The News

Mid-Prairie

The marching band and color guard led off the homecoming parade on Wednesday, Sept. 11

Mid-Prairie Homecoming 2024

FFA students enjoy State Fair; school lunches cost district

WELLMAN Seven FFA students, along with advisor Elsa Schmidt, kicked off Monday night’s regular meeting of the Mid-Prairie school board with a presentation on some of the activities they …

Superintendent Brian Stone takes a family photo.

M-P West Elementary -- First Day of School

Students returned to Mid-Prairie West Elementary in Wellman on Friday, Aug. 23. The new parking lots and driveway had just been completed, making for smooth drop-offs by bus and car that morning.

Mid-Prairie student-historian to speak at EV History Center

If you believe “Young people just don’t care about history anymore,” or “Kids these days don’t understand the sacrifices their ancestors made,” 15-year-old Caedyn Huston will surprise …

Highland

Highland Schools consider naming and memorial policies

RIVERSIDE The Highland Community Schools district is finalizing policies that would establish regulations for the naming of district facilities, memorials and even school events or activities. …

Highland Schools seek WCRF grant for new lights at softball field

RIVERSIDE When Highland High School’s softball team takes to the field next May, the Huskies may be playing under new lights. A lighting project, which would include LED lights on …

Hall of Fame in planning for Highland Schools

RIVERSIDE A Hall of Fame may emerge at Highland High School in 2025. Jody Fink, athletics and activity director at Highland Schools, presented a plan to the School Board on Monday that …

Retired Highland band director Gordon Dyer with his Spirit of Education award.

Gordon Dyer recognized with Highland Spirit of Education award

RIVERSIDE When a beloved retired educator returns to the school where they spent decades of their career, they tend to be mobbed by faculty members and former students. For Gordon Dyer, things …

Lone Tree

Lone Tree CSD -- First Day of School

Lone Tree Community Schools had their first day of school on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024.

The Lone Tree Community School 2024-25 staff.

Summer projects complete, Lone Tree School ready for new year

LONE TREE For a small school district like Lone Tree, spending three-quarters of a million dollars on improvements over the summer is kind of a big deal. But the improvements made were needed, and …

Educating the educators: AI in classrooms

IOWA CITY In a world full of misinformation, it can be difficult to tell what is real, and what is fake. As artificial intelligence (AI) has made its debut into everyday life, it has brought fake …

Lone Tree preschool program to remain unchanged

LONE TREE After spending the last few months periodically pondering a change to Lone Tree’s preschool program, the school board finally made a decision during their sole June meeting …

Hillcrest Academy

Hillcrest Academy -- First Day of School

For the first time, Hillcrest Academy welcomed grades 6-12 on the first day of school, Aug. 23, 2024.

All eyes on the future

KALONA Hillcrest Academy experimented with a sixth grade program last school year, introducing a class of students who will end up being great ambassadors for the program. That is because next …

‘A deep sense of belonging’

KALONA When Hillcrest Academy set a course to open sixth grade classes for the 2023-24 school year, they published a middle school purpose statement which reads as follows: “The middle …

Front row: Marvin Marner, Bette Kauffman, LaVerta Yoder Butterbaugh, Janet Yoder Schulz, Sheryl Yoder Miller, Charlene Yoder Rhodes. Second row: Keith Troyer, Ron Guengerich, Bob Yoder, Marlene Troyer Miller, Bob Miller, Dale Rhodes. Third row: Fred Roth, Jay Brenneman, Leon Graber, Patty Mishler Roswell, Dan Miller, John Gingerich, Wayne Beachy, and Arlen Hershberger.

IMS Class of 1963 Reunion

Sixty years after graduation, class members of 1963 met Sept. 20 and 21 in Homestead, Iowa to see old friends and catch up on what has happened in our lives since last time we met. The setting for …

Photo Galleries

Photo gallery: Lone Tree graduation 2024

LONE TREE The Lone Tree Community School District hosted it's graduation ceremony on Sunday, May 26. Here, Valedictorian Ethan Bockelman, and X, the student who had the second best …

Hillcrest Academy’s 77th graduating class (L-R): Alexander Mata Canchola, Naomi Catherine Danker, Abigail Grace Kacmarynski, Breanna Rivera, and Mason Jack Swartzendruber.

Hillcrest Academy Class of 2024

Mid-Prairie Class of 2024

Photo gallery: Highland's graduation 2024

RIVERSIDE Highland celebrated the class of 2024 with a graduation ceremony on Sunday, May 19. After the graduates took their seat, different ones were honored due to different levels …

Photo gallery: Hillcrest junior/senior banquet

KALONA Hillcrest Academy hosted their Junior/Senior Banquet at Upper Deer Creek Church on Saturday, May 4. Students paired up at Lower Deer Creek Church before making the trek to the upper …