Hays USD 489

Nicole Cullison has been with USD #489 for 5 years!! My favorite thing about working for USD 489 is the people. Our district has some of the best teachers and administrators. Fun Fact: Next year I will officially be the mother of a teenager. Scary! #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Happy Birthday to our Superintendent!!! It's an Almond Joy & Peanut M&M party!!! Here's to another sugar-fueled trip around the sun!! #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Tessa Brandenburg has been with USD #489 for 5 years! My favorite thing about working for USD 489 has been the great co-workers I interact with daily and the high quality leadership I get to work under! A fun fact about me is that I find joy in creating a healthy & fruitful garden! I hope to be able to satisfy a majority of my kitchen needs at some point! #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Aubrey Woolf has been with USD #489 for 5 years!! My favorite thing about working for USD 489 is the community I have built with coworkers and how everyone is willing to work together as a team. A fun fact: I now teach the kids of the students my mom taught! #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Dirae Boyd has been with USD #489 for 25 years!! My favorite thing about working for USD 489, is the quality of staff that I am able to collaborate with so that I can provide the best instruction for the students that I serve as a Special Education Teacher. Fun Fact: I love making a difference in other’s lives. My favorite thing to do in my spare time is to be with family: especially my grandchildren who range in ages 1 month to 20 years old! #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Cade Scott has been with USD #489 for 5 years!! My favorite thing about working for USD 489 is the dedication that the staff and teachers have for the success of students. A fun fact about myself is that I have 4 kids and 2 of them are twins. #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Jessica Schwien has been with USD #489 for 15 years!! My favorite things about the district are the kids and my fellow teachers. Our kids are great - my middle schoolers make me laugh every day and they make this job fun. I also am thankful for my fellow teachers. This can be an emotionally-taxing profession and it’s important to have friends who get it. A fun fact about myself... I’m on the board for the Humane Society of the High Plains and would adopt all the pets if my husband would let me! #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Kathy Satomi has been with USD #489 for 5 years!! I love working in the USD 489 family—we have so many loving, devoted, caring, motivated, encouraging, purpose-driven, empathetic, giving…(I could go on and on)…”brothers and sisters” all working together for our children and families!! Fun Fact(s) – I like to do a lot of things that most people would not know about me—I love playing volleyball, I love to go camping and explore new places, I want to learn Spanish, and I want to learn how to play the ukulele this summer! #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Mindi Dreiling has been with USD #489 for 5 years!! Favorite Thing: Being surrounded by a team of teachers that inspire and encourage me every day! I also love prepping those 5th grades for their next chapter at HMS. Fun Fact: Volleyball is my probably sport, I played growing up and 1 year in college. Also, I coached volleyball in Lacrosse for 4 of my 10 teaching years, bringing our team to the state tournament 3 of the 4 years! #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Lindsay Schmidt has been with USD #489 for 10 years!! My favorite part of working for USD 489 is making connections with the students. It’s been such a great experience to see students I worked with in grade school go on to be successful in high school. I also love how the staff in every building I’ve worked in becomes a school family. The district has so many amazing educators that go above and beyond for their students. I’m not sure if this is a fun fact but I’m slightly obsessed with sloths, mini goats, and alpacas. #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Kimberly Schmeidler has been with USD #489 for 20 years!!! I LOVE teaching students! Every child has a story, building that relationship with the students is so very important. Fun Fact: I have taught grades Kindergarten – through middle school over the past 25 years, and just recently achieved my National Board Certification. #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Day 2 of showcasing our staff who have reached a milestone year with our district!!! Jennifer Weilert has been with USD #489 for 5 years! My favorite thing about working for 489: My awesome colleagues and the daily AhHa moments that happen in Kindergarten. I love spending my days with the Littles. Fun fact about me: My First degree after High School was in Veterinary Technology. I worked as a Registered Veterinary Technician until I had my oldest daughter. I kept my license until I went back to school to get my degree in Elementary Education at 30 years old. I’m currently working towards a Master’s. It’s never too late. #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Alysa Erway has been with USD #489 for 5 years!!! I love the staff at USD 489! They are so friendly and always willing to help out when I need it! USD 489 is truly a remarkable place to be, each and every one of our staff members are genuinely for the kids and I am blessed to be apart of it! Fun Fact: I love to bake, read, and travel with my husband in my free time! #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Jerold Harris has been with USD #489 for 25 years!!! I have many reasons that I enjoy working at Hays High. The students are enjoyable. The camaraderie amongst the math department and coaching staff. Fun Fact: Many people do not know this, but in high school I worked at a country club where I was part of an ice-sculpting team. We took 2nd place at a contest at Crown Center. #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Lacey Kee has been with USD #489 for 10 years! Her favorite thing about USD #489 is the wonderful family atmosphere! Our staff works together as a team to make sure we always do what is best for our students! I have thoroughly enjoyed working for U.S.D. #489! It is a great place to be! A fun fact about myself if that I love to sing! #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Monica Dreiling has been with USD #489 for 20 years!! Her favorite thing is the friendly staff and amazing families! Fun Fact: "During the pandemic, I traced my ancestry to a Revolutionary War Patriot and was able to join the Daughters of the American Revolution." #EveryStudentEveryDay489

First up...Bobbie Dinkel. She has been with our district for 30 years!! Her favorite thing about USD 489 is the people, all of the students, coworkers, and families! Fun Fact: In my 30 years at USD 489, I have work in 3 different buildings, at 8 different grade levels, and with 6 different principals. #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Today starts Teacher Appreciation Week!! In honor of this great week we are going to showcase our staff who have made a milestone year in our district. There will be no particular order...so make sure you stick close to avoid missing anyone! #EveryStudentEveryDay489

Seen Around USD #489: Today Roosevelt Elementary had their ribbon cutting for their new playground equipment. Principal Petersen went down the slide to burst through the ribbon. Children playing. Laughter. Many years of hard work. #EveryStudentEveryDay489

--Assistant Principal News-- Becky Hickert has been selected as the assistant high principal for Hays High School starting for the 21-22 school year. Becky is currently an assistant principal in USD 475 at Junction City High School. Prior to becoming an assistant principal, Becky was the Coordinator of Post-Secondary Programs at Junction City High. Becky also served as a school counselor and math teacher at Junction City High. Becky is a Hays native and is excited about returning to Hays with her husband and two school aged children. Very excited to have Becky joining our 489 team. #EveryStudentEveryDay489