Monday night members of MHS Student Council shopped to help brighten Christmas morning for over 30 students from our community. StuCo members look forward to this night each year and enjoy being able to give back to their community. Tomorrow they will start wrapping all of their purchases!
The week before Thanksgiving Break, Southside staff participated in an "under cover spirit week" where the students didn't know the dress up days. The students had so much fun trying to figure out what was going on. Monday was everyone wear black, Tuesday was everyone wear sunglasses, Wednesday was wear plaid day, Thursday was dress like a holiday, and Friday was pajama day. Thanks to all who participated and congratulations to the few students who figured it out!
Morrison High School’s Key Club chapter would like to recognize the work of City of Morrison Recreation Services Director Nathan Jacobs and the Morrison Food Pantry’s volunteers in planning and implementing the Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk event on Saturday, Nov. 30. Many thanks to the community members who braved 17-degree weather to run and walk for a worthwhile cause on Thanksgiving weekend! Thank you also to the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Morrison, and the Morrison Police Department for their help with logistics-related planning and traffic control, and to the local businesses that made financial contributions and in-kind donations to the event.
Morrison High School’s volunteers consisted of Jett Decker, Naomi Kershaw, Abbie Weston, Lillie Baima, and Shawn Simpson. Shawn and Abbie serve as co-presidents of the Morrison High School Key Club. Thank you also to Mr. Joe Robbins for his work as DJ, and to the Thanksgiving Turkey for contributing to the festive atmosphere!
The City of Morrison’s Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk is right around the corner on Saturday, Nov. 30! Proceeds from the event will benefit the Morrison Food Pantry, NFP.
Registration for the event will be held at Morrison High School starting at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday. The Run/Walk itself will begin at 9:00 a.m.
Members of the Morrison HS Key Club will be present to assist with water distribution and traffic direction, as well. We hope to see you there!
More information about the event is available online at https://www.morrisonil.org/article/1838094 and at https://www.quickscores.com/morrisonsports
Morrison High School Key Club Co-Presidents Abbie Weston and Shawn Simpson were among the Key Club members who participated in Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF on Thursday, Oct. 31. Generous contributions from dozens of households during an evening of trick-or-treating resulted in a total of $183.44 raised for UNICEF’s youth-focused relief efforts. The check was sent by mail to UNICEF’s New York offices earlier this week. As Thanksgiving approaches, Key Club would like to thank all those who contributed on Oct. 31 as well as those who support the Kiwanis Club/Key Club Sandwich Sales (typically held on selected Saturdays at the corner of Rt. 30 & Rt. 78). We would also like to thank Community State Bank for allowing us to use their lot for the Sandwich Sale events. Without the support of Morrison’s residents, the charitable work of Key Club and the Morrison Kiwanis Club would not be possible.
The Morrison Kiwanis Club hosted a Key Club Membership Appreciation Dinner on Thursday, Nov. 21 at Odell Public Library for students who have been especially active in the Kiwanis Club's Sandwich Sale events during the past year. Proceeds from the sales benefit youth-focused groups in Morrison, including WHOA, Odell Public Library, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, April House, the United Way's Literacy Is For Everyone (LIFE) program, and related initiatives. Many thanks to the students and parents who were able to attend last Thursday's event!
The Morrison Board of Education voted to hire Dr. Matthew DeBaene at a special meeting held on November 20th. Dr. DeBaene is currently an assistant superintendent at Moline-Coal Valley School District and will begin his duties on July 1, 2025.
Dr. Matt DeBaene grew up and currently lives in the Quad City region. He is a seasoned educator with a passion for fostering learning and growth. He's excited to take on the role of Superintendent of the Morrison School District and is excited to work with our schools and community. Prior to joining the Moline-Coal Valley School District, Dr. DeBaene was the principal of Geneseo Middle School. He has also served public schools as assistant principal, English language arts teacher, coach, teacher leader, and athletic director. He has earned his bachelors and graduate degrees from Western Illinois University and has received the Arnold W. Salisbury Award for educational leadership. Dr. DeBaene enjoys spending quality time with his family, staying active through running, immersing himself in good books, and learning. He is excited to be a part of the Morrison team and looks forward to working with everyone.
Southside Kindness Club collected toys and money for Toys for Tots. The students did such a wonderful job collecting donations. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this great cause!
Congratulations to our MHS November MVPs! This year we are choosing one student from each grade level, decided by a team of teachers, each month. Each student received a candy bar, soda, an exclusive Morrison gear t-shirt and they also got to choose $20 worth of prizes. The team of teachers felt that each student was: A student who selflessly helps others A student who is kind & caring with their words, actions, social media posts, etc. A student who is respectful of other people & their belongings A student who is responsible for themselves & their belongings A student who is honest & a good role model to their peers & younger students Freshman: Maddy Huizenga Sophomores: Elle Milnes Juniors: Emily Arias Seniors: Blake Huizenga Great job everyone!
Congratulations to our 2nd MHS November Athlete of the Month, Olivia Dauphin! Olivia participates in pons. She received a $25 Urban Eats-Morrison gift card.
Reminder: We will still be going out for recess at Northside and Southside. Please dress students appropriately for the weather. Thank you!
AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK!
This year, American Education Week is being celebrated from November 18th to November 22nd. The purpose is for schools, families, and communities to come together and support education. On Monday, the District joined the celebration by publicly recognizing the Board of Education at its monthly meeting and providing cookies and punch to those in attendance. Cakes from Sweetheart Bakery in Clinton were provided to the staff in all of the buildings on Wednesday. In the photo to the right is Mr. Mills, (HS Principal) left is Mr. Hendricks (HS Agriculture Teacher).
Reminder - Today's 6th Grade Boys Basketball game agains EP will be held at PLT Middle School in the old high school gym.
MJHS is accepting applications for both a 7th Grade Girls Basketball Coach and an 8th Grade Girls Basketball Coach for the upcoming 2025 season. The chosen applicants must have a valid Illinois Coaching Certificate and must also have taken the concussion protocol training. Both trainings are available, free of charge, on the IESA website. The season runs from the beginning of January through the first week in March.
Please see the attached flyer if you are interested in a "Holidy Steam Workshop" through 4-H.
Mustangs Endowment Challenge
The Sauk Valley College Foundation has launched a major fundraising campaign to fully fund all Morrison School District students participating in the SVCC Impact Program. The Foundation aims to raise $450,000, with $150,000 already secured through generous donations.
The Impact Program provides an exceptional opportunity for Morrison students, allowing them to earn free college tuition at SVCC by completing community service hours. Currently, 103 active students from Morrison High School are enrolled in the program and have collectively volunteered 3,722 hours with local non-profit organizations.
For more information or to support the SVCC Impact Program, please visit svcc.edu/give or call the Sauk Valley College Foundation at 815-835-6260.
The Morrison High School greenhouse is complete! Members of ag alumni, school board, school staff, students, and community members celebrated the completion with a ribbon cutting ceremony on November 14. With the exception of some architectural fees, there were no costs to the district. The Morrison Ag Alumni paid for the building materials and coordinated all the volunteer labor. The facility will benefit students for decades!
Just a reminder: This is the last week for the Toy Drive at Southside. Please get all of the new, unopened toys to one of the 4 buildings by Friday. Thank you for all of your support for the children in the community!
Paint - N - Peel Opportunity!
Join the bands and choirs for their upcoming winter concert!
