Ms. Tucker
By Sabine Smithwick
Jane Tucker is returning to the KHS community after taking a break in 2020. She is originally from Bucksport, Maine, but has since settled in the Portland area. Having previously taught here, Ms. Tucker is excited to be surrounded by incredible students and staff who make KHS a wonderful place to be. She has always been obsessed with reading, so she went to college and grad school to major in English Literature. Although she didn’t go to school for education, she taught freshmen as part of her grad school fellowship and fell in love with it!
Ms. Tucker loves reading, jogging, and lifting weights. She also loves playing Barbie with her daughter, Dovey. Ms. Tucker advises students to get involved in the school and make the most out of their time here. She also suggests everyone lead with curiosity and kindness, not judgment. One interesting fact about Ms. Tucker is that she was in a production of Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in high school, which also featured our own Mr. Wakeman. On behalf of all of us here at KHS, welcome back Ms. Tucker. We’re so excited to have you here!
Ms. Anderson
By Sabine Smithwick
Mackenzie Anderson has joined the KHS community as a new English teacher! Originally from Connecticut, Ms. Anderson attended the University of New Hampshire. She spent 14 years teaching high school English, and she is returning to the classroom after taking a break from teaching and spending a year and a half working in a law office. Ms. Anderson decided to become an English teacher because she loves reading and writing. She believes that literature is “the language of experience” and loves nothing more than sharing that with her students. She was drawn to Kennebunk schools because of the lively community she noticed after sending her children through the Kennebunk education system.
Ms. Anderson loves reading and anything outdoorsy: Including traveling, hiking, and surfing. She also trains in Kung-Fu and studies other forms of martial arts. She seeks out the type of fun that challenges her, such as white water rafting and running obstacle races. One surprising fact about Ms. Anderson is that she’s been to the Amazon Rainforest, and is excited to bring her kids there one day. Ms. Anderson urges her current and future students to “Never stop accepting new challenges! By embracing challenges, risking failure or embarrassment, you will be choosing to grow.”
Ms. Willard
By Quinn Wherley
Paige Willard has recently joined the KHS staff as a Spanish language teacher. Although she grew up in Southern New Hampshire, Ms. Willard has lived in Maine since 2019. Having previously taught at a middle school in Portland, then transferring to York Middle School, Ms. Willard loves all things educational. She studied and lived in Spain for 4 years and admits Spain truly feels like her second home. During her stay in Spain, she was able to visit all 17 of their “states,” or Comunidades Autónomas. Outside of school, she enjoys reading, listening to music, doing yoga, and spending time with family. She makes note that she was originally drawn to Kennebunk by the strong sense of community here, after having been told that a coworker’s children had a great experience at KHS. She urges all of her current and future students to embrace making mistakes when learning another language, since we all learn from our mistakes. “I would rather see students using the language with some errors than not using it at all!”
On behalf of KHS, we are excited to have you, Ms. Willard!
Ms. Sandifer
By Quinn Wherely
Monica Gonzales Sandifer has recently joined the KHS staff as a Spanish and French language teacher. She is originally from La Paz, Bolivia, in “the heart of South America” as she says. She recently transferred to KHS from Yarmouth Highschool, and was first drawn to Kennebunk due to our IB program. She believes there should be many outlets for learning and loves the opportunities at KHS to grow a community of learners. She loves teaching Spanish, in specific, because she is passionate about traveling and leaning about culture. She says “I believe that communication is at the center of the human experience.” Outside of school, she loves to practice yoga, swimming, and dance. In fact, she used to be a professional ballerina in the National Ballet of Bolivia! To all her future students, she encourages them to “Believe in the beauty of your dreams and never underestimate your unique contributions make a difference in this world.”
On behalf of the KHS community, we are so excited to have you, Ms. Sandifer!
Ms. Dale
By Estelle Wackman
Alongside the bright and shiny announcement of SIX The Musical came the talk of the new theatre director, Ms.Dale. After a tumultuous couple of directors, the department was looking for some stability and easy fun. Those wishes were answered in the form of the smiling, kind and welcoming Ms.Dale.
Mara Dale grew up just outside of Chicago with her sister, who now lives in Nashville. When she isn’t directing shows or being in them herself, she enjoys renovating her house, which she lives in with her cat Benny. She enjoys trying new foods and things.
We are so happy to have Ms.Dale with us, and she is a crowd favorite already. It is my honor to welcome her to our theatre and our hearts. Thanks already and always, Ms.Dale.
Ms. Marsh
By Estelle Wackman
It is of my utmost pleasure to introduce the newest math teacher, Mrs.Marsh. Lori Marsh lives in West Kennebunk with her husband and nine year old daughter, Ella. She heavily enjoys the arts, attending concerts and countless broadway shows with her friends. Having seen Hadestown twice and Mulan Rouge thrice, she fancies her self a theater, as she has since highschool, where she was a part of a One Acts champion school in Vermont.
She grew up in Vermont, and spent many of her teens year there, although she moved all over New England in her time. She previously taught at Traip Academy. She has a masters for teaching english, though discovered her passion for teaching math when she was a general tutor. She wants student to know she looks for the best in people, and this positivity and genuine care for students in evident in the way she exists, and I had a wonderful experience in just the tne minutes I spoke to her. Welcome, Mrs. Marsh.
