Welcome back, Keffer
By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN
A sign on the front door of Kennedy Middle School says it all.
Enrollment starts in Room 202. Welcome Back.
The message is for those coming to school to enroll Thursday and today for the 2008-09 school year.
But those last two words on the sign never sounded so good to Lee Keffer.
Keffer, who is beginning his 16th year at the local middle school -- fourth as principal -- returned to his customary role after a year of deployment overseas with the Kansas National Guard.
And is he ever glad to be back behind his desk at Kennedy.
While serving in Kosovo, Keffer had a severe allergic reaction to an immunization and was flown back to the states, where he completed his year of duty while recuperating at Fort Riley in northeast Kansas.
"It's good to be back; I'm excited for a new year," Keffer said Thursday. "Jane did a great job while I was gone, and everything is in order ... looking forward to another new school year."
Keffer was referring to Jane Botz, who served as interim principal for a year in Keffer's absence.
Botz wasn't just a fill-in, however.
Botz -- who had just moved to town with her husband, Brad, who was hired as director of planned giving for the Fort Hays State University Foundation -- brought with her extensive experience in education.
She had been administrator or lead teacher at the elementary and high school levels in Salina and Garden City, as well as human resource director for Salina USD 305.
That experience included eight years as principal at Salina South High School.
But Kennedy was her first try as a principal at the middle school level.
"What a good experience; it was great fun," said Botz , who plans to do volunteer work in the city this year. "It's an awesome student body and faculty and staff."
While it was tough for her to walk out the Kennedy doors last spring, Botz said she felt her mission had been accomplished.
"It was hard to leave, but I knew right from the start that it was one year and that my job there was to smooth that transition in Mr. Keffer's absence," she said. "And I hope that's what I did."
Botz said she heard beforehand that Hays had a quality school district, and the past year cemented that idea in her mind.
"I found the district staff a dedicated, highly skilled team, and I was proud to serve them that year," Botz said. "I've made some really neat associations that I hope to continue."
Lynda Seifers, secretary at Kennedy for 20 years, said she thought 2007-08 was a good learning experience for everyone at the school.
"It was interesting for me, to have a fresh eye, a different perspective on things," Seifers said. "Jane was really great for us last year; we learned a lot from her."
Seifers said she expects to keep in contact with Botz, and Botz said the same.
"I expect to follow those students through school and continue to watch them excel," Botz said.
But they all realize it's Keffer's turn to retake the reins.
"It's great to have him back," Seifers said, "all in one piece and safe and sound."
Keffer, healthy once again, is anxious to get back to business.
Besides the normal hectic schedule of the start of a school year, there is a handful of new teachers to get to know.
And in addition to the normal new class of sixth-graders, also new to Keffer will be this year's seventh-graders -- whose first time at Kennedy was in sixth grade last year -- as well as about 25 eighth-graders who came to the school as seventh-graders a year ago from Holy Family Elementary School.
"Now there's three classes of kids I will get to know," Keffer said.
"But that's great, another way to keep the job fresh."
No matter how he looked at it, Keffer couldn't find a better way to express his anticipation to this particular school year.
"It's just good," he said with a smile, "really good to be back."