Mr. Waigand presented certificates to Rock Port’s reading super stars.

The Rock Port R-II 2021 elementary awards assembly was held Tuesday, May 18, 2021. Mr. Waigand, principal, welcomed everyone. Awards presented were as follows:    

NWEA Assessments

Students in grades kindergarten through sixth grade take the NWEA assessments three times a year – the fall, winter, and spring.

Superior Achievement (students scored in the 81 percentile or above on the NWEA math, reading, and/or language assessments, placing them in the top 20% of all students in the country that take the assessments): First Grade – Elsie Hogue, Frank Kroeger, Lucy Ottmann, Kamryn Lair, Eli Meyerkorth, Kinsley Nuckolls; Second Grade – Locke Chaney, Andy Meyerkorth, Cy Vogler, Jack Bailey; Third Grade – Chord Christians, Clara Hays, Maeve Roup, Avery Schomburg, Jaxson Hale, Gideon Hogue, Jadyn Jakub, Archer Meyerkorth; Fourth Grade – Stevie Gaines, Grady Cook, Leah Meyerkorth; Fifth Grade – Karlie Gebhards, Logan Kish, Cooper Daugherty, Raylynn Jenkins, Levi Lucas, Zoey Zach; Sixth Grade – Desmond Chaney, Morgan Garst, Mya Welch, Lily Wilroy, Jason Casey, Gabe Gebhards, Jadyn Geib

Superior Growth (students scored in the 81 percentile or above on the NWEA math, reading, and/or language assessments, placing them in the top 20% of all students in the country for growth from the beginning of the year to the end of the year): First Grade – Elsie Hogue, Frank Kroeger, Bertie Meyerkorth, Greyson Sperber, Raelynn Stoner, Grant Unruh, Austin Alexander, Ryker Gibson, Eli Meyerkorth; Second Grade – Isaac Dougherty, Mason Hale, Andy Meyerkorth, Nishtha Patel, Harper Roup, Caisyn Hall, Emma Roberts;  Third Grade – Chord Christians, Cooper Gibson, Clara Hays, Jovie Millsap, Avery Schomburg, Dawson Baker, Gideon Hogue, Lincoln Jackson, Jadyn Jakub, Madyson Pankau, Jolie Steuter; Fourth Grade – Malayna Gibson, Rozlyn McCown, Tenley Peshek, Hunter Shearer-Bolin, Grady Cook, Ona Henriksen, Reese Herron, Isabella Kroeger, Jaecy-Mae Makings, Leah Meyerkorth, Grant Spiegel, Madison Wilroy; Fifth Grade – Brayden Amthor, Talyn Amthor, Reid Ellis, Karlie Gebhards, Ryzer Hale, Blake Herron, Wyatt Huntley, Logan Kish, Kinley Lair, Henley Mace, Bryna McEnaney, Olivia Roup, Kennedi Seiter, Brandon Athen, Alyssa Brion, Cooper Daugherty, Logan Ellis, John Gillem, Rylan Hunter, Raylynn Jenkins, Jaylynn Jones, Levi Lucas, Lily Shineman, Aidan Smyser, Natalie Waterland, Zoey Zach; Sixth Grade – Desmond Chaney, Morgan Garst, Dayton Hays, Jordan Kuhns, Claire Miller, Justin Waterland, Mya Welch, Lily Wilroy, Gabe Gebhards, Case Millsap, Alley Sharpless, Sophia Storm

Accelerated Reader (AR) Reading Goals

Students who met their AR reading goals for one, two, or three quarters:

First Grade – Ryker Gibson, Jarrett Jackson, one quarter; Ashyr Chaney, Michelle Rouse, Eli Meyerkorth, two quarters; Bertie Meyerkorth, Raelynn Stoner, Grant Unruh, Jossalyn McRaven, three quarters

Second Grade – Alex Gibson, one quarter; Taylor Cook, Rogan McCown, Emma Roberts, two quarters; Mason Hale, Harper Roup, Ryiann Fanning, Jackson Hogue, Lakotah Pankau, three quarters

Third Grade – Jaxson Hale, two quarters; Ryan Sharpless, Dawson Baker, Lincoln Jackson, Jadyn Jakub, Archer Meyerkorth, Madyson Pankau, three quarters

Fourth Grade – Millie Ripley, Cameron Lotter, Katelynn Rouse, one quarter; Hunter Shearer-Bolin, Grady Cook, Jaecy-Mae Makings, Colt Seiter, Rush Lewis, two quarters; Rozlyn McCown, Tristan Struthers, Adrianna Wallace, Ona Henriksen, Landon Melton-Burrell, Holdyn Moore, three quarters

Fifth Grade – Kennedi Seiter, Jaysen Hudson, one quarter; Brayden Amthor, John Gillem, Lily Shineman, Aidan Smyser, two quarters; Ryzer Hale, Logan Kish, Brandon Athen, Cooper Daugherty, Rylan Hunter, Airaleas Melton, Natalie Waterland, three quarters

Sixth Grade – Justin Kuhns, Brock Sebek-Holmes, one quarter; Izac Hurst, Case Millsap, Brylea Shrader, two quarters; Braidyn Buckner, Desmond Chaney, Lily Lager, Mya Welch, Lily Wilroy, Tatum Vogler, three quarters

The following students met their reading goal all four quarters:

First Grade – Mason Gubser, Elsie Hogue, Frank Kroeger, Lucy Ottmann, Zepplin Roup, Greyson Sperber, Austin Alexander, Jagger Jones, Kamryn Lair, Kinsley Nuckolls, Nash Schomburg

Second Grade – Locke Chaney, Isaac Dougherty, Kambrie Driskell, Ali Ellis, Andy Meyerkorth, Nishtha Patel, Cy Vogler, Tara Wamsley, Colton Zach, Jack Bailey, Damian Barth, Joci Culp, Caisyn Hall, Ethan Hunter, Elaina Kroeger, Anthony Masonbrink, Nella Steuter, Kipton Waigand

Third Grade – Chord Christians, Cooper Gibson, Clara Hays, Jovie Millsap, Paisley Moore, Maeve Roup, Avery Schomburg, Briar Daugherty, Zeke Gebhards, Gideon Hogue, Jolie Steuter

Fourth Grade – Stevie Gaines, Ellie Garst, Alexi Stoner, Reese Herron, Isabella Kroeger, Blaise Krogen, Leah Meyerkorth, Jacob McMahon, Grant Spiegel, Madison Wilroy, Tenley Peshek

Fifth Grade – Talyn Amthor, Reid Ellis, Karlie Gebhards, Blake Herron, Wyatt Huntley, Kinley Lair, Tennyson Lansdown, Henley Mace, Bryna McEnaney, Audrie Meyerkorth, Olivia Roup, Bentley Teten, Alyssa Brion, Logan Ellis, Jessa Geib, Raylynn Jenkins, Jaylynn Jones, Levi Lucas, Zoey Zach

Sixth Grade – Westyn Amthor, Audrey Dougherty, Morgan Garst, Dayton Hays, Jack Meyerkorth, Claire Miller, Jason Casey, Gabe Gebhards, Jadyn Geib, Landrey Kelly, Sophia Storm

The following students are the top readers based on Accelerated Reader for their classroom (* indicates the student broke the grade level record):

First Grade – Elsie Hogue, 177.6 points, Mrs. Bredensteiner; *Kamryn Lair, 305.5 points, Mrs. Waigand (previous record  held by Kipton Waigand, 156.1 points in 2020)

Second Grade – *Ali Ellis, 178.2 points, Mrs. Garst (previous record held by Mya Welch, 154.8 points in 2017); Kipton Waigand, 133.1 points, Mrs. Gilson

Third Grade –  Clara Hays, 62.1 points, Mrs. Amthor; Gideon Hogue, 178.4 points, Mrs. Geib

Fourth Grade – Isabella Kroeger, 329.1 points, Mrs. Holstine; Stevie Gaines, 105.3 points, Mrs. Stanton)

Fifth Grade – Audrie Meyerkorth, 131.6 points, Mrs. Hunter; Levi Lucas, 307.7 points, Ms. Roup

Sixth Grade – * Jackson Meyerkorth 1,000.2 points, Mrs. Hastert (previous record held by Bannack Skillen, 864.3 points in 2018); Jason Casey, 443.6 points, Mrs. Weber

The following students have surpassed 1,000 career Accelerated Reader books: Desmond Chaney, 1,073.8 points; and Mya Welch, 1,416.9 points

Jackson Meyerkorth was recognized for earning over 1,000 points in one year. He has accumulated 2,077.7 points over his career.

Student Council Representatives

Elementary Student Council Representatives are: Zeke Gebhards and Maeve Roup, third grade; Stevie Gaines and Leah Meyerkorth, fourth grade; Cooper Daugherty and Audrie Meyerkorth, fifth grade; Westyn Amthor and Brylea Shrader, sixth grade.

Leah Meyerkorth, left, and Archer Meyerkorth, right, competed in the Rock Port Spelling Bee (Grades 3-4). Leah won the spelling bee and Archer was runner-up.

Spelling Bee

Students who participated in the local, county, and 275 Conference Spelling Bee were:

Rock Port Spelling Bee (Grades 3-4) – Leah Meyerkorth, winner; Archer Meyerkorth, runner-up

Rock Port Spelling Bee (Grades 5-6) – Lily Wilroy, winner; Westyn Amthor, runner-up

275 Conference Spelling Bee – Leah Meyerkorth (participant in 3rd-4th grade competition); Lily Wilroy (participant in 5th-6th grade competition)

Madyson Pankau’s artwork was selected for the Principal’s Art Gallery.

Principal’s Art Gallery

Each year students’ outstanding artowrk is recognized and displayed in the Principal’s Art Gallery outside of the cafeteria. This is a tradition that started many years ago and helps bring the hallways to life! Once students graduate from Rock Port they take their artwork with them. This year’s seniors include Johnny Davis, MaKenna Farmer, Ethan Lucas, Jack Raison, and Kalyn Mertens.

This year’s artists are: Tara Wamsley, second grade; Madyson Pankau, third grade; and Zoey Zach, fifth grade.

Shelby Garst received the 2021 Outstanding Educator Award for the Elementary. She is pictured with her husband,  Trey, and son, Brett.

Outstanding Educator Award

Mrs. Jill Gilson, second grade teacher, presented the 2021 Outstanding Educator Award for the Elementary to Mrs. Shelby Garst.

Mrs. Gilson read a few words from Mrs. Garst’s students:

“Our teacher is hardworking because she gets the work done to be a good teacher.”

“She is thoughtful . . . because she gives us bandaids when we need them.  That’s very important!”

“I love that she explains things twice just in case we didn’t get it the first time.”

“She is smart because she knows her facts!”

“Our teacher reads the best stories to us.”

“She picks me up when I am down.”

“She is EPIC because she taught me 3 digit subtraction!”

“We are thankful that she leaves Brett every day to be with us.  We love her.”

Mrs. Gilson added that Mrs. Garst gives her whole heart to her students and co-workers and means the world to them.

Mrs. Leigh Ann Lawrence, kindergarten teacher, said “I first met Mrs. Garst when she came to Rock Port Elementary as a para, in the preschool. Her second year at RPE she became a second grade teacher and my co-teacher. Mrs. Garst and I spent two fun-filled years teaching second grade together! I really enjoyed those two years, getting to know her and learning from her. She is so talented! Although I will miss having Mrs. Garst across the hall from my kindergarten classroom next year, I am so excited she gets to stay home and be with Brett and the new baby! Mrs. Garst, you will be missed!!! Enjoy all of your family time! Congratulations on being honored as the Elementary Teacher of the Year!”

President’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement

This award is given only to sixth graders to recognize students who show outstanding educational growth, improvement, commitment or intellectual development in their academic subjects. These students have met at least one of the following criteria: (1) maintained a grade average above an A- in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade; and (2) scored in the 90th percentile in either reading or math on the MAP test: Audrey Dougherty, Morgan Garst, Gabe Gebhards, Dayton Hays, Landrey Kelly, Jack Meyerkorth, Brylea Shrader, Tatum Vogler, and Mya Welch

Mrs. Amthor’s third grade was the winner of the Reading Goals Championship. In lieu of the grade level attendance championship this year, the Championship Belt was awarded to the grade level with the highest percentage of reading goals met.

School Year Reading Goals Championship

In lieu of the grade level attendance championship this year, the Championship Belt was awarded to the grade level with the highest percentage of reading goals met. Mrs. Amthor’s third grade, with a 97.2% goal completion rate, was the winner.

Drawing for $100 bill

Students earn tickets for a drawing for a $100 bill by meeting their reading goals each quarter. This year’s winner was Lincoln Jackson, third grade.