Christina Kinder is one of our establishment’s finest Science teachers, boasting many years of teaching experience. Teaching Science isn’t the easiest feat just anyone can do, but Kinder makes it look easy with a smile. Mrs. Kinder is an adamant lover of soups and salads, believing them to be two of her favorite types of food available. She enjoys many of the quieter activities in life, often catching up on literature or enjoying Missouri’s temperate weather and Spring’s arrival outdoors. Upon being asked if any staff members or students stood out to her, Mrs. Kinder simply stated that all staff and students here have been kind and helpful towards her so she cannot choose any favorites. Although being a junior high science teacher can be challenging every now and again, Kinder loves her students and finds her duty rewarding! “There are three sides to every story: your side, my side, and the truth. And no one is lying. Memories shared serve each differently.”, Mrs. Kinder stated as a response to our questionnaire. “My grandmother shared this quote with me when I was a small kid. It has been helpful not just with teaching & parenting but with life in general.”. Christina Kinder is well respected amongst her peers and serves as a good example for not only a teacher of our district, but also as a role model for our students!

Kelly Spies has been a member of the Chaffee High staff for 21 years! For her spotlight, we interviewed her with a few questions. To start it off, she provided us with some background information on her life. She has 3 sons: Braden, Kolton, and Carson. Mrs. Spies and her family live on a hobby farm, and have quite the selection of pets! They own goats, chickens, a horse, a sheep, mini donkeys, 3 dogs, and 4 cats. I’d say their hands are full! Her favorite hobby is spending time with her family and making memories with them. Like we said above, Mrs. Kelly Spies has been a part of the Chaffee Faculty for 21 years. Before this, she attended Southeast Missouri State University with a degree in accounting and worked as an auditor after graduating. After she had her first child, though, she said, “I decided I needed a more family friendly job so I came to the Chaffee schools and have been here ever since.” When we asked Spies her favorite thing about working in a school environment, she responded, “I love seeing our students here at Chaffee succeed in life, whether it is during high school or after they graduate. I have also enjoyed working at the same high school where my three boys attended.  Being able to have the same schedule as them for all these years has been a true blessing to me.” Since all of her sons played the sport then this must be no surprise: Mrs. Spies says that football is her favorite school sport to watch. With this she followed, “There is nothing better than Friday night lights.” We also asked her about if she ever received a Superlative/Senior personality in high school, and she did! She received the “Best All Around” from her classmates in high school! Next, we asked her what is a quote that she lives her life by. Mrs. Kelly responded, “Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it." She also said that a moment in her life that she will never forget is when her 3 boys were born. The last question we had for her is how she likes to spend her summer. “I really don't have a summer break because I work through the summer months.  Actually, the summer months are one of the busiest times of the year in the Superintendent's office.  During the summer months, I do enjoy going camping and kayaking with my family though,” Spies replied. We are so lucky to have her on our staff for this long, and we appreciate her hard work for our school!