New Teachers at Winfield Scott Elementary: Sydney Crapson, Sierra Sprague

This is part of a series of features on the 26 new educators in USD 234. School starts on August 18 for Fort Scott schools.

Sydney Crapson, 22, is a new first-grade teacher at Winfield Scott Elementary School in Fort Scott.

She attended Fort Scott Community College and Pittsburg State University graduating in May of 2022 with an Elementary Education Unified degree.

She is a first generation college graduate, and this is her first year of teaching.

“I have spent my entire life around children and have always loved being with them!,” she said.

Her hometown is Walnut.

Her mother, Karen, is a para educator at Girard High School. Her dad, Brian, does body work on cars and is a part-time farmer.

“I have an older brother named Bailey who is a ranch hand and lives with me in Fort Scott,” she said. “They have been my biggest supporters and I am so thankful for them!”

In her spare time she loves to read and collect books, fish, golf and sew.

“I also love animals and spend most of my evenings walking my dog,” she said. “I have lived in this community for four years and have worked at a local small business for the majority of that time.”

“Growing up, I had many amazing teachers,” she said. “All of the good ones that stick out to me made sure to take the extra time to get to know me as a person rather than just another student. Because of that relationship, they had such a strong and positive impact on my life and I knew I wanted to be that person for someone else.”

“My third-grade teacher is the main person who inspired me to become a teacher myself,” she said. “She took the time to really notice me as a person and helped me through a very difficult year when I felt like I had no one. I will forever be grateful to her.”

“The best part of teaching for me is being able to see my students grow. The excitement on their face when they finally understand or have discovered something new is heartwarming!”

“I think the most challenging part of teaching for me is spending almost an entire year with the same students and then having to let them go in May,” she said.

 

Sierra Sprague, 24, is a new K-2nd Grade Low Incident Special Education Teacher, who will be at Winfield Scott Elementary School in Fort Scott.

Last year she was a 4th-5th Grade Resource teacher in De Soto. Her hometown is Olathe, and she is married to Nick Sprague.

In her spare time she loves to find new books and explore coffee shops.

 “My husband is the Family Pastor at Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene, so I do a lot of activities there for the youth,” she said.

“Growing up my mom was a counselor in the school district, so I grew up at the school many nights and summer days,” she said. “In kindergarten we had a kinder city and that is where my love for teaching started.”

“A lot of my teachers had a part in making me want to teach.They believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. One teacher I remember was Ms. White, in 6th grade she told me that I could be whatever I wanted but I had to be willing to work for it and be ready for any obstacles that came.”

“The best part of teaching is seeing the smiles of kids, when they just figured out something that they were struggling with”