The student news site of Pleasant Valley High School

Spartan Shield

The student news site of Pleasant Valley High School

Spartan Shield

The student news site of Pleasant Valley High School

Spartan Shield

With continuously high case numbers of COVID-19, schools and businesses in Iowa are still enforcing masks, despite the recent lift of the mask mandate by Governor Reynolds.

No more mandate: Kim Reynolds repealing Iowa mask mandate meets backlash and support

Kendall Jarvis, News Editor February 15, 2021

Governor Kim Reynolds repealed the mask mandate, set in place in November, on Feb. 5. Her decision has received both backlash and support from citizens and mayors.  The repeal of the mandate went into...

Pleasant Valley teachers Aimee Peters and Alexandria Medenciy after receiving their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Feb. 5. PV anticipates to vaccinate the 89 percent of interested teachers with their first dose before returning to 100 percent in-person school.

Vaccination station: PV teachers eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine

Matt Mickle, P.V. Only Editor February 11, 2021

During December of 2020, COVID-19 vaccinations became available to medical professionals, front line workers, and elderly in nursing homes. Now, with a push to get kids back in school full-time, teachers...

Alyce Brown, via Adobe Spark

Feb. 8th board meeting report: 89% of students will participate in new learning model

Alyce Brown, Staff Contributor February 9, 2021

89% of high school students will be returning to the building on Feb. 16th for the new all in-person learning model, according to the school board’s Feb. 8th meeting. The maximum class size for this...

With the inauguration of Joe Biden, the new initiatives he plans to take, the impeachment of Donald Trump and the division in D.C., there are a myriad of events taking place in D.C. right now.

What’s up in Washington?

Ingrid Hofmann, Lauren Guinn, and Ramya Subramaniam February 9, 2021

Impeachment, inauguration and initiative. Over the past few weeks, Washington, D.C. has been the focus of countless political events, many of which are history-making. The Spartan Shield is here to keep...

Pleasant Valley students shuffle their way through a crowded hallway during a passing period.

Return to learn: PVHS students go 100 percent in person

Ella Litchfield, Photo Manager February 1, 2021

Pleasant Valley’s administration initially requested to delay the return of 100 percent in-person learning. However, the request was denied, leaving faculty two weeks to adapt student and teacher schedules,...

Board meeting report: Feb. 16 the most likely start date for 100% in-person learning model

Board meeting report: Feb. 16 the most likely start date for 100% in-person learning model

Alyce Brown, Staff Contributor January 30, 2021

The Pleasant Valley school board discussed a likely Feb. 16 return to all in-person school at their Jan. 28 board meeting. Superintendent Brian Strusz originally asked state legislators if PV's high school...

Students struggling to stay on top of all the extra work involved with a hybrid schedule.

Is there enough being done to help failing students?

Jonathan Chiles, Arts & Entertainment Editor January 14, 2021

This semester has been a long and arduous one for many students given the hybrid schedule and the current climate of the world. At PV and schools all over the country have had a record number of failing...

Temple Emanuel of Davenport, Iowa was one of several Jewish institutions and monuments targeted during the holiday Hanukkah when it was spray painted with an antisemitic message.

Antisemitic rhetoric on the rise

Ingrid Hofmann, Editor In Chief December 23, 2020

Last week, Jewish families and individuals around the world gathered to celebrate Hanukkah. Despite this time being a sacred observance, anti-semitic hate crimes surged internationally.  Throughout...

The AEA Robot makes online students feel like they are in the classroom through its advanced technology.

School behind a screen: how one teacher has utilized a robot to teach her online students

Michael VanDerSchaaf, Sports Editor December 16, 2020

Pleasant Valley Junior High School recently had two new students enter its hallways. These students are not like the other students that walk the halls: they are actually two robots at-home students can...

After considering the benefits and drawbacks of each model, the school district has chosen to keep the high school in a hybrid/online model.

PVHS to remain in hybrid model for second semester

Jonathan Sulgrove, Opinion Editor December 15, 2020

On Dec. 1, Superintendent Brian Strusz announced PV’s plans for next semester regarding snow days, the online remote waiver and schedule models for each level of education. Strusz began by noting...

Senior Ani Pradeep logging into his google classroom account, which will be the main platform for learning in the online model.

A new schedule: What the day will look like if PV goes online

Akash Pradeep, Feature Editor December 8, 2020

With the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Scott County, many schools in the area have switched to the online school system to reduce the spread of the virus within their halls.  PV has still remained...

Marine Toys-For-Tots has seen an increase in demand of donations due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The importance of Christmas toy donations during the COVID-19 pandemic

Michael VanDerSchaaf, Sports Editor December 1, 2020

With the COVID-19 pandemic putting many adults out of work, the need forChristmas toy donations has sky-rocketed.  Christmas toy drives give many families that cannot afford gifts a chance at making...

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