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10-22-15 — Late October 2015 Awards
Oct. 22, 2015
Smith Wins Wendell Mohling Foundation Award
Bentwood Elementary first-grade teacher Nancy Smith has been recognized with the Wendell G. Mohling Foundation Scholarship Award. The award was created in honor and memory of Wendell G. Mohling, a longtime educator. One Kansas teacher is honored each year for his or her efforts to teach science. Smith will receive a scholarship to attend the National Science Teachers Association Conference.
"Nancy Smith is truly a dynamic teacher," Bentwood Principal Cathy McDonald said. "She teaches using a variety of hands-on learning opportunities across the curriculum. Nancy challenges students and colleagues using a plethora of creative high-interest approaches to real-world problem solving every day in her classroom, and in the staff training that she offers. Nancy is the epitome of a life-long learner, as she demonstrates her investment in learning all she can to provide a quality learning experience to her students every single day!"
Olathe North Softball Team Ranked Nationally for Academics
The National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced that Olathe North High School's 2014-15 softball team, coached by Frank Barnes and Bree Ederer, is the top ranked Academic High School Softball Team in the nation.
The team has an overall GPA of 3.896 on a 4.0 scale. This is the sixth straight year that North has been named a top 10 NFCA All-American Scholar team and the second time they have won the top honor. The second component of the program is to recognize individual athletes who excelled in the classroom and on the field during the school year.
Eleven of Olathe North's 12 varsity players were on the All-American Scholar Athlete list for last year. Those All-American Scholar Athletes were Maddie McCracken, Katie Usdansky, Aliya Marroquin, Sarah Myers, Halle Brin, Alexa Sidoti, Courtney Nemechek, Alyssa Jaso, Alexis Hodapp, Maddie Stipsits and Hannah Schmidt.
Four SkillsUSA District Officers from Olathe
Four students from the Olathe Advanced Technical Center have been elected as officers for the Northeast District of SkillsUSA Kansas. They are Jamie Banda, Travis Eckstrom, Brandon McVey and Chris Price.
Forty-three students and six advisors attended this fall's district conference at the Kansas City Kansas Community College Technical Center. Olathe Advanced Technical Center had 30 participants among the 43 total. Other schools represented were Eudora High School, Kansas City Kansas Community College and Washburn Technical College.
Superintendent, Board Members Recognized for Training
Superintendent Marlin Berry and Board of Education members Joe Beveridge, LeEtta Felter, Brent McCune and Rick Schier received Level I certificates for their participation in training programs offered by the Kansas Association of School Boards. Board member Amy Martin received a Level II certificate.
They received certificates for acquiring at least 25 Leadership Academy points. The KASB Leadership Academy encourages school board members and superintendents to seek continuing education to help them become better district leaders. KASB sponsors workshops throughout the year at which school board members and superintendents receive points based on the length and content of each seminar.
Yeager to Receive President's Award
Executive Director of General Administration/Elementary Programs Brent Yeager will receive the President's Award from the Kansas Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (KAHPERD) for his support of the Fuel Up to Play 60 program in Olathe schools.
Wendy Scholten, president of KAHPERD, said the award is given to an individual, organization or institution in Kansas that has made an outstanding contribution to improve the quality of life for Kansans in an area of the organization's professions, but who is not a member of KAHPERD. Those professional areas include government, education, administration, research/writing and community/business.
"Brent's support of the Fuel Up to Play 60 program in Olathe schools shows the concern he has for the health of students in Olathe," Scholten said. "His excitement after learning that one of his former students was chosen to receive a scholarship to attend the Fuel Up to Play 60 Student Ambassador Summit in Chicago also revealed the interest and care he has for the students."
The award will be presented Oct. 29 at the KAHPERD convention in Wichita.
Community Awards Bestowed on Staff, Students
The Olathe Northwest High School Counseling and Crisis Team and the Olathe North High School Eaglettes Dance Team recently received awards from the Olathe Human Relations Commission and Persons with Disabilities Advisory Board.
The Community Awards honor local businesses, organizations and individuals whose contributions to equality, diversity and inclusion improve the quality of life for all Olatheans.
The Olathe Northwest administrative and crisis team received the Olathe Human Relations Commission Educators Award for their exceptional leadership and composure following two student suicides last year. The team guided students through their grief while making sure every teen knew their life matters.
The Olathe North Eaglettes received the Persons with Disabilities Advisory Board Accessible Community Award and the Olathe Human Relations Commission Youth Award for their commitment to share the gift of dance with those who might not otherwise get to experience it. The team director is Sara Heptig.
Music Educators Association Honors Four Olathe Teachers
The Northeast Kansas Music Educators Association has named four Olathe educators as recipients of their Outstanding Educator of the Year honor.
Greg Ferguson of Olathe South High School is the association's Outstanding High School Orchestra Educator of the Year. Eric Griffin of Mission Trail Middle School is the Outstanding Middle School Band Educator of the Year. Gretchen Harrison of Frontier Trail Middle School is the Outstanding Middle School Choral Educator of the Year. Sherry Wann of California Trail Middle School is the association's Outstanding Middle School Orchestra Educator of the Year.
In order to be considered for these awards, recipients must have been in teaching for at least 10 years, a member of KMEA and their program must have shown improvement and/or consistency over the years.
The awards will be presented at the district mini-convention at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5 at Blue Valley High School.
Reading Teacher Published on SmartBlog on Education
Jonann Ellner, reading teacher at Santa Fe Trail Middle School, recently had an article posted on SmartBlog on Education. Her guest blog, "Literacy Strategy: Would You Rather?" describes how she presents a question to her students and they must make a choice and then present their decision to the class.
Ellner said this is a positive way for at-risk readers to speak up in class in a nurturing classroom environment. She believes when a student feels safe it builds trust and she can stretch their abilities so they reach their highest potential. Her approach addresses three standards of the National Council of Teachers of English.
MidAmerica Nazarene University Selects Wonch for Award
Indian Trail Middle School science teacher Jeremi Wonch received only the second Experto Crede Award from the MidAmerica Nazarene University School of Education on Oct. 17. The honor, which was created last year to recognize an alum of the school for their MNU pioneering spirit and passion to serve, was presented at the School of Education's homecoming celebration.
As a recipient, Wonch is recognized as a master teacher who shows genuine interest in and respect for student needs and concerns; creates a climate of respect, trust and compassion in education; and maintains perseverance in the face of adversity, among other characteristics.
A few days prior to the homecoming celebration, Wonch was surprised with a certificate presented in front of her students.
(Photo of Jeremi Wonch, holding certificate, with MidAmerica Nazarene University School of Education representatives Glenna Murray, left, Heather Ozias and Pam Burrus.)