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.”
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, 403 Woodland Hills Blvd.
The only FDA-authorizedvaccine for 12- to17-year-olds is now available at all Community Health Center locations by appointment. The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is a two-dose vaccine that is given 21 days apart.
Now, entire households can be immunized against COVID-19 where previously only adults are were immunized. The vaccinations make it easier for students to return to regular schooling in person, and removes issues to school reopening’s by reducing the threat of transmission in classrooms, and allows adolescents to safely attend summer camps, sleepovers and get-togethers with friends.
Parents or guardians can request a vaccine appointment for their child on the CHC/SEK website chcsek.org. Click the COVID Vaccine Request button. After selecting the “first dose” button, there is an option to select the Pfizer vaccine. CHC/SEK representatives will contact the recipients to schedule a date for the vaccine.
For those without web access, the health center has a toll-free number, 866-888-8650 and a second number for Spanish-speakers 620-240-8940 to make vaccination appointments.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)also has endorsed the Pfizer vaccine for the 12-and-up group — and agreed that it’s OK to give more than one vaccine at the same time, especially for children who are behind on their regular vaccinations.More than 3.78 million children have been infected with SARS-CoV-2cases and at least 303 have died,according to the AAP.
Vaccinating children helps shield others in the community from the virus, including people who are not protected by the vaccine, such as cancer patients and those with impaired immune responses.
Experts also believe the more persons who are vaccinated, the less likely the virus will mutate and continue to spread further.
As with all COVID-19 vaccines, there is no out-of-pocket costs to vaccine recipients.
Chamber Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting Announced for the Fort Scott Barber Shop
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting to celebrate the opening of Fort Scott Barber Shop in the Downtown Historic District at 118 E. Wall St. The event will take place Tuesday, May 25th at 9 a.m. with remarks starting at 9:15 a.m. followed by the cutting of the ribbon. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served in addition to door prize drawings.
The family-friendly Fort Scott Barber Shop is owned and operated by the Montanez Family who recently relocated to the community from the Kansas City area where they operated Jose’s Barber Shop, winning multiple awards including Best Barber Shop in the Midwest. They are known for their iconic cuts and their motto is “Looking Like a Movie Star”.
Contact the Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 for more information.
Governor Laura Kelly Signs Several Pieces of Bipartisan Legislation into Law
TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly signed 3 pieces of bipartisan legislation into law.
“By expanding certain alcohol licenses and telemedicine opportunities, these bills will support our hospitality industry and continued economic recovery, along with the health and well-being of all Kansans,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “I’d like to thank my colleagues in the legislature, on both sides of the aisle, for their efforts to pass these bipartisan bills.”
Making amendments regarding licensure to sell alcoholic liquor and cereal malt beverages, authorizing transfers of bulk alcoholic liquor by certain licensees and authorizing the sale of alcoholic liquor and cereal malt beverages on specified days and times and subject to certain conditions by licensees under the Kansas liquor control act and the club and drinking establishment act.
Updating the national insurance commissioners credit for insurance reinsurance model law, codifying the national insurance commissioners credit for reinsurance model regulation and updating certain terms and definitions relating to the insurance holding company act, service contracts and surplus lines insurance. Eliminating certain requirements relating to the annual submittal of certain documents by out-of-state risk retention groups, extending the time frame to submit certain documents by professional employer organizations, abolishing the utilization review advisory committee and replacing it with URAC.
Requiring emergency medical services operators be overseen by medical directors or physicians; clarifying duties and functions of the state board of pharmacy; providing for confidentiality of investigations, inspections and audits; establishing fees on out-of-state facilities; defining telepharmacy and requiring the adoption of rules and regulations related thereto.
At the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Dinner on April 29, the City of Fort Scott honored Craig Campbell with the Mayor’s Citizenship Award.
Mayor Josh Jones thanked Campbell for the many volunteer hours he has given the community and his willingness to help others, in presenting the award to Campbell.
“Fort Scott is a better place to live, work and play because of you,” Jones said. “You are the definition of what a public servant is!”
Campbell is a Fort Scott native and has worked for Mercy Health Systems for 21 years, according to a press release from Jones. The first 15 years he served as the director of the hospital pharmacy. The last six years as the Mercy Pharmacy Performance Improvement Director for 35 hospitals and 27 retail pharmacies. He will retire from Mercy on June 30th, 2021.
Campbell has been involved with the Good Neighbor Action Team for about ten years, which has helped improve over 200 local properties, according to the press release.
“During the East Wall Street Blitz, there were close to 300 volunteers who worked on 32 properties painting, repairing porches, install energy-efficient windows and doors, and hauling over 30 loads of yard debris,” Jones said in the press release.
“In 2021 they are focusing on grants for older citizens who meet income guidelines to be used for bigger projects and working with the Codes Department when issues arise where they can assist,” Jones said.
Campbell and his wife, Jane, have four children: Ryan, Brett, Trevor, and Jenna.
Campbell is a graduate of Southwest Oklahoma State University School of Pharmacy.
He is a board member of the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, a board member of Bourbon County C.A.S.A., and a board member of the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation.
He also serves as an Elder on the Session at the First Presbyterian Church.
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.”
The 2021 Home, Sport, Farm, and Garden Show has something for everyone’s interest with 45 listed vendors with exhibits, games, and a chance to win prizes! Snacks, drinks, and food will be available for purchase. So bring the family, friends & guests because you don’t want to miss out on this event!
Stop by the Fort Scott Chamber Booth, to enter a chance to win Chamber Bucks!
ALSO ANNOUNCING
NEXT YEAR’S DATE!
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE
2022 HOME, SPORT, FARM & GARDEN SHOW ON
APRIL 8TH & 9TH, 2022!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR BUSINESS TO BE PART OF THIS ANNUAL EVENT, DON’T WAIT, SIGN UP NOW BY CALLING 620.223.4500.
