Tonganoxie, McLouth FFA chapters shine at Hays ag symposium

By Staff | Feb 1, 2023

Contributed photo

Tonganoxie High School FFA advisers Beth Schartz and Zach Callaghan receive recognition last month in the photo at left at the Kansas Association of Agricultural Educators Winter Symposium event in January at the Garden Inn Hotel in Hays.

Tonganoxie and McLouth schools were well-presented during the awards ceremony at the Kansas Association of Agricultural Educators Winter Symposium event in January at the Garden Inn Hotel in Hays.

Tonganoxie FFA advisers Zach Callaghan and Beth Schartz, as well as McLouth FFA adviser Nichole Hinrichsen received Kansas Association for Career and Tech Ed Ideas Unlimited and professional awards.

Contributed photo

McLouth adviser Nichole Hinrichsen was named Young Teacher of the Year.

THS also was named outstanding high school/middle school program.

Hinrichsen, who is a THS graduate, was named Young Teacher of the Year.

Callaghan won the Turn the Key Award and placed first in Ideas Unlimited Ag Mechanics. He also was third in mechanics, as well as public relations. And, he placed second in supervised agricultural experience.

Schartz took first in public relations and second in curriculum.

Hinrichsen won first in technology and the overall award.

In addition, McLouth instructor Marie Umphenour was accepted into the Curriculum for Agriculutral Science Education Institute for plant science. The highly competitive position provides professional development training, which will provide more classes in ag science, allowing more students additional science learning, which can be used in seventh- and eighth-grade exploratory agriculture, according to the school district website.

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS

K-ACTE Awards

New Teacher of the Year – Anita DeWeese

Young Teacher of the Year – Nicole Hinrichsen

Teacher of the Year – Laura Miller

Administrator of the Year – Chris Lackey

NAAE Awards

Carl Perkins Outstanding Service – Lauren Van Allen

Outstanding Early Career Teacher – Melissa Zerr

Outstanding Agricultural Education Teacher – Lauren Van Allen

Outstanding Middle/Secondary Program – Tonganoxie

Teacher Mentor Award – Jacob Larison

Teacher Turn the Key – Zachary Callaghan

IDEAS UNLIMITED

Ag Mechanics

First: Zachary Callaghan

Second: Janet Gottstine

Third: Ashley Klozenbucher

Classroom

First: Laura Miller

Second: Meghan Strassburg

Third: Ashley Klozenbucher

Curriculum

First: Janet Gottstine

Second: Beth Schartz

Third: Zachary Callaghan

Technology

First: Nicole Hinrichsen

Second: Janet Gottstine

Third: Meghan Strassburg

Public Relations

First: Beth Schartz

Second: Anita DeWeese

Third: Zachary Callaghan

Beginning Teacher

First: Emma Johnson

FFA

First: Anna Williamson

Second: Ashley Klozenbucher

Third: Anita DeWeese

SAE

First: Anita DeWeese

Second: Zachary Callaghan

Third: Ashley Klozenbucher

Overall – Nicole Hinrichsen

Tonganoxie FFA breakfast is Feb. 18

The Tonganoxie FFA Chapter will kick off National FFA Week with its community breakfast later this month.

This year’s breakfast will be 6-10 a.m. Feb. 18 at THS.

Tonganoxie FFA members receive SAE grants

Dalton Regehr, Emma Myers, Graham Foley, Grace Patterson, and Isabelle Barker are among 60 Kansas FFA members who will be receiving SAE grants this year, it was announced last month.

The grants go toward starting or improving students’ Supervised Agricultural Experience programs.