WHAT’S INSIDE: Summer Conditioning • Excellence in Eudora • and more!
SUMMER JUNE 2023
SM
Eudora High School Welcomes New Principal:
A
Continuing a Legacy of Excellence and Inspiring Student Success
fter 27 years at Eudora Schools, Eudora High School Head Principal Ron Abel is retiring. He has left an indelible mark on Eudora Schools throughout his career. Starting in 1996 as a Technology Instructor and Assistant Coach for wrestling and track, he quickly became an invaluable member of the school community. Mr. Abel took on various roles throughout the years, including Assistant Football Coach, Assistant Sophomore Class Sponsor, and EHS Assistant Principal. In 2004, he assumed the position of Principal at the Eudora-DeSoto Technical Education Center, showcasing his dedication to fostering technical skills in students. In 2015, he took on the role of EHS Interim Principal while continuing to serve as Principal of the Technical Education Center. During this time, his leadership qualities truly shone, earning him the official title of EHS High School Principal and Eudora-DeSoto Technical Education Center Principal. Mr. Abel’s numerous accolades speak volumes about his commitment to education,
creating a positive learning environment led to him being named Mill Valley Teacher of the Year.
Retiring Eudora High School Principal, RON ABEL
all while remaining humble and quiet, always prioritizing the needs of those he serves. He embodies the values of Cardinal Pride and Eudora Schools’ work ethic, consistently striving for excellence and inspiring his students and staff to do the same. Mr. Abel’s legacy will be remembered as one of unwavering loyalty and a relentless pursuit of improvement, setting a shining example for future educators
Incoming Eudora High School Principal, DR. JUSTIN BOGART
and administrators. Eudora Schools is pleased to introduce Dr. Justin Bogart as the new principal of Eudora High School, who brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to education. With a passion for teaching and administration, Dr. Bogart began his career as an English teacher at DeSoto High School and later joined the faculty at Mill Valley High School. His dedication to fostering student growth and
In pursuing professional development, he earned a Master’s in School Leadership and completed a doctoral program in district leadership. He held administrative positions at Leavenworth High School and Shawnee Mission South High School, where he demonstrated his ability to lead curriculum development to support teachers and students. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his commitment to excellence and ability to inspire others. Now, as he assumes the role of principal at Eudora High School, he is honored to continue the legacy of his predecessor and build upon the strong foundation of academic achievement and community engagement. With his experience and a genuine passion for education, Dr. Bogart is excited to welcome students as they begin their educational journey at Eudora High School, fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for their growth and success.
District Office
Eudora Elementary School
Eudora Middle School
Eudora High School
Eudora Schools Virtual Learning
785-542-4910
785-542-4940
785-542-4960
785-542-4980
785-542-4989
2 • THE CARD | SUMMER • JUNE 2023
STAFF DIRECTORY STU MOECKEL • Superintendent of Schools • stumoeckel@eudoraschools.org
AMY SHANKS • Human Resources Director • amyshanks@eudoraschools.org
DR. JUSTIN BOGART • Eudora High School Head Principal • justinbogart@eudoraschools.org
BETSY CRABILL • Finance Director • betsycrabill@eudoraschools.org
CARA KIMBERLIN • Eudora High School Assistant Principal and Activities Director • carakimberlin@eudoraschools.org
CHUCK JAMES • Director of Facilities • chuckjames@eudoraschools.org
SEAN HAYDEN • Eudora High School Assistant Principal • seanhayden@eudoraschools.org
HEATHER HUNDLEY • Director of School Improvement Services • heatherhundley@eudoraschools.org
JESSICA JOHNSON • Director of Alternative and Virtual Learning • jessicajohnson@eudoraschools.org
JAYLIE POSTLEWAIT • Communication and Engagement Specialist • jayliepostlewait@eudoraschools.org
JEREMY THOMAS • Eudora Middle School Head Principal • jeremythomas@eudoraschools.org
MACHAELA BESHEARS • Transportation Director • machaelabeshears@ eudoraschools.org
TY PATTISON • Eudora Middle School Assistant Principal and Activities Director • typattison@eudoraschools.org
NICOLE PARKS (starting July) • Food and Nutrition Director • nicoleparks@eudoraschools.org
SETH HEIDE • Eudora Elementary School Head Principal • sethheide@eudoraschools.org
RON LONG • Technology Director • ronlong@eudoraschools.org
JESSICA CAGLE • Eudora Elementary School Assistant Principal • jessicacagle@eudoraschools.org
SHANDA HURLA • Eudora Schools Foundation Executive Director • shandahurla@eudoraschools.org
JAMIE GRADO • Eudora Elementary Assistant Principal • jamiegrado@eudoraschools.org
STEFANIE WHITE • Executive Administrative/ HR Assistant • stefaniewhite@eudoraschools.org
Kaw Valley State Bank Eudora, Kansas • (785)542-4200 www.kawvalleystatebank.com Proud Supporter of Eudora Schools!
“I’M HONORED TO BE SERVING THE COMMUNITY OF EUDORA. I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.”
DR. LOGAN
DR. LOGAN MALLICOAT GENERAL DENTIST
|
THE CARD | SUMMER • JUNE 2023 • 3
Battle of the Books
Fifth grade at EES has many fun traditions, but one of the best is the annual Battle of the Books competition. This program started ten years ago as an idea by fifth grade teacher Angie Kennedy. “We were trying to find a program that would make students want to read more,” Kennedy remembers. “I started doing some research and read a lot about America’s Battle of the Books and liked the idea of how a competition style really motivated students and, in turn, fostered a love of reading.” Fifth grade decided to implement the program at EES in the fall of 2014, and the tradition began!
charge of reading during the school year. They then meet as a team monthly to discuss their reading progress, often with parent/ styles, including White teacher volunteers at lunch Board, Family Feud, Relays, during early release days. and Quiz Whiz. After the competitions, During the first few years, morning it was a challenge for the everyone celebrates with fifth grade teachers to find a pizza lunch provided by enough copies of books for EES PTO. During lunchtime, our students to read. Eudora the scores are tabulated, Schools Foundation stepped and the 30 fifth grade in and started giving a teams are narrowed down yearly donation of 2 copies to the top 3. The final battle of each book to each fifth consists of the top 3 teams grade classroom. Also, the answering 22 questions until Eudora City Library started the ultimate champion is getting copies of each book revealed. The winning team on the list each year and gets medals, plus their team making a special checkout section at the library as well!
Each fall, students are given a list of 28-30 books. These books are different each year, consisting of different genres and reading levels. The students are then put into teams of 4-5 and decide what books each team member is in
In May, the students put all of their reading knowledge to the test in the Battle of the Books competition. Each team participates in 8 battles in the morning, testing their understanding of each book. The battles consist of different game
names are engraved on a plaque outside the aquatic pod at Eudora Elementary - a lasting memory of their achievement! Throughout the years, the Battle of the Books competition has become a staple of fifth grade at EES. Students look forward to getting their book list each year and working as a team to accomplish a goal. The fun of this reading competition will continue for many years to come!
785-542-2707
A RELIABLE TEAM
Heating & cooling specialist since 1977
We offer a wide variety of HVAC services such as servicing and HVAC installations. We also specialize in HVAC maintenance. Whether it’s your heating or cooling system, we have you covered.
Westerhouse Heating and Cooling, Inc. 104 W 20th St #1, Eudora, KS 66025
4 • THE CARD | SUMMER • JUNE 2023
Summer Conditioning Week one of conditioning was a big success. EMS averaged 148 middle school kids per day. Eudora Middle School is so proud to have this program for our students, and a community that invests so much into their kids! This is a great opportunity for all students to stay in shape, learn about all different types of exercises, and connect with their peers. For our incoming 6th graders, it’s the perfect way to get acclimated with the middle school environment and take away some of the anxiety that comes with
starting middle school. For 7th and 8th graders it’s a great opportunity to get prepared for the upcoming seasons and there are open gyms to follow for different sports. Mitch Tegtmeier, Brandon Parker and Phil Katzenmeier are all three coaches for summer conditioning. Mitch started this about 7 years ago and had 5 kids show. Now it’s one of the largest middle school conditioning program in the state! They will have up to around 200+ come this summer which is over 50% of our kids.
Serving Lawrence and Shawnee Kansas
Justin Labart, DDS, MD
TWO OFFICES TO SERVE YOU! WAKARUSA ORAL SURGERY & SHAWNEE ORAL SURGERY OFFER A FULL RANGE OF ORAL SURGERY PROCEDURES
4901 Legends Drive, Lawrence KS 66049 785-856-6010
6844 Silverheel Street, Shawnee, KS 66226 913-441-7868
CARING, COMPASSIONATE STAFF
Extractions • Wisdom Tooth Removal • Implants Corrective Surgery • General Anesthesia
visit us at www.wakashaw.com
Sign your middle school student up today, it is never too late to come. The cost is $40 but we will work with any family to help ensure their child can attend. Boys go Monday and Wednesday at 8am then Tuesday and Thursday at 8:45. Girls go Monday and Wednesday at 8:45 then at 8am on Tuesday and Thursday.
THE CARD | SUMMER • JUNE 2023 • 5
SkillsUSA
Students in SkillsUSA competed at the Kansas SkillsUSA State Championships in April in Hutchinson, KS. Over 75 contests that include Leadership and Technical knowledge hosted competitors from across the state during the 3-day event. At the state level, every student competes against students from all schools across the state; it is not divided by school SkillsUSA chapter received classification. the following: Quality SkillsUSA Championships Chapter Excellence Level 1, were held in Atlanta, GA, in Largest 3A-4A Chapter, and June. The competitor must Silver award for chapter score 88% or higher in their growth. respective contest to win the Eudora students competed gold. If no competitor meets the minimum standard, in the Architectural Drafting the gold is not awarded. and Technical Drafting Chapter awards are also categories. All students presented, and the Eudora placed in the top 20 in their
6th, and Dylan Schmidt 10th. Technical Drafting competitors were Lealind Trigg: 4th, Christian Koehn: 9th and Logan Cundiff: 19th.
respective categories. This year’s Architectural Drafting competitors were Aidan Miller: 4th, Jackson Dines:
The underclassmen all plan to return next year to try and improve their performance. Membership in SkillsUSA is open to any Secondary and Post-Secondary student enrolled in a CTE course or program. SkillsUSA has over 300,00 members nationwide and over 2600 members in Kansas. It was a great learning experience; the returning students are ready to return next year and do better.
The Most Important School Supply is a Library Card Lots of Resources Free WI-FI Computer Access Ask a Librarian Study Areas Summer Activities -Harry Potter Escape Room,6th-12th, 6/28/23, 5:30pm- -Pointillism Heart Art, K-2, 7/19/23, 3pm-4pm 7:30pm -Pointillism Heart Art, 3-5th, 7/19/23, 4pm-5pm -Battle of the Grades Trivia Night, 6th-12th, 7/26/23, -Fantasy World Rice Art, 6th-12th, 7/12/23, 3pm4:30pm 6pm-7pm
K-State Research & Extension Group Programs -July 11th, 3rd-5th, 1-2pm “The Secret of Soil” -July 18th, 3rd-5th, 1-2pm “The Battery’s Bodacious Journey” - Students will be able to construct a working recreation of the world’s first-ever battery.
-July 25th, 3rd-5th, 1pm-2pm “How to survive a zombie apocalypse” - This will allow students to learn and understand the basics of first aid.
eudorapubliclibrary.org
6 • THE CARD | SUMMER • JUNE 2023
Eudora Schools Foundation Old School Coffee and Conversations
On May 18th, the Eudora Schools Foundation hosted more than twenty former and retired Eudora Schools staff members for the fourth annual “Old School Coffee and Conversation”. This event is a fantastic time for our former staff members to reconnect with colleagues and friends of Eudora Schools. “Each year when we host this event, we are struck by how comfortable and easy it is to be back in touch with colleagues and friends that many may not have seen in years,” said Shanda Hurla, Executive Director of the Eudora Schools Foundation. “All those years of working together create a solid set of shared experiences. When they get together, the conversations are easy, the smiles are everywhere, and the laughter is genuine. This event is so special.”
after Larry McPherson, a retired Eudora High School Staff member, approached the Foundation about hosting a coffee for retired staff. “We are grateful that Mr. McPherson came up with this great idea for a staff reunion. It is one of our favorite events during the year and a great way to conclude the current academic year with our current staff,” said Hurla.
Every year this event continues to grow in attendance, not only by former staff members attending but also by current staff members who love to stop by, reconnect, and catch up with these email Shanda If you are a former staff included on future invites please cherished members of our shandahurla@ Eudora Schools family. This member of Eudora Schools for “Old School Coffee Hurla, event was started in 2019 and would like to be and Conversation” events, eudoraschools.org.
THE CARD | SUMMER • JUNE 2023 • 7
Excellence in Eudora ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
MIDDLE SCHOOL
HUNTER’S SAFETY COURSE Eudora Middle School offered a Kansas Hunter’s Safety Course this MARATHON CLUB school year. Caleb Cardinal Marathon Club had a Lewis and Ty Pattison terrific turnout this school year! Over lead the instruction. 200 students, parents, and teachers The class consisted participated throughout the year of four lecture/ logging over 7,000 miles! 134 students guest speakers completed over 26.2 miles to earn their sessions and one full marathon shirt, and 4 completed over 52.4 miles to receive their 2nd marathon dog tag! Look field day session. 40 for the CMC registration information in August to sign up to students successfully completed the course join us next school year! with passing scores. WATCHDOGS WGFCC We had 100 WatchDOGS this FISHING TRIP year. We continue to have dads, grandpas, uncles, and others The Wild Game & volunteer to serve, supervise, and Fish Cleaning Club assist at EES. These individuals also ended the school provide safety monitoring, help out year with a fishing the office, assist classroom teachers, trip. The students monitor recess, and help with caught many fish specials in the lunchroom. We are (bass, crappie, grateful for their participation as channel catfish), the program’s purpose is to provide and they were positive male role models in the school and strengthen the bond between fathers/family members and their children. instructed on how to properly clean SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING them. They were Eudora Elementary served many shown how to cook students throughout the school the fish and feasted year in social emotional learning. on them as part of There were 584 counselor visits, 166 their lunch. Students SEL interventions put in place to who attended 90% help children succeed, 121 Finding of the club meetings Leaders in Kids (FLIK) jobs, 1600 received a cleaning WRAP visits, and 164 care referrals. Through all the success, we were also able to add Early kit as part of their Childhood into the schedule of receiving meaningful commitment to the club. lessons and curriculum.
8 • THE CARD | SUMMER • JUNE 2023
HIGH SCHOOL FFA DAY AT THE FARM Eudora High School FFA students hosted a “Day at the Farm” for Eudora Elementary School students. Stations included learning about livestock, farm equipment, growing, and FFA activities! FRONTIER LEAGUE ART EHS students competed in league art, taking 3rd place overall. STATE CHOIR The following students earned an Outstanding 1 rating at State Solo and Small Ensemble Festival. Chad Bishop, Thomas Cromer, Ryleigh Hartwell, Ava Heide, Braylen Hoobler, Natalie Karten, Kason LaMont, Audrey Mach, Morgan Spencer, Nate Reazin, Nate van Foeken, and Addison Woods.
Serving Lawrence For Over 30 Years
Drs. Newkirk, Adams and Willms Experienced, comprehensive, pain-free, friendly dentistry for all ages Implants / Cosmetic Dentistry Same Day Crowns / Veneers Whitening / Invisalign
Visit our state-of-the-art office 4111 W 6th Street
Call Our Office Today!
Or Visit Us at:
(785) 843-2636
www.freestate.dental