For our final editorial of the school year the Charger staff would like to thank some of the teachers and staff members moving on from WHS this year. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us and we wish you luck with your future.
Brian Henry
Students will miss learning from Henry in both his classroom and Alderman’s (because of the thin walls). They will miss his great phrases and how he wasn’t scared to have fun and be honest with students. Football coach Jess Rutledge said he will miss Henry’s tenacity and positive attitude on the field. “He never doubted that the kids could improve,” Rutledge said. We wish him luck at Rural Vista next season.
Diane Breiner
After being with WHS for many years, and then retiring for a few, Diane Breiner decided to fill in the FCS teaching position until the best replacement could be found. We will miss how much she cared for each one of her students and FCCLA members. Because of her, we will always hear a little “no, no, no” in our heads when our ideas get a little too crazy, but it will remind us how amazing a teacher and adviser she really was. We will greatly miss you Ms. B., but thank you for all you have done this year.
Richard Philbrook
This year’s seniors have spent eight years learning from music teacher Richard Philbrook. Students said they valued his stories and his passion for music. They will miss his great advice and encouragement. The music program has made great strides during his time at WHS. After more than 40 years in education, we wish him a great retirement.
Laura Delfelder
Laura Delfelder taught English at Wabaunsee from 2017-2019. She was always willing to help students, in the classroom and out. Students will miss her positive attitude and drive to help everyone succeed. She made class a fun, positive experience, even on days when no one wanted to be at school. Delfelder plans to attend Kansas State University for a veterinary degree. We wish her luck and hope she catches up on the physics homework she’s always drowning in.
Callie Taylor
Special education teacher and former assistant cross country coach Callie Taylor always has a smile on her face. We will miss how she encouraged students and athletes, and how she always kept a stash of snacks in her classroom. “It must have taken a lot to put up with my stupid butt,” senior Seth Manka said.
Shanna Perine
Perine coached girls basketball for five seasons, taking the Chargers to state three times. We will miss her being laid back during body fitness, but always pushing us to do better and always being a super nice lady. We are thankful for her stepping in to be interim body fitness coach at the start of this year and helping us have the best seasons possible during basketball season. “I want to thank her for believing in me even when I didn’t believe in myself and always pushing me to be my best,” junior Autymn Schreiner said.
Chris Smart
Smart coached boys basketball coach this season. We will miss him always believing in us, motivating us to do better and sharing his good attitude. He was knowledgeable and worked well with the players. Thanks for dedicating your time to students this season.
Austin Lawrence
As district technology director, Lawrence did a great job pushing our school to adopt iPads and enter the 21st century. IT is often a thankless job, as you mostly call on them when something is broken, but Lawrence worked hard to keep things running smoothly. As head and assistant basketball coach, as well as football assistant, he spent a lot of time with WHS athletes over his time at USD 329. We wish him and his wife Cindy good luck as they move home to Hanover.
Kathy Hendricks
Kathy Hendricks came out of retirement to help teach Spanish at the beginning of the school year. If not for her, we would have been learning from a TV in the library. Now that we have a full time teacher she can go back to hanging out with her new grandchild.
Adam Laubert
A fun presence on the sideline, we will miss assistant football coach Adam Laubert. We wish him a great career as assistant football coach in Boulder, Colo.
Fred Johnson
Fred retired at the beginning of the year, but as a custodian, he had been a constant presence at WHS for many years. Thanks for all of your years cleaning up our messes.
The editorial is the opinion of the Charger staff. Send letters to the editor to whscharger@gmail.com.
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