USD 489

SABINA HOFFMAN

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  Where are you from? I’m originally from Manhattan, Kan., but have lived in the Hays/Victoria area for nine years.

• What did you teach before coming to our district? I taught kindergarten for the last five years in Russell, Kan.
• Where in the district will you be located? I will be teaching at Early Childhood Connections. I’ll be teaching preschool in the morning and then working as a SPED teacher in the afternoon in the collaborative classroom.
• Where did you go to school? I went to school at Fort Hays State University.
• What do you do in your spare time? In my spare time, I love to spend time with family, cook, go on walks, work on projects around the house and enjoy the great outdoors when I can!
• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself.  I’m married to my high school sweetheart, and together we have one daughter who is 3. We also have two dogs, Ace and Doc, who keep up on our toes as well. We are also huge Chiefs fans and love going fishing together!

KYLE PORTER

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  Where are you from? Holton, Kan.

• What did you teach before coming to our district? Taught at Royal Valley High School in Hoyt, Kan., for the past six years – high school social studies
• Where in the district will you be located?  I will be located at Hays High School — teaching PE and social studies and will be the head girls basketball coach and assistant football coach.
• Where did you go to school? Washburn University
• What do you do in your spare time?  I enjoy coaching, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself.  I have one daughter named Jori who just turned 1 year old.  My wife, Crista, is an occupational therapist at Hays Med and played basketball at Fort Hays State.  Our family loves the small-town feel of Hays and are enjoying becoming part of the community.

NICOLE LINENBERGER

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  Where are you from? I was born and raised in Stockton, Kan., but my husband and I have lived in Hays since 2007.

• What did you teach before coming to our district? This will be my first year teaching.
• Where in the district will you be located? I will be teaching special education at Hays High School.
• Where did you go to school? I went to Fort Hays State University for my bachelor’s degree and am currently going back for my master’s in special education.
• What do you do in your spare time? In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, and  watching my boys play various sports throughout the year.
• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself. My husband, Shaun, and I have been married for 15 years in September, we have two boys, Will and Parker, who attend Hays Middle School and we are expecting our third child in October, which we are all excited about.  When time allows, we enjoy traveling, camping and riding our motorcycle.

BECKY MEAGHER

• Where are you from? I was born and raised in Hays.
• What did you teach before coming to our district? I have actually never taught at a school.
• What did you teach before coming to our district? I will be the school counselor at Lincoln Elementary this year.
• What do you do in your spare time? I am the youngest of six children and will be married this coming February.  In my spare time I like to workout as well as spend time with my friends and family.

REBECCA KUEHL

• Where are you from? I was born and raised in Larned, Kan., and have lived in Hays for the past seven years.
• What did you teach before coming to our district? Previously I taught in Bucklin (grades three and four) and Larned (Middle School language arts and arts
• Where in the district will you be located? Wilson Elementary and Hays Middle School
• Where did you go to school? FHSU
• What do you do in your spare time? Quilt, scrapbook, read and travel

KALEIGH WENTWORTH

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  Where are you from? I am from Hays.

• What did you teach before coming to our district? This will be my first year teaching.
• Where in the district will you be located? I will be teaching third grade at O’Loughlin  Elementary School, which is fun because that is the elementary school I went to growing up!
• Where did you go to school? I just graduated with my master’s degree from Kansas State university in May. Before going back to school, I worked for Early Childhood Connections as a parent educator.
• What do you do in your spare time? During my free time, I enjoy spending time with my fiance, our three kids and two big dogs. Our kids are in many sports, and my fiance coaches, so we are usually attending games around town.

KAREN WILSON

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  Where are you from?  I am from Oklahoma.

• What did you teach before coming to our district? I’ve taught Spanish for 26 years. During that time, I have taught grades 1-12. The last 21 years were at Plainville High School. The last two years at Plainville I was 1/2 time Spanish, 1/2 time 7-12 librarian.
• Where in the district will you be located? I will be the Llbrarian at Roosevelt and Lincoln elementaries.
• Where did you go to school? I received a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Oklahoma State University and a Master of Library Science from Emporia State University.
• What do you do in your spare time? I like to spend time with my family, read and travel. I am also active in my church and a Girl Scout troop leader.
• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself. My husband is from WaKeeney. I have a married daughter and two wonderful granddaughters who, lucky for me, live in Hays.

COLE CHERRYHOLMES

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  Where are you from? I am from Potwin, Kan.

• What did you teach before coming to our district? I am coming from Wichita Northwest High School. I taught interrelated science to  ninth through twelfth graders.
• Where in the district will you be located? I will be joining the Hays High staff teaching the same subject as well as a block of health. I will also be coaching football and track for the Indians this season.
• Where did you go to school? I went to Remington High School, bachelor’s degree from Fort Hays State and a master’s degree from Southwestern College.
• What do you do in your spare time? In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, spending time with my family and anything activity that can be done outdoors (golf, BBQ, hunt, fish, ect.).
• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself. I am married to my beautiful wife Nikki Cherryholmes (Delzeit), and we have two wonderful children. Our son, Walker, is 2 and our, daughter, Kollins, is 2 months old.

EMALEE TAYLOR

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  Where are you from? I am from Holcomb, Kan.

• What did you teach before coming to our district?  This will be my first year teaching ever and I am so excited!
• Where did you go to school? I went to Fort Hays State University and just graduated this past May.
• Where in the district will you be located? I will be at Hays Middle School teaching seventh and eighth grade science.
• What do you do in your spare time? During my spare time I love to watch movies and spend time with family and friends, and going to FHSU sporting events!
• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself. My husband and I met at FHSU and have been married for a little over a year now.

FRED WINTER

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  What did you teach before coming to our district? I just recently completed my second year as the principal at Horton High School. During my 21 years as an educator, I have enjoyed a variety of experiences in the classroom.  I have had the opportunity to instruct k-12 health/PE, strength and conditioning, American government, U.S. history, sixth-grade math and science, as well as 7-12 special education. While in the classroom, I have always enjoyed collaborating with other educators, parents, and community members to do what’s best for all students. Outside the classroom, I was involved as a head and assistant in high school football, basketball, track, FCA, and junior/freshman class sponsor.

• Where in the district will you be located? assistant principal at HHS
• Where did you go to school? I graduated from Turpin High School in Turpin, Okla. I received my Bachelor of Arts degree from Tabor College, while teaching and coaching at Valley Center High School, and I earned my Master of Science degree in School Leadership from Baker University. 
• What do you do in your spare time? We enjoy spending time as a family, traveling, playing golf, fishing, sporting events and watching our children in their various activities.
• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself. Along the way I married the love of my life and best friend of 23 years, Charice Winter.  We have four children: Maddux, 21, and Connor, 19, both attend school at FHSU and play football, Avery will be entering Hays High as a freshman, and Zoe will be a sixth grader at Hays Middle School. Random fun fact: Coaching football in Australia

JENNIFER OLT

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  Where are you from? Milford, Kan.

• What did you teach before coming to our district? I have 13 years of teaching experience. I have taught science at the middle school, high school and post secondary level.
• Where in the district will you be located? Hays High School
• Where did you go to school? I got my bachelor’s degree from the University of Alaska Anchorage and my M.Ed from the University of West Florida
• What do you do in your spare time? I enjoy cooking, working out, reading books about WW2, and spending time with my family.
• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself. I have been married for 16 years, and we have a 6-year-old daughter.

CHRISTINA SRAMEK

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  Where are you from? I am coming to Hays from Great Bend, but I am originally from Walker.

• What did you teach before coming to our district? I was a school psychologist and worked with preschool through 12th grade.
• Where in the district will you be located? I will be at Roosevelt and Holy Family.
• Where did you go to school? Fort Hays State
• What do you do in your spare time? I like to make craft projects and design T-Shirts. I also like going to K-State football and basketball games.
• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself.  I live with my amazing husband, Ryan. We have two ornery cats, Pippy and Piper.

STU BOTT

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  Where are you from? Perth, Western Australia.

• What did you teach before coming to our district? I was a year six teacher for five years and a physical education specialist for two years.
• Where in the district will you be located? I’ll be grade five at Wilson Elementary.
• Where did you go to school? City Beach Primary and City Beach Senior High School in Perth, Western Australia.
• What do you do in your spare time? I love surfing, snowboarding, traveling and hanging out with my family. They told me the surf was great in Kansas!
• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself. I have a beautiful wife, who I met in Hawaii, and a 20-month-old son who keeps me on my toes.  I am a probationary fourth degree black belt in Zen Do Kai martial arts. This is the longest time I’ve gone without seeing the ocean, 2 1/2 years.

LISA SCHROEDER

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  Where are you from? I am originally from Garden City.

• What did you teach before coming to our district? I just recently finished 16 years at Russell, where I had been teaching eighth-grade math and algebra. I have taught third, fourth, and fifth grade at the elementary level and sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade math at the middle school level throughout my teaching career.
• Where in the district will you be located? I will be teaching sixth- and seventh-grade math at Hays Middle School.
• Where did you go to school? I graduated from Fort Hays State University with my elementary education degree.
• What do you do in your spare time? My spare time has been spent attending school events, watching football, reading and cooking.
• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself. My husband’s name is Steve, and we have three children: Brooke (25), Kyle (22) and Cole (19).

THERESA CLARK

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  Where are you from? I am originally from Salina. My husband and I moved to Hays 14 years ago from Alabama.

• What did you teach before coming to our district? I taught elementary and junior high in Salina. I had a private practice in counseling for 8-1/2 years and then became the school counselor for Thomas More Prep-Marian Junior High and Holy Family Elementary for the last seven years.
• Where in the district will you be located? For USD 489, I will be the school counselor at Wilson Elementary School. 
• Where did you go to school? I graduated from Kansas State University with degrees in life science and elementary education and from Fort Hays State University with a Master’s Degree in Counseling.
• What do you do in your spare time? In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, sitting in a tree bow hunting or walking a field bird hunting with my husband and dogs.

MEGAN ENGLERT

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  Where are you from? I’m local, from Hays.
  What did you teach before coming to our district? I taught ELA and MTSS at Ruppenthal Middle School in Russell, Kan.
  Where in the district will you be located? I will be teaching seventh-grade reading at Hays Middle School.
  Where did you go to school? I received my English literature and secondary education degrees from Fort Hays State University.
  What do you do in your spare time? My spare time is spent having fun with my family and reading.

• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself. I have a wonderful husband, two awesome kids and an adorable schnauzer. I am currently working on my master’s degree in English. I love learning, and I look forward to sharing my passion with my students!

JESSICA AUGUSTINE

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  Where are you from? Originally, I am from Ellis, Kan., but I just moved back to the area from Manhattan, Kan.

• What did you teach before coming to our district? For the past 11 years, I taught English and journalism at Rock Creek High School in St. George, Kan., and for six years before that, I taught journalism at Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School in Wichita, Kan.
• Where in the district will you be located? I will be at Hays High School, instructing journalism and advising publications, including the Guidon print and online newspapers and the Indian Call yearbook.
• Where did you go to school? For kindergarten through senior year, I attended Ellis USD 388 public schools; for my bachelor’s degree, I graduated from Kansas State University; and for my master’s degree, I graduated from Fort Hays State University.
• What do you do in your spare time? In my spare time, I enjoy playing with my two pups (Max Puppy and Mini Dog), reading non-fiction and cookbooks, baking and cooking, and swimming and working out.
• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself. I am just so excited and so grateful to return to my home county and to work with Hays High School staff and students!

BRITTANY BALDWIN

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  Where are you from? I am originally from Jacksonville Beach, Fla.; however, I have lived in Hays for the past 20 years. I love aspects of each location and consider both places home!

• What did you teach before coming to our district? For the past seven years, I have been the technology instructor at Roosevelt Elementary. Prior to that I was a para-educator at Lincoln Elementary for one year.
• Where in the district will you be located? I will be teaching fifth grade at Roosevelt Elementary this year.
• Where did you go to school? I earned my bachelor’s degree in elementary education (K-6) and my master’s degree in instructional technology from Fort Hays State University.
• What do you do in your spare time? In my free time, I enjoy: reading, traveling, crafting and spending time with my dogs and family. I am also a huge storm enthusiast and love anything related to weather (such as: storm chasing, cloud observing, and binge watching shows on the Weather Channel).

ALYSA ERWAY

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  Where are you from? I am originally from Larned, Kan. Hays has been my home away from home for about four years now!

• What did you teach before coming to our district? This will be my first year teaching, and I am SO excited!
• Where in the district will you be located?  I will be teaching third grade at Lincoln Elementary.
• Where did you go to school?  I recently graduated from Fort Hays State University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.
• What do you do in your spare time? In my spare time, I like to read, go on adventures with my husband, and hangout with my friends and family.

• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself. I recently got married this summer to Landon Erway, who is finishing up his business degree at Fort Hays.

ERIKA NORRIS

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  Where are you from? I am from Glade, Kan,, just an hour north of Hays.

• What did you teach before coming to our district? This will be my first year teaching!  While I was in college, I worked in the After-School Care program at Roosevelt Elementary.
• Where in the district will you be located? I will be a fifth-grade teacher at Roosevelt Elementary.  I will teach reading, writing, math and English language arts/grammar!  I am so excited to begin the school year and meet my students!
• Where did you go to school? I just graduated in May from Fort Hays State University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and special education.
• What do you do in your spare time? I enjoy spending time with my friends and family. I also love to go camping, fishing, kayaking. In the evening, I love to read and watch “Friends”!
• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself. I have one border collie that lives at home in Glade named Jake!  My favorite animal is a buffalo since my family and I own a small buffalo herd!

CASSY WATSON

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  Where are you from? I am from Montezuma, Kan.

• What did you teach before coming to our district? This will be my first year teaching.
• Where in the district will you be located? I will be the early childhood special education teacher located at Early Childhood Connections.
• Where did you go to school? I went to school at Fort Hays State University. I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in early childhood unified education in May.
• What do you do in your spare time? In my spare time, I like to spend time with my family and friends, be outdoors, and watch sports.

ASHLEY BUTLER

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  Where are you from? I’m from Ellis, Kan.

• What did you teach before coming to our district? While I was a student, I worked as a para-educator, working with special education students and as a classroom para with kindergarten students leading up to my student teaching.
• Where in the district will you be located? I will be teaching second grade at O’Loughlin Elementary this fall!
• Where did you go to school? I just graduated from FHSU this May!
• What do you do in your spare time? In my spare time, I like to read, play Sudoku, and spend time with friends! I also love music and play the trumpet as well! I’m excited for my first year as a teacher and am happy to be here!
• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself.

JARED MICK

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  Where are you from? I am from Ellis, Kan.

• What did you teach before coming to our district?
• Where in the district will you be located? I will be teaching special education at Holy Family Elementary this year (K-6).
• Where did you go to school? I received my bachelor’s degree from FHSU in May 2018, and I am currently working on my master’s degree.
• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself. I am getting married in October and have a beautiful daughter who is 14 months old!

  HANNAH POLAND

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  Where are you from? Ellis, Kan., currently, originally from Plevna, Kan.,

• What did you teach before coming to our district? Speech language pathologist at multiple elementary schools
• Where in the district will you be located? LaCrosse and ECC (Oak Park)
• Where did you go to school? Fort Hays State University
• What do you do in your spare time? I enjoy crafting, reading, movies and walking my dogs.
• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself. I am married to a veterinarian who also works in Hays, and we have three dogs.

HANNAH HESTON

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  Where are you from? I am from Topeka, but I have lived in Hays for two years.

• What did you teach before coming to our district? I have been an occupational therapist for six years. I worked for a school district in Wichita for one year and then a district in Omaha, Neb. for three years prior to moving to Hays. I worked for HaysMed for one year in the home health setting, and then I returned to pediatrics in January 2019. Currently, I work at a private clinic in Hays and do telehealth therapy with a school district in Texas.
• Where in the district will you be located? I will be based out of the Hays Area Children’s Center working with the Early Intervention Team. I will be serving infants and toddlers ages birth-3 through home visits.
• Where did you go to school? I graduated high school from Seaman High School, and my bachelor’s and master’s degrees are from the University of Kansas.
• What do you do in your spare time? Our spare time is spent with our two young sons (3.5 years and 10 months) and two dogs. We enjoy being outside, playing “harvest” with toy tractors, and tending to our garden!
• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself.  My husband is a pediatrician at HaysMed, so we share a love for the little ones! I am looking forward to working with the youngest students in the district and am excited to be a part of the USD489 team!

JACK GARCIA

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  Where are you from? I am originally from La Crosse

• What did you teach before coming to our district? This will be my very first teaching job.
• Where in the district will you be located? I will be teaching at the middle school in LaCrosse teaching SPED.
• Where did you go to school? LaCrosse High School. I went to college at Ottawa University, where I received my bachelor’s degree in elementary education.
• What do you do in your spare time? I love to hangout with my family and dog.

JOHN NEAL

• Where are you from? I grew up in Colorado, born in Greeley but spent most of my youth in Castle Rock. Graduated from Douglas County High School in Castle Rock.

• What did you teach before coming to our district? (subject, grade level, etc.) Since 2001 I have taught in two districts. From 2001 – 2017 I taught in USD 437 in Topeka where I taught mainly chemistry but also Biology and Biotechnology. The last two years I have been teaching Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology in USD 211 which is in Norton.

• Where in the district will you be located? I will be teaching at the high school

• Where did you go to school? After high school I attended two years of junior college at Otero JC in La Junta, CO and finished my undergraduate degree at Baker University in Baldwin City, KS.
• What do you do in your spare time? My wife and I bicycle and also enjoy watching KC Royals baseball and Denver Bronco football games.
• Feel free to provide any information about your family (children, dogs, etc.) or any other random fun fact about yourself. We have a 21 year old son who is currently serving in the Marine Corps and a dog, Bingo, who is an American Boxer.

Other new staff members who did not respond to Hays Post’s request for biographical information include:

• Dazi Moore-Daniels —SPED at HACC
• Suzan Hess — SLP at HACC
• John Neal — science teacher at HHS
• Carol Whisman — music teacher at HMS/O’Loughlin