2024 KSHSAA Heart of the Arts Award

The KSHSAA Student Advisory Team has selected Mary Pennington, a music teacher at the Onaga School District, for the Heart of the Arts. Onaga had not been able to secure a full-time teacher for its music program. Enter, Mary Pennington. Pennington took it upon herself to find time in her schedule to come in two afternoons a week to allow the band program to continue at our school. “Without her, our students would be getting very few, if any, music opportunities at the school,” said Onaga High School Principal Brian Sixbury. Even though she is working full-time at Lifecare Center of Seneca, Mary has gone above and beyond to not only work with the students on concert band materials but also pep band and is working towards putting on a production in the spring to give students opportunities to show off their artistic/music skills. At the semester Onaga was able to find their full-time music teacher but Pennington still felt the commitment to come in to help with the transition twice a week. Pennington has been critical to arts continuing at Onaga High School and Middle School. Without her contribution to the arts students would be missing out on opportunities, and that is why Mary Pennington has been selected for the 2024 KSHSAA Heart of the Arts Award.