[Hays, KS, June 6, 2023] TMP-Marian is pleased to announce that it has filled all faculty openings for the 2023-24 school year! Seven new teachers are excited to join the Monarch family and work with the students.
Sr. Mary Agnes (Wasinger) and Sr. Mary Monica (Augustine) will join the faculty along with two additional sisters teaching at Holy Family Elementary. They are part of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Wichita, based in Colwich, KS. They will open a convent in Hays at 500 E. 18th Street. Sr. Mary Agnes will teach freshman and junior Religion, while Sr. Mary Monica will teach 6th and 8th grade Religion.
Sr. Mary Agnes grew up in Wichita, but some of her family heritage hails from the Hays area. She initially joined the IHMs just three months after high school graduation in 2000; however, Sister recognized that she was not ready to continue discernment and went to school at Benedictine College in Atchison, KS. She reentered the community in 2003 and professed final vows in 2008.
“I have been holding all of you [in Ellis County] in prayer since I heard I was coming to TMP-Marian,” Sr. Mary Agnes said. “I have been excitedly looking forward to getting to meet all of the faculty, students, and families that make TMP-Marian a community of faith and excellence.”
Sister Mary Agnes has been a teacher for 15 years teaching at four different Catholic high schools in the Wichita Diocese - Bishop Carroll, Kapaun Mt. Carmel, Trinity Catholic, and St. Mary’s Colgan. She enjoys travel and has visited nine different European countries and Canada.
Sr. Mary Monica grew up in Colby. She joined the IHMs in 2013 as a postulant and professed final vows in 2018.
Prior to joining the IHMs, Sister was studying for a career in school psychology at Ft. Hays State University. As a teacher, Sister has taught at Bishop Carroll and Kapaun Mt. Carmel.
She loves teaching the Prayer and Liturgy class the most because she gets to form the students in spiritual life. According to Sister, the chapel is her second classroom. She marvels at the students’ growth when at the beginning of the year 10 minutes is too long to sit still, but by the end, students desire chapel time and can sit in silent prayer for long periods of time.
Sister reads, manages the IHMs website, does photography, graphic design, and organizing events. She sponsors a high school girls organization called the Handmaids of Mary, which is a community of young women who are concerned about personal sanctity and committed to supporting each other in the spiritual life through healthy friendships.
“I have a great love for my home diocese, and it has been one of my greatest desires to have IHMs teach in the Salina Diocese,” Sr. Mary Monica said. “Ten years ago, I gave one of my Fiats to Our Lord by leaving my family and entering the IHM community. Now, He is sending me back to the plains of Western Kansas to sow the seed and reap the harvest. God is so good!”
The Sisters’ main parish will be Immaculate Heart of Mary Church where their convent is located. However, they look forward to meeting and ministering to all the people of Ellis County. More about the Sisters’ journey to Hays and their community can be found here. If you would like to support the Sisters’ ministry here in Ellis County, please keep them in your prayers. Other ways to support the Sisters can be found here.
Grant Stephenson was hired in January, but actually began duties on May 30 when he kicked off TMP-M’s summer weights and conditioning. Mr. Stephenson will teach Weights/PE, 6th grade Religion, and Junior Religion. In addition to summer weights and conditioning, he is head coach of the Monarch football team.
Mr. Stephenson graduated from Pittsburg State University in 2007 with a BS in PE with an emphasis on coaching. He has since earned two Master's Degrees, one in Sports Administration in 2010 and the other in Education Administration in 2012.
Most recently he taught and coached at Plainville High School. Mr. Stephenson lives in Hays with his wife and four children. He and his family are parishioners at St. Nicholas of Myra Church in Hays.
Emalee Taylor lives in Hays with her husband Andrew and two daughters Brielle and Eden. She attended Ft. Hays State University and earned a degree in Biology Secondary Education. For the past four years Emalee has been teaching 7th and 8th grade Science at Hays Middle School. She will teach those same subjects and grade levels at TMP-Marian.
“I am excited to be making the transition to TMP-M JH this upcoming school year and be joining the Monarch family,” Mrs. Taylor said. “Ever since I was young I have had a love for science and as an educator I get the chance every day to share that love with the students that come through my classroom.”
Mrs. Taylor enjoys middle school aged kids. According to her, they are a lot of fun to work with.
“I hope my students see how much I care about them just as much as what I am teaching them,” Taylor said. “My faith is very important to me, and I am thrilled that I will be able to integrate both my love of science and the Catholic faith within my job.”
Mrs. Taylor and her family are parishioners at St. Nicholas of Myra Church in Hays.
Holly ‘07 (Dreiling) Lang is returning to her alma mater after working most recently at Washington Grade School in Ellis as the 5th grade homeroom and 4-6th grade reading teacher. She will teach 6th grade English Language Arts and Social Studies.
After graduating from Ft. Hays State University in 2011, Mrs. Lang began teaching at Northwood Elementary School in Piedmont, OK. After a two-year stint at Holy Trinity Catholic School in Lenexa and one year at Natoma Elementary School, she took the position at Washington Grade School where she has been teaching for 7 years.
Mrs. Lang will complete her Master’s Degree in Library Media Specialist this summer. She lives in Hays with her husband Colton and two children, Mia and Rhett. They are parishioners at St. Nicholas of Myra.
Deb Reed is joining the Monarch family via her role as a special education teacher in the West Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative. She will teach students in TMP-Marian Junior High.
Mrs. Reed just completed her 26th year of teaching – 1 year in Quinter and the past 25 with USD 489. While with USD 489, she taught five years at Hays High, two years at Westside (grades 9-12 resource), five years at O’Loughlin (K-5 resource), two years at Kennedy Middle School, and ten years at Hays Middle School.
Most recently, she co-taught with general education teachers in both 7th and 8th grade math, increasing inclusion for students of all abilities. Mrs. Reed will co-teach some classes at TMP-Marian as well.
Mrs. Reed loves watching NASCAR with her family, reading, and baking. She lives in WaKeeney with her husband Marcus. They have two grown children, Jake and Jaden.
Katy ‘18 Walters is also returning to her alma mater as a teacher and activity sponsor. She will teach courses and sponsor activities that she took herself as a high school student.
“I am looking forward to the following school year especially since I am an alumna,” Walters said. “My plans are to try a few new things with both the junior high and high school choir students, including several pieces involving various cultures and languages. It is my hope that all students in my classroom will have ample growth in vocal technique and musicianship.”
Ms. Walters will teach JH and HS choir as well as sponsor the competitive high school choir known as Pop Singers and direct the musical scores for the fall musical. She recently graduated this past May from Ft. Hays State University with a Music Performance degree.
Under Ms. Walters’s leadership, TMP-M Pop Singers will be exploring new genres and styles to bring to the stage in the upcoming spring show.
“...[A]s a student at TMP-M, I created many fond memories during my time in both Pop Singers and Fall Musical. It is my ambition to create the same atmosphere and camaraderie that formed such great memories,” Walters said.
She is a parishioner at St. Joseph Church and lives in Hays.