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

The system of AP exams creates unnecessary stress for students to perform well to show academic achievement in course.

Pressures of AP testing take a toll on students’ performance

Sarah Abdullah, Social Media Manager May 17, 2023

As the 2022-23 school year comes to an end, many students and teachers involved in AP courses just finished partaking in the highly anticipated final exams. These AP exams measure a student's knowledge...

The social committee setting up for the 2023 prom, Midnight Memories.

The magic that went into Midnight Memories

Grace Sherman, Student Life Manager May 16, 2023

A night full of memories, dressing up and dancing, prom is a school tradition celebrated nationwide that is awaited by high school students every year.  From 8 to 10 p.m. Pleasant Valley High School...

Leila Assadi was one of the 137 PV seniors awarded a scholarship from the PV scholarship foundation. She was honored on Wednesday, May 10 with the PV Spartan Assembly scholarship which recognizes all of Assadi’s hardwork and dedication to the PV school community.

PV Foundational Scholarships support student success post-high school

Caroline Corcoran, Multi Media Manager May 16, 2023

Committed to Excellence: this phrase guides the Pleasant Valley Community School District in inspiring both educators and students alike to work to be the best versions of themselves. The PV Scholarship...

Senior Rachel Vonderhaar waits for her target Payten Rascher to assassinate.

Forging a New Senior Legacy

Drake Hanson, Photo Manager May 10, 2023

Senior traditions have ingrained into the culture of the graduating class in schools across the nation. This year’s high school graduates have many special senior traditions shared with other schools....

AP Chemistry, a class that focuses on hands-on college chemistry, will be discontinued due to a lower enrollment.

PVHS makes changes to science curriculum

Kushi Maridu, Co-Editor-in-Chief May 6, 2023

As the class of 2023 wraps up their academic year, the class of 2024 prepares to helm the mantle that the seniors have left behind. With this yearly cycle came an unprecedented change for the next school...

PV students face new stakes for statewide standardized testing

Ike Swanson, Business Manager April 25, 2023

With this year’s Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress testing at Pleasant Valley high school, the test came with new stakes for students in grades 3-11, who are required to take the annual statewide...

As seniors at PVHS prepare to leave their high school careers behind, underclassmen must step up to lead their various clubs.

Underclassmen prepare to lead as seniors prepare to leave

Megan McKnight, Copy Editor April 11, 2023

As the class of 2023 prepares to graduate, many clubs and other extracurricular activities are about to lose their leaders, leaving many underclassmen students concerned about the fate of their clubs. Currently,...

Seniors have taken to social media to share their college decisions, providing counsel and caution to younger students as they ponder their own futures.

Statistical sorrow: Seniors share college decisions on social media

Jae Jepsen, Copy Editor April 11, 2023

As college applicants finish receiving their decisions, fallouts are bound to happen. For some, the season is a celebration of a lifetime of work. For others, it’s a period of mourning for time and effort...

Teenagers have become obsessed with taking and sending pictures of themselves as social media becomes more popular.

Obsession with perfection: how the selfie era consumed gen-z

Caroline Corcoran, Multi Media Manager April 10, 2023

As technology and social media platforms have rapidly taken over popular culture, selfies have quickly become a staple in everyday life. The increase in selfie usage through social media parallels the...

Waitlists are a waiting game, as most of decisions do not come out until mid-summer.

Waitlists: The second chance for college acceptance

Kushi Maridu, Co-Editor-in-Chief March 30, 2023

As seniors are receiving college decisions from the regular decision pool, some faced acceptances, some faced rejections but an uncanny amount of people faced waitlists.  A waitlist is basically a...

Undefeated yet empty: How PV’s student section neglects female athletics

Undefeated yet empty: How PV’s student section neglects female athletics

Jae Jepsen, Copy Editors March 21, 2023

When the PV women’s basketball team took the court at the state championship on March 3, they were met with an insubstantial crowd. Despite their remarkable record this season— the team went undefeated—...

After months of winter weather, spring break gives students a chance to reset before finishing off the rest of the school year. The warm weather, relaxation and break from their typical routine gives students physical and mental benefits.

Spring break offers much needed mental break

Sarah Abdullah, Social Media Manager March 7, 2023

Spring break is typically scheduled in March as a relief from the constant cycle students face of cramming in homework, juggling extracurriculars and preparing for exams. The timing is crucial as it breaks...

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