The Family and Schools Together (FAST) program in Great Bend brings families back to school for evening meetings that include meals, activities and prizes. On Thursday, the school board approved several contributions, including $1,400 so Park Elementary can purchase 10 tables.
Park teacher Keisey Perry made the request for funds, and several community members responded. Tatum Dunekack donated $342 for three tables; Roger and Kim Sell donated $228 for two tables, as did Dr. Roger and Laina Marshall; and $114 for one table each came from three couples: Dr. Perry and Krista Smith, Dr. Randal and Molly Hildebrand, and Kip and Kelly Spray.

Approving contributions as well as employee requests to submit grant applications is a regular item on school board agendas. Also approved:
• Special Services teacher Martha Wondra wishes to submit a Cox Charities Grant application to secure two laptop computers for the Gifted Program.
• Special Services wishes to submit a Cox Charities Grant application for $8,129.95 to purchase projectors and secure related training for implementing the new technology in the classrooms.
• Casey Gatton, Riley School technology coach, seeks approval for a $3,000 grant submission to Cox Communications for Dash and Dot, robots which students can program using apps installed on an iPad (e.g., learning fundamentals of robotics, coding a route for Dash and Dot to follow).
• Paxton Rein, Kansas Reading Ready after-school program coordinator, noted that Papa Murphy’s Pizza had presented 10 pizzas to Jefferson Elementary School ($100 value) for a FAST dinner.
• KHR Children’s Health Endowment Fund, through the Golden Belt Community Foundation, has provided $500 to USD 428 for the cost of summer food program signs.
• The Great Bend Recreation Commission wishes to donated a new DJI Phantom 3 drone, valued at $770, to the Park Elementary School Drone Club. This will provide another hands-on resource for Park students in learning science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and will allow more student involvement in the club.

Personnel
The board approved the resignations of Art Baker, principal of Jefferson Elementary School; Kristen Baker, counselor at Great Bend High School; Danielle Carrasco, special services teacher for Special Education Co-op; Erin Hemphill, speech language pathologist at Park, GBMS and GBHS; Amie Kreis, sixth grade teacher at Eisenhower Elementary School; Tyler Shirley, physical education teacher at Jefferson; and John Westbrook, math teacher at GBMS.
Retirements were approved for Nancy Craig, first grade teacher at Jefferson; Debbie Daniel, third grade teacher at Jefferson; Carla Maneth, English language arts (ELA) instructional coach at Jefferson; and Rollie Peter, teacher of Vo Ag at Great Bend High School.
Denton Lewis was hired to teach social studies at GBHS.