2019 has provided a collection of memories for students to cherish. As students take a look back at this year’s wild ride, the transformation of this past year is recognized.

The past year was undoubtedly one of extremes, beginning with one of the worst winters in history. After five late starts, seven snow days and numerous early outs, the infamous polar vortex finally left in March. It also matched the record for Iowa’s record low temperature of -47 degrees Fahrenheit on Jan. 12.

To reschedule the missed school days, administrators got creative by cancelling three early outs, using a make-up day and adding five minutes to each class period for three weeks in March. In addition to the longer school days, a new bell system was put into place for students with slightly different sounds than the previous one.

Amidst the sporadic school schedule, students still managed to excel academically. The science and history bowl teams both won state competitions and qualified for nationals. And, for high achieving students taking a foreign language, a new opportunity was offered: the Seal of Biliteracy. Students could take this world language based test and upon passing, would receive a Seal of Biliteracy on their transcript.

With May came the graduation of the class of 2019 on Memorial Day weekend. While the rest of the school continued class until June 7, their official last day. 

After such a cold winter, it was not long before the extreme heat kicked in. July was officially the hottest month on record, with an average worldwide temperature of 62 degrees. Students found ways to beat the heat over the summer by traveling on vacations, such as the PV volunteer groups that traveled to a Peruvian school run by PV alumni, Daniel Klopp.

Over the summer, changes were made in the administration and teaching departments. Mike Zimmer, former high school principal, was named the new Director of Secondary Education. Darren Erickson filled the role of the new high school principal. Brian Strusz became the new superintendent in place of retired Jim Spelhaug. Three counselors were added to the staff, in place of two that had retired. Additionally, many new teachers were hired as a result of replacing retired positions. 

As students returned to school for the new school year, a district-wide phone policy was enacted, forcing students to ‘park’ their phones in classroom garages during class or keep them in their lockers.

Another policy change came with an improved early out schedule, which included an eighth period and 25 minute class periods. For those without an eighth period class, 11:35 a.m. was the new dismissal time.

The twenty-fifth annual Run with Carl was held in September, in honor of Carl Schillig, a former PV student. Many students attended the event, as runners, volunteers or spectators.

As the trees turned colors, fall brought awards and accolades to the PV district. Senior John Mendelin won IHSPA On-the-Spot writing contest at the fall journalism conference and Catilin Crome took third in the same contest. The Spartan Shield staff won Iowa News Team of the Year for the first time. Finally, Niche and MSN both ranked PVCSD as the top public school district in Iowa.

To contrast the honors Pleasant Valley students received this year, they gave back to their community in various ways. NHS’s annual fundraiser, PV Palooza, raised over one thousand dollars for QC Children’s Therapy Center in April. And in November, PV won the Student Hunger Drive for the third year in a row with 65,000 pounds of food donated. 

During the fall, students probably remember the Iowa vs. Iowa State football game where Iowa State student, Carson King ask for beer money, a sign which quickly turned into a fundraiser of 3 million dollars for the Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. This children’s hospital holds a special place in PV’s heart, as it is the hospital where children of PV faculty have been treated at: Will Kohn (son of Chris Kohn) and Olivia Lux (daughter of Tracy Lux).

Finally, the year came to an end with celebrations of Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and other numerous holiday traditions. Students were able to enjoy their winter break more, as it was a full two weeks this year, instead of the one and a half weeks that students have had in past years.

2019 was surely an unforgettable year, for both students and staff at PV. Everyone is looking forward to the memories 2020 will bring, as they approach the end of this impactful year.

In 2019, PV had many successful sports teams and historical moments. The Spartans trained for many hours to ensure they would keep fond memories of this season for years to come. Here are some of the most successful moments for PV sports from the past year. 

The boy’s bowling team had their best ever finish at the state bowling competition. The varsity team took home second place, and made plenty of memories for the four seniors that graduated from the team.

The girls basketball team had a very successful season which saw them win the MAC conference, however, their year ended in the sub-state final at the hands of Ankeny Centennial. 

Boys basketball had a successful season of their own, finishing third in the MAC. Their season ended by a loss to North Scott in the sub-state semi-final. They graduated nine seniors at the end of the season.

Eli Loyd had a great season for the PV wrestlers. He earned a first place finish at the state wrestling tournament for his 138 pound weight class.

The boys track and field team came up just short of winning the MAC in 2019, finishing second to Bettendorf. They made a good showing at the Drake Relays and the state meet as well.

The girls track season was very successful during their campaign. A first place finish in the MAC lead to more success as Drake Relays and State. This includes a second place finish from Sarah Hoskins in the high jump.

PV’s girls soccer team had an outstanding season by getting first/second place in the MAC and making it to Des Moines for the state soccer tournament. Although they crashed out in the first round, their season was by no means a failure

The boys soccer team had a lot of success also. They went undefeated in their conference and got first place. Their season ended after losing to Bettendorf in a PK shootout in the sub-state final. They graduated 11 seniors after the season was over.

The boys tennis team had a historic season in 2019. They finished second in state which is their best ever. Justin Sehlin finished 2nd for singles and the duo of Nathan Wong and Jake Dolphin got third in the doubles tournament.

The girls tennis team had a historic season to put in the record books. Although they had many injuries and cancellations, they finished with an undefeated season and the doubles partnership of Kayla Nutt and Lauren Hird finished 5th place in state.

PV boys swimmers finished their season undefeated, winning their first ever MAC title and also winning the District swim meet. The team looks to continue their achievements into the 2019-20 season as they work hard to replace the 10 seniors lost from last season. 

The girls swim team had a great 2019. They finished the season 14th in the power rankings and graduated three seniors. They will have to fill more leadership roles for next season. 

The boys golf team had a great showing in 2019. They won the MAC, as they predicted, then finished tied for third at the state golf meet. They only graduated one senior and look to continue their success to next season. 

The girls golf team had a lot of underclassmen playing important roles for the team. They will look to gain more success in the next year.

The boys baseball team finished second in the MAC conference and lost their first game in the state tournament. This was their first time playing at Principal Park since 2003.

After graduating many impactful seniors, the softball team endured a rebuilding year, however they still found success from many experienced players. 

The Spartan football players had a difficult season. During their run, they played two of the best teams in Iowa, however, they capped off their season with an outstanding win against Linn-Mar away from home. 

Cross Country has always been a strong program at PV and 2019 was no different for the boys’ team. They placed first as districts and second at the state meet. However, they did have a first place finisher with Max Murphy who also competed at the national competition. 

The girls finished their season with a second place finish at the MAC meet, and a fourth place finish at districts. The Spartans are looking to bounce back next year.

PV Platinum racked up the wins during their season in 2019. They are double state champions in jazz and pom, and also had first and second place finishers at the state solo competition. 

PV’s volleyball team had exceeded everyone’s expectations besides their own. Along with winning the MAC conference, the Spartans made it to the state semi-final, but lost to West Des Moines Valley.

As 2019 comes to a close, the successes of Pleasant Valley’s Art and Entertainment programs makes this year one to remember.

PV started the new year off with a bang. In early January, news of senior Annie Warner’s selection into the Quad City Symphony Orchestra Youth Ensemble’s Concerto made the PV community proud. After all, this competition was no easy feat. 

With snow days leading to many cancelations for the rest of the month, February brought new hope as District Choral Festival arrived. Even the snow could not stop the amazing music produced at this joyous event. 

The PV Music Departments powered through the relentless snow to give incredible performances at the SEISTA Honor Orchestra performance, Elementary Choir tour and Winter Band Concert. The Leading Tones ended their season with an outstanding performance at the Iowa Vocal Jazz Championships and PV celebrated its fourth student to ever be accepted into the Iowa All-State Jazz Band, Jackson Schou.

As winter finally came to a close, the PVHS Art Department welcomed April with six students receiving scholarships and awards from the Figge Art Museum and Quad City Arts High School Art invitational. These students’ dedication to art brought PV immense pride. 

840 students shared their love of music at the District Band Concert at the Taxslayer center. Hearing the entire Spartan Band come together to play “America the Beautiful” gave the audience a wave of emotions and felicitations for the band program.

With the end of the school year quickly approaching, May brought performances from the choir, band, and orchestra at the State Large Group Festival. The PVHS Choirs received four Division I and two Division II ratings, Full Orchestra received Superior Division I rating, and the Bands received two Division I and two Division II ratings. All in all, these groups gave their total effort.

Late spring was also the time for 2019 seniors to graduate. The PV choirs and band honored the graduating seniors on May 22 at the Taxslayer Center. Before the graduates marched out to their futures, seniors from the choir joined their fellow classmates one last time for a beautiful rendition of “The Rainbow Connection”.

Summer came and went and soon, band students were back to join forces for a week long Marching Band Camp and the annual Six Flags Band trip in August. The Spartan Band Leadership committee worked tirelessly to help prepare incoming freshman and returners for the new marching band season. They ended the week with a well deserved trip to Six Flags.

As the 2019-2020 school year commenced, the PV Drama Department welcomed their first show of the season, Helium, in September. Directed by senior Anna Myatt, this show aimed to raise awareness for dementia and provide the audience with a new sense of appreciation for their elders. October was also a big month, as they had their annual Improv Night and their fall musical, Carrie the Musical. Leads Anna Myatt and Amy Oberheart gave a riveting performance about the negatives effects of bullying had on a girl with psychokinesis. Opening on Halloween night, this show was not one to forget!

The fall season came to an end with Senior Night for the band and Platinum Dance team. Seniors took to the field for the last time, performing their favorites: ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, ‘Take On Me’, and ‘Thanks for the Memories’. Platinum Dance Team seniors also enjoyed their final dance on the field with teammates and in celebration of the end of their football season. The band ended their night with the beloved Band Bash with lots of music, pizza and of course dancing.

November arrived with the anticipation of the Iowa All-State Music Festival. Students had been preparing for this event since summer and auditions followed in October. The 2019 All-State auditions had and amazing turn out for PV with 22 students accepted from choir, six from the orchestra, and 11 from the band (the most in PV history). All 39 musicians made the journey to Aimes on November 27 and had a truly amazing performance. PV pride grew even higher for those talented students.

The Platinum Dance Team ended the year on a high note after competing at the Iowa State Dance Team Association competition on December 6th. The team’s incredible performance of their Pom and Jazz routines landed them two state titles. They could not have been more thrilled to be double state champs and grateful for the opportunity to have worked with such hardworking and dedicated dancers.

As we say goodbye to 2019, we are excited to see what 2020 has in store for these outstanding Pleasant Valley students, in the world of arts and entertainment.