Fort Larned USD 495

What a day for the future of officiating in Kansas! Kyle Leroy from LHS hosted the first-ever Kansas Rules & Officiating Student Conference—and we couldn’t be more proud of how it turned out. Students from nine high schools across the state came together for a full day of learning, connecting, and hearing from some of the best in the business. We kicked things off with Scott Goodheart, Director of Officials for KSHSAA, followed by a panel Q&A with commissioners: • Mark Goodheart (CKL & CPL) • Justin Seuser (KJCCC/KCAC – Men’s Basketball) • Gary Pauls (KJCCC – Women’s Basketball) • Craig Helser (KJCCC – Football) • Terry Savoy (WAC – All Athletics) Students had the chance to hear from full-time officials who are from Kansas themselves—proof that even if you're from a small town, you can do BIG things: • Stuart Schake (Big 12 Football – via Zoom) • Kaden Tichenor (MLB Minor League Baseball – via Zoom) • Quincy Smith (NBA G-League – in person!) Breakout sessions followed for various sports with Brad Schmitt, Jim Vopat, Terry Savoy, Mark Brack, Ron Haag, Fran Martin, and Jennifer Fitzpatrick. We also welcomed intramural coordinators from FHSU (Ron Haag), WSU (Trent Koehler), and KSU (Quincy Smith), and wrapped up with a Q&A from coaches Danton Hilton, Chad Erway, and Lonnie Paramore. Before lunch—graciously hosted by Jon Shaver’s referee crew (Jon Shaver, Ty Racette, Mike Myrick, Steve Webster, and Mike Marzolf)—Kyle Leroy shared tips for students interested in officiating after graduation, including writing to ADs, attending camps, and finding a mentor. His goal was simple: give students access to knowledge, real-life stories, and personal connections to help them take the next step in becoming an official. And by the end of the day—we think that goal was absolutely met. Special thanks to our sponsors: Al Wells – Advanced Pest Control, Curtis Mitchell – MBC Construction, Mark Goodheart, Clock Realty, Shane Stimatze Memorial, Precision Referee, ILS Farms, and Sonic of Larned. #larnedpride #bettertogether

Wow - our Book Blast is off to a great start! Congratulations to Ryelyn for winning our first drawing prize: the Epic Treasure Chest! Our quest to level up our readers has never been so much fun! We’re blasting through our adventure to earn as many books as possible for our students. Register now and invite 10+ contacts to be entered into the drawings for our remaining Treasure Chests! Reminder - this money goes towards students earning the books on the treasure maps that were sent home. Any additional money goes towards the classmates. #booksarefun #bookraiser #bookblastadventures #epictreasurechest #treasure @go.booksarefun

🎨 Calling all artists in Pawnee county ! Kans for Kids is hosting a T-Shirt Design Contest—entries are due by May 14! The winning design will be announced June 5. Submit your design and help raise awareness for childhood cancer. Full details on how to enter are in the image! #larnedpride #bettertogether

We’re proud to host 6th Grade Transition Night this year at LMS! 🗓️ Monday, April 21 from 5:00–6:00 PM 📍 LMS Gym Families of current 5th graders—come check out what middle school is all about! You’ll get to meet the teachers, take a tour, hear about electives and clubs, and ask questions. We’ll cover what’s new and different from LES... then wrap it all up with a hot dog meal! Families will be finished in time to attend Freshman Orientation across the street at LHS, if you’ve got an incoming 9th grader too. #larnedpride

USD 495 is now accepting applications for a High School Assistant Principal/Athletic Director at Larned High School. This leadership role also supports 7th–8th grade athletics at Larned Middle School. We’re looking for a student-centered leader who communicates well, builds strong relationships, and is ready to lead in both academics and activities. This position plays a key role in creating a safe, respectful, and high-achieving school environment while supporting students, staff, and coaches across both buildings. 📍 Apply here: https://usd495.schoolspring.com?jobid=5104211 💻 Learn more about our district: www.usd495.com/workat495 #larnedpride

🎉 Big news from LHS! Mr. Roni Ettleman will officially take over as Principal starting July 1, 2025. He’s been a strong leader as Assistant Principal and Athletic Director, and we know he’ll do great things in this next chapter! Read more: https://www.usd495.com/article/2150800

LES Families- Attention, adventurers! Our Book Blast event starts today where we will set off in search of treasure to build our students' home libraries. Follow the steps on the Treasure Map coming home to embark on a jungle quest to earn exciting prizes and books. An email was also shared with families through skyward. @go.booksarefun #learningisfun #bookblastadventures #bookblast #booksarefun #literacy

Here’s what’s going on this week at USD 495: April 14–18! Heads up… there’s no school for PK–12 on Friday, April 18 or Monday, April 21. Enjoy the long weekend! 😎 #larnedpride https://secure.smore.com/n/6y4kzq

You’ve got two ways to watch Promenade tonight! Catch the livestream inside on our Facebook Live — or watch the arrivals outside on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/fdpC3gmKO1k?feature=shared #larnedpride

Promenade is almost here! Join us tonight, Saturday, April 12 from 6:30–7:15 PM at the Larned Community Center. We kindly ask that families and spectators use the back parking lot! #larnedpride

Blakelynn was able to make a #goodnewscallhome this week! Way to go girl! 📞🧡 #larnedpride #lesfamily

Coach Lessard shared some big news... 🎾 LHS Tennis brought home 1st place at the Cimarron Varsity Meet yesterday! Tristan Thompson took 3rd at #1 Singles Troy Hemken placed 2nd at #2 Singles Brayden Smith and Aiden O’Crotty earned 1st at #1 Doubles Hunter Hewson and Ryan Hill finished 2nd at #2 Doubles #larnedpride

🎭 Holy Mother of Bingo had our biggest cast in 3 years and packed the house—last Saturday night’s show was completely sold out! Huge shoutout to this awesome group for putting on such a fun show! 👏 #larnedpride

Many thanks to the Pawnee County Coop Association for sharing their morning with our students for Hi5 Friday at LES. The kids were excited to see how their bracelets would look this year-3 years and 3 different PCCA Hi 5 bracelets! So fun! #larnedpride #lesfamily #bettertogether

BIG day for the LHS Band yesterday in Pratt—they brought home THREE 1 ratings at State Large Group! 🎶 Woot woot! #larnedpride

Our Indians track team is headed to Lyons today for the Wheaton Relays! The meet starts at 3:30 PM at 601 E American Rd. Best of luck! #larnedpride

This Friday, April 11, LES is celebrating Schwa Day—a fun way to spotlight one of the trickiest sounds in the English language! To make it extra special, students and staff are invited to wear their coziest pajamas to school. It’s a comfy way to show school spirit and get excited about learning. Ask your child what they know about the “schwa” sound—you might be surprised! It’s the most common sound in English, and it shows up in so many words we use every day. Let’s make it a fun day full of learning, laughter and loungewear!

🎉 We’ve been keeping a really, really BIG secret… and today we finally got to let it out! With it being Assistant Principal’s Week, Mrs. Keith thought we invited her family to today’s assembly just to celebrate her (and maybe embarrass her a little…). But after some kind words from the LES Ambassadors, we had an even BIGGER surprise… Mrs. Jennifer Keith has been named the Kansas Elementary Assistant Principal of the Year by the Kansas Principals Association! 🏆 If you know Mrs. Keith, you know this is so well deserved. She works hard, leads with heart, and builds the kind of relationships with kids that truly make a difference. She makes LES better every single day—and we’re just really lucky she’s ours. Congratulations, Mrs. Keith! We couldn’t be prouder! 🧡🖤 #larnedpride #lesfamily

Do your best, be your best! We are so proud of these LES students who were named Student of the Month! #larnedpride #lesfamily

We’re excited to bring back Adopt a Senior for the Class of 2025! We have 51 seniors this year, and we’d love to see each one matched with someone from our community. You’re welcome to request a specific student (if they haven’t already been picked), or we can pair you with one. We recommend spending around $20–$30 on a small gift. Just make sure it’s dropped off at the LHS office by Monday, May 12 so we can get it to your senior before graduation. To adopt a senior, reach out to Allisa Spain at allisa.spain@usd495.com or call 620-285-3185. #larnedpride #bettertogether