453 Fireside
Episode 11: Liz Anstine - Kansas Teacher of the Year
Episode 10: Child Nutrition (Chartwells)
Episode 9: Principal Profile - Mr. Scott Kessler, Richard Warren Educational Campus
by 453 Studios
Dr. Adams and Jake visit with Liz Anstine, Leavenworth High School business teacher and 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year about her professional recognition, and challenges and opportunities related to Career and Technical Education.
Dr. Adams and Jake visit with Johny Patwary & Meredith Fallert of Chartwell's, the contracted food service provider for Leavenworth USD 453. They discuss serving nearly 1,000 breakfasts each school day, and nearly 2,200 lunches, in addition to the USDA rules and regulations required for preparation, service, and distribution.
Mr. Kessler visits with Dr. Adams and Jake about the unique opportunities and challenges of serving a campus with approximately 900 students in grades 5th through 8th.
Dr. Adams reflects on key themes and highlights from the first quarter of the 24-25 school year.
Leavenworth County Attorney, Todd Thompson, joins Dr. Adams and Jake for a discussion surrounding legal implications of school threats, cyber crimes, vaping, and chronic absenteeism.
Dr. Adams and Jake visit with Safe and Civil Schools' Jacob Edwards. Mr. Edwards, a former classroom teacher and building principal, is supporting the district's implementation efforts to effectively address student behavior and classroom management to improve academic outcomes.
Jake visits with three seasoned educators that share a lifelong passion for learning and literacy. Julie Roth, Krystal Taylor, and Leilani Goodridge share their experiences and perspectives specific to teaching students how to read.
Jake visits with three high school seniors (Ruthie Longfellow, Juliet Kile-Wilson, and Alyssa Stenerson) for a wide-ranging conversation covering academics, time management, support systems, school pride, and post-secondary plans, etc.
The funding of public schools can be an incredibly complex topic to fully understand, as local, state, and federal guidelines and requirements are ever-changing. Dr. Adams and Jake visit with Leavenworth USD 453 Chief Financial Officer, Beth Mattox, about the district's annual budget development, identification of needs, and board review/approval process.
Nationwide, schools are increasingly concerned about escalating student behaviors that disrupt the learning environment. Dr. Adams and Jake are joined by Anthony Elementary principal, Kristy Tsen, and Assistant Director of Special Education, Dr. Rebekah Varvel, to discuss implementation of Safe & Civil Schools resources in Leavenworth USD 453 for the 24-25 school year.