New teachers, teachers in new classes at Prairie View this year
- Roger Sims, Journal Staff
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
By Roger Sims, rsims@linncountyjournal.com
Of the four schools in the Prairie View school district this year, La Cygne Elementary School had the most changes in its teaching staff. Some of the changes were a shift from one position to another.
And one of the new teachers took over the elementary music post and will be shared between La Cygne and Parker schools.
Elementary music
Bonnie Kubacka
Prairie View recruiters replaced a 35-year veteran of the classroom and stage with another experienced music teacher. Bonnie Kubacka has taught 31 years of vocal and instrumental music, most of which has been at Anderson County USD 365.
In addition to teaching elementary and preschool general music - including a handbell choir – she has also taught beginning band, marching band, concert band, orchestra, jazz band, choir, vocal ensemble and show choir in the upper grades. A graduate of LeRoy High School in LeRoy, Kan., Kubacka earned a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Emporia State University and is certified in K-12 instrumental and vocal music.
“I love to build the foundation of music in children and watch my students grow and pursue music at the secondary level and beyond,” she said, adding that she plans to provide a safe environment for learning music.
Kubacka said that music education is an integral part of brain development and learning.
She and her husband Scott live southwest of Parker, just over the Anderson County line. They have three grown children, two sons and a daughter. The Kubackas continue to volunteer as Scout leaders even though their sons – both Eagle Scouts – have now grown out of that program. University of Wisconsin fans, the Kubackas enjoy camping, kayaking, and polka.
She will be teaching at both La Cygne and Parker schools this year.
La Cygne Elementary
Sydney Barber
Sydney Barber is not a new teacher, nor is she new to the area. For the past several years she has taught physical education and preschool at La Cygne. This year, though, she makes the leap into the second grade classroom at La Cygne.
Barber grew up in La Cygne, graduating from Prairie View High School and then headed to Pittsburg State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in education. She subsequently earned a master’s degree from Emporia State University.
With two young children of her own, she said her family enjoys nature and spends time outside as a family. The family travels every year to the Pacific Northwest to hike, see waterfalls, and spend time with one of her best friends from high school. She loves to read, mostly fantasy and science fiction, and the family’s pets are chickens.
She said her goal for the year is to build a classroom family while challenging her students to be creative problem-solvers. “And have a lot of fun,” she adds.
Stephanie Conner
“I’m looking forward to working with my new students and helping them love to learn,” Stephanie Conner said.
Conner will be teaching social studies and writing to La Cygne fourth- and fifth-graders this year. A graduate of Paola High School and Baker University, where she earned a degree in elementary education, she taught at Baldwin Primary Center for a year before beginning a 14-year stint at Sunflower Elementary School in Paola.
Conner and her husband Jake have three children, two dogs (boxers), and she loves cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs. She is back in the classroom after vacationing at Myrtle Beach, S.C., this summer.
Jaisha Murillo
“Having fun and making a difference,” that is what Jaisha Murillo is looking forward to this year.
Formerly the second grade teacher at La Cygne Elementary, this year she will be teaching preschool there.
A Pleasanton native who comes from a family of teachers, she earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Pittsburg State University after graduating from Pleasanton High School.
Murillo and her husband Rafael have four children including a grown son, two daughters ( a senior and freshman at PVHS), and an 8-year-old son who is in third grade at LES.
Megan Shaffer
After working as a special education paraeducator for three years for the Louisburg school district, Megan Shaffer entered the para-to-teacher program offered by Wichita State University. This year, her goal of reaching that next step became a reality.
She said that having her own classroom is something she is looking forward to this year. She plans on accomplishing her first year with positivity.
Chiefs football is big in the Shaffer house, she said. She and her husband Andrew have six children, ranging in age from 6 to 21. They also have two dogs and two cats.
Prairie View Middle School
Ian Ballinger
The new seventh-grade social studies teacher for PVMS is an unapologetic fan of University of Kansas teams. Ian Ballinger hasn’t missed a home KU game for nearly a decade.
Part of the reason for that is he earned his bachelor’s degree as a Jayhawk. Another reason? His side job is video editing work for the KU Athletic Department.
Ballinger, who also holds a master’s degree from Pittsburg State University, taught digital media at Dexter (Kan.) High School before taking a job teaching social studies at Uniontown High School.
“Teaching kids about how great of a state we live in,” is what he is looking forward to this year, he said. “Kansas is a special place.”
Brock Huber
A graduate of Paola High School and Ottawa University, Brock Huber will be teaching sixth-grade English and literacy this year in PVMS. He will also be the head baseball coach for the high school.
He is not new to the district, teaching first- and fourth-grades at La Cygne Elementary School. He also was a special education teacher in Paola for three years.
“Meeting the students and building a great classroom community,” are his goals for the year, he said.
Huber and his wife Katie have a son. An admitted big sports fan, he loves the Royals, Chiefs and K-State.
Prairie View High School
Erin Deters
This is the first year of teaching for Erin Deters, and while most of the new teachers attended orientation the first full week of August, the new ag teacher and FFA advisor was already at the Linn County Fair with co-worker Trenton Smedley, watching students show their animals.
A graduate of Sabetha (Kan.) High School who earned an associate’s degree at Cloud County Community College, Deters then attended Kansas State University, where she majored in secondary ag education with a minor in horticulture.
Courses she will teach this year include Exploratory Ag for eighth-graders, Agriscience, Horticulture, Animal Science and Advanced Animal Science.
She grew up on a family farm operation that included a herd of Black Angus cattle and growing soybeans and corn.
“My father was an industry welder for approximately 20 years,” she said. “That’s who taught me to weld and helped build my love and passion for ag.”
She comes to PVHS after a stint at student teaching at White City (Kan.) High School. She loves spending time outdoors and spending time with family and friends. She loves spaghetti and her cat, Henry.
Cade Fischer
Back to the contiguous 48 states after vacationing in Hawaii this summer, Cade Fischer is ready to take on his first teaching job at PVHS. His classes will include Freshman Health and physical education, Introduction to Healthcare Careers and special education physical education.
In addition to his classes in the gym and classroom, he will be the freshman class sponsor, and an assistant coach for football, boys basketball and track.
Fischer grew up in the Pomona area, graduating from West Franklin High School in 2021. He earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education, graduating last May after student teaching in the Ottawa USD 280. That included stints at Ottawa Middle School and Garfield Elementary School.
“Creating relationships with students and inspiring love of PE and health,” are the goals for this year, he said.
He enjoys running, golf, fishing, hunting, is a big Chiefs fan and has two dogs, Luna and Frankie. He is engaged to Macie Behrens.
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