Fort Scott High School has some teachers who wanted to bring to life for their students the stories of places/events where they live, where they have first-hand experience.

Brian Allen, an auto shop teachers-aide at Fort Scott High School, began a FSHS History Club several years ago to educate students about local history.

“It has grown in membership and students have shown a genuine interest in knowing about where they live,” said FSHS History Teacher Sara Jackman.  “Last year, I approached the (USD234) administration about teaching a local history class and they were on board. After teaching a Bourbon County unit to junior high students at Uniontown for several years, I knew that it would be an elective I would enjoy teaching.”

“There is an interest from our students about the town and the county,” Jackman said. “They love to learn information about the places they see every day. The (FSHS)History Club’s membership numbers have been proof of that.  Additionally….we are trying to build pride for our hometown and county and respect for all of those who have made our community a good place to live.”

“I teach two sections of the class with approximately 53 students enrolled,” Jackman said.  “Mr. Allen helps me a great deal with content and guest speakers etc.”

A project at the end of the class will be for students to interview 80-90-year-olds in the community for future generations.

“Our students will also be adding in questions of their own so that we can do the interview from multiple perspectives,” Jackman said. “We are always looking for volunteers.”

The purpose of the new Bourbon County History class is to educate students about the history of the place in which they live, “Where we came from as a community,” Allen said.

“Our hope is that it gives them civic pride knowing about the rich history of Bourbon County,” Jackman said.

The first class in Bourbon County history began at FSHS on the first day of school, August 22.  It is an 18-week, one-semester course, that will be taught both semesters.

Curriculum for the course is from local authors and historical societies.

“Curriculum sources vary widely,” Jackman said.  “The textbook purchased for students is the Historic Reflections of Bourbon County Kansas by Fred Campbell, Jr. and Don Miller.  We also use many other locally written books, resources from the Kansas State Historical Society, the Bourbon County Historic Preservation Society, and lots of others.”

These books are also available to the public through the Fort Scott Public Library.

The class is going well, Jackman said.

“We have started off learning about the Native Americans who would have lived in the area and some of the explorers who came to Kansas,” Jackman said. “On August 30, Mr. Reed Harford (came) in to speak to the class about the expedition of Zebulon Pike and his time in Bourbon County.”

“I am so impressed with Mrs. Jackman,” Allen said of the teacher and the class curriculum that she constructed.

Brian Allen is also the president of the Bourbon County Historical Preservation Association.

To see a recent KOAM News story on the subject, click below:

https://www.koamnewsnow.com/news/learning-local-history-in-bourbon-county/1115325896?fbclid=IwAR24pI29ZIKcEI6b16cgdUcjB8i3YzyBEG8nMH-fLtfvPz0DNgyQj5GL1e8

Bo Graham, 36, is the new Fort Scott High School Student Success Center Teacher.

“I became an educator because I had coaches and teachers that made a huge impact on my life,” he said. “I hope to do the same for the students and athletes I come in contact with! Bob Campbell was the main person who inspired me to teach. But I also had many others who played a role in that.”

Graham has been in education for 15 years, having graduated from Pittsburg State  University with a masters of arts degree in education.

“The best part of teaching for me has been having students or athletes come back seven, eight or nine years later letting me know the impact I had on them. It makes every second worth it,” he said.

For Graham one of the challenges in education is technology.

“The greatest challenge I see in education is probably technology, and that being good and bad,” he said.  “The technology you use to run school changes yearly. And with the use of computers, tablets, and cell phones good and not-so-good things can happen.”

Fort Scott is Graham’s hometown.

He has been married to Jamie for six years and has a 3-year-old daughter named Blakely.

In his spare time, Graham likes spending time with family, golfing, and watching Duke basketball.

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.

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.