National Women’s History Museum - SMS Students Virtual Showcase
Emily Payne, Emma Nord, Miley Proplesch, and Ella Shipley had their NHD performance selected by the National Women’s History Museum to be featured in a virtual showcase during the National History Day competition. Out of 155 applicants, they were one of twenty selected!
Performance Title: Hedy Lamarr: More Than Just a Pretty Face
Project Lead the Way Distinguished Schools Recognition
Seaman elementary schools and middle school are recognized as a 2021-21 Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Distinguished School. They are one of just 468 schools across the U.S. to receive this honor for providing broad access to transformative learning opportunities for students through PLTW Launch and Gateway.
School Bus Safety State Champion - Nelven Smith
The USD 345 Transportation Department attended the Kansas School Bus Safety Conference and entered a competition to test their skills on a course against drivers from all over the state. Steve Huddleston placed 3rd at regionals and 6th in the state; Sharon Smith placed 2nd at regionals and 4th in the state; and Nelven Smith placed 1st at regionals, 1st in the state, and 4th overall in the entire state competition. Congratulations to our amazing team of bus drivers!
2021 Retirement Recognitions
Cathleen DeDonder - FCRL/SMS - Social Studies Teacher - eff. 5/26/21(2001 - 2021)
Donna Yost - FS - Manager - eff. 5/28/21 (1992 - 2021)
Connie Thornton - NH - 4 th Grade Teacher - eff. 5/26/21 (2018 - 2021)
Debbie Keehn - EL - 1 st Grade Teacher - eff. 5/26/21 (1988 - 2021)
Janelle Henley - SMS - PE Teacher - eff. 5/26/21(1986 - 2021)
Mary Heald - LO - Speech Language Pathologist - eff. 5/26/21 (2012 - 2021)
Mike Wilson - SHS - Indust. Tech Teacher - eff. 5/26/21 (2016 - 2021)
Kansas Teacher of the Year Finalist - Lisa Martinez
Lisa Martinez, a Spanish teacher at Seaman High School, Seaman USD 345, was named Region 2 finalists for the 2022 Kansas Teacher of the Year.
KWCA Administrator of the Year - Steve Bushnell
Prior to his current position as SHS Athletic Director, Steve Bushnell served as Physical Education Teacher at Seaman Middle School and Head Baseball coach at Seaman High, where he put together one of the most storied programs in Kansas high school athletics history, winning nine State Championships.
Less known is his involvement in the sport of wrestling. He was a 1986 Wrestling State Medalist for Sumner Academy and served as Seaman Middle School Head Wrestling Coach for nearly thirty years. He was named KWCA Middle School Coach of the Year in 2012.
This year he not only supported the establishment of the Girls Wrestling program at Seaman, but also served as the program’s first Head Coach on an interim basis until a permanent coach was hired. He actively recruited girls to go out for wrestling, helping the roster grow from two to nearly thirty at the start of the 2020-21 season. Bushnell also stepped forward during the ‘COVID-19 season’ by creating home events to provide opportunities for both Boys and Girls teams. Additionally, when the Centennial League Girls tournament was looking for a host site, he jumped at the opportunity and hosted a first-class event.
Steve Bushnell understands the importance of involvement in athletics in the total experience of students at the high school level and the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association is proud to recognize and honor his dedication and commitment. Congratulations to Steve Bushnell, 2021 KWCA Girls D1 Administrator of the Year!
National Medalists at the National Scholastic Art Competition - Reagan Carter, Daisy Solis, Samantha Myers
Three Seaman High School students were National Medalists at the National Scholastic Art Competition in New York City. This year students across America submitted nearly 320,000 works of art. 1,917 works were selected from that pool as national award recipients. Of the 1,917 awardees, 16 were from Kansas. Reagan Carter's work titled "Empty Space" was the recipient of an American Vision Medal in addition to a Gold Medal.
Reagan Carter: Gold Medal and American Visions Medal for her painting "Empty Space."
Daisy Solis: Gold Medal for her monoprint titled "La Banana."
Samantha Myers: Silver Medal for her painting titled "Fiddle Leaf Fig."
Kansas State FCCLA President - Rene Cabrera
Congratulations to Rene Cabrera who was selected as the Kansas State FCCLA President. Rene is our fourth state officer in the last four years.
National Visions Award
Congratulations to Reagan Carter receiving a Best of Show award at this year's Scholastic Art Competition in Wichita.
Seven Seaman High School students received 11 awards at this year's competition.
Scholastic Art is one of the oldest and most prestigious national art competitions for students. It provides an opportunity for student artists to be recognized, exhibited, and awarded scholarship(s). It is a huge honor for students to receive recognition based on the originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal vision in their work. Reagan Carter's work was selected as one of the top five in the entire show that generally has 1000-2000 entries and will be automatically juried into the National Show in New York City.
Congratulations to all of Seaman's award winners this year!
Silver and Gold key works will be on display at Mark Arts in Wichita, February 12 - March 27.
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2019-2020 SHS Coaches of the Year
Congratulations to our 2019-2020 Seaman High School Coaches of the Year!
Head Coach: Matt Tinsley (Girls Basketball)
Assistant Coach: Steve Alexander (Girls Basketball)
These two coaches were selected among peers on the SHS coaching staff in August at our back-to-school coaches in-service.
New plaques have been order and are now on display in the administrative hallway outside of the Seaman High School athletic office.
Thank you to our entire coaching staff of all you do in support of our students-athletes at SHS!
Horizon Award Winner
Mrs. Kennedy, Second Grade Teacher from West Indianola, was named a 2021 Kansas Horizon Award Winner. This award recognizes exemplary first-year teachers who perform in a way that distinguishes them as outstanding.
Mrs. Kennedy was notified of her award via Zoom with the Kansas Commissioner of Education, Dr. Randy Watson, last Thursday. Our school community is very proud of Mrs. Kennedy, and we thank the Kansas Department of Education for recognizing talented first-year teachers around the state.
National Board Certified Teacher
Kaitlin Gile, teaches 4th grade at Northern Hills Elementary and deserves recognition tonight as she was notified through the National Board Candidate Management System on December 12, 2020 that she has officially obtained her National Board Certification. This is a huge accomplishment as it is the most respected professional certification available in K-12 education across the county.
She began working on the requirements for certification during her 4th year of teaching in 2018. She completed two of the components during that school year and two more during the 2019-2020 school year. She submitted her request for certification in April of last year. She shared what has impacted her the most during this process is the amount of reflection it requires.
Kaitlin said, “I have always been a reflective teacher (Was my lesson successful? How do I know? Were most of the students engaged? How could I make it better the next time I teach it?), but it made me look at my teaching practice as a whole- all of the things I do throughout the entire year. I get to know my students, build relationships with them, and use every minute of the day to teach them. It really proved to me that I have a method to my madness and I’m making a difference, even if it’s a small difference.”
Her advice to other teachers is to be open to criticism and be open to change. Kaitlin continues, "I have never taught the same exact lesson the same exact way because I’m always learning something new. I like trying new things and I think that not only benefits my students, but myself as well. I want to push myself to be better and to grow as much as possible."
Kansas Horizon Award
The Kansas Horizon Award program identifies and recognizes exemplary first-year teachers in the elementary and secondary classrooms of the state. Each year, the district selects one elementary nominee and one secondary to be considered for the KSDE Horizon awards. This year's USD 345 Horizon Award nominees are as follows.
Take a look at the following statements from students in their classrooms.
"After COVID-19 started making people sick, Mrs. Kennedy made sure to keep our 2nd grade year going. She mailed packages to my classmates that had prizes, worksheets, and a laminated picture of her in it," said a student in Mrs. Kennedy's class. "She told us to keep the picture with us while we were in quarantine and out of school and said to take her with us on our adventures and send her pictures so we could keep in touch. My favorite thing about remote learning with Mrs. Kennedy was that she read us bedtime stories on See-Saw, that made me feel like she really cared about my class."
"As a student of Ms. Ashley Womack’s during her first year in education, I was absolutely blown away by the relevance and engagement she added to her classes," said one of Ms. Womack's students. "In regards to coursework, Ms. Womack goes above and beyond to make sure she is teaching the utmost relevant and up-to- date information – knowledge that will certainly benefit students in the future. In her classes, she engages students by allowing them to guide discussion, allows for project-based learning, and truly is committed to ensuring that her students are prepared for the future in terms of the information that is being taught to them. Although alterations had to be made to her coursework as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Womack was still determined to create a virtual environment that allowed her students to learn to the best of their abilities."
School of Excellence by the Civic Advocacy Network
North Fairview Elementary was designated a School of Excellence by the Civic Advocacy Network (CAN) for the civic engagement opportunities they offer students. The Civic Advocacy Network (CAN) was established by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) in order to recognize schools that actively involve students in civic engagement opportunities and to help collect exemplary civic engagement practices to share with schools across the state. The ultimate goal of CAN is to promote civic engagement as part of all preK-12 students’ experiences. Schools that meet the award criteria receive one of two designations – School of Excellence or School of Promising Practice.
Discovery Awards
Congratulations to Megan Allacher and Anna Brodine for their accomplishments in the Discovery Award competition through the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes! This competition focuses on discovering and telling the stories of unsung heroes throughout history.
Megan won the award for Best High School Project in the Discovery Award competition! Her website entitled, “Jackie Ormes: First Female African American Cartoon Artist” was fantastic and as a result Megan won $2,000. Furthermore, her topic, Jackie Ormes, will be featured on a panel at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes in Ft. Scott, KS.
Anna was a top ten finalist in the competition. Her documentary entitled, "Joan Ganz Cooney: The Unsung Hero Who Led Us All to Sesame Street” was incredible and as a result Anna won $200.
National History Day 2020 Digital Documentary Showcase
A documentary by Seaman Middle School students Adyson Cashman and Allie Jones has been selected for the 2020 Digital Documentary Showcase hosted by the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Documentary Title: "Either You Print It Just the Way I Draw It or I Quit"
Their documentary illustrates how Charles Schulz, with inspiration from Harriet Glickman, broke the racial barriers in comics by adding a new character named Franklin to his well-known strip the "Peanuts."
National History Day® (NHD), the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), and the Smithsonian Learning Lab announced 35 documentary films, produced by middle and high school students competing in the 2020 NHD National Contest, to be featured in an online showcase. The films were screened and selected by NMAAHC staff, and will premier Wednesday, June 17, as a special collection of the Smithsonian Learning Lab.
To be selected for the showcase, students needed to address topics and stories in their documentaries consistent with the mission of the NMAAHC. The ten-minute films also reflect the 2020 NHD theme, Breaking Barriers in History.
The documentary showcase was originally planned to be screened in the Oprah Winfrey Theater of the NMAAHC, but will now take place online because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
“This is an incredible honor for these students and their Breaking Barriers in History films to have been selected by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, a barrier-breaking institution in its own right,” said National History Day Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn. “Months and years from now, they will think back fondly on this week when their documentaries were viewed and experienced by people around the world visiting the Smithsonian Learning Lab and the documentary showcase.”
Eagle Scouts Project - Andrew Patton
Completed picnic area located outside of the SHS front entrance the Alumni Park: Class of 2020.
Retirement Recognitions
The board recognized our 2020 retirees for their years of service and dedication to the Seaman Community.
Connie Brackey
Currently Serving: Elmont Elementary
Years of Service: 11
Judy Morrow
Currently Serving: North Fairview Elementary
Years of Service: 12
Regina Stock
Currently Serving: West Indianola Elementary
Years of Service: 27
Lynne Pelton
Currently Serving: West Indianola Elementary
Years of Service: 28
Janeen Horton
Currently Serving: Elmont Elementary
Years of Service: 31
Bob Horton
Currently Serving: Retired Director of Business
Years of Service: 33
Penny Guy
Currently Serving: Seaman Middle School
Years of Service: 34
Sue Burgoon
Currently Serving: Seaman Middle School
Years of Service: 37 years
Claudia Welch
Currently Serving: Seaman High School
Years of Service: 46 years
Brad Dietz
Currently Serving: Seaman High School
Years of Service: 42
Project Lead the Way Award
All of our elementary buildings received the PLTW Distinguished School recognition for this past school year. This recognition means we are empowering students to thrive in an evolving world and achieving exemplary results from our PLTW Launch programs. Our elementary schools are five of 404 PLTW Launch programs across the country to receive recognition this year. We will be promoting this with a news release and free school banners to hang in our hallways. We’re so proud of our teachers and students for engaging in critical and creative thinking, building teamwork skills, and developing a passion for and confidence in STEM subjects as they continue through our middle and high school programs.
2019 Teachers of the Year
The board recognized the USD 345 Teachers of the Year.
Elementary Teacher of the Year - Kristin Anderson
Kristin always does what is best for students and spends countless hours planning individualized lessons to meet the needs of all of her students.
Secondary Teacher of the Year - Lisa Martinez
Through Lisa’s daily teaching practice, she enriches the experience of students in her classroom and the department.
KSPE Recognition
The Topeka Chapter of the Kansas Society of Professional Engineers (KSPE) named two USD 345 teachers as Outstanding Teachers for the 2019-20 school year. The Outstanding Teacher Award is given to a teacher who has a strong math, science, or technical area of emphasis, is imaginative in his/her teaching approach, and has an excellent rapport with his or her students.
Congratulations Ms. Kimbre Haflich on being selected as the Outstanding Teacher at the Elementary School Level!
Congratulations Mr. Don Koon on being selected as the Outstanding Teacher at the High School Level!
Seaman High School Theatre
Michael Stauffer, Seaman High School Theatre Teacher, introduced students who performed and qualified for nationals at the Kansas Thespian Festival in Wichita. The Seaman High Troupe also took home a gold. Congratulations and good luck to these students at nationals!
International Qualifiers
Mia and Eric Patterson Jr. For their Duet
Adam Brooks and Gabby Van Sickle for their Duet
Jade Essman for her Monologue
2019-20 SHS Coaches of the Year
Brad Dietz, Seaman High School Athletic Director, introduced two outstanding SHS coaches who were voted coaches of the year by their peers out of 65 coaching positions.
Assistant Coach of the Year = Dawson Elliott - Assistant Football and Assistant Wrestling
Head Coach of the Year = Steve Bushnell - Baseball
Leadership for Tomorrow Class of 2019
Keith Griffin - USD 345 Board Member
2019 KASSP Area I High School Principal of the Year
Seaman High School Principal Mike Monaghan
2019 Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes Discovery Award
Taegan Loy and Trent Powell created a documentary for the Discovery Award and won the $2,000 Outstanding High School Project award.
2019 Civic Advocacy Network Award Winner
Seaman High School
2019 FCCLA National Results
SMS - Chelcie Heitman, Sponsor
Lois Deeter, Jaxon Kramer, Ryleigh Williams: Interpersonal Communication Junior, Gold 6th in the nation
Emily Shuford, Aaliyah Gonzales, Ava Laird: Chapter in Review Display Junior, Gold 6th in the nation
Ashtyn Parcaro: Nutrition and Wellness, Silver
Regan Zielsdorf: Recycle and Redesign, Silver
SHS- Stacey Jones, Sponsor
Kaden Fox - Leadership - Gold medal, ranked 4th in the nation.
Renae Sturgeon, Hannah Mott, and Emma Schultz - Chapter Service Display - Gold medal - 3rd in the nation
Amilee Brian - Teach and Train - Gold medal - 9th in the nation
Tatum Crow and Morgan Sharp - Chapter in Review Portfolio - Silver medal
Amberly Stadler - Advocacy - Silver medal
2019 History Day State Champions
Josh Duncan – 1st Place- Individual Documentary
Trinidy Thompson, Isabel Grimes, and Eva Noble – 1st Place – Group Performance
2019 Forensics State Champions, Duo
Zach Kuti & Eric Patterson, Jr.
2019 5A State Baseball Champions
Seaman High School
2019 Sunflower Spotlight
SMS Food Service Program - Second Chance Breakfast
2019 5A Singles Tennis Champion
Pietro Perego
2019 5A Assistant Wrestling Coach of the Year
Jon Ray
2019 Kansas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (KAHPERD) Central District Honor Award
Claudia Welch
2019 5A Boys Bowling State Champions
Seaman High School
2019 USD 345 Teachers of the Year
Cassie Geis - SHS
Chad Uhler - SMS
Kristi Becker - Logan
Crystal Johnson - Elmont
Karen DiLeonardo - North Fairview
Brittany Lilly - Northern Hills
Emily McConnaughey - West Indianola
2019 200 Free Style Swim State Champion
Josh Florence
2019 Outstanding Teacher by KSPE
Rebecca Unruh
2019 Scholastic Art Gold Key Winners
Mallory Leifried
Meredith Lewis (4 gold keys)
Shennen Pineda-Ortega
Benjamin Pisocki
2019 State Champion Competitive Improv Team
Mason Clark
Zach Kuti
Chris Richardson
Andrew Brewer
Tristan Hahn
2019 Kansas Horizon Award Winner
Garret Platt
Kansas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (KAHPERD) Administrator Award
Lee Schmidt
USD 345 2017-18 Coaches of the Year
Head Coach of the Year = Steve Bushnell - Baseball
Assistant Coach of the Year = Bernie Tuck - B. and G. Swim
2018 Kansas Secondary Art Educator of the Year
Brad LeDuc
2018 Commended Student
Cole King
2018 Kansas State Department of Education Civic Engagement Team - Promising Practices Award
Seaman High School
2018 Naval Historical Foundation Teacher of Distinction
Susan Sittenauer
2018 5A State Baseball Champions
Seaman High School
2018 FBLA-State Champions
Broadcast Journalism team of Josh Duncan, Riley Polter and Sophia Sparks
Public Service Announcement team of Jaiden Anderson, Treven Broxterman and Joe Crome
MACE Make IT Happen Winner
Brooke Ralph
5A-1A Boys State Swim & Dive Champs
Seaman High School
2018 Horizon Award Winner
Lindy Broeckelman
Awards prior to 2018 are not published on this page.