Washburn Rural High School students in Brad LeDuc’s AP Studio Art class continued a special tradition with this year’s Unsung Heroes portraits – larger-than-life works inspired by contemporary artist Chuck Close.

Over the past three weeks, students conducted interviews, wrote essays, and brought each design to life before unveiling the finished works during a special ceremony last Friday.

This year’s honorees included Primo Josef Arbon, a teacher his students describe as so much more than that. Through humor, conversation, and genuine connection, Mr. Arbon takes the time to know his students as individuals and to encourage them to become the best versions of themselves. In their essay describing the reason for Mr. Arbon's selection, students wrote, “Mr. Arbon not only teaches math, but he teaches students how to be better human beings. He deeply cares about every soul that enters his classroom, and he strives to help every student reach their full potential.” They continued, "We hope that he will always remember how much he has impacted our lives and how special he is to us."

Students also honored former classmate Miles Timberlake, who passed away in July after a courageous 16-month battle with cancer. Miles is only the second student to be honored in the 17-year history of Unsung Heroes. Remembered as "a bundle of joy and energy," Miles faced cancer with remarkable strength while continuing to care deeply for those around them. "The cancer never stopped Miles from being a loving and caring person to the teachers, friends, and family who surrounded them," shared Ren Beard-Alvarado. "Miles was a really good person. They lifted everyone around them and advocated for the rights and freedom of others."

Congratulations to this year’s Unsung Heroes – and to the talented students who used their art to celebrate these two deserving individuals!

Come support your Jr. Blues and all the students participating at tonight's rescheduled Boys Soccer game vs. Junction City! Varsity game starts around 6:15 PM at the WRHS McElroy Field and will be live streamed at http://wrhs.net/live.

The tradition of excellence continues at Washburn Rural High School, with four seniors earning recognition through the highly competitive National Merit Scholarship Program!

Gopikaashri Chidambaranathan and Kennedy Wright have been named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists, a distinction awarded to less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors, while Sophie Miller and Carter Allen were named National Merit Commended Scholars for scoring among the top 5% of students nationwide.

Congratulations, Gopikaashri, Kennedy, Sophie, and Carter! We are proud to celebrate your outstanding achievement! 💙

EDIT: This game has been rescheduled to Wednesday, September 16 due to storms in the area.

Come support your Jr. Blues and all the students participating at tonight's Boys Soccer game vs. Junction City! Varsity game starts around 6:15 PM at the WRHS McElroy Field and will be live streamed at http://wrhs.net/live.

⏰REMINDER: Early Release Tomorrow!

Wednesday, September 16 is an early release day. All schools will dismiss 90 minutes early. Please plan accordingly.

It’s Signing Day! 🏈

Fifth-graders at Jay Shideler Elementary School are officially on the clock! They kicked off their NFeLementary experience by signing contracts this morning to become general managers of NFL teams for the season.

NFeLementary is a cross-curricular program that brings learning to life through football. Students calculate football statistics in math, explore geography through NFL cities and teams, develop written communication skills by composing letters to NFL franchises, and more.

The contracts are signed. The teams are set. Let the season begin!

Come support your Jr. Blues and all the students participating at tonight's Varsity Football game vs. Olathe South! Game starts at 7:00 PM in the WRHS Bowen-Glaze Stadium and will be live streamed at http://wrhs.net/live.

Come support your Jr. Blues and all the students participating at tonight's Boys Soccer game vs. De Soto! Varsity game starts around 6:15 PM at the WRHS McElroy Field and will be live streamed at http://wrhs.net/live.

Come support your Jr. Blues and all the students participating at tonight's Boys Soccer game vs. Wichita Northwest! Due to high temperatures, the Varsity game will start around 8:00 PM at the WRHS McElroy Field and will be live streamed at http://wrhs.net/live.

Survival is all about adaptation! 🪱🌿🐾

That's what our third-graders are learning as part of their Patterns of Survival ESTEEM field trip at our 55-acre outdoor campus. Students are investigating worms, exploring how animals adapt to their environments, and hiking through different ecosystems to discover patterns of survival in nature.

Not a bad way to spend a school day! 🔎