HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Almost 1,000 staff members from USD 308 celebrated the new school year by gathering at the Hutchinson Sports Arena for their annual Convocation event.
Hutchinson Public Schools 150th anniversary was the first in-person convocation event in two years. During the event, staff heard welcome messages from USD 308 Board of Education President Greg Meredith and Hutchinson Police Chief Jeff Hooper.
The anticipated announcement of several awards were also given during the Convocation ceremony. Brian McCandless, teacher at Hutchinson High School, was named USD 308 Teacher of the Year. Avery Reveles, interpreter at Wiley Elementary, was named Classified Employee of the Year. Five staff members were also named Davis Teachers of the Year, and were presented cash prizes of $4,000 by Allen Fee and the Davis Foundation. Elementary winners were Carly Torres at Wiley, and Candy Lawrence at Graber. Zach Burkhart, formerly at HMS-7, won in the Middle School category, and Tina Johnson and Daryl Koestel won in the High School category.
Incoming USD 308 superintendent, Dr. Dawn M. Johnson, closed the event with a message encouraging staff members to move forward into next school year with a collaborative spirit, and reminded them that all staff members, regardless of role, play a part in the education of students.
“You are more important than ever. What you do matters. These young people are our greatest hope and you will make a difference,” Johnson said. “We’ll dive into our data, and we’ll assess on the way. Most importantly, we will meet children where they are, and we will take them places they never expected they could go.”.
At the conclusion of the event, staff members had the opportunity to engage with over 20 area businesses and organizations for the first Convocation Resource Fair. The Resource Fair was held in the west foyer of the Hutchinson Sports Arena, where staff received information, prizes, and tools from participating organizations.
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