Mill Valley News: What is your job at Mill Valley, and could you please describe some duties and responsibilities? 

Dr. Gail Holder: Yes, I currently serve as the building principal. My duties and responsibilities are the overall safety and well-being of students and staff at Mill Valley, the instructional process here at Mill Valley, all operations in the building, hiring, appraisals, schedules, systems, communications, and things of that nature.

MVN: Can you tell me some of your background?

GH: My background is that my first 27 years were in the classroom. I taught English, and I was a dance coach, then I spent two years at the district office, and then I was an assistant principal at Olathe East, for two years. But now I’ve been here. This is my fifth year.

MVN: What are some of your hobbies? 

GH: I really like to be with my family, I love to ride bikes, I love to shop, and I like to hang out and travel with my friends. 

MVN: What made you come to Mill Valley? 

GH: I really wanted to serve and expand my experience as an educator, and so I had been in the classroom, I had been a coach. I have been at the district office, and so I wanted to have an opportunity to be not only an administrator as an assistant principal, but I wanted to be a principal.

MVN: What makes your job important to how Mill Valley operates?

GH: What makes my job important is that it’s just a great responsibility with great importance comes great responsibility. You’re never away from your job, it’s a 24-hour job to make sure students and staff are safe, but then also that everything is continuing to run day in and day out.

MVN: What’s your favorite thing about your job? 

GH: I really enjoy high school students, I have been around high school students really my whole career, except for student teaching. But the other thing that is a favorite part of mine is seeing students succeed and go through that high school process where they might start out in one place as a freshman, but then over four years, they become somebody very different, and they have a clear path for what their future looks like beyond high school. I think when I see students graduate from high school and have that clear path and know what their future could be, that’s one of my favorite parts for sure.

MVN:What’s your favorite thing about Mill Valley, specifically?

GH: I work in a fantasy land. I really feel like Mill Valley is just a place where we have incredible kids, and great families who really care about education. We have students who respect each other and respect teachers, and for the most part, really respect the idea of what an education can do to help get them to the next stage. And so I love that it’s not everywhere in every high school where you will find students and staff so incredibly committed to the fact that there is going to be a next chapter after Mill Valley.

MVN: Could you tell me about an item in your office or on your desk that’s important to you? 

GH: There’s a picture in my office of water and it has a rock on it, and I’ve had that picture ever since I’ve gone into administration because administration is a role in education. And the picture symbolizes for me a new day. The rock is this idea of strength and wisdom and then in the water, you can see the rock reflected. So it’s about this idea of reflection, you know, reflecting on your practice as a principal, and then knowing that there’s going to be a sunset and then a sunrise the next day, knowing that each day is a new day and a new opportunity to make an impact.

MVN: Is there anything else your student should know about you?

GH: I think they should know that, although they sometimes think I’m scary or intimidating, truly my heart is one of deep compassion and love for what I do. I just have extraordinarily high expectations for not only students but myself and sometimes that comes across as being scary or mean, and it’s not. I’m just very assertive and I have high expectations. But as high as my expectations are, I know that students will always exceed wherever I put that bar. 

Mill Valley News: What was your previous job before becoming assistant principal at Mill Valley?

Heath Wilson: I was the assistant principal at Topeka West High School. 

MVN: Can you tell me a little bit about your background, where you grew up, where you went to college? 

HW: Originally, I grew up in a small town about 30 minutes outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma called Wagner, Oklahoma. I was raised there until I graduated from Wagner High School, and I originally got to Kansas through Pittsburg State University. That’s where I went to get my bachelor’s degree and I played football there. That’s how I knew that Pittsburg State existed in the first place because they recruited me for football. I went there for four years and then I kept going up north every couple of years because I met my wife at Pittsburg State and she’s from Olathe. We settled in Olathe after we graduated from college. Then, I taught in Olathe and left to get my first assistant principal job at Topeka West. Now I’m here.

MVN: Speaking on that, What made you come to Mill Valley?

HW: I have lived in the Johnson County area for about six or seven years and Mill Valley has a phenomenal reputation of not only being very successful in sports and activities but also a very highly respected academic institution. That was very intriguing to be able to work with professionals who take the industry of education very seriously. I am very into personal growth, professional growth, and those kinds of things. I felt like Mill Valley was a place to help me grow my craft and also to be able to serve the community that cares so much about the education of its young people. 

MVN: How long have you been teaching? 

HW: So in the field of education, eight years. I taught for five, then left for my first assistant principal job and did that for two and then this is year eight. 

MVN: Why did you decide to become a teacher?

HW: A lot of people have a similar story but whenever I think of a teacher or coach I always have the picture of the two or three individuals that helped shape my life when I was a student. In particular, my head football coach in high school. He was so influential in my life that I always wanted to be that person for students and to be able to impact them and help them reach their goals.  just that experience, knowing how much an educator did for me. I wanted to go into that field to give back, but also be that person for students. 

MVN: What did you want to be before you became a teacher?

HW: Before I became a teacher, I had a lot of things. I think the most recent was a physical therapist. I also thought about being a medical doctor at one point. something in the medical field, I thought for a long time.

MVN:  What are you most excited about at Mill Valley? 

HW: I’m excited to see all the things students are involved in here. So far, I am so pleased with how students get involved in not just sports, but also activities and clubs and all of these kinds of things and all of the things that they’re able to create out of those opportunities. I’m just excited to see student work and all of the involvement and spirit that’s here in Mill Valley. 

MVN: What do you do in your free time?

HW: So free time is just a lot of family time. Me, my wife, the dogs. We are expecting our first child in November. I know a lot of our free time will just be family time in general, but I would say if I have two hobbies, I’m a huge Oklahoma Sooners fan, so any opportunity that I have to go to, particularly away football games, I’d like to do that. Like last year we went to BYU and Provo Utah, and the year before, we did some away games as well. So that’s my way to travel, is to go to some of the way football games with, of course, my family, they come as well.  also just do any sort of hiking and things like that, outdoor activities. We like to go to Arkansas, we like to Colorado, things like that. And getting out in nature and doing some hiking.

MVN: Could you tell me about an item in your office or at your desk that is important to you? What does this item represent, and why do you keep it here?

HW: I’m gonna go with my pictures of my current family, which is my wife and my two dogs there. We’re absolutely obnoxious dog parents. They go everywhere with us, and we spoil them way too much, but those mean a lot to me just because I do everything for them. Obviously, our future child will do the same thing but all my motivation comes from that and just wanting to create a good life for them. That’s why that’s significant for me.

MVN: What else should students know about you?

HW: I think I’m a pretty easygoing person, and my goal is to help and assist students and staff here at Mill Valley and just want to be that person in any way that I can provide some help and support. I want to be that person.

Mill Valley News: What is your job at Mill Valley? Describe some of your duties and responsibilities. 

Deb Jaeger: I am an assistant principal, which means I work with all of our new teachers. I over-see special education and all of our assessments. Plus, I work with students and some of our departments.

MVN: Tell me about your background: Where did you grow up? Where did you go to college? 

DJ: I grew up in Gardner and both my parents were teachers so I knew I wanted to be one. I went to Emporia State University because it’s the teachers college so they let you go into the classroom your very first year of college to see if you liked it or not. I got my Bachelors and Masters there.

MVN: What are your hobbies/what do you do in your free time? 

DJ: I enjoy going out to dinner with my friends, hanging out with my family, and traveling

MVN: What made you come to Mill Valley? 

DJ: I was working in Olathe and I knew Dr. Holder from there. She invited me to come take a look at Mill Valley and I had heard great things about it and knew it would be a fantastic place.

MVN: How long have you worked at Mill Valley? 

DJ: This is my fourth year at Mill Valley

MVN: What makes your job important to how Mill Valley operates? 

DJ: What makes my job important is that all students get what they need whether it’s schedules or if they need to see a counselor, if they need help figuring out a plan after high school, and I help with assessments. A lot of students come to me because of the ACT or if they want to look at scholarships. I support students and teachers.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about your job? 

DJ: My favorite thing about my job is the students because they’re fun, authentic.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about MVHS? 

DJ: Mill Valley is like no other place, it’s amazing. The kids, community, and teachers, all of it is unique.

MVN: Tell me about an item in your office or at your desk that is important to you. What does this item represent and why do you keep it here?

DJ: This item is a plaque that says “Wild Teacher” because ultimately any adult that works in a school is a life coach. We’re helping students figure out what they want to do after high school and help them achieve it. It is a reminder of a camp that I went to where they said just think outside of the box and that it’s okay to do things differently.

MVN: What else should students know about you? 

DJ: They should know that they could come to me with anything if they ever need help. I was raised a Denver Broncos fan because we had a dog named Elway and we can’t really compete with the Chiefs anymore, which is sad.

Mill Valley News: What is your job at Mill Valley?

Brent Bechard: I am the assistant principal and athletic director.

MVN: What are some of your duties or responsibilities?

BB: On the assistant principal side of things, I take care of students with the last name A-D. I also oversee the physical education department and the social studies department. As far as being an athletic director goes, it’s a lot of scheduling for all of our different programs. We also have to find game workers and work with our lead commissioner and the Sunflower League to make sure we have officials and umpires for all those games. We also have to deal with complaints or parent concerns, or whatnot with our athletes. I’m also in charge of evaluating all of our coaches to ensure they’re doing a quality job.

MVN: Where did you grow up and where did you go to college?

BB: I grew up in Holton, Kansas, about 30 minutes north of Topeka. I attended Baker University where I played golf and majored in education.

MVN: What are your hobbies and what do you do in your free time?

BB: I still play a lot of golf, or at least as much as I can, I’m also a big outdoorsman so I like to bow hunt and fish. I also spend a lot of time with my family, I have a 4-year-old son that’s starting to get into those same things so I’m doing a lot of that stuff with him.

MVN: What made you decide to come to Mill Valley?

BB: My original teaching job was in Olathe where I was a PE teacher and a basketball coach. My first administration job was in Holton, where I grew up but I always knew I wanted to get back in the area. This is where me and my wife’s parents live and we have a lot of friends here, so we knew this was going to be where we eventually wanted to come back to.

MVN: How long have you worked at Mill Valley?

BB: This will be my fourth year.

MVN: What makes your job important to how Mill Valley operates?

BB: You know one thing I always take pride in and as a coach, I felt like I could impact more kids than just what was in my classroom. I wanted to take that a step further and move into an administrative role so then I could have a bigger impact on the majority of the school, not just the kids in my classroom or the kids that were on my team. So, I think being able to impact a lot broader number of kids is why this is something I think is important. It’s something hopefully I do and bring to the table at Mill Valley.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about your job?

BB: When I’m at a game and I see an athlete that doesn’t get to play as much. Regardless of what level it is they come in to do a contest and succeed, that’s probably something that I enjoy the most.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about Mill Valley?

BB: I think the best thing at Mill Valley is it is a big school but it’s got a small-town community feel. A lot of the big schools don’t get that kind of community feel because it’s in Olathe or Overland Park or whatever, but I think it’s got that feel. Mostly I see it like on Friday nights at football games and with the Homecoming, at cross country meets, people come out and support you know our volleyball or whatever it may be, everybody’s out there supporting and I just feel like you don’t see that in the big schools. That small-town community feel is just what I like most.

MVN: Tell me about an item in your office or at your desk that is important to you. What does it represent and why do you keep it there?

BB: I mean, I [have] a lot of pictures of my family. Bruin is my four-year-old son, he’s extra special to my wife and I because we had to go through IVF to have him. So, we know how fortunate it is to have him as a kid and to do that, so it’s always nice to remember how blessed we are to have him. 

MVN: Is there anything else students should know about you?

BB: I’m a pretty laid-back guy, I don’t get worked up too often. I may seem serious sometimes but for anybody that wants to come up and have a conversation with me or crack a joke or whatever it might be, I’m always open to that. I would hope that nobody ever feels like they can’t just come up and talk to me whether it’s related to school, athletics, or whatever it may be, I enjoy talking to anybody and hearing [students] stories.

Mill Valley News: What is your job at Mill Valley? Describe some of your duties and responsibilities.

Patricia Chandler: I’m one of the counselors here at Mill Valley, and I work with students with the last names, A through D. I work with students academically, if we’re having bad days, if we’re just needing some guidance with maybe like, what we’re going to do after high school. I’m here to support students that way. 

MVN: Describe some of your duties and responsibilities. 

PC: So working with students is a big one. But then also, I work with administration, with our alphabet. We work in admin, and counselor pairings to support our part of the alphabet. That way. I’m also the representative for our Baker due enrollment classes, so I send that information out and kind of organize all of that. And then I’m the main one dealing with the master schedule and creating the schedule for students and for the teachers and all of that. 

MVN: Tell me about your background. Where did you grow up, and where did you go to college?

PC: I’m originally from Marysville, Kansas. I grew up on a farm outside of Marysville. There were around thirty educators in my family, so I knew from very early on that I was going into education, and that led me to Emporia State. I was a math teacher before I became a counselor, I taught high school math for fifteen years, and then I needed a little break from the classroom, but loved working with students. That’s why I went to counseling. 

MVN: What are your hobbies? And what do you do in your free time?

Getting together with friends and my family, I also like trying new things. Before covid, I was really big into Zumba, even though it was not pretty when I would do Zumba, but then covid kind of killed it. So lately, I’ve started yoga. It’s not very pretty but I enjoy it and it’s very relaxing. I like to go for walks and just try to mellow out and hang out with family. 

MVN: What made you come to Mill Valley? 

PC: I was at DeSoto High School teaching math, and I was working on my counseling degree. My counseling mentor at DHS suggested to me that there were positions opening up at Mill Valley. She said “I think you should apply for it”. And so I did, and that’s how I came here to Mill Valley. 

MVN: How long have you worked at Mill Valley?

PC: This is my fifteenth year now. I’ve been in this for a long time. But it goes so fast, like when you find something that you love, which would be my hope for any of my students. Is to find a job that you absolutely love because it just goes by so fast you enjoy it and it doesn’t seem like it’s been almost 30 years for me. 

MVN: What makes your job important to how my valley operates?

PC: I would say a big part is, making sure that you guys are all in your classes. So that way we can start on that first day. I think that’s a huge piece of it, but then also supporting you once school is going.That way you can be as successful as you can be, and so I feel like we’re here to support you, so that way you can give your best when you’re in your classes as well.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about Mill Valley?

I don’t know if you guys maybe realize it, but I work with a lot of new students that move into the school. I think you guys kind of take for granted how welcoming the school actually is to new people, and I hear it all the time with new students like and that’s not true for every high school. And so I feel like we have a very special environment and a very special place that’s not true for every situation.

MVN: Tell me about an item in your office or at your desk that is important to you. 

PC: I’ve given each of the counselors our own little things, and we thought these were kind of funny because of how it looks and everything. But then I also try to have pictures of my family, and just a “try to keep calm and carry on” signs like I didn’t need those reminders as well, too.

MVN: What else should students know about you? 

PC: I hope that they would know that my door is always open. I’m here to help them and support them. I just want them to be healthy, happy and enjoy high school, and if there’s any way that I can help with that. 

Mill Valley News: What is your job at Mill Valley? Describe some of your duties and responsibilities.

Erin Hayes: I am a school counselor and I work with the last names E through J. A counselor does a lot of things right now in the beginning of the school, mainly schedules and dealing with enrollment. We keep track of students’ credits to make sure they’re on track for graduation and try to give them some guidance that way. And then, we meet with students who are struggling, we meet with students who just need to talk and talk to parents a lot. I am also in charge of Johnson County Community College, with college now enrollment, I’m helping students with that. I’m in charge of advanced placement, all the AP testing, the PSAT is coming up, and I take care of that as well. And then otherwise, we just really work collaborative, collaboratively as a team

MVN: Can you tell me about your background? Where did you grow up? Where did you go to college?

EH: I grew up in Wichita, and I went to a school called Goddard and then from there, I went to KU and I spent college doing secondary education. I was an English teacher, and graduated in  1998 and then my first ever job was at Lexington Trails Middle School in our district. So I started there, and I taught there for eight years. Then I taught English at DeSoto high school for two years before the job opened up here while I was working on my school counselor degree. I transferred over here, this will be my 16th year at Mill Valley.

MVN: What are your hobbies and what do you do in your free time?

EH: I love mowing my yard, it’s kind of a thing. I have kids that are in high school and college now, and so I spend a lot of time going to soccer games, kind of just being a mom. But just for myself, I like reading. I kind of just like sitting alone in a room and not talking to anyone. Every once in a while, I watch TED lasso on repeat. 

MVN: What made you come to Mill Valley?

EH: The school counseling position, specifically, I wanted to start while I was a middle school teacher, that’s what I decided I wanted to do. I got going on the degree, and it opened up. And obviously I like it here, because I’ve stayed here ever since.

MVN: How long have you worked at Mill Valley?

EH: This will be year 16. I started in 2008.

MVN: What makes your job important to how Mill Valley operates?

EH: I think counselors in general are important because we support students, we also try to support staff. Probably the thing that most people think of us for is the scheduling because everybody needs a schedule to be able to get to class and all of that. But I think that more than that is just being here and providing a safe space for students and teachers to come if they just need a moment, they need to talk through something or they just want to sit. We have kids that come down to do testing or we can have kids that just come down who just need.I think that everybody needs to have that outlet and to know that that space is here for them.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about your job?  

EH: My favorite thing about my job is the opportunity that I’ve been given to not just be a counselor, but I get to help teach a class. I get to help with the band and do all of that, I also get to be a part of Relay for Life. So all of those opportunities just to really get to know kids outside of just my office. Because, let’s be honest, not every kid comes down here or is in my alphabet, so I’m able to really get to know and form relationships with students that otherwise I might not have ever had the chance to meet.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about MVHS?

EH: I think the sense of community we have, my best friends are my teacher friends. My kids have grown up here and are going through school and or have already graduated so just knowing all of those parents and the parent community and the teacher community, it’s just home. It feels like home. 

MVN: Can you tell me about an item in your office or at your desk that is important to you?

EH: My mom passed away suddenly five years ago. My friends and my people here at Mill Valley were obviously really wonderful and supported us through that. It was really hard. I was really close with my mom, and this little angel was one of the things that Mrs. Swafford gave me to kind of represent my mom. 

MVN: What else should students know about you?

EH: Well, a lot of students already do know I am extremely afraid of birds because I was attacked by a turkey vulture in sixth grade, and so that has caused a lot of trauma in my life that I’ve never gotten over. I can handle a hummingbird, and I do love hummingbirds, but the rest of them can stay away. Also, I like to think I’m funny. I’m probably not always as funny as I like to think I am, but I do. I do have a pretty good sense of humor, and I do like to joke around and just have fun.

Mill Valley News: What is your job at Mill Valley, and what are some of your duties and responsibilities?

Megan Mixon: I’m a counselor here, and I work with students whose last names start with K through P. My role involves helping students with academic, social, and emotional support. One of my key responsibilities is assisting students with their class schedules and ensuring they have the credits for graduation and college applications. I also organize programming for incoming freshmen and handle the senior awards at the end of the year.

MVN: Tell me about your background. Where did you grow up?

MM: I grew up in a small town in Kansas called Halsted. I attended Emporia State for college, which is a great school for education. Before becoming a counselor, I worked in the corporate sector for 15 years. I returned to school to get my master’s degree from Emporia State and then transitioned to counseling.

MVN: What do you like to do in your free time?

MM: In my free time, I stay busy with my two kids, who are involved in sports and other activities. I enjoy going to movies and watching sports, especially soccer. I’m a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs and Sporting KC. I also love visiting the KC Current Stadium.

MVN: What made you come to Mill Valley?

MM: I have two kids here, and I live in the area. I wanted to have an impact on the community where I live. Before Mill Valley, I worked at Piper High School, but it’s nice to be at the same school where my kids and familiar families are.

MVN: How long have you worked at Mill Valley?

MM: This is my third year at Mill Valley. I’ve also worked at Mill Creek Middle School within the same district.

MVN: What makes your job important to how Mill Valley operates?

MM: My job is important because I help students be their best selves, whether it’s through academic support or emotional guidance. I aim to help students prepare for their future, whether that means succeeding in high school or getting ready for college.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about your job?

MM: My favorite part of the job is meeting with students and helping them with college planning. I enjoy guiding students toward their goals and helping them with the college application process.

MVN: What’s your favorite thing about Mill Valley?

MM: I love the students here. I’ve worked at other schools, and the students at Mill Valley are unique. There’s a strong sense of pride in the school, and the positive attitude of the student body is something I really appreciate.

MVN: Tell me about an item in your office that is important to you.

MM: I have a quote in my office that says, “The meaning of life is to find your gift, and the purpose of life is to give it away.” It resonates with me because I believe in helping students find their strengths and guiding them to use those strengths to succeed.

MVN: What else should the students know about you?

MM: I always have snacks in my office, and I try to be very approachable. Even if your last name isn’t K through P, I’m here to help all students succeed in whatever they want to do. I’m a helper and want to support everyone in reaching their goals.

MVN: What is your job at Mill Valley and what are some of your duties and responsibilities?

CW: I am a school counselor for students with last names Q through Z, and I am responsible for supporting the students and helping them throughout their high school career. 

MVN: Tell me about your background, like where you grew up and where you went to college. 

CW: I went to Blue Valley West High School and graduated in 2007. Then, I went to K State where I majored in psychology, and then got my master’s directly afterward in school counseling. I have been a counselor for 12 years, and ten of those have been here at Mill Valley. 

MVN: What are your hobbies, and what do you do in your free time?

CW: Watching sports, playing sports, pretty much anything sports. I coach my son’s team as well as help out with our girl’s golf team here at Mill Valley. 

MVN: What made you come to Mill Valley?

CW: I had heard really good things about the school, but I wasn’t that familiar with the school. My high school was very different from Mill Valley because we didn’t have any sports.  Once I came out here for my first interview, I was blown away by the facilities and teachers I got to meet and I knew this was absolutely the place I wanted to be. 

MVN: How long have you worked at Mill Valley?

CW: I am currently in year ten of working here. 

MVN: What makes your job important to how Mill Valley operates?

CW: It’s not me specifically, but our whole school counseling department does a lot to help support students. We organize the master schedules, sections of classes, and how many teachers want to be teaching those classes.  So, it’s kind of like a lot of behind the scenes work that we do to support the entire educational structure that takes place then on, like an individual basis. We help with any kind of challenges students need help with; personal challenges, academic challenges. That’s more like a case by case, individual basis. Our goal is just to as many students across the stage as possible, so we do everything in our power to make that happen. 

MVN: What is your favorite thing about your job? 

CW: My favorite thing is getting to talk to and help students. I enjoy getting to meet students, offering advice, and just helping them try to navigate these four years. 

MVN: What is your favorite thing about MVHS?

CW: How driven and motivated the students are to be successful in every class. It’s not just about sports, academics, clubs or activities. We just have really motivated kids who want to go far. It’s exciting for me to see all of our clubs and everything like that just take off and become successful, and to see students becoming role models. 

MVN: Tell me about an item in your office or at your desk that is important to you. What does it represent and why is it important to you? 

CW: Probably my picture of my family. I have a couple of pictures of my family that I like to look at while I’m working. Part of the reason we work is to support our family. I just adore my family and their personalities and when we’re together it’s just so much fun. 

MVN: What else should students know about you? 

CW: I was born in New Jersey so a lot of my sports fandom started with teams in that area. So while I’ve converted most of my allegiances to the Kansas City area’s teams, I still have a soft spot for those other teams. 

Mill Valley News: What is your job at Mill Valley? 

Darion Hillman: I am the school resource officer.

MVN: Tell me some of your responsibilities. 

DN: The most important responsibility I have is keeping students and staff safe at all times by all means from outside dangers or inside threats of harm. I am also the legal aspect of the school, so any criminal offenses or any mental health or information that’s needed I can divert, I can get resources, or I can take the criminal reports, provide tickets and citations, and so forth.

MVN: So tell me about your background. Where did you grow up?

DH: I grew up in Shawnee, Kansas. I graduated from Shawnee Mission Northwest high school. I was able to get a football scholarship, and I attended and graduated from Washburn University with a degree in criminal justice. Right from there, I jumped into the law enforcement field. I worked for like, a year and a half, two years at the juvenile detention center, and then I was able to get a job at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, where I was a deputy for two years, and then I got a job at the city of Shawnee to be a patrol officer.

MVN: What are some of your hobbies? 

DH: I have three little girls, so right now they pretty much use up all my hobbies and free time. But, I’m a big sports guy, and I enjoy working out, so I would say most of my hobbies are working out about six times a week, heavy weightlifting, and then just going with my girls to their gymnastics, swim lessons and ballet classes.

MVN: What made you come to Mill Valley? 

DH: It’s a great fit. I think growing up in Shawnee and then working in the city of Shawnee for the last 10 years, I want to work and be a part of the community. I think Mill Valley high school represents our community very well. I’ve truly enjoyed it, working with all the students and the staff. I just enjoy working with juveniles, so it’s been great.

MVN: How long have you worked at Mill Valley? 

DH: This is my second year.

MVN: And what makes your job so important? 

DH: I think in this day and time there’s always threat of violence, threat, harm, or questions about criminal justice systems or criminal matter, and I’m here to protect everyone on the first line of defense in the event that there was an emergency, such as a fire, weapon, or a threat of violence at the school. I’m also the middle man to the legal and the court system.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about your job?

DH: I think interacting with the students. I think when you’re interacting with youth and people that are much younger than you, they give you a different type of energy. I think I can enjoy feeding off of your guys’ energy.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about Mill Valley? 

DH: I would say, just our spirit, like we have such team spirit. We’re very proud to be jaguars, and we’re very proud to be part of the Valley community, which you don’t see everywhere.

Mill Valley News: What is your job at Mill Valley? 

Jenny Munroe: I am a school social worker here and at Monticello Trails. 

MVN: Tell me about your background.

JM: I grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, up north of the river. I graduated from Missouri State with my bachelor’s in social work, and then went to The University of Missouri and got my bachelor’s or my master’s in social work. 

MVN: What are some hobbies you do?

JM: I love my dog, walking my dog with my husband and I like to hike. And hang out with my kids that are grown. 

MVN: Are they students here? 

JM: No, my son’s at UMKC and my daughter is a para in the district, at Belmont. 

MVN: So what made you come to Mill Valley to work here?

JM: I have been in the district going on 20 years, and I’ve been over at Monticello Trails most of that time. I wanted to follow my students that were coming up to the high school, and that’s why I started last year helping the social worker here. 

MVN: What makes your job important to how Mill Valley operates?

JM: I feel like having support for mental health is really important, and having that education piece and being able to respond to crises and help be preventative with kids that are struggling with anxiety or depression or social skills and things like that.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about your job?

JM: I just love the kids I work with. I feel like I have trouble letting them go. 

MVN: What’s your favorite thing about Mill Valley?

JM:  Besides kids, I feel like staff are very supportive of the kids that I work with, and I feel like students are supportive of kids that are different or that may struggle with something.

MVN: Can you tell me about any item in your office right now or at your desk that is important to you? 

JM: I have a little [she shows me the item here] 

So one of my students years ago, his grandmother, lived in Japan, and she studied, so I don’t even know what it’s called, but she made these a couple years ago for me and I just thought it was so sweet because it came from Japan, and I had been with that student for several years and I just thought it was really thoughtful. 

MVN: What else would you like students to know about you

JM: I love to laugh. I’m here for anybody who needs it.,I love meeting kids where they’re at and seeing what they need and working from there. 

MVN: Do you think there’s a wide spectrum to that, like, some kids need a lot of help, or? 

JM: Yeah, I do. And I think the needs have always been there. I think it has gotten more, there’s a lot of stuff going on in our society, after covid I think mental health has become more publicized which I think is good, but I also think we don’t mind anymore support. 

Mill Valley News: What is your job at Mill Valley? Describe some of your duties and responsibilities.

Stacy Miller: I am the school psychologist at Mill Valley and some of my duties and responsibilities are working with students who have IEPs or are involved in special education. I do counseling with students who may need to talk to somebody. I also do general problem solving with teachers, parents or students.

MVN: Tell me about your background: Where did you grow up? Where did you go to college?

SM: I grew up here in the DeSoto district and I went to school at Monticello trails and graduated from Mill Valley. I went to KU for undergrad and went to Baylor for graduate school.

MVN: What are your hobbies/what do you do in your free time?

SM: I love to spend time with my three kids and I also love to read and spend any free time I can listening to audio books.

MVN: What made you come to Mill Valley?

SM: I worked in Olathe for a long time and when I saw this position open, I was super excited because it’s really close to where I live and have the same schedule as my kids so I can support them as I need and I knew that this was a great school from when I graduated and I knew it was still and really good school.

MVN: How long have you worked at Mill Valley?

SM: This is my second year at Mill Valley.

MVN: What makes your job important to how Mill Valley operates?

SM: I’m essential in the functioning of special education and I’m the coordinator behind it within the building. I also serve as the department chair so I see myself as being a problem solver and helping support the teachers, helping support the case managers and making sure the students are successful.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about your job?

SM: I love working with students and getting to know them, being as helpful as I can with them and hopefully being a support for them so that every student can find a person and they should be afforded that in any school they’re in.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about MVHS?

SM: I really like how hard everyone works and how much the staff loves being here, it’s unique. I think people show up here excited to connect with the students.

MVN: Tell me about an item in your office or at your desk that is important to you.

SM: My family picture, it represents how much I love my kids and I pinch myself everyday to remind myself that I’ve got three wonderful kids and it’s just surreal at times. 

MVN: What else should students know about you?

SM: I can be a resource for anybody, similar to a counselor and social worker and I’m available by email if someone wants to schedule something with me.

Mill Valley News: What is your job at Mill Valley? Describe some of your duties and responsibilities.

Julie Rugenstein: I’m the attendance secretary, so I keep track of students. When they come and go, if they’re here, if they’re not here, [and] if I need to call and find out why they’re not here. Also, if you’re late to school, you get a detention pass for me. If you’re late a lot, then you’ll get a letter from the school saying, ‘Why are you missing so much?’

MVN: Tell me about your background: Where did you grow up? Where did you go to college?

JR: I grew up on the Missouri side, north of the river in Kansas City, and moved out here 20 years ago. I went to school to be a manicurist, so I went to Paris [for] education, but decided I did not like that.

MVN: What are your hobbies/what do you do in your free time?

JR: I love to bake, I don’t do it very often, but I do love [it], and I just hang out with my kids. I have a senior this year, so I’m about to be an empty nester and that’ll be different for me. 

MVN: What made you come to Mill Valley?

JR: I don’t know, just like the feel when I worked here. I started in the cafeteria because I was a stay at home mom and just to have a little extra money, but still have the freedom to help my kids out when they were in elementary school. I just liked working here and so when an office position came up, I came here. It feels like home.

MVN: How long have you worked at Mill Valley?

JR: Well, I worked here for five years, [then] I left, I was at Horizon elementary for five years, and I came back at the start of my third year. 

MVN: What makes your job important to how Mill Valley operates?

JR: We know where children are and we have to make sure our students are safe. So if they’re missing, there might be something wrong. Overall, to keep kids safe.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about your job?  

JR: Getting to pick on children when they leave.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about MVHS?

JR: Just that it feels like a family. Everybody here feels like a family no matter what you’re in; if you’re a football player, band, kid, drama, robotics, everybody embraces everybody’s strengths.

MVN: Tell me about an item in your office or at your desk that is important to you.

JR: I have notes that several students have written me as thank you notes, or just thinking of you cards, and so I hang them up because I think they’re sweet.

MVN: What does this item represent? Why do you keep it here?

 JR: If I’m having a bad, stressful day, I can read and have something that somebody complimented me on, to help [during those days].

MVN: What else should students know about you?

JR: I love cats. I’m secretly a Bengals fan, but my son tells me I have to be a Chiefs fan. So I do love the chiefs, but I cheer for the Bengals. I love being a mom, I love supporting the drama department because that’s where my child’s at.

Mill Valley News: What is your job at Mill Valley? Describe some of your duties and responsibilities. 

Leslie Wilson: I’m the building secretary. I help students and parents when they come to the office. I coordinate substitute coverage when teachers are gone, and I also answer the phone and the doors. I just do a lot of odds and ends, helping people when they come into the office.

MVN: Tell me about your background. 

LW: I grew up in Topeka, Kansas on 20 acres of land. We had horses, a pond and dogs, so I kind of was the cowgirl but also a city girl at the same time. I was a horse girl until middle school, but I’m allergic to horses, and it just got to the point where I couldn’t breathe and just had too many hives and stuff. And I loved horses, but just couldn’t physically do it anymore. After middle school, I quit going to rodeos, team pinning, trail rides and stuff like that, so now that I’m older, you know, I still like horses, I just can’t pet them.

MVN: What do you currently do in your free time? 

LW: Now I like to garden. This year, I grew tomatoes, jalapenos, corn, okra, lettuce, zucchini and strawberries. The past couple of days, I’ve had so many tomatoes and jalapenos that I’ve made homemade salsa, and it’s so delicious.

MVN: What made you come to Mill Valley? 

LW: I wanted to be on the same schedule as my kids.

MVN: How long have you worked at Mill Valley? 

LW: This will be my fourth year. I started when my daughter, [senior] Trinity [Wilson], was a freshman, so I’ve kind of just gone along with her.

MVN: What makes your job important to how Mill Valley operates? 

LW: My job is important because there’s a lot of people that have questions or need help, and I’m here to provide answers to those questions, and if I don’t have the answers, then I try and find the answer just to help people out. Like I said, answering the phone, door and things like that. 

MVN: What is your favorite thing about your job?  

LW: My favorite thing is that it’s different every day. Also the interactions with the teachers, students and staff.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about MVHS? 

LW: I mean it really, truly, is the people that make this place. I just love watching [students] come in and out of the office and interact with us and kind of learning about them and getting to know them, what’s going on in their lives and their future plans. Because there’s life after high school, and it’s an exciting road ahead of them. 

MVN: Tell me about an item in your office or at your desk that is important to you. 

LW: It’s a picture of my kids, and it sits on the side of my computer monitor.

MVN: What else should students know about you?

LW: If they have any questions or need anything, I hope they feel comfortable to come into the office and feel free to ask any questions that they might have. I’m here to help. Nothing is too big or too small, and I just love helping people. 

MVN: Tell me about your background. Where did you grow up? Where did you go to college?

Ashley Agre: I was born and raised in Shawnee, Kansas. I’ve lived here my whole life. I went to Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, so I grew up just up the street. Then for college, I went to Emporia State University. I got my masters from Emporia State University and another from Fort Hays State University but that was all online.

MVN: What do you do in your free time?

AA: I read, we go out on our boats and I watch my kids play sports.

MVN: What made you come to Mill Valley?

AA: This was actually my first interview when I was in college. I was interviewed by our department chair at the time, Matt Johnson, he taught at Shawnee Mission Northwest. He actually knew Justin Bogart and Justin told me if I didn’t take this job, I’d be dumb and he was right. So I’m so glad I took this job.

MVN: How long have you worked at Mill Valley?

AA: This is my 19th year working here and this is the only school I’ve worked in.

MVN: What makes your job important to how Mill Valley operates?

AA: Well, with the technology, I’m keeping it running right now so I think that’s important. I also think I provide a safe space for kids.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about your job? 

AA: I love seeing and talking to the kids. I went from being a classroom teacher, where I felt like a mom, to being the librarian, where I feel like I get to be the fun aunt.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about MVHS?

AA: The kids and the staff. I really love it here, the atmosphere and just overall everything, it’s a great place to be I think.

MVN: Tell me about an item in your office or at your desk that is important to you. 

AA: I have a lot of pictures of my family which are very important. I feel like it’s a very cliche thing to say but I guess one of my favorite things is, I have a bunch of pottery that students made me and it just brings me so much joy. I have three or four pieces I use on a regular basis and some of the kids have graduated and it makes me remember them.

MVN: Why do you keep it here?

AA: Well one they’re functional but two it just makes me happy.

MVN: What does this item represent?

AA: It represents the students. I know some kids, they make it and don’t know what to do with it so they say “Here take this!”. But some were intentionally for me. So the fact that the kids thought of me, made it for me and then gave it to me means a lot.

MVN: What else should students know about you?

AA: For those who don’t know me, I’m not a scary person. I want to be helpful, nice and I want people to feel comfortable coming into the library. Even if they’re not a reader, I want them to know that this is a place. I am a person for them, to help them, to just be here and I’m not going to judge you.

Mill Valley News: What is your job?

Darlene Deas: I am a bookkeeper. I am in charge of anything money wise. Money from selling tickets at athletic events, deposited fees and budgeting for the school. Only for the school, not the district. I am also in charge of student and teacher ID’s.

MVN: Tell me about your background,where did you grow up? Where did you go to college?

DD:  I grew up in Springfield, Missouri, I went to SMS, Southwest Missouri State University, now it is known as MSU, Missouri State University. 

MVN: What are your hobbies and what do you do in your free time? 

DD: My most favorite [hobby] is hiking. I also enjoy skydiving and rock climbing. My husband and I love to go hiking most of all.

MVN: What made you come to Mill Valley?

DD: My oldest son graduated here in 2015, when he graduated I was actually working at Monticello Trails Middle School, and we live right next door so it was good because I was on my kid’s schedules. My youngest son graduated here in 2020 as well. He just graduated from Kansas State this past year. I’m still working here because it’s fun. It’s fun to see the kids, and every day is different.

MVN: How long have you worked at Mill Valley?

DD: I worked at Monticello Trails Middle School for 5 years, and then moved to MVHS.  I have worked at Mill Valley High School for 7 years.  So I have worked in this school district for 12 years.

MVN: What makes your job important to how Mill Valley operates?

DD: Nobody could pay the bills. Things would not get ordered, the budget wouldn’t get done. I also handle credit cards.If teachers need to come and get credit cards for supplies I am in charge of that. I am also in charge of gas cards.

 MVN: What is your favorite thing about your job?

DD: I have a lot of them. I think it’s working with the whole staff. I think the whole staff is fantastic. Then on the flip side of it, I love getting to be all around all the kids and seeing their excitement for the school and their school spirit. It’s just kind of a family atmosphere.

MVN: What is your favorite thing about MVHS?

DD: I think it’s a fantastic school. I have school spirit even though I never went here. It’s the people that make the school.

MVN: Tell me about an item in your office or at your desk that is important to you.

DD: This [Mill Valley] sign was in our yard. It’s one of the original signs. We bought it in 2011. So that was in our yard for my oldest son, and then my youngest son came along, and then that was in the yard for him. So I think that is a bit of history for us. It’s kind of like family history, but it’s Mill Valley too.

MVN: What else should students know about you?

DD: I’m here because of the students, but I deal mostly with staff and parents. But I’m always here if they ever have questions. Usually I can help them answer it. Let me just say I will try my best.

Mill Valley News: What is your job at Mill Valley? 

Deana Thom: I’m the registrar

MVN: And what does that entail? 

DT: Most people don’t have a clue what a registrar is. A registrar is the person who is in charge of all student records, incoming, outgoing and everything in between. So your grades, your test scores, your schedule, your discipline, your attendance, your anything. I’m in charge of student records, then I also help with testing, I do everything, graduation, and a lot in between.

MVN: Where did you grow up? 

DT: I grew up in Shawnee. 

I went to Shawnee Mission Northwest High School. 

MVN: Where did you go to college? 

DT: Johnson County Community College 

MVN: What are your hobbies and what do you do in your free time? 

DT: I have a very large family who is very close, we spend a lot of time with family and we’re very outdoors people. We ride four-wheelers, we fish and hunt and we have a couple of farms. We do everything outdoors. 

MVN: Do they all live around here? 

DT: They do, I’m very lucky. We are within about an hour of each other, so we can all be together. 

MVN: What made you come to Mill Valley?

DT: I was a stay-at-home mom and I went to work as a Para at elementary schools. I started at Woodsonia Elementary, which is no longer there. Walmart is there now. And then I spent a year at Clear Creek Elementary when it opened. And then when Mill Valley was built, Dr. Joe Novak, who was the first principal here, was getting his staff together, and he approached me and wanted to know if I would like to move from elementary to high school. And so I ended up at Mill Valley and I’ve been here since day one. 

MVN: What makes your job important at Mill Valley? 

DT: Records,  It’s a lot. This week, we have enrolled two already, and we have three more new students coming. So it’s getting their paperwork, getting their records, and getting it all transferred.

MVN: What’s your favorite thing about your job? 

DT: The diversity of my job, it’s never dull. It’s always changing. And I get to work with kids and I just love that. MVN: What is your favorite thing about Mill Valley? 

DT: I just think we have good staff, and we have great kids, and that’s what keeps me going, we have great kids here and it’s fun.

MVN: Yeah, totally understand. It’s actually a pretty good school. It is pretty good. 

DT: I think so. I mean, everybody, you know, everyone. We all nitpick, but overall, we have a good school. We have good stuff. We have good kids. 

MVN: What item on your desk is important to you? 

DT: Well, it’s more than one, but it is my photos of my family. I would not survive a day [without it] because they put me in this cave. And, as I said, I’m a very outdoors person, and I call it my cave because you notice that the lovely walls are this lovely color, no windows. It’s small and so it’s my family. It’s my pictures that keep me going. 

MVN: What else should students know about you? 

DT: Usually students don’t even know that I exist until their junior or senior year when they start thinking about college and transcripts and GPAs and things like that. I am so hidden in here, people don’t know who I am but I would love to be able to meet younger kids and get to know them so that I can help them with the importance of keeping your grades up because as you get to be a senior, I am your person for college apps and transcripts and scholarship stuff, things like that and things that freak you out because it’s overwhelming.