The Current
2023-2024 Q4 Newsletter Camdenton R-III School District
Middle School Principal
The Camdenton R-III School District is excited to announce the new 2024-2025 Camdenton Middle School Principal, Bobby Sangster!
With extensive experience in education, including roles as high school principal in Macon, Missouri, and various positions in the California School District, including assistant principal,
activities director, PE teacher, REACH/Options coordinator, assistant football coach, assistant baseball coach, and varsity girls' basketball head coach, Sangster brings a wealth of leadership skills and a commitment to student success.
Sangster holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Education and Administration from Northwest Missouri State University. He is dedicated to creating a supportive learning environment where students can thrive academically and personally.
As a family man and outdoor enthusiast, Sangster looks forward to joining the Camdenton community with his wife and three children. He is excited to embark on this new chapter and contribute to the continued success of Camdenton Middle School.
"My path in education has given me the opportunity to create
relationships and learn from great educational leaders. I am immensely excited to use my
experiences to serve this district and community as the middle school principal." -Bobby Sangster
Oak Ridge Elementary Principal
The Camdenton R-III School District is excited to announce that Dr. Chris Byington has been selected as the 2024-2025 Oak Ridge Intermediate Principal!
Dr. Byington has 10 years of experience in education, all within the Camdenton School District, filling various roles including varsity boys' and girls' soccer coach, math teacher, A+ Coordinator, Dean, Assistant Principal, and District Safety Coordinator. His extensive background positions him well to lead Oak Ridge Intermediate to new heights!
With a Family and Human Services undergraduate degree from John Brown University, followed by his graduate work at Southwest Baptist University, Dr. Byington holds a master's degree in Education/Athletic Activity Administration, a specialist degree in Education Administration, and a doctorate in Education Leadership.
Dr. Byington and his wife, Amanda, have an eight-month-old son, Oliver. As a family, they enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, camping, and traveling.
"I look forward to working collaboratively with the staff to continue building a positive culture with academic excellence." -Chris Byington
Taylor Firth- Hawthorn Elementary
Taylor Firth is a third grade teacher at Hawthorn Elementary. She attended Missouri State University and has taught for seven years, with the last two years at Hawthorn. As a child of an educator, she has fond memories of staying with her mom as she graded papers. This time allowed her to build deeper connections with other teachers in the building. She was also influenced by the students and families who had their education and lives impacted by her mother’s teaching and guidance.
Firth had many challenges during the first few years of teaching. The first year, she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and, in the second year, she accepted a job in Colorado only to be met three weeks later with the decision of joining or not joining fellow teachers in a strike. “That was the most conflicting, professional decision I had ever made”, stated Firth. Later in the year, schools were transitioned to online learning due to Covid-19. Firth states, “Being newly diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and figuring out how to navigate teaching during this time was harrowing.” She felt very alone in navigating this unknown territory, even though she was surrounded by those who loved and supported her. These experiences helped shape her as a teacher and as a person.
Firth believes that student accomplishments are directly related to what she views as her success as a teacher. She wants her students to feel valued and safe in her classroom, and be challenged appropriately. She states, “Each student comes to school with different needs, and I feel most accomplished when I am receptive and attentive to those needs.”
Firth differentiates instruction by offering leadership opportunities to students, while also keeping students engaged in hands-on learning activities. She leads the “Spirit Leaders” at Hawthorn’s monthly leadership rallies and watches as students grow in confidence and find their voices. She is also a member of “Leadership Runway” and brainstorms ways for teachers and students to have opportunities to build leadership. This enables a sense of belonging and pride, and provides natural, positive reinforcements to students. In addition, Firth’s philosophy is to not just support students in the classroom, but in their extracurricular activities as well. She tries to show up for students outside the classroom to build classroom community and trust. Firth notes, “I think that showing my students that I am there for them with their education and their passions is very meaningful and impactful.”
Garry Briscoe- Lake Career and Technical Center
As a technical school instructor with a previous career in the automotive industry, Garry Briscoe teaches 9th-12th grade students collision repair basics, soft skills, work ethics, and math at Lake Career and Technical Center.
His experience as a student at LCTC influenced his desire to become an instructor. When his Collision Repair instructor asked if he would apply as an instructor, he considered how much the Camdenton School District and LCTC meant to him and decided to put his name in the hat. After accepting the teaching position, he concluded, “I became a teacher because of a teacher.”
Students in Briscoe’s class have had the support to purchase and rebuild most of the vehicles owned by the school for maintenance and other purposes. This allows students to train on late-model vehicles, creating an opportunity for teamwork and allowing students to be proud of their accomplishments, which makes the campus a better place. Briscoe’s favorite lessons involve sharing information and expectations regarding work ethics. He believes that all students can benefit from this information. He has met many students with different challenges and treats them with respect. He points out, "My strongest belief about teaching would be that you don’t want to act like you care, it has to be real. They can tell the difference!”
Briscoe sees his greatest accomplishment was creating a non-profit committee, The Missouri Collision Repair Instructors Association. It has brought a modern common curriculum into Missouri collision repair programs. This includes secondary and post-secondary schools and allows instructors to collaborate with other instructors of the same trade. He adds, “My biggest source of pride and accomplishment is seeing my former students doing well for themselves.”
Briscoe gives himself an opportunity to build positive relationships with students outside of his program as Camdenton's head trap-shooting coach. He also encourages students who may need extra direction to join and build relationships with other students, and find something they can be proud of doing well.
Briscoe is retiring this year, but he states, “I do not feel any need to be the Teacher of the Year, as I have been so honored to work with so many great staff members and students over the last 22 years.”
Tim Mulford- Camdenton Middle School
While working as a cytotechnologist in a clinical pathology laboratory for eight years, Tim Mulford also volunteered for youth fairs, where he noticed that he had a passion for teaching. He made the career change 20 years ago and moved to Camdenton in 2012, where he has spent the last 12 years teaching science to students in grades six through eight. He also co-teaches Science Research, a highly-rigorous class where students choose a real-world problem, propose a solution, and experiment to test the solution. They compete in events ranging from local to national, which often takes place on weekends.
In the last few years, Mulford has discovered that partnering students who return after an absence with another student helps them catch up on assignments they have missed. This gives students individualized attention to guide them through missed work, and the mentor students obtain a deeper understanding of the material by teaching it.
When asked about the frustrations of teaching, Mulford shares that some challenges are the increase in student apathy, lack of curiosity, depression, anxiety, and mental illness in students who will not learn to their potential if their basic needs (emotional) are not being met, and the widening gap between student abilities. He states, “An outstanding teacher is one who can meet each student where they are and challenge each of these students.”
When asked about the most rewarding aspects of the job, Mulford states, “As a middle school teacher, I often get to see kids when they are not at their best. For me, the most rewarding aspect of teaching is when my students make a point to come back and see me, just to let me know how they’re doing… In every case, they’ve moved past many of those adversities they faced in middle school and have grown up to be amazing young adults with many opportunities before them.”
Tim and his wife, Mika, just celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. Their daughter is finishing eighth grade, and they love participating in opportunities available in the school district and Laker community. He is active in his church and small group Bible studies. Tim also helped coach his daughter’s city softball team over the last six summers. His philosophy is 1) have fun 2) learn something every day, and 3) the winning will follow!
Summa Cum Laude (4.2 GPA and Higher)
Audrey Blake, Addilyn Branson, Makenna Brauer, Ava Canales, Addyson Clay, Madison Crocker, Alexandra Dickerson,
Kaden Durnin, Claire Echternacht, Lukas Farthing, Olivia Franken, Isabella Hamner, Pryor Harper, Chase Mason, Isabell Owens, Nathan Points, Isabelle Poor, Katya Savinkov, Carter Smith,
Layla Strickland, Kenzie Swanson, Mia Whittle, Daphne Wilson
Each year the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals sponsors the Missouri Scholars 100 program. This program recognizes 100 of Missouri's top scholars statewide. Students are selected based on a ten-event academic decathlon including grade point average, ACT/SAT scores, activities, advanced classes, leadership and community service. Carter Smith and
Claire Echternacht achieved Honorable Mention.
National Honor Society members must maintain a cumulative weighted GPA of 3.75, complete at least 20 hours of community service each year of membership, and earn a minimum number of activity points.
Scholarship: Carter Smith
Leadership: Lukas Farthing
Service: Madison Crocker
Character: Isabella Hamner
Allison Ahrens, Audrey Blake, Addilyn Branson, Makenna Brauer, Ella Bussey, Ava Canales, Addyson Clay, Madison Crocker,
Caroline Cunningham, Alexandra Dickerson, Lukas Farthing, Blake Ford, Zayne Fry,
Isabella Hamner, Pryor Harper, Madison Hasselbring, Hailey Head, Elise Hofer, Ryland Johnson, Carley Kupfer, Chase Mason, Zoey Matis, Isabell Owens, Nicholas Pasley, Alyssa Patredis,
Isabelle Poor, Abigail Rapier, Daniel Skinner, Carter Smith, Abbigale Snelling, Emerson Stanley, Layla Strickland, Kenzie Swanson, Madison Trusty, Dominique Whitehurst, Mia Whittle,
Kierstin Wright, and Jaeven Younger
The selection criteria for this award includes a 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale at the end of seven semesters, and a score at or above the 85th percentile in reading or math on a test such as the ACT.
President's Award for Educational Excellence recipients:
Audrey Blake, Makenna Brauer, Ella Bussey, Ava Canales,
Kaden Durnin, Claire Echternacht, Lukas Farthing, Olivia Franken, Brooklynn Gorman, Isabella Hamner, Pryor Harper, Elise Hofer, Chase Mason, Teresa Morgan, Isabell Owens, Nathan Points, Abigail Rapier, Katya Savinkov, Daniel Skinner, Carter Smith,
Layla Strickland, Mia Whittle, Daphne Wilson
The Missouri Seal of Biliteracy promotes active participation in a global society and economy by incentivizing, recognizing, and celebrating the acquisition of biliteracy skills (reading, writing, speaking) and sociocultural awareness. The Standard Missouri Seal is awarded to students who show a high level of achievement in English and an intermediate level of proficiency in another language. The following students achieved the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy: Addyson Clay, Lukas Farthing, Pryor Harper, Kaleb Lake, Robert Lewis, Cyres Matthes, and Isabell Owens.
Camdenton High School is designated as an A+ School by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Students who maintain a minimum of 2.50 GPA , attend school with a 95% attendance rate, complete 50 hours of unpaid tutoring and remain a good citizen may qualify for scholarships. Students are required to take the Algebra I EOC and score proficient or advanced or take an alternate math assessment and meet the A+ qualifications.
The following students qualify for A+ Scholarships which may provide tuition monies to any community college or technical school in Missouri: Allison Ahrens, Hannah Allin, Lucinda Baker, Jeshua Balderas Medina, Jackson Basham, Nathaniel Beeson, Samantha Bennett,
Addilyn Branson, Makenna Brauer, Ella Bussey, Ava Canales, Haley Cantrell, Addyson Clay,
Dallas Conley, Madison Crocker, Caroline Cunningham, Kaylee Damery, Sophie Davis,
Jonah Debert, Alexandra Dickerson, Levi Dunahee, Jackson Duvall, Mia Dymond, Blake Ford,
Olivia Franken, Zayne Fry, Caitlin Garmany, Brooklynn Gorman, Dylan Gum, Hannah Hankinson,
Madison Hasselbring, Hailey Head, Garret Hilton, Payten Hinton, Elise Hofer, John Holt,
Kayli Huckabee, Ryland Johnson, Dylan Kerr, Ethan Kessler, Josiah Ketcham, Cheyenne Kirby, Carley Kupfer, Austin Leuwerke, Ariana Maples, Gavin Marlowe, Chase Mason, Cyres Matthes, Maylee McKenna, Quinton Medlock, Spencer Mellencamp, Abigale Mitzel, Maige Orr,
Nicholas Pasley, Priya Patel, Alyssa Patredis, Jackson Phillips, Maksim Pleshka, Nathan Points, Isabelle Poor, Evelyn Ramirez, Abigail Rapier, Hannah Robertson, Amy Santos Gonzalez,
Katya Savinkov, Sophia Schaefer, Charles Sherman, Kyah Simpson, Daniel Skinner, Natali Sloan,
Jaidey Smith, Carter Smith, Abbigale Snelling, Noah Sousley, Collin Stamper, Emerson Stanley, Logan Stephens, Kenzie Swanson, Sidney Swearengin, Madison Trusty, Taelyn Waldren, MacKenzie Webster, Dominique Whitehurst, Kaelyn Winters, Kierstin Wright, and Jaeven Younger.
