Building Local Community Through Arts, Cultural, and Recreational Events, and the Exchange of Goods and Services
Decorah Schools will have a two-hour late start on Wednesday, January 10. School will start at 10:00 @ John Cline and DMS and 10:05 @ Carrie Lee and DHS. Any potential changes will be made prior to 8 AM tomorrow.
Decorah CSD will be closed Tuesday, January 9th, 2024 due to the winter weather warning.
At the Decorah High School Winter Concert, Mary Beth Bouska was recognized and celebrated for her seventeen years as the High School Vocal Music Department Collaborative Pianist. The recognition involved parting gifts and several tributes from students as far back as the class of 2012, current vocal music teacher Jason Rausch, and from Mara Schack, vocal music teacher from 2006-2007–Mrs. Bouska’s first year.
Throughout these messages were comments about her kindness, patience, encouragement, and unwavering commitment to the students’ success. Over the years she supported the students from the piano in daily choir classes, musicals, solo and small ensemble festivals, concerts, and special events. She was an important part of the success of the vocal music department for nearly two decades. Mrs. Bouska continues to play for Northern Lights Women’s Chorus and St. Benedict Church, and teach piano lessons.
Pictured is Mary Beth Bouska at the piano
Choir Council official Libby Phillips, Brynn Storhoff, Elizabeth Pritchard, and Gabriel Hiner
| Throughout December, Decorah elementary students have been busy sharing holiday cheer throughout the community. Transitional kindergarten (TK) through 4th grade students created holiday cards and decorations for residents at local nursing homes and shared holiday songs during a visit. Several of the third-grade classes recently participated in Holidays with Heroes. They visited our local heroes from the police station, sheriff’s department, fire station, and city hall and shared holiday songs and cookies. Facilitator of Social Emotional Behavioral Health and Family and Community Partnerships Shanna Putnam Dibble stated, “Our educators work hard throughout the year to teach, model, practice, and promote Viking Pride, which is all about being respectful, responsible, and safe at school, at home, and throughout the community. These community service experiences are a great example of what Viking Pride is all about–being respectful and sharing kindness and love while serving our community!” |
1st graders share holiday songs with residents at Aase Haugen
4th graders sing holiday songs and decorations with residents at Aase Haugen
Holiday Heroes: sharing holiday songs and cookies with local heroes #1
Holiday Heroes: sharing holiday songs and cookies with local heroes #2
Holiday cookies for Mayor Borowski
Sharing holiday cookies with police officers
Treats from sheriff office staff
Twenty-eight students from Decorah were recently selected for participation in the 37th annual Opus Honor Choir Festival. Over 2,400 students were nominated by their directors for 720 positions in the four Opus Honor Choirs. Selections were made by means of a recorded audition.
This was the seventeenth year that Decorah had students audition for the Opus Honor Choirs. Throughout this time more than 393 students from Decorah have been accepted through recordings submitted by Dean Beckman, Jason Rausch, and community youth choir directors. This year, twenty-two students were selected from Decorah Middle School by recordings submitted by Dean Beckman, the second highest number of students accepted into the honor choirs by one teacher in the state of Iowa in 2023. Six ninth grade students were selected by recordings submitted by Jason Rausch at the Decorah High School. The following students were accepted.
6th Grade: Niva Anderson, Jorgan Lee-Juve, Kaya Olson, Lillianna Richmond, Abby Shaw, Haylyn Stowe, Hayven Stowe, and Iris Wadsworth
7th Grade: Nathaniel Crose, Tristan Hanson, Hanna Lensch, Simon Potvin, Veda Shimek, and Graham Torkelson
8th Grade: Kennedy Carlson, Kylie Cord, Ella Evelsizer, Cooper Ewing, Derek Hrdlicka, Kaya Johnson, Logan Nalean-Carlson, and Davis Walter
9th Grade: Spencer Christensen, Lawrence Christman, Emma Cline, Olivia Rissman,
Colin Thompson, and Jillian Volz
In addition, one student was selected as a solo finalist to audition for the concert: Derek Hrdlicka in grade 8. Derek was selected to sing in a soli section of four students in the final concert.
Guest conductors of the choirs included Tami Meiners, Carroll Community School District, 5th & 6th Grade Honor Choir; Thad Wilkins, Mt. Vernon Community Schools, 7th & 8th Grade Bass Clef Honor Choir; Abby Sheppard, Sioux City Community Schools, 7th & 8th Grade Treble Clef Honor Choir; and Matt Walker, Iowa City Community School District, 9th Grade Mixed Honor Choir. The 2023 Opus Honor Choirs performed on November 16th in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium in the Iowa State Center in Ames. The Opus Honor Choir Festival was made possible by the Iowa Choral Directors Association, Inc.
Photo ID: Opus 5-8 graders
Row 1 (l-r): Simon Potvin and Logan Nalean-Carlson
Row 2 (l-r): Ella Evelsizer, Kennedy Carlson, Kaya Johnson, Davis Walter, Cooper Ewing, Derek Hrdlicka, Hanna Lensch, Veda Shimek, and Kylie Cord
Row 3 (l-r): Nathaniel Crose, Abby Shaw, Iris Wadsworth, Haylyn Stowe, Hayven Stowe,
Niva Anderson, Jorgan Lee-Juve, Kaya Olson, Graham Torkelson, and Tristan Hanson
Not Pictured: Lillianna Richmond
Photo ID: Decorah 9th Grade Picture
Row 1 (l-r): Emma Cline and Jillian Volz
Row 2: (l-r) Olivia Rissman and Lawrence Christman
Row 3: (l-r) Colin Thompson and Spencer Christensen
In May of 2023 the Iowa Legislature passed Senate File 496 which, in part, requires all public school libraries in Iowa to remove any books with a drawing or written description of a sex act. With no list of books provided by the state nor specific guidance from the Department of Education, each district in Iowa was tasked with developing their own process to interpret and implement the law.
Decorah Community School District decided the best approach was to form a committee for this work. The following people serve on the committee: Tim Cronin, superintendent; Brad Hurst, Decorah High School principal; Shannon Horton, teacher librarian; Liz Fox, instructional coach; Rebecca Newhouse, Luther College instructor; and Cindy Goodner, school board president.
The committee began their work by reading and discussing the written law, as well as consulting with the district’s attorney. An initial list of titles to review was compiled using the Des Moines Register’s database of library books removed from Iowa school districts that had already made and reported their decisions.
So far, 29 titles have been removed from the Decorah High School Library that are considered non-compliant according to section 702.17 of SF 496, definitions of a sex act. In addition, the committee has begun to consider books from various curricula that may not be in the library collection but still need to be reviewed.
A comprehensive record of all titles removed or being reviewed by the committee is linked here: DCSD Books Removed (as of 12/04/2023)
Shannon Horton, teacher librarian stated, “The committee has made a sincere effort to comply with the law and will continue to meet as books come to our attention. These were difficult decisions to make as all books in our collection have been previously vetted using professional reviews and consideration.”
Superintendent Tim Cronin added, “I appreciate the staff for their dedication to this task. This is not easy or enjoyable; however, it is important.”
Shannon Horton, teacher librarian, at DHS library
The Decorah High School Music Department will present a winter choral concert at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, December 18 in the DHS Auditorium. The concert will feature Ninth Grade Bass Clef Choir, Ninth Grade Treble Clef Choir, Viking Chorus, and Concert Choir. Audience members will hear music by Ernani Aguiar, Kyle Pederson, Marianne Forman, Craig Hella Johnson, Carolyn Jennings, Laura Farnell, and Andrea Ramsey. “Gaston” from Beauty and the Beast, a sea chanty; Carly Simon’s “Let the River Run”; and arrangements of familiar seasonal pieces will be featured. The concert will conclude with Concert Choir and alumni singing Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” – a DHS tradition.
The DHS Madrigal Singers will perform carols in the auditorium beginning at 7:10 p.m.
Conductors for the concert are Jason Rausch and Dean Beckman, and collaborative pianist is Chris Hadley. Guest percussionists are Liam Chamberlain, Alex McGohan, and Julia Severtson. The public is cordially invited to attend.
Viking Chorus
Ninth Grade Choir
Concert Choir
DHS Alumni join Concert Choir in song
On Decorah 3, 2023, sixteen Decorah Band students participated in the Northeast Iowa Bandmasters’ Association Honor Band. This honor band features some of the top musicians in Northeast Iowa, which includes two middle school and two high school level concert bands. Students were selected from nominations from their director and then auditioned for their chair in the band.
These groups rehearsed all day and then performed at an evening concert at Oelwein High School. This year’s honor band guest directors were Drew Balta from Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Ryan Meyer from Denison, Iowa; Dr. Richard Mark Heidel from the University of Iowa; and Dr. Melissa Gustafson-Hinds from O’Fallon, Illinois.
Mr. Bliven stated, “I was extremely pleased with the number of students selected from our program. These are some of the hardest working and talented students we have in our 8th grade and high school bands. Many of our students sat at the higher end of their respective sections, and every group performed exceptionally well that evening. I’m super proud of all these students for giving up a Saturday to gain this kind of experience. They sat around students from all different schools within Northeast Iowa and performed for some great guest conductors.”
High School Picture (l-r):
Noah Potvin, Lily Sandhorst, Natalie Goodner, Brenna Parker, Ansel Kowitz, Lucas Hanson, and Mr. Bliven, director. Unable to attend: Grant Zilka.
Middle School Picture (l-r):
Nils Peterson, Rachel Weis, Kira Dowden, Sophia McGee, Max Goodner, Isaac Bently, Davis Walter, Addisyn Ivy, Katherine Pattison, Raelyn Newhouse, and Mr. Bliven, director.
On , while attending the Northeast Iowa Bandmasters’ Association Honor Band, Decorah Middle School 8th grader Nils Peterson was selected into the All-Iowa 8th Grade Honor Band. In order to audition for this honor band, students must be in 8th grade, be selected into the NEIBA Middle School Honor Band, and prepare a selected etude. In addition, Sophia McGee and Addisyn Ivy were invited for a recall audition to be considered for this honor band. Peterson will perform with the honor band at the Iowa Bandmasters’ Association Conference in Des Moines in May.
Mr. Bliven stated, “This is an extremely difficult honor band to get into, and we had several Decorah students give great auditions. This band is equivalent to the high school All-State band, and I was overjoyed to hear that Nils was selected. He is so talented and he will represent himself and the Decorah Band program so well. I’m excited for him to have this opportunity.”
Nils Peterson