Tuesday, June 30th:
10:30-11:15: last day of in-person Summer Reading Program-T-Party
11:30-12:30: Summer Food Service Program
1:00: Science for Kids
2:00: America 250 Craft & Movie

Thursday, July 2nd:
11:30-12:30: Summer Food Service Program
5:30: Township Meeting
6:00: Library Board Meeting

Saturday, July 4th:
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Jerry “Mr. J” Jacquinet: A McCune Legend

When we started asking our followers to name someone who had been influential in their sports career, one name kept showing up again and again.

Not a long explanation. Not a need for introduction.

Just simply, Mr. J.

Around McCune, Kansas, that is all you have to say. Everyone knows exactly who you are talking about.

Jerry “Mr. J” Jacquinet began his teaching career in the early 1970s at McCune Elementary School, and even though he has long since retired from teaching, his impact has never really left the gym, the track, the classroom, or the community. For generations of Southeast and McCune students, Mr. J was more than a teacher or coach. He was one of those people who saw potential in kids before they could see it in themselves.

He coached travel basketball for years. He coached track and field. He taught PE. He pushed athletes to compete, but more importantly, he taught them how to carry themselves. Be coachable. Have a good attitude. Work hard. Respect others. Believe that you are capable of more than you think.

One former student-athlete, Laney Lawson, explained his impact better than almost anyone could.

She said Mr. J was her elementary PE teacher from second grade through middle school, her travel basketball coach, and her middle school track coach. She said you cannot go around McCune, Kansas, and not know the name Mr. J.

Laney also shared that he was “by far the ONLY reason” she went to college and became a teacher. His belief in her, and in so many others, helped keep kids on the right path.

Her story says everything about who Mr. J is. When she was in third grade, he saw her playing basketball at the McCune town court and wanted her on his travel team. Her parents said no. So he went to their house and asked again. They still said no. But he kept coming back, kept explaining why it would be good for her, and eventually they agreed.

She never looked back.

Laney went on to play basketball all through college. Because Mr. J was persistent, she was given an opportunity that changed the direction of her life.

That is what legends do. They do not just coach a season. They change futures.

Another comment summed it up simply: Mr. J “influenced students both on the court and off.”

Larry Malle, current Southeast High School Principal, said, “Mr. J influenced so many Southeast and McCune student athletes since the 70’s as a teacher, coach, and fan of our USD 247 schools. He attends games and supports our kids still today. He serves as a XC and track starter now. Great coach, teacher, man, and friend.”

And that may be the most amazing part. Mr. J’s service did not stop when he retired. To this day, he is still involved. He still starts home cross country races, from the small meets all the way up to Regional meets hosted by Southeast. He has also been a track and field starter for what feels like forever.

That kind of loyalty is rare. That kind of presence matters.
Since the 1970s, Jerry “Mr. J” Jacquinet has been teaching, coaching, encouraging, correcting, supporting, and believing in kids. He has touched lives in ways that cannot be measured by wins, medals, or scoreboards.

Some people become legends because of records.

Mr. J became a legend because of people.

And in McCune, Kansas, when someone says Mr. J, everyone has a story.

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Does your community have a legend? Tell us about it!

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