April 23, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Star Teacher Celebration Planned by KCK Public Schools

Dedication to the field of education will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 25 as the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools hosts the 2007 Star Teacher Celebration from 4:30–6:30 p.m. in the Jewell Center at KCK Community College

At the event, the district's 47 Star Teachers will be recognized. Each year, district principals nominate one teacher for the Kansas Teacher of the Year program. The district-wide list of "star teachers" is then reviewed by a committee who selects one elementary and one secondary teacher nomination to send on to the Kansas Teacher of the Year program. This year's two teachers of the year are: Jamelle M. Brown, at Sumner Academy of Arts and Science, and Martha Whaley Hemer, at Frank Rushton Elementary School.

Speakers at Star Teacher Celebration will include Dr. Jill Shackelford, superintendent; Norma Jones, Board of Education member; and J.D. Rios, assistant superintendent for human and community resources. Musical entertainment will be provided by the Wyandotte High School Jazz Band, under the direction of Jeremiah Furlow.

The complete list of Star Teachers is as follows: J.C. Harmon High School, Sharon Barnes; F.L. Schlagle High School, Barbara Anderson; Sumner Academy of Arts and Science, Jamelle M. Brown; Washington High School, Darwyn Thomlinson; Wyandotte High School, Mary Kathleen Parbs; Argentine Middle School, Karri Mazzapica; Arrowhead Middle School, Jeannie Caswell; Central Middle School, Kristy Poplau; Eisenhower Middle School, Poonam Sharma; Northwest Middle School, Karen Vaverka; Rosedale Middle School, Valerie Burch; West Middle School, Kathryn Cowan; Fairfax Campus, Cherry Lawrence; Fairfax Learning Center, Deborah Battle; Area Technical School, Cory Shute; Banneker Elementary School, Adam Kelne; Bethel Elementary School, Jenny Nickelson; Caruthers Elementary School, Lynn Blomberg; Central Elementary School, Rebecca Boehm; Claude Huyck Elementary School, Sandra Loudon; Douglass Elementary School, Marcia Cook; Emerson Elementary School, Robin Felman; Eugene Ware Elementary School, Linda Scott; Frances Willard Elementary School, Colleen Charlton; Frank Rushton Elementary School, Martha Whaley Hemer; Grant Elementary School, Kendra Meyer; Hazel Grove Elementary School, Stacey Smith; John Fiske Elementary School, Charlene Littlefield; J.F. Kennedy Elementary School, Karen Knox; Lindbergh Elementary School, Courtney Huynh; Mark Twain Elementary School, Christi Clayton; McKinley Elementary School, Tod Pennell; M.E. Pearson Elementary School, Debbie Ledford; New Chelsea Elementary School, Myrna Rivera; New Stanley Elementary School, Cindy Fields; Noble Prentis Elementary School, Sheila DeMars; Quindaro Elementary School, Lori Biddle; Silver City Elementary School, Lynell Sadeghi; Stony Point North Elementary School, Kristie Gaul; Stony Point South Elementary School, Sarah Gerber; T.A. Edison Elementary School, Jan Vose; Welborn Elementary School, Jamie Pelzl; White Church Elementary School, Tara Broich; Whittier, Teresa Calovich; W.A. White Elementary School, Julie Pruett; Education Center Pre School, Mariza Chavez; and Morse Early Childhood Center, Jackie Gleichman.