By Jim Misunas
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

LARNED – New employees at Fort Larned USD 495 were welcomed during a ceremony coordinated by building principals Monday morning. The ceremony was sponsored by the Pawnee County Ministerial Alliance.

LARNED HIGH
Larned High Principal Troy Langdon left everyone waiting before he pronounced that, “today is a great day to be a Larned Indian.”
Langdon said Larned High will feature six new employees — Marsha Reece, office manager; Alexandra Rome, choir teacher; Wendy Sundahl, art-design teacher; Amy Wilson, at-risk instructor; Dustin Wilson, assistant principal/athletic director; and Kayla Moser, biology teacher.
Reece will replace Connie Carlton after she retired from her position at Pawnee County Extension office for 35 years.
Rome is a first-year vocal instructor from Fort Hays State University.
Sundahl is a new art and design teacher from Chapman. She is the wife of Shane Sundahl, Larned Middle School principal.
Amy Wilson will supervise Larned High’s at-risk program. Amy is the wife of Dustin Wilson, Larned High’s assistant principal and athletic director.  
Dustin Wilson worked as a coach and teacher at Alma-Wabaunsee High School last year.

LARNED MIDDLE SCHOOL
First-year Larned Middle School Principal Shane Sundahl introduced himself as well as four new employees — David Auldridge, Tim Coles, Jennie Erway and Kristen Herrman.
Sundahl is a Great Bend High graduate who replaces Derek Reinhardt, Ness City’s new school superintendent.
Auldridge will teach sixth-grade science. He worked at Shawnee Heights High School in Topeka last year.
Kansas State graduate Coles will teach sixth-grade mathematics and coach football and wrestling at LMS.
Erway will teach at-risk students after moving from Northside Elementary.
Herrman will teach eighth-grade language arts after graduating from Fort Hays State University.

ELEMENTARY
Phinney Elementary’s new teachers are Amanda Grant, first grade from Hays; Jamie Carey, second grade from Fort Hays State University; Jared Gigerich, second grade from being a substitute teacher for USD 495.
Susie Drimmel will teach third-graders at Northside Elementary after teaching fourth-graders.  

WESTSIDE SCHOOL
Westside School Principal Dick Bixler introduced two new teachers — science teacher Daniel Drimmel and Joanna McAllister, language arts teacher.