Author: Decorah Community School District

Decorah High School will host a Veterans Day breakfast and program for veterans and their families on Thursday, November 10. 

Breakfast will be served to veterans and their family members in the high school cafeteria starting at 8:30 a.m. 

The Veterans Day program will be held in the high school auditorium at 9:45 a.m. The VFW Color Guard will post the colors, and the DHS Wind Ensemble and the DHS Concert Choir will perform throughout the program. Decorah High School graduate Mark Kappelmann, Colonel in the United States Army and Senior Army Advisor to the Iowa Army National Guard, will be the featured speaker.

An important part of the breakfast and program is to recognize military men and women who have a connection to Decorah.  Those who would like to submit a photo of a family member who has served or is serving in the military to be added to the “Wall of Veterans” should bring a copy of a photo (no larger than a 5 x 7) to the Decorah High School office.  Pictures can also be emailed with information to denise.gulrud@decorah.k12.ia.us. The following information should be included:

Name of person

Military Branch

Years served or serving

Wars or conflicts fought in

The deadline to submit photos is Friday, November 4^th.   Those with any questions can contact Denise Gulrud at Decorah High School, 563-382-3643.

Parking will be available in the parking lot located on the west side of the high school. Veterans and their family members can enter through either the auditorium doors or the doors located off the west parking lot. 

The Luther College Nordic Choir, Decorah High School Concert Choir and Decorah Chorale will join together for a concert on Sunday, October 30 at 4:00 p.m. in the Luther College Center for Faith and Life. The concert will feature each choir in solo performances and conclude with the ensembles combining to perform “O, My Luve’s Like a Red, Red Rose” by René Clausen and “I’ll Be On My Way” by Shawn Kirchner.

A free-will offering will be collected to benefit the Decorah Community Food Pantry.

The Luther College Nordic Choir enjoys national and international stature as one of the premier collegiate choral ensembles in the United States. Concert Choir is an auditioned ensemble of juniors and seniors from Decorah High School. The Decorah Chorale is an adult mixed choral ensemble with members from Decorah and five surrounding communities.

The Nordic Choir is led by Andrew Last, and the DHS Concert Choir and Decorah Chorale are led by Jason Rausch. Collaborative pianists for the concert are Peggy Beatty and Mary Beth Bouska. Guest instrumentalists are Erik Sessions, violin and Simon Kutz, cello.

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The 36^th annual Northeast Iowa Holiday Craft and Bake Sale, sponsored by the Decorah Music Boosters, will be held on Saturday and Sunday, October 29 and 30, at Decorah High School. This is one of the largest craft sales in the tri-state area, featuring nearly 80 vendors. Doors will be open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. There is no admission charge.

This is a terrific opportunity for people to do their holiday shopping without having to leave town. A wide range of crafts and gift ideas for early Christmas shoppers will be available.

Raffle tickets for a TV will be available at the door for only $2 each.

The Decorah Music Boosters is a group that works to support the music programs of Decorah Community Schools. All proceeds from this craft sale will go toward student entrance fees and admissions to various music contests and festivals throughout the year.

The Decorah Music Boosters is a 501.c3 organization with all donations being tax-deductible.

Students from Decorah High School recently toured Gemini in Freeport and came away with a deeper understanding of the manufacturing process as well as a generous donation of $10,000 for the school’s robotics team.

Lindsey Moellers, Senior Human Resources Manager, has been a member of the Decorah High School CTE (Career and Technical Education) Committee for quite some time, and Gemini has partnered with the high school to provide students with both work study and internship opportunities. Over the past few years, they have also provided some financial support for STEM-related equipment and the robotics program. The company gives 2% of their profits to local nonprofit organizations as part of their stewardship core value.  

Moellers stated, “Gemini believes in stewardship and supporting the communities we serve in areas of education and training in manufacturing. Our partnership with the Decorah High School not only helps us build a network of future talent but also gives our Gemini team members an opportunity to develop their mentorship skills and engage with our community.  We enjoy interacting with the students on the robotics team and are excited to see what projects they have planned for the upcoming year!”  

Brett Wilker, math instructor and robotics team coach shared, “The students who went on the tour are all interested in pursuing some type of engineering field after high school. Gemini’s tour provided them with a view of what an engineer does in real life and how they tackle problems on the job. Through these types of visits and Gemini’s financial support, Decorah High School has been able to provide students with more first-hand experience in engineering and advanced manufacturing and to inspire them to seek careers in the growing STEM career field.”

“We cannot begin to thank Gemini enough for their ongoing and generous financial support of Decorah High School and our CTE programs and robotics team,” remarked Brad Hurst, DHS principal. 

Gemini is a wholesale manufacturer of solutions that identify, direct, and protect the world. For over 55 years, Gemini has been an industry leader producing made-to-order dimensional signage, plates, plaques, cast bronze memorials, industrial protective cases, and plastic parts. Gemini is a second-generation family-owned business headquartered in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, with production facilities throughout North America. For more information, visit https://geminimade.com/signage/. 

The Decorah High School Vocal Music Department will present a fall choral concert at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, October 17 in the DHS auditorium. The concert will begin with Ninth Grade Treble Clef Choir singing a setting of “Rise Up, My Love,” an arrangement of “Danny Boy,” and “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” from Mary Poppins. Ninth Grade Bass Clef Choir will perform three songs, including “The Sloop John B.” and “Fly High, You Grand Old Flag.” “Lakota Wiyanki,” “I Choose Love,” and “I Sing Because I’m Happy” will be on the program for Viking Chorus. The concert will conclude with five pieces by Concert Choir, including arrangements of “Elijah Rock,” “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” and “Reconcile.” The music shared is from multiple centuries, genres and cultures, and it is at times joyful, thoughtful and hopeful.

On Saturday October 8th, the Decorah High School Pride of the Vikings Marching Band participated in the Iowa High School Music Association’s State Marching Festival at Dubuque Senior High School. This festival ranks schools using a divisional rating system from 5 being the lowest to 1 being the highest rating available. The Pride of the Vikings Marching Band received a Division I rating of Superior for their performance of their 2022 show entitled “Night Watch.”  The band is under the direction of Dustin Bliven, Matt Cody, and Emily Hahn. The color guard is under the direction of Laurie Walter, the percussion volunteer is Kassidy Steines, and Alexandra Kane and Max Wilson are drum majors.

Mr. Bliven stated, “This band had their best performance of the year at this festival. They have really worked hard this season, and I’m so very proud of them. This was the best way to end our marching season!”

Four students from Decorah High School–Julia Phillips, Mya Redenius,
Rebecca Anderson, and Simon Kutz–have been selected as a College Board National Recognition Program awardees.

They earned this recognition because of their academic achievements in school and outstanding performance on the PSAT/NMSQT®, PSAT™ 10, and/or AP® Exams. They’ve accomplished these milestones during an immensely demanding period of their high school career.

National Recognition Programs grant underrepresented students with academic honors that can be included on college and scholarship applications and connect students with universities across the country, helping them meaningfully connect to colleges and stand out during the admissions process. All four of Decorah High School’s recipients received the National Rural and Small Town Award (NRSTA).

“We’re thrilled that our students have earned this recognition. We are very proud of them for their achievements in their classrooms and on College Board assessments,” said Pat Trewin, DHS guidance counselor. “These programs help students from underrepresented backgrounds stand out to colleges during admissions.”

The Pride of the Vikings marching band will be holding a public performance on Friday, October 7th at 2:30 pm at Vikings Stadium. They will feature their 2022 show Night Watch, a musical production darkly agitated with suspense that describes the mystery and exotics of the night. This production concludes with highly energetic themes that dramatically portray the beginning of a new day.

The musicians are enthusiastic about this public performance as it helps them prepare for the Iowa High School Music Associations’ State Marching Festival. On Saturday, October 8^th, the band will travel to Dubuque Senior High School to compete at this festival.

The Pride of the Vikings marching band is under the direction of Dustin Bliven, Matt Cody, and Emily Hahn. Color guard is under the direction of Laurie Walter, and percussion is under the instruction of Kassidy Steines. Music arrangements are by Jay Dawson, the drill design was created by Andy Clausen, and the color guard choreography was designed by Abigail Toussaint and Jenna Hartz.

Bliven stated, “I’m really excited and proud of this year’s marching band. They have really stepped it up, and I can’t wait for the public to see our performance!”

Wednesday the Decorah Community School District nutrition department served up both a local breakfast and lunch to celebrate Iowa Local Food Day, with some of the food offered from the high school garden grown and harvested by students. School garden produce is featured every day on the menu at Decorah schools.

Another way students are involved in learning about horticulture is through the landscaping surrounding Decorah High School.

When plans for the remodel of the high school were being developed, the school board directed the school staff to use native plants to diversify the landscape. This was also a time when the ash borer was of great concern, and the goal was to choose trees that would be disease proof and require less maintenance. That is why there exists so many different trees throughout the high school campus. 

Decorah High School science teacher Brad Johansen shared that using native plants creates ample learning opportunities. Students harvest the seeds and grow more plants to sell, replant, and give way. In the process they receive hands-on lessons on stratification, putting seeds in the freezer to mimic nature. Without this step there would be no seed propagation. Having a variety of plants for students to work with allows the teaching of landscape maintenance through the principles of both perennials and annuals.

Using native plants honors the past as well. Johansen remarked, “Winneshiek County was covered in purple coneflowers and big bluestem in the early 1800s.”

“Every growing season is different,” continued Johansen, “and presents different challenges and opportunities that students can learn from.”

“In 25 years the trees around the school will be fully grown, and the place will look different than it does now. Tree-lined canopies that are maintenance-free will line the campus grounds, giving it a collegiate look,” said Johansen. He shared that the city of Decorah is also making strides in diversifying the landscape, noting the boulevards are no longer monocultural.