USD 234 has a slate of personnel retirements this school year which ended May 13, an unprecedented year in education because of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The following teachers responded to an email request to feature them on fortscott.biz.
Kyle Parks. Submitted photo.
Kyle Parks was the Fort Scott High School Agriculture Instructor
from 1983-2021.
“My entire career was at FSHS,” Parks said. “I truly enjoyed working with youth that had ties or interest in the agriculture field. They are more mature, responsible and just a blast to be with compared to the non-ag students. I also enjoyed the teachers and admins at the high school. They are a great bunch to work with.”
For Parks, the last year with the COVID-19 Pandemic has been a challenge.
“The Covid and Zoom (classes) and other newer technology was a struggle for me,” he said.
RoAnn Eden. Submitted photo.
RoAnn Blake has been a third-grade classroom teacher at both Winfield Scott and Eugene Ware Elementary Schools in Fort Scott from 2008 until 2021.
“The best part of teaching was seeing the students every day and sharing with them in their successes,” she said.
*The most challenging was making sure each student’s needs were met, even with all the bumps in their paths.”
Sondra Ruhl. Submitted photo.
Sondra Ruhl taught Special Education at Eugene Ware Elementary School from 2012-2021.
“In 1987, I worked as a paraeducator at Winfield Scott Elementary School for 12 years,” she said. “Then I moved to the high school where I worked for three years. I then went back to college and earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. I was hired in Missouri and taught Special Education for eight years while getting my Masters Degree in Special Education Teaching. In 2012, I was hired to teach Special Education at Eugene Ware where I have been for the last 9 years.”
“The best part of teaching is seeing my students have that ‘Aha’ moment when they were finally able to understand a concept that used to be hard for them,” Ruhl said.
“The most challenging part of teaching is all of the paperwork that goes with teaching special education,” she said. “This year has been the biggest struggle with Zoom meetings and the challenges that came with COVID teaching.”
Donna Davis. Submitted photo.
Donna Davis has been a special educator at Winfield Scott Elementary School from 1995 to 2021.
“I graduated with my bachelor’s degree from Missouri Southern State University in psychology/special education in 1982,” she said. “I began teaching special education grades K-2 in Missouri from 1982 to 1995. I received my master’s degree in early childhood special education from Pittsburg State University in 1994. I came to Fort Scott in 1995 to teach the special education preschool and finished my teaching career as the first-grade special education teacher at the end of this 2020-21 school year.”
For Wilson, the best part of teaching has always been the children. “Watching them learn and grow has given me great joy throughout the years. I have always loved my job and I will truly miss it!”
A challenge has been teaching during the pandemic, she said.
“Missing out on the end of the 2019-20 school year was very difficult for both the students and teachers.”
Martha Clements. Submitted photo.
Martha Clements was the 7th Grade Social Studies Teacher
from 1989-2021.
“I have taught all 32 years as an FSMS 7th-grade social studies teacher,” she said.
“The best part of teaching for me was being able to share with my students a subject I had been excited about since I was their age,” Clements said.
“Teaching was the challenge I pursued and I have truly enjoyed that challenge.”
Ronda Peterson. Submitted photo.
Ronda Peterson has taught for 36 years.
She taught eighth-grade math for 19 years (2002-2021),
5th grade for three years (1998-2002), and 4th grade for 14 years (1985-1998).
“The best part of teaching was being around kids,” she said. “They are so full of energy! I loved it when I saw student’s eyes light up when they realized they grasped the concept. I also enjoyed watching students helping their friends understand different concepts.”
“Teaching is a profession where students learn but those working with children also learn. I have a greater appreciation for the saying, ‘You learn something new every day.’ I hope I continue to learn something new every day in my retirement. My colleagues also made going to work one of the best parts of teaching!”
This school year has been a challenge for many teachers.
Not only did teachers have to learn to teach distance learners through Zoom meetings and the troubles that go along with loss of internet or connections to students, we were also to continue to have live in-class learning. There was a lot of struggling with this type of learning and we had to adapt sometimes several times a day.”
“There was a lot of new technology we were forced into mastering, whether we wanted to or not. Wearing masks 100% of the time was difficult at best. Many times, we had to remind students to pull their masks up, even though we did not want to wear masks either. Trying to socially distance 14-year-olds is a task many people would find impossible to do.”
“I am sure I will miss teaching….the students, the colleagues, the field trips, the good times. But I am thinking I am going to enjoy retirement….time with family and time to relax.”
Patty Giltner. Submitted photo.
Patty Giltner was the 7th grade English Language Arts teacher 6th-8th grade English as a Second Language teacher at Fort Scott Middle School from 1995 until 2021.
” I have been teaching in Fort Scott for 26 years,” Giltner said. “Prior to that, I was employed by Tri-County Special Education and worked as a para-educator in Fredonia schools for 13 years.”
“One of the best things about teaching was having the opportunity to spend my days teaching and building relationships with all of my students over the years,” she said.
“One challenge of teaching was making sure I provided the best possible learning experiences for all of my students while meeting their individual needs.”
The price list for The U, a student-led business. Submitted graphic.
For the 2020-21 school year Uniontown High School participated in Project-Based Learning.
Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects, according to www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl
Each UHS participating student chose a project that they presented to a board of teachers. The incentive: students got to opt-out of finals.
Uniontown High School Students Kristy Beene and Mason O’Brien, both juniors, decided to start a vinyl t-shirt business.
“They are custom-made shirts or a design that the customers choose,” Beene said.
“There was a lot of deciding that came with starting this business,” Beene said. “During the first semester of the 2020-21 school year, (we) decided that the best way to start this business was to fundraise the money in order to get the machines and supplies necessary.”
“We started this business in Mr. Feagins room, at UHS,” Beene said. “We chose him to…help us in the money and business itself.”
“One of the first orders of business was a name,” she said. “There were many names we considered but the one we chose was The U.”
“The first semester we raised the money needed through fundraisers and purchased a silhouette cameo and a heat press,”
Beene said. “By the end of the semester, we were starting to get up and going. At the start of the second semester, we added Skyler Coulter to our team as an extra hand for making shirts.”
Coulter is a sophomore.
Mason O’Brien, Skylar Coulter, and Kristy Beene hold a t-shirt with their vinyl imprint on it. Submitted photo.
“We have been staying busy with everyone’s support for our small business,” she said. “We have been so happy that we are able to make products that our customers love!”
This student-led business will be set up at Good Ol’Days in Fort Scott making custom shirts and water bottles.
“We hope that this will be a good aspect for our business and help us grow, both with customers and knowledge of the business industry itself,” Beene said. “Next year we hope to expand even more and invest in a screen printing machine.”
Selected Fort Scott students will be offered extra learning opportunities this summer. Transportation will be provided free of charge to students and additionally, food service will be provided free of charge to students, according to USD 234 Superintendent Ted Hessong.
“We will have Extended School Year (ESY) for special education students (Pre-K – 11), Extended Learning Opportunities for general education students (Pre-K-11), and JumpStart for preschool students,” Hessong said.
“ESY is a program we have offered in the summer for several years for special education students,” he said. “Special education staff work with students based on their individual learning needs.”
“This summer will be the first time in a few years, we have offered extended learning opportunities for general education students,” Hessong said. “With the use of ESSER II funds provided by the federal government, we will be providing summer learning opportunities to get a jump start to next school year.”
ESSER Funds were established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act,(CARES) the core purpose of the ESSER II Fund is to provide direct money to states and districts to address the areas most impacted by the disruption and closure of schools caused by COVID-19, according to the website https://www.nj.gov/education/ESSER
Students will focus on academic target areas based on academic data collected during the school year, Hessong said.
“This academic data comes from the MAP assessments our district utilizes as well as state assessment data from this current school year,” he said. “The ESSER II funds allow us to provide these learning opportunities to address academic gaps identified for individual students to help them be more prepared for promotion to their next grade level.”
” Each building will have general education staff provide the learning opportunities for identified students,” Hessong said. “This is not mandatory for identified students, but we hope parents and students understand our goal is to strengthen their child’s academic progress going into the next school year.”
“For several years USD 234 has provided a JumpStart summer program for preschool students going into Kindergarten,” he said. “The preschool receives a grant that provides funding for the JumpStart program. Identified preschool students are provided an opportunity to get a head start going into kindergarten, which will help them to be better prepared to be successful in kindergarten.”
Summer offering schedule:
Dates: July 20 – August 6
Location: Middle School (except for JumpStart)
Days: Monday – Friday
Time: 8 a.m. – noon.
Format:
Preschool – 8 – 11 a.m. at the preschool.
Jumpstart – at Winfield Scott Elementary from 8 to 11 a.m.
Primary (K-2) – 8 to 10 a.m.
Intermediate (3-5) – 10 a.m. to noon.
Middle School – 8 a.m. to noon.
High School – 8 a.m. to noon. (credit recovery)
Members of the USD 234 Board of Education met at the Fort Scott Middle School Commons on Monday, May 10, 2021, for their regular monthly meeting.
President David Stewart 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 – April 20, 2021 – $1,424,631.30
D. Financial Report
E. Activity fund accounts
F. LCP Assurances
G. May 15 – Baccalaureate – 4:00 pm; Graduation – 8:00 pm
Gifted teachers, Angie Kemmerer and Paulette Howard, presented a program on
the gifted education program.
There were no comments in the public forum section.
Reports were given by the following:
· Brenda Hill, KNEA President
· Administrators’ written reports
· Dalaina Smith, Academic Director
· Ted Hessong, Superintendent
· Gina Shelton, Business Manager/Board Clerk
Board members approved the following:
· Adjustment in adult meal fees for 2021-22
· 2021-22 Fees
· Masonry bid
· Summer Camps
· 2021 Summer pay, pending negotiations
Board members shared comments and then went into executive session to discuss personnel matters for nonelected personnel and to discuss upcoming negotiations sessions and returned to open meeting.
The board approved the following employment matters:
A. Resignation of Baylee Newman, Eugene Ware paraprofessional, effective May 13, 2021
B. Resignation of Kristin Bishop, Winfield Scott paraprofessional, effective at the end of the 2020-21 school year
C. Resignation of Vernon Hill, Winfield Scott cook, effective June 3, 2021
D. Transfer of Jennifer Tourtillott, Winfield Scott kindergarten teacher, to Winfield Scott counselor for the 2021-22 school year
E. Contract extension request from Angella Curran, high school debate and forensics teacher
F. Leave of absence request from Natalie Kitsmiller, Winfield Scott paraprofessional
G. Additional duties for Krista Gorman, high school/middle school instructional coach, as high school lead administrator for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year
H. Employment of Madeline Martin as a gifted teacher for the 2021-22 school year
I. Employment of Todd Magee as a Eugene Ware third grade teacher for the 2021-22 school year
J. Employment of Trent Johnson as a high school agriculture education teacher for the 2021-22 school year
K. Employment of Carol Glover as a Winfield Scott cook for the 2021-22 school year
L. Employment of Eileen Strakal as a Eugene Ware cook for the 2021-22 school year
M. Employment of Millicient Willard as a Winfield Scott cook for the 2021-22 school year
N. Employment of Lynn Barr as high school head girls’ tennis coach for the 2021-22 school
O. Termination of Joie Moore, high school cook, effective April 1, 2021
West Bourbon Elementary School Principal Vance Eden worked the soundboard, while WBE Music Teacher Rhonda Allen welcomes the audience to the spring program of kindergarten through third-grade students on May 3.
The music program for the performances.
Rhonda Allen has taught music for 39 years, with 30 of those at West Bourbon Elementary School in Uniontown.
“I teach pre-k through 6th-grade general music and junior high choir,” she said. “I also accompany the high school choir.”
Second-grade students enjoy their teachers Sheryl Fry and Brenda Gleason hamming it up during a performance.
But Monday’s kindergarten through third-grade spring music concert was not the normal spring concert at WBE.
It was held outside on the front porch of the school, with parents and the community invited to bring blankets or lawn chairs to enjoy the performances, because of the COVID 19 pandemic restrictions.
The audience brought lawn chairs and blankets to watch the performances.
The idea was born out of some recommendations and some experiences, Allen said.
“There were recommendations by the National Association of Music Education, that outside is a safer place to make music,” she said.
First-grade students perform.
Last fall the district had outside performances in the local park.
“We had an event held last fall in Uniontown City Park by the 4th and 5th grades, and the junior high and high school music and art students called Art in the Park,” Allen said. “It was very successful.”
“And we knew, an outdoor venue would not require us to limit the audience for these young performers,” she said. “An indoor program would be limited to four audience members per participant.”
At the end of each class performance, parents came to retrieve their students. They could then leave or stay for the entire concert.
So plans were made for the annual spring concert with fingers crossed and prayers to God for good weather.
“It was a delight to be able to have a spring program this year,” Allen said. ” At the beginning of the school year, performances seemed unlikely. We were very thankful that the rain held off!”
Third-grade students performed on the kazoo.
“I feel the outdoor venue was a success,” she said. “Many seemed to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere as they watched the kids perform.”
Allen feels performing music is important.
“Performance skills are an important part of the elementary music curriculum,” she said. “I was grateful to be able to teach those skills in this unprecedented year.”
Kindergarten students perform
Covid impact on Music Education
“A study done in the summer of 2020 revealed the amount of aerosol, how Covid is spread, created while singing or playing an instrument was significantly higher,” Allen said. “Music education was deeply impacted by this discovery. Social distancing, masks, and bell covers on the ends of instruments were some of the protocols followed.”
“Until late February, I traveled to each classroom, teaching from a cart,” she said. “This changed my curriculum and the activities I normally used to teach music concepts. It was different, but it was doable. Though it was challenging, I learned new skills and had the opportunity to discover new, and sometimes better, ways to teach music skills.”
The FSHS Girls Swim team had a busy week competing in Coffeyville on Monday and in Osawatomie on Wednesday night.
“We celebrated our senior swimmers on Monday Night as well, ” Coach Angie Kemmerer said. “Congratulations on a successful senior season: Dawna Hudiburg, Emily Davenport, Anna Gilmore, and Kourtney Flynn. Next week the swimming tigers will finish their regular season meets with the League Championship on Wednesday, May 12th in Osawatomie.”
Here are the results from Coffeyville’s meet:
Team Finished 2nd
200 Medley Relay:
3rd Place – Ashley Smith, Annelise Hall, Alyssa Smith Dawna Hudiburg
SOAR is a summer camp offered to West Bourbon Elementary 4th through 6th-grade students.
“The name was chosen to represent the eagle soaring,” Kerri Travis, the program director, said. The USD 235 Mascot is an eagle.
“It’s an opportunity for students to spread their wings and experience and enhance their learning through the exploration of new concepts and activities.,” she said.
These two girls are forming a flower pot on pottery wheels in a previous WBE Camp. Submitted photo.
The camp is June 1 – 28, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., and is free to district students.
Parents can sign up their children by contacting the West Bourbon Elementary School office at 620-756-4335.
“Our goal is to provide a place for our students to continue their growth academically while learning through hands-on activities such as robotics, coding, life skills, community service, and science experiments,” Travis said. ” Furthermore, it’s an opportunity for our students to spend time with their friends while engaging in fun activities.”
These are the planned activities for the camp:
Field trips to Fort Scott Cinema, Trampoline Park, nature exploration, roller skating, and a bouncy house.
Outdoor games, such as bowling, ladder golf, cornhole, horseshoes, badminton, water games, slammo game, ring toss, basketball, and volleyball.
These boys are preparing to eat a pumpkin dessert that they made in cooking class at a previous WBE Camp. Submitted photo.
Indoor Activities include 3D puzzles, bead pets, catapult wars, wooden construction science projects, sewing kits, magnetic design and paint tiles, food science experiments, cooking, photography, science experiments using microscopes, gardening, Legos, banking, fishing, tie-dye shirts, community service, reading session, and virtual reality headset activities.
Daily camp schedule and activities.
Students will arrive at West Bourbon Elementary be served a free breakfast.
Then the activities begin.
“Our summer program is designed to offer new enrichment activities while they are continuing to learn science concepts, technology, engineering, and math,” Travis said. “Our program is all hands-on activities, which the students love!”
There are three different enrichment activity classes daily, a thirty-minute session focusing on reading, a physical activity, and a healthy, nutritious free lunch for all students.
“Our SOAR camp will end daily at 1:30 p.m., from which the students will be sent home via school buses,” she said. “Every day will offer new and exciting learning opportunities for all our students. We all are gearing up for a great time at summer camp!”
These girls are painting rocks during sn enrichment time at a previous WBE Camp. The rocks are then hidden around the school for others to find. Submitted photo.
Daily Schedule
8:30 – 9:00 a.m. is check-in time, attendance, and breakfast.
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Enrichment class #1
10:00 – 10:20 a.m. Recess – outside or gym
10:20 – 11:00 a.m. Reading session
11:00 – 11:50 a.m. Enrichment class #2
11:50 – 12:00 a.m. Recess – outside or gym
12:00 – 12:30 p.m. Lunch
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Enrichment #3
1:30 – 1:45 p.m. Family time – load onto buses
The WBE camp leaders are Travis, program director, along with
Hannah Hays, Courtney Campbell, Angela Nading, Julie Schafer, Rachel Reed, and Bonnie Rathbun, who are tutors for the program.
“These ladies are who keep this program running effectively and work hard to keep the program exciting for our students,” Travis said. “I appreciate their inputs, suggestions, and support as we all work together to make the best program possible!”
Pictured are students building objects with the activity called Zoomtools, in a previous WBE Camp. “One student told me that they built the Coronavirus,” Travis said. Submitted photo.
Oliver Witt, FSHS Swim Team member, in the black dress, won the Miss(ter) Pageant on April 24
Submitted by Coach Angie Kemmerer
The Fort Scott High School Girls Swim Team competed in Coffeyville on Thursday, April 22 and Monday, April 27.
At both meets the team finished 2nd behind Independence.
FSHS Boys Swimmer and Girls Team Manager Oliver Witt Represented the team at the Miss(ter) FSHS pageant on Saturday, April 24th and brought home the grand prize.
From the pool to the runway, FSHS Tigers are making a splash!
The results from Thursday’s meet were:
200 Medley Relay
“A” 2nd
“B” 3rd
200 Free
5th Emily Davenport
6th Annalyse Gilmore
200 IM
5th Annelise Hall
6th Ashley Smith
50 Free
2nd Ava Steier
5th Dawna Hudiburg
100 Fly
4th Maia Martin
100 Free
2nd Ava Steier
500 Free
2nd Kourtney Flynn
200 Free Relay
“A” 3rd
“B” 6th
100 Back
6th Kourtney Flynn
100 Breast
1st Annelise Hall
4th Ashley Smith
6th Dawna Hudiburg
400 Freestyle Relay
“A” 4th
The results from Monday’s meet:
200 Medley Relay: Both teams got a best time
“A” 2nd (Ava Steier, Ashley Smith, Alyssa Smith and Dawna Hudiburg)
FORT SCOTT EDUCATOR NOMINATED FOR NATIONAL HISTORY DAY® TEACHER OF THE YEAR
WASHINGTON, D.C. and FORT SCOTT, KANSAS–Mrs. Angie Kemmerer, a teacher at Fort Scott Middle School and Fort Scott High School in Fort Scott, Kansas, was nominated for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year award in the senior division of the National History Day (NHD) National Contest. The award is sponsored by Patricia Behring in recognition of the pivotal role teachers play in the lives of students.
Each of the 58 National History Day affiliates may nominate one high school teacher for this award, and Mrs. Kemmerer is the senior division nominee from Kansas. Every nominee for the $10,000 award is a teacher who demonstrates a commitment to engaging students in historical learning through innovative use of primary sources, implementation of active learning strategies to foster historical thinking skills, and participation in the National History Day Contest. All nominees will receive $500 as a result of their nominations.
“The nominees for the Behring Award have shown a dedication to teaching that goes beyond the classroom,” said Dr. Cathy Gorn, National History Day Executive Director. “These educators are leading examples for their peers and invaluable resources for their students. I congratulate Mrs. Kemmerer on her well-deserved nomination.”
The national winner will be selected by a committee of experienced teachers and historians, and announced on Saturday, June 19, 2021, at the National History Day National Contest Awards Ceremony to be held virtually due to COVID-19. Nominees’ work must clearly illustrate the development and use of creative teaching methods that engage students in history, and help them make exciting discoveries about the past.
About National History Day® (NHD):
NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. The National History Day Contest was established in 1974 and currently engages more than half a million students every year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels, where the top entries are invited to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD is sponsored in part by, HISTORY®, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Park Service, Southwest Airlines, the Crown Family Foundation, The Better Angels Society, the Pritzker Military Museum & Library and the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation. For more information, visit nhd.org.
About Kansas History Day
Kansas History Day Foundation’s mission is the promotion of interest among elementary and secondary school students in history and historical research by providing the students an opportunity to compete and display publicly the results of their historical research and by rewarding them for their efforts and interests. Kansas students have a long history of success in History Day at all levels, including the national level. KHDF’s aim is to make sure that all Kansas students have the opportunity to continue this successful and winning tradition. Please visit our website for more information, kansashistoryday.org.
Fort Scott High School To Host Talent Show and Pageant
The annual FSHS Talent Show and Miss(ter) FSHS Pageant is this Saturday, April 24 at 7 p.m. at the FSHS Auditorium.
The event features singers, actors, dancers, musicians, and comedy. The first-place winner receives $50, second place earns $40, and third place takes home $30.
This year’s emcees are junior Thespian President Christina King and junior Thespian Secretary Jenna Stockstill. Judges include high school teachers William Hall, Reyna Valenzuela, and Sara Jackman.
The Miss(ter) FSHS Pageant features senior males from various high school sports and activities escorted by a senior female. They model their “sports attire” as they perform a short talent and then model their evening gowns. The contestants compete for the title based on audience response.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Seating is limited and the $6 tickets must be purchased at fortscotthighschool.ludus.com. Masks are required.
Fort Scott High School Debate and Forensics team has been competing completely virtually all year.
Over the last few weeks students have been working to qualify to nationals through three district tournaments.
The last leg of this tournament was April 16-17.
The Talking Tigers have nine students who will be representing Fort Scott at Nationals in June.
Overall, Fort Scott placed 2nd in Congress sweeps and Speech Sweeps and 3rd in debate sweeps
Several students qualified for nationals in multiple events but are only allowed to compete in one.
HERE IS THE FSHS NATIONAL QUALIFYING TEAM:
Congress House:
Neil Gugnani
and
Shekhar Gugnani
Congress Senate:
Lillian Collins
PFD: Thade Yates and Khris Patel
Informative 10:
Jadelynne Atherton-Russell
POI:
Kinsley Davis
HI:
Trent Toth
and Regen Wells
The entire Talking Tigers team has adjusted to every strange and different thing that has been thrown at them and this is the result of their hard work and dedication! They are a great representation of Fort Scott High School and we are extremely proud of them!
