Monroe City School District

MS Basketball Game Day! MS Boys Home vs. Canton MS Girls Away vs. Canton #MCPRIDE

6 months ago, Brock Edris

Monroe City R-1 School District Appoints Mrs. Amanda Spalding as Elementary Principal for 2025-2026 Monroe City, MO – The Monroe City R-1 School District is pleased to announce that Mrs. Amanda Spalding has been appointed as the Elementary Principal for the 2025-2026 school year. The Board of Education approved her appointment with a unanimous 7-0 vote on Monday evening. Mrs. Spalding brings a rich background of 22 years of teaching experience across various elementary grade levels and has led the district’s Title I Reading program for the past 15 years. Her dedication to student success and commitment to educational leadership is further supported by her Masters Degree in Educational Leadership. “We would like to thank the many individuals who served on the committees; their input was invaluable and very thorough,” said Tony DeGrave, Superintendent of Monroe City R-1 School District. “Mrs. Spalding is a very proud member of our community and school. She loves kids and will strive to excel in the role of Elementary Principal. I am excited about her promotion and working alongside her next year.” Mrs. Spalding, who is married to Shane Spalding, is a long-time resident of Monroe City. They have two children, Emily and Michael. Her strong community ties and passion for nurturing student growth make her an ideal candidate for the principal role. This new appointment comes as Mrs. Kim Shinn, the current Elementary Principal, prepares to retire in July after many years of dedicated service. The district wishes Mrs. Shinn a well-deserved and fulfilling retirement and extends its heartfelt gratitude for her contributions. The Monroe City R-1 School District is excited to welcome Mrs. Spalding to her new role and looks forward to her continued commitment to excellence in education.

6 months ago, Monroe City R-1

Tournament books have changed through the years. Take a look at this front cover from 1955 and the 1985 message from Principal Norman Grossman. Can you identify the 1955 "welcome" group? This 1926 program for the second tournament belonged to Scott Conway. Note that the original tournaments were held in February.

6 months ago, Tony DeGrave

Sam Murray is one of the oldest living players of the Hunnewell Wildcats team. A 1950 graduate of Hunnewell High School, Murray turns 91 on Nov. 13. He and his teammates participated in some of the early Monroe City basketball tournaments. The Hunnewell players faced a bit of a challenge since they did not have an indoor gymnasium. They played their home games early in the season so they could be played outside. Later in the season, they played in the comfort of indoor gyms. Murray remembers that Lentner and a Hannibal team also played outside. Sam and his wife, Charlotte, ran Crawford's Grocery on Winter Street in Monroe City for many years.

6 months ago, Tony DeGrave

Happenings at MCHS#mcpride

6 months ago, Ed Talton

MCHS will have MADD DOG'S SIGNATURE HOT DOG'S on campus tomorrow. Here is the menu that will be offered to our students.

6 months ago, Ed Talton

Perhaps one of the more interesting chapters in Monroe City basketball history was the year 1941. The 18th tournament was scheduled for Dec 9-13. Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese just days earlier, Dec. 7, 1941 .The 1976 Monroe City News publication recognizing the nation’s bicentennial notes that there was no tournament in 1941 because Office of Defense Transportation (ODT) order prohibited transporting athletes on school buses to conserve fuel for military operations. However, tournament books contradict this as Paris boys and Monroe City girls are listed in the roster of champions for 1941. However, not everything went on as normal for the Monroe City community that year in response to World War II and the horror of Pearl Harbor. The War Production Board ordered that there would be no Christmas street lighting. School children made a house-to-house canvas for metal to be used for helmets and hand grenades. Rations of food, tires and other materials were underway. Shoes were limited to four colors-white, black, town brown or army russet. First aid classes were organized and there were knitting clubs at churches to knit items to be sent to soldiers. Monroe City residents were required to buy $5 auto-use stickers at the post office before they could legally drive their vehicles. Gas stations were limited to the number of hours they could be open. The WPA began the first hot lunch program at Holy Rosary School in 1941. Local Boy Scouts collected 2,500 pounds of paper to be used for paper cartons to ship food and supplies to Russia and Great Britain. Farmers were asked to increase pork production. Gardening was in full swing as people were urged to grow their own food for themselves and others. Three Monroe City boys were at Pearl Harbor at the time of bombing: Robert E. Painter, J.P. Quinn and Keith Settle. All notified their families that they were safe and uninjured. By 1945, local men-PFC Ivan Ray Walkup, Aloysious Douglas Buckman, Lt. Dalton McClintock, OFC Michael Ketsenburg and Carl Shively were liberated from their German captors. Lt. Dalton McClintock’s brother, Jasper, was in the liberating forces, but neither brother knew of the other’s whereabouts. In September 1945, Jennings Craig was released after three years of imprisonment in Japanese prisons. He received brutal treatment and was forced to eat little but rice for years. He survived the Bataan Death March.

6 months ago, Tony DeGrave

Congrats to our MS Boys & Girls basketball teams on their season openers! #MCPRIDE

6 months ago, Brock Edris

MCHS is Celebrating 1st Quarter with an Apple Bar#mcpride

6 months ago, Ed Talton

Today we salute the late Rosemary Harn Dean who was captain of the MHS girls 1938-1939. A 1939 graduate of MHS, she was served as an administrative non-commissioned Army officer during World War II and received the American Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) Service Ribbon and World War II victory medal She was a former 4-H leader, member of the Hassard Homemakers Extension Club, and a member of the United Methodist Women’s Organization. She was also a past honoree of the John Fields Award given by the Monroe City Chamber of Commerce. She and her husband, Henry, farmed and had one son, Ron, and two daughters, Linda Schafer and Mary Ann Haden.

6 months ago, Tony DeGrave

Today, we salute a Korean war veteran Jack Jones of Monroe City, the oldest living male MHS basketball player. In 1950, Jones was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in the 48th Field Artillery during the Korean conflict. Ten days before he left for Korea, he married Elsie Baker, a Center, Mo. school teacher who went on to teach junior high English in Monroe City for many years. Jack has two living sons, David and Steve, and lost his beloved son, Kevin. The January 1946 Monroe City News reported that Jones scored 5 points in the victory over McCooey High School. Other MHS scorers on the second team included Ralph Davis, 8; Dick Carr, 7; J.W. Smith and Ralph Crow, 6; and Bob Shoemaker, 2. First team members were Billy Johns with 21 points and Kenneth “Hot Shot” Tuley with 10 to lead the way in the 55-30 victory over McCooey. MHS players in the 1944-45 team photo were (front row) Jack Raetz, Billy Joe Harrison, Dick Carr (grandfather of MHS cheerleader sponsor Beth Carr and great-grandfather of MHS senior Gage Woolen) Jack Jones, Billy Johns; (back row) Pete Greening, Buddy Crabtree, Kenneth (Hot Shot) Tuley, J Smith and Coach Williams. The News also gives us insight into sadder events of the time, including a picture of Army PFC Ivan Ray Walkup, a Stoutsville resident, who was reported missing in action. The paper also gives the local ration numbers for sugar, gasoline and tires.

6 months ago, Tony DeGrave

Middle School Basketball Game Day! MS Girls Home MS Boys Away #MCPRIDE

6 months ago, Brock Edris

Athletic Office Weekly Activities #MCPRIDE

6 months ago, Brock Edris

Draven Johnson traveled to Troy Buchanan High School yesterday to participate in the All-District Honorable Mention Band. He will audition for All-State Band in December. Gianna Quinn also made the Honorable Mention Band but was unable to attend. Congratulations, Draven and Gianna!”

6 months ago, Ed Talton