Category Archives: Schools

Entertainment, Fort Scott, Schools

FSHS Hosts Annual Talent Show and Pageant

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The FSHS Improv Troupe performs “Late for Work.” L to R: Anthony Russo, Mykael Lewis, Jackson Elton, Jaedyn Lewis. Photos are courtesy of Megan Conner.

The annual FSHS Talent Show and Miss(ter) FSHS Pageant occurred March 25 at Fort Scott High School.

The event, hosted by Thespians and emceed by seniors Christina King and Ashlynn Bagnall, awarded cash prizes to the top three competitors. Senior Tina Ramirez won first place for singing “She Used to Be Mine” from the musical “Waitress.” Junior Ella McElroy won second for her original song accompanied by ukulele. Third place went to sophomore Jericho Jones for his original piano performance of a medley of Elton John songs.

Shakira Shakira (Shekhar Gugnani) wins Miss(ter) FSHS representing Future Business Leaders of America. Pageant emcee – Zaria Byrd.

Eleven senior males represented clubs and athletic teams in the Miss(ter) FSHS Pageant. The winner, by round of applause, was Shakira Shakira (Shekhar Gugnani) representing Future Business Leaders of America.

Talent Show winners and emcees: L to R – Ella McElroy, Jericho Jones, Tina Ramirez, Ashlynn Bagnall, Christina King.

Proceeds from the event will assist Thespians in attending the International Thespian Festival on June 20-24 at Indiana University. Senior Christina King and sophomore Regen Wells will both compete in the monologue category at the Festival.

 

Casey Gomez performs “Yakko’s World” where he recited and pointed to every nation in the world.

 

Fort Scott, Schools

FSHS Talking Tigers Place Second in Parsons Sweep

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Submitted photo.
On March 26, four Fort Scott High School Talking Tigers competed in the Parsons invitational.
Fort Scott placed 2nd in Sweeps!
Cadence Tuck: prose -4th, DX-5th, and Informative-2nd (State qualifier!)
Alyssa Popp: poetry – 6th
Joy Self: HI – 1st (State qualifier!), FX – 3rd,
Impromptu – 3rd
Kinsley Davis: OO – 5th, POI – 5th, Impromptu – 5th
Congratulations Talking Tigers!
Submitted by Angella Curran
Fort Scott, Schools, Sports

Stepps Named SEK Girls Basketball Coach of the Year

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Submitted photo. Pechone Stepps coaches the Fort Scott High School Lady Tigers Basketball Team.
Pechone Stepps is a Credit Recovery Teacher Aide at
Fort Scott High School and also a girls basketball coach.
This week, Coach Stepps was named the Southeast Kansas Girls Basketball Coach of the Year for the 21-22 season.
“The seven head coaches in the league vote for who they think deserves the award for that season,” Fort Scott High School Activities Director Jeff DeLatorre said. “The coach with the most votes is named Coach of the Year.”
FSHS Activities Director Jeff DeLaTorre.
With Stepps as a coach, the Lady Tigers finished the season with a record of 17-5 and finished as SEK League champions.
“There is a coach of the year selected for each sport in the SEK League each season,” DeLaTorre said.
“Through the years, Fort Scott High School has had several recipients of this award including Tracey Bogina for Boys Cross Country in the fall last year,” he said.  “Last school year (20-21) we had Bo Graham, football coach Tracey Bogina, girls cross country coach, Clint Heffern, boys basketball coach, and Josh Regan, baseball coach were recipients.

 

Tracy Bogina from the USD234 Online Staff Directory.
Bo Graham from the USD234 Online Staff Directory.
Clint Heffern.
Josh Regan. Submitted.
Josh Regan.
Fort Scott, Schools

St. Mary’s Catholic School Kindergarten Roundup April 13

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St. Mary’s Catholic School Kindergarten Roundup will be held Wednesday, April 13 by appointment from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
To enter kindergarten, a child must be 5 years of age on or before August 31.
If you would like for your child to attend kindergarten at St. Mary’s next year, please contact the school office at 620-223-6060 to schedule an appointment to be screened on April 13.
On the day of the screening, please bring your child’s social security card, birth certificate, immunization record/physical form, and if Catholic their baptism certificate.
A Kansas Certification of Immunization and/or a Kansas Child Health assessment must be filled out and submitted to the school before admission in the fall of 2022.
Parents may accompany their child into the building and wait inside until the screening is completed. At that point, a staff member will bring the child back out and discuss the results of the screening.
St. Mary’s Catholic School is fully accredited by the state of Kansas and welcomes students of all faiths.
Fort Scott, Schools

THEATRE EDUCATION IN THE SPOTLIGHT IN MARCH

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Submitted by Angie Bin, Fort Scott High School Theatre and Speech Teacher

Students at Fort Scott High School Lead Community Advocacy Efforts

[Fort Scott, KS, March 21, 2022]—Students at Fort Scott High School are joining the national grassroots effort called Theatre in Our Schools Month (TIOS) to advocate for the benefits of theatre education in schools.

Members of International Thespian Society (ITS) Troupe 7365 are drawing attention to the need for increased access to quality theatre programs for all students, especially as schools reimagine programs in the ever-shifting landscape influenced by COVID-19 protocols.

To get the word out, the troupe is participating in many events.

Students are hosting the annual FSHS Talent Show and Miss(ter) FSHS Pageant at 7 p.m. on March 25 at the FS Auditorium. Tickets for reserved seats are $6 and available at fortscotthighschool.ludus.com or at the door.

The Thespian troupe is especially raising money to send students to the International Thespian Festival in June.

The troupe is also sharing information about the importance of Theatre in Our Schools and students’ personal stories via Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tiktok.

Thespians Shirt Thursday awards students to who wear theatre-related shirts to school with prizes.

The ITS is the theatre honor society for middle and high school students. These student thespians plan and implement TIOS activities in their schools, in their communities, and with elected officials. The presentations and activities explain how theatre education positively shapes students’ lives by instilling necessary life skills.

TIOS Month is an opportunity for students, parents, communities, school boards, and elected officials to come together to make theatre education more available to all students.

One of the key messages is that theatre skills help students develop vital 21st-century skills like communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, as well as social/emotional skills critical to students’ growth as young adults.

For example, according to The College Board, in 2015, students who took four years of arts classes in high school scored an average of 92 points higher on their SATs than students who only took one half year or less.

But, according to the U.S. Department of Education, only 28 percent of high schools in high poverty areas offer theatre instruction.

According to a 2018 poll, 72 percent of Americans believe the arts unify our communities regardless of age, race, and ethnicity, and more than 90 percent believe students should receive an education in the arts in elementary, middle, and high school. The poll, “Americans Speak Out About the Arts in 2018,” was conducted by Americans for the Arts.

To see ITS Troupe 7365 in action, come to the Spring Improv Comedy Show on Apr. 30 at 7 p.m. in the FSHS Auditorium.

Children can also participate in Tiger Drama Camp – The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales on May 16-28. Registration forms are available at Buck Run.

Theatre in Our Schools is jointly sponsored by the American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE) and the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA). For more information about TIOS, visit schooltheatre.org/tios and follow #TheatreInOurSchools on social media.

Bourbon County, Schools

USD 235 Kindergarten Roundup Coming April 4

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West Bourbon Elementary School – Uniontown

Kindergarten Roundup Coming in April

 

 

A screening clinic for 2022-2023 kindergarten students has been scheduled for Monday, April 4 at West Bourbon Elementary. To be eligible for kindergarten, your child must be 5 years old on or before August 31, 2022.

Students who will be new to WBE will sign up for a 30 minute slot to be assessed on April 4. Please bring in your child’s birth certificate and immunization record. The agenda for the child will include kindergarten skills assessment, vision, hearing, speech, and checking health records.

Kindergarten children are required to have a physical exam within 12 months of beginning school and have all current immunizations. You may contact Girard Medical’s Uniontown Clinic to set up a physical time on the 4th if you wish; they can be reached at 620-756-4111. Students that have incomplete records will not be allowed to start school until their records are complete.

Due to the screenings, there will be no Kindergarten class on April 4th.

For the best testing environment for your child, we ask that you not bring brothers or sisters.

Please phone the school to set up a time to bring your child for the assessment and screening.  The phone number is 620-756-4335.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fort Scott, Schools

Gugnani Earns a Perfect ACT Score

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Shekhar Gugnani. Submitted photo.

A Fort Scott High School senior has scored a perfect score of 36 on the American College Test.  The test is a standardized one used for college admissions in the United States.

Shekhar Gugnani, 18,  took the ACT  in February of 2021.

“Shekhar is the first student in Fort Scott High School history to achieve a perfect score of 36 on the ACT,” Fort Scott High SchoolJr. and Sr. Counselor Josh Messer said. “He has also taken one of the most rigorous course loads possible while in high school.  He has taken numerous classes through Fort Scott Community College during his high school career.”

“Shekhar is also a National Merit Scholarship Finalist, Messer said.  “This distinction is based on his scores on the PSAT test he took as a Junior.  To be a finalist, he is in the top 7,500 of students to take the test in the nation.  He will find out if he is a National Merit Scholarship recipient later this month.”

He is the son of Sonia and Dr. P.K. Gugnani.

The following is from a fortscott.biz interview with Gugnani:

What did you do to prepare for the ACT?

“It wasn’t until my sophomore year that I started taking a lot of practice tests, focusing more on evaluating my weaknesses and trying to increase my score. After taking a practice test, I would sit down, look at what I missed, and then try to learn the concepts so I wouldn’t miss a similar question. It took a lot of rigorous training and holding myself accountable for every mistake, but in the end, it was all worth it.”

Did you take it more than once?

“Yeah. The first time I took it in high school was as a junior in October 2020, and I scored a 34. I retook the test in February of the following year (2021) because the test was free for all juniors. That was the test that I scored a perfect 36 on.”

What are your future plans?

“I’m still weighing my options on what college I plan to attend, but I know that I want to pursue a career as a doctor. I hope to one day gain admission into medical school, complete residency, and settle down to practice medicine.”

Are there people who have helped you attain this honor?

“Absolutely. I would say my primary influences were definitely my parents since they always pushed me to be the best version of myself. They motivated me to take practice tests, and sometimes they even helped me find my errors or come up with strategies to pace myself on the test (since it is timed). My teachers were also really influential, specifically my previous AP Calculus teacher, Jeff Armstrong. He was always willing to lend a hand wherever he could, and a lot of his trigonometry lessons helped greatly on the exam. I’d also like to thank my brothers, Neil and Raj, as well as my close friends, for always providing moral support throughout all of my endeavors.”

When will you find out about the National Merit Scholarship?

“I was already named one of 15,000 finalists in the program in February; starting this month, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation will designate about half of those people as scholarship winners, receiving $2,500 each. Being a finalist, some colleges will offer their own scholarships just for attaining this status.”

What will that mean to you?

“Regardless of the scholarship, being a finalist is a huge honor to me. It not only solidifies my name in this exemplary academic program, but it gives me a sense of accomplishment, knowing that my hard work has paid off. I came from a small but mighty town, and together with those around me, I was able to rise up and achieve national recognition.”

Fort Scott, Schools

U234 Preschool Spring Fling: Fun and Info

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The Early Childhood Community Partners are sponsoring an Early Childhood Spring Fling for ages 0-6 years on April 7th from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Families will have the opportunity to participate in family engagement activities. Early Childhood providers and community organizations may also provide brochures or flyers to promote their organizations to assist any family based on their level of need. The event will also honor the “Week of the Young Child”, which is April 4-8th.

The location is at the Fort Scott Preschool Center, 409 S. Judson.

For more information: 620.223-8965.

Bourbon County, Schools

Raffle to Benefit Uniontown High School Seniors

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Uniontown High School Senior Parents are selling raffle tickets for three different items.

There will be a beef raffle where five winners will be drawn.

Each winner will receive 25 pounds of ground beef.

There will also be one winner drawn for a quilt and another winner for a tailgate bench.

Tickets are $1 each or six tickets for $5.

Winners will be drawn on March 27.

You do not have to be present to win.

Proceeds benefit the UHS Send-Off-Senior Event.

Tickets are available from UHS senior parents or you can text or call (620) 704-4248.

Fort Scott, Schools

U234 Board of Education Minutes of March 7

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NEWS RELEASE

 

Monday, March 7, 2022

 

Members of the USD 234 Board of Education met at the Board of Education office on Monday, March 7, 2022, for their regular monthly meeting.

President James Wood opened the meeting.  The board approved the official agenda.  The board also approved the consent agenda as follows:

 

A.    Minutes

B.    Bills and Claims

C.    Payroll – February 18, 2022 – $1,430,277.49

D.    Financial Report

E.     Activity fund accounts­­­­­­

 

There was one comment in the public forum section of the meeting.

Written reports were shared by principals.  In addition, the board heard reports from Dalaina Smith, Academics Director; Ted Hessong, Superintendent; and Gina Shelton, Finance Director/Board Clerk.

Superintendent Hessong gave an ESSER III update.

Board members approved the following:

 

·       Contract with HTK Architects for options to expand the preschool center

·       Pre-funding early retirement recommendation

·       Membership in the Greenbush Perkins Consortium

·       Boiler repair with CDL

 

Board members shared comments and then went into executive session to discuss employer-employee negotiations.  The board returned to open meeting and then went into executive session for preliminary discussion relating to the acquisition of real property.  The board returned to open meeting and then went into executive session to discuss personnel matters for nonelected personnel.  The board returned to open meeting and approved the following employment matters:

 

A.    Resignation of Mary Jo Harper, Eugene Ware music teacher, effective at the end of the 2021-22 school year

B.    Resignation of Kristin Duffey, Eugene Ware fifth grade teacher, effective at the end of the 2021-22 school year

C.    Resignation of William Hall, high school math teacher, effective at the end of the 2021-22 school year

D.    Resignation of Carrie Southwell, Eugene Ware third grade teacher on leave of absence, effective March 3, 2022

E.     Resignation of Jennifer Hartman, high school English teacher, effective at the end of the 2021-22 school year

F.     Retirement of Jim Pruitt, central office maintenance, effective May 12, 2022

G.    Resignation of Judy Warren, Eugene Ware paraprofessional, effective February 24, 2022

H.    Resignation of Jennifer Durkin, high school paraprofessional, effective March 11, 2022

I.      Leave of absence for Hayden Travis, Winfield Scott second grade teacher

J.      Addition of a high school counselor position and a middle school counselor position for the 2022-23 school year

K.    Employment of Suzan Durnell as the elementary instructional coach for the 2022-23 school year

L.     Employment of Jonathon Barnes as a high school social studies teacher for the 2022-23 school year

M.   Employment of Lannette Wood as a high school paraprofessional for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year

N.    Employment of Makyah Goldsby as a middle school intramural track coach for the 2021-22 school year

O.    Employment of Kathi Hall as a high school assistant softball coach for the 2021-22 school year; A stipend for Dave Martin as a high school assistant swim coach for the 2021-22 school year

P.     Addition of a high school assistant boys’ tennis coach for the 2021-22 school year

 

The board adjourned.