MVCSD News Welcome Back!

      Each and every year, the beginning of a new school year brings new enthusiasm to our students and staff.  It also seems to always coincide with a number of changes throughout our district. Obviously, this year is no exception!  First and foremost, we have had some changes in our personnel.  With the retirements of Pam Overman, Kevin Kudrna, and Wilma Jesenovec this has driven a number of our changes.  With the departure of Pam, Brandy Whittenbaugh has moved over to the high school office.  Cheryl Gates returned back to the middle school office after being in the high school office this past year.  Sarah Lown, moved from the classroom to replace Cheryl at the high school. Rachel Bonert moved to Sarah’s 5th-grade position. Trevor Arnold was hired to replace Kevin as one of our PE instructors and will also take over the Activity Director Duties.  Trevor will also be our new Head Football Coach and weight training coach. Trevor’s wife Rachel will be one of our new special education associates at Johnston. Taryn Fellinger has been hired as one of our second-grade teachers at Johnston with the departure of Sarah Cherne to Guttenburg.  Heidi Hoeger has been doing a number of long term substitutes in the district and due to an increase in enrollment in a few specific grade levels this year, Heidi was hired as one of our new 3rd grade instructors.  With a 1st grade opening at Johnston, Jessica Dusek, who was our preschool instructor transferred into that position and Brittini Ludovissy was hired to replace Jessica.  With a huge influx of junior kindergarten students, Margo Friedlein has been hired as a second JK teacher at Earlville.  Tiersa Frasher transferred into our 3 – 8 Behavioral Intervention position and Brianna Pfeiler was hired to replace Tiersa.  Samantha Kruse also transferred from the classroom into a full-time special education position within the district and Jackie Moorman will move into that 6th-grade position. With the loss of Marty Tumey, who will be dearly missed, Mark Smith has been hired to drive Marty’s route.  Joe Hoeger also returns to one of our bus routes this fall.  If you have the opportunity to see one of the new members to our district, please welcome them to our school community.

In regards to facility updates, we have almost completely finished the remodel and renovation of the High School.  This summer the blacktop parking area will be ground down and a couple of inches of new blacktop will be poured, painted and sealed.  A small portion of the cement pad located in front of the high school entrance will also be replaced due to a defect in the recent replacement.  Some minor tuckpointing and soffit repair will also occur.  At the time of this writing, we have begun creating a double-door locking vestibule for our middle school and elementary in Delhi.  This includes new interior entrance doors and a new entrance into the Middle School and Delhi Elementary office.  At Earlville, new carpet has been installed in the hallways and office areas and work on a new gym roof has begun.  At Johnston, some minor roof repair and upkeep will also be completed in August.  The usual dusting, carpet cleaning, scrubbing, mopping waxing, painting, ventilation filter replacement continues throughout the district.  With the arrival of the ash borer to Delaware County, as painful as it is, we have begun a process to remove our ash trees from our campuses.  We will strategically replant trees later this fall and next spring.

All of us are extremely excited about the 2019 – 2020 school year.  With all of our building projects, our new teachers and support staff that will be joining our MV family, I know it will be a fantastic year!  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to give me a call, drop me an email, or stop by to visit.  The doors to Maquoketa Valley will always be open to the parents and patrons of this district.