2003
Distinguished Staff Awards

The following staff members were recently selected as recipients of the 2003 Auburn-Washburn Distinguished Staff Award:
Sylvia Render Distinguished Classified Support Staff (Paraeducator-WRHS)

The following will go on to represent the district at the state level:
Roseanna Sterbenz Elementary Teacher of the Year (WE)
Carolyn Dale Secondary Teacher of the Year (WRHS)
Sarah Thomas Master Teacher (WRHS)

These staff members were nominated by their peers and chosen by a district wide selection group. All of the nominees are fine examples of the dedicated and professional staff that distinguish our district.

Congratulations to our Distinguished Staff Award recipients as well as all the other outstanding nominees.

2004 Auburn-Washburn Distinguished Staff Award

Tamara Beyer - Classified Support Staff - WRHS Attendance Secretary
Jeff Handley - Secondary Teacher of the Year - WRHS Social Studies
Sandy Hardesty - Master Teacher - WRHS Social Studies

A staff award and district-wide retirement reception will be held Wednesday May 5th at 6:30 at Shuler Education Center.

Chris Goering
Receives KATE Award

Chris Goering of Washburn Rural High School has received the first KATE Outstanding Teaching Practices Award from the Kansas Association of Teachers of English. Goering received $200 and a plaque at an award ceremony in Wichita, KS on October 23rd. The award honors outstanding practices in the teaching of language arts. The purpose of this award is to recognize, promote, and reward outstanding teaching practices from all grade levels in the state of Kansas. In addition to recognizing outstanding teaching, the new award program is designed to promote school districts’ language arts standards and the Kansas Curricular Standards for Reading and Writing adopted by Kansas State Board of Education. To view the award winning lesson plan click on "Writing Bigger's Blues"

GOERING TABBED
JUDITH C. GILBERT WINNER

Chris Goering, WRHS English teacher received the 2004 Judith C. Gilbert Outstanding Writing Teacher Award from The Writing Conference, Inc. Goering accepted the award on February 18, 2004, at the 24th annual Conference on Writing and Literature held at the Memorial Union at the University of Kansas.

Selection for the award was based on contributions to the education profession in the area of teaching writing that go beyond the requirements of everyday classroom life. Goering was nominated by fellow WRHS English teacher Matt Copeland, a 2002 Gilbert Award Winner and was selected from a group of nominees from across the United States.

“Mr. Goering was an outstanding candidate for this award,” said Dr. John H. Bushman, director of The Writing Conference, Inc. and Chairman of the award’s Selection Committee. “His numerous professional presentations at regional and national conventions and his strong record of scholarly publications separated him from the other applicants.”

Matt Copeland Wins
Kansas Master Teacher of the Year

Copeland is co-author of the book At the Crossroads: Learning to Reflect and Reflecting to Learn and has written several articles and poems about the teaching of English.