goal. Abby loves when students realize they have so much potential and can do anything they set their minds to. Something unique about Abby is that she loves to do anything outside (when it's not freezing) such as hiking, walking, and playing golf. She also loves to travel and her favorite state is Colorado!

John Adams Middle School

Joyce Polsdofer is a paraprofessional at John Adams Middle School. She has been with MCCSD for 26 1/2 years. After graduatiing from Nora Springs-Rock Falls High School, she attended Hamilton Business College. Joyce loves MC Schools because of the awesome staff who care about each other and work together as a team. Now that she has a grandson, she loves the breaks even more too! Something interesting about Joyce is that as a teen, she worked with her dad, brothers, and brother-in-law doing construction. Her job was to walk the steel roof pieces to the top and make sure it was flush before it was secured to the rafters.

Lincoln Intermediate

Ernest Reineke is the vocal & general music teacher at Lincoln. He has been at MCCSD for 23 years and is in his 35th year of teaching. Ernest graduated from Aurelia High School, received his Bachelor of Art degree in instrumental and vocal music education from Northwestern College, his Master of Music from the UNI, and post graduate work and administration endorsements from Buena Vista University. Ernest enjoys MC Schools because of the students he works with on a daily basis. There is nothing more enjoyable than being able to hear the children of our town sing and then perform concerts for the parents. This helps build relationships with the students, with their parents, and the community. The best thing about Lincoln is the ability to have both general music and choral music components because it allows him to teach music essentials (general music) in a smaller setting and then apply those concepts in larger groups (choir). An interesting fact about Ernest is that he has a passion for history. He wrote his first family history at age 26, and has written or contributed to several other family or town histories, wrote and published his 150th year church history in 2021, and written three school music department histories. He is currently completing a town history that will be published this spring. After doing all his family history research, his most memorable music moment is performing a concert with his wife, Melodee, in the church of his ancestors in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.

Mason City High School

Katie Trask teaches US History and is the head JV girls basketball coach at MCHS. This is her 15th year teaching. After graduating from Newman High School, she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Briar Cliff University, and her Master's of Arts in History from Pace University. Katie loves MC Schools because of the supportive people she gets to work with and all the awesome students she has been able to teach and coach throughout the years. A fun fact about Katie is that her grandma, Betty Mitchell, worked for MCCSD for 26 years. Also, Katie loves to travel and has visited 49 states and 12 countries.

Roosevelt Elementary

Jennifer Skellenger is an English Language Learner paraprofessional for MCCSD. She has worked in the district since 2016. Jennifer graduated from Rockwell-Swaledale High School. She loves working for MC Schools because she gets to work with some pretty amazing kids and staff members! A fun fact about Jennifer is that she started her own candle complany, Jolly Ollie, in 2021. She finds making candles and other products relaxing and enjoyable!

Student Spotlight

MCHS senior Brody Lee has achieved the distinguished honor of being named to the

All-State 4A football team in Iowa for the second consecutive year. This season, he accumulated 1,596 yards over 40 punts. Brody's career is marked by an impressive total of 70 punts for 2,823 yards, which is roughly 1.6 miles, maintaining an average of 40.3 yards per attempt. This remarkable achievement places Brody in an elite group, joining the likes of Ross Anderson (1937 & 1938), Dick Adams (1959 & 1960) and Brady Foster (2001 & 2002), as only the fourth player in Mason City High School history to earn First Team

All-State honors in consecutive years. Brody plans on continuing his football career in college next year. Congratulations on this incredible achievement, Brody!

MCCSD Virtual Backpack

Make sure to check out the Virtual Backpack website! Here you will find events, camps, and opportunities for students and their families from district and community organizations.

Click HERE to check it out!