The students who graduated from Vaughnsville High School in Sugar Creek Township of Putnam County had not realized the value of their well-rounded education at the time they were in school. Looking back, however, most realize that they owe a great debt to those teachers and the community that stood behind them. As you read these histories, you will understand the loyalty the teachers had for the community and the support they were given by it. The great number of adult accomplishments by the large percentage of the students who attended a small Ohio school, should give a hint to those in educational power that the well-rounded student with the basics seems to come out on top. At Vaughnsville, the farmer was as musical as the college professor, the factory worker was historically sound, and the cook could discuss space travel. Everything that affected the community also affected the school; and everything that affected the school affected the community.Vaughnsville High School was closed by the state in 1962, and the Sugar Creek District was taken over by the Columbus Grove School District. The school had been known since the early years as a district full of musically talented students. All through the time in which Vaughnsville had a high school, the community was known for the sport of baseball. Vaughnsville was one of the first towns in the area to have a regulation sized baseball field with lights to accommodate night games. Many of the high school basketball teams won the Putnam County League Championships. The early girls basketball teams were as competetive as the boys until the state of Ohio restricted the sport for girls. These were accomplishments of a small rural community that loved its kids.K. Evans Odell is a country girl at heart. She is a musician, paralegal, tracker, rancher, writer, teacher, and mother. She is a graduate of Vaughnsville High School, Ohio Northern University, College of St. Scholastica, and National Paralegal College. She has studied at Berklee College of Music She has a master's degree in Education: Curriculum and Instruction, and is a Certified Paralegal. She is a member of North American Welsh Choir, Alpha Xi Delta sorority, Rocky Mountain Trackers, Montana Association of Legal Assistants, and National Association of Legal Assistants, and is a World Tae Kwon Do Blackbelt. K, Evans Odell taught school for more than 30 years at all levels (K-12) and all of the elementary subjects provided in public schools. She has taught country schools, multi-level classrooms, and detention center for delinquent boys. She has also worked as a lifeguard and EMT. K. Evans Odell studied survival and K9 search and rescue with her dogs Lew, Joker, Gwylm and Minnie; and she studied mantracking (without dogs) under former border patrolman and professional tracker, Joel Hardin.When teaching, K. Evans Odell's students participated at the state level in Montana and South Dakota State spelling contests, Montana State Mathcounts contest, and Montana and South Dakota State Geography Bee. Her students competed in the top ten teams in the nation in the National History Day competition, as national finalist in Hallmark historical story writing, and second place in the nation in the NASA/NSTA spacecraft design competition. K. Evans Odell was selected to be trained as a NEWEST teacher for NASA, and was Montana representative for NASA/NSTA competitions.K. Evans Odell was a past Montana Conservation Teacher of the Year and US Regional Conservation Teacher of the Year. She has four grown children and lives with her husband on a ranch in Montana.
About the Author: K. Evans Odell is a musician, paralegal, tracker, rancher, writer, teacher, and mother. She is a graduate of Vaughnsville High School, Ohio Northern University, College of St. Scholastica, and National Paralegal College. She has studied at Berklee College of Music She has a master's degree in Education: Curriculum and Instruction, and is a Certified Paralegal. She is a member of Alpha Xi Delta sorority, Rocky Mountain Trackers, Montana Association of Legal Assistants, and National Association of Legal Assistants, and is a World Tae Kwon Do Blackbelt. K, Evans Odell taught school for more than 35 years at all levels (K-12) and all of the elementary subjects provided in public schools and several of the high school subject areas. She has taught in the city, country schools, multi-level classrooms, and detention center for delinquent boys. She has worked as a lifeguard and an EMT. K. Evans Odell studied survival and K9 search and rescue with her dogs Lew, Joker, Gwylm and Minnie; and she studied mantracking (without dogs) under former border patrolman and professional tracker, Joel Hardin. When teaching, K. Evans Odell's students participated at the state level in Montana and South Dakota State spelling contests, Montana State Mathcounts contest, and Montana and South Dakota State Geography Bee. Her students competed in the top ten teams in the nation in the National History Day competition, as national finalist in Hallmark historical story writing, and second place in the nation in the NASA/NSTA spacecraft design competition. K. Evans Odell was selected to be trained as a NEWEST teacher for NASA, and was Montana representative for NASA/NSTA competitions. K. Evans Odell was a past Montana Conservation Teacher of the Year and US Regional Conservation Teacher of the Year. She has four grown children and lives with her husband on a ranch in Montana.