HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson USD 308 officially opened the 2017-18 school year with their annual convocation.

Several educators were honored during the event. The Davis Foundation made its annual Teachers of the Year Awards. The elementary winners were Jean Gaeddert, Avenue A Elementary School instructional support teacher, and Cassie Sturgeon, Avenue A sixth grade teacher. The middle school winner was Brian Brillhart, HMS-8 English language arts teacher.

The high school winners were Amber Carithers, Hutchinson High School English teacher, and Clayton Evans, HCTEA business teacher.

Each winner receives $4,000. The Davis Foundation has contributed millions of dollars to Hutchinson Public Schools’ staff and students since its first scholarships were awarded to HHS seniors 59 years ago.

This is the 35th time the awards have been made to teachers. Since the first awards, Davis has made awards of about $425,000 to USD 308 teachers.

Recognized during the convocation as Classified Employee of the Year was Martin Vieyra, Title I aide at Graber Elementary School. Jesse Ediger, fourth grade teacher at Graber, and Chanin Aumiller, social studies teacher at HMS-8, have been nominated as the district’s entries in the Kansas National Teacher of the Year com