inside 2 3 5 4 6 - 9 11 12 - Turner School District USD #202

Volume XV, No. 3 News of The Turner Schools http://www.turnerusd202.org/ February 2009 

inside 

Student 

Honor Rolls 

throughout this issue 

2Special Services 

Turner High 

School News 

3School Meals Info 

Turner Middle 


Turner Early 

Learning Center 

District AYP News 

Midland Trail 

Elementary News 

& Honor Rolls 

4 

5 

6 - 9 

Student Honor Rolls 

Morris 

& Oak Grove 

Elementary 

10Junction, 

Schools 

11 

Turner Elementary 


12 

Spotlight 

TMS' Smitley 

Instructional 

Coaching 

Maintaining our Focus in 

Tough Economic Times 

By: Michelle Sedler, Superintendent 

Michelle Sedler 

Our students must be 

prepared for challenges 

they face as 

our society changes to meet 

global demands, especially 

related to the economy. Although 

Kansas is facing many 

budget deficits, approximately 

$100 million for 2009 and an 

estimated $1 billion by 2010, 

we must maintain our focus 

on student achievement to ensure 

our students are prepared 

for the challenges facing them 

as they graduate from high 

school. 

As many of you know, our 

district is looking at some 

challenging budget decisions 

that will have to be made for 

the 2009-10 school year and 

subsequent years. Turner, due 

to the state budget restraints, 

is facing a budget shortfall. As 

a consequence, the district’s 

financial resources aren’t adequate 

to maintain our current 

level of programming, and 

budget adjustments will have 

to be made. As a district Board 

and administrative team, we 

continue to evaluate the budget, 

programs, and potential 

cuts while protecting the quality 

of instruction in the classroom 

as much as possible. 

As a district in 2007-08, 

our Turner students met AYP 

(Adequate Yearly Progress) 

in all subgroups. This is the 

first time since the inception 

of No Child Left Behind in 

2003 we have accomplished 

this goal – something which 

we are extremely proud to 

say. Our staff and students 

worked diligently to overcome 

shortfalls we had in student 

achievement and continue to 

work to make significant gains 

in our performance. Our goal 

for 2008-09, which we fully 

plan to meet, is to make AYP 

again this year, removing our 

“on improvement” status from 

the Kansas State Department 

of Education. 

Through our mission of 

challenging students academically 

and preparing students 

socially, we have made great 

strides during 1st semester to 

accomplish this mission. As 

we enter the testing season 

and despite the economic 

distractions we will continue 

to maintain our focus to ensure 

high expectations for all 

students, despite the budget 

shortfalls. 

Achievement and the Economy 

The Turner Board of Education 

As we begin the second half of the 2008/2009 school year, we 

reflect on some of the successes of the past as well as some of 

the challenges facing the district in the 2009/2010 school year. 

As we look forward we are faced with one of the largest State 

budget setbacks in history. The outlook for the State of Kansas 

budget is to include a one billion dollar deficit. 

Public education makes up 52% of the States budget. There 

will be an impact to every district’s budget in the State. The 

question is how large the impact will be. Unfortunately, the 

answer to that question will remain largely unknown until the 

end of the legislative session in the spring. The Board of Education, 

along with the district’s administrative staff has met with 

and will continue to keep in contact with our State level elected 

officials to ensure the district is prepared for whatever the final 

impact will be. 

With that said, the district’s leadership team has begun to 

prepare for budget shortfalls to the extent that we can without 

having the final impact of the States funding cuts. As we begin 

to tighten our budget for the remainder of this school year and 

look ahead to next year we are and will remain committed to the 

success of our students in the classroom. As we face the reality 

of a poor economy we must ensure our district’s mission, vision 

and belief statements are our guiding factor in any budget 

decisions we make. The one question we ask ourselves before 

making any decision is how this will impact our students. Our 

district strategic plan is the other guiding factor. The creation 

of the plan included input from every stakeholder group in the 

district and the success of the plan will make us a stronger district 

and improve achievement of every student in the district. 

As we look back, we must take this opportunity to congratulate 

our students and staff on meeting Kansas AYP as a district this 

year. We are a district on improvement but when our students 

meet this benchmark again this year that will no longer be the 

case. The students have continually made gains over the past 

five years and as that trend continues we are steadily becoming 

a stronger school district. As the 

challenges increase for our student 

and staff, we are committed to providing 

the resources they need to 

meet and exceed those challenges. 

We have our challenges to face, 

as does any district, but working 

as a team with our staff, and community 

Every Turner student will 

be challenged academically and 

prepared socially to be a leader 

within a global society. 

february 

Turner Public Schools 

800 South 55th Street 

Kansas City, KS 66106 

http://www.turnerusd202.org/ 

Office of Public Information 

913.288.4100 

Residential Customer 

Non-Profit Organization 

U.S. Postage 

PAID 

Kansas City, KS 

Permit No. 107

Page 2 www.turnerusd202.org The Turner February 2009 

Turner High School 

Paul Colwell, Principal 

Mike Wiley, Assoc. Principal 

Nancy Bartek, Asst. Principal 

Ben Pretz, Asst. Principal 

Garold Baker, Asst. Principal & Activities Director 

288-3300 

Second Semester Assessments at Turner High 

Dates Test Grade Level 

February 2 - May 2 KELPA 9/10/11/12 

March 31 - April 4 KS Reading Some 10 & 11 

April 7 - 10 KS Math Some 10 & 11 

April 15 - 16 World History 9 

April 21 - 22 Life Science 10 & 11 

April 23 - 24 KS Physical Science 9 

April 27-29 MAP Math 9 

April 30, May 1 & 4 MAP Math 10 

May 11-13 MAP Reading 9 

May 5-7 MAP Reading 10 

May 11-13 MAP Language 9 

May 5-7 MAP Language 10 

To: Turner High School Patrons 

Turner High School freshman, sophomores, and juniors will begin taking the Kansas State Assessments 

in March and April in the subjects of Reading, Math, World History, Life Science, and 

Physical Science. The Kansas Assessments are given to ensure that all students are meeting the 

curricular expectations set by the Kansas State Board of Education (KSBE). The items on the test 

broadly represent the knowledge students are expected to have mastered in each subject. 

Before the testing weeks, please encourage your students and reinforce the importance of these 

assessments. The scores they earn become part of each student’s cumulative record. The scores 

on the assessments also play a key role in determining whether the school maintains its current 

level of accreditation. 

It is also very important that during this testing period your student should receive adequate 

rest and sleep as well as a balanced and nutritional breakfast prior to the school day beginning. 

We appreciate your help and support through the weeks of assessments and in helping and 

supporting to prepare your student for success. 

Thank you 

Paul Colwell, Principal 

Special Services 

288-4182 

Rogene McPherson, Director 

Free Screening Services for 

Preschool Children 

Want to learn more about 

your child’s development 

Would you like to have your 

child’s hearing evaluated 

Want to help your child learn 

how to follow directions 

Child Find can help with 

answers! Child Find is a 

free screening clinic offered 

by the Turner Schools to assess 

all areas of your child’s 

development. Staff will be 

available to evaluate your 

child’s hearing, vision, general 

health, speech and lan- 

guage, learning, motor skills, 

and behavior. If there are 

concerns in any of these areas, 

the school district can offer assistance 

to help prepare your 

child for a successful school 

experience. 

If you are a resident of the 

Turner School District and 

have a child between the ages 

of birth and 5, you may call 

for an appointment at one of 

the Child Find clinics. The 

clinics are held monthly at the 

First Baptist Church of Turner, 

701 South 55th Street. 

Children under 2 years of 

age may be screened in the 

home. To make an appointment, 

call Special Services at 

913-288-4182. When calling, 

please indicate if transportation 

is needed. 

Child Find Clinics for 

School Year 2008-2009 

September 8, 2008 

October 13, 2008 

November 10, 2008 

December 8, 2008 

January 12, 2009 

February 9, 2009 

March 9, 2009 

April 13, 2009 

May 4, 2009 

(Dates subject to change 

to accommodate facilities 

needs. So call first, if you 

have doubts.) 

THS is now an official 

ACT test site! 

In a continuing effort to facilitate Turner students’ entry into 

secondary education programs, Turner High School applied to 

the ACT Corporation to become an authorized testing site for the 

ACT assessment. The ACT is the predominant college qualifying 

test for students entering colleges and universities in the Midwest 

and is administered nationally on specified dates. The application 

was approved beginning with the February 7, 2009 administration 

of the assessment. By becoming an authorized testing site, THS 

removes a potential obstacle for its students who are scheduled 

to participate by simplifying access to the test. Unfortunately, the 

minimum number of registrants needed to activate the testing site 

was not reached for the February 7th administration, probably 

due to late approval of the site application. However, the next 

testing dates—April 4 and June 13—have the potential to serve 

the needs of our local students as a viable testing location. 

The Coaching Experience 

by Rena Duewel 

Instructional Coaching has been one of the most rewarding 

and yet quite humbling positions that I have ever had the opportunity 

to work in. 

On a daily basis, I, team, observe, glean, marvel, assist, and 

stand in awe of the amazing Turner High School staff. I have the 

privilege to work with experts in their field as they share with 

students and their peers the knowledge that they have gained 

as well as gain invaluable wisdom from an exceptional team of 

administrators. This may appear as a sound-bite for a commercial, 

but it is the truth. 

Turner High School is an excellent environment for me to be 

able to work through the many “identified” roles of a schoolbased 

coach, as well as those unidentified. 

Resource Provider 

Data Coach 

Instructional Specialist 

Curriculum Specialist 

Classroom Supporter 

Learning Facilitator 

Mentor 

School Leader 

Catalyst for Change 

Learner 

But because there are so many hats that coaches wear, the work 

is sometimes misconstrued or misunderstood, if it does not specifically 

pertain to a specific department or classroom. “Because 

the work of school-based coaches is broad and often unspecified, 

understanding the roles helps both coached and those who supervise 

them communicate about coaches’ work.” (Killion and 

Harrison, pg. 29) All new and effective programs have growing 

pains, but I truly believe that the position of instructional coach 

is valuable to the forward progress of TUSD. 

Attention Parents 

of 4 Year Olds 

If you have a child that will be four years old on or before 

August 31st, 2009, and your home address is in the Turner 

school district, your child may be eligible for our Early 

Childhood Program. 

Your child must participate in a preschool screening to 

be considered for enrollment. 

If you would like more information, please pick up an enrollment 

application at any Turner Elementary School or the 

Board of Education Office, or you may call 913.288.3800. 

TEST DATES FOR THE 2009-2010 SCHOOL YEAR ARE 

APRIL 2 AND APRIL 29, 2009.

February 2009 www.turnerusd202.org The Turner Page 3 

Turner Middle School 

Michael Koonce, Principal 

Tiffany Fanning, Associate Principal 

TMS Mission: 

Every Turner Middle School student and staff member will actively engage in learning while utilizing technology, 

applying knowledge, and developing skills to become independent, creative problem solvers in a global society. 

Greetings Turner School District Families: 

Thank you for your time and dedication in supporting your student’s education during his or 

her first semester of the 2008-2009 school year at Turner Middle School. We completed a positive 

and productive semester on December 19th, and we look forward to working with all of our students 

during the 2nd semester. We will continue to communicate frequently with students and 

parents, as the 2nd semester typically is very busy with State Assessments, enrollment for the next 

school year, and various activities and celebrations. In an effort to keep you informed of events at 

TMS, we will continue to utilize our automated phone notification system, and we will also send 

information home in the mail and/or with students from time to time. 

Below is a list of currently scheduled activities and events for the 3rd quarter. We would enjoying 

seeing you during the Awards Night Event and Parent Teacher Conferences. 

• January 19th - No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday 

• January 29th - TMS Awards Night from 6:00 to 7:30 in the TMS Auditorium 

• February 6th - NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) - Randomly Selected 

8th Grade Students 

• February 11th - Parent-Teacher Conferences from 1:00 to 8:00 - By Appointment Only with 

Academic Teams 

• February 12th - Parent-Teacher Conferences from 1:00 to 8:00 - Open Session in the TMS 

Gymnasium 

• February 13th - No School 

• February 19th - No School - Presidents’ Day Holiday 

• March 12th - End of the 3rd Quarter 

• February, March, April, and May - Kansas State Assessments and MAP (Measures of Academic 

Progress) Testing 

John Ernst, Assistant Principal 

Diane McGee, Assistant Principal 

288-4000 

The following essay is the building-wide winner of a Back To School 

essay contest initiated by Learning Quest. This was a national contest, 

but Turner Middle School elected to have a local competition for its 

students. Trigg Brewer’s essay was selected as the best for TMS. 

ESSAY by Turner Middle School Student, Trigg Brewer 

A Positive Change 

Most people would say the world isn’t perfect, but those people 

don’t realize that they can change it and make a positive impact 

on the world. 

To start such a feat I will start small at a school or community. 

One of the main things I would do is help the environment by 

planting trees and flowers, then moving on to cleaning up litter 

and streams. I also then might recycle and reuse materials such 

as plastic bottles and jugs, or start saving electricity and water. 

The environment is one way of helping the world, but there are 

people who need help too. There are people all over the world 

who are suffering due to poverty, natural disasters, and terrorists. 

Some of those people’s problems are completely their fault due 

to living in dangerous places and not making the right decisions 

in life. Even so, those people could use some help in their lives. 

I could help give them money and food from donations. 

The world may have its flaws, but if everyone tries and devotes 

a little time to helping this planet, it will change for the better. 

We continue to feel a great sense of pride for our Turner Middle School students, and we are 

confident that we, both students and staff, will continue to experience success on multiple occasions 

throughout the remainder of the school year. 

Although we have shared this information before, we have listed below our commitments 

to ourselves, each other, our students, and our school families. Our goal is to continually work in 

collaborative manner during the 2nd semester and continuously improve as individuals and as a 

building team in each of these areas. 

TMS students 

who earned a 

special lunch 

at the “No 

Tardy Party” 

show their 

tickets. 

Turner Middle School Commitments: 

• Students First 

• High Expectations 

• Differentiation in the Classroom 

• Positive Classroom and School Environment 

• Communication 

• Role Models for Students 

• Team Player 

Additionally, we will continue to focus on the following 

student expectations during the 2nd semester in order to maximize 

our students’ experiences at TMS: 

• Be an Active Participant in Your Own Learning 

• Exceed Our Expectations 

• Show Respect for Self and Others 

• Be Proud of Yourself, Others, and Your School 

• Be Honest and Live with Integrity 

As always, you are welcome to call or visit our school to 

learn more about the great things we do for our students! 

Respectfully, 

Michael Koonce – Principal 

Tiffany Fanning – Associate Principal 

Diane McGee – Assistant Principal 

John Ernst – Assistant Principal 

TMS students 

gather in the library 

to watch American 

history in action – 

the inauguration of 

the 44th president. 

FREE or REDUCED PRICE SCHOOL MEALS… 

It’s never too late to apply for school meal benefits! 

Households may apply for benefits at any time during the school year. 

Eligibility for school meal benefits is based on a valid food stamp number or 

on household size and gross income. Households that have experienced a 

change of income or size may now qualify for free or reduced price school 

meals. A meal benefit application may be downloaded from 

the district website, www.turnerusd202.org, 

or obtained through the school cafeteria or Food Service Office. 

Contact Food & Nutrition Services for more information 

913-288-4143. 

EAT RIGHT ● PLAY HARD ● LEARN BETTER


Turner Early 

Learning Center @ Muncie 

Dear Parents, 

The third quarter is upon us and students are very busy learning. 

All kindergarten students have taken the MAP assessment 

in reading and math. You will receive a parent letter during 

conference that shows your student’s achievements on this test. 

Ask your child’s teacher about each of the assessments and what 

it means for your child’s learning. 

A computer lab has been set up on the stage so that teachers 

can take their entire class to the lab. Students have been 

learning about the keyboard, the mouse and the monitor. Both 

pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students are using the lab. 

Students are enjoying the different age appropriate web sites. If 

you have a computer at home and would like some web sites for 

your child to use at home please contact the school. 

A winter field trip is planned for both pre-kindergarten and 

kindergarten. Pre-kindergarten students will be going to Wonderscope 

in Shawnee. Wonderscope has 10 interactive exhibits 

that are self-guided and hands-on for students. Wonderscope 

builds upon the students’ need to learn by doing. Kindergarten 

students will be going to Kaliedoscope in KC, MO. Kaliedoscope 

has many art stations where students use their creative talents to 

make cards, puzzles, and pictures. They are given a bag when 

they enter and they can fill the bags with many items so that 

they can continue to create at home. Both trips are good winter 

learning experiences. 

Each teacher has a positive behavior program in their classroom. 

To encourage all students to earn the positive tokens, we 

will have a Friday Fun for students who have earned enough 

tokens during the week. All students earning enough tokens 

will come to the cafeteria for the last 10 minutes of school. Ms. 

Borg and I will plan a fun activity for the students. This will 

encourage all students to follow the rules and do their personal 

best at school. Start asking your child if they were able to attend 

the Friday Fun with Ms. Borg and Ms. Letcher. 

Thank you for being supportive parents and reading each night 

with your child. 

Sincerely, 

Becky Letcher 

Principal of the Turner Early Learning Center @ Muncie 

Turner Early Learning Center 

913-288-3800 

Becky Letcher, Principal 

A Long Road to a Unique School 

Steve Bailey: 

A Man Among the Children 

The Turner Early Learning Center (TELC) 

holds a unique position within the Turner 

school district because it is the only school 

that serves our very youngest children. On 

a typical visit to TELC, one will see hallways 

and classrooms filled with children who are, 

at most, waist high, and a teaching staff that 

is almost totally female. However, among 

the nurturing teachers and support staff at 

the TELC, one man stands as a male role 

model—Steve Bailey, Librarian. 

Manning (literally) the position of librarian 

at TELC is Bailey’s first job as a school 

librarian. Before taking over the newlyestablished 

TELC library, Bailey served the 

Turner district for ten years in the technology 

department. Armed with expertise as 

Steve Bailey with a typical library class of students 

from TELC. 

a NOVELL technology specialist and about to complete a bachelor’s degree in computer science, 

Bailey came to Turner in the fall of 1998. As he helped the technology capacity of the school district 

advance through ten years in the technology department, he 

continued his education at the University of Missouri, Columbia, 

receiving his masters degree in library science in 2004. The open 

library position at TELC came just at the right time to allow Bailey 

to complete his teaching credentials in early childhood education 

and computer science and to begin his work as a school librarian. 

Bailey reports that he is very comfortable working with four and 

five-year olds. He said, “I find the work here very rewarding because 

all the kids [at this age] want to learn and want to please the 

teacher.” He continued to explain that his role as librarian for the 

early learners is stimulating and fulfilling, and he looks forward to 

continuing his position as a Man Among the Children. 

Steve Bailey with Clifford, The Big Red Dog 

Turner District makes AYP and 

exits “On Improvement” status 

for the first time since NCLB 

The federal No Child Left Behind program, which has become 

the backbone of the state’s educational accountability structure, 

has historically been a special burden to schools that serve a 

high population of at-risk students, such as the Turner district. 

Consequently, the Turner district has been in “on improvement” 

since the inception of NCLB. Turner staff and students have 

work diligently to rise above the standards needed to exit the “on 

improvement” status, and as a result of their redoubled efforts 

during last spring’s testing season, Turner has reached its goal. 

Superintendent Michelle Sedler was excited to announce to 

the staff and the community that the district was notified in November 

of their exceptional accomplishment. She reminds us; 

however, that reaching this goal is like so many other hard-fought 

accomplishments, the struggle must persist and performance 

must continue to improve. We all should offer hearty congratulations 

to the instructional staff of USD 202 and to its students 

for their worthy accomplishment. But, in the same breath, we 

must continue to encourage excellence in order to reach the ever 

increasing goals established by the state and federal programs.


Midland Trail Elementary 

288-3500 

Jason Dandoy, Principal 

Instructional Coaching at Midland Trail 

By Mary Jean Grindel 

After having taught grades 2 through 6 in Kansas 

schools for 30 years. I became the instructional 

coach at Midland Trail three years ago. 

As a first year coach, I was sincerely appreciative 

of the training I received from the district and 

the support and encouragement I received from 

other coaches and my MTE colleagues. It is very 

important for me to have a good working relationship 

with my principal. We meet regularly to 

share information, have discussions, and plan. 

I really do feel that increasing the learning of 

children is what coaching is all about. It is important 

to have good interpersonal skills and be a 

good listener with teachers. I am a resource and 

a support person for them. I am willing to plan 

and co-teach with them. Using research-based 

and best practices and strategies in teaching is 

a part of our district’s improvement plan and 

directs much of what I do as an instructional 

coach. As an instructional coach, I am able to be 

in all classrooms and observe the instructional 

strategies our teachers are using. This provides 

additional opportunities for giving feedback and 

sharing ideas with teachers. 

As chairperson of the school improvement 

team, I know that studying and analyzing student 

data is powerful. Classroom teachers at Midland 

Trail continually analyze their data and make 

instructional decisions based upon their findings. 

Collaboration times enable me to be a part 

of their discussions and planning. We share real 

concerns regarding our at-risk learners and being 

able to meet needs. 

An instructional coach is an agent, a catalyst 

for change. Teachers don’t just keep on teaching 

what they’ve always taught in the same way 

they’ve always taught. They follow state standards 

and indicators in an aligned curriculum. 

They track the mastery of those indicators. I 

support teachers in enhancing these skills. 

I am involved with the planning and organization 

of each student’s various assessments. Along 

the way, I enjoy being a real “encourager” of 

students and classes meeting goals. Outside of 

the school day, I iron tiger paw prints on t-shirts, 

give rewards at various “paws points” in Reading 

Counts, track each student’s “Roaring Reader” 

monthly minutes as they work towards Pizza Hut 

coupons and T-Bones tickets, and provide many 

other motivational services to classrooms. 

As an instructional coach, I do not have all of 

the answers to all of the challenges facing teachers 

today. But, I am grateful to be part of a team of 

very dedicated professionals, who does its best 

to increase our students’ learning and prepare 

them for their future. 

Dear Midland Trail Families 

With the holiday rush behind us, we are beginning the second 

semester by focusing on instruction and learning at Midland Trail. 

In the upcoming weeks, students will begin taking State Assessments 

in Reading, Mathematics, Writing, and Science. Midland 

Trail staff have been working with students to ensure mastery of 

content indicators. Students have responded by taking ownership 

over their progress; many students watch their performance on 

a personal growth graph. 

We have adopted a number of positive ways in which to recognize 

student achievement. Below, you will find names of students 

who have demonstrated achievement by earning high marks in 

academic subjects. In the halls of Midland Trail, we have been 

graphing performance on formative (or “informative”) assessments. 

Students who have achieved on weekly tests at the “Meets 

Standard”, “Exceeds Standard”, or “Exemplary” level are also 

receiving tiger stripes to document performance by grade level. 

When your 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th grader arrives home on a Friday, 

make sure to talk with them about their practice test experience 

that week. 

During the spring semester, we will be hosting a series of events 

to encourage parent participation in our school. Events will focus 

on activities in each of our school improvement areas: Reading, 

Mathematics, and Climate. Please be watching our school newsletter, 

“Tiger Topics” for dates and times. 

Lastly, we are seeking parents and community members to 

participate in the Midland Trail SITE Council. This team of school 

stakeholders meets once each month to learn about school functions 

that pertain to teaching and learning. If you would like more 

information about the Council, or to attend a meeting, please 

contact me at 913/288-3500. 

Have a wonderful spring season- 

Jason Dandoy, Principal 

All Superior Honor Roll 

(Straight A’s) 

Aaron Amparan 

Alex Gumminger 

Alexander Vue 

Alicia Lawrence 

Alicia Pena 

Ashley Motes 

Audree Yang 

Bethany Hutchings 

Christian James 

Daelyn Guiton 

Danielle Yulich 

Donte Colum 

Dylan Bailey 

Elizabeth Vue 

Emilly Bowline 

Eryn Gulley 

Grace Minick 

Haley Duft 

Hannah Her 

Jesse Howell 

Joanna Torres 

Jonathan Torres 

Joseph Ramirez 

Josiah Minick 

Kaitlynn Crocker 

Luis Torres 

Luke Malik 

Maddox Abernathy 

MaKenzie Bowline 

Michael Creek 

Milca Aguirre 

Morgan Reed 

Nayely Villanueva 

Nicole Urbaneja 

Oskar Ayala 

Silvana Alcantara 

Sophie Stipe 

Midland Trail Elementary School 

Quarterly Student Recognition 

Thomas Xiong 

Victor Tapia 

Weston Hutchings 

All Above Average Honor 

Roll (A & B’S) 

Abbi Whisler 

Abra Matzek 

Adam Lewis 

Alaxandra Scharschell 

Alice Diaz 

Alyssa Johnson 

Alyssa Walker 

Amany Abusalim 

Amia Strange 

Andre Jackson 

Andrew Creek 

Angelica Guzman 

Anthony Yang 

Ashanti McGee 

Ashley Riley 

Ashley Yang 

AubryAnna Derringer 

Austin Schwed 

Austin Ward 

Bailey Marks 

C.J Sawyers 

Caleb Doyle 

Carlos Tapia 

Chance Thoman 

Clarissa Ramos 

Cole Burton 

Cory White 

Daniel Agustin-Sanchez 

Daniela Castro 

Daniela Martinez 

Daphne Basinski 

Dawson Leimkuhler 

Derihan Mojica 

Diana Flores 

Dylan Riggs 

Emily Bias 

Emily Gudino 

Ethan Fox 

Gabriel Pena 

Gabriel Spoerre 

Geralyn Lawyer 

Gibran Payton 

Haleigh Riggs 

Hannah Harris 

Hayley Arens 

Humberto Pulido 

Irvin Aguirre 

Jack Tolle 

Jacob Smith 

Jacqueline Vue 

Jada McMaken 

Jaime Medina 

Jamar Grant 

James Payne 

Javier Anaya 

Jawan Grant 

Jennifer Yulich 

Jeremiah Coleman 

Jerrett Guzan 

Jessica Judd-Custer 

Johan Juarez-Mendoza 

John Ramirez 

Jonathan Lemus 

Joseph Green 

Josh Burnett 

Julian Hernandez 

Kailey Rios 

Kaitlyn Conner 

Kaleb Robinette 

Kathleen Rinehart 

Kenny Moore 

Kirsten Mata 

Kristian Ward 

Lexi Eitel 

Luis Aguilar 

Luke Green 

Madison Eagles 

Makenzi McIntosh 

Maria Guerrero 

Michelle Guzman 

Monica Romero 

Nancy Cortez 

Nick Hang 

Nicklaus Mock 

Nicole Vogan 

Noah Lopez 

Octavio Martinez 

Oscar Pena 

Preston Steffens 

Quintin Boese 

Quinton Sporre 

Rebecca Coyne 

Ricky Alvarado 

Sabrina Romero 

Sabrina Whalen 

Samuel Lee 

Savannah Laytham 

Scott Coyne 

Sebastian Whalen 

Sehila Rodriguez 

Sierra Sands 

Stephanie Basurto 

Steven Thao 

Tyler Xiong 

Vanessa Guerra 

Xavier Martinez 

Xavier Mendez 

On a Roll Improvement 

Award (C or Better) 

Abigail Winters 

Alba Polanco 

Alejandro Rivas 

Alesia Macias 

Alex Guzan 

Alex Scheets 

Alexis Blevins 

Alexis Wall 

Alexus Hobson 

Alondra Aviles 

Alycia Collins 

Alyssa McMaken 

Alyssa Vincent 

Andrea Chacon 

Angelica Ramirez 

Anna Bardwell 

Anthony Ramirez 

Antonia Baraias 

Arianna Moore 

Ashley Rojas 

Aylin Gurrola 

Bailey Sweeney 

Brandon Martinez 

Brandon Ponce 

Brandon Simmons 

Brian Salinas 

Brook Yoakum 

Carlos Guerra 

Carmen Mendez 

Carolina Nava 

Cecilia Carter 

Charlea Kitchen 

Cheyene Goodlow 

Chris Doyle 

Christa Slater 

Christina True 

Christopher Lopez 

Coby Patterson 

Dalton Card 

Daniel Aguilar 

Daniel Johnson 

Daniel Magee 

Daniela Romero 

David Bussard 

David Castaneda 

David Chavez 

David James 

David Romano 

Dayton Gulley 

Destiny Hood 

Elijah Wright 

Elis Umana 

Emalana Sheptock 

Co n t i n u e d o n Pa g e 11


Turner USD 202 Student Recognition Rolls 

1st GRADE 

A List Honor Roll 

Aliyev, Adam 

Barajas, Anabelle 

Cruz, Carmen S. 

Dark, Brenden 

Gutierrez, Zoe 

Maxey, Ethan 

Reed, Vance 

Rodriguez, Justyce 

Taylor, Lillian 

Most Improved / 

A/B List Honor Roll 

Anderson, Logan 

Card, Jaden 

Cheney, Alycia 

Clark, Kristen 

Dunn, Myishanae 

Gomez, Yanira 

Granados, Abigail 

Grasmick, Cody 

Gutierrez, Alycia 

Herriford, ThaiAsia 

Juarez, Edgar 

Leiker, Sierra 

LittleEagle, Mida 

Martin, Jalyssa 

McCombs, Cheyenne 

Morlang, Cole 

Murray, Quincey 

Peck, Robert 

Pimental, Erik 

Sabala, Alexia 

Singleton, Sara 

Whisonant, Alaysia 

Wynne, Fhillippee 

Yoder, Noah 

Achievement Honor Roll 

Nelson, Bryce 

2nd GRADE 


Burger, Derringer 

Escobar, Sergio 

Knight, Jaime 

Marvel, Todd 

Zwick, Kaya 



Bishop, Richard 

Bridge, Zachary 

Carrillo, Alexis 

Cheney, Alexis 

Cruz, Tyler 

Dahl, Anna 

Escobar, David 

Gallet, Joshua 

Garcia, Julio 

Hamilton, Lillian 

Jackson, Shyla 

Morlang, Cali 

Nash, Maya 

Overbaugh, Damien 

Quiroga, Anthony 

Sanders, Jons’ey 

Thomas, Rayshawn 

Whisonant, Vanesha 

Willoughby, Todd 


Aronson, Blake 

Carr, ShaLavon 

Farrell, Carlee 

Green, Chad 

3rd GRADE 


Farrow, Mia 

Hamilton, Raven 

Jimenez, Edward 

Langford, Michelle 

Leyva, Denisse 

Luginbill, Nicholas 

Morris, Kristen 

Najera, Richie 

Rivera, Sylvia 

Vazquez, Nathalie 

Junction Elementary 

2nd Quarter 2008/2009 



Aliyev, Audrey 

Armintrout, Lindsay 

Bailey, Christina 

Campbell, Alex 

Carroll, Rodney 

Carter, Jacob 

Chowning, Emily 

DelRio, Nathan 

Diaz, Gilbert 

Dirks, Destiny 

Flores, Luis 

Garrett, Verneesha 

Gurtner, Raymon 

Hernandez, Kylie 

Her, Jessalyn 

Hickock, Patty 

Huerta, Briana 

Knight, Casey 

LittleEagle, Mesca 

Martinez, David 

McGhee, Ronald 

Musgrave, Mason 

Nevarez, Jose 

Phillips, Kalvin 

Ramirez, Angela 

Ramirez, Blanca 

Reed, Trenton 

Spurlock, Jacob 

White, Tatyana 

Wood, Blake 


Bailey, Christina 

Carrillo, Marissa 

Moffett, Aleana 

Collin Purinton 

4th GRADE 


Brown, Kara 

Cook, Lucia 

Haney, Zachary 

Vazquez, Isaac 



Brich, Morgan 

Campbell, Brendan 

Dull, Destiney 

Hamilton, Zachary 

Hanna, Jourdan 

Landis, Zach 

Orent, Jimmy 

Pruitt, Amanda 

Ray, Noah 

Rilinger, Nicole 

Stahl, Matthew 

Winkler, Chris 


Cheney, Julie 

Cole, Jhela 

Estis, Trashea 

Lisk, Alexander 

5th GRADE 


Gallegos, Joel 



Barajas, Elysia 

Cook, Christina 

Cook, Isabella 

Johnson, Tiauna 

Juarez, Alejandra 

Purinton, Hannah 

Scott, Elexus 

Singleton, Michaela 


5th Grade 

Gottman, Hayden 

Moise, Luke 

Tubbs, Alyssa 

Yoder, Madison 

6th GRADE 


Dressler, Colby 

Gordillo, Mireya 

Anatasia King 

Morris, Jessica 

Phomsouvanh, Cammy 

Schindel, Miranda 

Vang, Hope 

Vongphrachanh, Susan 

Yurgel, Mitchell 



Ash, James 

Bernal, Santino 

Defries, Madison 

Dirks, Damien 

Dorsey, Annalee 

John, Vincent 

Jones, David 

Knight, Melissa 

Parra, Andrea 

Schindel, Miranda 

Sierant, Victoria 

Ray, Nicholas 

Weber, Zachar 

3rd Grade 

All A’s 

Marisela Cisneros 

Erin Frayer 

Payton Smith 

Melanie Valdez 

All A’s and B’s 

Valor Bowles 

Paola Flores 

Elijah Florez 

Tanner Freeman 

Alfonso Garcia 

Destiny Gibson 

Christian Hayes 

Michael Her 

Titus Her 

Sharia Hoyle 

Kevin Hullum 

Danelle Lambert 

Nicholas Maike 

Julia Merino 

Vanessa Obi 

Alexis Rodriguez 

Christian Smotherman 

Hannah Stathas 

Lizzy Sutton 

Dylan Swink 

Shelby Tomasevic 

Madison Vincent 

Colette Wilson 

Davion Young 

4th Grade 

All A’s 

Alexis Burgard 

Robert Erwin 

Christian Garcia 

Gracie Gentry 

Angel Lee 

Jade Martinez 

Socorro Morales 

Tyler Motley 

Tanner Sutton 

Rachel Telgemeier 

Celina Williams 


Kayla Armintrout 

Dequan Brown 

Tyler Charles 

Selena Cisneros 

Corbin Clark 

Christina Emert 

Kylor Field 

Angella Forrest 

Emily Garcia 

Tyler Groves 

Jordan Heddings 

Alan Mora 

Summer Pestock 

Antonio Ramirez 

Hayden Richards 

Kaitlyn Savery 

T.J. Villa 


2nd Quarter 2008/2009 

5th Grade 

All A’s 

Luis Cisneros 

Akhil Conway 

Laura Edson 

Tierra Gaines 

Jazzlyn Garrison 

DeMarquice Phillips 

Ingrid Silva 


Tabi Brown 

Marcos Carta 

Cindy Contreras 

Michiah Frayer 

Casey Green 

Alexis Her 

Adam Hill 

Emily Leger 

Juliana Moreno-Garcia 

Alissia Nevarez 

Cody Roebuck 

Brianna Soto 

Derek West 

6th Grade 

All A’s 

Crystal Hernandez 

Jamie Hoover 

David Navarrete 

Terri Pierce 

Cody Porath 

Kayla Tidwell 

ALL A’s and B’s 

Rachael Bledsoe 

Jacob Casby 

Jasmine Cervantes 

Jayson Dunn 

Jose Forgas 

Hannah Green 

Alex Hendrix 

Jonae Honeycutt 

Otto Ibarra 

Nick Johnston 

Amanda Jones 

Dani Loma 

Raul Martinez 

Ana Mendoza 

Taylor Pierce 

Stephanie Saldivar 

Courtney Schilder 

Kim Scott 

Kaylynn Stratton 

Aubrie Sutton 

Madison Sweeney 

Jose Talamantes 

Nate Walker 

Cheyenne Whisler 

Meagan Worthy



Oak Grove Elementary 2nd Quarter 2008/2009 

Straight A’s 

Drayvin Woodson 

Cari Joly 

Sarah Wilks 

Solomon Han 

Mariah Kimbrell 

Andie Burch 

Brandon Barrier 

Savanna Good-Turney 

Kaitlyn Pearson 

Dejenae Duncan, 

Jenna Kanoy 

Rylie Miller 

Curtis Wilks 

Karina Guzman 

Francisco Cardoza 

SiAnna Barnett 

Emilee Brotherton 

Mario Guttierez 

Andrea Hobson 

Gustavo Martinez 

Noemi Ramirez 

John Villegas 

John Cox 

Jessica Heflin 

Caleb Keltner 

Albaro Rodriguez 

Siarah Villanueva 

Austin Wickwire 

Neyib Castillo 

Jorge Cordero 

Isaac Dominguez, 

Joyce Herrera 

Gianelli Vargas 

Miguel Martinez 

Alexandria Sanchez 

Diego Acosta, 

Diane Perez 

Tai’ Auani Jackson 

Karen Herr 

Monica Petrey 

Kyle Cromwell 

Heaven O’Neal 

Angela Vue 

Daphne Villalobos 

Odis Barnett 

Seth Vanerwerf 

Mario Bustos 

Alexa Pedersen 

Vanessa Rodriguez 

Benjamin VanDeBerghe-Ray 

Anabel Cardoza 

Aaliyah Garcia 

Melvin Martinez,Luke Matson 

Sam Ferrell 

A and B 

Kasey Clark 

Ryan Johnson 

Tiffany Joly 

Destiny Kingery 

Vanessa Rader 

Mariah Banda 

Anthony Bandy 

Paola Campos 

Nick Dillon 

Ashley May 

Payge McCannon 

Ryan Sport 

Krista Thomas 

Morgan Walker 

Mikayla Whittington 

Denyce Chatmon 

Caleb Cox 

Elise Woods 

Megan Johnson 

Zuleyma Cedeno 

Dewayne Guess 

Cecilia Gutierrez 

Samantha Hanna 

Amber Huston 

Osvaldo Salas 

Payong Lo 

Kevin Martinez, 

Alejandro Ramirez 

Tou Vang 

Jake Wilbert 

Jacob Arnold 

Marissa Banda 

Danielle Brewer 

Yasmine Garcia 

Tristen Given 

Jorden Kinnaird 

Marissa LeDesma 

Hillary Madrid 

Lacey Stiles 

Bobbie Walker 

Kiana Wigle 

Rylee Boren 

Yovanna Garza 

Jade Hairston 

Tanner Hamilton 

Brody Jordan 

Brooklyn McNish 

Andy Pack 

EriAunna Steen 

Mariana Lopez 

Niaya McIntosh 

Devin Nibert 

Kelly Pham 

Danelly Ramirez 

Cynthia Salinas 

Tou Vang 

Mallory Bialek 

Zachary Cooper 

Mathew Fabac 

Richard Kemph 

Katrina Magerl 

Robert Robbins 

Josie Alvey 

Grayce Beery 

Sam Keith 

Jacob May 

Dorian Medina 

Alycia Salazar 

Emily Sheley 

Lauryn Bergerhofer 

Jasmine Crockett 

Serena Franklin 

William Herr 

Dylan McMannus 

Mercury Brewster 

Mirna Diosdado 

Angel Dominguez 

Maira Gonzalez 

Alekasandra Kovac 

Jose Rodriguez 

Danny Romo 

Jose-Carlos Villicana 

Fue Xiong 

Norelly Faudoa 

Lalo Franco 

Yuvisel Fuentes 

Jae Seong Han 

Delilah Mendiola 

Neftali Morales 

Alicia Rodriguez 

Jazmin Santos 

Lizbeth Valencia 

Jae Hyeon Han 

Vivana Vera 

Sergio Cervantes 

Jada Fleig 

Joseph Flinn 

Abraham Garcia 

Lalo Gutierrez 

Cole Hill 

Venus Irias 

Samantha Hernandez 

Michael Criss 

Martyana Carson 

Paige Billington 

Adriane Blockmon 

Lea Brewer 

Chandler Bouton 

Kaylee Hernandez 

Angelica Martinez 

Geri Pack 

Isaiah Peterson 

Trevor Drake 

Piper Kent 

Lexie Sheley 

Brianna Arnold 

Percy Bickel 

Alexis Evans 

Joey Salamancam 

Bryan States 

Topaz Brewster 

Rickie Cox 

Melina Duarte 

Reayn Hill 

Jackelin Salinas 

Stefan Suslijik 

Jennifer Uscanga 

Litzy Alcantar 

Fernando Chagoja 

Manuel Esobedo 

Dilan Jimenez 

Luke Keith 

Kalia Lor 

Ailen Lujan 

Elisabeth Martinez 

Jaime Munoz Valencia 

Alejandro Osorio 

Fancisco Sanchez 

Emily Beery 

Dahilianna Hernandez 

Fenix King 

Darryl Payne 

Caitlin Stack 

Jake Stoner 

Dakota Wise 

Josie Bergerhofer 

Kevina Brothers 

Julius Davey 

Nicholas Gordan 

Gabriel Heavner 

Kaitlyn Long 

Hanah Martinez 

Alyssa Mesaros 

Dylan Moore 

Josua Wigle 

Mark Yang 

Davin Zamora 

Samuel Courtney 

Benjamin Erwin 

Delecia Franco 

Destanie Gee 

Seth Menges 

Wesley Sherry 

Felipa Silva 

Joshua Leapheart 

David Aguilar 

Kerim Castillo 

Alex Ceniseros 

Alex Duewel 

Sheyla Faudoa 

Mos Lor 

Oliver Luis 

Everardo Morales 

Alexander Pineda 

Cecilia Ramirez 

Maria Ramirez 

Francisco Rodriguez 

“On a Roll”( C’s or better) 

Jacob Bergerhofer 

Jenna Brewer 

Deonte Fenrick 

Melody Frederick 

Katie Gonzalez 

Kevin Greene 

Sam Stiles 

Codey Bailes 

Cameron Collins 

Emily Fritz 

Wyatt Hairston 

Leah Khier 

Lacy Mann 

Cassie May 

Heather McDougal 

Connor Reynolds 

Shelby Scheets 

Ashley Evans 

Scotty Johnson 

Aubry Spragg 

Christian Villegas 

Jesus Balderrama 

Collan Edwards 

Riley McMahon 

Leticia Nunez 

Steven Handley 

Alex Huston 

Alex McDaniel 

Devin McIntosh 

Jonathan Mendoza 

Sierra Wymore 

James Fleig 

Connor Hill 

Kaitlyn Rogers 

Josh Wall 

Christian Yang 

Billy Burke 

Sandy Cedeno 

Jesus Cordero 

Andrea DeJesus 

Sandra Elizondo 

Branden Flores 

Bailey Given 

Eduardo Ibarra 

Alex Martini 

Friedrich Mendez 

Tomas Ramirez 

Brittany Cunningham 

Dalton Gibbs 

Brian Kennedy 

Kristopher Lindsay 

Romeo Prtillo 

Dakota Rocha 

Cameron Wright 

Anna Florez 

Faith Hamel 

Anthony Hernandez 

Samantha Knight 

Ashley Lindsay 

Kameron Nolan 

Madisson Page 

Mariana Palos 

Karley Pearson 

Melissa Vest 

Ashly Caron 

Mikayla Cox 

Kevin Johnson 

Bradly McDaniel 

Devon Tinsley 

Juli Whittington 

Kaitlen Acevedo 

Manuel Balderrama 

Yeltsin Castillo 

Bryan Huns 

Kayla Jones 

Karol Melendez 

Jesus Saucedo 

Levi Castro 

Adan Gutierrez 

Carionna Denk 

Kobie Becker 

Miah Herring 

Kenton Reynolds 

Lacie Smith 

Victoria Vanderwerf 

Chris Rider 

Ty Agee 

Mar ‘Jai Conner 

Faith Guinnip 

Tabbytha Herring 

Zach Potter 

Hope Rider 

Andre Brothers 

Madeline Eddy 

Megan Fabac 

Mark Reed 

Christian Rogers 

Ana Sanchez 

Alexandra Villacana 

Esteban Ibarrar 

Angel Solis-Vallejo 

Caleb Collin 

Bryce Evans 

Timothy Schembs 

Dylan Woods 

McKayla Tarwater 

Jordan Cornett 

Chase Anderson 

Elijah Smith 

Tyree William 

Jaydon Green 

Bryan Pineda 

Stephanie Mendez



Turner Middle School: 1st Semester 2008/2009 

7th Grade Honor Rolls 

All A’s 

Karen Aguilar 

Maylen Diaz 

McKenzie Dick 

Denise Flores 

Michael Florez 

Betty Gillespie 

Stephanie Gonzalez 

Erick Guzman 

Kristiana Her 

Jordan House 

Kimberley Mireles 

Whitney Murray 

Guadalupe Orozco 

Jacob Penrod 

Prisma Ramirez 

Anna Stark-Dowling 

Matthew Sutton 

Tommy Wilson 

JinWoo Yang 

A/B Honor Roll 

Alexis Alexander 

Ryan Alexander 

Cody Birdwell 

Marcus Bortka 

Ericka Carr-Harris 

Marlen Cervantes 

Connor Chastain 

Irven Cheney 

Tristan Coker 

Michael Coleman 

Karly Crabaugh 

Alexis Dade 

Kelsey Daniels 

Mose Davis 

Zshavon Dotson 

Mathew Elton 

Jacob Esparza-Hoskins 

Laura Gallegos 

Jesenia Garcia 

Juan Garcia 

Luis Garcia-Ruiz 

Kourtney Green 

Nidia Gurrola 

Alexis Harris 

Hannah Harrity 

Olivia Hatchel 

Jacob Heflin 

Cheng Her 

Mildred Hernandez 

Stephanie Herr 

Maria Herrera 

Kortnee Hicks 

Tyler Hill 

Zaccary Hinman 

ShaneQual Hoyle 

Pedro Jimenez 

Timothy Keith 

Giovanni King 

Marshall King 

Alexis Kluender 

Justin Kos 

Marco Loma 

Sabrina Manning 

Joshua Marshall 

Kimberly Mason 

Roger Maxwell 

SeYonna McGhee 

John Meyer 

Samantha Mohler-Peters 

Hannah Moore 

Cassidy Morris 

Sarah Nobles 

Brittany Peck 

Brandon Perry 

Breanna Perry 

Bradley Poje 

Carla Ramirez 

Taylor Ramirez 

John Russell 

Lucas Sanders 

Kenneth Shields 

Cody Smith 

Malavan Thammavongsa 

Brandon Watson 

Elyssa White 

Elexis Williams 

Miko Willimas 

Brett Wilson 

Daniel Wilson 

Jordan Wing 

Berenice Zamudio 

JoshuaDaniell Short 

Achievement Roll 

Sarah Arfstrom 

Elizabeth Barnes 

Aryes Campbell 

Tania Cazares 

Kenneth Clark 

Juan Cuellar 

Sebastian Davila 

Sandra Diaz 

Alma Estrada 

Tyler Freeman 

Guillermo Garcia 

Omar Garcia 

Veronica Gervais 

Jordan Gochenour 

Sirr Green 

Taylor Green 

Soila Guerra 

Betsy Hernandez 

Jessica Jarsulic 

Jessica Koloaco 

Haley Langley 

Zachary Lawrence 

Sadie Lewko 

Kayli Lindsay 

Brianna Lopez 

Eva Loya 

Kellie Michael 

Yareli Molina 

Kensley Nazelrod 

Elena Nicholson 

Dyez Nissen 

Shantell Parks 

Jose Perez 

Kevin Pope 

Veronica Ramirez 

Logan Rangel 

Heaven Robbins 

Denver Rodgers 

Kristina Schwab 

Darius Scott 

Natalia Silva 

Gage Spring 

Ashley Thomas 

Kelsie Tyler 

Lauren Wadel 

Detrick Walker 

Rochelle Walters 

Morgan Williams 

Blayne Wright 

Kathy Yang 

8th Grade Honor Rolls 

All A ‘s 

Nichole Armintrout 

Shannon Barclift 

Trigg Brewer 

Victoria Davidson 

Raj Desai 

Makayla Dunn 

Anthony Florez 

Peter Galindo 

Kimberly Gott 

Richard Hernandez 

Jessica Hoover 

Taryn Johnson 

Brannon Kanoy 

Austin May 

Kelly McKay 

Stephanie Miller 

Cheyenne Roberts 

Marvin Santos 

Jayla Shields 

Genesis Silva 

June Stiles 

Stephanie Vang 

Alyssa Wilkinson 

Alyssa Williams-Price 

Marisa Worthy 

Marcus Yeager 

A/B Honor Roll 

Joshua Babcock 

Michael Bais 

Alexis Barajas 

Taylor Barrier 

Kimberly Benton 

Lyndsey Burgard 

Diana Calderon 

Khadijah Cole 

Carrie Collins 

Konstanze Dillon 

William Drury 

Curtis DuVall 

Alexis Ferguson 

Jacob Frederick 

Paige Given 

Carlos Gloria 

Desha Goodwin 

Dylan Gray 

Josselyn Guidel 

Roger Guess 

TzouaPang Hang 

Honesty Hanson 

Seth Harris 

Chesley Johansen 

Alicia Johnson 

Luke Kantola 

Cody Keltner 

Chris Khounvongsa 

Dillon King 

Amy Kivett 

Chase Knighton 

Drake Leger 

Morgan Lynnes 

Jasmaine Madison 

Elena Marquez 

Celina Martinez 

Jorge Martinez 

Haley Mason 

Montana Mills 

Lucybeth Mireles 

Jose Morales 

Gabriel Moran 

Anna Morgan 

McKenna Mortell 

Courtney Nigh 

Josianne Ortiz 

Peyton Peaches 

Joseph Potter 

Mariah Priddy 

Jovanna Ramirez 

Anna Rivera 

Angelica SalazarFlores 

Olivia Silvey 

Nicholas Stratton 

Marshall Taylor 

Alyssa Tomas 

Olivia Vaca 

Karla Valdez 

Jafet Ventura 

Mariah Villanueva 

Briana Williams 

Matthew Wise 


Jasmine Alcala 

Brooklyn Anderson 

Cristobal Arredondo 

Reilli Buckner 

Stefphon Burney 

Nikki Clark 

Adriaunna Cokes 

Madison Dunnuck 

Matthew Everitt 

De’Andre Fenrick 

Magan Fossett 

Freshmen 

Fee, Bailey 

Gonzalez, Juana 

Green, Dakota 

Johnson, Tighe 

Khounvongsa, Tim 

Thompson, Tyrin 

Youngs, Cheyanne 

Sophomore 

Burnett, Stormy 

Castleberry, Alexander 

Dick, James 

Estrada, Jesse 

Everidge, Victoria 

French, Rachel 

Hanna, Shelby 

Kilpatrick, Tiffanee 

Nagy, Jake 

Paniagua, Isabella 

Thoman, Shayne 

Vongphrachanh, Melinda 

Junior 

Bradshaw, DeMarais 

Brooks, Precious 

Cokes, Brionna 

Jacob Hamilton 

Jarrett Heinson 

Josh Herdman 

Dana Johnson 

Christa Jones 

Ryan Kelly 

Taylor Kudron 

Jesse Lance 

Ana Lopez 

Kayla Mahler 

Sydney Mayhugh 

TaVona McGhee 

Jeremy McHenry 

Paola Melendez 

Mikhaila Newton 

Nicole Ortiz 

Xavier Parker 

Cesar Pena 

Amber Pestock 

Sonia Pryce 

Fernando Rosales 

Melanie Rusk 

Mitchell Shirk 

Jeffery Smith 

Sarah Stephenson 

Josiah Thompson 

Maria Torres 

Jacqueline Valenzuela 

Luis Vera 

LaRaya Walker 

Mark Walker 

Justin Wilcox 

Adreyona Williams 

Shaleigh Wilson 

Turner High School: 

1st Semester 2008/2009 

All A's 

Desai, Prashant 

Green, Krystal 

Haws, Kaitlyn 

Herr, Julianna 

Sanchez, Jesus 

Stahl, Megan 

Swift, Courtney 

Young, Katelyn 

Senior 

Beatty, Elizabeth 

Butler, Kayla 

Castro, Jesse 

Henry, Lindsey 

Her, Xeng 

Jones, Hannah 

Lance, Rikki 

Lee, Katherine 

McCullough, Kathryn 

Miles, James 

Ratliff, Shelby 

Ross, Cortney 

Spencer, Jonathan 

Sweeney, Sara 

Tillery, Jessie 

Vazquez, Fernando 

Ward, Robert 

Whisner, Brooke 

Wise, Elizabeth 

Fo r m o r e THS Ho n o r Ro l l Li s t s… See n e x t pa g e



Turner High School: 1st Semester 2008/2009 

Honor Roll 

Freshmen 

Aderholt, Johnathan 

Aguilera, Alicia 

Alcantara, Merisa 

Alvarez, Eduardo 

Brown, Russell 

Ceron, Amairani 

Ceron, Itzamara 

Ford, Sammie 

Gaither, Shelby 

Gentry, Annie 

Goodwin, Ebony 

Hang, Luke 

Harris, Ciara 

Herr, Josephine 

Lindsey, Elizabeth 

Moad, Robert 

Nash, Cody 

Pumphrey, Nicholas 

Ramirez, Yesenia 

Reed, Shelby 

Rocha, Stacey 

Rodriguez, Nicholas 

Russell, Lacey 

Short, MichaelDavid 

Smith, Darcie 

Stephenson, Mallory 

Wilks, Ashleigh 

Wiseman, Laura 

Yang, Sally 

Young, Kimberly 

Young, Larry 

Sophomore 

Aguilar, Areli 

Allred, Ashley 

Alvarez, Mariaeugenia 

Atteberry, Ashley 

Ball, Brittani 

Bejan, Davienne 

Bejan, Nicole 

Bland, Amara 

Burgard, Lacey 

Bussard, Shaun 

Cedeno, Marcos 

Conklin, Spenser 

Coyne, Kathleen 

Damian, Damian 

Drew, Diane 

Duvall, Krystle 

Edmundson, Callie 

Franklin, Dakota 

Fulps, Jacob 

Glasscock, Brittlee 

Hambleton, Lauren 

Handley, Jordan 

Hardman, Jessica 

Harris, June 

Haygood, Eric 

Herd, Harley 

Hill, Kathryn 

House, Jacob 

Johnson, Tiaura 

Kiesling, Briana 

Kimbrell, Aubrey 

Lane, Kailey 

Lawrence, Johnny 

Lee, Cynthia 

Mackey, Masha 

McGuire, Audrey 

Metzler, Sara 

Nicholson, Tyler 

Ortiz, Marisa 

Patterson, Kendra 

Reynolds, Jack 

Rhodes, Jacob 

Seals, Jessica 

Smith, Britney 

Stallard, Cayleen 

Sutton, Lauren 

Thompson, Nicolette 

Tortolero, Ruben 

Vincent, Taylor 

Way, Christopher 

Whisner, Paige 

Wilkinson, Amanda 

Wilson, Elizabeth 

Wiseman, Kaylee 

Yanez, Johnathan 

Junior 

Akhpatelova, Yuliya 

Albertson, Angelica 

Bales, Dylan 

Brown, Kayla 

DeJesus, Sergio 

Eaton, Chelsea 

Engelhardt, Eva 

Fish, Courtney 

Gamber, Kirstie 

Green, Patience 

Gumminger, Jennifer 

Howard, Danny 

Huston, Stacey 

Johnson, Kirsha 

Kyle, Dakota 

Linkinhoker, Megan 

Lo, Pang 

Marshall, Matthew 

McDonald, Devin 

McKinley, Ricky 

Morgan, Hope 

Schoenberger, Clayton 

Smith, Eric 

Tabor, Hannah 

Titus, Clinton 

Vogts, Devon 

Wilson, Aaron 

Yang, Marlene 

Young, Marcus 

Senior 

Addington, Teresa 

Alvey, Zachary 

Anderson, Chad 

Carr, Eric 

Christian, Megan 

Collins, James 

Coon, Lucas 

Cox, Michelle 

Cox, Nick 

Diffley, Samantha 

Driskell, Quinci 

Firestone, Allen 

Fisette, Kaitlyn 

Fishbaugh, Joshua 

Gilliland, Sherria 

Gillis, Jacqueline 

Grogan, Katie 

Her, Amanda 

Hietala, Keith 

Hughes, Jeffrey 

Kiesling, Brittany 


Freshmen 

Alder, Markqus 

Alderman, Haley 

Barajas, Kristen 

Barajas, Alexis 

Barraza, Mayra 

Bergerhofer, Rebekah 

Berry, Margaret 

Bloomer, Nicholas 

Bobadilla, Jessica 

Brown, Antonio 

Bunch, Tamera 

Burris, Allison 

Cazun, Yoselin 

Contreras, Destany 

Cook, Bryce 

DeFries, Logan 

Dixson, Travis 

Freeman, Curtis 

Garcia, Kellin 

Gonzalez, William 

Hall, Joshua 

Harmon, Breahana 

Hawkins, Joshua 

Her, Crystal 

Hill, Haley 

Hill, Holly 

Howard, John 

Johnson, Jeremy 

Kent, Madison 

Lawrence, Brandon 

Meza, Jatziry 

Minick, Miranda 

Moore, Mina 

Murguia, Luis 

Neptune, William 

Orozco, Carlos 

Perdomo, Victoria 

Potts, Candice 

Ramirez, Jessica 

Ramsey, Zachary 

Salas, Azucena 

Sanders, Edna 

Sikorski, Rachel 

Siler, John 

Stangroom, Kalie 

Starling, Kayla 

Stuart, Dakota 

Todd, Shelby 

Torres, Laura 

Velasquez, Arlinton 

Webber, Leona 

West, Tyler 

White, Ashlynn 

White, Katlen 

Wilson, Katelyn 

Sophomore 

Acuna, Javier 

Alcantara, Armando 

Bernal, David 

Billings, William 

Brotherton, Alexander 

Carroll, Forrest 

Cazun, Nelson 

Childers, Robert 

Daniels, Kody 

Davey, Daleroy 

Delacruz, Arcelia 

Dowdy, Avyonna 

Duran, Krystal 

Egan, Aubree 

Eickhoff, Breania 

Facio, Hector 

Fling, Nicholas 

Fordyce, Shannon 

Gumminger, Michaella 

Hachinsky, Amanda 

Hall, Kayla 

Hinson, Gabrielle 

Hood, Alyssa 

Huston, Nicholas 

Ikerd, Karessa 

Johnson, Jesica 

Johnson, Darian 

Jones, Katelyn 

Jordan, Tyler 

Knighton, Christian 

Kosman, Kayla 

Langston, Drake 

Leveringston, Columbus 

Lohman, James 

Lor, Bao 

Lor, Nou 

Luckey, Melinda 

Madrigal, Eduardo 

Marrufo, Saryna 

Mendoza, Giovanna 

Milam, Michelle 

Mitchell, Laron 

Mohler, Joseph 

Norris, Philip 

Norton, Darla 

ONeal, Stephanie 

Patrick, Jacob 

Rangel, Elizabeth 

Reed, Edward 

Renne, Julia 

Rojas, Alejandra 

Ruiz, Araceli 

Sharp, Scott 

Smith, Kyle 

Todd, Brittany 

Torres, Stephanie 

Turnbull, Courtney 

Valdovino, Jillian 

VanGordon, Crystal 

Walters, Samantha 

Walters, Jeffery 

Wiehe, Keith 

Williams, Ranesha 

Williams, Courtney 

Williams, Keeonia 

Junior 

Anvik, Matthew 

Bais, William 

Barajas, David 

Barber, Julie 

Brand, Aimee 

Brown, Colin 

Clark, Margaret 

Croom, Katie 

Harrity, Mary 

Hogue, Robert 

Hollenbeck, Dakota 

Horton, Kayla 

Johnson, Charles 

Justice, Raven 

Knight, Kaitlyn 

Koch, Melissa 

Leatherbury, Samantha 

Lopez, Steven 

Loya, Jordan 

Manthei, Brittney 

Martinez, Peter 

Maudlin, Ashley 

Mendez, Alyssa 

Mills, Zamaiya 

Moralez, Carla 

Orellana, Joanna 

Pena, Sofia 

Pierce, Neal 

Pointer, Natasha 

Reeves, Samantha 

Robinette, Dylan 

Ross, Dominic 

Sierant, Devan 

Stimac, Megan 

Stratton, Bret 

Valdez, JoAnna 

VanDenabeele, Lacey 

Vasquez, Sandy 

Vega, Vincent 

Vincent, Andrew 

Walters, Allison 

White, Heather 

Wise, Melissa 

Senior 

Alcala, Diana 

Atteberry, Sarah 

Bailey, Jamie 

Bass, Rita 

Bones, Chelsea 

Cervantes, Miguel 

Chicas, Rolando 

Collins, Jessica 

Cornett, Anthony 

Craig, Natalie 

DeCoster, Kayla 

Dressler, Nathaniel 

Dunn, Andrea 

Flournoy, Ashley 

Glenn, Ashley 

Glidewell, Jamie 

Goodnight, Jeffrey 

Griffin, Katelyn 

Hatch, Ashley 

Herdman, Nicholas 

Hickcox, Steven 

Holland, Cassondra 

Hughes, James 

HundleyCockel, Mariah 

Ikerd, Barbara 

Jenkins, Amy 

Lawrence, Jessica 

Link, Jonathan 

Lopez, Thomas 

Loya, Melissa 

Lynnes, Connor 

Marron, Katie 

Martinez, Catalina 

Matson, Derek 

McDaniels, Ellis 

McIntosh, Mika 

McKinney, Dominique 

Meyer, Shannon 

Myrick, Justin 

Nibert, Joe 

Nuessen, Lindsay 

ONeal, Brett 

Owen, Hayley 

Peaches, Quincy 

Pena, Gerardo 

Ramos, Melinda 

Reed, Andraia 

Rowland, Mariah 

Rowland, Dillon 

Sandate, Sage 

Scherer, Cassandra 

Sevilla, Jessica 

Shoate, Darla 

Simmons, Brandon 

Spears, Adam 

Spiess, Tierra 

Sulzen, Carissa 

Thao, Lesly 

Vargas, Gabriela 

Vargas, Stephanie 

Vasquez, Katty 

Wetzel, Heath 

Williams, Elizabeth 

Williams, Briana 

Williamson, Kyle 

Witt, Dylan 

Wyatt, Clair 

Yoakum, Chevy


Junction Elementary School 

288-3600 

Jay Douglas, Principal 

Junction News for the Semester: 

Let me first apologize to all the parents, students, staff, and patrons. This is one of the first letters 

to go out in the Turner this year. We’ve been sending home lots of informational paper from within 

our building and neglected the district paper that everyone receives. So, I will try and get everyone 

caught up this time around and stay on top of things in the future. 

Junction has been busy this year. Students have been getting assignments and taking practice tests 

for the State Assessments. They’ve taken the district MAP tests, which is a test to keep track of a 

student’s individual progress throughout the year and from one year to another year. Students will 

start taking the state assessment tests, not for practice, in late February, and our last group will be 

done in April. (Spring Break falls during the testing time.) By the time this article is printed, we will 

have had a second visit from a team who checks up on us for our school improvement process. Mrs. 

Peggy Hodges is our building Chairperson. She has been working very hard to organize paperwork 

for the December 16th visit. We’ll let everyone know how all this goes at a later date. I don’t want 

to forget to mention that we made Annual Yearly Progress this past year. Last year our goal was to 

get 7 out of every 10 students passing the state assessment. We did just that, when grades 3-6 were 

tested, the combined scoring of all, got us to this goal. This year, to meet the state’s percentage goal, 

we will need to get 8 out of every 10 students passing the state assessment. What is considered “passing” 

We tell our students, a reasonable goal is try to get 7 out of every 10 questions correct—70%. 

This is considered passing the reading and math assessments. I would like to see them all get 100%, 

but this puts way too much pressure on the students before and during the test. I would like to see 

them all take the test stress free and do their best. We can make it. 

So many valuable events have happened since school started this year, I don’t have space to list 

them all, but the following represent our busy schedule thus far: 

• In September, we had our Annual Picnic for (9-1-1), honoring guests from the Police Department, 

fire Department, and Armed Forces. 

• Our first grade made the annual trip to Atchison, Kansas to visit the farm, farm animals, and 

to bring back pumpkins for carving. 

• The 2nd grade made a trip downtown to the Coterie Theatre to see a show 

• Our Writing Club, Science Club, Math Club, and Chess Clubs meet one time a month. 

• BOOST, a group which now meets 4 days a week for students needing additional help in the areas 

of Math and Reading, is going very well with almost an average of 40 students per night. 

• For Turner Days, our PTA float took first place. We want to thank our PTA volunteers and 

everyone who made it a success 

• Mr. Douglas, Principal at Junction, received an award for the Turner Walk of Fame, joining Mr. 

Bob Beery in the honor this year. 

• Mrs. Rose Miller, 1st grade teacher, did a great job of organizing our Veteran’s Day Assembly, 

honoring local veterans, some of whom visited classrooms and talked about their military 

experience. 

• Ms. Tina Towle (Music Teacher), conducted our Winter Concerts. Between the two nights, we 

saw a combined turnout of some 700 people. 

• PTA had the annual Breakfast with Santa on Friday, December 12th. Again, it was a great success. 

As the 2008 year comes to an end and we look toward the spring semester of school, I would like 

to offer everyone our best wishes. January to May usually goes by pretty fast. Students will be in 

and out of school because of professional development days, parent-teacher conferences, and other 

holidays. Keep your children reading and working on math problems. Everything you do at home 

helps them at school. I want all of you to know, “It’s great to be a Cardinal” here at Junction, so please 

stop by and visit us when you can. 

Instructional Coaching 

A Message from Junction Elementary Instructional Coach, Peggy Hodges 

Finding ways to motivate all students to be proficient readers is a challenge for teachers. This 

year at Junction, we started a reading club for students in grades two through six. Since there 

is not one program or strategy that works for each student, we try to supplement their reading 

program with other means and incentives. Each teacher selected students they believed would 

benefit from the club where students are expected to spend independent time in study hall or at 

home improving their reading skills. 

As the instructional coach, I am in all the classes every week. During that time, I do a timed one 

minute reading test with the students who are in the reading club. The passage that they read is 

a story they will practice several times to become more fluent. Besides increasing their reading 

speed, they also need to correctly answer the story questions in order to earn points. 

When we had our holiday parties prior to the winter break, I went into a third grade classroom 

and two students asked me if I would test them. I reminded them that their party was just starting, 

but they insisted they wanted to read to me. As an educator, that was the best Christmas present 

I could have received. 

Peggy Hodges 

Instructional Coach 

Junction Elementary 

Morris Elementary School 

288-3700 

Becky Billigmeier, 

Principal 

From the Principal’s Desk 

The second quarter of the 2008-09 academic year was very 

busy. 

The Reading Counts Program is going strong. Students should 

be reading vigorously over the Break. They can still reach the 50% 

mark before the lock in that is scheduled for January 16, 2009 

Students in grades three, four, five and six are participating in 

the Kansas Formative Assessment program. They are working 

their way through all the online mathematics and reading assessments. 

The goal is for all these students to meet or exceed 

the standards established for the Kansas Assessments that will 

begin at Morris in March. 

Students in every grade have completed a follow up MAP test 

in reading. Students are showing gains in their reading levels. 

The Morris Book Fair event a success. 

Santa’s Secret Shop organized by Beth Marine and staffed by 

many parent volunteers allowed our students to shop for gifts 

for their families and friends. 

Mustang tickets, and class rewards associated with PBS system 

have been extremely successful. I hope all students can keep up 

the great efforts next semester 

The Student Council sponsored a party December 17th. All Morris 

students participated. Dancing and snacks were a great hit. 

Teachers have been hard at work studying MAP results and 

putting strategies in place to address the needs of all kids. 

In addition, to all the above activity there were many grade 

level activities, club meetings, student projects and most of all 

learning events. 

Pronouncer Damon Roberts signals to the Morris champion 

spellers that they’re “good to go.” 

Oak Grove 

Elementary School 

288-3900 

Deborah Ayers-Geist, Principal 

www.turnerusd202.org/oakgrove 

Oak Grove Reflections 

from Instructional Coach, Tim McFarland 

The Oak Grove team continues its vision of “Dreams begin 

at Oak Grove.” Teaching and learning are blended in such a 

way it is not a specific group function. Everyone teaches and 

everyone learns. 

Teacher expectations of their student’s remains very high, but 

Oak Grove students are up to the challenge. Parents have high 

expectations of Oak Grove but within those expectations there 

are those who step up and say “How can we help” 

While Oak Grove says “Goodbye” to its team leader, remember, 

“Dreams begin at Oak Grove.” Students and staff must move 

on to realize the dreams and turn them into reality.

February 2009 www.turnerusd202.org The Turner Page 11 

Morris Elementary School 

2nd Quarter Honor Roll 

288-3400 

Turner Elementary School 

Mike Camp, Principal 

All E’s 

1st Grade 

Sadie Bird 

Audrey Cook 

Kaitlynn Daniels 

Olivia Denson 

Alexis Jackson 

Erin Morgan 

Caleb O’Neal 

Pacey Parker 

All E’s andS’s 

Riley Allen 

Juliana Bloomer 

Joshua Brallier 

Raymundo Cardenas 

Tommy Mace 

Grace Sanchez 

2nd Grade 

All E’s 

Brynn Harley 

All E’s and S’s 

Steven Easter 

Daniela Fabila 

Louise Flynn 

Carlos Garcia 

Alexis Gile 

Sami Hill 

Gunner Hodge 

Corbin Layne 

Natalie Lopez 

Robert Magill 

Briar Nigh 

Fenix Pool 

Dylan Powers 

Aubri Rhodes 

Rebecca Russell 

JoAn Sanchez 

Cruz Vargas 

Taylor White 

3rd Grade 


Jaelon Harley 

Sara Honeycutt 

Hunter Noe 

Collin O’Neal 

Tessla Perez 

Emily Quinto 

Skylar Russell 

4th Grade 


Ashton Chowning 

Kyla Lowery 

Gage Perez 

5th Grade 

All A’s 

Irene Bird 

Tucker Marine 

Tyler Marine 

Easton Noe 

Kim Hill 


Alexis Gilliland 

Jacob Harrell 

CheyAnne Wilson 

6th Grade 


Tony Kline 

Cara Lowery 

Colton Russell 

Midland Trail Quarterly 

Student Recognition… 

Eric Pratt 

Erica Taylor 

Erika Mailand 

Ethan Davila 

Faith Lamb 

Freddy Meza 

Gabriel Whalen 

Gaige White 

Gaven Gumm 

Gavin Quirarte 

George Hamblin 

Geron Thomas 

Hope Lamb 

Isaiah Wilcox-Avalos 

Ivan Estrada 

Ivan Fernandez 

Jackson Conner 

Jacob Mata 

Jacob Peterson 

Jacqueline Hernandez 

Jamela Miska 

James Phillips 

Co n t i n u e d f r o m Pa g e 5 

Jamie Lovgren 

Jamie Salcido 

Jasmine Diaz 

Jasmine Escalante 

Jason Geronimo 

Jeremiah Johnson 

Jessie Garcia 

John Burnett 

Johnny Hernandez 

Jordan Hanson 

“Josh Bort,ka” 

Josh Lawerence 

Juan Herrera 

Julie Lawrence 

Kaleb Herman 

KalyAnn Weaver 

Katherine Orozco 

Katie Buckler 

Kayla King 

Kelsi Williams 

Kelsy Flynn 

Kimberli Gonzalez 

What in the World is Instructional Coaching 

What is a coach, and more specifically, what is an Instructional Coach According to The American 

Heritage Dictionary (4th ed.), a coach is n. One who gives private instruction or v. To train or 

instruct; teach. As I go around to classrooms and introduce myself and my position to students, 

they often anchor their understanding of the Instructional Coach position with their own frames 

of reference, primarily sports coaches. As students share what they know about “Coaches”, they 

say things like, 

A coach helps you. A coach teaches you. A coach helps you practice so you can get better. A 

coach teaches you moves. A coach makes a game plan. A coach helps the players work together 

as a team. 

In reality, we are all coaches; coaching students, our children, grandchildren, coworkers, and so 

on. Instructional coaching has applied the term to an educational setting, putting the instructional 

spin on it. Similar to a soccer coach that helps his/her players learn the best way to move the ball 

down the field in hopes of an ultimate field goal, the Instructional Coach, together with the teachers, 

students and parents, creates a game plan for moving all students towards their educational goals. 

The IC (Instructional Coach), in collaboration with the principal, helps implement a structure within 

the school that provides for ongoing staff development with teachers about best teaching practice; 

a structure that allows conversations to occur that address what works, what doesn’t work, and 

what to do instead…. “How to move the ball down the field”. 

Cathy A. Toll in The Literacy Coach’s Survival Guide defined Literacy Coaching (much like Instructional 

Coaching) in the following way: 

A literacy coach is one who helps teachers to recognize what they know and can 

do, assists teachers as they strengthen their ability to make more effective use of 

what they know and do, and supports teachers as they learn more and do more. 

Instructional Coaching started formally in the Turner School District in 2004-5, at the five elementary 

schools and the Early Learning Center. In 2006-07, an Instructional Coaching position 

was added to the middle school as well as the high school, and the district Special Education Facilitator 

was asked to join the ranks of the Instructional Coaches. Instructional Coaches training 

was provided multiple times throughout the year for the first three years of the coaching program. 

Presently, Instructional Coaches, the Technology Coaches, and the Helping Teacher meet twice a 

month for two hours, once among themselves, and once with Joy Engel and Bill Hatfield, to support 

collaboration, informal training, planning, etc. 

So, if you’re looking for an instructional coach, such as Mary Jean Grindel (IC at MT); Peggy 

Hodges(IC at JU); Tim McFarland(IC at OG); Lynnette Hatfield (IC at ELC & MO); Nacolle Burke 

(IC at TMS); Rena Duewel (IC at THS); Regina DeMoss (Sped. Facilitator); Damon Roberts (Helping 

Teacher); Shawn Altman and Dustin Jamison (Instructional Technology Specialists), where are 

you likely to find them 

Chances are they are running up and down the hall at one or more schools looking seemingly 

important, but possibly unfamiliar to you. They may be running to observe, collaborate, observe 

again, clear up a testing problem, locate some materials, attend a coaches’ meeting or a meeting 

with the principal, talk to a classroom of students, co-teach, model, model, model, gather data, 

meet with teachers again, observe again, help organize tier time, observe again, have a 2, 5, or 15 

min. coaching conversation, help analyze data, facilitate learning through technology, and on and 

on and on. 

The addition of the coaching initiative to the Turner Schools exemplifies the progressive direction 

of this district. 

Pam Reeves, Instructional Coach 


Kimmy Smith 

Lacey Morley 

Lauren Hatchel 

Lesley Rubal Cava 

Logan Buckner 

Luigi Urbaneja 

MacKenzie Collins 

Maddie Barron 

Madeline Jungo 

Makenzie Murry 

Maria Calvillo 

Maria Ramirez 

Mariah McMaken 

Marilyn Bonilla 

Matthew Mumanu 

Maxxine Hang 

Mayra Gonzalez 

Melanie Diaz 

Mikayla Campos 

Mona Hickman 

Morgan Williams 

MyJoni Johnson 

Nhathiya Corney 

Noema Villalobos 

Patrick Soptic 

Peng Lee 

Quinten Robinette 

Rebecca Lor 

Rebekah Roberts 

Rikki Rinehart 

Rocco Avelluto 

Rosana Tovalin 

Ruben Rocha 

Ruben Yanez 

Ryan Murry 

Sara Ortiz 

Sara Scharschell 

Sarah Diaz 

Sarah Mast 

Savante Gillis 

Serenity Catron 

Sergio Rangel 

Sophia Bello 

Stephany Polanco 

Tatum Ramirez 

Tierra Smith 

Valencia Mendez 

Vickie Escarpita 

Vincent Rodriguez 

Viry Flores 

Yvette Diaz 

Zamantha Zamudio

  Page 12 www.turnerusd202.org The Turner February 2009 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

    

Mike Bixler 

Spotlight on 

a Turner 

Graduate 

Mike Bixler – 

Turner USD #202, 

Executive Director of 

Business Services and 

Maintenance Operations. 

Mike Bixler grew up in Turner, attending Turner 

schools through the entirety of his thirteen years 

of k-12 education. He graduated from Turner High 

School in 1978. He has been married to a Turner native, Charlotte 

Bixler, for some 29 years (which is a testament, primarily, 

to Charlotte’s tenacity). Mike and Charlotte have seen both 

of their children—Amber and Quinn—excel in their schooling 

experiences as they traversed through the Turner school 

system, prior to graduating and moving on to post secondary 

programs. Although Bixler left the Turner community to attend 

college (he now holds a masters degree in public affairs 

from Park University) and to build his career, at the beginning 

of the 1997-98 school year, he returned to the Turner school 

district as an employee—assuming the position of Director of 

Transportation. 

Bixler has excelled in most of his adult endeavors, and his 

time as a Turner administrator has been exemplified by excellence. 

As the Director of Transportation, Bixler reviewed a 

complex bussing structure and found multiple ways of improving 

the efficiency of the operation while achieving cost savings. 

Additionally, as Transportation Director, Bixler improved 

morale among the bus driving staff while, at the same time, 

increased a sense of professionalism within its ranks. 

Recognizing Bixler’s skills at system analysis and operational 

management, he was selected to replace Dr. Harry Austin when 

he moved from District Finance Officer to District Superintendent 

for the 2002-03 school year. Since that time, Bixler has 

served as Executive Director of Business Services and Maintenance 

Operations. Bixler is highly regarded by district staff 

with whom he works. He is also often complimented for his 

financial management by state-level operatives with whom 

he comes in contact and by agents of financial institutions 

that serve the school district. By applying the same analytical 

qualities that initially benefited the transportation system, 

Bixler has contributed to improving the efficiency of the district 

while increasing the financial standing of the district among 

the financial community. Bixler is singularly responsible for 

seeing the district’s bond rating raised twice, from a BBB to 

an A-, and ultimately to an A rating. Bixler has incorporated 

numerous capital savings actions that have resulted in cost 

savings to the district. Former Superintendent, Bobby Allen, 

had this to say about Bixler’s service to the district, “My 

observations of Mike confirm that he is a highly articulate, 

intelligent individual whose keen analytical and organizational 

skills are very apparent in his incisive approach to issues and 

problems.” 

On the community front, Bixler has served on the Unified 

Government’s Ethics Committee and on the Unified Government’s 

Steering Committee for Revitalization. He has been an 

adjunct professor for Park University. As both an undergraduate 

student in public administration and a graduate student in 

public affairs, Bixler has been a recipient of the Stanley Fisher 

award for excellence. 

As we train a spotlight on the exceptional accomplishments 

of Turner High School graduates, no better example of 

Turner excellence can be found than the school district’s own 

Mike Bixler. 

(Editor’s note: I was going to do a write-up about Turner Middle School SRA Justin Smitley’s impending 

deployment to Iraq. But then, I got a copy of his thank you message to his TMS colleagues following an afterschool 

reception they gave for him. He says it way better than I could have done. His message, verbatim, 

follows. Justin’s last day at work in Turner—until his return in 2010—was January 23.) 

TMS' Justin Smitley Says 'Thanks' 

TMS – 

Wow! How do I begin to thank you guys for the wonderful surprise 

Thanks to Nurse Debby for being the major part in organizing 

this. Thanks to Mr. Koonce for the kind words and thanks everyone 

for the gifts, well wishes, prayers and hugs. It sincerely means a lot. 

Shoot it’s the first time I got a standing ovation… did anyone record 

that j/k. I do plan on keeping in touch as much as I can. That may 

be very limited for a while but when I can I will be in contact. 

It’s been a hard week so this was really uplifting. I am really going 

miss this place and working with you guys. It’s so nice to see folks 

that really care about students. Speaking of the students I will miss 

them a lot, funny how you get attached to those little suckers. Middle 

school is such an interesting time for them so it’s been a blast being 

a part of their world. 

As far as I know I’ll be back in March of 2010. Regardless of my 

feelings on this war I am proud to serve and I know our servicemen/ 

women are already doing so with valor. For those who pray I’d ask 

for your prayers. This has been a trying time for my family but it’s 

been our faith in Christ that has gotten us through and provided 

“the peace that surpasses all understanding.” It’s been a difficult 

season but I know that whatever the outcome it will be for the good. 

Thanks again. 

Justin Smitley , TMS – SRA 

Turner Instructional Coaches Improve 

Student Learning by Supporting Teachers 

Recent educational research 

has solidified the long-held 

belief that the most important 

influence on student learning 

is the quality of the teacher. 

We now know without doubt 

that a highly skilled teacher is 

the most important factor in a 

student’s opportunity to master 

the district’s curriculum objectives 

(standards). As accountability 

structures delve deeper 

and deeper into the causes and 

effects of student learning, and 

as teachers and administrators 

are assigned increasingly high 

standards for performance, 

teachers’ instructional skills 

become highlighted. It is well 

established that professionals 

in all fields of endeavor, including 

teaching, must experience 

ongoing training in order to 

enhance their skills and to stay 

in contact with new innovations 

in the profession. In an effort to 

aide teachers in their continuing 

learning and skill advancement, 

the Turner district initiated the 

Instructional Coaching (IC) 

program in 2004-05. 

Beginning with a core of instructional 

coaches at each of 

the elementary schools, the IC 

program provided training 

for the coaches on 

how best to support the 

teachers in their respective 

schools. Gradually, 

since its inception, 

coaches serving the secondary 

schools, special 

education, and instructional 

technology have 

been added to the IC 

program. Through the 

IC program, teachers are 

afforded opportunities 

to enhance their teaching 

skills within their 

respective schools. This 

allows for their learning to be 

most relevant to their teaching 

assignment. It also allows for 

occasions for teachers to train 

collaboratively and to focus on 

the performance of their students. 

Local teacher training 

emanating from the buildinglevel 

instructional coaches is not 

only more effective in several 

ways, it can come at a reduced 

cost to the school district. 

Instructional coaches, to be 

effective in their buildings, must 

display leadership characteristics 

along with a high level 

of enthusiasm for achieving 

high expectations and a deep 

sensitivity for the variety of 

needs of teachers and students. 

Turner’s cadre of instructional 

coaches are among the best in 

the business. And most of their 

colleagues will readily agree that 

they are worth their weight in 

gold to teachers and students in 

their respective buildings. 

Some of the instructional 

coaches chose to accept an invitation 

to write an essay for this 

issue of The Turner. They will 

be printed in conjunction with 

other material from their respective 

schools. 

Turner Instructional Coaches: (l-r) Front Row: Damon Roberts 

(Helping Teacher), Pam Reeves, Lynnette Hatfield, 

Mary Jean Grindel, Peggy Hodges, Shawn Altman, Regina 

DeMoss. Back Row: Dustin Jamison, Rena Duewel, Tim 

McFarland, Nacolle Burke.

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