Category Archives: Schools

Fort Scott, Schools

New WS Technology Teacher: Karen Gordon

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 Karen Gordon, 56, is the new technology teacher at Winfield Scott Elementary School.
Gordon retired in May from  teaching in Missouri after 27 years.
She is a Nevada, MO native.
“I’ve had numerous jobs in education while at Nevada,” she said. “Most recently I was one of the middle school counselors. I have also been the counselor at Truman Elementary, school psychological examiner for the district, taught fifth-grade, gifted, keyboarding, and seventh-grade science.”
Gordon has a bachelor of arts degree from UMKC and a master of science from PSU, both in elementary education.
“I also have numerous hours in counseling from MSU,” she said.
Her husband, Tom Gordon, and she have one son, McCade Gordon, who is a sophomore at Mizzou.
Outside of school, she likes attending Broadway shows, her son’s concerts, walking, and “hanging out with friends,” she said.
“The best part of teaching, for me, is getting to shape young minds and show them that their only limits are those they place on themselves,” she said.
Her greatest challenge this year will be going back into the classroom after being in counseling for the last six years, she said.
“I’m so excited to work with the littles!”
Bourbon County, Schools

Happenings At St. Martin’s Academy

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Submitted by Daniel Kerr
All hands on deck!  As a busy and productive summer comes to a close, every staff member, friend with a hammer, and tradesman in Bourbon County has gathered for the final push to make our new campus ready for the start of school.  On September 2nd, we’ll welcome around 30 exemplary young men across 9th, 10th and 11th grades for our second year.  With a waiting list developing for each class, our challenge in the years to come will not be finding students, but rather building our campus at a rate commensurate with such strong demand.  Deo gratias!

It promises to be an exciting year and we’re delighted to introduce you below to some wonderful men and women who will be joining our faculty as well as a couple of programs that exemplify our commitment to an education for boys that roots bold innovation in time-tested tradition.

Saint Martin, pray for us!

Duc in Altum,
Daniel Kerr, President
Patrick Whalen, Headmaster

The Last Homely House

We’re almost there!  It has been an adventure since we first broke ground on Theotokos Hall and the hard work and persistence from our team and supporting community is about to pay off.  Theotokos Hall, home and hearth to future generations of St. Martin’s students, is a structure built to endure the test of time and we cut no corners in making her worthy of honoring Our Lady.

For the latest updates with more pictures, check out our blog.

The Hall of Fire in Rivendell represents the place where tradition is passed on through story, where meaning is revealed, where language expresses itself in the making and interpretation of worlds.  The ambience of fire, of a friendly hearth where all strangers are made welcome and find consolation, speaks of a place where humanity can take root and flourish, a true home – the “Last Homely House.”  Here prose is subordinate to poetry, and poetry to song.  – Stratford Caldecott, Beauty in the Word
New Faculty
We are very pleased to welcome some incredibly talented and good men and women to our humble assembly.  We are now a faculty of 15.  For pictures and full bios, please see our About Us section on our website.
Ginger McElwee, History Teacher and Librarian
Ryan Bauer, Math & Natural Sciences Teacher
Danielle Bauer, Secretary
Giorgio Navarini, House Father
Roger McCaffrey, House Father
Joshua Gieger, House Father
Jack Karleskint, Construction Trades Program Lead Instructor

Announcing our Construction Trades Program

Every Wednesday afternoon, our boys will join local legend and recently retired General Contractor Jack Karleskint for a 4-hour hands-on workshop in carpentry and construction.  This Construction Trades Program is a nationally recognized 2-year certification and is administered through the Fort Scott Community College.  The curriculum comes from Southeast Kansas commercial building stalwart, Crossland Construction.

We are grateful to Jack, FSCC and Crossland for making such a valuable program possible for our boys!

Read more about how this program integrates with our curriculum at St. Martin’s.

Bon Voyages Les Garcons!

On September 7th our Juniors will embark on an 9-week journey across France, Spain and Italy.  Curated and led by St. Martin’s Senior Faculty members and House Father Josh Mincio, our study abroad program will bring our students into direct contact with the physical reality that was Christendom and offer once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to experience the cultural roots of Western Civilization.

A rough sketch of our itinerary:
Weeks 1, 2 & 3 – Afoot in France: Paris, Chartres, Tours, Normandy Beach, Mont St. Michel, the Vendee and Chavagnes International School
Weeks 4 & 5 – Spiritual Retreat at the Benedictine Abbey of Fontgombault
Weeks 6 & 7 – Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage
Weeks 8 & 9 – The Eternal City

Down on the Farm

St. Martin’s Farms is readying for our second year as a diversified operation that includes pastured hogs, dairy cattle, katahdin sheep, meat chickens, egg-laying chickens, geese and rabbits.  This year in particular we will be ramping up our dairy and egg-laying operation.  We added three beautiful Jersey cows to our existing herd of three and all six are due to calve in September and October!  We expect an abundance of fresh milk out of the dairy barn and should collect between 70 and 80 eggs a day from the layers.  Bolstering these two areas will go a long way towards providing critical healthy fats and proteins to the boys’ diet.

Read more about why we farm at St. Martins.

Above: Rising Junior Israel Meyers refining his hand-milking technique on Molly the Jersey Cow

Join the Cause!

St. Martin’s is changing the landscape in secondary education and disrupting an ineffective and unimaginative status quo.  Please consider giving generously to our Raise the Rafters Campaign with a one-time gift or pledge.  No gift is too small (or too large!) and will be stewarded carefully as we build a campus for generations to come.

I teach in a charter school in Texas, and I see daily the effects on children of sitting in a desk for 8 hours and then playing video games after school.  This model produces passive, pusillanimous boys whose goals are avoiding work, gaming, and inventing cool-sounding excuses for their failures. Absorbed in the world of technology, they miss both the supernatural and the natural worlds which surround them.

I am deeply grateful to Dan Kerr and Patrick Whalen, along with all the teachers and staff of St. Martin’s, for creating an environment in which boys can truly thrive and grow to become the men that God wants them to be.  The trajectory of my son’s life, and those of countless other boys, has been changed permanently by your work.

– Meg Jones, mother of Nate (’22)
Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, Fort Scott Community College, Government, Jobs, Schools

Work Ready Students Is Goal of New Program: Employers Cooperation Needed

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Fort Scott High School.

Workers are needed across the state to fill workforce needs.

The Kansas State Board of Education, working with Kansas legislators, are providing the opportunity for juniors in high school, including Fort Scott, to take assessments to help fill those workforce needs.

The title of the program is ACT Work Ready Community and is paid for by Kansas legislators in collaboration with the state board of education.

Students are offered two assessments for the program and can either take the ACT, or ACT WorkKeys, or both.

The program facilitators are hoping to fill job vacancies in Bourbon County.

“An opportunity was seen to provide a connection for local Bourbon County employers to gain understanding of the ACT and the ACT WorkKeys assessment to help fill and build their workforce,” USD 234 Superintendent Ted Hessong said.  “The opportunity for juniors to take the ACT assessments will continue this school year and for years to come.”

A career readiness certificate can be earned, after taking an assessment, which will help to evaluate future employees for the workforce skills needed.

The program allows employers to use it as a tool to see if the skills set will work for their need.

“ACT Work Ready Community is a program to provide Bourbon County the distinction of a county where the employers recognize the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate earned upon completion of taking the ACT WorkKeys assessment, as a tool to evaluate future employees,” Hessong said.

The basis of the certification: current and future workers earn the certificate and the employers recognize the credential.

“Employers can be the fuel to drive successful state and county Work Ready Communities initiatives simply by recognizing the ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate®. And in doing so, they will have a more qualified workforce ready to fill their jobs,” according to the ACT Work Ready Communities website.

“The foundation of a community’s certification is based on individuals at the county level across the current, transitioning and emerging workforce, earning an ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate®…and employers recognizing the ACT® WorkKeys® NCRC®,” Hessong said. “(It) is a portable, industry-recognized credential that clearly identifies an individual’s WorkKeys® skills in workplace documents, applied math, and graphic literacy.”
A collaboration of local entities and employers will have two years to start reaching goals for the program.
“The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Bourbon County Economic Development, USD 234, Fort Scott Community College, and Bourbon County employers will have two years to attain goals set by ACT Work Ready in order to be recognized as an ACT Work Ready Community,” Hessong said.
For more information: workreadycommunities.org
Fort Scott, Schools

New FSHS Math Teacher: Bill Hall

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Bill Hall. Submitted photo.

William Hall is a new math teacher at Fort Scott High School, whose hometown is Manhattan, KS.

Hall earned a bachelor of science degree in secondary math education from Kansas State University and has previously taught math at Hugoton High School.

His family consists of his father, brother, and sister, who still live in Manhattan, another brother in Las Vegas, and another brother in Sydney, Australia.

” I’ve always been interested in working with students,” he said. And his students inspire him, he said.

Hall is looking forward to getting to know the students at Fort Scott High School, he said.

His greatest challenge in teaching math is working with technology.

“I am what you would call ‘technology challenged,” he said.

 

Fort Scott, Schools

Hayden Travis: New 2nd Grade Teacher at Winfield Scott

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Hayden Travis, 24, starts teaching second grade at Winfield Scott Elementary School in Fort Scott this year.

She was raised in Uniontown, and her mom,  sixth-grade West Bourbon Elementary School teacher Bonnie Rathbun, was her inspiration.

“My mom has been a teacher for many years, and I have grown up watching her give 110% to her students every year,” Travis said. “I was inspired by her dedication, passion, and drive to help students be successful.”

Travis previously taught 8th-grade earth science for two years in the Shawnee Mission School District in the Kansas City area.

She graduated from Pittsburg State University in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree.

Her family includes husband: Zach Travis, mother: Bonnie Rathbun, father: Randy Rathbun, sister: Taylor Graber, and brother: Chad Parks.

In her spare time she likes spending time with family, playing and watching sports, enjoying outdoor activities, staying active, and crafting, she said.

Watching students grow from the beginning to the end of the school year is the best part of teaching for Travis.

“Ultimately my goal is to help mold students into successful and independent individuals who can achieve any goal they desire,” she said.

What are the greatest challenges in teaching for you?

“One of the greatest challenges in teaching for me is finding a balance between my professional and home life,” she said.

Fort Scott, Schools

Ashlea Taylor: New Special Ed. Teacher at WS

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Ashlea Taylor. Submitted photo.
Ashlea Taylor, 29, is a new special education teacher at Winfield Scott Elementary School.
Taylor has taught pre-school children at  Head Start 0-5 from September 2016-April 2019.
Her hometown is Phoenix, Arizona and she graduated from Pittsburg State University.
In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family, she said.
Is there someone who inspired you to teach?
“I have two aunts who are educators and I have always loved kids. Several family members have seen me with children and suggested it is where I belong.”
What is the best part of teaching for you?
“Learning each child’s individual way of learning and watching them experience breakthroughs in moments of doubt. “
 
Fort Scott, Schools

New WS Kindergarten Teacher: Jennifer Tourtillott

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Jennifer Tourtillott. Submitted photo.
Jennifer Tourtillott, 39, will teach kindergarten at Winfield Scott Elementary School this year.

This is her sixth year teaching kindergarten, after receiving her bachelor of science degree in elementary education from Pittsburg State University.

 

“I taught at a school called St. Andrews, in my hometown of Roswell NM,” she said.

Her family includes two brothers, two sisters and her parents, who are retired educators,  living in Texas.
She is married to Jason and they have two children.
“Jason is a teacher in Uniontown, for 14 years,” she said. ” Our son is Mason and he is going into 3rd grade. Our daughter is Madison and she’s going into kindergarten.”
In her spare time, she creates custom wood furniture with her husband, called Tourtillott Creations
The best part of teaching for her is:
“Giving the children a fun and loving atmosphere.  (Where)They feel safe and enjoy learning,” she said.
Bourbon County, Government, Kansas, Schools

DCF Terminates Grant Funding for Kansas Reading Roadmap Administrator

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Audit Discovered Non-Compliance with Grant Terms and Conditions

 

Kansas Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard today terminated the agreement with Hysell & Wagner, LLC, which administers the Kansas Reading Roadmap (KRR) program. In addition, Howard also announced the agency will directly fund schools that made plans to offer the KRR program during the 2019-20 school year at the same level Hysell & Wagner was contractually obligated under the terminated grant.

 

“The Department for Children and Families is committed to ensuring that recipients of federal and state funds are spending those funds efficiently,” Howard said. “After reviewing the results of a DCF audit and despite heightened oversight during the first six months of 2019, it’s clear that Hysell & Wagner is falling short of this basic standard.”

 

The audit, initiated during the Brownback administration but never finalized or released, uncovered problems with internal controls required to achieve compliance with grant terms and conditions and applicable state regulations. All totaled, DCF auditors determined nearly $2.3 million were incorrectly claimed and paid to Hysell & Wagner during the time period from February 2014 to December 2015.

 

Since January, DCF Economic and Employment Services leadership uncovered additional concerns with Hysell & Wagner’s FY 2019 Kansas Reading Roadmap grant, including:

–          TANF funds, categorized as indirect costs, used for excessive payments to company executives surpassing federal salary limits

–          $216,000 was paid to owners as direct expenses and more than $607,000 has been charged to the grant in “guaranteed payments” as indirect expenses which would also go to the owners

–          TANF funds, categorized as indirect costs, were used for 38 trips between Kansas and the CEO’s and CFO’s residences in Washington, DC, and San Diego, CA

–          Administrative expenses charged to the Kansas Reading Roadmap grant exceeded federal and grant-specific limits of 15% of grant costs.

DCF has, in good faith, worked with Hysell & Wagner to educate and correct the identified issues. Despite these efforts, Hysell & Wagner continues to struggle with the heightened monitoring requirements and has rejected revisions in their FY 2020 contract addressing indirect costs.

 

 

“I’ve always been concerned about the use of no-bid contracts and lack of accountability under the previous administration,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “It’s clear that the State of Kansas cannot continue to support Hysell & Wagner’s administration of the Kansas Reading Roadmap program.

 

I am pleased that the Department for Children and Families is providing direct funding to schools for the coming year to ensure they receive the funds they’re counting on.”

 

Hysell & Wagner has until September 15 to complete their work with the program including providing notice of termination to sub-recipients of the award. DCF issued the draft audit to Hysell & Wagner August 15. The company has up to 30 days to respond. Once the agency receives their response the audit report will be finalized and made public.

 

Following is a complete list of schools who will receive funding directly from DCF for the 2019-20 school year.

 

Kansas Reading Roadmap Schools
• USD 210 Hugoton
• USD 216 Deerfield
• USD 235 Uniontown-Bourbon
• USD 247 Southeast Cherokee
• USD 252 Southern Lyon County
• USD 283 Elk Valley
• USD 288 Central Heights
• USD 297 St. Francis
• USD 298 Valley Heights
• USD 310 Fairfield
• USD 322 Onaga
• USD 333 Concordia
• USD 341 Oskaloosa
• USD 353 Wellington
• USD 383 Manhattan
• USD 386 Madison-Virgil
• USD 404 Riverton
• USD 417 Council Grove
• USD 428 Great Bend
• USD 440 Halstead Bentley
• USD 447 Cherryvale
• USD 457 Winfield
• USD 487 Herington
• USD 493 Columbus/Highland Park
• USD 497 Lawrence
• USD 503 Parsons
• USD 504 Oswego
• USD 505 Chetopa
• USD 506 Labette County
• USD 508 Baxter Springs
• Manhattan Boys and Girls Club
• Olathe Boys and Girls Club

Bourbon County, Bourbon County Sheriff's Office, Fort Scott, Schools

Visit With Sheriff’s Office Personnel: Get a Free Snow Cone

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The sheriff’s office will be handing out to the first 100 kids coupons to get a small snow cone from Tropical Snow.

Tropical Snow is in the south parking of the Movie Gallery Store located at 1714 South National in Fort Scott.

This will be a chance to meet/talk with deputies, as a community involvement with the sheriff’s office.

The event will be  Tuesday, August 13, starting at 6 PM and will last until the last coupon is handed out.

 

Kansas, Schools

Taiwan Ag Youth Exchange Program Accepting Applications

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Taiwan Agricultural Youth Exchange Accepting Applications

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. —   The 2019 Taiwan Agricultural Youth Exchange Program is currently accepting applications from high school seniors or college freshmen who are passionate about agriculture and are interested in representing Kansas in a week-long exchange program October 26 through November 3, 2019.

 

Each year the National Taichung Agricultural Senior High School in central Taiwan hosts students from the U.S. Midwest for this program. Selected students will tour agricultural facilities and businesses in Taiwan and learn about Taiwanese agriculture.

 

“The entire experience was amazing,” said Sage Collins, 2018 program participant. “Immersing myself in a new culture, experiencing all the aspects of Taiwan and learning about their agricultural practices was an eye-opening experience for me.”

 

Exports play an important role in Kansas agriculture. According to Euromonitor, Kansas exported over $129 million in agriculture products to Taiwan in 2018, including beef, oil seeds, cereal grains and wheat flour. Globally, exports of agriculture products contributed over $3.6 billion to the Kansas economy in 2018.

 

“The Taiwan Agricultural Youth Exchange Program is a tremendous opportunity for students who have an interest in agriculture,” said Suzanne Ryan-Numrich, international trade director for the Kansas Department of Agriculture. “Students are able to return from Taiwan with a broader understanding of international agriculture and the role that exports play in their local communities.”

 

Two students will be selected to represent Kansas. To be eligible to apply, students must meet the following requirements:

  • High school senior or college freshman.
  • At least 18 years of age by the beginning of the trip.
  • Strong Kansas agricultural background.
  • Valid U.S. passport by time of exchange program selection.
  • Able and willing to pay for airfare costs (approximately $1,000).

 

Applications must be submitted by August 30 for the student to be considered. Students interested in applying can find more information at agriculture.ks.gov/AgEd.  The Taiwan Agricultural Youth Exchange Program is sponsored by the Kansas Department of Agriculture, the Kansas FFA Association and Kansas 4-H.

For more information, contact Robin Blume, KDA education and events coordinator, at [email protected] or 785-564-6756.

 
Area News, Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Schools

Local Singers Invited to Join Pittsburg Chorale, Directed By FS Music Teacher

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Pittsburg Youth Chorale Fall Enrollment Open

Area singers in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade are invited to join Pittsburg Youth Chorale, directed by MJ Harper.

The purpose of this vocal ensemble is to further grow vocal abilities, musical knowledge, and choral repertoire.

Performers will prepare music for community events and music festivals.

Rehearsals are Tuesdays from 5PM-6PM at First United Methodist Church, 415 N. Pine, Pittsburg, KS and begin September 3rd.

There is a fee of $50 per session (Sept-Dec/Jan-May) to cover the cost of music.

Scholarships are available.

To enroll, contact MJ Harper at 620-719-6633 or email [email protected], deadline September 3rd.

Bourbon County, Schools

New UJHS Social Science Teacher: Gabrielle Studer

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Gabrielle Studer. Submitted photo.
The following is part of a series of new teachers in Bourbon County schools.
Uniontown teachers have In-Service on Monday, August 26. The first day with students is Thursday, August 29.
Name: Gabrielle Studer
Age: 41
Title and where you will teach: Junior high social sciences teacher, Uniontown
Experience: Five years of teaching English at Fort Scott High School, two years as an instructional coach at Fort Scott Middle School.
Education: BS in sociology from MSSU, and earned a teaching license through PSU. “I worked as a social worker for several years before moving to Fort Scott in 2004.”
Family: Husband Brian and two kids, Sadie (age 7) and Callum (age 5).
Hobbies/interests:  “I enjoy traveling, reading, snow skiing and of course being with family and friends.”
How did you become an educator?
“I didn’t initially study to be an educator. For several years, I had been enjoying my work in the field of social work. But after moving to Kansas, I found that the private sector required me to have different qualifications than I had. Rather than attending school to gain a similar degree to what I already had, I decided to switch to education. Since high school, I’d always worked in some capacity with youth. It was my niche. So I thought teaching would be fun. And I was right — I love teaching secondary students.”
What is the best part of teaching for you?
“I enjoy teaching because I love hanging out with teenagers. It’s just a serious bonus that I also get to teach material that I love. I could learn all day about history, archaeology, geography, literature — even grammar. As a teacher, I get to keep learning about the topics that thrill me, and I also get to hang out with teenagers, who are so much fun and always full of surprises. I can’t think of a better job. Besides getting paid to travel the world. I admit that would be better.”
What is the greatest challenge in teaching?
“For me, the greatest challenge to teaching is finding a way to interest every student. But if people are having fun together, they often find interest in whatever they’re doing together — even if it’s learning the Pythagorean theorem or diagramming sentences.”