More students received new bicycles Wednesday as the Perfect Attendance Bicycle Giveaway concluded. Jane Isern and Karen Shaner visited Park Elementary School and Eisenhower Elementary School and brought four Trek-brand mountain bikes to each school. Students with perfect attendance and no tardies for the entire school year had their names entered in drawings for the bikes.
Winners at Park School were Andrea Vargas, kindergarten; Nayla Vargas, second grade; Ismael Ramirez, fifth grade; and Devin Randolph, sixth grade. The only other student with perfect attendance was Brenden Luna, sixth grade.
Eisenhower had eight students with perfect attendance. The bike winners were Landon Bitter and McKinzie Beneke, fourth graders, and Nataly Chavez and Payge Cain, sixth graders. Others with perfect attendance were Emma Moodie and Kendra Scheideman, fourth grade; Brogan Unruh, fifth grade; and Jacob Krom, sixth grade.
Both schools reported many students with four or fewer absences or tardies last year. At Eisenhower, those students received book bags, T-shirts and pencils. At Park School, Principal Phil Heeke said they would present more school awards Wednesday afternoon and they would also hold a talent show.
Isern and Shaner planned to return to Riley Elementary School on Wednesday to award a bicycle to Natalie Rodriguez, a fourth grader who had perfect attendance. She was not included in Tuesday’s drawing at her school because of a clerical mix-up. When the sponsors learned of the omission, they decided the best thing to do was to buy another bicycle.
After visiting all of the schools, Isern and Shaner planned to collect all of the names of students who were eligible but didn’t win a bike and had a drawing for one more bicycle.
They thanked the students for their hard work and they thanked the many community donors who helped them purchase 22 bicycles.
“Perfect attendance is hard work,” they wrote in a letter to parents and sponsors. “Perfect attendance sets a specific goal. Perfect attendance is never missing a day of learning.”
Last day of school
Thursday is the last day of school for Great Bend students and each school has been celebrating in its own way. Tuesday at Riley, Principal JoAnn Blevins had a cheering contest to see who is more excited about the start of summer — students or adults. Since the kids cheered both times, the adults won.
Tuesday at Lincoln, students and teachers danced in the gym and Principal Misty Straub handed out several other awards. The Great Bend High School boy’s soccer team was invited and team members gave all of the students “high fives.” Students with good attendance received T-shirts.
Donor list
Bike donors for perfect attendance 2019 are: John and Rosalie Wider-Torrance, Calif.; Doris Spray; Tom Vernon; Watkins and Calcara Chtd.; Bauer, Pike, Bauer and Wary LLC; Gregg and Maggie Reinhardt; Fred and Candace Nuss; Craig and Kari Smith; Jane Isern; Gail Carpenter; Dale and Karen Shaner; OPI - Office Products Incorporated; Larry Kutina D.D.S. and Anne Kutina; Central Kansas Orthopedic Group LLC; Don and Susan Young; Dr. Perry Smith and Krista Smith; Mark and Leslie Mingenback; Jane Vonada; Derek Vonada; Rachael Mawhirter; Marc Duran; Rose Dudek; Darwin and Marty Schloemer; Ron and Kathy Straub; Dr. William King; Hannelore Kitts; Farmers Bank and Trust; Club 1 Fitness; Marmie Motors Inc.; Community Bank of The Midwest; John and Nancy Francis; Sunflower Bank; First Kansas Bank; Isern and Carpenter Law; Diane Poncin; Loretta Southard; Lisa Whiting; Amanda Vanskike; Morgan Stevens; Yoga Central of Great Bend; Golden Belt Bicycle and Todd Vanskike. A fundraising event was held by Morgan Stevens and all the cash donors from this event.
