Author: Decorah Community School District

Tricia Thein, Decorah Chief of Police; Dan Marx, Winneshiek County Sheriff; and Tim Cronin, DCSD Superintendent, have received a steady stream of reports from school bus drivers indicating that several vehicles have been illegally passing school buses, jeopardizing the lives of students.

This week, Decorah bus drivers reported four stop-arm violations.

Thein, Marx, and Cronin want to emphasize in the strongest possible terms that passing a school bus with its stop arm extended is not only illegal but also incredibly dangerous. They stated, “The safety of our children is paramount, and we cannot tolerate reckless behavior that puts their lives at risk.”

The Decorah Community School District buses are equipped with cameras that capture these violations, and the footage is promptly turned over to the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office, Decorah Police Department, and Iowa State Patrol. Offenders will be identified, and appropriate legal actions–including fines–will be taken against them. Fines for school bus stop-arm violations range from $345-$930, and offenders WILL lose their license for 30 days upon conviction—for the first offense.

“We urge all drivers in Winneshiek County to be vigilant, patient, and considerate on the roads, especially during school hours,” Thein, Marx, and Cronin continued. “Please share this message with your family, friends, and neighbors to raise awareness about the

gravity of this issue. Let us work together as a community to ensure the safety and well-being of our children. By respecting the stop arm on school buses, we can create a secure environment for our students to learn, grow, and thrive.”

Decorah High School students participated in the Northeast State Large Group Speech Contest hosted at Dubuque Senior High School on February 3. Judges at the state contest selected 16 of Decorah High School performances as outstanding, tying the school record. These performances are honored with the coveted All-State Speech nomination to be part of the All-State Speech Festival, which will include performances by the best speech students from across the state of Iowa. 

Twelve of the Decorah High School groups nominated will perform at the festival on February 17 at Iowa State University. More information about the festival, including a schedule, can be found at https://www.ihssa.org/contests/large-group/all-state/.

Being designated a non-performing group at All-State is as special of an honor as performing; however, scheduling limitations prevent all nominees from performing.

DHS speech students are coached by Molly Holkesvik, Gabriel Twedt, Carrie Kauffman, Rachel Breitenbach-Dirks, Lyra McKnight, and Annika Krieg.

The directors remarked, “We are thrilled with the results of these All-State nominations. Our students worked hard, performed well, and supported one another passionately throughout the season. We are a part of a very competitive region of the state, which makes these nominations even more meaningful. We look forward to celebrating all of our nominees at the festival next weekend.”

DHS speech groups nominated as an All-State Honoree include two choral readings, one ensemble acting, two group improvs, one group mime, two solo mimes, two musical theaters, one radio broadcasting, a readers theater, three television newscasting, and a one-act play. 

Cast lists for those groups performing are as follows:

Choral Reading “The Eras of Taylor Swift” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Annika Krieg.

Participants include Alex McGohan, Julia Severtson, Lexy Walker, Paige Wrightsman, Hannah Arendt, Natalie Goodner, Kaylie Wemark, Caden Branum, Bethany Hanson, Evon Leitz, Nathan Swarbrick, Liz Pritchard, Grace Blikre, and Caleb Johnson.

9th grade Choral Reading “Walt’s Guide to a Happily Ever After” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Annika Krieg.

Participants include Lulu Bellrichard, Thatcher Brown, Clarence Nimrod, Lawrence Christman, Emma Cline, Ava Hanson, Naomi Kutz, Myla Leitz, Jayden Lundtvedt, Carter Riley, Oliva Rissman, Isis Timm, and Jillian Volz.

Group Improv was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Rachel Breitenbach-Dirks, and Lyra McKnight. 

Group One: Anders Lovstuen, Henry Weis, Oliver Brummel, and Beau Newhouse

Group Two: Joe Stammeyer, Tommy Hammel, and Jack Sovern

Solo Mime “Midnight Madness” by Jensen Korsness was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Gabriel Twedt, and Carrie Kauffman.

Solo Mime “Magnificent Malvolio’s Mishaps” by Nat Roberts was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Gabriel Twedt, and Carrie Kauffman.

Musical Theater “Tick, Tick…Boom” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman.

Participants include Connor Evelsizer, Bethany Hanson, Ezra Vorvick, Libby Phillips, Hayley Stowe, Oliver Brummel, Gwen Thompson, and Lucas Hanson.

Radio Broadcasting “KWAK” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman. 

Participants include Tommy Hammel, Camryn Holland, Lily Sandhorst, Addison Wicklund, Alex McGohan, Hannah Arendt, and Jerald Thompson.

Readers Theater “The House in the Cerulean Sea” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie

Kauffman. 

Participants include Sydney Kipp, Abbie Valkosky, Henry Weis, Greta Jones, Annika Keefe, Nora Lesmeister, Davis Coppola, Ansel Kowitz, McKenzie Riley, Mikayla Hiner, Jameson LaBelle, Klara Kelly, Luke Arendt, and Elliana Brodbeck.

Television Newscasting “Close Encounters: Strangers from Space” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Gabriel Twedt. 

Participants include Naomi Pedlar, Caden Branum, Braunwyn Darrington, Simon Kutz, Brynn Storhoff, Nathan Swarbrick, Sam Cline, Peter Essa, Gwen Thompson, Eily Hegdahl, Liz Pritchard, Paige Wrightsman, Mara Branum, and Natalie Goodner,

Television Newscasting “Breaking Barriers: The Rise of Girls Wrestling” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Gabriel Twedt.

Participants include Jack Sovern, Kamryn Steines, Will Robinson, Beau Newhouse, Annaleissa Arnold, Karmyn Bakken, Grant Zilka, Jensen Korsness, Naomi Simon, Ana Simon, Leah Holland, Kelby Kerndt, and Lauren Luzum.

One Act Play “She Kills Monsters” was directed by Rachel Breitenbach-Dirks and Gabriel Twedt.

Participants include Kathryn Kelly, Elliana Brodbeck, McKenzie Riley, Ezra Vorvick, Gabriel Hiner, Libby Phillips, Julia Severtson, Hayley Stowe, Annika Keefe, Andy Kruger, June Breitenbach-Dirks, Nora Lesmeister, Kaylie Wemark, and Cody Carolan.

The following have been selected as outstanding non-performing at the All-State Festival:

Ensemble Acting “The Day the Internet Died” was directed by Rachel Breitenbach-Dirks.

Participants include Davis Coppola, Karmyn Bakken, Kathryn Kelly, Klaara Short, Liam Chamberlain, and Lucas Hanson.

Group Mime “Night at the Art Museum” was directed by Rachel Breitenbach-Dirks and Lyra McKnight.

Participants include Brynn Storhoff, Kathleen Delphey, Anopa Mtisi, Evynne Downing, Camryn Holland, and Ariana Albert.

Musical Theater “Newsies” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman.

Participants include Mikayla Hiner, Jameson LaBelle, Caleb Johnson, Andy Krueger, Abbie Valkosky, Gabriel Hiner, June Breitenbach-Dirks, and Elsa Christman.

9th grade Television Newscasting “Iowa Roots: Indigenous Heritage” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Gabriel Twedt. 

Participants include Lulu Bellrichard, Thatcher Brown, Sawyer Courtney, Thomas Davis, Ava Hanson, Kaelyn Kuhn, Clarence Nimrod, Kyan Oftedahl, Carter Riley, Oliver Rissman, Nina Sessions, Claire Storhoff, and Colin Thompson.

Photo ID: Eras of Taylor Swift Choral Reading

Front Row (l-r): Kaylie Wemark, Hannah Arendt, Julia Severtson, Grace Blikre, Caleb Johnson, and Lexy Walker

Back Row (l-r): Natalie Goodner, Paige Wrightsman, Evon Leitz, Liz Pritchard, Caden Branum, Alex McGohan, Nathan Swarbrick, and Coach Molly Holkesvik

Missing from photo: Bethany Hanson and Coach Annika Krieg

Photo ID: 9th grade Choral Reading: Walt’s Guide to a Happily Ever After

Front Row (l-r): Coach Molly Holkesvik, Isis Timm, Naomi Kutz, Jayden Lundtvedt, Emma Cline, Jillian Volz, and coach Annika Krieg

Back Row (l-r): Ava Hanson, Oliva Rissman, Lawrence Christman, Clarence Nimrod, Carter Riley, Thatcher Brown, Lulu Bellrichard, Myla Leitz

Decorah High School speech students participated in State Large Group Speech Contest on Saturday, February 3rd, held at Dubuque Senior High School.

The performers had an excellent showing, earning 24 Division I ratings out of 27 entries. The ninth-grade team performed in 6 entries, while the varsity team performed in 22 entries. 

“Our students did a wonderful job representing our school. They worked hard and performed with poise, professionalism, and personality. We are extremely proud of them. They continue to bring so much to the speech program and our community,” remarked the directors.

All-State nominations will be released later this week.

Cast lists for the varsity groups who received a “I” rating at state contest are as follows:

Choral Reading “The Eras of Taylor Swift” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Annika Krieg.

Participants include Alex McGohan, Julia Severtson, Lexy Walker, Paige Wrightsman, Hannah Arendt, Natalie Goodner, Kaylie Wemark, Caden Branum, Bethany Hanson, Evon Leitz, Nathan Swarbrick, Liz Pritchard, Grace Blikre, and Caleb Johnson.

Ensemble Acting “The Day the Internet Died” was directed by Rachel Breitenbach-Dirks.

Participants include Davis Coppola, Karmyn Bakken, Kathryn Kelly, Klaara Short, Liam Chamberlain, and Lucas Hanson.

Ensemble Acting “The Yellow Boat” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Annika Krieg. 

Participants include Anders Lovstuen, Evon Leitz, Ezra Harman-Wood, Klara Kelly, Peter Essa, and Grace Blikre.

Group Improv was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Rachel Breitenbach-Dirks, and Lyra McKnight. 

Participants performed in three groups. 

Group One: Anders Lovstuen, Henry Weis, Oliver Brummel, and Beau Newhouse

Group Two: Joe Stammeyer, Tommy Hammel, and Jack Sovern

Group Three: Liam Chamberlain, Greta Jones, Ansel Kowitz, and Nat Roberts

Group Mime “Night at the Art Museum” was directed by Rachel Breitenbach-Dirks and Lyra McKnight.

Participants include Brynn Storhoff, Kathleen Delphey, Anopa Mtisi, Evynne Downing, Camryn Holland, and Ariana Albert.

Solo Mime “Midnight Madness” by Jensen Korsness was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Gabriel Twedt, and Carrie Kauffman.

Solo Mime “Magnificent Malvolio’s Mishaps” by Nat Roberts was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Gabriel Twedt, and Carrie Kauffman.

Musical Theater “Newsies” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman.

Participants include Mikayla Hiner, Jameson LaBelle, Caleb Johnson, Andy Krueger, Abbie Valkosky, Gabriel Hiner, June Breitenbach-Dirks, and Elsa Christman.

Musical Theater “Tick, Tick…Boom” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman.

Participants include Connor Evelsizer, Bethany Hanson, Ezra Vorvick, Libby Phillips, Hayley Stowe, Oliver Brummel, Gwen Thompson, and Lucas Hanson.

One Act Play “She Kills Monsters” was directed by Rachel Breitenbach-Dirks and Gabriel Twedt.

Participants include Kathryn Kelly, Elliana Brodbeck, McKenzie Riley, Ezra Vorvick, Gabriel Hiner, Libby Phillips, Julia Severtson, Hayley Stowe, Annika Keefe, Andy Kruger, June Breitenbach-Dirks, Nora Lesmeister, Kaylie Wemark, and Cody Carolan.

Radio Broadcasting “KWAK” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman. 

Participants include Tommy Hammel, Camryn Holland, Lily Sandhorst, Addison Wicklund, Alex McGohan, Hannah Arendt, and Jerald Thompson.

Radio Broadcasting “KZZZ” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman. 

Participants include Grant Zilka, Ezra Harman-Wood, Faith Meyer, Lyla Lovstuen, Sam Cline, and Joe Stammeyer.

Readers Theater “The House in the Cerulean Sea” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie

Kauffman. 

Participants include Sydney Kipp, Abbie Valkosky, Henry Weis, Greta Jones, Annika Keefe, Nora Lesmeister, Simon Kutz, Davis Coppola, Ansel Kowitz, McKenzie Riley, Mikayla Hiner, Jameson LaBelle, Klara Kelly, Luke Arendt, and Elliana Brodbeck.

Short Film “Not Gone, But Forgotten” was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Lyra McKnight, and Annika Krieg.

Participants include Corina Timm, Jerald Thompson, Mara Branum, Patrick Gallagher, and Lyla Lovstuen.

Short Film “Almost Gone” was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Lyra McKnight, and Annika Krieg.

Participants include Klaara Short, Evynne Downing, Ariana Albert, Anopa Mtisi, Livia Dix, Jorja Folkedahl, Sage Fornasiero, and Dakotah Teepe.

TV News “Close Encounters: Strangers from Space” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Gabriel Twedt. 

Participants include Naomi Pedlar, Caden Branum, Braunwyn Darrington, Simon Kutz, Brynn Storhoff, Nathan Swarbrick, Sam Cline, Peter Essa, Gwen Thompson, Eily Hegdahl, Liz Pritchard, Paige Wrightsman, Mara Branum, and Natalie Goodner,

TV News “Breaking Barriers: The Rise of Girls Wrestling” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Gabriel Twedt.

Participants include Jack Sovern, Kamryn Steines, Will Robinson, Beau Newhouse, Annaleissa Arnold, Karmyn Bakken, Grant Zilka, Jensen Korsness, Naomi Simon, Ana Simon, Leah Holland, Kelby Kerndt, and Lauren Luzum.

Cast lists for other varsity groups who performed at state contest and received a “II” rating:

Ensemble Acting “In a J.A.M.” was directed by Lyra McKnight.

Participants include Corina Timm, Luke Arendt, Alex Mercado-Arneson, and William Duder.

Short Film “Tik Tok Boom” was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Lyra McKnight, and Annika Krieg. 

Participants include Kathleen Delphey, Leah Holland, Will Robinson, Annaleissa Arnold, Kamryn Steines, Marri Feuerhelm, and Kelby Kerndt.

Cast lists for the 9th grade groups who received a “I” rating at state contest are as follows:

Choral Reading “Walt’s Guide to a Happily Ever After” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Annika Krieg.

Participants include Lulu Bellrichard, Thatcher Brown, Clarence Nimrod, Lawrence Christman, Emma Cline, Ava Hanson, Naomi Kutz, Myla Leitz, Jayden Lundtvedt, Carter Riley, Oliva Rissman, Isis Timm, and Jillian Volz.

Musical Theater “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” was directed by Gabriel Twedt, Carrie Kauffman, and Annika Krieg.

Participants include Emma Cline, Jackson Irwin, Noah Potvin, Vivian Searcy, Grace Stockman, Colin Thompson, Isis Timm, and Jillian Volz.

Radio Broadcasting “KRTR” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman. 

Participants include Elliot Berland, Spencer Christensen, Sawyer Courtney, Jayden Lundtvedt, Teagan Menke, Kyan Oftedahl, and Claire Storhoff.

TV News “Iowa Roots: Indigenous Heritage” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Gabriel Twedt. 

Participants include Lulu Bellrichard, Thatcher Brown, Sawyer Courtney, Thomas Davis, Ava Hanson, Kaelyn Kuhn, Clarence Nimrod, Kyan Oftedahl, Carter Riley, Oliver Rissman, Nina Sessions, Claire Storhoff, and Colin Thompson.

Short Film “Growing Up” was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Lyra McKnight, and Annika Krieg.

Participants include Kaelyn Kuhn, Naomi Kutz, Myla Leitz, Nina Sessions, and Oskar Swanson.

Cast lists for other 9th grade groups who performed at state contest and received a “II” rating:

Ensemble Acting “Toy Tale: A Toy Story Knockoff” was directed by Rachel Breitenbach-Dirks. 

Participants include Grace Stockman, Margaret Hahn, Teagan Menke, Noah Potvin, and Oliva Volkmann.

The Decorah Community School District will be holding a Kindergarten Parent Meeting for the upcoming 2024-25 school year on Tuesday, February 6th at 6:00 pm at Carrie Lee Elementary auditorium. Participants should enter using the middle doors. Preregistration starts at 5:30 pm.

This informational meeting is for parents of potential Kindergarten or Transitional Kindergarten students for the 2024-25 school year. To be eligible for Kindergarten or Transitional Kindergarten, students must be five years of age on or before .

Current Transitional Kindergarten families are welcome, but they do not need to attend.

Those who have any questions should call John Cline School at 563-382-3125.

Dear Decorah School District Community Members,

The Decorah Community School District is reaching out to our community to gather input on an important matter. As we discussed in a recent statement (http://tinyurl.com/DCSDNEIC23), recent developments have placed the viability of the Northeast Iowa Conference in jeopardy.  Given these developments, we are seeking community input on our options for conference affiliation.

To ensure that your voice is heard in this decision-making process, we have created a brief survey focusing on five key elements related to conference affiliation. We ask you to rank each of the five elements provided, with 1 being the most important and 5 being the least important.  Your participation in this survey is vital to ensure that the administration and board have a comprehensive understanding of the community’s perspectives. 

Thank you for your ongoing support of the Decorah Community School District. 

Sincerely,

Tim Cronin, Superintendent

Decorah Community School District

The High School Music Listening Contest regional event took place on Friday, Jan. 19, at seven regions across Minnesota, Iowa, and Utah. Nearly 90 teams participated in the contest this year, representing 35 different schools, home schools, and private music studios.

Decorah High School had 13 teams of three students each competing at Decorah High School at the Region 5 competition. Organizers said this was the biggest group from any school, and it is the largest number of teams from DHS thus far. This is the fifth year Decorah students have competed in the contest. They are coached by Nicole Cody, a member of the music faculty at the high school.

Ten of Decorah’s 13 teams placed in the top 10 of the competition out of 15 teams participating from four schools. Earning first place with a score of 94/100 were Nora Lesmeister, Mason Myers, and Karmyn Bakken. Two Decorah teams tied for second place with a score of 89/100: Alex McGohan, Elizabeth Pritchard, and Jensen Korsness; and Aidan Nalean-Carlson, Ansel Kowitz, and Evon Leitz. The Decorah team of Julia Severtson, Lauren Severtson, and Grace Stockman placed 3rd with a score of 88/100. 

Cody remarked, “I am incredibly proud of all the teams. Their performance at the contest was remarkable. They learn so much, so quickly, and we have so much fun listening together. It never gets old to watch students argue about Robert Schumann vs. Johannes Brahms or laugh at the comedic parts of a Medieval piece of music about two very good dogs.”

The top two scoring teams from two different schools from the regional contests automatically advance to the championship competition held at Augsburg University in Minneapolis on Friday, . Because of this rule, the team who scored in 11th place, Wisconsin Hills Middle School, will advance to the championships along with Decorah’s first place winning team. The 2nd place teams and the 3rd place team were chosen as wildcards because of their high scores and will compete at Augsburg as well. 

According to Cody, the contest is an ideal opportunity to enrich students’ experiences with classical music in a fun and competitive environment. This statewide contest connects high school students with classical music and enhances their ability to identify composers, periods, and styles. In the fall, teachers or coaches recruit three students to form a team. Team members receive a study guide and access to all the musical selections they will need to compete effectively.

The mission of the Music Listening Contest is to assist teachers in their efforts to expand the music experiences of students—primarily through the use of Western art music, commonly referred to as classical music. The contest materials cover classical music, global perspectives, and a variety of musical influences. The objective of the contest is to inspire students to become lifelong participants in the musical experience.

MLC Full Group: All thirteen MLC teams from DHS

MLC First Place Team: Nora Lesmeister, Mason Myers, Karmyn Bakken 

MLC Second Place Tie: Alex McGohan, Elizabeth Pritchard, and Jensen Korsness

MLC Top Teams: Lauren Severtson, Julia Severtson, Grace Stockman, Mason Myers, Nora Lesmeister, Evon Leitz, Ansel Kowitz, Aidan Nalean-Carlson 

The Decorah Community School District Board of Directors and administration continue to monitor possible membership changes in the Northeast Iowa Conference, which has a long and proud history spanning more than a century.

Founded in 1920, the NEIC was the state’s first interscholastic conference, and Decorah is a charter member. The league consisted of the same seven members from 1970, when Waukon joined, until 2022, when Oelwein departed the conference. Waverly-Shell Rock will cease its NEIC membership at the conclusion of the 2023-24 school year.

In recent weeks, the Howard-Winneshiek Board of Education authorized its superintendent to formally request admission to the Upper Iowa Conference. In response, the Charles City Board of Education granted approval to its superintendent to inquire about moving to the North Central Conference.

Potential new conference membership options for the Decorah Community School District are limited due to the district’s geographic location. The administration and board will continue to monitor these developments, seek feedback from the community, and evaluate the district’s options moving forward.

The Decorah High School chapter of the National Honor Society inducted 60 new members during its annual induction ceremony Tuesday, January 23, at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

This year’s program included speeches by the NHS officers: President Brynn Storhoff, Vice-President Simon Kutz, Communications Director Spencer Rix, Treasurer Libby Phillips, and Maverick Elizabeth Pritchard.  Music featured included an orchestra ensemble and a performance by the Madrigal Singers.

In order to be inducted into the National Honor Society, a student must have maintained a high grade point average and must have demonstrated effective leadership, scholarship, character, and service. Members are selected by a committee of faculty members after a review of applications.

The Decorah NHS is involved in a number of initiatives, including volunteerism, building community, and tutoring. President Brynn Storhoff commented, “I am proud of the work the Decorah NHS has accomplished thus far. I look forward to working with the new inductees and am confident we will achieve great things as an organization.”

The new National Honor Society inductees include Hannah Arendt, Karmyn Bakken, Edyn Bateman, Bridget Bentley, Elizabeth Bjork, Grace Blikre, Charlie Brandel, Elliana Brodbeck, Oliver Brummel, Louis Bucksa, Davis Coppola, Gabrielle Dixon, Carter Dlhy, Jaidyn Duvel, Bryce Elsbernd, Sophia Fahey, Kelley Gates, Natalie Goodner, Gavin Groux, Shelby Hageman, William Hahn, Austin Helgerson, Kealy Hines, Camryn Holland, Leah Holland, Abbeke Jensen, Sara Johanningmeier, Dakota Johnson, Elsa Johnson, Annika Keefe, Ansel Kowitz, Andrew Kruger, Reid Kuehner, Jakob Maret, Emily Myers, Mason Myers, Beau Newhouse, Savannah O’Reilly, Lillian Olson, Amelia Pankow, Jackson Pipho, Andrew Rhodes, McKenzie Riley, Kellen Roffman, Ellie Rolfs, Lily Sandhorst, Klaara Short, Jordan Sims, Domenik Smith, Kamryn Steines, Ella Stille, Leah Suhr, Nathan Swarbrick, Gwenyth Thompson, Jerald Thompson, Amelia Wadsworth, Kera Walter, Kinsey White, Addison Wicklund, and Grant Zilka.

Current National Honor Society members include Brooke Anfinson, Lucas Arendt, Annaleissa Arnold, Brady Bohner, Caden Branum, Annika Brynsaas, Grace Brynsaas, Cody Carolan, Brock Christensen, Olivia Christopher, Peter Essa, Jorja Folkedahl, Lydia Frank, Madelyn Fromm, Bethany Hanson, Brody Hanson, Brayden Hartl, Gabriel Hiner, Elayna Hook, Kathryn Kelly, Sydney Kipp, Simon Kutz, Evon Leitz, Danielle Losen, Anders Lovstuen, Alexander McGohan, Lydia Monreal-Rice, Creed Monroe, Aidan Nalean-Carlson, Brenna Parker, Libby Phillips, Elizabeth Pritchard, Jeramiah Rediske, Spencer Rix, Julia Severtson, Naomi Simon, Joseph Stammeyer, Brynn Storhoff, Grace Stortz, Will Teslow, Corina Timm, Fisher Tweten, Abbie Valkosky, Ciara Wedmann, Henry Weis, Yazmeen Whitsitt, Paige Wrightsman, and Kaiden Youngblood.

Liz Fox and Shannon Horton are the faculty advisers of the Decorah chapter of the National Honor Society at Decorah High School.

NHS Inductees 1 Photo ID (l-r):

Front Row: Hannah Arendt, Edyn Bateman, Bridget Bentley, Elizabeth Bjork, Grace Blikre, Charlie Brandel, Elliana Brodbeck, Oliver Brummel, Louis Bucksa 

Middle Row: Davis Coppola, Gabrielle Dixon, Carter Dlhy, Jaidyn Duvel, Bryce Elsbernd, Sophia Fahey, Kelley Gates, Natalie Goodner, Gavin Groux, Shelby Hageman 

Back Row: William Hahn, Austin Helgerson, Kealy Hines, Camryn Holland, Leah Holland, Abbeke Jensen, Sara Johanningmeier, Dakota Johnson, Annika Keefe, Ansel Kowitz

NHS Inductees 2 Photo ID (l-r): 

Front Row: Andrew Kruger, Reid Kuehner, Jakob Maret, Emily Myers, Mason Myers, Beau Newhouse, Savannah O’Reilly, Lillian Olson, Amelia Pankow, Jackson Pipho 

Middle Row: Andrew Rhodes, McKenzie Riley, Kellen Roffman, Ellie Rolfs, Lily Sandhorst, Klaara Short, Jordan Sims, Domenik Smith, Kamryn Steines, Ella Stille 

Back Row: Leah Suhr, Nathan Swarbrick, Gwenyth Thompson, Jerald Thompson, Amelia Wadsworth, Kera Walter, Kinsey White, Addison Wicklund, Grant Zilka

Inductees not pictured: Karmyn Bakken and Elsa Johnson

Current Members 1 Photo ID (l-r): 

Front Row:  Brooke Anfinson, Lucas Arendt, Annaleissa Arnold, Brady Bohner, Caden Branum, Grace Brynsaas, Cody Carolan, Brock Christensen, Olivia Christopher, Anders Lovstuen

Back Row: Peter Essa, Jorja Folkedahl, Lydia Frank, Madelyn Fromm, Brody Hanson, Brayden Hartl, Gabriel Hiner, Elayna Hook, Kathryn Kelly, Sydney Kipp, Evon Leitz, Danielle Losen 

Current Members 2 Photo ID (l-r): 

Front Row: Alexander McGohan, Lydia Monreal-Rice, Aidan Nalean-Carlson, Brenna Parker, Jeramiah Rediske, Julia Severtson, Joseph Stammeyer

Back Row: Grace Stortz, Will Teslow, Corina Timm, Fisher Tweten, Ciara Wedmann, Henry Weis, Paige Wrightsman, Kaiden Youngblood

Current members not pictured: Annika Brynsaas, Bethany Hanson, Creed Monroe, Naomi Simon, Abbie Valkosky, and Yazmeen Whitsitt

NHS Officers (l-r): Elizabeth Pritchard, Libby Phillips, Simon Kutz, Brynn Storhoff, and Spencer Rix

Decorah early childhood and elementary students have been participating in Dream Week festivities to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Preschool through fourth grade students and families were invited to attend a Dream Week Hour of Service where they participated in a variety of projects to support local organizations. They made tie blankets for Project Linus to share with children in need, created Valentine cards and decorations for residents of local nursing homes, packed birthday bags (complete with cake mix, frosting, candles, and balloons) for the Decorah Community Food Pantry, and advocated for (and snuggled with) some of the animals up for adoption at the Humane Society of Northeast Iowa.

Decorah schools also collaborated with Luther College for Dream Week Guest Readers. Luther students and faculty visited John Cline and Carrie Lee elementary schools to share stories celebrating diversity, kindness, and love.

Co-facilitator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Decorah schools Shanna Putnam Dibble stated, “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. dedicated his life to fighting for equality and respect for all individuals. Celebrating Dream Week and learning about the life and legacy of Dr. King in our elementary schools helps to foster an appreciation for diversity and a foundation of respect and kindness for all. Dream Week was a great opportunity for learning while also spreading kindness throughout our community!”

Putnam Dibble shares dog treats with Jasper, one of the many wonderful animals up for adoption at the Humane Society of Northeast Iowa.

Dream Week participants make Valentine’s Day cards for local nursing home residents.

Carrie Lee students created tie-blankets to give to Project Linus to share with children in need.

Avery and Stacy Williams helped pack birthday bags filled with cake mix, frosting, candles, and balloons, to help ensure everyone in our community can enjoy a birthday cake on their special day.

John Cline and Carrie Lee students enjoyed having guest readers from Luther College.  Readers shared books about diversity, equity, kindness, and love.

John Cline and Carrie Lee students enjoyed having guest readers from Luther College.  Readers shared books about diversity, equity, kindness, and love.

The 2024 Luther College Dorian Vocal Festival was held January 7-8 with nearly 1000 high school juniors and seniors from Midwest schools participating. Each year at the festival a solo competition is held to select individuals to perform at the Festival Grand Concert. This year two singers from Decorah High School advanced to the semi-final round: Bethany Hanson and Gabriel Hiner. Due to impending weather, the semi-final and final rounds did not occur. In addition, six DHS students were selected as Honorable Mention: Oliver Brummel, Connor Evelsizer, Kealy Hines, Sydney Kipp, Libby Phillips, and Julia Severtson.

Photo ID:

Front (l-r): Kealy Hines, Bethany Hanson, Julia Severtson, Sydney Kipp

Back (l-r): Oliver Brummel, Gabriel Hiner, Connor Evelsizer

Missing from picture: Libby Phillips