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Friess to retire in 2024
Outstanding teachers recognized by school board
RAK Club 2019 Tim Friess
GBHS Principal Tim Friess is shown addressing the Great Bend USD 428 Board of Education in this undated photo. - photo by Susan Thacker
TOY-Ramirez2023
Sergio Ramirez was surprised on October 24 as district and school administrators delivered the news that he is the 2024 USD 428 Secondary Teacher of the Year. Ramirez has taught for 14 years in Great Bend. Pictured left to right: Kip Wilson, GBHS assistant principal; Khris Thexton, USD 428 superintendent; Sergio Ramirez, GBHS Art Teacher; Lacy Wolters, wife of Ramirez and GBHS Career and ACT coordinator; JoAnn Blevins, USD 428 director of teaching and learning; Dustin Klassen, GBHS assistant principal; and Tim Friess, GBHS principal. - photo by Courtesy of Great Bend USD 428

Great Bend High School Principal Tim Friess made it official Monday: he will retire after the end of the 2023-2024 school year. His contract will end on June 1, 2024.

Superintendent Khris Thexton presented the retirement as part of the personnel report at the Nov. 13 USD 428 Board of Education meeting.

The board also approved two new licensed appointments. Luke Maneth has been hired to teach science at Great Bend High School through the transition to teaching program and Baylee Beck is now a contracted substitute teacher.

Those at the meeting also took time to congratulate individuals elected to the USD 428 Board of Education on Nov. 7. Board Vice President Aaron Emerson was elected to a second four-year-term. Karen Lindberg, Randy Wetzel, and Sara Williams will begin four-year terms in January 2024. Board members Chris Umphres and Susan Young and Lori Reneau will all be going off the board in January.

The board also took the opportunity Monday to recognize three teachers who have recently received special honors.


Overall Outstanding Art Educator of the Year Award

In October at the Kansas Art Education Association (KAEA) fall conference, Shannon Wedel was awarded the 2023 Overall Outstanding Art Educator of the Year. KAEA is a statewide professional organization dedicated to the growth and development of art educators and the advancement of high-quality art education.

Wedel has taught Elementary Art for the Great Bend school district for 28 years and has served as the K-12 department chair since 2005. She has served KAEA in multiple capacities, serving on countless committees with her most recent position as secretary  She served as the conference chair for the Fall Conference in 2007 and hosted the Fiber Fest Summer Camp in 2023. She has also made presentations at multiple KAEA fall conferences and was chosen to present “Archeology, Can You Dig It?” at the National Art  Education Association convention in New York City.

In 2013, Wedel was recognized as the Outstanding Elementary Art Educator of the Year.


Kansas Teachers of the Year

Two well-deserving educators from Great Bend USD 428 have been nominated for the 2024 USD 428 Teachers of the Year. Honorees Sergio Ramirez, Art Teacher at Great Bend High School, and Casey Hatzenbuehler, teacher of grade 3 at Riley Elementary School, will advance to the 2024 Kansas Teacher of the Year competition.