Norse News

By Joe R. On March 26, 2025, Roland-Story FFA held its first Drive Your Tractor to School Day. Even though it was pretty cold, for this being the first time for Roland-Story FFA, they had a good turnout: 11 Tractors, ranging from new to old, big and small, and all of the above.  We started at the bowling alley on the west side of Story City, were escorted by police down Main Street, and passed the elementary school. We ended up parking at the pool parking lot to end the escort and to get breakfast. Everybody had a good time doing this, and we are gonna try and do it again next year.

By Payton C. The National Honor Society (NHS) is based on four main principles: Scholarship, leadership, service, and character. A select number of people are chosen each year to be a part of this society. The official Induction was on Monday, March 24.  The night started off with all of the new inductees and members of NHS taking their seats while everyone arrived. Issac Hall, Kennedy Petersen, Alana Thorson, and Eva Corcoran all spoke in the ceremony as the selected officers. As the night went on, Kurt Erichson spoke about the society and what it takes to be a part of the society. He talked about the responsibilities of each member and what an honor it is to be selected. When he got done speaking, Issac Hall came back up to announce the new inductees.  Each inductee walked onto the stage as their names were called. Kennedy and Alana handed them each a pin and certificate as they shook their hands. Once all of the inductees were on stage, Issac recited the pledge for the indu...

By Olivia R. On March 1, many teams of FFA members made their way to Charles City to compete in competitions. Various schools arrived, adding to the sea of blue coats that filled the high school. This event is held after subdistricts and determines who will move on to the next level to compete at state. Districts is a test of leadership, personal growth, and success as a chapter. As each chapter entered the building, they were sent to the gym where they couldn’t leave or use phones until after their competition. While the members sat in the gym and the minutes ticked by, nerves were heightened. There was a consistent chatter and you could hear different speeches being rehearsed from all over the room. As time passed, the room started to clear out and the competitions began. The Agricultural Issues team (Delaney Paulson, Olivia Reitano, Addy Schmitz, Jack Mohr) was eventually called. Cael Paulson was also called to be a delegate for new officers.  During the competitions, the teams ...

By Delaney P. From February 24th through 28th, the Roland-Story FFA Chapter celebrated National FFA Week. It was celebrated by planning many activities to do throughout the week. The FFA chapter officers worked hard throughout the month of February to make these activities happen. The activities included Teacher Appreciation Breakfast, Pet Education Day at the elementary school, a service project, and dress up days all week. For the Teacher Appreciation Breakfast, officers and other members showed up to school early to cook breakfast for the teachers. The breakfast included pancakes, sausage, and muffins, and we had many teachers show up!  On Thursday, numerous members signed up to bring a pet to the elementary school for Pet Education Day. We had a variety of animals brought, including a snake, rabbit, dogs, and Ms. Zimmerman even brought her guinea pig, Betty, and her Chinchilla, Ozzy! The elementary students were very excited to see all of the animals, and it went very well....

By Leila W. On Monday, February 10th, the Roland-Story school board met again for their monthly meeting. The main topic of this meeting was finances.  Member of the school board include Chris McIlrath, Erica Watts, Matt Dahlsten, Ashlee Mullenbach, and Tosha Whipple. Three other speakers were also present: Mr. McQuillen, Rylee Wolf, and Mrs. Hartzler.  The first thing they discussed were teacher positions. A few people are applying for the Special ED and Preschool positions. There are also some teachers retiring this year, so there is a need for new applicants for those jobs. Rylee Wolff mentioned how the world of education is changing drastically, and fewer kids are interested in becoming teachers. This can cause a problem with many school districts' inability to fill their open positions. Another subject that was brought up was paying off renovation debt. In recent years, the elementary school has had a huge renovation of its music and art rooms. The high school got a new fo...

By Morgan B. Every year, around 3,000 Iowan FFA members compete at Nationals. But getting to nationals is not an easy task. The road to nationals starts with sub-districts. This year five members of the Roland-story FFA chapter had the opportunity to compete at subdistricts in Algona on February 11, 2025. Competitors included Morgan Bryan in ag sales, Mason Tice in radio broadcasting, Mya Oberender, Taylor Rechkemmer, and Hadley Carlson in chapter program.  Chapter program was the first Roland-Story team to go. Freshmen Mya, Taylor, and Hadley were the first people from Roland Story to compete in Chapter program since advisor, Katelyn Zimmerman, took over the ag program. They got a gold and placed 4th overall, but were unable to advance to districts.  Sophomore Mason Tice was the next to compete. He tried radio broadcasting for the first time this year after competing in Creed speaking his Freshman year. He received a gold rating and placed 5th overall, but did not advance to ...

By Alexis R. FFA and FCCLA came together January 17th to celebrate the holidays together. The party was supposed to take place back in December, but ended up being postponed due to harsh weather. Luckily, we were still able to find a time to get together and celebrate! The party took place at Story City’s Carousel Lanes bowling alley. Everyone was provided with pizza and a couple hours of bowling. We had to attribute five dollars to attend;  this was just to help balance the cost of the dozens of pizzas.  After everyone was done eating, we split up into different groups to bowl on each lane. After a little bowling, we were all told to grab a gift bag, containing very random, but very fun, objects. People ended up with all sorts of things such as: floss, holiday accessories, wacky candies, and even ketchup! Overall, the party was a success! Everyone had a really great time together. We all got to relax and bowl, while catching up with each other and enjoying the holidays, even ...

By Mikayla C. Do you like reading mystery and thriller novels? Are you a lover of true crime television shows? Or maybe you prefer to try solving unsolved case files based on the information given about the cases online? If you love anything relating to a good mystery, then Criminology Club is the right place for you! Criminology Club meets in Mrs. Ferrell’s room after school once every month (sometimes every two weeks). The date for each meeting is tentative, so contact Mikayla Carpenter or Mrs. Ferrell for more information about the club.  Criminology Club talks about unsolved cold cases (murders, disappearances, etc.) from here in Iowa in the early 1900s up until the present. For a bit of background knowledge, unsolved cold cases are cases that the police and the FBI aren’t able to solve after three years. After those three years, the case legally becomes “cold.” This club discusses theories on unsolved mysteries and often has a case to study and develop a theory for.  The ...

By Keely O. FCA, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, is a club that meets at the home of the Berggrens (when it's nice out) and at the high school (when it’s cold outside). We meet almost every Sunday from 6-7 pm.  On a usual night at FCA, we start by playing a group game, which could be anywhere from a game of wiffle ball to Nukum. After the game, we circle around as a big group and do our lesson. Mr. and Mrs. Berggren always has a lesson each night. We get a sheet of paper that has various questions and bible verses on it. Once we get the paper, we break off into smaller groups and go through the questions and verses. We discuss the questions as a small group before we come back together to discuss them as a large group. That normally is what FCA consists of but on Sunday, October 20th, we did something a little different. We had a game/fun night. There were lots of different things that were set up for us to do. We first got pizza and dessert, and if you wanted you could sign up f...

By Morgan B. Over 33 Iowan children are sent to the hospital each day in farming-related accidents. Members of the Roland-Story FFA are trying to lower this statistic by showing students how to be safe on the farm.  On October 2, 2024, the Roland-Story FFA held their annual farm safety day for the 3rd grade students at Roland-Story Elementary.  The third-graders spent a fun afternoon outdoors, traveling to each of the 10 stations to learn about certain aspects of outdoor safety. Stations included tractor, ATV, animal, first aid, fishing, my plate, sun, Iowa products, chemical, and grain bin safety.  At a station, led by 2-4 high schoolers, the 3rd graders would learn how to be safe in that area. After instruction, they completed an activity or played a game related to what they learned. Every station also had visuals related to their topic.  Visuals are a great way to help students remember what they are learning. Getting to sit on an ATV and seeing the parts the hig...

By Justin S. Last year our team got close to state in all games. All games can either be played online or face to face. All schools may have one varsity team and one JV team per game. Each player may only play on one team per round (usually by week). All communication and organization will run through the Designated Esports Coordinator; however, there may be a game-specific coach. Teams are required to play online or face-to-face with their opponents. High school esports is part of the gaming industry. In the gaming industry, you can win millions of dollars from winning a tournament. Take Fortnite for an example. According to Mathew Players from EsprtsGG, players can win hundreds of thousands to over a million dollars. In some tournaments, you win nothing.  Sometimes you win millions of dollars. The Iowa High School Esports Association (IASHEA) hosts a number of games  throughout the year for student-athletes to participate in.  Smite is a 5 vs. 5 tower defense shooter ga...

By Emily K. FCCLA has been delighting families across the Roland-Story community with the creation of enchanting Elf on the Shelf kits. In recent years, the profits have just gone to A Way for Will. This year, profits will be going to A Way for Will and The Bridge Home, a homeless shelter located in Ames. In the past years, FCCLA members have created different scenarios for the parents to put around the house every morning. This is a great way to get into the Christmas Spirit and have the kids get connected during the holiday season. There are 10-day and 25-day Elf on the Shelf kits. These kits make the parents' lives easier during the holidays. The FCCLA delivered the kits to parents on November 27th. The FCCLA students spent hours on these awesome kits. The seniors helped out a lot throughout the holiday season, by getting these kits together and making goodies for the community.  Mrs. Eley, the new FCCLA advisor and FCS teacher, is a great contribution to the Roland-Story distri...

By Peyton J. As the 2023-2024 school year has started, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) has had twice as many high schoolers attend on Sunday nights. Last year 20 students attended and this year around 40 to 50 people join FCA on Sunday nights. Darrin and Jess Berggren started to host the club three years ago. Almost every Sunday, the group meets. During the warm months, the group meets at the Berggren household. In the winter months, they meet at the high school. The night starts with playing fun games and ends with a bible study led by Mr. Berggren. FCA is a great opportunity for students to connect and grow their faith.  FCA has a series of fun events throughout the year. Fields of Faith is an annual Gilbert High School football field event. Iowa State athletes give their testimony and encourage high school athletes. This event always has a great turnout from many schools in the area. In October, the group had a pumpkin carving contest, and friends got into groups and ...

By Zoe V. On November 20th the FFA chapter had their annual Kids Against Hunger event. More than 65 second graders gathered in the elementary school gym with 50 high school FFA members to package meals for families in the community. They packaged 810 bags, which is 5,000 servings, over the course of three hours. This year they packaged oatmeal.  Before the event takes place, FFA advisor Ms. Zimmerman reaches out and submits paperwork to the outreach program, communicates with the elementary school teachers about what day works best, and reaches out to donors to see if they want to fund the event. Zimmerman coordinates with elementary teachers and sends in a PTO funding request. On the day of the event, students meet Ms. Zimmerman at the high school in the morning to load supplies and then walk over to the elementary school to get started with set up. Seven tables were set up with grains, proteins, and other healthy mixes to put into the oatmeal. The goal for these packages is for i...

By Ella L. Twice a year, the Roland-Story Key Club hosts a blood drive through LifeServe Blood Center. The blood drive is open to all eligible students and faculty members who have signed up. To be eligible, one must be at least 16 years old with parental consent and weigh at least 120 pounds.  The most recent blood drive was hosted on October 31st of this year. Out of the 30 people registered to donate, 26 people were able to. Fourteen people were first-time donors! Twenty-seven units of blood were collected potentially saving or sustaining 81 lives. The role of the Key Club while hosting the blood drives is to coordinate the date and time and to promote the blood drive through social media and posters. The senior members of Key Club explain the process and give detailed information to the student body during seminar. Some members volunteer to bring baked goods for people who donate blood while others sit at the cantina to make sure the donors recuperate properly. Mary Sara Lettow...

By Rylee W. Nearly 20% of children and young people ages 5-17 in the United States have a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder, and suicidal behaviors among high school students increased more than 40% in the decade before 2019, according to the National Institutes of Health. Although these statistics are very real and horrifying, students at Roland-Story High School are facing these mental challenges head-on and are demanding change for those who bottle their emotions. Mind Matters is the new mental health club that focuses on genuine human interaction, being a light for those who sit in the dark, and advocating for mental health in teens.  I decided I wasn’t going to sit around and wait for something to change, so I started Mind Matters. The club is composed of passionate high school students and is under the direction of Anna Fleecs, RSHS guidance counselor. She is in charge of sending out mass emails to the school when we have events, helping fundraise, an...

By Alana T. October 28, 2023, marked the 20th anniversary of the Haunted High School at Roland-Story. First put on in 2003 by NHS, what we know as the Haunted High School was simply a haunted house, and it has continued to grow. The way the haunted house was run initially differs from how it is run today. Mrs. Fetterer, the school secretary and teacher sponsor of NHS, was asked her opinion on how this year’s Haunted High School went. In comparison to past years, Mrs. Fetterer said that the turnout was a little higher. This difference from past years may be due to this year's planning.  Planning for the Haunted High School usually starts in the beginning of September, right after Labor Day. All NHS members meet and are briefed on how the Haunted High School works. They then form groups to work in and claim a section of the high school to decorate. Each group develops their assigned section into a unique and scary idea that they come up with. But the planning for this event doesn’t g...

By Marty I. The City Council for Story City meets twice a month at six o’clock in City Hall. At these meetings, regular business includes updating ordinances to keep the public safe and happy, or reviewing budgeting and planning for the future of the town. During the Oct. 16, 2023, meeting, the council covered a variety of business. Once Mayor Mike Jensen opened the meeting, role was taken. Council members Connie Philips, Rhonda Ostrem, Mary Kay Solberg, Dave Sporleder, and Jim O’Connor were all present. Next, the minutes from October 2 were approved. In the meeting previous, the council discussed the budgets for the police and fire department, along with parking ordinances and a liquor license for Swanee’s Pub. As Bertha Bartlett Public Library is undergoing planning for expansion, they are required to communicate with the city council. Chris Feil, director of the library board, proposed the new bid for the expansion and answered questions asked by the council. He also introduced the ...

By Eva C. On October 19th, the Roland-Story FFA Chapter hosted their annual Farm Safety Day for 3rd graders. This event, organized by the FFA, is one of the elementary’s favorite activities. They love exploring all the stations that the high schoolers have prepared and brought to show them. To prepare for this event, high school students dedicated time during seminar to form groups and conduct research for their assigned topics. The groups included sun safety, MyPlate, Iowa products, fishing and water safety, equipment safety, chemical safety, animal safety, ATV safety, first aid, and grain bin safety. High schoolers signed up to lead these groups and teach the kids. Many elements from previous years have been utilized, with updates each year to improve the stations. For example, the Iowa product station was turned into a game to enhance engagement for the 3rd graders. During Farm Safety Day, the kids are divided into 10 groups. Then, the high schoolers who signed up as group leaders g...

By Sam B. It is one of the fastest-growing sports in the state and the nation: trap shooting. Many people don’t know much about trap shooting, so my goal is to give you enough information to understand why it is one of the fastest growing.  What most people know about trap shooting is that you shoot guns at flying discs. While this isn’t inaccurate, there is a lot more included in trap shooting. Yes, trap is shooting flying discs with shotguns, but there is more to that than it sounds. It takes necessary technique to be able to go from an accuracy of about 32%, which is average of most shooters 8th grade year, to a 93%, which is what most upperclassmen shoot.  This is what an average practice looks like. When you first arrive to practice at your scheduled time, you first get out all the safety equipment. The first priority of trap shooting is safety. For shooters to be safe, shooters have safety glasses and ear protection for starters. More competitive shooters will buy lenses...