Board Highlights

Yesterday evening, we were proud to honor four remarkable staff members who will retire from Piper School District after a combined 54 years of dedicated service. Each has made a lasting impact on our students, schools, and community.

• Sue Brungardt, social studies teacher at Piper Middle School for 19 years, is celebrated for her gift of storytelling and the life lessons she instilled in students about civic engagement and responsibility.

• Steve King spent 6 years with the district, first as an elementary teacher, then as a high school business teacher known for energizing student marketing initiatives and his signature “golden voice” at school events.

• Mary Jo Smith served 20 years in food service, finishing her career at Piper Creek Elementary. Her kindness, dedication, and heart for others have left a lasting impression on staff and students alike.

• Tammy Silva served 9 years as a Compass special education teacher across multiple buildings. Known for her patience and creativity, Tammy has been a champion for student growth and engagement.

  
  

We thank each of these individuals for their incredible service and wish them all the best in retirement!

Under the leadership of advisor Riley O’Brien, the Piper Middle School FCCLA chapter attended the State Leadership Conference in Wichita from April 6–8. Students competed in Students Taking Action with Recognition (STAR) events, and we’re thrilled to share that eight students earned gold and qualified for nationals in Orlando this July!

• Ellen Geist (7th) – Silver, Fashion Construction (paisley dress)

• McKinley Baker & Lily Tanner (8th) – Gold, Focus on Children (road safety lesson for 3rd graders)

• Charli Berg & Gracie Healy – Gold, Interior Design (Barbie-themed Airbnb backyard)

• Makinley Lofton & Teghan June – Gold, Professional Presentation (A Bag at a Time litter clean-up project)

• Alison Catron – Gold, Sports Nutrition (nutrition plan for student athlete)

• Thomas McKee – Gold, Career Investigation (financial advisor research)

Students also participated in non-competitive Leadership Education Opportunities (LEOs), earning top marks for their educational boards. Congratulations to Tristian Hoffman, Charli Berg, Nolan Smith, Makinley Lofton, Laney Jennings, Gracie Healy, Teghan June, and Palpasha Chherrti, who all received red ribbons!

We’re proud of these outstanding students and wish our national qualifiers the best of luck in Orlando!

This year, Piper Middle School proudly launched its first-ever HOSA (Future Health Professionals) chapter under the guidance of advisors Tesa Davis and Leslie Higginbotham.

On March 26–27, the team traveled to Kansas State University to compete in the HOSA State Leadership Conference, showcasing their skills in critical thinking, communication, and health science knowledge.

Congratulations to the following students on their outstanding achievements:

• Emily Vazquez – Bronze, Medical Math

• Logan Phillips – Gold, Medical Terminology

• Stella Xiong, Sloan Todd, Brooklyn McColley, Elizabeth Buckner, Sophia Xiong – Gold, Dynamic Decisions

• Adelina Wagner – Silver, Life-Threatening Situations

  
  

These students will represent Piper at the HOSA International Conference in Nashville, June 18–22. We are proud of this passionate team and look forward to more real-world learning through HOSA next year!

We are incredibly proud to announce that Nathaniel Leduc and Jett Shauers have been recognized as Kansas Governor’s Scholars, an honor awarded to the top academic one percent of high school seniors across the state.

This prestigious recognition is coordinated by the Confidence in Kansas Public Education Task Force and supported by private sector contributions. Nathaniel and Jett were celebrated alongside their principal, Dr. Justin Bogart, for their outstanding academic achievements. Congratulations to both students on this remarkable accomplishment!

Jessica, thank you for dreaming big, taking action, and showing us all what it means to #BelievetheHype. We’re better because of your vision—and so are our kids.

PHS Choirs competed at the 5A State Music Festival—our first year participating at the 5A level with KSHSAA—and the results were nothing short of extraordinary!

All PHS Choir events received Superior “1” Ratings!

Each of our three ensembles—Music-n-Motion, Musica Dolce, and Musica con Brio—earned perfect scores of 80/80! Judges praised the choirs for their vocal energy, precise diction, sensitive dynamics, and moving storytelling. One judge remarked, “Thank you for telling the story with your whole being.”

In addition to our ensemble success, we’re thrilled to celebrate our outstanding soloists:

• Emilio Holden earned a remarkable 79/80 on their solo performance.

• Trin Bales and Calei McConnell each received a Superior “1” Rating as well.

This kind of sweep—with all ensembles earning perfect scores—is exceptionally rare and a true testament to the talent, dedication, and heart our students bring to every rehearsal and performance.

This past Fall, the PHS Theatre Department performed the musical “Sister Act,” of which received a total of 5 Blue Star Award nominations, setting a new school record. The production was nominated for Outstanding Costume Design, Ensemble, Hair & Makeup Design, Lighting Design, and Technical Crew for Lighting. Modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards, the Blue Star Awards honor excellence in high school musical theatre across the Kansas City area. Piper is proud to be one of the 66 schools participating in the program this year. Winners will be announced at the Blue Star Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 15th, at Starlight Theatre. Congratulations to our incredible cast, crew, and staff on this outstanding achievement!

We’ve had an extraordinary year, and our musicians have much to be proud of. The Band keeps very busy with halftime performances, Pep Band, and other concerts. Also, many of our band members earned spots in the District Honor Band—a testament to their skill and dedication.

In April, our soloists and percussion ensemble showcased their talents at Regionals at Mill Valley High School, earning excellent and outstanding ratings. We’re especially thrilled to recognize two of our musicians, Olivia Zimmermann and Linnea Blankenship, who advanced to State and received “outstanding” ratings for their performances.

To all our band members, thank you for your hard work, passion, and commitment. You’ve made this year truly memorable, and we’re so proud of everything you’ve achieved. Congratulations on an incredible season!

The Piper Pearls Dance Team traveled to Denton, TX in late March to compete at the ADTS Dance Nationals—and what an unforgettable weekend it was! Their hard work, passion, and teamwork truly shined through every moment. After countless hours of preparation, they brought unmatched energy to the floor and represented Piper with pride and excellence. Their efforts paid off in the best way: they were crowned National Champions in both XS Team Jazz and XS Team Pep Rally. They also earned 1st Runner Up in XS Team Hip Hop, Officer Lyrical, and XS Team Overall. Additionally, the team received 1st Runner Up for Academics, boasting an impressive combined GPA of 3.9. This year the team was led by Officers: Riley Haworth, Allison Buckner, Callie Markham and Maddie Richardson. We can’t wait for next season!

We are proud to celebrate Keith Slaughter, Malia Martin, and Jovahni Perez, who have each been named recipients of the prestigious Kevin Vanderbush All-American Award by the National High School Strength Coaches Association.

This national honor recognizes student-athletes who demonstrate exceptional performance in strength, speed, and agility, as well as outstanding character, leadership, and dedication to their teams and school community.

Keith and Malia were joined in celebration by their strength coaches, Kevin Coker, and wrestling coach Jimmy Thompson, who supported their nominations. Although Jovahni could not attend due to a baseball commitment, he was recognized for his achievement with a nomination from the strength staff and Head Baseball Coach Randy Robertson.

These three seniors have left a lasting impact on Piper High School, setting the standard for excellence on and off the field. Congratulations, Keith, Malia, and Jovahni!

A few weeks ago, our Varsity Mock Trial Team competed at the Kansas Bar Association's State Tournament at the Sedgwick County Courthouse in Topeka. Only 8 teams in the State of Kansas are invited, and Piper, along with Blue Valley North, were the only public schools that qualified to attend. During the competition, students were evaluated by attorneys and judges on their legal argumentation, courtroom procedure, and presentation. Piper competed in 4 rounds against teams from all across the state, arguing the Prosecution and Defense sides of an arson case, culminating in a 4th place finish.

Sophomore Lin Pe played both the expert fire marshal for the Prosecution and the Defendant accused of arson. Both roles involved complex technical information, and Lin’s performances were key in building a compelling narrative.

Sophomore Min Radolia portrayed the victim for the Prosecution and served as a Defense attorney. Min’s confident and precise cross-examinations earned multiple perfect and near-perfect scores.

Sophomore Jaslyn Wiseman was a Prosecution attorney and the closing attorney for the Defense. Her polished performances stood out to judges, and her closing argument outscored the opposing team on every ballot but one—where she tied with a perfect 10.

Junior Hadley Heim played two character witnesses: a neighbor for the Prosecution and an alibi witness for the Defense. New to character roles, Hadley proved to be a natural—believable and reliable, yet tough to cross-examine.

Junior Sofia Cushenbery-Andrews was a Prosecution opening attorney and a Defense engineering expert. Her Defense testimony was especially praised, with one judge calling her the best expert witness of the tournament.

Senior and team captain Nate Leduc served as a closing attorney for the Prosecution and an opening attorney for the Defense. A three-year member of the Piper Mock Trial team, Nate has consistently earned high scores, and his strong performance at State this year was no exception. His leadership, versatility, and dedication have left a lasting impact on the team. While he hasn’t yet decided if he will pursue a career in law, he would not doubt excel at it if he did.

The Kansas CTE Scholar program is an opportunity to recognize well-rounded, outstanding Career and Technical Education students who are finishing their senior year of high school. Students not only need a 3.0 GPA or above in CTE courses, but they must also achieve an Industry Recognized Credential and have participated in Civic Engagement throughout their high school experience. CTE Scholars must also have participated in a work-based learning experience while in high school, which could include an internship, client-connected project, or entrepreneurial experience. This year, Noah Collins was selected as a CTE Scholar for his excellence in the Construction and Design Pathway within the Design, Production and Aviation Academy

In the Spring of 2024, we officially launched the NextGen Piper Educators program within the Teaching and Training sector of our Academy of Public Services. This initiative was created to address the growing teacher shortage, promote the education profession to our students, and build a diverse, local pipeline of future educators right here in our community.

Last night, we were proud to recognize Rylee Hafner as Piper’s 2025 NextGen Educator. Rylee has completed all required academy coursework, maintained strong academic and behavioral standing, and has committed to pursuing a degree in education at the post-secondary level.

As part of this recognition, Rylee will be guaranteed an interview for future teaching positions in Piper once she completes her degree and obtains licensure. This is a big step toward creating opportunities for our students and ensuring we continue to invest in our future workforce.

Congratulations Rylee!

The PHS Forensics Team traveled to Great Bend on Saturday, May 3rd to participate in the State Forensics Championship Tournament.

Josiah Ford competed all of the way through the final round in poetry interpretation. Josiah performed a narrative poem called “The Last Four Days” that required an intense amount of maturity and depth. As a Freshman, Josiah placed 4th in the state.

Pixel Marcus competed through the semifinal round in poetry interpretation. Pixel performed a piece called “Hi Ren” that deals with the duality of mental illness and the strength it takes to fight your inner demons. They placed 8th in the state.

Kit Lichlyter also competed in poetry interpretation. Kit performed a compilation of poems dealing with identity. These pieces required them to step outside of their comfort zone and advocate for their community. They had several strong rounds, which placed them 14th in the state.

Alyssa Minich competed in program of oral interpretation. She performed a compilation of literature that she cut together herself dealing with pretty privilege and the ways that women are stereotyped based on their appearance.

We are incredibly proud of all of the students on our team this year, as we experienced significant growth week over week. The Forensics Team is Coached by Tori Deneault. Congratulations on such a successful season!

It is my pleasure to recognize this month’s Classified Hype Squad winner, Officer Jeff Miskec (Mis-Kee), Security Officer at Piper Creek Elementary School.

A colleague said, “Officer Jeff does it all. Not only is he great with the kids, he has no problem jumping in and helping wherever needed. Substitute secretary? Check. He'll answer phones, open doors, talk to parents...the works. Substitute custodian? Check. Jeff will clean up vomit, clean up the dirty unknowns in the bathrooms, and vacuum. Substitute maintenance? Check. He will climb on the roof for lost recess balls and shoes, hang pictures, fix squeaky doors, move furniture, put new furniture together...Jeff does any and everything. He also has great stories. We are so thankful to have him at Creek!”

The next colleague said, “Jeff goes above and beyond his role as SRO. He never hesitates to help anyone in need from staff to students. He is very visible in the building and the kids absolutely adore him, not to mention respect him. Jeff does everything from keeping everyone at Creek safe to repairing toilets, cleaning up vomit, fixing electrical issues, and beyond. Our building would be LOST without Jeff!”

Another colleague said, “Not only does Officer Jeff make sure that students and staff are always safe while at school, he is always quick to step up to help wherever needed. Whether fixing doors, answering telephones, running errands in the building, or any other request, he never says it's "not his job". He is an absolute asset to Piper Creek!”

Thank you Officer Miskec for always going above and beyond for Piper - you are a valued member of our HYPE SQUAD!

We are honored to recognize May’s Certified Hype Squad winner, Ms. Sharon Smith. Ms. Smith is a sixth-grade ELA teacher at Piper Middle School and was recently nominated by her students, not one, but five times, for her outstanding instruction and dedication.

The first nominator said, “She is constantly helping her students. Instead of making students sit in uncomfortable desks, she has beanbags! When I am in her classroom, I do not truly believe that I am at school. She makes her lessons fun and exciting by adding prizes to keep students motivated.”

Another student said, “She is such a kind teacher and always understands when you have missing work. She clearly enjoys teaching. She makes her classroom feel like a warm and welcoming space, and shows empathy to her students.”

“She is a role model with her perseverance and determination,” the next student said. “She helps me with my work and makes learning fun and engaging.”

“She is a nice, great, and funny teacher,” said another student.

And for the last testimonial, a student said, “She is an amazing and fun teacher!”

Thank you, Ms. Smith for making learning fun, welcoming, and engaging for our students, and thank you for bringing THE HYPE!

Superintendent Evaluation Tool Committee

The Board approved Allison Armstrong, Desiree Fergus and Ashley Biondi to the Superintendent Evaluation Tool Committee.

Dr. Jessica Dain, Superintendent of Schools, discussed the closing of the State Assessment window, Senior Capstone projects, and upcoming initiatives for the 2025-26 School Year.