As the 2024-25 school year begins to wind down, USD 253 Emporia administration have had a lot to celebrate the past few days.
Most recently, district leadership was able to celebrate a milestone accomplishment with several Emporia schools as Monday, administrators ventured to seven buildings — Emporia Middle School, the Jones Early Childhood Education Center, Logan Avenue Elementary School, Riverside Elementary, Timmerman Elementary, Village Elementary and Walnut Elementary — to announce they had all been named as Capturing Kids Hearts National Showcase Schools. This was a major accomplishment not only for these buildings, but the district as a whole as the individual recognition means the district has also been recognized as a National Showcase District.
Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Judy Stanley says it is hard to put into words how proud she and the entire district leadership team are of their staff, students, and all district patrons who made it possible.
Stanley also says the accomplishment is even more impressive because the CKH model has only been district-wide for two years.
The excitement around the National Showcase announcements followed the recognition of the district’s annual Hopkins Award winners on Friday. Unlike years past, this year the awards recognized district support and classified staff who work behind the scenes, including teacher aides, paraeducators, secretaries, support staff and more.
Recognized with awards this year were:
*Registrar Rebecca Smith, Attendance Secretary Alba Maciel and Department Clerk and Teacher Aide Brandi Smith – Emporia High School
*Teacher Aide Jaylinne Rios & Security Officer Willie Turner – Emporia Middle School
*Paraeducators Casey Lerch & Toni Delgadillo – Timmerman
*Teacher Aide Andy Boye – Village
*Paraeducator Emanuel Bueno – Walnut
*Flint Hills Infant Toddler Office Assistant Roxana Vasquez – JECDC
*Paraeducator Cara Demler – Riverside
*Paraeducator/Teacher Aide Colin Ford, Teacher Aide Alejandra Beltran and Office Aide Lilliana Castillo – Logan
*Student and Family Services Secretary Carmen Pinon and District Translator Jenny Flores-Guerro – Mary Herbert
As mentioned, this was a departure from the Hopkins Foundation’s longstanding tradition of recognizing licensed educators. District Director of Communications and Marketing Lyndel Landgren says this was an important change for the annual tradition, noting it takes more than just those in the classroom to make a district successful.
All recipients were given a $500 reward, with female honorees receiving a Kendra Scott Necklace and the male honorees receiving a customized mug.
Photos by Lyndel Landgren/USD 253 Emporia Public SchoolsÂ
