New Jayhawk district staff looking forward to new year
- Roger Sims, Journal Staff
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
By Roger Sims, rsims@linncountyjournal.com
A collection of teachers, aids, coaches and administrative staff with a variety of backgrounds hit the road running on Thursday, Aug. 14, when fall classes began for students in Jayhawk USD 346 schools. Some of the faces students will see in the classroom or the front office are familiar, others are new.
Assistant principal joins the ranks
Among the new staff members is Jared Martin, who is the new assistant principal at Jayhawk-Linn Junior-Senior High School. Martin began his teaching career at Pleasanton, where he was a special education teacher for both junior and senior high students for three years.
Growing up in Fort Scott and graduating from Fort Scott High School, Martin was soon hired back into his home district, teaching physical education at both the junior high and high school level. This is his first administrative post.
He began his education by earning an associate's degree in science at Fort Scott Community College. From there he attended the University of Kansas where he received a bachelor's degree in exercise science.
To obtain his teaching license he took classes at Pittsburg State University, where he also received a master's degree in Special Education. More recently he attended Emporia State University where he earned certification in building-level administration.
"I'm looking forward to using the skills that I've developed in the classroom as a teacher and be part of the conversations as an administrator that lead to exciting opportunities for students here at Jayhawk-Linn," Martin said.
"My goals are to help provide students who attend USD 346 with the best education experience of their lives," he said. "I get the opportunity to be part of a dynamic and high-performing staff who are passionate about education."
Martin and his wife and best friend, Alesha, have "three amazing kids and four amazing grandkids."
New and experienced teachers prepare for classroom
Reese Haney
Reese Haney, the new second grade teacher at Jayhawk Elementary School, grew up in St. Paul, Kansas, and graduated from high school there. She earned a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education (K-6) with certification in special education. This is her first teaching assignment.
"My goals are to form connections with my students and the staff," she said. "I am excited to continue to learn and grow alongside my students this year."
"I have loved th the time I have spent in Mound City this summer so far," Haney said. "In my free time I enjoy going on walks with my dog (Kash) and spending time with my family."
Josh Randall
Josh Randall is hardly a stranger to Jayhawk-Linn High School. A substitute and coach the last couple years, the retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps will be taking on a teaching load of a man who has no fear.
Teaching math or science takes a specialized background, and teachers in each of those subjects are difficult to find, but Randall will be teaching Algebra 2, Trigonometry, Calculus, College Algebra, Geometry and Physics. He will also be an assistant coach for high school football and track.
An alumnus of JLHS, Randall earned a bachelor's degree in Materials Science at the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master's degree in Operational Studies at the Marine Corps University. His prior teaching experience has been at the U.S. Army Field Artillery School and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, both at Fort Leavenworth.
He is married to Audrey Randall and his children – daughters Adison, Adeline and Adryn and sons Josiah and Joseph – are either graduates or students in the Jayhawk district.
His goals for the coming year: "To challenge students to think, grow and develop in all areas."
Madelyn Stoneking
"This is my first year as a speech-language pathologist, so I am excited to see what this school year brings," said Madelyn Stoneking, who will be working with students at Jayhawk Elementary School.
Like fellow new teacher Haney, Stoneking grew up in St. Paul, Kansas, and graduated from St. Paul High School. She attended Labette Community College, where she earned an associate's degree in Early Childhood Education before going to the University of Kansas to earn a bachelor's degree in Speech-Language and Hearing. She also holds a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Central Missouri
"My goal this year is to help students find their voice," she said.
Jenna Terry
Jenna Terry grew up in Louisburg and graduated from Louisburg High School before attending Kansas State University, where she earned a degree in Elementary Education.
Even though Terry might have been a Wildcat throughout her educational career to this point, she is looking forward to being a Jayhawk and teaching sixth grade at Jayhawk Elementary School this year.
"My goals this year are to form strong connections with my students and grow in my confidence as a teacher," Terry said. "I recently moved outside Mound City. I enjoy walking my dogs Rocky and Buck and spending time with my family."
Kelly Toll
"I am excited for this school year," Kelly Toll said. "My goa every year is that the students leave my class better people than before."
Toll will be teaching Eighth Grade Science, Physical Science, Biology and Chemistry at Jayhawk-Linn Junior and Senior High schools.
After earning a bachelor's degree in Biology at Pittsburg State University, she taught for 28 years in the Fort Scott school district and three years in Nevada, Mo., schools.
She grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, but moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, in time go attend high school there. Her husband, Carl Toll, is the director of the "Hawk Project" at JLHS.
Staff lends crucial support to classrooms
Bo Meisenheimer
Get used to hearing about Bo Meisenheimer, the new football head coach for the Jayhawks. With a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, Meisenheimer's duties will include being a building aide.
He grew up in Harrisonville, Mo., and graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School.
Meisenheimer was the defensive coordinator for the St. Thomas Aquinas football program in 2023. He was the graduate assistant coach for Utah State University last year.
Hannah Marshall
Everyone in education knows that one of the most critical employees in each school is the school secretary. Hanna Marshall will take on that role at Jayhawk-Linn Junior-Senior High this year to work alongside fellow secretary Kim Umphenour.
"I hope to get to know all the teachers and students," Marshall said. "I hope to learn a lot about the school system."
Growing up in Pleasanton, she is a graduate of Pleasanton High School. That is where her husband, Trevor Marshall, teaches. That, Hannah suggests, could mean some conflict as she will be cheering for her students now,
"We'll have some good old-fashioned rivalry in the house," she said.
With a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old, Marshall said family is very important to her. But when she's not taking care of her family, she loves to garden and play with her four dogs.
Carlene Spillman
"I'm excited to be involved with the school," said Carlene Spillman, who will be working in the Jayhawk USD 346 central office this year.
Spillman and her husband Kenny are the parents of two JLHS graduates, Hannah and Madison, as well as the grandparents to three children.
Morgan Wills
Don't underestimate the toughness of Morgan Wills. A class of 2016 graduate of JLHS, Wills is returning to her old school to be a paraeducator this year.
"I hope to learn and grow alongside the students," she said.
Growing up in Blue Mound and Mound City, she has a strong sense of community service, and as a first-responder, many would consider her to be a hero. Along with her husband, Alex, she is a volunteer firefighter and knows the adrenaline rush when her station is called out to fight a fire.
Ashley Bronson
Ashley Bronson is another paraeducator who will be joining the ranks at JLHS. She grew up in Lyndon, Kan,, graduating from high school there.
She earned an associate's degree from Allen County Community College and has six years experience working at a church preschool
Harley Singer
A native of Parker, Harley Singer graduated from Jayhawk-Linn High School. She will be serving as a paraeducator at Jayhawk Elementary School.
She said that her goal is to learn new things and meet new people this year. She welcomes the challenge of being a para and expects that it will push her out of her comfort zone.
A 4-H member of the Parker Thunderbirds for the past 12 years, she was a fixture at the Linn County Fair this summer where her projects included showing a lamb and steer.
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