Eudora School Newsletter - June 2023

Eudora High School Welcomes New Principal: Continuing a Legacy of Excellence and Inspiring Student Success

After 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,

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

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

creating a positive learning environment led to him being named Mill Valley Teacher of the Year.

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.

Retiring Eudora High School Principal, RON ABEL

Incoming Eudora High School Principal, DR. JUSTIN BOGART

STAFF DIRECTORY

STU MOECKEL

• Superintendent of Schools

• stumoeckel@eudoraschools.org

DR. JUSTIN BOGART

• Eudora High School

Head Principal

• justinbogart@eudoraschools.org

CARA KIMBERLIN

• Eudora High School Assistant Principal and Activities Director

• carakimberlin@eudoraschools.org

SEAN HAYDEN

• Eudora High School Assistant Principal

• seanhayden@eudoraschools.org

JESSICA JOHNSON

• Director of Alternative and Virtual Learning

• jessicajohnson@eudoraschools.org

JEREMY THOMAS

• Eudora Middle School Head Principal

• jeremythomas@eudoraschools.org

TY PATTISON

• Eudora Middle School Assistant Principal and Activities Director

• typattison@eudoraschools.org

SETH HEIDE

• Eudora Elementary School Head Principal

• sethheide@eudoraschools.org

JESSICA CAGLE

• Eudora Elementary School Assistant Principal

• jessicacagle@eudoraschools.org

AMY SHANKS

• Human Resources Director

• amyshanks@eudoraschools.org

BETSY CRABILL

• Finance Director

• betsycrabill@eudoraschools.org

CHUCK JAMES

• Director of Facilities

• chuckjames@eudoraschools.org

HEATHER HUNDLEY

• Director of School Improvement Services

• heatherhundley@eudoraschools.org

JAYLIE POSTLEWAIT

• Communication and Engagement Specialist

• jayliepostlewait@eudoraschools.org

MACHAELA BESHEARS

• Transportation Director

• machaelabeshears@ eudoraschools.org

NICOLE PARKS (starting July)

• Food and Nutrition Director

• nicoleparks@eudoraschools.org

RON LONG

• Technology Director

• ronlong@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

“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

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!

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

charge of reading during the school year. They then meet as a team monthly to discuss their reading progress, often with parent/ teacher volunteers at lunch during early release days.

During the first few years, it was a challenge for the fifth grade teachers to find enough copies of books for our students to read. Eudora Schools Foundation stepped in and started giving a yearly donation of 2 copies of each book to each fifth grade classroom. Also, the Eudora City Library started getting copies of each book on the list each year and making a special checkout section at the library as well!

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

styles, including White Board, Family Feud, Relays, and Quiz Whiz. After the morning competitions, everyone celebrates with a pizza lunch provided by EES PTO. During lunchtime, the scores are tabulated, and the 30 fifth grade teams are narrowed down to the top 3. The final battle consists of the top 3 teams answering 22 questions until the ultimate champion is revealed. The winning team gets medals, plus their team

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!

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.

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.

JustinLabart,DDS,MD

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 classification.

SkillsUSA Championships were held in Atlanta, GA, in June. The competitor must score 88% or higher in their respective contest to win the gold. If no competitor meets the minimum standard, the gold is not awarded. Chapter awards are also presented, and the Eudora

SkillsUSA chapter received the following: Quality Chapter Excellence Level 1, Largest 3A-4A Chapter, and Silver award for chapter growth.

Eudora students competed in the Architectural Drafting and Technical Drafting categories. All students placed in the top 20 in their

respective categories. This year’s Architectural Drafting competitors were Aidan Miller: 4th, Jackson Dines:

6th, and Dylan Schmidt 10th. Technical Drafting competitors were Lealind Trigg: 4th, Christian Koehn: 9th and Logan Cundiff: 19th. 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.

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.”

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 cherished members of our Eudora Schools family. This event was started in 2019

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.

If you are a former staff member of Eudora Schools and would like to be

included on future invites for “Old School Coffee and Conversation” events,

please email Shanda Hurla, shandahurla@ eudoraschools.org.

Excellence in Eudora ELEMENTARY

SCHOOL

MARATHON CLUB

Cardinal Marathon Club had a terrific turnout this school year! Over 200 students, parents, and teachers participated throughout the year logging over 7,000 miles! 134 students completed over 26.2 miles to earn their full marathon shirt, and 4 completed over 52.4 miles to receive their 2nd marathon dog tag! Look for the CMC registration information in August to sign up to join us next school year!

WATCHDOGS

We had 100 WatchDOGS this year. We continue to have dads, grandpas, uncles, and others volunteer to serve, supervise, and assist at EES. These individuals also provide safety monitoring, help out the office, assist classroom teachers, monitor recess, and help with specials in the lunchroom. We are grateful for their participation as the program’s purpose is to provide positive male role models in the school and strengthen the bond between fathers/family members and their children.

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING

Eudora Elementary served many students throughout the school year in social emotional learning. There were 584 counselor visits, 166 SEL interventions put in place to help children succeed, 121 Finding Leaders in Kids (FLIK) jobs, 1600 WRAP visits, and 164 care referrals. Through all the success, we were also able to add Early Childhood into the schedule of receiving meaningful lessons and curriculum.

MIDDLE SCHOOL HUNTER’S SAFETY COURSE

Eudora Middle School offered a Kansas Hunter’s Safety Course this school year. Caleb Lewis and Ty Pattison lead the instruction. The class consisted of four lecture/ guest speakers sessions and one field day session. 40 students successfully completed the course with passing scores.

WGFCC FISHING TRIP

The Wild Game & Fish Cleaning Club ended the school year with a fishing trip. The students caught many fish (bass, crappie, channel catfish), and they were instructed on how to properly clean them. They were shown how to cook the fish and feasted on them as part of their lunch. Students who attended 90% of the club meetings received a cleaning kit as part of their commitment to the club.

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.