District Staff Receive Numerous Honors
Hutchison Receives SFO Certification
Dec. 15, 2011 ~ Olathe School District's Chief Financial Officer John Hutchison was recently awarded the Certified Administrator of School Finance and Operations (SFO) certification by the Association for Business Officials International (ASBO).
The SFO Certification, a new certification by ASBO International, is granted to highly qualified individuals who fulfill multiple requirements, including demonstrating eligibility (through work experience and education), passing a comprehensive two-part exam that tests competency in accounting and school business management topics, and adhering to the ASBO International Certification Code of Conduct.
Hutchison, who has worked for the district for two years, is the first CFO working for a school district in the state to obtain this certification. He has 20 years in school district finance experience.
School business officials who have earned the SFO Certification commit to ongoing professional development, renew the certification annually, and undergo recertification every three years.
Educators Receive National Board Certification
Three Olathe School District educators recently received their initial National Board Certified Teacher credentials (NBCT) and three received renewal of their NBCT credentials.
National Board Certification is recognized nationwide as a model for identifying accomplished teaching practice. To achieve the status, teachers must meet licensing and experience eligibility requirements and submit an extensive portfolio of their teaching practice, as well as demonstrate content knowledge through a series of assessments.
Newly certified teachers are:
- Lindsey Colling, Olathe East High School, Spanish
- Lisa Frahm, Manchester Park Elementary School, fifth grade
- Dena Steen, Washington Elementary School, third grade
Recertified teachers are:
- Sandra Ames, Heatherstone Elementary School, library media
- Julie Miller, Instructional Resource Center, science facilitator
- Kate Thompson, Olathe Northwest High School, library media
Scholten Receives 2011 Wayne Osness Honor Award
Wendy Scholten, Ridgeview Elementary School physical education teacher, was recently awarded the Wayne Osness Honor Award by the Kansas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (KAHPERD).
Scholten has been a member of the group for 25 years and this is the highest award the organization presents. She has been instrumental in creating a healthier school population and community at Ridgeview.
She has served as the KAHPERD webmaster and secretary and is currently the chair of the grants committee. Scholten has given session presentations at four KAHPERD conventions, provided in-services for the physical education teachers in the Olathe School District, and through her grant writing skills, has provided $26,000 for her school community.