Board Highlights
September 9, 2024
Shelly Cole, Piper High School Vocal Music Teacher, was selected to serve on the National Connected Arts Network. CAN is a five-year grant initiative to create nationwide virtual Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) with educators in dance, music, theater, visual and media arts. The overarching vision for CAN is to build a sustainable model of professional learning for arts educators to strengthen their pedagogy, instruction and leadership skills in order to better serve students.
The Board of Education was pleased to welcome the district's Teacher of the Year nominees. Each year the Kansas State Department of Education recognizes exemplary educators through its Kansas Teacher of the Year program. Each district across the state is invited to nominate one elementary and one secondary teacher to participate in the program. In Piper, each school building nominates a building Teacher of the Year. Building candidates are invited to interview with a selection panel that selects the district nominees to advance to the state competition. Congratulations to the following building nominees:
Britney Calvert - Special Education Teacher at Piper Early Childhood Center
Mary Rogers - Kindergarten Teacher at Piper Prairie Elementary
Allison Carey - Technology Teacher at Piper Creek Elementary
Sonny Bourne - 8th Grade Social Studies Teacher at Piper Middle School
Matha Yang - English Language Arts Teacher at Piper High School
We are pleased to congratulate Allison Carey and Sonny Bourne who were selected as the district’s elementary and secondary nominees respectively and will compete against other outstanding educators across the region. Allison and Sonny are actively working on their application submissions which will be reviewed by a state-level panel. Region 2 winners will be announced at the KTOY luncheon on Sunday, April 6, in Topeka, Kansas.
The October Certified Staff Winner is Rachel Mirch from Piper Creek Elementary School. Rachel was nominated eight times by her colleagues!
The first colleague said, “Rachel is such an asset to our team at Creek. She works so hard and cares for her kids so much. I love getting to work with her! She has made such an impact on me as an educator and I am grateful to have her as someone to look up to.”
Another colleague said,”Rachel goes above and beyond for her students and the teachers she assists. She’s always positive and willing to help whenever and wherever is needed.”
The next co-worker said, “I am thrilled to nominate Rachel Mirch, a special education teacher at Piper Creek, for the Hype Squad recognition. Rachel consistently goes above and beyond to support her students, both academically and socially-emotionally. Her patience, kindness, and professionalism shine through in everything she does. Rachel has a unique ability to connect with her students, meeting them exactly where they are, and tailoring her instruction to meet their individual needs. She is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment where every student feels seen, heard, and valued. Her passion for teaching and her unwavering commitment to helping students grow make her an invaluable asset to our school district. Rachel is truly deserving of this recognition for the incredible impact she makes every day.”
The next colleague said, “Rachel always goes above and beyond for her students. She also is a huge support to the staff, always willing to help out whenever she can.”
Another colleague said, “Rachel is an amazing teacher and team player. She works hard every day and always puts kids first.”
The next co-worker said, “Rachel has been doing everything in her power to service each and every kid on her caseload. She does it with grace and a smile everyday, even with immense stress. She deserves to be recognized for all that she does.”
Another colleague said,” Rachel has already gone above and beyond this year to support me and my students. She is an invaluable member of our team.
The last coworker said, “Rachel is an absolutely phenomenal teacher at Piper Creek. She is an amazing educator, reaching students who normally struggle so much. She is always someone you can count on to go the extra mile. She works well beyond the normal expectations of a teacher because seeing students succeed means so much to her. As a teammate, she is a great source of advice and is someone that you can learn more from. She always checks on you to see how you’re doing and goes out of her way to help you make your day just a little brighter. She is the absolute best!”
The October Classified Staff Winner is Christine Teasley from Piper Middle School. Christine is an amazing part of our Piper community. A community member said, “I think it is very important to have a happy and energetic teacher to greet the kids in the morning!” Another community member said, “The kids love Ms. Teasley! She brightens our middle schoolers day!”
Click the black boxes below to access detailed information on each report.
