News Briefs: Catch up on recent school and local news

A new art class called Chemistry of Art will be offered at East next year. The class will be co-taught by visual arts teacher Jennifer Hensley and science teacher Susan Hallstrom. 

During the semester-long class, students will learn about the role science plays in different forms of art. Hallstrom will explain certain scientific aspects like chemical and physical properties, and Hensley will teach about the creation of specific art forms.

“I love science, I have always been very science and art-minded,” Hensley said. “I love the idea of getting students who are science-oriented, that might not otherwise want to take an art class in the art room and say, ‘You can learn this and express your creativity from the science side.'”

Planned projects will likely include glass, jewelry, ceramics, various paper types of art, oil-based paints and water-based paints. 

“It’s taking the scientific approach, so we’ll be creating materials from scratch,” Hensley said. “Sometimes [the materials] will turn out amazing and sometimes they won’t, versus in an art class where we’re buying materials that we know work.”

In the class, students will eventually do their own culminating project throughout the semester. According to Hallstrom, the details of the project are still being worked out but the goal is for students to apply what they’ve learned about the relationship between the two disciplines of art and science.

“Kids should just come with an open mind and be willing to get their hands dirty,” Hallstrom said. “That’s how I’m going into this. I’m going into this with no [art] skill, but just with enthusiasm and trying to bring some excitement.”

The Shawnee Mission School District’s school board will name and hire a new superintendent by the end of February, following the current superintendent Dr. Michelle Hubbard’s retirement effective on July 1.

The board is working with a search facilitator to look for a new superintendent. The new hire will come from an internal search consisting of district employees. According to Hubbard, this means that the new hire will already have an understanding of the relationships and communication needed for the job.

“I’m currently surrounded by an amazing team of people, and so [the skills] are something that’s not going to be new to them,” Hubbard said. “It’s something that we work on as a team now, so the next superintendent is already going to have those skills because that’s just what we do as a team.”

Hubbard announced on Jan. 11 that she would be retiring after three years as the SMSD superintendent to have more time with her family. Throughout her years of work in the district, she has worked on multiple projects and policies to create a standard in SMSD that has had a positive influence, according to Principal Jason Peres.

“The most impactful thing that a superintendent does is set the tone and vision, and [Hubbard] has really set a tone that we’re here to serve kids and work for kids’ best interest,” Peres said. “I’ve received that message loud and clear, in a positive way.”

Hubbard will be working with the next superintendent to create a smooth transition over the next year to continue the work she has done.

“Every employee and every student in this district deserves someone who cares about them as people and supports them as employees,” Peres said. “That’s what we have had since I’ve been here, and that’s what we want moving forward.”

The SHARE program, overseen by coordinators Sheryl Kaplan and Erin Billingsley, received a Golden Trowel Award from Mitzvah Garden Kansas City on Feb. 4 for SHARE’s contributions to the garden during Senior Service Day. 

Mitzvah Garden KC is a non-profit garden that provides produce to food pantries in the community. The garden’s Golden Trowel Award honors individuals and groups for their volunteering work and is meant to inspire others to help the community, according to Mitzvah Garden KC Co-Founder Ken Sonnenschein. 

“We had this wonderful group of young people that were very enthusiastic and energetic,” Sonnenschein said. “They really just got a tremendous [amount] done [with] getting the garden put away for the winter.”

The 16 seniors worked to remove and compost plant material, pulling out the support structures that plants were growing on and moving irrigation pipes on senior service day. 

The award ceremony took place at the Village Shalom for the Mitzvah Garden’s 24th annual Tu B’Shevat Seder, where members of the community celebrate the arrival of spring and the upcoming season.

“It’s nice to be recognized for doing good work,” Kaplan said. “It’s always nice for us, Erin and myself, that we can just send our students and that they represent [the program] so well, and that they did such a great job.”