Goessel alumni scheduled for high school career day

Ilona Abrahams, 5th grade teacher and Alumni Director, Landon Jordan '01 and GHS Principal Scott Boden. Jordan, who is a pastor at New Anthem Community Church, was the featured speaker at the Alumni event for students to hear about career paths after high school.The Goessel school board met on Oct 14 and heard from fifth grade teacher/alumni coordinator Ilona Abrahams about a career day that was planned for high school students for Oct 17. She said that 10 Goessel High School alumni would come and share information about their work. Some live in the Goessel community, some in surrounding communities, and one in California. Abrahams commented, “I’m excited to hear about their paths after high school.” She said students could pick four presentations. Each presentation would be 30 minutes long.

Superintendent/K-5 principal Dr. John Fast said, “This is focused on what our students have done.” Board members were encouraged to attend and listen to the presentations.

Bioengineering Research information would be presented by Evan Janzen, who is a doctoral candidate at the University of California. He has worked on an astrobiology project and has done some work connected to a Mars rover project. He planned to come from California for the event.

Computer Programming presenter John Goerzen is a senior software developer with Fastly. The headquarters are in California, and Fastly has clients in many different countries. Goerzen works mostly from his home office near Goessel.

Exercise Specialist Kevin Nickel lives near Hesston. He is a triathlete competitor and an exercise, strength and conditioning specialist with Pinnacle Sports Performance in Hutchinson.

High School Counselor and Coach presenter Tara Goerzen Cooprider works in the Haven school district.

Licensed Master Social Worker Rebecca Hill Stiles works from her home office in Goessel for Sunflower Health Plan.

Manager for Habitat for Humanity Kellin Jenkins works in the Kansas City area.

Pastor Landon Jordan started New Anthem Community Church in Park City and is the pastor there.

Patrol Officer Conner Davis works for the McPherson Police Department.

Sports Information Director Joshua Booth works at Bethel College in North Newton.

Structural Design Engineer Janessa Wedel Walters is a lead engineer at Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita.

Turning their attention to another matter, the board listened to Chrystiana Miller’s presentation about Family Reading Night that is scheduled for Oct 29 at the elementary school. Miller said the theme for the evening will be “Out of This World” and will include planets, a galaxy, and a rocket. She said that the elementary school gym will be the “mission control” where families will be invited to read together.

A “space observatory” will be in the music room. Fluency activities will be in the library, where students can read aloud to their parents. “Fry’s Phrases” will be a computer activity. “Moon Rocks” will encourage students to match letters, word phrases, and synonyms.

Miller said that students will be allowed to choose a book to take home. Preschoolers will be able to choose a literacy kit. A book fair will also be available that evening, and families can purchase books at that event.

Raffle prizes will also be part of the evening.

Miller said this will be the third year that a free meal will be offered in conjunction with the reading night. She said that offering a free meal increased attendance at the event. She asked the board to help serve the meal, which will feature taco “moon rock pile-up.” The meal will begin at 5:00 and will give board members an opportunity to visit with families.

Miller thanked the board for their support. Board member Pat Flaming thanked Miller for her work. Miller said the event has been in the spring in the past but has been moved to the fall instead.

In other business, the board:

* heard that Goessel is a 1A school this year. Boden explained that Goessel’s student count is 101 in the high school sophomore-senior classes. “The cut-off was 105,” he said.

* noted that the fall high school music concert has been rescheduled for Monday, Oct 28.

* heard that the volleyball regional tournament will be held at Goessel on Tuesday Oct 22. Boden said that junior high and high school students will be dismissed at 1:30 that day because of the tournament.

* heard about anti-bullying week.

* accepted the resignation of Susan Nafziger as a para for the preschool. She had been hired to help out short-term.

* approved the purchase of three Newline Boards from Image Quest, model RS 750, for a total of $9,375, which includes wall mounts and installation. Fast said these boards are replacing Smart Boards. He said this looks like a giant television screen, but it is a touch screen. Fast said that two classrooms already have a Newline board. “It’s amazing what teachers can do on these boards,” Fast said. This purchase will buy a Newline Board for the 4th grade, 5th grade, and junior high math/science classrooms. Fast said the purchase will be paid for with small schools grant money. Junior high/high school principal Scott Boden said the mobile Newline Board has been very handy for Scholar’s Bowl.

* voted to hire Adam Akers to install a speaker upgrade system for the auditorium for a cost of $5,873.97. “He’s giving us a good price on everything,” Boden said. Fast added, “We should have great sound for the play.”

* heard Bryant Miller’s Marion County Special Education Cooperative report. He said that one para resigned.

* discussed the month’s bills. “Utilities are looking good” compared to last year, Fast said, pointing out that the solar panels save about $200 a month on electrical bills. The school has had them for three years.

* approved the month’s bills, which amounted to $152,409.74.

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