Hays USD 489

School Board Election deadline is near. If you wish to be considered for a BOE position, you must file with the Ellis County Clerk by noon on June 1st. Be a part of public education. #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Westside School received a grant from Midwest Energy to purchase STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering & Math) items! Thanks to Midwest Energy for helping our kids learn!! #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Seen Around USD #489: Last day activities!! It’s almost summer break!! #EveryStudentEveryDay489

5A Regional Champions! Beat Valley Center 4/0! Headed to State!! #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Seen Around USD #489: It’s Field Day at Lincoln Elementary! Races. Laughter. Priceless. #EveryStudentEveryDay489

If you wish to view the BOE Meeting ... https://youtu.be/bfnQn-6eehY Meeting starts at 6:30 pm. #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Opening Night of HHS Musical Rent. Plenty of tickets still available for Friday- Sunday. Great talent on display! http://www.ticketsource.us/hays-high-school or purchase tickets at the door! #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Vicki Unruh has been a Psychologist with USD #489 for 18 years!! What are you most looking forward to about retirement? I am looking forward to spending more time with my children, gardening, baking and traveling. What will you miss the most about your job? I will miss interacting with preschool children. Young children have taught me so much. They enjoy life and learning. They see wonder and awe in everyday experiences. They accept differences. They freely express ALL their emotions! What is something that has changed since you started in this field? For me, the biggest change has been technology. When I started in the field, we hand wrote reports and sent them to a secretary to type—on a typewriter! We also hand wrote IEPs on NCR paper. There were no cell phones, no personal computers, no spell check and no email. You called on a landline or went down the hall to speak with someone. What is your favorite memory at USD 489? I am leaving with great memories. I have worked with many outstanding school psychologists, teachers and related service providers whom I have the privilege to call colleagues and friends. Some of the most humorous memories are from the Rockwell OT/PT (plus one SLP) Christmas parties. That group knows how to have fun! Their parties are filled with great food and the most entertaining games. #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Jan Burkholder has been with USD #489 for 41 years! She is currently a teacher at Roosevelt Elementary! What are you most looking forward to about retirement? I would like to have a grandiose plan in place, but in reality I’m looking forward to not following a clock or schedule. Unscheduled time with family and friends. What will you miss the most about your job? I will miss the students and the staff at Roosevelt. The relationships built through the years are priceless. What is something that has changed since you started in this field? I’ve actually been with the district long enough to see things come full circle. Curriculum, teaching strategies, and other focus areas tend to resurface after a few years. Old ideas are relabeled to appear to be new. As a teacher you just do what is best for the students and their achievements. What is your favorite memory at USD 489? This is absolutely impossible to narrow down. Memories show up in different ways, from a past student saying ‘hi’ and introducing me to his/her family, to conversations with staff about the ‘happenings’ at school that made us laugh or cry. In district and building full of relationships and achievements, I just want to hold on to all of them. #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Today Roosevelt Elementary hosted a reception for retiring staff. Jan Burkholder Dawn Keil Patti Park Mary Straub Kathy Basinger #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Myrna LeCount has been with USD #489 for 29 years. She is currently a GPS Para at Hays High School. What are you most looking forward to about retirement? I am most looking forward to helping my daughter with her wedding plans. She is getting married in December in the state of Vermont, so needless to say that will occupy my time. What will you miss the most about your job? The things I will miss most is the students. I had worked in Special Education for 22 years and then in Regular Education for 7 years. The students are our future and I loved to encourage them to be the best they can be! What is something that has changed since you started in this field? The thing that has changed the most has been technology, I don’t believe there was a computer in the building when I started. (Manual typewriters were still used in the business department) What is your favorite memory at USD 489? Working with two very special ladies for the majority of my career here at Hays High. They know who they are and will always have a special place in my heart. (Glad the walls don’t talk in Mr. Dan Balman’s broadcast room, he would have lots to report. Like they say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!!!) #EveryStudentEveryDay489

John Linn has been with USD #489 for 3 years. He is currently an Assistant Principal at Hays High School. What are you most looking forward to about retirement? Not receiving the constant emails—I will not miss that one bit. I look forward to trying something different and seeing what each day will bring. What will you miss the most about your job? I will miss all the wonderful people I have the privilege of working with every day, from students to staff. What is something that has changed since you started in this field? The biggest change has been with technology---it changes so quickly and everything we do is tied to some sort of technology. Some changes have been good—some not so good, but technology has changed the face of every facet of life. What is your favorite memory at USD 489? The memory I will leave with is knowing that the staff at HHS works every day to educate our students to the best of their ability. They care about what they do, they care for students, they hold each other accountable, and they are all good people. They have been so wonderful to work with each and every day. #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Mary Straub has been with USD #489 for 27 years. She currently teaches at Roosevelt Elementary. I am looking forward to having flexibility in my schedule so that I can spend more time with my family, volunteering and traveling. I will definitely miss my students and my colleagues the most. I love having the opportunity to see students develop into strong readers and writers. I also have been lucky to work alongside and develop friendships with many fantastic teachers. One thing that has changed in the field of education is the availability of technology for both educators and students. This has opened up many opportunities to network and learn from educators within and outside our district. My favorite memories are the times I’ve spent connecting with my students as they learn to read and write. There is nothing more amazing than seeing students learn to love books. #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Dawn Keil has been with USD #489 for 32 years. She is a teacher at Roosevelt Elementary. What are you most looking forward to about retirement? I am looking forward to doing things in a more relaxed mode…having more time to spend with family, gardening, reading, and cooking. I am also excited about the prospect of traveling in September, something I have not been able to do the past 34 years. What will you miss the most about your job? I will miss the day-to-day interactions with the students. We learn something new together every day! It has truly been a blessing to meet a child on the first day of school, discover their strengths and areas of need, and then have the opportunity to assist in their growth and watch them blossom! What is something that has changed since you started in this field? Technology has definitely changed over the years. When I started, I used a film projector for science movies, which preceded the VCR and DVD players we used later…not to mention You Tube. I copied worksheets on a mimeograph machine, not a copier or printer. The first computers were the dinosaur Apple machines with the green background, which seemed to be “cutting edge” technology. I also used an authentic chalkboard, not the whiteboard or Smartboard of today. What is your favorite memory at USD 489? It’s too hard to pinpoint one memory, but paging through the yearbooks evokes so many. However, I always loved the times when you got to see a little more of a child’s passion….like putting on plays and musicals, Hobby Day, and even the traditional Roosevelt Halloween parade! One memory that does stick out is when we did “The Constitution” play in 5th grade. I recall a 5th grade boy who volunteered to help a nonverbal student with an assistive device so he could have a “voice” in the play. That still warms my heart today. Our kids show so much compassion and inclusion for others. #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Today starts our Retirement Campaign...we are sad to see these great folks go..but of course wish them well. Also wishing them much relaxation and less emails! Stay tuned for their individual stories next.. #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Dana Stanton has been with USD #489 for 15 years! I love using my talents to support the work we do with the children and families of Early Childhood Connections. Fun Fact: I love genealogy. I can get lost for hours searching for facts about an ancestor. Everybody has a skeleton in their family tree! #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Tina Albers has been with USD #489 for 15 years!! My favorite thing about working for USD489 are the families. I have awesome families that are always very supportive and ready to pitch in to do what is best for their kiddos. Fun fact: I am going to be a grandma in July! #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Pamela Grizzell has been with USD #489 for 25 years!! My students are what I love most about my job at USD 489. I love interacting with them and watching them grow academically and socially. My enthusiasm is fueled by their excitement as we share ideas and grow together. They teach me so much! #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Codi Fenwick has been with USD #489 for 5 years! The people in USD489 are amazing. It is enjoyable to work with students, staff and parents. We support and help each other grow. Fun Fact: For 5 of my 10 years in the district, I substituted all across the district from ECC, elementary, middle and high schools, SPED Co-op at TMP and Holy Family as well as secretarial. One day I was changing diapers and bottle feeding at ECC, another day a specials teacher of Art, P.E, Library or Tech Lab and the next day could have been detention supervisor. I am now teaching students that I taught in elementary school. The connection is priceless. #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Amanda Walstrom has been with USD #489 for 5 years! My favorite thing about working for USD 489 is the strong commitment to our students’ education and overall well-being. Everyone, from certified to classified, puts forth a great deal of effort everyday to ensure that students receive a quality education. Fun Fact: I have a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science and have taught group exercise classes at both the YMCAs in Wichita and the Center for Health Improvement here in Hays. Although I am currently taking time away while my children are little, I hope to someday attain my personal training certification and resume teaching group fitness. #EveryStudentEveryDay489