By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
WAKEENEY - Even though Kansas school rooms are closed for the remainder of the spring semester, lessons and even student club activities are continuing.
In addition to attending her classes that were moved online, McKenna Flax, secretary of the Trego Junior High KAY Club, is also helping with her organization's spring service project, which also had to change how it's traditionally conducted.
Cheryl Gleason, Kansas Association for Youth (KAY) Organization state sponsor through the Kansas State High School Activities Association, asked clubs to still work on their projects.
In WaKeeney, the entire community has been involved in a three-week social distancing scavenger hunt, according to Flax. The hunted items reflect Kansas State Department of Education pillars of education - respect and caring, citizenship and school spirit.
Businesses and residents have been displaying hearts, the American flag and pictures of Trego Eagle Epic Spirit on their business windows and doors, and house windows and front doors.
"People have been taking a lot of pictures all over the place and submitting them to Facebook," Flax said. The online submissions ensure participants are complying with social distancing requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Businesses and homeowners had plenty of heart art and flags to display during weeks 1 and 2 of the scavenger hunt, but not everybody had access to a representation of the Eagle mascot for week 3.
Lori Dietz, Trego Community High School art teacher and sponsor of the TCHS KAY club, along with her daughter Annika came up with a Trego Eagle stencil design that could be drawn on sidewalks with chalk or painted on windows. They even created a Youtube video with directions on how to use the stencil.
"I think the project is working good," said Flax, an eighth grader. "It gives people things to do. Families just drive around town and try to find them."
The names of those who've posted their pictures of the scavenger hunt items will be put into a drawing for a prize-winning family pack to be revealed this week.
McDonald's of WaKeeney and Hays has contributed Extra Value Meal coupons and Treat cards for the Family Prize Pack, according to Stacie Minson, sponsor of the Jr. High KAY Club.
"KAY is a service organization and this was one way to bring the school activities and service to the community (after Kansas schools were closed," Minson said.
"We have young to old participating. There are some senior citizens displaying things in their windows," Minson added, "and their grandchildren are posting the grandparents' addresses on Facebook, saying go to this address. So it lets the older citizens be involved in this too."
McKenna's mother, Latrisha Flax, sponsors the high school KAY Club which also had to change its leadership project originally involving face-to-face activity with students in kindergarten through third grade.
Now, any age group can get involved online with #boysrockgirlsrule, says Flax.
"We posted it on Twitter that anyone can post activities that they're doing at home, such as physical activities, crafts, family dance parties, sisters doing each others' hair, brothers playing ball, things like that.
"They put the hashtag #boysrockgirlsrule and tag us at #tchskay."
For every post the club gets, it will donate a dollar to the local food pantry in WaKeeney.
"Our schools have been charged by KSDE with more real world interaction and learning, and one of the pillars of education is civic duty.
"That's where KAY comes in," explains Flax, "and helping schools meet that goal by providing civic duty and leadership education to students."
"We've seen people walking and biking as the weather's gotten nicer looking for things and you see the kids pointing to them, looking for the hearts and flags and eagles," Minson said. "Most places have left up all three weeks displays."
"It's a way to keep the social distancing but still have a family activity."