Welcome New Whirlwinds!

Name: Daria Bennett

Position: Third Grade

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Pleasant Hill, where I was active in everything I could be. I played sports, managed sports, participated in show choir and several clubs.

College: UCM (Elementary Education)

I plan to go back to school for advanced degrees.

Tell us about you: I am an active, outdoors person. I enjoy hiking, riding four-wheelers, going to the lake, attending concerts and spending time with people who are important to me. I met my boyfriend during my sophomore year at Pleasant Hill High School.

What are you excited about this school year? I am most excited to build relationships with my students and the girls on my cheer squad. I am also excited to watch my students grow in themselves and their learning.

What makes you a great addition to the Archie team? I am a great addition to the Archie team because I work hard, put my students first, and I am always ready for a challenge.

Name: Kaylie Cameron

Position: ISS Supervisor

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Peculiar and moved to Archie during my sophomore year of high school. I am a 2014 Archie graduate.

College: Emporia State (two years working towards an Elementary Education degree) I plan to complete this degree in the near future.

Tell us about you: I have a husband of two years. We have three dogs that are my children! It is important to know that I love my family and friends. My passion is working with the students in my community each day!

What are you excited about this school year? I have been a substitute teacher at Archie for the past couple of years. I am excited to see the students I worked with in that role. I am thrilled to accept a permanent position at my alma mater and continue to grow the relationships that I have formed with the students!

What makes you a great addition to the Archie team? I believe that I can impact students each day and look forward to embracing that as part of the #ArchieStrong team!

Name: Candice Cantrell

Position: Lunchroom Cashier/Administrative Assistant

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Drexel, MO but have lived in Archie for the past 20+ years.

College: Associate’s degree from MCC, which I completed with the intention to substitute teach. I began subbing in the Archie School District in 2011 and soon after began working in the offices.

Tell us about you: I am married to Aaron and have three sons: Will, Jake and Drew. My husband and older sons are all graduates of Archie, and Drew will be starting 8th grade here this year. I am also blessed to have two daughters-in-law, Alison and Taylor and a grandson, Harrison. Spending time with my family is what I enjoy most. When I am not getting to do that, my hobbies include baking, cooking and reading.

What are you excited about this school year? After a brief time away, I am excited to return to Archie School. I have always enjoyed being a part of the Archie School community and look forward to interacting with our students, families and staff.

Name: Tiffany Christiansen

Position: JH/HS Family and Consumer Science (FACS)

College: MSU (currently pursing a degree in Special Education)

Tell us about you: I live in Archie with my husband Ryan, my son Mason, and our two dogs. Mason attends Archie Elementary and will be in 2nd grade this year. Seeing him daily at a place I have called home for many years is a blessing!

Most of my free time is spent working towards the completion of my degree in special education through MSU in Springfield. When I am not studying, I am spending time with my family. We spend time at the family farm or Stockton Lake.

What are you excited about this school year? I started with Archie School District in 2012. My passion for the students has grown tremendously over the years. I am blessed with the opportunity to travel internationally with selected high school students!

I look forward to supporting, guiding, and inspiring the students in my new role. The kids are the future. I will be investing in our future, by being #ArchieStrong.

Name: Amanda Dunn

Position: Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP)

College: UCM (Bachelors and Maters in Speech-Language Pathology)

Tell us about you: I'm excited to work for the community that my husband grew up in and that my nieces and nephews are a part of! When I’m not working, I love spending time at home with my dog, Gracie, my husband, and our two cats. I also enjoy spending quality time with family and friends, whether we’re staying in and watching a movie/playing a game or getting outdoors. Additionally, I like attending sporting events (Go Whirlwinds and Chiefs!!), traveling to new places, and listening to music.

What makes you a great addition to the Archie team? I hope to be a great asset to the Archie School District for many years to come! #ArchieStrong

Name: Cali Faherty

Position: Kindergarten

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Pleasant Hill, the middle child of two sisters.

College: UCM

Tell us about you: I have a little girl that is one. This will be my first year of teaching and I am ecstatic!

What are you excited about this school year? I am most excited to meet my wonderful students and their families. It is great to be a part of such a wonderful school district.

What makes you a great addition to the Archie team? I will make a great addition to Archie because I love teaching and watching each student grow in their special way. #ArchieStrong

Name: Kylee Jenkins

Position: Third Grade

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Olathe, KS and graduated high school at Olathe North.

College: Western Governor’s University (Elementary Education)

Tell us about you: My husband, Justin, and I have 4 children. Sophia is 10, Charlee is 6, and our twins, Jayse and Kayde, are 5. My favorite hobby is crochet; I love making stuffed animals. I also spend a lot of time reading. My family loves to travel. Our favorite way to vacation is cruising. I also consider myself a lifelong learner and enjoy teaching myself new things.

Before having my children I worked in healthcare and property management. I was a stay-at-home mom for four years while I also earned my degree in elementary education at Western Governor’s University. I spent a year substitute teaching and accepted a teaching position at East Lynne School.

What are you excited about this school year? I’m excited to be a part of the #ArchieStrong Team this year! I’m looking forward to meeting students and their families in August.

Name: Carolyn Johnston

Position: K-12 Counselor

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Versailles, Missouri.

College: Missouri State University (Bachelor's Degree), UCM (Masters in School Counseling)

Tell us about you: I am married, and we have 5 children that are all out of school. We have three girls and two boys. They are amazing! My faith is where I get my strength. We like to go to New Mexico in the summer to visit friends there. We live in Clinton. We like to ride bikes and spend time with family!

What are you excited about this school year? I am excited to meet new people and work with new students! I hope to learn about what makes Archie great and what I can do to be a positive addition to the lives of the staff and students! I hope to help Archie reach their goals as a district and community. #ArchieStrong

Name: Morgan Lyons

Position: Dual Credit

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Archie!

College: State Fair Community College, UCM and CMU (currently finishing Education degree)

Tell us about you: I enjoy playing/coaching sports. Reading is a hobby of mine. Most importantly, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends.

What are you excited about this school year? I am so excited about this new adventure, and I can’t wait to be able to help and tend to our students at Archie. I’m looking forward to getting to know the older students better!

Name: Adam Mills

Position: Instrumental Music

Where did you grow up? I grew up in a small town 30 minutes south of Saint Louis, named Crystal City.

College: Southwest Baptist University (Music Education, Instrumental Music emphasis)

I would like to later pursue a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction.

Tell us about you: I recently married my beautiful wife, Janilyn Mills. We met in college, and we were married this past December. As for now, it is just us, but potentially in the future, there may be a dog joining us. I am the middle child. I have an older brother and sister and a younger brother and sister. Some hobbies of mine include playing pickleball, watching football and working out.

What are you excited about this school year? I am most excited to make great music with the band. Secondly, I am excited to watch some eight-man football, as I have never seen it played before. What I think makes me a great addition to the team is that I come from a school of similar size to Archie. This has helped me appreciate the relationships that can be formed due to the student-to-teacher ratio. #ArchieStrong

Name: Cydnee Regers

Position: Agriculture Education Instructor/FFA Advisor

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Bronaugh, Missouri.

College: Crowder College (Associate of Arts in Teaching and Agriculture), Missouri State University (Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Education)

I am currently working to obtain a Master of Education with an emphasis on Curriculum and Instruction from Northwest Missouri State University.

Tell us about you: My husband Clay and I live in Butler with our two Australian Shepherds, Blue and Jake. My hobbies include golfing, playing softball, taking livestock and farm photos and going to the gym.

What are you excited about this school year? I am excited to have the opportunity to continue the #ArchieStrong history of the Agriculture program here at Archie. I look forward to bringing the skills that I have obtained in my last 6 years in the profession to the program. I also am looking forward to fully immersing myself in the community.

What makes you a great addition to the Archie team? I am a great addition to the #ArchieStrong team because I have a lot of fresh ideas and a great work ethic. I cannot wait to see what is in store for me and the students in the agriculture program this year!

Name: Preston Shipley

Position: Junior High/High School Business

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Archie and still reside here with my family.

College: UCM, William Woods University (Masters in Administration)

Tell us about you: I am fortunate to have a healthy and growing family. My wife Beth and I have 4 children: Reid, Norah, Rhett, and Claira. They keep us running in circles most of the time.

What are you excited about this school year? I am most excited about the opportunity to positively impact the community that my family lives in. #ArchieStrong

Name: Franki Stidham

Position: Junior High English

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Bonner Springs, Kansas

College: KU (Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education)

I am in the process of completing my Special Education degree.

Tell us about you: This will be my thirteenth year teaching, and I am very excited to move up to middle school! I have been with my husband for almost 17 years, and we have a 1 ½ year old daughter named Maggie. Our daughter is our little miracle, and she pretty much consumes our lives outside of school/work.

What are you excited about this school year? I am most excited about engaging in some amazing classroom novel studies this year. I am always up for suggestions.

What makes you a great addition to the Archie team? I am a great addition to the #ArchieStrong team because I am a small-town-hearted person, and I also bring a new perspective to middle school coming from the elementary side of things.

Name: Chad Stroud

Position: Junior High Math, Freshman Physical Education, Assistant High School Football

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Louisburg, Kansas.

College: Pitt State

Tell us about you: This will be my twenty sixth year in education. I’m returning to Archie after two years at Harrisonville. I love my family and friends. My wife is an Archie girl and the elementary principal. My parents, brother and his two boys live in Pittsburg, Kansas, so I try to get back there to visit them as much as possible. I’m a fan of Notre Dame football and eighties pop culture.

What are you excited about this school year? I’m looking forward to returning to the small school “family” atmosphere at Archie. I look forward to seeing a lot of familiar faces that I built relationships with when I was here before, both students and faculty. #ArchieStrong

Name: Emma Stroyan

Position: High School Science

Where did you grow up? I was born and raised in Bloomington, Illinois. I moved to Hays, Kansas in college and have spent the last 8 years there.

College: Fort Hays State University (Bachelors in Biology-Natural Resources, Masters in Education, Women's Basketball Team)

Tell us about you: I am the oldest of three siblings, all living in Kansas, and we each celebrate our birthdays on the 22nd day of different months. I played college basketball both at the Division I and Division II levels. After graduation, I moved to Florida for the summer to monitor sea turtle populations along the Gulf Coast by marking nests, releasing hatchlings and tagging nesting females. I have a three-year-old yellow lab named Arlington (Arli for short), and I appreciate the little things - spending time with my family, country concerts, reading, basketball/sports, history and pretty much anything outdoors

What are you excited about this school year? I am most looking forward to being in a new state, meeting and then continuing to build relationships with my new students and basketball players here in Archie! You never know what is going on in their world, and I am simply grateful to get to have a conversation daily and do a little piece of life with them.

I am passionate about life and intentional about teaching. I prioritize my students, whether that be with fun ideas and activities or optimizing their needs both as a learner and as a person. I aim to ultimately prepare them for success in their future careers and in life and give them the ability to look back one day and be proud of where they came from. #ArchieStrong

Name: Christy Wilkison

Position: High School Science

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Warsaw, Missouri.

College: UCM (Bachelor of Science in Marketing), Maryville University (Masters in Curriculum and Instruction)

I have also taken a lot of science and art history classes at St. Louis University and UMSL. I would like to continue my education and eventually obtain a doctorate.

Tell us about you: I love nature and going on walks and hikes with my three children. I have two daughters; Ashley who is 32 and Chloe who is 25. Both of my daughters live in St. Louis. I also have a son, Ethan, who is 19 and currently living in Lindon, Utah. He and his girlfriend are planning on moving to the area at the end of this year or early next year. I also love traveling to new places and spending time with my sisters, who are also my best friends. I love thrifting, doom-scrolling and learning new things.

What are you excited about this school year? I am very excited about teaching high school again. I have primarily taught middle school for the past four years; the change will be nice. I have enjoyed subbing at Archie during the last half of the spring semester. I am very happy to become a permanent part of the #ArchieStrong team.

What makes you a great addition to the Archie team? I am a team player and enjoy meeting new students and co-workers. I will bring my joy of learning and of teaching with me to school!