There’s no telling where Humphrey the hamster will turn up next. On Monday night, school board member Susan Young brought a hamster in a pink cage to the Great Bend USD 428 board meeting.
“I invited Humphrey for the evening,” Young said. The hamster has gone on field trips to various schools in the district during the One District, One Book literacy campaign that has every child in grades K-6 reading “The World According to Humphrey.”
Students have plenty of questions, Young said, especially if they’ve been reading the book. They want to know if this hamster cage has a “lock that doesn’t lock.”
 Humphrey, who is nocturnal, did get up for a bit during the school board meeting for a drink and a snack – and promptly went back to sleep.

Leadership recognition
Had he stayed awake, he might have learned that most of the board members and Superintendent Brad Reed plan to attend the Kansas Association of School Boards annual convention, Dec. 4-6 at Wichita.
Reed and two board members, Cheryl Rugan and Kevin Mauler, have received certificates from the KASB Leadership Academy, which encourages school board members and superintendents to seek continuing education. KASB sponsors workshops throughout the year at which attendees earn points based on the length and content of each seminar. Certificates are presented to those receiving at least 25 points.