Connette Eckels, a teacher from Sacred Heart School in Ness City, has been selected as a Distinguished Teacher 2004 for the Kansas Association of Religious and Independent Schools (KAIRS). Eckels was honored at the KAIRS Annual Meeting in Topeka, Feb. 2.

Six teachers from across Kansas received awards. This award is given to outstanding educators from KAIRS member schools. The recipients are nominated by their administrators, peers or students’ families. Members, comprised of principals, heads of schools and superintendents, were invited to attend a Hall of Fame Banquet as part of a two-day annual meeting.

Eckels is in her 28th year as a primary grade teacher at Sacred Heart School. Currently, she teaches kindergarten, first grade and Jump Start (pre-kindergarten) students. She also served as Lead Teacher for three years. Eckels received her Bachelor of Science degree from Fort Hays State University.

Sacred Heart has been part of Eckels’ life from the very beginning. She attended school there as a student and later returned to teach.

"Connette has a talent and a true gift to teach primary age students," said superintendent of schools, Ann Depperschmidt. "Her gentle spirit and her ability to enhance the students’ self esteem are totally dynamic in the teaching field."

KAIRS is the state’s largest organization of non-public schools. It represents more than 38,000 children, 2,700 teachers and 25,800 families in Christian, Catholic, Independent, Lutheran and Seventh Day Adventist schools.

The six teachers receiving the KAIRS Distinguished Teachers 2004 awards are as follows:

Kevin Taylor, Trinity Academy, Wichita (Christian Schools); Connette Eckels, Sacred Heart, Ness City, (Diocese of Dodge City); Dave Hawley, Wichita Collegiate School, (Independent Schools); Jan Aberle, Holy Cross Lutheran School, Wichita, (Lutheran Schools); Trish Ott, Manhattan Catholic School, Manhattan, (Diocese of Salina); Nell Kaba, St. Joseph Catholic School, Wichita, (Diocese of Wichita).