KTOY - Manhattan!

I’m going to apologize now for flooding you with my KTOY visits….actually, no, I’m not. I have gotten to see some wonderful schools, great educators, and hear from some powerfully motivating administrators. 

Today’s post is about the Manhattan KTOY visit. This was a visit that Casey and I planned (along with the help from some amazing folks over at the RobinsonEducation Center) We began planning back in December and *dun dun dun DUN* it was finally time for us to show off USD 383 Manhattan-Ogden. We began the day gathering everyone up at the Flint Hills Discovery Center. Casey and I got to drive these wonderful vehicles that were loads of fun! Casey’s was actually a little bigger than mine….Ha!

We then drove over the the Robinson Education Center started the day off with a yummy light breakfast including Varsity Donuts. I highly recommended the Maple Bacon which was absolutely a hit. 

As everyone ate we heard about the school district’s amazing schools, resources, and programs.  It’s always nice to learn what is going on in the district. Many times as educators we don’t get out of our own classroom, let alone our school.

We then traveled (walked across the street) to the high school. As we walked around we got to learn some history of the high school and take note of the changes that happened with the renovation. While there we got to see their student art department. These students are celebrated and there is art work all over the school. It was such a great experience to see a program that really celebrates and encourages those student artists.

We also got to stop by and see the 3D printer and school program that is currently running. These students are not only getting to use this amazing piece of equipment. They are learning the ins and outs of design. They have to be able to successfully run the program, which is not a walk in the park. I was confused just looking over their shoulders at it. Their mesaurements and design have to be precise and correct or else the program won’t allow them to print. This is a great teaching moment as students can then go back and re-examine their work to find the fault and correct it. How cool they are able to actually design, produce, and see the process from thought through creation.

After that we headed over to check out the K-State Basketball facilities. Shhhh! Don’t tell, but we also got to tour Bramelage Coliseum!!! It was soo cool to see from the perspective of the players, well a few feet lower but you get the point! We definitely take care of our atheletes.

Yes, we stormed the court! No teachers were harmed in the filming of this video!

After lunch we got to go to Anthony Middle School and check out Casey's amazing room. It was so relaxed, cozy and organized. She has definitely set her students up for success!

We then headed over to my school. While I would have loved to showcase the amazing things happening here our visit was a little thrown off due to our annual Teacher Challenge. I was able to walk the team around and they snapped pictures around the school.

We ended at the Flint Hills Discovery Center. They had a Kansas Exhibit. How cool it was to walk around and interact with the materials. This is such an amazing resource to have in town. Please be sure to stop by and check it out if you get the chance. They also have AMAZING education specialists that can connect their content to your classroom if you can't quite make it in. Check them out!

We had such a blast and I would absolutely consider that day a success!