Back in February, we were happy to announce that Avery Welchel (DCHS Senior) and Shannon Bitler (DCHS Junior) represented Dodge City Public Schools with distinction at the Educators Rising Conference at Bethany College.  Their hard work paid off.  Avery secured 1^st place in the Interactive Bulleting Board competition, while Shannon took home 2^nd place for Teacher Created Materials.

The excitement continues as we recently learned that Avery has officially qualified for the National competition. To qualify, students need a cut score of 80 percent or higher and earned an impressive 98 percent. This June, she will travel to Portland, Oregon to represent our district on the national stage.  Both Avery and Shannon have been busy sharing their experiences with the community, interviewing on the USD 443 Radio Show and presenting at the recent Board of Education meeting.

Erin Stevens, who has worked closely with our Teacher Apprentice program, shared, “Avery is amazing in so many ways and consistently comes from a ‘place of yes’ – always willing to jump in, support new ideas, and help make them successful.  She was our U.S. Presidential Scholars nominee for the district this year and is currently a vital part of the co-teaching project through TASN KSDE and SWP. I have learned so much from having the honor to work with her.”

We are so proud of these future educators and can’t wait to cheer Avery on in Portland!