Piper honors state qualifiers in FCCLA, chess and robotics and spotlights industry partnership

The Piper School district on Monday recognized dozens of students and staff for recent competitive and programmatic achievements, from state and national qualifiers in FCCLA and robotics to top finishes in chess and boys basketball, and honored staff who led a districtwide mobile maker‑space project.

School administrators opened the recognitions by listing students from Piper High School’s Family, Career and Community Leaders of America chapter who earned state medals and qualified for national competitions. “Emily France … earned top gold securing a spot at the national leadership conference this July,” a district presenter said. Samantha McKee, Cameron Moreau and Ellen Nolan also earned top‑state finishes; Keeley Vicker earned silver in baking and pastry in her first state appearance. The district also reported several students earned high ratings in Leadership Education Opportunities (LEOs) competitions.

Why it matters: district and extracurricular successes are often cited as evidence of program strength and student engagement; state and national qualifiers typically require travel and additional district support.

The board recognized the Piper Creek Elementary chess team for placing at the state championship and at a January Rockhurst Chess Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri. The chess presentation noted seven Piper Creek players competed against 464 students across sections; two students earned individual medals after three wins in their section.

The meeting next turned to robotics. District staff said two Piper teams — Team Stealth 1802 (FIRST Robotics Competition) and Team Stealth 21536 (FIRST Tech Challenge) — advanced to state‑level competition this season. The FTC team earned a design award and finished in alliance play at the Kansas West and Missouri/Kansas state tournaments; members were praised for strong qualifying rounds and engineering documentation. Piper High senior Brady Livingood was named a FIRST Dean’s List finalist and was reported to be traveling to the FIRST world championship in Houston.

Also recognized were members of the Piper High boys basketball team, which finished the 2024‑25 season 21‑4, repeated as United Kansas Conference champions and placed third at the Emporia tournament. Senior guard P.J. Moore was noted to have surpassed 1,000 career points and earned UKC co‑player of the year and first‑team all‑state honors.

The board presented staff awards, naming Jessica Asbury district winner of a certified “April HYPE” award for leading a donated school bus conversion to a mobile maker space; the district noted Asbury earned a commercial driver’s license to drive the bus. Two classified staff members, Janet Keuler and Q Johnson, were recognized as lunchroom staff winners.

The board also heard from Rachel Trainer of DLR Group, who described a six‑week real‑world learning project DLR held with Piper students. Trainer said the program brought “real architects, real engineers, and real business professionals” into capstone classes and allowed students to pitch final design work at DLR’s office. “We offered and we launched a real world learning opportunity through a client connected project,” Trainer said. The district said the program included classroom site visits, remote office hours with mechanical and electrical engineers, and a final in‑office presentation for students.

District officials thanked volunteers, coaches and mentors who supported teams and programs and invited parents and community members to take photos and congratulate participants.

Looking ahead: district presenters said several of the student qualifiers will travel for national competitions this summer and the district will continue to promote industry partnerships to expand student capstone experiences.