South Middle
Teacher of the Month
April
SMS is proud to recognize Amy Diehl as our Teacher of the Month! Mrs.Diehl exemplifies what it means to be an outstanding educator, creating a welcoming and supportive classroom where students feel valued and inspired. Mrs. Diehl consistently implements engaging instructiona activities that spark curiosity and encourage active participation. Her ability to connect learning to real-world experiences makes lessons meaningful and memorable for her students. Beyond the classroom, she is a dedicated team player, collaborating with her colleagues to share best practices and support student success. Her positive energy and commitment to education make a lasting impact on both students and staff.
March
Kari Keck
Congratulations to SMS Digital Literacy teacher, Kari Keck for earning March teacher of the month! Through exceptional planning and preparation, Mrs. Keck creates engaging and meaningful learning experiences that inspire and challenge students. Beyond the classroom, Mrs. Keck builds strong relationships, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where every student feels valued. Her commitment to putting students' needs first truly sets her apart, making a lasting impact on our school community. We are grateful for Mrs. Keck's hard work and passion for education!
February
Taylor Urban
Taylor is an eighth grade English teacher at South Middle School. She has been teaching for eight years, all of which have been at South Middle. From the moment she started school as a child, Taylor knew her calling was teaching. Her eighth grade teacher, Julie Reddig, sparked her love of literature, while her high school ELA teachers, Carlene Stueve and Krista DeVoe, inspired her passion for English. Taylor is honored to be able to teach in the same district as those who inspired her and hopes to inspire the next generation, just as her teachers did for her. She loves connecting with her students through literature and nding ways to relate it to their daily lives. Taylor also enjoys storytelling, learning about her students' own stories and witnessing them go on to achieve incredible things in their adult lives. A fun fact about Taylor is that she is a huge Star Trek fan and she has seen every episode.
January
Kennedy Elliot - Kennedy is a special education teacher at South Middle School, where she has been teaching for three of her four years in education. Inspired by the educators and coaches from her own childhood, and by her mother-in-law, Gretchen Elliott, the 2023-2024 Kansas Teacher of the Year. Kennedy draws inspiration from Gretchen’s innovative ideas, strong connections with her students and her classroom environment. Kennedy enjoys watching her students grow, laugh and enjoy their time at school. She is grateful for her coworkers, who make South Middle School a great place to work. Outside of the classroom, Kennedy spends her time baking sourdough, gardening during the summer time, and chicken farming. A fun fact about her is that she is working towards becoming a homesteader.
December
Cindy Munk
Cindy is a seventh grade English teacher at South Middle School. She has been teaching for 26 years, 22 of those at the elementary level and the last four at the middle school level. Cindy was inspired to pursue teaching because she believes educators can make a meaningful impact in their students' lives. She especially enjoys the opportunity to connect with her students and build meaningful relationships. Some fun facts about Cindy include her outlook on life. She views life as an adventure, expressed through her passion for traveling to new places and experiencing new things. Cindy has visited all 50 states and is working on exploring Canada. She has already visited six out of ten provinces and one of the three Canadian territories.
November
Amy Norton
Amy is a sixth grade social studies teacher at South Middle School. She has been teaching for 30 years, 20 of those being at South Middle. Amy chose teaching as a profession due to being inspired by her third grade teacher, Mrs. Bloom, as well as her grandma. As a child, Amy played school with her grandma and her grandma always let her be the teacher. Amy enjoys seeing her students get excited about a topic, activity or new piece of knowledge. A fun fact about Amy is that all 30 years of her teaching have been at the sixth grade level.
October
Lisa Parker
7th Grade Social Studies
Lisa is a seventh grade social studies teacher at South Middle School who has been teaching for a total of 24 years with 21 of those being at South Middle. Lisa grew up in Minneapolis, Kansas and had wonderful K-12
grade teachers who inspired her to pursue the field of education. Lisa enjoys teaching middle school because each day is different and she likes seeing the progress that each student makes. And, Lisa enjoys working alongside her amazing colleagues everyday! In her free time Lisa loves to read, put puzzles together and build lego sets. She also loves spending time with her three children and four grandchildren.
September
Luke Curry
Luke is an eighth grade U.S. History teacher at South Middle School. He has been teaching for eight years,seven of those being at South Middle. Luke enjoys being a positive, encouraging presence in the lives of middle schoolers. He enjoys teaching eighth grade because he looks forward to seeing the transformation that happens when students begin navigating high school. He finds it rewarding to see the seeds students planted in middle school help them grow their confidence, resilience, and a sense of purpose as they move forward in finding their passions, and carving out their own paths. Luke has a wife named Jessica and son named Nathan, they stay busy outside of school raising goats, chickens and cows, which makes for some interesting times at home.