Category Archives: Schools

Area News, Fort Scott, Schools

Aggie Day Draws Over 1,300 Students at FSCC

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Over 1,300 high school students, from 90 schools, converged on Fort Scott Community College Aggie Day April 6, according to Ryan Edgecomb, an agriculture instructor at the school.

Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma high school buses line parking lots at FSCC for Aggie Day April 6.

Former FSCC Agriculture Instructor Gary Harvey started the event in the mid-1970s, said  Edgecomb.

“This is my 15th Aggie Day,” Edgecomb said. “The Ag Department hosts the event. Blake Davis is my teaching partner and livestock coach.”

FSCC Ag Instructor Ryan Edgecomb, right, shares a light moment with area high school ag teachers, following the Ag Teachers Brunch in the Ellis Arts Center Friday morning.

Students competed in a variety of areas, including agronomy, entomology, farm management, floriculture, food science, livestock, meat evaluation, milk quality and products, nursery/landscape, poultry, speech, veterinary science,  and reasonings.

Those from Bourbon County schools who ranked in the top ten in the contests:

In the Intermediate Live contest, Clay Brillhart, Uniontown, received 2nd place; Zach Snyder, Uniontown received a 10th place.

In the Junior Live contest, Tate Crystal, Uniontown, received the 3rd place.

In Senior Questions Live, Graham Hathaway, Uniontown, received the 2nd place; Kolby Shoemaker, Fort Scott, received a 10th place.

In Senior Reasons Live, Kolby Seested, Uniontown, received the 3rd place.

In the Veterinary Science contest, Maddie Ard, Uniontown, received 2nd place; Aubry O’Neal, Uniontown, received the 8th place.

In the Junior Speech contest, Hannah Beerbower, Uniontown, received the 4th place.

To see the full results: http://www.fortscott.edu/AggieDay/Results

The event is sponsored by Purina and Purina Mills Honor Show Chow, which also includes an ag teacher brunch.

“We are honored to have Purina and Honor Show Chow back as our sponsors for a third straight year, and we’re grateful for their support,”  Edgecomb said.

Edgecomb said the event has multiple purposes.

“It’s a recruiting tool for FSCC, allowing students to see and showcase our school,” he said.

In addition, the event is “an educational contest to help schools prepare for district and state events,” Edgecomb said.

Over 100 support people are employed to help with Aggie Day: faculty, staff, students and former students, Edgecomb said.

Some highlights of the days activities in photos:

 

 

Fort Scott, Schools

March Madness at Eugene Ware Elementary

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From left FSCC Basketball Coach Blake Cochran, Jon Barnes, Donnie Flowers, Tyler Zinn, John Montgomery, Lucas Kelley, J. M. Gregg, Aaron Williams, Andre Nelson, Dontrell Sanders, Jayden Davis, George Brocato, and Daemar Jones introduce themselves at the beginning of the March Madness Reading Challenge assembly.

It takes practice and lots of it, to do anything well, including reading.

That in a nutshell, is what the Fort Scott Community College Basketball Team told the students at  Eugene Ware Elementary during an award assembly Wednesday afternoon.

During the month of March, students have been competing with other classes in reading the most minutes.

The classroom winners of each grade level were given a poster of the FSCC Basketball Team along with a promised extra recess, during the assembly held in the school gym.

The winners were: Carrie Southwell’s 3rd grade class with 3, 220 minutes of reading, Joyce Flanner’s 4th grade with 3,002 minutes and Jill Couch’s 5th-grade class with 2,232 minutes.

During the assembly, students were randomly picked from the audience to participate in a basketball throw challenge.

The winner of that challenge was Quadar Moreland, a fourth-grade student. Because of his win, all 4th-grade students were given autographed posters of the team.

Brenda Hill, an instructional coach at Ware, and Mary Mauer, a teacher, collaborated on the idea of capitalizing on basketball’s March Madness national competition to encourage students to practice reading.

Below are photos of the afternoon assembly.

Carrie Southwell gives her 3rd-grade students “high fives” following the announcement that the class read the most minutes for the reading competition.
Students lined up to take a turn at getting the ball through the basketball hoop.

Some students needed a little extra help getting the ball through the hoop and the college basketball players helped.

Quadar Moreland gets some encouragement from the FSCC basketball team following his win of the basketball contest.
Students look over the poster of the FSCC Basketball Team while waiting in line to get it autographed.

 

Fort Scott, Schools, Submitted

Fort Scott High School Track Meet At Paola

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FSHS Track Coach Tracey Bogina and Freshman Ella Beth watch a team member during the Paola Invitational Track Meet April 5.

Photos submitted by Brian Wade

Fort Scott High School participated in the Paola Invitational Track Meet April 5.

The following photos are spotlights on some of the Fort Scott athletes who participated.

 

Andrew “Bubba” Callahan

Makyn Wade
Kyle Tome
Ella Beth
Abby Humble
Makyn Wade
Fort Scott, Schools

USD 234 Hires New Superintendent, Ted Hessong

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Ted Hessong was hired as the new superintendent for Fort Scott schools.

Ted Hessong, currently superintendent of USD 456, was hired Tuesday evening by the USD 234 Board of Education. He will begin June 2, 2018, and was hired on a two-year contract as the new superintendent in Fort Scott’s school system.

The following is a FortScott.Biz  interview with Hessong.

What motivated you to get into education?

“My mom was a teacher at Fort Scott Middle School, which was a great example of what a teacher should be. I was also active in sports and I wanted to be a basketball coach since 7th grade.”

Education?

” I graduated from Fort Scott High School and earned an Associates Degree from Fort Scott Community College. I got my Bachelor’s Degree in Science Education from Pittsburg State University. I also received my Master’s in Building Leadership and District Certification from PSU.”

Experience?

” My first two years in education I was a science teacher and coach at Pleasanton Junior/Senior High School in Pleasanton, Kansas. I then accepted a position at Frontenac Junior High and High School teaching science and coaching, where I did my student teaching. I spent 17 years at Frontenac School district, where I went from a teacher to assistant principal for the 6th-12th-grade building. I then became the first junior high principal at Frontenac because we separated the junior high from the high school. The last five years at Frontenac I was the high school principal following the retirement of one of my mentors, Joe Martin. The past two school years I have been the superintendent at Marais des Cygnes Valley School District, which is composed of the communities of Melvern, Quenemo, and Olivet in Kansas.”

Family?

“I have three children.”

What interested you in the position in Fort Scott?

“Fort Scott has tremendous respect throughout the state of Kansas as a top-notch district. I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to return to my hometown to lead the district that really gave me my start in education.”

What do you feel you bring to the district?

“I feel my leadership experiences have prepared me to lead Fort Scott in a variety of areas to provide the best opportunities for the students of Fort Scott to experience success.”

What assets do you see in USD 234?

” The biggest asset Fort Scott has to offer is the teachers, staff, and students at Fort Scott. All these groups are what make Fort Scott an excellent school district.”

Any concerns?

“No concerns at this time.”

Any interests besides education, hobbies?

“My biggest interest is spending time with my family and friends.  I also enjoy sports, playing golf and mowing.”

 

Fort Scott, Schools, Submitted

FSHS Future Business Leaders Tour Capital

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Submitted photo.

Future Business Leaders of America visited Topeka for the State Leadership Conference on March 27-29.

The conference is a two-day event hosted at the capital each year, according to Morgan Robbins, the Business Teacher and FBLA Sponsor at Fort Scott High School .

“Students from schools all over the state of Kansas compete in various events,” she said. ” All of our students competed in objective tests, in topics including personal finance, business law, hospitality management, health care administration and more. We were so lucky to get to meet with Caryn Tyson and listen to her briefly speak about her work before we left Topeka on Friday.”

Front, from left:
Beth Nuss, chaperone; Lauren Madison; Emma Martin; Morgan Rohr; Senator Caryn Tyson; Daevin Caldwell; Hudson Horn; FBLA Sponsor and FSHS Business Instructor Morgan Robbins.

Back, from left.
Katie Harvey, Sami Rogers, Nick King, Alec Michaud, Matt Campbell, and Carter Goldston

Government, Kansas, Schools, Submitted

Governor Colyer Releases Statement on School Finance Legislation

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“In the last two weeks, I have had many productive meetings with education stakeholders and legislators, listening to their thoughts, concerns, and suggestions.  I am confident that we can reach an agreement on a solution that ends the school finance litigation and serves the best interests of our children and the state of Kansas.

I applaud the work of the Kansas Senate this week to address the equity fixes required by the Kansas Supreme Court.  I also appreciate the hard work of the House’s K-12 Education Budget Committee.

Last month, I shared with Kansans a framework for responding to the school finance ruling:

  1. We must keep our schools open.
  2. We need a definitive solution that ends the school finance lawsuits for good.
  3. Increased funding should be accomplished using a phased-in approach that will give schools time to plan and spend most effectively.
  4. We need to ensure the investment is sustainable without increasing the tax burden on Kansas families.
  5. Lastly, and I think most importantly, we must insist on accountability and improved outcomes.

As I have said before, I will support any effort that meets these objectives, keeps our schools open, and ends the cycle of litigation once and for all.

As legislators go home this evening for Easter weekend, I am calling on the legislature to send a school finance bill to my desk before they leave Topeka again.  Let’s get this done.”

Fort Scott, Schools

FSCC Kids Fair April 14

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The Fort Scott Community College Kid’s Fair  is from 9 a.m. to noon April 14 at Bailey Hall South Parking Lot.

“This event is sponsored by Fort Scott Community College  Community Relations Committee, we do it twice a year for the community kids just for fun and use it as a chance to get to know the community members,” Kassie Fugate-Cate, Director of Strategic Communications and Student Activities said.

Popcorn, cookies, drinks, games, and prizes will be offered.

“And of course, our teddy bear clinic sponsored by Student Nursing Organization (SNO),” Cate said. ” The kids bring their stuffed animals or dolls and they get a check-up like on ‘Doc McStuffins’.”

The event will be held in the south parking lot of Bailey Hall.

“We plan to have John Deere, our first responders, FSCC Cosmetology, FSCC STEM club, FSCC Athletics, and FSCC President’s Ambassadors present during the event along with FSCC SNO,” Cate said.

For more information contact Cate at 620.223.2700 ext. 5248 or

[email protected]

 

Fort Scott, Schools

Practice Goes On

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Brian Pommier, Fort Scott High School Softball Coach, speaks to the team following practice Thursday morning at Fisher Park.

The USD 234 school district is on spring break this week.

The Lady Tigers host a softball tournament Tuesday, March 27 against Spring Hill, Chanute, and Ottawa, according to the school calendar.

Coree Budd, the varsity softball manager, fills up the water cooler for Lady Tiger softball practice Thursday.

Fort Scott, Schools, Submitted

Shelby Hutchison Named Coca-Cola Academic Team Gold Scholar

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Jackson, Mississippi — Shelby Hutchison, a student at Fort Scott Community College, has been named a 2018 Coca-Cola Academic Team Gold Scholar and will receive a $1,500 scholarship.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Academic Team program by recognizing 50 Gold, 50 Silver and 50 Bronze Scholars with nearly $200,000 in scholarships annually. Each scholar also receives a commemorative medallion.

“The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has a long history of providing financial assistance to outstanding students at community colleges,” said J. Mark Davis, President of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. “We are proud to partner with Phi Theta Kappa and make it possible for deserving students to achieve their educational goals.”

Students are nominated for the academic team by their college administrators. Selection is based on academic achievement, leadership, and engagement in college and community service.

Coca-Cola Academic Team members will be recognized in both local and statewide ceremonies and will also be recognized internationally during Phi Theta Kappa’s annual convention, PTK Catalyst, April 19-21 in Kansas City, Missouri.

“We thank the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation for recognizing these student leaders and for investing in their futures,” said Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President, and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa. “Scholarships like these are integral to the success of these students in reaching their educational and career goals.”

Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of community college students and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in nine nations. Learn more at ptk.org.

Fort Scott, Schools, Submitted

FSCC Men’s Rodeo Team Produces Win

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Fort Scott Community College hosted the 37th Annual Spring Rodeo on March 9-11.

The rodeo took place in the indoor Arnold Arena and featured 25 Kansas and Oklahoma two-year and four-year colleges competing for a variety of titles.

FSCC men’s team won the rodeo with the following results.

  • Cory Brown won 2nd in the average in the bareback riding.
  • Russell Redden won 4th in the average in the bareback riding.
  • Trenton Burd won the long round and the average in the saddle bronc riding.
  • Matthew Swaim won the short round and 3rd in the average in the saddle bronc riding.
  • Zach Oestmann won the long round and 3rd in the average in the team roping.
  • -Wyatt Miller won 4th long the long round and 4th in the average in the team roping.
  • Zach Oestmann won 5th in the average of the calf roping.

“Our kids competed extremely well and presented themselves as professionals, we are very proud of them and the production that they put on,” Rodeo Coach Chad Cross said. “Thank you to our school and community for all of the support, we appreciate everything!”

 

Fort Scott, Schools, Submitted

FSHS StuCo Raises Money For Paws and Claws

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Over the past two weeks the  Fort Scott High School Student Council sponsored a donation drive for Lee’s Paws and Claws Animal Shelter.  Students were asked to donate money to help fund the shelter.  For each $1, students received a dog bone to be placed on the door of their activity period teachers door.

Altogether, students and teachers raised a total of $500 for the shelter.  Shown here are the club officers and Barbara Ritter from the shelter accepting the check.