See Me After Class 453

Carson and Joseph drop in for a podcast while home for Winter Break. They reflect on their first semester college experiences and future plans.

Faith and Jake visit with Leavenworth High School's JROTC Ultimate Raiders (and national champions) Konya Halle and Joseph Purvis.

Faith & Jake visit with Leavenworth High School's Mr. Tom Resovich about his 8-year teaching and coaching history with the district, and his philosophy on transparency and positive relationship building with students.

Jake and Faith visit with Chance Dobson, Naomi Avery, and Kelli Boyd representing Leavenworth High School's distinguished POC step team. They take you behind the scenes from auditions to making the routines and performing at a high level throughout the school year.

Faith and Jake visit with senior class president, Dalton White, about Homecoming, goals for the year, and his unique experience serving as Governor of Kansas Boys State.

Carson Fowler (Class of 2019) signs-off for one last podcast, and passes the torch to Faith Lopez (Class of 2020). Carson discusses his upcoming move to the Ivy League for his first year of college, and Faith shares her plans for high school senior year, and some updates from throughout the Leavenworth Unified School District as the 2019-20 school year gets under way.

Jake, Carson and Joseph reconnect and overview second semester, discuss summer bucket lists and plans following high school graduation.

Jake, Joseph, and Carson visit with two international students (Kim and Megan), about the planning of this year's DECA International Festival (Saturday, February 2), and their thoughts on attending high school in the United States and how it compares to their lives in Germany.

Alise Boal returns from her first semester away at college to discuss her level of preparedness for success after high school, and what she most looks forward to when coming back to Leavenworth from the East Coast.

Jake, Joseph, and Carson discuss preparation for Finals Week, and then visit with the district's Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning, Ryan Bodensteiner.

Carson, Joseph, and Jake preview the start of the Winter Sports season, then visit with one of Leavenworth High School's most highly involved, and socially aware, student leaders - Faith Lopez.

Carson, Joseph, and Jake catch up on the summary of Newsies, debate, Fall Sports, etc.

Carson and Jake visit with the lead of the fall musical (Newsies), LHS senior Jack Schilling. Jack talks about making his theatrical debut this November, swim season, and his reflections on his senior year.

Carson, Joseph, and Jake discuss 2018 Homecoming Week; the Education Foundation's Pride Patrol; and miscellaneous fall updates.

Joseph, Carson, and Jake discuss the hot start to the Pioneer Boys Soccer season with seniors Nate Moore and Nick Hawley.

Jake asks Carson and Joseph if they completed their summer homework before the start of the school year (0:00 - 7:40) and they are then joined by Leavenworth High School sophomores Sadie Dipman and Abby Martin, and freshman Brooke Collins, to discuss their summer playing international Futsal, and preparing for the Girls Soccer season (7:40 - 30:12).

Jake, Carson, and Joseph discuss the 'extreme sport' of summer homework procrastination, and the last few days of relaxation before the start of school. They are then joined by LHS senior (9:00), Gracie Mefford, to talk about goals for their upcoming senior year and their remaining to-do's for the college application and selection process. They also talk about New Student Orientation and the mentoring program at Leavenworth High School.

Kato Fischer shares his thoughts on his upcoming senior year, his goals for athletics, activities, and academics, and how one lesson steered his chosen path for post-secondary success.

Jake catches up with Carson and Joseph on their Summer "Breaks," including Debate Nationals, leadership conferences, and setting goals and expectations for senior year and beyond.

Carson and Jake discuss the meaning of "YERD," graduation event planning, and the stress of finals (0:00 - 6:15); and are then joined by Leavenworth High School math teacher/coach and Class 0f 2010 graduate, Brenden Olesen. Mr. Olesen gets deep on his philosophy on teaching today's students, with the acceptance that today's learners are constantly evolving --- and thus too must our educational spaces to meet their demands. Mr. Olesen also previews the "Pete's Seats" flexible seating model that his classrooms will pilot next year. (6:15 - 46:50).

Carson, Jake, and Joseph talk college visits, and upcoming community meetings related to the proposed bond issue (0:00 - 6:50); and then are joined by Lena Kellogg and Alise Boal for a summary of the DECA International Career Development Conference, and their thoughts as they near the end of their high school careers. (6:50 - 38:00).

Jake visits with Nathan Butler (Leavenworth High School, Class of 2013; Stanford University, Class of 2018) on the horizon of graduating from Stanford as an accomplished scholar athlete, and preparing to enter the job market. Nathan shares highlights from his collegiate wrestling career, and how he has kept himself motivated and positioned for success by personal goal-setting, dedication and perseverance.

Carson provides Jake with a brief overview and highlights from a hectic ACT/Prom weekend (0:00 - 6:30); and then they are both joined by Earl Lawson Elementary's Stefanie Bourne, principal, and Kelsey Stimatze, kindergarten teacher, to discuss a variety of topics including life at Lawson elementary, Kindergarten readiness, and Kindergarten Round-Up (6:30 - 41:00).

Joseph and Carson shed light on the art and timing of the Prom "Ask," and planning/hosting/take-down duties as Juniors (0:00 - 9:40); and are then joined by one of the most engaging, involved, and opinionated seniors at Leavenworth High School, Carson Lucas. Lucas provides insights on his college selection and military service academy application process (United States Merchant Marine Academy), passion for physical fitness, thoughts on benefits of playing high school sports, and gratitude and appreciation for the entire Lucas family (9:40 - 42:00).

Joseph, Jake, and Carson discuss DECA International qualifiers (0:00 - 5:30); yearbook deadlines (5:30 - 8:45); school safety (8:45 - 15:20); school finance and school redesign (15:20 - 33:00); and consideration of a $36.7M bond issue to address building capacity issues and kindergarten readiness (33:00 - 45:00).

Carson and Jake summarize the Winter Sports Season, State PowerLifting Meet and LHS Theatre Department's $10K R.I.S.E grant (0:00 - 8:00); and then visit with LHS '91 alum, Tisha Swart-Entwistle, about her military career, and passion for film - which has led to the planning of Leavenworth's First City Film Festival March 22-25, 2018.

Carson and Jake visit with Leavenworth students (Jacob Karrasch, Colin Reim, and Elan McCabe) about their thoughts and experiences related to school safety and reactions to the latest school shootings and national discussion of proposed solutions.

Joseph and Jake discuss LHS Theatre Dept. making top 5 in the national Playbill/Disney's Seize the Day competition to win musical production rights to Newsies (000 - 5:30); and are then joined by the Leavenworth-Lansing Junior Citizen of the Year, Tanner Hendrix. Tanner reflects on his high school cross country career, logging 2,000 running miles per year, his personal connection with Olympian Amy Hastings-Cragg, college recruiting experience, a preview of his last high school track season, and what it means to be a Leavenworth Pioneer.

Carson and Jake visit with Calvert Education's Chandra Boyd, about the state-accredited Leavenworth Virtual School program, and the various elements of facilitation and support for personalized home-based education.

Joseph and Jake discuss the role of the guidance counselor and the important role they play for students, and Leavenworth High School's international diversity (0:00 - 5:20); then are joined by Lisa Shepard to talk more about the relationship of a high school counselor to a school community, and her role as co-sponsor of Interact Club, and assignment to LHS' international students (5:20 - 23:30); finally German (via Berlin) exchange student, Karl Steinke, and the Brothers Barea (Javier and Santiago) from Spain, share their experiences as international students attending a U.S. high school in Kansas (23:30 - 52:15).

Carson and Jake discuss the factors in the decision making of a school cancellation due to winter weather (0:00 - 5:45) and are then joined by Dr. Kelly Gillespie, CEO of Southwest Plains Regional Service Center, about her 30-year career in education and support of professional learning for school districts, and specifically working with Leavenworth's leadership team on school redesign and Kansas Education Systems Accreditation compliance efforts (5:45 - 39:00).

Joseph and Jake catch-up after Winter Break and preview the start of 2nd semester and the 2018 Kansas Legislative session (0:00 - 5:50); and are then joined by Leavenworth High School senior, Alise Boal, to talk about the many ways in which she is a highly involved and spirited Pioneer, and preparing for next steps after graduation in May - Class President; DECA; Cheer; Yearbook; NHS; and more! (5:50 - 36:00).

Carson and Jake discuss holiday traditions and favorite Christmas movies leading in to Winter Break (0:00 - 5:00) and are then joined by two 6th grade teachers from Richard Warren Middle School, Emily Reed & Michaela Heath, to discuss teaching, learning, and life at the middle school level (5:00 - 31:00).

Jake, Joseph, and Carson discuss Finals Week and activities updates (0:00 - 7:40), and are then joined by recent Leavenworth High School graduates, Brandon Baker and Jake Schatzel, to hear about their numerous road trips taken in Brandon's Honda Civic to hit 48 states within the last three years (7:40 - 38:00).

Jake, Joseph, and Carson discuss first semester finals on the horizon, and state qualifications for boys swimming and debate (0:00 - 6:30), then are joined by Pioneer Boys Basketball varsity players, Devin Johnston and Reece Williams, to discuss the upcoming season and annual Citizens National Bank Tournament (6:30 - 26:00).

Jake, Joseph, and Carson discuss Thanksgiving break and the distinction between stuffing and dressing; reviews of Tarzan - the fall musical; and the behind the scenes challenge of swim team meet suit fittings (0:00 - 12:15); then Jake and Joseph discuss education facilities design and the process used to determine if a school community has a shared vision and interest in pursuing a bond initiative for facilities enhancements with the DLR Group's Amber Beverlin (12:15 - 39:25).

Jake and Joseph visit with Leavenworth High School JROTC advisors 1SG (Ret.) Wayne Cogdill and Mary Schwartz about the Raiders program (4:00 - 31:00), and are then joined by three senior cadets: Evans, Pelmore, and Brewster, who share their experience with the program and recent success at JROTC Nationals (31:00 - 56:00).

Carson talks with Jake and Joseph about the unexpected dangers of high school swimming and gearing up for the Winter Sports season (0:00 - 8:00); high school librarian, Laurie Hunt, shares her philosophy on the library serving as the hub of a school, in addition to her sponsorship of Book Club and Chess club (8:00 - 31:00); high school senior, Nick English, discusses his decision to graduate at semester, his experience with Chess club and willingness to try a number of new things throughout his high school career (31:00 - 45:00).

Jake & Carson talk ACT prep, Model UN, and countdown to the start of winter sports practice (0:00 - 6:00); and then visit with Lena Kellogg about her summer internship and Girls State experience (6:00 - 11:45), girls golf (11:45 - 18:35), DECA (18:35 - 31:30), and her post-secondary thoughts and ideas on KSDE School Redesign (31:30 - 42:00).

With no guests in studio, Jake, Carson, and Joseph cover a LOT of ground, including Fall Sports and activities updates with post-season schedules for Boys Soccer, Girls Volleyball, Boys Football, Boys and Girls Cross-Country, and JROTC (0:00 – 5:30); the growth of the Pioneer Debate team (5:30 – 10:00); the 49th Annual Mayor’s United Nations Dinner in KCMO and thoughts on the trend of teenagers filing for election to become the Governor of Kansas (10:00 – 20:00); the Chamber’s upcoming Education Funding and Taxes 101 – State of the Community Series on Thursday, October 26 (20:00 – 24:00); and whether or not Carson should include his new role as ‘Dungeon Master’ within the leadership experience section on his resume and/or college applications (24:00 – 29:00).

Jake, Joseph, and Carson provide a semi-accurate and premature summary of the fall sports season (0:00 - 7:00); visit with the lead of the fall musical, Tarzan, Gabe Flores (7:00 - 27:30); and the Director of Theatre & Debate, Mrs. Jennifer Morgan Beuchat about the path that led her to Leavenworth High School, her future plans for the district's theatre and debate program, and the source for her amazing positive outlook on life (27:30 - 1:01:00).

Carson and Joseph reflect on last week's Homecoming festivities, and then share their thoughts with Jake on the end of first quarter and an upcoming PSAT exam (0:00 - 6:45); and then visit with David Brewer Elementary principal, Craig Idacavage, on a wide ranging set of topics from KSDE Gemini School Redesign, district accreditation process, CrossFit, and Star Wars (6:45 - 31:45).

Jake provides a school finance update specific to the recent ruling from the Kansas Supreme Court, and discusses potential outcomes with Carson and Joseph (0:00 - 13:00); Jake, Carson, and Joseph visit with Officer Johnny Sweet of the Leavenworth Police Department about his career in law enforcement and his role as a School Resource Officer (13:00 - 32:00); and Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson, 1994 LHS alum, shares his long-standing family ties to the community, and philosophy on service to justice (32:00 - 1:00:00).

Jake & Carson visit with the Director of the Education Foundation, Catey Edwards, about the mission of the Leavenworth Public Schools Education Foundation and their kick-off of their annual fundraising campaign (8:00 - 46:00); and Holly Shehorn Pittman from the LHS graduating class of 1991 about her role on both the Foundation and the Leavenworth High School Alumni Association (46:00 - 57:00).

Jake, Joseph, and Carson discuss the growing trend of creative and "extra guac" Homecoming/Prom-posals (0:00 - 7:15); then discuss the benefits and career preparedness opportunities within the LHS Automotive Technology program with 2013 graduate, Kenneth Sculley (7:15 - 27:00); and LHS Automotive Tech. Instructor, Chris Bergen (27:00 - 52:00).

Jake and Carson are joined by Chayne Dessaso, filling in for Joseph, and he shares an opportunity for USD 453 to donate to a Hurricane Harvey relief effort (0:00 - 9:30); followed by a lengthy interview with Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Mike Roth, covering a number of issues including strategic planning, KSDE school redesign, school funding, and consideration of a potential bond issue (9:30 - 54:00).

Jake asks Carson and Joseph about their thoughts and experiences with ACT/SAT college entrance exams (0:00 - 7:00); they visit with USD 453 Secondary Teacher of the Year AND KSDE Region 2 Teacher of the Year Semifinalist, Justin Bode (7:00 - 22:00); and ask LHS senior and Student Council representative, Abigail Waugh (22:00 - 37:30), about her activities, including planning of a revamped HomeComing Week. Finally, Joseph concludes the interview by putting Abby on the proverbial hot seat and asking her for her Senior Quote.

Chayne Dessaso, LHS junior, talks with Carson, Joseph, and Jake about high school debate, model United Nations, and his appreciation for the Miss Kansas beauty pageant (9:40-27:20); and then Marcia Irvine from Kansas City Kansas Community College's Pioneer Career Center provides an update and future plans for the local educational venue open to both high school juniors/seniors and adult learners (27:20-42:15).

Jake asks Joseph and Carson for their thoughts on KSDE's School Redesign initiative and the changes they would like to see considered in public schools (0:00 - 7:00); Elan McCabe (Class of '18) discusses his engineering internship, plans for college, and passion for frozen vending machines (7:00 - 30:00); Ruth Striggow-Foster, LHS technical instructor, shares the ways in which her classroom prepares students for college and career readiness (30:00 - 53:30).

Carson, Joseph, and Jake catch up with Maci Necole Johnson (Class of 2015) about her third place runner-up in the Miss Kansas pageant, her "Poverty to Prosperity" story, and her recent acceptance to the New York Film Academy's broadcast journalism program (2:35 - 22:30); and Brandon Johannes (Class of 1997) about his non-traditional route to college, his current responsibilities as President/CEO of the Leavenworth Lansing Chamber of Commerce, and preparing for his 20 Year Class Reunion (22:30 - 58:50).

Joseph, Carson, and Jake discuss the first two days of school, preparations for the upcoming solar eclipse (2:40 - 7:20); and visit with representatives of Leavenworth High School's JROTC program - Senior Army Instructor, LTC (Ret.) Eric Hollister (7:20 - 34:11) and Battalion Commander, Morgan Savage (34:11 - 51:00).