R ay-Pec High School has two new ACT Test Coordinators.
Math Teacher Lisa Roberts and English Teacher Whitney Mikkelsen will share the position in order to bring a vast array of expertise to help students prepare for the ACT college placement test.
Ms. Roberts is starting her 20th year at Ray Pec and her 24th year in teaching. She has been a math teacher at the high school since 2011. She teaches Dual Credit Precalculus/Trigonometry and International Baccalaureate Mathematics and will add Calculus to her schedule this year. She loves helping students master more challenging mathematical concepts. Ms. Roberts has been a member of the Building Leadership Team and coordinated the After School Tutoring Program for the past three years. Prior to coming to the high school, Ms. Roberts taught in the district's gifted program, LEAP, for 5th and 6th graders at the two intermediate schools. She started her teaching career in the Raytown School District.
Ms. Roberts earned her bachelor's degree in Mathematics and master's degree in Education at Truman State University (formerly known as Northeast Missouri State University-NEMO) and also has her endorsement for gifted education. When not teaching, Ms. Roberts enjoys spending time with her husband, Mike, who is also a teacher in the district, and their two lab puppies.
Whitney Mikkelsen has been teaching English at Ray-Pec High School for the past 13 years, but starting in the fall of 2022 you will find her in the Senior Office as a post-secondary advisor. Ms. Mikkelsen will focus primarily on the needs of juniors and seniors to help them select a career path and help students understand the process for the training necessary in that career field. Students will explore options in the trades, school to work certifications, and college options among a variety of other choices. Once a career path is designated, Ms. Mikkelsen can help students focus on the next steps to prepare them for a successful future after high school.
Ms. Mikkelsen will also co-lead the ACT prep program at RPHS with Lisa Roberts. The ACT Prep program is designed to understand each student's baseline skills for each of the four test sections and then build off of that to offer an authentic testing experience that is customized to the individual needs of the student.
Ray-Pec High School welcomes Tatum Branson back to the Prowlers Dance Team as an Assistant Coach.
Coach Branson is a 2015 graduate of Ray-Pec, where she was a member of the Prowlers Dance Team from 2012-2015.
After graduation, she attended Northwest Missouri State University and was a member of the Bearcat Steppers Dance Team. While she was a member of the NWMSU Steppers, the team competed in the Universal Dance Association’s National College Dance Team Championship where they were awarded several placements, including 2nd place in Open Division Pom and a National Championship in Open Game Day Performance in 2018. Outside of competitions, Coach Branson was able to dance at four Division II National Championships including Football and Men’s Basketball.
Coach Branson began her coaching career in 2020 at Lee’s Summit West High School with the Titan's Varsity Cheerleading squad. Last season, they were awarded 2nd place in Large Varsity at the National Cheerleading Associations Regional Competition.
Outside of her role with the Prowlers, Coach Branson can be found in the counseling office at Ray-Pec High School. Coach Branson joined the counseling staff mid-year during the 2021-2022 school year and joins the High School as a full-time counselor in training this year. Welcome back to Ray-Pec, Coach Branson!
Your school yearbook staff would like to announce that the 2021-2022 Yearbook will be available for pickup in July!!!! We will communicate times and dates by email, phone, and social media🖤💛🐾
