Hays eighth-grader honored as February Best of the Best by 489 board

By GARRETT SAGER
Hays Post

At the end of each month, Hays USD 489 hands out Best of the Best awards to honor a staff member and a student who go above and beyond.

Winners receive a limestone plaque as well as gift cards from Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill or Gella’s Diner & Lb. Brewing Co.

studnet-feb-best-of-best — **Lauren Wagner receives her award and takes a picture with the USD 489 Board of Education and Superintendent John Thissen**

Winners are nominated by their peers, and the student winner for February was Lauren Wagner, eighth grader at Hays Middle School. The faculty winner was Andrea Zody, Special Education Hays High School, but she was unable to attend the meeting. She will be honored at the March 13 board of education meeting.

Wagner was nominated by Shauna Zweifel, vice principal at HMS, because of her leadership in different school activities and how she performs in the classroom.

“It’s been my privilege to get to know Lauren a little bit better,” Zweifel said. “She was taken on leadership roles. She’s been a very big leader and, as far as her academics go, she is a dedicated honor student.”

Wagner is a part of the HMS student council, which this year implemented a technique to get the students more active before school starts.

Wagner was crucial in getting that organized, according to Zweifel, organizing the games to be played once or twice a week before school. Zweifel said Wagner often gets in front of the microphone and tells the students which game they will be playing and how to play it.

Wagner also attended a state wellness summit in October. She was one of two eighth graders chosen to attend the summit from HMS.

The summit focused on physical wellness at middle schools throughout Kansas. Wagner took different ideas and tips from the summit and helped the middle school implement them not only at a physical wellness level but also at a mental wellness level with “brain breaks” in between classes and more.

“We’ve also started playing music in the halls on Fridays, which is just another part that Lauren played in,” Zweifel said.

Wagner also helped play a role in the implementation of healthy “smart snacks,” Zweifel said, a program called “Snacks Before Second,” the most significant project students worked on following the health summit. The initiative allows students to purchase healthy snacks between first and second hour twice a week.

Wagner was accompanied by her parents, Eric and Jennifer.