Here’s how Pawnee Elementary School students are inspired by poetry

After 32 years in education, Wayne Burke will retire as the Spring Hill School District superintendent at the end of the current school year.

Burke will have worked in Spring Hill for 22 years and served seven years in the district’s top administrative job, where he oversaw a rapidly growing district that serves not only Spring Hill, but also southern Olathe and a bit of Overland Park.

Under his leadership, the district has opened two new elementary schools, one middle school and a new Educational Support Center & District Administrative Center. Another middle school is under construction. In 2016, voters passed the district’s largest bond issue ever, at $82.4 million, and approved a $72 million bond issue two years later.

Spring Hill operates the largest virtual school in Kansas, and Burke was a finalist for Kansas Superintendent of the Year in 2021-22.

In a news release, Board of Education President Doug Updike commended Burke for building strong teams that have dealt with growth, raised student achievement and strengthened community partnerships.

“Great teams do not just happen, but rather are created from a clear leadership vision,” Updike said. “Dr. Burke has encouraged innovative thinking and motivated people to passionately pursue excellence.”

Burke joined the Spring Hill district in the fall of 1997 as assistant principal and activities director at Spring Hill High School. Four years later he took over as principal. He left the district in 2006 for a central-office job in Derby, Kansas, and returned in 2009 as assistant superintendent. He was named superintendent-elect in 2014.

The district will work with the Kansas Association of School Boards on the search for Burke’s replacement.

All are poets at Pawnee school ‘cafe’

Poetry slams and open-mic nights have become part of today’s mainstream culture. So why wouldn’t teacher Zoe Walsh tap into the phenomenon to motivate her sixth-graders at Pawnee Elementary School?

After completing a two-week poetry unit, students at the Shawnee Mission school explored the limitlessness of poetry, from haiku to free verse. They composed their own poems, and chose one to be read during their own open-mic event.

Walsh’s classroom then became a cafe featuring a stage, microphone, tablecloths, centerpieces and student baristas serving drinks and snacks — paid for with points that students had earned previously.

“Once we talked about how limitless poetry was, I noticed a big buy-in from students,” Walsh said in a news release. “I wanted to empower them to write poetry with their own tone and style.”

Many students wrote about their emotions and difficulties. Humorous struggles with siblings also found their way into verse. Each was “different in its own way,” student Aaliyah Collins said.

“When we started the poetry unit, a lot of us were bad and didn’t know how to write poetry,” Aaliyah said. “In the end, everyone ended up being a poet, which is pretty cool.”

Artists sought for 3 park projects

After selecting its first piece of public art for Meadowbrook Park in Prairie Village, the Johnson County park system is moving on more art initiatives for the public to enjoy in 2022.

To that end, the Johnson County Park and Recreation District has asked artists to submit proposals for three projects:

▪ A three-week artist in residency based at Shawnee Mission Park, where the artist will work with the park district staff to highlight the county’s effort to restore prairies, woodlands and other habitats that have been disturbed by invasive species or by agriculture and other land uses. Submission are due by Feb. 3.

▪ A mural on the highly visible south facade of Okun Fieldhouse at the Mid-America West Sports Complex in Shawnee. It will tell Johnson County’s “water stories” in light of nearby Mill Creek and its streamway trail. Submissions are due by Jan. 25.

▪ A temporary art installation at the entrance for Theatre in the Park, which is part of Shawnee Mission Park in the Shawnee/Lenexa area. The deadline is Jan. 27.

The residency program is for Kansas City area artists only, but the others are open to artists within 500 miles of Kansas City. Details are available at jcprd.com/1308/Public-Art-Program.

Statewide honor for Olathe teacher

Nicole Loerger, facilitator and teacher in the Animal Health program at Olathe North High School, has received the 2021 Janet Sims Memorial Teacher of the Year Award.

Given by the Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, the award recognizes teachers who instill a passion for learning about agriculture and who have successfully integrated agricultural education into the existing curriculum.

Merriam seeks artists for its biggest show

Merriam is seeking entries for the 26th annual Heartland Artist Exhibition, a national juried show that takes place in March. The deadline is Jan. 12.

The exhibition, the largest sponsored by Merriam, is open to artists 18 and older. Original works in oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, charcoal, pencil, photography or a mixture of those media are acceptable.

Artists may submit up to three digital images of their work. Find details by searching for “Heartland artist registration” at merriam.org.

This story was originally published December 30, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Here’s how Pawnee Elementary School students are inspired by poetry."