Examples of Excellence (March/2024)

​We recently received the following compliments regarding GEHS Gifted Teacher, Meg Hunting:

​"For the past two years, Meg Hunting has gone above and beyond to guide our son and her other students at GEHS. She spends time getting to know each student as an individual and helps them focus on their goals and aspirations. All instruction is tailored to their unique personalities, skills, and interests. As a gifted teacher, she provides the students with amazing hands-on projects and opportunities to excel. She also leads the Robotics team and gives every member a chance to learn, grow, and participate despite having a large number of students interested in the program. Meg is the first person to reach out to us about upcoming scholarships, camps, lectures, college tours and so much more to continue our son growing outside of the classroom. I wish we could keep her as a support forever. She really loves her job and her students, and it shows!​"

Jessica Duarte

Our Inclusion Club has been working on how we can not only be more inclusive in our school community but also spread out to our city. We've learned about different ways disabilities can affect people, including multiple sensory systems. As a service project, we used some of the funds we received from partnering with Special Olympics Champion Schools and assembled sensory bags that included noise-canceling headphones, sunglasses, a calming gel timer, and a fidget. They also had notes from Nike kiddos telling them how much we all appreciate and need their uniqueness. We donated the bags to Price Chopper for them to have available for kiddos who need them while they shop because we know that something as simple as a trip to the grocery store can be incredibly difficult for someone with a disability and sensory sensitivities. The world needs all kinds of minds, and we want everyone in our community to truly feel that!

Monica Brown

On April 9 Meg Hunting took this fun group of students to Pitt State for the Math Relays. In addition to doing a whole lot of math, the kids got an official tour of PSU, learning about all that PSU has to offer. In the Relays, the Top 10 scores in each event are recognized, with the Top 3 in each event receiving medals. Students must compete at their grade level or above, and there is not a 9th grade competition level. Most of our students competed at least one grade level higher than their current age! Jayden Kasper brought home our singular medal, a bronze in 10th Grade Geometry; congrats, Jayden! Check out the full list of recognition below. Thanks to all who referred students for this event!!

The students at Gardner Elementary had some fun with Mr. Boyer and Mr. Toplikar. Mr. Boyer had a booth with the new Virtual Reality Sprayer used in his Automotive Collision classes and Mr. Toplikar provided some hands-on construction with hammers and power drills.

ARTS COUNCIL OF JOHNSON COUNTY ANNOUNCES 2024 SHOOTING STARS SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

18 High School Seniors Receive College Scholarships For Excellence in the Literary, Performing and Visual Arts

99 High School Seniors Nominated in Nine Categories

OVERLAND PARK, Kans. – April 7, 2024– The Arts Council of Johnson County announced 18 scholarship recipients at the 2024 Shooting Stars Gala on Sunday, April 7 at Johnson County Community College.

This 27th annual Shooting Stars Gala honored 99 Johnson County high school seniors for achievement in the literary, performing, and visual arts through recognition and college scholarships.

This special recognition program was created in 1997 by former Arts Council of Johnson County chairman Bob Endres. Bob’s vision was to create a program that celebrated young Johnson County artists for their artistic excellence in high school.

“Arts and creativity are essential to every student’s educational experience,” said Sarah VanLanduyt, ACJC Executive Director. “The Shooting Stars program celebrates student artists and their arts educators while also recognizing the important role that arts education plays in our schools and students’ development.”

Since its founding, the Shooting Stars program has awarded more than $400,000 in college scholarships and $65,000 in teacher honorariums. At the Shooting Stars Gala on April 7, 2024, nine first place scholarships of $1,400 each, nine second place scholarships of $700 each and nine teacher honorariums of $300 each will be awarded. The program is supported by Johnson County and area foundations, corporations and individual donors. Area universities and colleges including Johnson County Community College, the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance and Kansas City Art Institute are key program collaborators as well as local arts educators.

Students are nominated by their Arts teachers for this recognition. Arts teachers from schools throughout Johnson County are invited to nominate students each year. To participate in Shooting Stars, students must meet these criteria: live in Johnson County, Kansas; be in the 12th grade and will graduate in the spring; be nominated by an Arts teacher from their high school, and submit an application. Nominations were accepted in October and finalists were named in November. The finalists auditioned or submitted a portfolio of work for review by independent judges in the following categories.

Literature (8 finalists)

Photography (9 finalists)

Production and Design (6 finalists)

Strings (6 finalists)

Theatre Performance (15 finalists)

Three-Dimensional Art (13 finalists)

Two-Dimensional Art (19 finalists)

Voice Classical (13 finalists) and

Winds and Percussion (10 finalists)

2024 Shooting Stars Scholarship Recipients

2D Visual Art: 1st - Honey Brown Gardner Edgerton High School

2nd - George Newham Olathe North High School

3D Visual Art: 1st Lucas Nguyen Blue Valley West High School

2nd - Alea Schrock Blue Valley Southwest High School

Photography: 1st - Alexa Oatman Gardner Edgerton High School

2nd - Elizabeth Ford Blue Valley West High School

Literature: 1st - Harrison Jones Blue Valley High School

2nd - Alexa Newsom Blue Valley North High School

Production & Design: 1st - Ainsley Steenhard Olathe North High School

2nd - Ellie Parks Gardner Edgerton High School

Strings: 1st - Matthew Lee Olathe Northwest High School

2nd - William Clark Blue Valley West High School

Wind & Percussion: 1st - Ruby Wagner Shawnee Mission East High School

2nd - Maren Tims Shawnee Mission West High School

Theatre Performance: 1st - Faryn Clevenger Shawnee Mission West High School

2nd - Layla Ledford Shawnee Mission East High School

Voice (Classical): 1st - Kaitlyn Rongish Shawnee Mission West High School

2nd - Noah Tarjan Blue Valley North High School

About the Shooting Stars Program:

The Shooting Stars Recognition, Scholarship & Awards Program was created in 1997, by former Arts Council of Johnson County chairman Bob Endres. His vision was to create a program that celebrated young Johnson County artists for their artistic excellence in high school. Students are nominated by their Arts teachers each year, and independent judges select the scholarship recipients. The full list of the 99 finalist nominees follows at the end of this release.

About the Arts Council of Johnson County:

The Arts Council of Johnson County enhances the quality of life in Johnson County by strengthening the arts.

###

2024 Shooting Stars Program Finalists,

Nominating Teacher and Schools

Literature (prose/poetry)

Nathan Anderson nominated by Kristen Huang, Mill Valley High School

Cil Hoch nominated by Amy Andersen, Shawnee Mission East High School

Natalie Hopper nominated by Amber McElfresh, Heritage Christian Academy

Harrison Jones nominated by Casey Engel, Blue Valley High School

Nathan Montemayor nominated by Deirdre Zongker, Olathe North High School

Alexa Newsom nominated by Kat Buchanan, Blue Valley North High School

Joey Shonkwiler nominated by Anna Hubbard, Kansas City Christian High School

John Wallace nominated by Stacy Goddard, Olathe East High School

Photography

Jai'den Dirks nominated by Kimberly Ruttan, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School

Elizabeth Ford nominated by Carla Roberts, Blue Valley West High School

Reaghan Gaffney nominated by Caro Thomas, Pembroke Hill Upper School

John Hudson nominated by Kristen Pickell, Blue Valley High School

Alexa Oatman nominated by Mary Schulte, Gardner Edgerton High School

Sebastian Reyes nominated by Ryane Jewell, Shawnee Mission West High School

Alex Robertson nominated by Emily Hensley, Blue Valley North High School

Rue Swanson nominated by Adam Finkelston, Shawnee Mission East High School

Caitlyn Toubia nominated by Melissa Sellers, Olathe East High School

Production and Design

Rose Cox nominated by Shawnasea Holst, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School

Ian Flynn nominated by Thomas DeFeo, Shawnee Mission East High School

Ellie Parks nominated by Joseph Patterson, Gardner Edgerton High School

Michael Rathman nominated by David Hastings, Olathe South High School

Ainsley Steenhard nominated by Dustin Pence, Olathe North High School

Leo Steger nominated by Alisha Morris, Olathe West High School

Strings

Sylvia Brown nominated by Jonathan Wiebe, Shawnee Mission South High School

William Clark nominated by Andrew Book, Blue Valley West High School

Gabriel Decker nominated by Judy Erpelding, Blue Valley High School

Eddy Jiang nominated by Amy Fear, Blue Valley High School

Matthew Lee nominated by Joel Martin, Olathe Northwest High School

Carter Steenhard nominated by Cecily Mahan, Olathe North High School

Theatre Performance

Caroline Alley nominated by Jonothan Copeland, Mill Valley High School

Julianna Bowles nominated by David Hastings, Olathe South High School

Brodie Breckenridge nominated by Sara Bryant, De Soto High School

Sydney Carter nominated by Edward Shafer, Olathe East High School

Faryn Clevenger nominated by Derek Cross, Shawnee Mission West High School

Andrew Coddington nominated by Dustin Pence, Olathe North High School

Hannah Hatton nominated by Sydney Kohart, Blue Valley Northwest High School

Layla Ledford nominated by Brian Cappello, Shawnee Mission East High School

Randall Marcum nominated by Starr Peterson, Heritage Christian Academy

Riley Martin nominated by Mark Swezey, Shawnee Mission South High School

Brooke Mertz nominated by Steve Gordon, Maranatha Academy

Leah Pal nominated by Jason Hagg, Olathe Northwest High School

Lily Reiff nominated by Shawnasea Holst, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School

Isabelle VanSyckle nominated by Rachel Cain, Blue Valley North High School

Brooklyn Werth nominated by Kim Spillman, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School

kennedy white nominated by Reed Uthe, Blue Valley West High School

Three-Dimensional Art

Alex Bergman nominated by Stephanie Kates, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School

Annabelle Cavanaugh nominated by Jennifer Hensley, Shawnee Mission East High School

Adriana Cazares nominated by Lori Ludwig, Olathe East High School

Iris Doering nominated by Tim Barnes, Olathe Northwest High School

Logan Fixsen nominated by Sheila Wilkins, De Soto High School

Mary Glasgow nominated by Chelsie Kane, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School

Anafely Hernandez Perez nominated by Elijah Schraad, Shawnee Mission West High School

Gabriella Jordanova nominated by Carly Kimbrough, Blue Valley Northwest High School

Jillian Kramp nominated by Abbey Thomas, Shawnee Mission South High School

Maeve Marien-McManus nominated by Jason Lips, Pembroke Hill Upper School

Lucas Nguyen nominated by Aimee Price, Blue Valley West High School

Geremi Onentia nominated by Madison Sedillo, Blue Valley High School

Alea Schrock nominated by Michele Foster Lowman, Blue Valley Southwest High School

Sam Smith nominated by Ashley Garcia, Olathe North High School

Two-Dimensional Art

AJ Bettes nominated by Douglas Catloth, Shawnee Mission West High School

Honey Brown nominated by Toni Britt, Gardner Edgerton High School

Payton Butler nominated by Melissa Sellers, Olathe East High School

Emma Clement nominated by Erica Matyak, Mill Valley High School

Leo Connelly nominated by Emily Patterson, Blue Valley Southwest High School

Sienna Cox nominated by Terra Henderson, Saint James Academy

Danny Fisher nominated by Allison Mangold, Olathe Northwest High School

Owen Hamer nominated by Sheila Wilkins, De Soto High School

Audrey Hart nominated by Mark Mosier, Blue Valley High School

Lillia Kleinow nominated by Melissa Terryberry, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School

Abby Lee nominated by Adam Finkelston, Shawnee Mission East High School

George Newham nominated by Michael Albrechtsen, Olathe North High School

Noah Panjada nominated by Stephanie Dalley, Shawnee Mission North High School

Lee Rea nominated by Chris LaValley, Blue Valley Northwest High School

Rhea Sadagopan nominated by Thomas Holland, Blue Valley North High School

Andrea Santamaria nominated by Rodger Messersmith, Olathe South High School

Mallory Terrell nominated by Kristin Howard, Heritage Christian Academy

Samantha Woods nominated by Darby Murdock, Blue Valley West High School

Kate Wren nominated by Liz Smith, Notre Dame de Sion High School

Voice Classical

Leah Abai nominated by Pamela Williamson, Olathe Northwest High School

Ellison Bonge nominated by Cassie Banion, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School

McKinley Graves nominated by Jessie Reimer, Mill Valley High School

Braden Magistro nominated by Jason Cole, Saint James Academy

Josh McCall nominated by Elise Peterson, Olathe South High School

Emma Molteni nominated by Ken Foley, Shawnee Mission East High School

Kaitlyn Rongish nominated by Derek Cross, Shawnee Mission West High School

Sam Scoggins nominated by Hannah Stevens, Gardner Edgerton High School

Lily Seitz nominated by Kimberly Modelski, Blue Valley West High School

Katie Stegeman nominated by Catherine Boone, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School

Noah Tarjan nominated by Jaclyn Krulik, Blue Valley North High School

Tyler Taylor nominated by Micah Horton, Olathe North High School

Lucy Wittek nominated by Elizabeth Mulkey, Notre Dame de Sion High School

Winds and Percussion

Ishaan Buddharaju nominated by Justin Love, Blue Valley West High School

Andrea Diehl nominated by Robert Davis, Olathe Northwest High School

Claire Heigele nominated by Jeff Smikahl, Olathe East High School

Griffin Marschall nominated by Matt Bradford, De Soto High School

Kate Marten nominated by Deb Steiner, Mill Valley High School

Ben Nix nominated by Daniel Freeman, Blue Valley North High School

Maren Tims nominated by Bill Thomas, Shawnee Mission West High School

Ruby Wagner nominated by Alex Toepfer, Shawnee Mission East High School

Kevin Ward nominated by Brandon Lesando, Blue Valley Southwest High School

Alex Wood nominated by Chad Coughlin, Olathe South High School

Competition Season has begun in the Performing Arts Hallway! We took many GEHS Band, Choir, and Orchestra students to Shawnee Heights High School on Saturday to compete in the Regional Solo & Ensemble Festival. Dozens of students competed as they performed solos and ensembles, ranging from trios to groups of 24. Please congratulate these students on their hard work, and for having the bravery to perform and receive ratings/comments from a judge--not an easy thing to do. Everyone who received a "Superior-I" Rating will advance to State on Saturday, April 27th at Washburn Rural High School.

For Choir...

We took two ensembles and nineteen soloists to compete...and ended up with fourteen "I-Superior" ratings and seven "Excellent-II" ratings total! Our MVP of the day (as always!) is Becky Kunard, who accompanied for one ensemble and ALL NINETEEN SOLOISTS. She is incredible!

Below are the students involved, and their ratings:

Ensembles:

GEHS Madrigal Ensemble ('I' Rating)

Emma Arel, Aubrie Blanz, Conner Booton, Mackenzie Cramer, Brianna Crowder, Jack Fortner, Libby Fry, Christian Gonzalez, Evan Gray, Joslyn Griffin, Zach Gunby, Harrison Heidrich, Caroline Kuzma, Haleigh Liebig, Anabelle Lindblom, Jack Lloyd, Morgan MacKinney, Katelyn Pedersen, Alexa Rieder, Sam Scoggins, and Ernest Wayih.

GEHS Tenor Bass Ensemble ('I' Rating)

Gabe Biggs, Conner Booton, Grant Burns, Jack Fortner, Christian Gonzalez, Evan Gray, Zach Gunby, Seth Hanson, Harrison Heidrich, Tanner Leitheiser, Ricky Lind, Jack Lloyd, Nate Logbeck, Kyler McCormick, Amin Mohamed, Steven Myers, Connor Postel, Alex Tiday, and Ernest Wayih.

Soloists: Superior "I" Ratings

Aubrie Blanz

Conner Booton

Grant Burns

Kenzie Cramer

Brianna Crowder

Skylynn Eden

Christian Gonzalez

Mackenzie Huebner

Jack Lloyd

Rhena Mungania

Sam Scoggins

Kaitlyn Wootton

Soloists: Excellent "II" Ratings

Katelynn Conway

Peyton Holiway

Myles Johnson

Steven Myers

Amelie Power

Lane Reeves

Alex Tiday

The final Elevate Leadership meetings of the year took place on April 23rd in Overland Park with some our Admin in attendance. You will see some familiar faces in the photos. This year, 108 folks participated in Elevate Leadership 1 and 50 participated in Elevate Leadership 2. Participants attended six full-day trainings over the course of this past year learning about building purposeful community, What Matters Most, and leading change. One participant wrote on their final Elevate 1 evaluation, "This was by far the most impactful training I have attended as an administrator. I hope to continue to benefit from this group!" .

TOPEKA — The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) announced on April 9 92 Kansas high school seniors that have earned the recognition as 2024 Kansas Career and Technical Education (CTE) Scholars.

The Kansas CTE Scholar program is an opportunity to recognize well-rounded, outstanding CTE students who are finishing their senior year of high school. The first Kansas CTE Scholars were named in 2017.

To be named a CTE Scholar, a student must be a high school senior and meet the following criteria:

• Have completed (or upon successful completion of current course enrollment) a minimum of three CTE credits with at least two of the three credits above introductory level. Earned credits must be in one pathway.
• Have a CTE grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or better in CTE coursework.
• Be involved in civic engagement leadership, which refers to a student selecting an issue of concern and providing leadership through project-based actions to improve the community, state or nation; or have a minimum of 100 hours of volunteer experience. A letter of validation is required for civic engagement leadership, and documentation of 100 hours with an adult signature is required for community service.
• Have a career vision summary statement that is a short reflection of a candidate’s personal career vision and future plans. A maximum of 175 words is allowed.

Technical Skill Attainment

A minimum of one of the following technical skill attainment options must be earned and verified:

• Earned an end of pathway (aligned with pathway selected) assessment/certification for completer status (industry- recognized certification or a passing score on a third-party, end-of- pathway assessment) recorded on the K-PAC (Kansas Pathway Assessments, Credentials or Certifications) columns eight (8) and nine (9).
• Earned an Excel in CTE Qualifying Recognized Credential aligned to the Pathway selected.
• Earned nine (9) + college hours leading to completion of a certificate, or post-secondary program aligned to the Pathway's Program of Study that was selected.
• Completed a high-quality work-based learning career preparation experience, Kansas Work-Based Learning Continuum, in the Pathway selected defined in Kansas Work-Based Learning: Personalized Learning Plan Guidance Document (ksde.org).

Gardner Edgerton had one student, Aubree Morgan to qualify in the Information Support and Services category.

Moonlight Elementary School's Girls on the Run team has once again showcased their spirit and dedication this spring. With 23 enthusiastic 3rd and 4th graders and 8 supportive coaches, the team delved into 18 engaging socio-emotional lessons, focusing on both fitness and life skills, equipping themselves not only with physical fitness but also with essential life skills. Beyond the classroom, the girls took action, cleaning up trash along Moonlight Road, demonstrating their commitment to their community. Through Girls on the Run, Moonlight Elementary fosters leadership and teamwork in its students, shaping future leaders.

Their season culminated in a thrilling 5K run at Swope Park on May 4th, where they joined over 3,000 other runners. Let's applaud these inspiring young ladies for their achievements and their determination to make a difference!

Please join us in congratulating the following Art and Photography students who placed in the Regional Scholastic Art competition. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards were founded in 1923 and, for more than a century, have inspired bold ideas in creative teens throughout the country. Notable winners have included:

Ezra Jack Keats, 1934 Author,

Truman Capote, ca. 1936 Author

Andy Warhol, ca. 1945 Artist

John Updike, 1948 Author

Joyce Carol Oates, 1956 Author

John Shearer, 1963–1966 Photographer

Ken Burns, 1971 Director, Producer

Zac Posen, 1998 Fashion Designer

Lena Dunham, 1999 Actress, Director

Amanda Gorman, 2015-16 Poet

Gold Key winners will have their entries submitted to the National competition.

Here is a link to their artwork

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NzOsXTyw2nuBDQ0gVoT5Qf5xTXUULLip?usp=sharing

In the photograph (from left)

Sophia Erickson -- Honorable Mention for Photography

Makayla L'Ecuyer -- GOLD KEY for Photography

Kaila Burnside -- Silver Key for Digital Art, Honorable Mention for Drawing & Illustration

Kinsey Savage -- Silver Key for Photography

Oliver Carter -- Honorable Mention for Photography

Sydney Luzader -- GOLD KEY for Photography, Honorable Mention for Photography

Parker Prins -- Honorable Mention for Photography

Karson Nguyen -- Honorable Mention for Photography

Not pictured: Erika Martin -- Silver Key for Photography,

Ethan Short -- Honorable Mention for Photography