District Staff, Students Receive Honors

Students Recognized at State German Competition 
German language students from Olathe East High School and Olathe North High School recently attended the State German Contest, held at the University of Kansas. Students competed in a variety of events including poetry and prose recitation, culture and various other competitions. 
Kathleen Chia and Myles Benefield, from Olathe East, won first place for their poster entry. The following Olathe East students won medals for their poetry and/or prose performances: Megan Li, Hali Liu, Myles Benefield, Kathleen Chia, Alli Stanton, Alethea Miller, Skyler Hutton and Ciara Person.  
Taylor Martin, Olathe East, received first place for Breakout Room Level 1 while Calista Stegner, Olathe North, placed second.  
 
Olathe West Earns State Honors 
Olathe West High School and the Green Tech Academy were recognized by the Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education (KACEE) and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and named Kansas Green School of the Year.  
This award is presented to a school that demonstrates achievement in both environmental stewardship and environmental education. In order to be considered, a school must first earn a nomination explaining why they deserve to win the award and what characteristics they exhibit making them worth the consideration. A panel of judges from KACEE and KDHE then selects a winning school from the pool of nominated schools. 
 
“We are thrilled that Olathe West High School and the Green Tech Academy have been selected to receive the Kansas Green School of Year Award for Excellence in Conservation and Environmental Education,” Cody Janousek, Green Tech Academy facilitator said. “This award is due to the hard work and passion for conservation from students and staff in our building.” 
The Green Tech Academy and Olathe West will be recognized at an awards celebration April 3 in Manhattan, Kansas.  
 
Olathe Wrestlers Earn State Titles 
Olathe North High School wrestler Keegan Slyter earned the Kansas 6A state title in the 126-pound weight class. Slyter is now a three-time champion winning in three consecutive years. 
Olathe South High School wrestler Gavin Brown earned the Kansas 6A state title in the 160-pound weight class.