With school year beginning, new staff members are excited to teach

Social studies teacher Kirsten Crandall

What department are you in?

Social studies, the best one.

What is your past experience?

This is my first official year teaching. I took over the position for a little bit at the end of last year, so I’m not completely new to Mill Valley, but this is my first full teaching year.

What are you excited about for the year?

Pretty much everything. I’m excited to finally have students in here. I’m excited to get involved in all the different things I can sponsor. I’m excited to get to know the students from beginning to end.

What has been your favorite part about Mill Valley?

Mill  Valley is just an outstanding school all around. I would say the student population. It’s full of really good kids that have a lot of potential as soon as they show up, which is neat because there’s a lot of growth that you can see.                                                          

What made you want to teach here?

The De Soto school district has a really good reputation, and Mill Valley especially. Teachers from all over know the reputation and know how well the teachers are treated by the other staff and the students, so it was kind of a no brainer.

What is one thing you want all of the students to know about you?

I guess that I love the idea of helping them not only with their school work and academics, but just with life in general, because high school is hard. And that I’m a resource for anything.

By Victoria Wright, JagWire reporter

Math teacher Taylor Curtis

What department are you in?

I’m in the math department.

What classes are you teaching specifically?

I’m teaching Integrated Math 2 and [Integrated] Math 2 Support.

What made you want to become a teacher?

I love the opportunity to build relationships with students and get involved with everything going on in the school. Also, applying the importance of passing on the responsibility, such as being organized, and learning this, and just figuring out how to survive.

What is your past experience with teaching?

This is my third year of teaching. For the past two years I’ve taught at Barstow Middle School.

What has been your favorite part of being at Mill Valley so far?

The school spirit that I’ve noticed so far.

What made you want to teach here specifically?

I like the size of this district, and Mill Valley specifically is a nice drive from my house.

What are you excited about for the incoming year?

I’m excited to coach soccer, boys and girls C-team. Also, to meet everybody and learn more about them.

What is one thing you want all the students here to know about you?

I have been on an African safari in Kenya.

By Claire Boone, JagWire reporter

World languages teacher Charisse Highlander

What department are you in? What will you be teaching?

I’m in the world language department and I teach French.

What is your past experience of teaching?

I’ve taught for about 18 years, 15 of which have been teaching foreign language.

What are you excited about for the year?

I’m most excited to see the students’ expectations.

What do you like about Mill Valley? What made you want to teach here?

It’s much closer to home. I really like the level of professionalism here.

What made you want to become a teacher?

I had been to 10 different schools during K-12 and I saw how important a teacher’s job is with each new school I went to.

What is one thing you would like all of the students to know about you?

I’m very passionate about my job and the day-to-day experience.

By Nick Precht, JagWire reporter

Science teacher Ryan Johnston

What department are you in? What are you teaching?

I am in the science department and I teach Physics and AP Physics 1.

What is your past experience of teaching?

Well, the past six years I have taught physics, advanced physics and engineering in Iowa; that high school was kind of rural but the same size as Mill Valley.  

What are you excited about for the year?

What’s not to be excited about? I’m excited to start the new classes with a brand new population of students; it doesn’t get any more interesting than that. I’m looking forward to working with new staff, new everything. It’s a brand new adventure.

What do you like about Mill Valley? What made you want to teach here?

Well, it’s hard to base anything about the school; I only really know the superficial things about Mill Valley right now because I’m only a couple of weeks in. The facilities are very nice. Everybody I have met so far has been really nice; I haven’t met any jerks yet and it’s amazing. I have only heard good things about both the staff and the students, especially the students. I hear lots and lots of great things. In all, the atmosphere is very positive. It’s a relatively new school building so everything is just new, so it’s great.

What made you want to become a teacher?

I wanted meaning out of life, so I spent undergrad learning about physics; I have my bachelor’s degree in physics. I wanted to be a physicist, but the further I got into my training, the less meaning there was for me. I just wasn’t interacting with people and it didn’t seem like I was helping anybody — which, you can be a physicist and help people, it’s not that you can’t — but as far as the daily human interaction and making a difference, it wasn’t there for me. I decided to give teaching a try because I’ve done some tutoring and really liked it. So I tried it and never looked back.

What is one piece of advice that you would give the students?

What a question. Life in general. Be good to each other.

By Jason Chen, JagWire reporter

Engineering teacher Gayle Kebodeaux

What department are you in?

Technology, I’m teaching Project Lead The Way classes.

What do you do in that?

Project Lead The Way is an engineering pathway. They have an introductory class, and the second year you take Principles of Engineering. Then, the third year, you take a couple different offerings, there’s Digital Electronics or Computer Integrated Manufacturing.

What is your past experience?

My undergraduate degree is in engineering and then I went back to school and got my master’s in education. Then I taught for nine years at Washington High School in Kansas City, Kansas.

What are you excited about for the year?

I am excited about the kids. I’m excited about teaching engineering because before I taught physics and chemistry, so it will be fun to just teach engineering.

What has been your favorite part about Mill Valley?

The spirit and seeing the kids so involved even before school has started. They seem so involved and so fun.

What made you want to teach here?

Probably because I heard that about this school. [Former engineering teacher Brandy Palmerin], who had my position before me, [and I] are friends and she told me how wonderful the kids are and how great the administration is and just how nice everyone is.

What made you want to become a teacher?

When I had kids of my own. I was an engineer and then I had kids of my own and I worked with them and their friends and I realized that I‘m passionate about education and students becoming successful.

What is one thing you want all of the students to know about you?

That I love science and engineering and I’m a big nerd, but it’s fun.

By Victoria Wright, JagWire reporter

Social studies teacher Chris McAfee

What department are you in? What will you be teaching?

I am in the history or social studies department. I have AP European History and World Geography or Civics.

What is your past experience of teaching?

I taught eight years at Lexington Trails Middle School, and the last 10 years at De Soto High School.

Are you coaching anything?

Right now, I’m the assistant cross country coach. At De Soto, I was the head cross country and track coach for 10 years. Now, I’m the assistant just for cross country.

What activities or sports are you looking forward to?

Probably everything. I’m excited, obviously, for cross country season. When we were at De Soto, my daughter loved going to the football games. There was a really cool atmosphere, and I hear it’s really good here. My daughter also plays soccer, so the fact that she will know some people will be exciting for her. We’ll probably get to every single sporting event at least one time. There isn’t really one that jumps out, because I’m excited for all of them. Seeing people compete, kids I have in class, will be something my daughter is excited about.

What are you excited about for the year?

I’m excited and nervous about the same thing, which is that I don’t know very many students. When I was at De Soto, I had every single freshman in De Soto High School in class. I had been there for so long that I knew every single class. I knew at least four or five kids in every class. Here, I know a few of the cross country kids, and that’s it. I’m really excited about getting to know people, but I’m also nervous. That’s my favorite thing about teaching, getting to know people. I’m excited to work with the social studies department because I’ve gotten to know them over time. I think they’re very, very good. I think that will help push me to be a better teacher.

What do you like about Mill Valley, or what made you want to teach here?

We live very close. My daughter goes to Prairie Ridge. It was just easier for my family to have me here, right next door, and actually get involved in some activities. Plus, I really like the social studies department here. I’m excited to work with them.

What made you want to be a teacher?

I wanted to do something with my life, something to leave a mark.

What is one thing you want students to know about you?

Oh gosh, I don’t know. Laugh at my jokes. Please.

By Nora Lucas, JagWire reporter

Communication arts teacher Page Miller

What department are you in?

English.

Who will you be teaching?

I will be teaching juniors and seniors.

What made you become a teacher?

Previous teachers I’ve had, specifically my fifth grade teacher.

What about them influenced you to become a teacher?

Just how much they loved students and how much they loved helping people improve and become a better person. It’s not all about homework and reading stuff.

What are you excited about for the year?

Meeting everyone. I don’t know any of the students and I’m excited to get to know everyone.

What has been your favorite part about Mill Valley?

I love the school spirit. I went to Pitt State and it was really big at Pitt State, so it’s nice to see it here too.

What’s your past experience in teaching?

You take a lot of education classes while you are at Pitt State … they really get you into the classroom right when you start.

What made you choose Mill Valley?

My aunt used to live in the area, so when I was growing up wanting to be a teacher we would always drive by Mill Valley High School and I was always so excited. I’d say, “I want to teach there some day,” and so now here I am.

What do you want students to know about you?

I really like what I do, so I’m very passionate about it. And, I don’t want my students that I have to be too overwhelmed with what I’m giving them.

By Abigail Archibong, JagWire reporter

Special education teacher Ian Nichols

What department are you in?

Special education.

What will you be teaching?

I am a resource teacher. I will be teaching some classes and will also be placed in various classes to give support in those classes.

What is your past experience of teaching?

This is my first teaching job. I have been a para at Mill Valley for the last year and a half. I got that job right after I graduated from college in the fall of 2013, so I’ve been here the last year and a half. Last summer, this job opening came up and I decided to take it.

What are you excited about for the year?

I’m excited to get to meet the new incoming class of freshmen and continue to work will all the kids that have been here before. It’s a great thing to be able to build good professional relationships with kids and obviously you want to be able to help them learn and grow into young adults.

What do you like about Mill Valley?

The kids are absolutely top notch. It’s fun being able to come to school each day and being surrounded by a great group of kids who are excited to be here and work hard. I also think the school spirit here is amazing, which I’ve noticed since I’ve been here. You can walk down the hallways during homecoming week and see how everyone takes part and takes pride in the fact that they go to Mill Valley High School, and I think thats probably my favorite part about the school.

What made you want to teach here?

I started coaching football here when I was a senior in college and had actually played high school football for Coach Applebee. I think that really got me my first foot in the door for coaching. I had been working on my education degree and I knew that this would be a good school to work at. Coaching got me in the door, and then I got a job as a para, which meant that I got to be around the school, which made me realize that this was a place I wanted to work at. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be working here.

What made you want to become a teacher?

The biggest influences in my life were teachers and coaches. So many teachers had a positive impact on my own life, and I could see how rewarding it was to them. If I could have half the impact on kids that they had on me, then I’d be pretty proud. Also, both of my parents were teachers, so it kind of runs in the family.

By Alison Booth, JagWire reporter

Communication arts teacher Victoria Palomino

What department are you in?

I am in the English department. I am teaching ninth grade and 12th grade English.

What’s your past experience of teaching?

I am a first year teacher, but I student taught here last year. So, I am a little familiar with Mill Valley and all that business, but this is my first official job.

What are you excited about for this year?

I’m just excited to get to know my new students and get more involved at Mill Valley.

What do you like about Mill Valley?

I love the staff. They’re just wonderful, and they were so welcoming when I student taught, and they became even more welcoming now that I’m officially on the staff. They are definitely wonderful, wonderful people here.

What made you want to become a teacher at Mill Valley?

I fell in love with it when I student taught here. Like I said, the staff is amazing, the kids are wonderful, wonderful, and they make my job very easy. So, I was really excited when an opening became available. It was the first and only job I interviewed for that I really wanted. I think I always wanted to teach here as soon as I walked in the door for student teaching. I love to help people learn something. It really just came to me that I loved English and I was good at it. So, combining my love for helping people learn and English together was when I came to be an English teacher.

What is one thing that you want all of the students to know about you?

They should know that my door is always open and if they want to come talk to me about anything, they can.

By Tricia Drumm, JagWire reporter

Family and consumer sciences teacher Emily Schmidt

What department are you in?

Family and consumer science.

What is your past teaching experience?

This is my third year teaching. I came from Central High School in St. Joseph, Missouri.

What did you teach there?

I also taught FACS.

What made you want to become a teacher?

My dad actually was a teacher for a very long time and he is kind of the reason I went into education. It was something that I saw him have an enormous passion for. I wanted to make sure that I woke up every morning and loved my job. I do have the world’s best job, and so that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, is just make a difference in people’s lives.

What are you most excited about for this year?

I am excited to learn all of the traditions and meet the students here at Mill Valley.

What has been your favorite thing about Mill Valley so far?

Everyone here is so welcoming, which is really awesome and very helpful. Even the students I interact with — they are just so pleasant and excited. I really enjoy getting to know people here.

What made you want to teach here at Mill Valley?

It has an amazing reputation, not just the amazing students but the great things they do in and out of the classroom. I grew up in Olathe and I wanted to come back home, so that was part of it. It’s just an excellent school.

What is the one thing you want students to know about you?

I love caffeine. I like coffee, I love diet soda. I need it to function.

By Morgan Gurwell, JagWire reporter

Communication arts teacher Heathyr Shaw

What department are you in?

English department.

Who will you be teaching?

I’ll be teaching English 10 and 12.

What made you become a teacher?

I realized that I payed attention to all the professors and how they taught and I was really interested in that so I decided that I should try and go to the School of Education at KU. Once I started getting into the classroom and practicing teaching with students, I just really loved it and sort of just realized that everything I loved in my life revolved around teaching.

What do you like about teaching?

Just being able to make relationships with so many different people and just to be a positive influence in people and help them in ways that I might not even realize.

What are you excited about for the year?

I’m just excited to get to know the culture of this school because it seems like the school has a lot of spirit, and that the students are really involved, and it seems a little different from my high school experience. So, I’m just excited to see the interactions between the students and the staff and just to become a part of the family here.

What has been your favorite part of Mill Valley so far?

The staff is just really good friends, and they’ve been super welcoming to me, and that’s my favorite part so far.

What are your past experiences in teaching?

When I was at KU I spent a summer in Italy and I taught students at an Italian middle school. I taught them English and we talked about American culture. I also worked at a program called Duke TIPS … It was for gifted middle school students in a creative writing class. And then I did my student teaching here in De Soto and also did some at a high school in Lawrence.

What do you want students to know about you?

I want them to know that I am first and foremost here to help them, and that I like to learn and talk about lots of different things, not just English.

By Abigail Archibong, JagWire reporter

Counselor Chris Wallace

What department are you in?

Counseling.

What is your past experience with counseling?

I have been a school counselor for the past two years at Valley Falls High School, which is just north of Topeka.

What made you want to become a counselor?

I get great satisfaction in helping students with problems, whether it’s trying to figure out what to do for college or sort out their emotions, like what is going on in their lives. I started out in college with a degree in education and kind of always felt like school was a natural fit for me, but I wanted to find something where I had the ability to work with more students than just the ones in my class.

What are you most excited about for this year?

Being back in my hometown area of Kansas City.

What made you want to be a counselor here at Mill Valley?

I really enjoy talking to students and helping them, and having the opportunity to do it in my hometown area and sort of be back in Johnson County. It’s really exciting for me.

What has been your favorite thing about Mill Valley so far?

Meeting all of the staff members and how nice they have been.

What is the one thing you want all of the students to know about you?

I am a K-Stater, so I’m a big K-State fan. [I’m] a big Royals fan. Really I just love sports, so even if things are going OK and you don’t have anything to talk about, you’re always welcome to come in and talk sports with me.

By Morgan Gurwell, JagWire reporter