Posted: September 1, 2023

September 2023

Welcome Back Wildcats!

Our staff has been working really hard to get prepared for another great school year. We are very fortunate to have such a wonderful staff at Maquoketa Valley and I appreciate all they do for the students of our district. We are extremely excited to welcome the students back and provide them with a learning environment that holds students to high expectations and empowers them for lifelong success.

We have had a great start to the school year. Our fall activities are under way and students are excited to be back in the classroom and participating in extracurricular activities. Here is a picture of our students performing the fight song for “High Five Friday.” On the Friday of home football games our staff and students meet in the High School commons. The band and cheerleaders perform the fight song, and then our staff greets the students and gives them a “High Five,” and wishes them a great day and weekend!

-Troy Osterhaus

6-12 Principal

From the desk of Mrs. Becker

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! It has been a great (although very warm) start to the year! Staff and students are all very excited about the opportunities each child has for growth and learning as we come together for the next nine months.

At Maquoketa Valley, we are committed to providing high levels of learning for all students and empowering them for life long success. This begins as soon as they enter preschool. The Wildcat Way traits of respect, responsibility, and safety are weaved into everything we do as we help students grow academically and socially.

As we begin this new academic year, I look forward to working with all of our families as we navigate the challenges and celebrate all the accomplishments- big or small! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your child’s educational journey. Here’s to a fantastic school year!

Students enjoy popsicles to beat the heat on the first few days of school.

HOMECOMING

Maquoketa Valley High School will celebrate Homecoming during the week of September 10th – September 16st. The week will start out with powder puff football and iron man volleyball on Sunday, September 10th at 5:00 p.m. Friday, September 15th is a busy day with the class competitions beginning at 1:10 p.m; parade at 2:00 p.m.; followed by the pep rally and crowing of the 2023 Homecoming King in the high school gym. Game time Friday night is 7:00 p.m. The Maquoketa Valley Wildcats will take on the Postville Pirates. Crowning of the 2023 Queen will take place at half-time. A dance will be held to celebrate Homecoming on Saturday, September 16th from 7:30 – 10:00 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. Any business or group interested in being in the parade, please contact Kurt Palmer at the high school at 563-922-2091 or email kurtpalmer@maquoketa-v.k12.ia.us

Mrs. Moenck’s English 3&4 Students Work on Team Building

Upperclassmen were excited to use their cooperative learning skills to construct towers out of notecards in their High School English classes with Mrs. Moenck. This team-building exercise asked students to reflect on what they have in common with each other and what characteristics make a successful tower as well as a successful team (solid foundation, problem-solving skills, communication, grit/perseverance, positive attitude, etc.). Students always love a good competition, too!

Whats Cookin in FCS Class?

School has just begun but the students in Mrs. Downs’ Beginning and Advanced food classes are learning by doing. We received a generous donation of peaches, tomatoes, corn, and other garden produce so the students got right to work learning how to peel, chop, blanch, puree and so much more. Our plans are to freeze, dehydrate, water bath can and pressure can in the next few weeks. If you have extra produce and don’t know what to do with it, send Mrs. Downs an email at the high school. karladowns@maquoketa-v.k12.ia.us

Bries News from Johnston Elementary

We are having a great start to the year! The first graders are learning to navigate a new building and new classrooms with slightly different rules and procedures. They are doing a great job learning the expectations and are enjoying spending time exploring their new surroundings with their classmates.

From the desk of Mrs. Frasher

Welcome back to all our Delhi Elementary students, staff and families as we begin the 2023-2024 school year! It has been great to see familiar faces returning and meeting our 3rd graders and our new students. Our enthusiastic and dedicated teachers and staff are ready to nurture your child’s growth, creativity, and knowledge this school year!

You may have noticed when attending our open house that Delhi Elementary received a face lift over the summer. Delhi Elementary has new carpet, fresh paint, several new sets of lockers, and the library was updated over the summer. We appreciate all of the hard work that our custodial staff put into making these updates possible!

Our team at Delhi Elementary is here to support, encourage, and celebrate your child’s learning and are excited to make this the best school year yet!

Maquoketa Valley Professional Learning

The professional learning for some teachers started on August 8th and 9th. Our new teachers to the district and the profession started their teaching journey to our Mentor & Mentee days. Our first year teachers include Madison Imler (4th grade), Abby Sheppard (Kindergarten), and Adrienne Gibbs (PK-2 school counselor). Their mentors include Kylie Sidell, Macey Sheppard, and Taryn Fellinger.

All our MV staff were welcomed back to school on August 17th with a district breakfast provided by the Masons. We then learned about the brain science behind adverse childhood experiences with Jennie Null from Tanager. She provided strategies that can be used in our classrooms to support students. First Aid training and CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute) training were provided to those teachers that met the requirements for this specific training. Teachers also had time to meet in their building teams and spend time preparing their classrooms for the school year.

Food Service Need to Know

Check your current lunch account balance: Log into your online account or call/email Morgan Nefzger to get your current lunch account balance. You can make deposits at any time.

Free/Reduced Applications: These forms must be filled out as soon as possible so we have enough time to process your application and correct your registration fees. Free/Reduced applications can be found online, or there are copies in the Delhi Middle School/Elementary Office.

Salad Bar: This year, there will be a salad bar offered to 7th-12th grade students and all adult employees Monday-Friday. The salad bar will be an alternate meal choice. You will not be able to get the salad bar in addition to the main meal being offered. The salad bar will be located in the High School cafeteria area.

Snack Items: Students in Junior Kindergarten-Fourth Grade have the option of taking a snack item each day. Depending on the week Junior Kindergarten-second grade will have the option of cheese stick, goldfish crackers, single serve honey nut cheerios, nature valley oats and honey granola bar, teddy grahams, or single serve kix Cereal. Third-fourth grade can choose between a granola bar or a cheese stick. Regardless if you qualify for Free/Reduced benefits, you will still be charged the full $0.35 per snack item. Snack items are charged to your account every Friday for the entire week.

Meal Pricing for the 23/24 school year:

Student breakfast: $1.85

Earlville & Johnston & Delhi Elementary Student Lunch: $2.55

Middle School & High School Student Lunch $2.80

Snack Item: $0.35

Extra Entree: $2.00

Extra Milk: $0.65

Extra Juice: $0.70

Charging on negative Accounts: Be sure to watch your lunch account balance. If your family lunch account reaches an amount of Negative $50.00 or more, students will be given an alternate meal until the account balance is improved. An alternate meal due to low account balance will still be a full meal however the entree will be a deli sandwich with and no additional seconds or ala carte items. Starting on September 6th invoices will be sent out to families with negative balances and your student(s) will receive a deli sandwich until your account has been replenished. Invoices will be sent out every Tuesday via email.

Alternate main course meal option: This year, we will have an alternate main course substitute at each meal. This substitute will consist of, a deli sandwich. Students may choose this instead of the main course any given day.

How and where to deposit lunch money: You can always send lunch money with your students to turn in to the secretary at their building, or you can go online and make deposits into your account.

Link to useful forms:

Food Service Information

Free & Reduced Meal Program Information

RevTrak Online Payments

Total Access Lunch

August Lunch Menu

If you have any questions pertaining to the Free and Reduced Meals, you can contact Morgan Nefzger at morgannefzger@maquoketa-v.k12.ia.us

A note from Karelene

We have brought back the Salad Bar. It is available to students in 7-12 grade plus our staff. We have included a few pictures of it the first couple of days back to school. We will change things out with the seasons. The salad bar has been going over very well.

School Nutrition has a new face in our Delhi Kitchen. Shelley Fiedler has joined our staff this year. You may have seen her at all 3 centers at any given time. This summer Shelley helped paint and clean the Delhi Elementary. Shelley has 1 son Quinn who works for the Waterloo School District. Shelley lives on lake Delhi with her boyfriend Travis Niehaus she enjoys fishing, boating and gardening. Just recently Shelley and Travis did their annual fundraiser which benefited Sleep in Heavenly Peace. She is glad to be here and excited for the school year.

Maquoketa Valley Activity Calendar

This can be found on the website. Please check that for all activities.

Cancellations will be updated on the Maquoketa Valley Website.

Text Alert System

We will be using your information in Power School to alert you. It is important to have your current phone number and email updated. If you have any questions or issues, please call Sarah Lown in the high school office at 563-922-2091.

Maquoketa Valley 2023-2024 School Calendar

Athletic Booster Information

We hope that you’ve all had a great start to the 23-24 school year! Below is the Membership Drive information for this year. Your support is greatly appreciated. All monies that are raised through efforts like this are poured right back into our athletic programs at both the middle school & high school levels to help provide all of our student athletes with the things they need to help aid in their successes.

The Maquoketa Valley Athletic Boosters have had many members and families be involved over the years and just like the athletes themselves they graduate out each year so we are looking for new families to become involved. The best way to be involved is to attend our monthly meetings-this is a great way to hear what our athletic programs have going on, what needs they have and how we can help them attain these needs, what projects the Athletic Boosters are working towards, and have a say in the ways the Athletic Boosters help our programs. You do not need to be a Booster Club member or pay any dues to attend our meetings, they are always open to the public. By attending meetings you are not required to volunteer any additional time. We are also always looking for new ways to Boost our athletic programs so new ideas are greatly welcomed!

Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 6th at 6:30pm. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to any of our board members: Matt Wall, Amanda Knipper, Heather Intorf, Dee Althoff, Randi Flannagan, and Holly Burbridge.