Satanta High School is proud to name Yahaira Puerto as the Class of 2025 Salutatorian. With a 3.9643 GPA, a deep commitment to community service, and a passion for health care, Yahaira has made a lasting mark on her school and community.
Throughout high school, Yahaira pursued academic rigor through both her regular coursework and concurrent college classes at Seward County Community College. She completed Medical Terminology, Public Speaking, College Algebra, Statistics, and both Composition I and II. In addition, she earned her Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) certification and is CPR-certified through the American Heart Association, reflecting her early and focused entry into the medical field.
Yahaira’s academic achievements are matched by her wide-ranging leadership and extracurricular involvement. A five-sport athlete, she has competed in basketball, volleyball, softball, track, and cheerleading, earning numerous honors including SPIAA and HPL All-League selections, Ingalls Invitational All-Academic Team awards, and the title of All-American Cheerleader. She served as a Cheer Captain.
Beyond athletics, Yahaira has served in key leadership roles in multiple student organizations. She is President of the National Honor Society, Vice-President of KAY Club, and has held offices in Student Council, FBLA, DECA, and S-Club. As a class representative since her freshman year, she attended leadership conferences and contributed to the school's mentorship program and yearbook staff.
Her service extends into the community as well. Yahaira has volunteered with the Satanta Recreation Commission, helped with homecoming and school cleanup efforts, painted fire drill numbers, and regularly provides custodial service at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church. These contributions reflect her strong work ethic and her desire to give back to the people and places that have shaped her.
Yahaira’s commitment to nursing grew out of a life-changing personal experience. In a scholarship essay, she recalled the moment in October 2023 when her mother became critically ill. After days of misdiagnosed pain, her mother was found to have a life-threatening brain aneurysm. She was quickly airlifted to another hospital, where a team of nurses provided expert care.
"I observed their every action and was deeply impressed by their compassion and competence," Yahaira wrote. "One nurse in particular worked tirelessly to manage my mother’s discomfort. Her dedication and exceptional care left a lasting impression on me."
From that moment forward, Yahaira knew she wanted to become a nurse and plans to attend Garden City Community College before transferring to Kansas State University. She now plans to pursue a degree in nursing with the goal of working in neonatal intensive care. “My goal is to be a safe space for families and to be able to help people,” she wrote. “With the unwavering support of my parents, I am committed to realizing this dream.”
At Satanta High School’s upcoming graduation ceremony, Yahaira will deliver the salutatory address, reflecting on her journey, her goals, and the strength of the Class of 2025. Her story is one of resilience, compassion, and a steadfast desire to make a difference in the lives of others.
Congratulations to Yahaira Puerto, Satanta High School Class of 2025 Salutatorian.
USD 507 is hiring for a JH/HS secretary, paraprofessionals, custodians, and bus drivers. Part-time and substitute positions are available. Contact Karen Burrows (kburrows@usd507) or Garrett Moreno (gmoreno@usd507.org) for more information.
📣Satanta Cheer Doughnut Fundraiser Update! 🍩
Due to the amazing volume of doughnut orders (thank you for all your support 💚💛), our delivery has been moved to Monday, May 5th.
Our cheerleaders will begin delivering orders on Monday, May 5th and Tuesday, May 6th.
If you have questions, feel free to email Ms. Medrano at vmedrano@usd507.org.
Thank you again for supporting SHS Cheer!
KAY Spa Day is on the way!
Join us for the Senior Scholarship Assembly and Signing Ceremony: Wednesday, May 7 at 2:30 pm!
The USD 507 All-School Cookout will be held on Thursday, May 8, at SGS. Families are invited to eat with their children. Tickets for non-students are $6. Please either prepurchase tickets in the SGS office OR bring exact change or a check--to keep the line moving, we will not be able to make change. We will begin serving kindergarten at 11 a.m. and move up through the grades. JH and HS students will be bussed over at approximately 11:40.
Thanks to generous community donations, Satanta PTO is able to provide free school supplies to all USD 507 students. Donations are now being accepted in the SGS office and USD 507 district office, or you can Venmo SatantaPTO FOKS. Thank you for your support of our students!
Busy day at SGS! Centera Bank recognized students with 90% and 100% attendance in the Save for America program. Axe Moreno was the Banking Day winner--his class will get a pizza party! FFA also recognized the winners of the Farm Day contests. The Haskell County Conservation District is here today with the Earth Balloon! Lots of learning and celebrating today!
Haskell County softball games for April 25 have been cancelled due to weather. Make-up games are to be determined.
USD 507 will hold a K-12 spring music concert on Wednesday, May 7, at 1 p.m. in the SHS auditorium. The K-5 vocal students will perform first (approximately 45 minutes), followed by a brief intermission. The 5th grade band and all 6-12 musicians will perform after the intermission.
USD 507 is hiring! For more information, contact Karen Burrows (kburrows@usd507.org) or Garrett Moreno (gmoreno@usd507.org). A printable application is available on the USD 507 website: https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1948049/Classified_Application_Online.pdf
Join us on Thursday, May 8 for the Satanta High School Awards Banquet, which will begin with Academics Awards, progress through dinner, and conclude with Athletic Awards. Kindly use the QR code here to RSVP and check out the list of items that each class is to bring!
May breakfast and lunch menus
Congratulations to Cameron Ross, who broke the Satanta High School girls' javelin record at the Spearville meet today with a throw of 140' 6", winning the event. The previous record of 133' 7" was set by Crystal Wade in 2000.
Satanta High School's Art Department brought home several awards from the Fort Hays State University Art Show. Owen Downs Gilmore, Hunter Waggoner, Lauren Dusin, Gisselle Rubio, Diamond Wood, Jaretmy Serrano, Rocio Rangel, and Cameron Fraley all received award of excellence certificates. Within this group, a first-place ribbon was awarded to Rocio, Owen was awarded a second-place ribbon, and a third-place ribbon was awarded to Cameron. Satanta Jr.-Sr. High School's art teacher is Christine Ramirez. We are proud of these students and their instructor!
Congratulations to these 1st graders who have earned 40 AR points and got to eat lunch with Officer Tiffany!
Staff Member of the Month: Mrs. Crystal Naylor
Mrs. Naylor has been a consistent force for good in our high school, and her positive impact is felt daily. She has done a phenomenal job developing the KAYs program, creating opportunities for students to lead, serve, and find their place in our school community. Whether she's supporting students, stepping up to fill gaps in other school organizations, or volunteering at events, Mrs. Naylor brings dedication and energy to everything she does. Her expertise with technology has been especially valuable, as demonstrated by her creation and implementation of our IPS system—just one example of her commitment to improving student achievement. She's always ready to help, whether it's organizing materials, taking notes during meetings and in-services, or ensuring that things run smoothly behind the scenes. We are proud to recognize Mrs. Crystal Naylor as Staff Member of the Month. Our school is better because of her!
Order of events for the HS track meet at Spearville on April 17.
USD 507 is pleased to announce that Dr. Chuck Carpenter will serve as 6-12 principal for the 2025-26 school year! Please find an introductory letter from Dr. Carpenter below:
I’m tremendously excited to join Satanta USD 507 to serve as the Junior/Senior High Principal next year and hope to contribute to the sterling reputation the district has regarding its student-centered approach to education. I will be entering my 13th year in public education, marked by a total of a decade in the Neosho School District in Neosho, MO, where I served from 2013-2019 as an English Teacher and later, as an Instructional Coach from 2021-2025. I spent two years in the Carthage (MO) R-9 School District from 2019-2021 prior to returning to Neosho. Each of these experiences, characterized by exceptional mentors devoted to collaboration, growth, and sharing, diverse student populations, and the commitment to providing students a meaningful educational experience, has shaped my background in this field.
I graduated from Missouri Southern State University in 2013 with a BSE in English Education, then earned my Master’s and Specialist in Educational Administration from Missouri State University in 2015 and 2017, respectively. I recently completed my Doctorate at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville earlier this year. With the spare time I have, I’m a particularly big fan of watching college basketball and MLB baseball, officiating basketball, and hiking/traveling the country.
As I start getting to know the community, students, and stakeholders of USD 507, please know you have my commitment to ensuring each student receives a high-quality education during their time spent with us. Please feel free to reach out, drop by in person, or contact me via our website should you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Dr. Chuck Carpenter
Enjoy these unedited photos from SGS prom courtesy of SHS yearbook! https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Hlrore-UujFMS6JcNdSGFGIZdZ2yOgqi?usp=sharing
