April 2025

.......Character strong trait of the month.......

Our Character Strong theme for the month of April is Courage:

.......From the desk of Mrs. Krapfl.......

The students have been working very hard in math. They have been learning a variety of strategies to add and subtract two and three digit numbers with and without regrouping.

In science we are studying the life cycles of plants, mealworms, milkweed bugs, and caterpillars. There will be many living creatures in our classrooms throughout the quarter. The students will be observing the changes that occur and recording their findings in their science journals. We just got started with plants.

Kane and Luke looked at the science manual in order to follow directions to put our plant light together.

In literacy we have been learning about the process of pollination, as well as the different kinds of pollinators. We have been reading nonfiction text and learning how to use text features to locate information. The students will be researching a pollinator of their choice and writing informative paragraphs.

The students also had fun sharing the paleontology stories they had written with Mrs. Reicher’s class.

.......From the desk of Mrs. Temple.......

The Intro to Lit class has been diving into the craft of fiction writing and the art of poetry so far this semester. The students read several short stories along with the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns after which they analyzed similarities and differences in the authors' artistic choices. Currently, the students have entered their favorite poems into our March Madness Poetry Contest in which the students analyze and defend the greatness of the poems. The students will end the semester of this college-credit class by delving into drama.

In Composition II, the students have been developing their argumentative thinking, writing, and reading skills. They have also been learning how to cite using APA. Currently, students have been researching and defending/questioning proposed Iowa legislation. They will end the semester of this college-credit class by writing an evaluation and assembling their portfolio.

.......from the desk of ms. lau .......

Ag Ed

Horticulture 2 students have been working vigorously to prepare for the 2025 FFA Plant Sale! The sale opens at 3:30 PM on May 1st in the greenhouse behind the school! Students have been focusing on the marketing of their product, determining cost and their breakeven price. They have the following flower varieties: Petunias, Calibrachoas, Marigolds, Zinnia, Calendula, Geraniums, Nasturtiums, Black Eyed Susans, Bacopas, Osteospermums, Bidens and many more!

9th grade students in Introduction to Ag Science recently completed their soil and water quality unit, where they learned which soil texture allows water to move the fastest (permeability). They will connect these to plant growth in our ongoing plant science unit!

FFA

FFA members have had a fantastic spring semester in their respective events and award areas! We submitted 15 proficiency award applications to Iowa FFA this year. Agricultural proficiency awards honor members who, through their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) programs have set goals and learned practical skills. Five of these applications were either State Champions or State Runner-up in their respective categories and will be recognized on stage at the State Leadership Conference. 13 members will be awarded their Iowa FFA Degree at the end of the month at the 97th Iowa FFA State Leadership Conference. Our Middle School Ag Impact team qualified for State by earning a 2nd place Gold, which advanced them to state!

.......from the desk of mrs. Groth .......

The students in Mrs. Groth’s language arts class have been collaborating with Lisa from Iowa Vocational Services. Lisa visits our class once or twice monthly to provide Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). During her visits, Lisa has engaged students in activities such as answering job-related questions using Jenga blocks. She has also utilized presentations and videos to teach conflict resolution, both in the workplace and in everyday situations. Students have practiced completing real job applications and created pocket resumes, which they can carry in their wallets or purses for future job applications. Additionally, students took part in a team communication exercise where they had to actively listen and collaborate with a partner to complete the task. At the end of March, Lisa will bring Virtual Reality Goggles for career exploration simulations. Students can choose from various career fields, including health science, construction and architecture, agriculture, IT/graphic design, law and public safety, manufacturing, transportation, finance, and food service operations/marketing. Students are eager to experience the virtual reality goggles and have signed up to complete two career simulations each. Having Lisa join our classroom each month has been a valuable learning experience for all the students.

.......community news to know.......

........2024 Legislative Update: Special Minor's Restricted License........

.......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. These forms can be filled out at any time throughout the school year.

Breakfast Options: Aside from the assigned Breakfast Entree, kids could also choose: Cereal, Yogurt with a muffin, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Salad Bar: This year, there will be a salad bar offered to 7th-12th grade students and all adult employees Tuesday-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.

Potato Bar: This year, there will be a potato bar offered to 7th-12th grade students and all adult employees every Monday.

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 $0.40 per snack item. Snack items are charged to your account every Friday for the entire week.

Meal Pricing for the 24/25 school year:

Student breakfast: $1.85

Earlville & Johnston & Delhi Elementary Student Lunch: $2.55

Middle School & High School Student Lunch $2.80

Snack Item: $0.40

Extra Entree: $2.00

Extra Milk: $0.65

Extra Juice: $0.70

Guest Student Lunch: $2.80

Guest Adult Lunch: $4.70

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 3rd 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 substitutes will consist of, a deli sandwich, or a bento box. 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 Me n u

Non-Discrimination Statement

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

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.

New Text Alert System

We have a new alert system called SchoolMessenger. In order to receive text and email alerts, registration for the 2024-2025 school year must be completed online in PowerSchool. The difference you will notice when you log in as a parent is that the previous student information is not visible. Therefore, registration is imperative for successful communication between school and parents. Reminder - only two contacts will receive texts and emails - those with “mother” and “father” relationship status. When entering cell phone numbers, please designate it as a “mobile” phone. An opt in text message will be sent before the first day of school to parents to opt in to receiving these alerts.

If the information in PowerSchool is not accurate, you will not receive these alerts.

Contact call Sarah Lown if you have questions, 563-922-2091

Maquoketa Valley 2024-2025 School Calendar

ANNUAL NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION

(Board Policy 102.E2)

It is the policy of the Maquoketa Valley Community Schools not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, religion in its programs, activities, or physical or mental disability in its programs, activities, or employment practices as required by the Iowa Code, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act of 1973, Title IX, Section 504, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students are educated in programs that foster knowledge of, and respect and appreciation for, the historical and contemporary contributions of diverse cultural groups, as well as men and women, to society. Students who feel they have been discriminated against are encouraged to report it to the school district Equity Coordinator. The Equity Coordinator is Kim Huckstadt and can be reached at (563) 922-2091. Inquiries may also be directed in writing to Kim Huckstadt, Maquoketa Valley Community Schools, P.O. Box 186, Delhi, Iowa 52223, (563) 922-9411.

To view additional Board Policy Information, please use the link below.

Board Policy Information