Mrs. Miller's Weekly Update
Week of August 29th - September 4th, 2022
Welcome, 2022/23 School Year!
It was wonderful to have students back in the building this past week! There was an awesome energy and vibe to the start of my second year at GHVHS.
August is an incredibly busy time of year. Even though our students have only finished one week of school, our staff members have been working hard to make sure our facilities and our classrooms are ready for learning.
In addition, our fall sports and activities are getting into full swing, and we look forward to the season and what is in store for our Cardinals!
Things are busy at GHV, and it's exciting to get started with a new school year!
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WELCOME TO OUR NEW HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS!
Mikayla Pershau joins us with two years of special education experience at Mason City Schools. She will be working with Mrs. Ades and Mrs. Uhlenhopp in our special ed department and will be a great asset for our kids. Ms. Pershau is also dedicating her time and talent to coaching volleyball for us this fall. She gets married in September, so she will soon officially be Mrs. Roth!
Andrew Piper is a recent UNI grad (Go, Panthers!), and we are fortunate to have his first teaching experience with us at GHV! Mr. Piper spent a lot of time this summer working with Mr. Benzing, Mr. Ironside, and Mrs. Paulson. Our music department has shown collaboration at its finest! GHVHS has a new vocal music area created out of storage space thanks to the hard work of these people! Mr. Piper is a great asset to our team!
Lauren Hein joins us from North Iowa with two prior years of experience teaching PE & Health at elementary, middle school, and high school levels. Ms. Hein also has experience coaching softball and track. I've had the pleasure of working with Ms. Hein in the past, and I know she'll be a great asset to our kids at GHVHS! Much like Ms. Pershau, Ms. Hein will be getting married soon, too. In November, she will become the bride of Scott Watson, a former Ventura grad. Welcome, Mrs. Watson!
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Teacher Professional Development
We are better TOGETHER!
During our full day of learning, we had teachers collaborating across building borders. Middle school and high school teachers worked together in their departments to discuss aligned learning essentials as a district. Elementary teams partnered together to discuss the most essential learning goals in all content areas. In specialized areas, such as PE, music, and art, our teachers in these areas across the district worked together as well.
Our administrative team was so impressed with the level of engagement and commitment we saw from our teachers. And this is just the beginning! We will continue to work with Dr. Tesha Ferriby Thomas from Solution Tree throughout the school year and provide our teachers the time and resources to learn and grow as educators.
I'm excited to be a part of this journey!
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1st ANNUAL ACTIVITIES FAIR
Numerous studies show that students who are involved in extra curricular activities do better academically. It's so important for our kids to feel connected, and being involved in activities is a great way to accomplish that.
A big shout out to Mr. Schmalen, our Activities Director, for taking the initiative to coordinate this event. Thanks, too, to all of the coaches, sponsors, and students who helped make this event such a success.
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MENTAL PERFORMANCE TRAINING - ETHAN MILLER
Pictured above is Ethan Miller presenting to our GHV student-athletes, coaches, and parents. We look forward to working with Ethan this year to help our students learn and grow in the area of mental performance.
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WELCOME BACK BREAKFAST FOR SENIORS
Thanks to our student council members and advisors, Mr. Graham and Mrs. Holmes, for organizing breakfast for our seniors!
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VOLLEYBALL
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FOOTBALL & CHEER
We look forward to hosting our first home football game Friday! Pack the stands and cheer loudly!
(* Photo courtesy of Madsen Photography and Final Frame)
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GHV CARDINAL CAGE
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BEST WISHES TO OUR CROSS COUNTRY ATHLETES AND COACHES WHO KICK OFF THEIR FIRST COMPETITION TUESDAY!
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*** THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK ***
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Weekly Calendar
Monday, August 29
3:45 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - Fall Play Auditions
6:00 p.m. - Volleyball Team Meal - HS Cafeteria
7:00 p.m. - FFA Greenhand Fire Up BBQ
Tuesday, August 30
5:00 p.m. - G/B Cross Country @ MC Newman
5:30 p.m. - JJV/JV/V Volleyball @ Forest City
Wednesday, August 31
Thursday, September 1
5:30 p.m. - JJV/JV/V Volleyball (H) vs. West Hancock
6:00 p.m. - JV Football (H) vs. Humboldt
Fri., Sept. 2
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - National Honor Society Blood Drive - HS Gym
7:00 p.m. - Varsity Football (H) vs. Humboldt
Sat., Sept. 3
Sun., Sept. 4
Mon., Sept. 5 - No School - Labor Day