Liam HalawithMaroon Echoes News On Sunday, May 17th MPCHS held a drive-by parade at the high school to celebrate seniors, they printed signs of seniors and displayed them on the high school grounds for seniors to drive-by and celebrate each other.
This is part of a national trend where schools are recognizing that seniors are having a hard time, so senior parents and high school administrators wanted to do something to celebrate them. They decided to host a parade of sorts to recognize their hard work. This parade was planned for the original date seniors were scheduled to graduate, the day they were supposed to dawn their cap and gown and grace the stage with their classmates. The day they were supposed to celebrate their 4 years of dedication. “That’s the day that they were supposed to graduate so we wanted to do something special for them,” said High School Principal Todd Lichety in the May 11th school board meeting. On the day of the parade seniors hopped in their cars and drove around the high school parking lot that was decorated with signs that featured their graduation photos. Teachers and staff from around the district stood in the high school driveway waving at students as they drove by. Cheering them on after years for hard work and supporting them, from six feet away. “The last thing that we think of in high school is graduation, and it was taken away from us. I appreciate what they are doing to try to make it as normal as possible, but it means a lot to have people there to support us and celebrate the fact that we are graduating,” said Senior Kenna Smith. To help the seniors have a little more fun when they cleaned out their locker’s MPCHS Student Council members put up some decorations! They decorated the halls and commons to make the high school seem a little more alive after being vacant for months. “Decorating for the seniors hopefully showed that we understand you are having some mixed feelings. Showed them our appreciation for all they have contributed to our school, and to celebrate their success,” said Student Council Advisor Mrs. Venghaus. Seniors won’t miss all their senior year celebrations. MPCHS is holding prom and graduation this summer. Prom will be held July 11th at the Airport Road Winery and Graduation will be held June 27th. If they are still under social distancing guidelines graduation will be held at the high school at 9:00 AM. If guidelines are relaxed by the 27th it will be held in the evening at Mapleleaf athletic complex.
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Liam HalawithMaroon Echoes Editor The class of 2020 has had an unprecedented end to their senior year. With a pandemic upending their plans for their senior year, many of them are having a difficult time coping with the loss. Many seniors have lost their jobs, been isolated from their friends, and missed traditional milestones. This sudden and abrupt change can be hard for some to deal with, especially when they are missing out on moments they have cherished for the majority of their high school career.
“The seniors had a different end to their high school career. This is hard when you have a picture in your mind of how it will end, and it doesn’t go like ‘normal’,” said MPCHS Guidance Counselor, Ashlei Venghaus. Seniors are having to adjust, cope, and move on, it is difficult, nonetheless. Senior Class President Kenna Smith had a difficult time as well. She misses her friends, her teachers, and most of all school. “I thought it would only be two weeks and now we are not even going back to school. It was hard for me because I love going to school to see my friends and my teachers. It kind of sounds weird, but I love going to school. There were a lot of things I wanted to do before I left, and obviously there’s nothing I can do now. But, I’m just trying to stay positive and make the best of what I can,” said Kenna. Some seniors aren’t coping as well. Some are really feeling the effects of the coronavirus. “I lost my job because of Coronavirus. I can’t really go anywhere, I’m stuck at home for the past two months. It’s exhausting, It’s hard because you’re stuck at home. If you go out you can get yourself sick or someone else sick,” said senior Marshall Fluharty. This sudden change can affect anyone adversely but we are seeing that seniors are the ones who are seeing the biggest change. “Some of the effects we won’t know until more time has passed. I would say a few would be the change in their routines, change from “normal” to a new normal, loss of time with their friends, classmates, teachers, coaches, activities, etc, change to normal celebration activities like prom, graduation, award ceremonies, etc…things you work hard for and look forward to since you can remember. Just to name a few,” said Guidance Counselor Mrs. Venghaus. If you see a senior is struggling with coping with the changing time’s Mrs. Venghaus recommends listening and asking them what you can do. “One thing people can do to help seniors right now is just to listen. Everyone reacts differently to situations like this, so assuming you know or understand isn’t helpful. Listen to how they are feeling and ask how you can help,” said Mrs. Venghaus. This is part of a national trend we are seeing that the class of 2020 is missing out on some of the traditional high school experiences. This is part of the history books we are seeing an effect on a generation that will leave similar scars to those made a century ago during the great depression. This is the hard part about living history in the making. Editor's Note: This Article Is part of a three part series about the May 11th School Board Meeting. To see more visit our website Maroonechoesnews.weebly.com Liam HalawithMaroon Echoes Editor Editor's Note: This Article Is part of a three part series about the May 11th School Board Meeting. To see more visit our website Maroonechoesnews.weebly.com May is School Board Appreciation month, and Superintendent John Henriksen displayed his admiration for the Mount Pleasant Community School District Board of Directors at Monday’s meeting. He presented the current board members with candy bouquets and certificates to show the members his appreciation.
Mr. Henriksen explained: “I am finishing my fourteenth year as a superintendent and I can’t tell you how much working with you folks, as school board members, means to me.” Mr. Henriksen spotlighted their accomplishments as a team, noting that they’ve had some good years working to improve the district. “I’ve had some really good boards. Board’s that have been focused on students and improving the district. I just appreciate you all so much in your heart for the students and for your heart in the Mount Pleasant Community School District.” He also noted how much dedication it takes to be a school board representative. “This job takes a lot of time, and most people don’t know there is no compensation for this, and oftentimes it comes with a lot of difficult decisions. I just wanted to let you know how much it means to me to work for you as your superintendent.” Current Board Members Include Jenniffer Crull, Board President, Chuck Andrews, Board Vice-President, Angie Blint, Josh Maher, Martha Wiley, Kevin Sandersfeld, and Willy Amos. The board will meet later this month for a work session. They have not released an agenda for the session. Editor's Note: This article is part of a three part series about the May 11th School Board Meeting. To see more visit our website maroonechoesnews.weebly.com Liam HalawithMaroon Echoes News Editor's Note: This article is part of a three part series about the May 11th School Board Meeting. To see more visit our website maroonechoesnews.weebly.com During the regular school board meeting on Monday, the Mount Pleasant School District Administration Team discussed statistics involved in their Continued Education Through Distance Learning initiative. They examined the student use of applications and discussed trends in the data they saw.
MPCSD Director of Curriculum Katie Gavin, spoke on the data from the elementary schools. Elementary students are using a program called I-Ready which focuses on Math and Reading learning and enrichment. The program plays to the child’s strengths and helps them build essential skills. The application of the I-Ready Reading was only brought into full last Wednesday, May 6th. The program has 481 students enrolled in the software with 454 being active on a regular basis. According to Mrs. Gavin, “There could be a myriad of reasons why the kids aren’t using it; from they aren’t quite comfortable with the software, to they don’t understand the program.” The data coming from the program however is quite exciting. 72% of active student’s receive a 70% or higher in the modules. Essentially 72% of students are understanding the material successfully. For a building by building breakdown; Harlan who has 122 out of their 229 students active in the software, they see 75% of their students passing their lessons. At Lincoln we see 156 out of 246 of their students are active with a 74% passing rate. At Salem we see 79 out of their 107 students active and a 79% passing rate, and finally at Van Allen 123 out of their 243 students are active with a whopping 86% passing rate. Mrs. Gavin signals that this is just one piece of the puzzle to show how well our elementary schools are adapting, “This...is talking about how hard our student’s family, students and teachers are working at the elementary level and we’re proud.” They have similar levels in the Math version of I-Ready, although there is much better participation and proficiency at many schools because they have used the program throughout the entire year. The district has 545 students enrolled in math with 82% of them passing their lessons. Here are the passing rate breakdowns for the elementary level. At Harlan they have 82% passing, at Lincoln they have 86% passing, at Salem they have 88% passing, and at Van Allen they have 85% passing. Overall, the program is a success as the elementary kids are just now transitioning into heavy technology usage. At the secondary level administration is tracking student use of Canvas, Zoom, Google Drive, and Google Docs.. They are seeing a steady usage of the online software. Including a surprising number of Zoom engagements considering the software is new to the district. “I am really proud of the Zoom number from the kids, considering it is a new program they haven’t been introduced to before,” said Middle School Principal Nathan Lange. They did see a decline in participation after the governor announced that we would not be returning to the school building’s this year. Now that there has been new guidance released involving grade’s the schools are seeing an increase to their usage data. The new guidance from the Iowa Department of Education dictated that schools could open up their gradebooks again and enter their grade’s from before the shutdown. This also means that students can turn in missing or makeup work so they can now raise their grade! “On April 30th the D.E. released new guidance on our gradebooks. Before that we were told we couldn’t open our gradebook’s or put anything in because we we’re closed, and the guidance changed that,” said Superintendent Henriksen. Editor's Note: This article is part of a three part series about the May 11th School Board Meeting. To see more visit our website maroonechoesnews.weebly.com Liam HalawithMaroon Echoes Editor Editor's Note: This article is part of a three part series about the May 11th School Board Meeting. To see more visit our website maroonechoesnews.weebly.com On Monday, May 11th the Mount Pleasant Community School Board of Directors held their regularly scheduled meeting. Amongst other things, they discussed graduation plans for the Class of 2020. High School Principal Todd Lichety confirmed that the date for the senior graduation ceremony will be June 27th. If the social distancing guidelines have been lifted by June 27th then they will have an evening graduation ceremony at 7 PM on the field at Mapleleaf Athletic Complex. This is a firm date according to Mr. Lichety. If social distancing guidelines are still in place by June 27th then there will be a different setup at the high school. The alternative plan would look like this: ceremonies would start at 9:00 in the morning. 30 students at a time with their family would be spread out in the high school commons. They would then take one student and their family into the library media center for a private ceremony. They would announce themselves and walk across the stage to receive their diploma and then take pictures. While they are waiting, prerecorded graduation speeches will be playing on a loop in the commons area. “It allows the parents to see them get their diploma,” said Mr. Lichety. The traditional Senior Awards Ceremony will be held electronically on June 3rd. The high school is able to do this with the help of Jostens, who has designed a 1,000 person Zoom session that has the ability to be broadcast and viewed live. There currently is no time set for the event however it will be during the evening. On Sunday, May 17th at 2:30 PM the high school is holding a drive by parade for the seniors who were scheduled to graduate that day. A group of senior parents have arranged to have yard signs made for each senior. The signs will be placed along the high school drive. There will also be teachers lined up in the circle drive to wave at the seniors and say goodbye. “That’s the day that they were supposed to graduate so we wanted to do something special for them,” said Mr. Lichety. Editor's Note: This article is part of a three part series about the May 11th School Board Meeting. To see more visit our website maroonechoesnews.weebly.com
Editor's Note: These changes only apply to 9th - 11th grade, not the middle school or elementary! Liam HalawithMaroon Echoes News On Wednesday, May 6th, the Mount Pleasant Community High School Principal Todd Liechty sent a letter to the parents of all 9th to 11th grade students concerning recent changes in their grading policy. With direction from the Iowa Department of Education, the high school has announced that grade books will close for the 2019-2020 school year.
School administration has detected that all grades will be posted by June 2, 2020. All grades will be calculated based on work that was turned in or due before March 13th, 2020. All grades should be updated by May 10th with all grades from before the shutdown now legally allowed to be in the grade books. Students will have three choices for their final grades:
The district encourages students to continue their voluntary exploration work. The voluntary work covers content that you might use in the future. So if you are taking a class that is essential or preparatory for your future career they suggest you participate! If you are in Self-Paced Algebra II you must be in a tandem traditional class to pass out this semester; you must finish the second semester before moving on. If you are in Chemistry, they suggest finishing the course as it is helpful when you take your ACT’s. On May 26th and 27th, the school will be open (From 8 AM - 4 PM) so that students can return their materials. All textbooks, rented calculators, computers, and library books need to be returned! There will be tables in the high school commons for you to return your materials! In regards to registration for next year, course options will be available online for next year shortly. The school will be publishing the new course catalog quickly so that you can see what you want to take next year! Course selection will be open on the Infinite Campus shortly! *Detailed information can be found in a letter posted on the high school’s website! Liam HalawithMaroon Echoes Editor When the governor announced the first round of business closures in mid-May, many were in shock. It was the first real sign that the coronavirus was here in Iowa. It showed many people that this was a serious matter. Now, after another round of closures, school canceled for the year, and several thousand cases of infection, we still have no idea when this might truly be over. Still no idea when our freedom will be fully returned. When we will be able to go back to “normal”, whatever that may be.
One dramatic effect of business closures is the most devastating of all, lost revenue. Many businesses are seeing record lows in sales. Some are even shut down for the foreseeable future because they don’t have the money to reopen. The small businesses that are still open struggle to earn a living, to stay afloat. Using desperate measures and creativity to try to compete with large chain stores. “I am really proud of our small businesses because they’ve been very resilient and they’re trying their best, but this has not been easy,” said Kristi Ray, the Executive Vice President of the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce, in an interview with the Maroon Echoes. Ms. Ray believes that although this lull in the economy does not mean the end of many businesses. It was more of a calling to get creative. “Some small businesses decided on day one that they were going to get as creative as they can,” said Kristi. “One I loved seeing was Central Park Coffee Company partnering with Country Charm flower shop. People could order a dozen cookies and a balloon. It was neat to see two businesses working together,” she added. These extreme circumstances have also brought about creative marketing in some businesses; with some leaning in a more online direction. One example is Brown’s Shoe Fit and Lillian Grace Boutique holding live weekly fashion shows on their Facebook page. “It was fun to watch them get creative with stuff like that. You’ve seen everything from scavenger hunts to lots of social media posts. One of the things that have really begun to rise is the ability for small businesses to compete online,” said Kristi Ray. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds recently declared that Henry county is an “Orange County”, meaning that the coronavirus spread is still active in our area. We will have to wait a few more weeks before Mount Pleasant can fully reopen, but once we do Kristi has some advice. “The minute she opens this town we will have to rally around these people that have been closed,” said Kristi. “It’s really going to put pressure on our community that when we do go back, to get out and support them so that some of these people can survive!” Marshall FluhartyMaroon Echoes Assitant Editor Since the state shutdowns and mandated/recommended quarantine, many people have been laid off or have been staying home for their health and safety. The unknowns and the solitude can be stressful. Staying home for so long with nowhere to go and little to keep yourself occupied is stressful too. In addition, there is the daily struggle of mental wellness during this time of panic. It can also be hard taking care of others with poor mental health. But there are many ways to cope with the issues involved with this mandated quarantine; many ways to help when you are hitting a mental rock bottom.
Reach out to friends and family is a good place to start. Talking to others can help with reducing stress, but it's important to ask if they can handle your baggage as well as their own. Piling your issues on top of someone else's will only damage your relationship. But if they are emotionally and mentally prepared to handle it, talk to them, relay your worries and fears onto them, allow them to help you, and talk out solutions to best help you both in your situation. A friend is always a good coping mechanism. Go on a walk and cool off. It’s okay to escape if you and your family or friends get into a heated argument. It may be hard to get away when everyone is stuck at home, but going on a walk around in the back yard or sitting in nature can be very beneficial. Stop and smell the roses, as the saying goes. Walking away from situations can reduce stress so when you go to face the conflict and resolve it, you can do it with a better mindset than when you left it. Exercise! Exercising is a wonderful way to take your mind off of something and focus on other more calming things. If you feel overwhelmed, and your plate is full, take a step back and breathe. Go do your exercise routine, stretch, mediate, run! Yoga is also a great stress reliever. And if exercise isn’t your thing, taking a step back and just taking a moment for yourself works just as well for reducing stress and dealing with big scary problems in small steps. Establishing at home routines is also a good way to keep your mind off of things going on around you. Self-care is an incredibly important part of taking care of your mental health. Remember to set a time to bathe, drink water, and eat proper meals. Set days for cleaning the house. Set a time every day for your exercise routine if you have one because staying active is essential when stuck at home. Set meal days like taco Tuesday or spaghetti Saturday! Spice things up as well, do some spontaneous activities like having the family go outside into the backyard and play a game or practice a sport safely. Doing these very simple everyday tasks will help to get you out of a funk, especially if you’ve been neglecting yourself. Keep in touch with your friends and distant family during this time as well. Talk to them, especially if you’re worried about their safety at this time. Worry causes more stress and talking to them and realizing they are alright is usually a big relief. But don’t over-worry as well, becoming obsessive and terrified about their safety will only cause you more strain than is necessary. Have faith in their safety! Don’t obsessively watch, read, or search for news broadcasts about the pandemic. Don’t google search case numbers around the world. It’s a big overwhelming number and it’s really scary to look at. Take a break from reading and watching news reports. Instead, read a good book, or watch a movie that brings you joy. Do things you love to do instead of watching every news channel known to man at all times of the day. Yes, this is a scary time, and it affects many people. We have very little control over conditions outside our influence. What we can is to take care of ourselves. So don’t forget to take care of family, but don’t forget that you’re important too and deserve the same care. Stay safe, and stay healthy! The article was written with the help of this article: https://www.verywellmind.com/protect-your-mental-health-during-quarantine-4799766 |
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