Kearney, Mo., February 23, 2024: It’s time to shine the spotlight on the outstanding members of our Bulldog family!

Kearney School District is thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2024 Team KSD Awards, recognizing 19 exceptional individuals who have demonstrated excellence in their roles.

“These remarkable individuals exemplify the dedication and commitment that define our district’s ethos,” stated Superintendent Emily Miller. “Their contributions are invaluable, and we are proud to honor them for their service to our community.”

The award selection process started in January when KSD invited parents/guardians, staff, students, and community members to nominate deserving candidates for their school’s 2024 Teacher and Support Staff of the Year awards. Eligible nominees in the teacher category included classroom teachers, special needs educators, art and music instructors, guidance counselors, librarians, instructional coaches, and physical education instructors. In the support staff category, nominees could include principals, assistant principals, administrative personnel, food service staff, bus drivers, nurses, custodians, and resource officers.

One certified teacher and one support staff member were selected as this year’s recipients from each school within the district. These individuals embody the core values of KSD, including integrity, respect, future readiness, student focus, and resilience. They serve as role models for our entire community.

2024 School Teacher of the Year Award Recipients

• Early Education Center – Mary Watkins
• Dogwood Elementary – Chanda Murphy
• Hawthorne Elementary – Stacy Sullivan
• Kearney Elementary – Shannan Ashcroft
• LENS – Shelly Dunn
• Southview Elementary – Emilie White
• Kearney Middle School – Ann Marzette
• Kearney Junior High – Amy Whitener
• Kearney High School – Brittini Starzl

2024 School Support Staff of the Year Award Recipients

• Early Education Center – Wesley Cartwright
• Dogwood Elementary – Elvia Digirolamo
• Hawthorne Elementary – Britney Smith
• Kearney Elementary – Leslie Pilar
• LENS – Nikki Foote
• Southview Elementary – Carl Stenger
• Kearney Middle School – Elvis Rodriguez
• Kearney Junior High – Kim Goepferich
• Kearney High School – Hue Marsh
• KSD Central Office – Rick Davitt

These honorees will be recognized at the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Excellence in Education Awards Banquet on May 1. They will also be nominated for our district Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year awards, which will be announced in the spring along with KSD’s 2024 Business of the Year and Volunteer of the Year award recipients.

The district Teacher of the Year Award recipient will be given a $250 cash award and $750 classroom grant from the KSD Education Foundation, which will also give a $250 cash award and $250 classroom grant to the district Support Staff of the Year Award recipient.

All of our school Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year award recipients will be celebrated by the district along with our 2024 retirees during the Team KSD Award and Retiree Recognition in April.

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Kearney, Mo., January 24, 2024: Kearney School District is seeking nominations for its 2024 Excellence in Education Awards, which includes honors for our top teachers and support staff.

Parents/guardians, students, employees and community members are encouraged to support KSD’s outstanding team members by submitting nominations for their school’s 2023 Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year Awards.

Nominations for these school recognitions are due by noon on Friday, Feb. 2. Visit www.ksdr1.net/excellence and follow the links to submit your nominations.

Kearney School District students rank among the very best in the state and nation. Their achievements are a direct result of having an extraordinarily talented team of teachers and support staff. This is why we made our exemplary and valued employees a top priority in our 2022-2027 Strategic Plan.

“We have an amazing team of public education professionals in Kearney School District and we want to help ensure that they feel valued,” Superintendent Emily Miller said. “We’re grateful for everyone who completes an Excellence in Education Award nomination for their school.”

All submissions will be forwarded to the nominee’s school Principal. One certified teacher and support staff member will be selected from each school. These honorees will be announced on Monday, Feb. 16.

All of the school-level honorees will be recognized along with KSD’s Volunteer of the Year and Business of the Year at the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 Excellence in Education Awards Banquet on April 25. The school Teachers of the Year will each receive a $250 cash award and a $750 classroom grant from the KSD Education Foundation, which will also give $250 in cash and a $250 school grant to each of the school support staff award recipients.

The district’s 2024 Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year Awards recipients will be selected from the school-level honorees. All of our honorees will be celebrated during the 2024 Team KSD Awards and Retiree Recognition on Monday, April 15.

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Kearney School District celebrated the 19 exemplary employees chosen to receive Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year honors during the first-annual Team KSD Awards & Retiree Reception held on Monday, April 17 at Tobacco Barn Farm in Holt.

“The determination to be the best on behalf of our students and community imbues every level of our team: teachers, support staff and administrators,” Superintendent Emily Miller said. “Our culture of excellence serves a crucial educational purpose. Our students may not always be conscious that it exists, but they learn it nevertheless. Excellence becomes part of their DNA. That is why this work is so important and so essential. We are here to celebrate your work.”

A large group of KSD staff visited with the honorees during the after-school event. It culminated with the announcement that Kearney High School social studies teacher Jennifer West was selected to receive the district’s overall 2023 Kearney School District Teacher of the Year Award and Network Administrator Chris Shirk was selected to receive the overall 2023 Kearney School District Support Staff of the Year Award.

LINK: 2023 Team KSD Awards & Retiree Recognition Reception Photos

Mrs. West is described by school administrators, fellow faculty members and parents/guardians as a dynamic social studies teacher. This year, she implemented a Human Geography that is helping the Kearney Fire and Rescue Protection District (KFRPD) in a Real World Learning project to identify potential sites for a second firehouse. That meant that she had to teach herself how to use specialized mapping software in order to guide her students through the project.

“Her classes are always very engaging and students are actively involved,” Assistant Superintendent for Academic Services Jennifer Kopp said. “She goes over the essential content but always has side stories to make the content relevant and interesting to her students.”

Director of Special Education Heather Guilkey praised Mr. Shirk for his attention to detail and aptitude for seeing all sides of an issue. His customer service skills were particularly vital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Chris was at the receiving end of many phone calls from parents, guardians, and grandparents trying to get their students online to access instruction,” Dr. Guilkey said. “Chris frequently begins working long before any teaching or office staff arrive, ensuring a consistent user experience by checking to see that all systems are working properly. If they are not, his early arrival usually gives him plenty of time to fix the issue before many have even noticed.”

Each KSD school selected one certified teacher and one support staff member to receive their building’s 2023 awards. The district award recipients were selected from that pool of school-level honorees. 

Along with their recognition plaques, West received a $250 cash award and a $750 classroom grant and Shirk received a $250 cash award and a $250 classroom grant from the Kearney School District Education Foundation. They can choose to spend their grants on education-related projects or items of their choice.

The event included recognition for the 14 KSD staff who will be retiring at the end of the current academic year. They each received a special embossed crystal apple. They also were each asked to select a book that the district purchased as a signed gift for their school libraries.

“The people whose names I am about to call represent countless years of dedication and experience,” Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Zach McMains said. “You have each earned this opportunity, and we are all so grateful for your selfless service on behalf of our students, schools and community. We recognize that it is our job to carry on the legacy of excellence that you built in KSD.”

KSD also honored the KFRPD as our 2023 Business of the Year because of its valuable partnership in education on behalf of our students, families and the community as a whole. Kelly Gentry received our 2023 Volunteer of the Year for his selfless service.

All of this year’s honorees will also be recognized at the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 Excellence in Education Awards Banquet on April 25. West has already been nominated by KSD for the Missouri Regional Teacher of the Year recognition, which will be announced this summer.\

2023 School Teacher of the Year Award Recipients

• Early Education Center – Staci Bonderer
• Dogwood Elementary – Amory Maley
• Hawthorne Elementary – Gayla Mogg
• Kearney Elementary – Sara Kimmel
• LENS – Audrianna Wooster
• Southview Elementary – Amanda Noll
• Kearney Middle School – Jana Klaehn-Sturm
• Kearney Junior High – Daniel Roberts
• Kearney High School – Jennifer West (2023 Kearney School District Teacher of the Year Award)

2023 School Support Staff of the Year Award Recipients

• Early Education Center – Cynthia Hollinberger
• Dogwood Elementary – Tamera Couchman
• Hawthorne Elementary – Michelle Cobb
• Kearney Elementary – Joleen Holsten
• LENS – Susan Beery
• Southview Elementary – Sabrina Clayton
• Kearney Middle School – Kaitlyn Parks
• Kearney Junior High – Toni Sinclair
• Kearney High School – Angie Carpenter
• KSD Central Office – Chris Shirk (2023 Kearney School District Support Staff of the Year Award)

2023 Team KSD Retirees (Book Gift)

• Kate Antos – Kearney Middle School (One Hundred and One Famous Poems compiled by Roy J. Cook)
• Julie Buckman – Dogwood Elementary (Zach’s Lie by Roland Smith)
• Tamera Couchman – Dogwood Elementary (Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling)
• Kristina DeLuca – Southview Elementary (Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen)
• Heidi Dodd – Kearney Middle School (The Book Thief by Markus Zusak)
• Richard Haas – Kearney High School (Wins, Losses and Lessons: An Autobiography by Lou Holtz)
• Mike Hoffman – Kearney Junior High (To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee)
• Becky Kohlstaedt – Kearney High School (The Smart Cookie by Jory John)
• Gayla Mogg – Hawthorne Elementary (The Secret of Saying Thanks by Douglas Wood)
• Audra Pelham – Kearney Middle School (The North Star by Peter Reynolds)
• Kerri Prom – Kearney Middle School (Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor)
• Patty Roussin – EEC & Puppy Pound (Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth)
• Vicki Smith – Southview Elementary (Stephanie’s Ponytail by Robert Munsch)
• Dana Starzl – Kearney Middle School (Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins)

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Kearney, Mo., February 6, 2023: It’s time for the best of the Bulldogs to come to the front of the class.

Kearney School District is pleased to announce the 19 exemplary employees who have been chosen to receive the 2023 Teacher of the Year Award and Support Staff of the Year Award for their schools.

“These Kearney School District staff members are a credit to the great work that our entire team does every day,” Superintendent Emily Miller said. “I’m excited to recognize this year’s award winners and I’m grateful for their service on behalf of our community.”

KSD encouraged parents/guardians, staff, students and community members to nominate our employees for their school’s 2023 Teacher and Support Staff of the Year awards. Teacher nominations could include a classroom teacher, special needs teacher, art teacher, music teacher, guidance counselor, librarian, instructional coach or physical education teacher. Support staff nominations could include principals, assistant principals, administrative staff, food service staff, bus drivers, nurses, custodians or resource officers.

One certified teacher and one support staff member were selected from each school. This year’s award winners embody the core values of KSD: integrity, respect, future readiness, student focus and resilience.

2023 School Teacher of the Year Award Recipients

• Early Education Center – Staci Bonderer
• Dogwood Elementary – Amory Maley
• Hawthorne Elementary – Gayla Mogg
• Kearney Elementary – Sara Kimmel
• LENS – Audrianna Wooster
• Southview Elementary – Amanda Noll
• Kearney Middle School – Jana Klaehn-Sturm
• Kearney Junior High – Daniel Roberts
• Kearney High School – Jennifer West

2023 School Support Staff of the Year Award Recipients

• Early Education Center – Cynthia Hollinberger
• Dogwood Elementary – Tamera Couchman
• Hawthorne Elementary – Michelle Cobb
• Kearney Elementary – Joleen Holsten
• LENS – Susan Beery
• Southview Elementary – Sabrina Clayton
• Kearney Middle School – Kaitlyn Parks
• Kearney Junior High – Toni Sinclair
• Kearney High School – Angie Carpenter
• KSD Central Office – Chris Shirk

These honorees will be recognized at the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 Excellence in Education Awards Banquet on April 25. They will also be nominated for our district Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year awards, which will be announced in the spring along with KSD’s 2023 Business of the Year and Volunteer of the Year award recipients.

PHOTO ALBUM: KSD 2023 School Teacher and Support Staff Award Recipients

The post KSD Announces 2023 School Teacher and Support Staff of the Year Award Recipients appeared first on Early Education Center.

Kearney, Mo., January 3, 2023: Kearney School District is seeking nominations for its 2023 Excellence in Education Awards, which includes honors for our top teachers and support staff.

Parents/guardians, students, fellow staff and neighbors are encouraged to support KSD’s outstanding team members by submitting nominations for their school’s 2023 Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year Awards! Nominations for these school recognitions are due by 11 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 13. Visit www.ksdr1.net/excellence and follow the links to submit your nominations.

Kearney School District students rank among the very best in the state and nation. Their achievements are a direct result of having an extraordinarily talented team of teachers and support staff. This is why we made our exemplary and valued employees a top priority in our 2022-2027 Strategic Plan.

“Our team provides world-class teaching and support services every class day for our students,” Superintendent Emily Miller said. “We appreciate everyone who takes the time to help celebrate our staff by completing an Excellence in Education Award nomination.”

The Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year Award nominees should embody our core values:

All submissions will be forwarded to the nominee’s school Principal. One certified teacher and support staff member will be selected from each school. These honorees will be announced on Monday, Jan. 30.

All of the school-level honorees will be recognized along with KSD’s Volunteer of the Year and Business of the Year at the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 Excellence in Education Awards Banquet on April 25. They will also be nominated for our district Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year Awards, which will be announced on March 8.

The post Nominations Open for KSD’s 2023 Excellence in Education Awards appeared first on Early Education Center.