Cause for celebration
John Heim - Emporia superintendent of schools
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
THE HALLS of Emporia schools are empty this week, yet they reverberate with the sounds of another successful year. Last month, nearly 300 seniors graduated from Emporia High School, eager for the next phase of their lives. The class took with it innumerable honors and awards and collected more than $350,000 in college scholarships.
One day after we bid farewell to the EHS Class of 2009, the district took time to celebrate the careers of 16 retiring teachers and support staff and to congratulate more than two dozen employees for professional milestones achieved during the past year.
Retiring staff members are: Audrey Agin, bus driver; Jan Darting, technology integration; Carolyn Denison, paraeducator; Wayne Eikenberry, technology education; Kathy Evans, third grade; Susan Haag, secretary/bookkeeper; Diana Jones, early childhood director; Sheryl Kelly, bus driver; Myoan McJunkin, reading; Brenda Morgan, paraeducator; Shelia Price, bus driver; Charlotte Rainsbarger, fifth grade; Norma Redick, paraeducator; Dee Schwinn, language arts and Latin; Martha Shook, fourth grade; and Helen Thomas, fourth grade. Collectively, they have 383 years of service to the Emporia Schools.
What follows is a list of awards, many of which were given by state and national professional associations. We encourage staff members to be active in professional organizations that help keep their skills honed and informed about changes in their fields of expertise.
• Jeline Harclerode, Kansas Master Teacher, Emporia State University.
• Matt Holopirek, Young Professional Award, Kansas Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
• Sunnin Keosybounheuang, Health Education Professional Award.
• Gena Langley, Kansas Horizon Award, State Department of Education.
• Elizabeth McCoy, Outstanding Assistive Technology Award, Kansas Infinitec Coalition.
• Marilyn McComber, Kansas Geological Foundation Award, Kansas Earth Science Teachers Association.
• Dennis Newell, Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship.
• Tiffany Shogren, Kansas Horizon Award, State Department of Education.
• Patricia Smiley, Outstanding Administrator Award, Kansas Association of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.
• Transportation Department, Individual and Team awards to drivers Jason Beyer, Charles Hullett and Cheri Payne, and Individual Award to Bobbi McDiffett, Kansas School Bus Safety Competitions.
• Randy Wells, High School Strength and Conditioning Professional Award, National Strength and Conditioning Association; Kansas 5A Coach of the Year, Kansas Cross Country and Track and Field Coaches Association; and completion of National Board Certification.
Finally, we recognized the 2009 Hopkins Award winners, who received nearly $30,000 from Emporia’s E.L. & Z. Irene Hopkins Foundation. This year’s recipients were: Barbara Clark, Carla Fessler and Sherry Nelson, $5,000 Star Performer Awards; Jami Dakin and Sunnin Keosybounheuang, $2,500 Star Performer Awards; Matt Holopirek and Janell Neer, $1,000 Star Performer Awards; and Chris Allen, Arnold Chavez, Ted Keisler, Donna Russell and Julie Smith, $1,000 WOW Awards.
May is a feel-good month in education. It is a time when educators can be proud of the difference they have and will make in the lives of young people. It’s also a time when this community should be proud of the high-quality professional staff that makes up the Emporia Public Schools.