Flandreau
Hannah Eilertson
Agriculture and FFA Advisor
Years teaching: Going into year 5. I taught agriculture education and was the FFA advisor at Howells-Dodge Consolidated Public Schools in Howells, Nebraska, for the last 4 years.
Hometown: Albion, Nebraska
Education: I went to South Dakota State University from 2017-2021 and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Education then went on to get my masters degree. I graduated with my Master of Science in Agriculture Education in May of 2025.
Family: I recently got married to John Eilertson on June 28th, 2025.
Hobbies: I love to hike, bake, and read.
What do you most hope to offer your students this year? A place where they can learn about agriculture and offer support throughout their school year.
What is your favorite thing about teaching/education? I really love when the students actually learn with a lightbulb moment and I appreciate students that are like sponges and want to learn more.
Tell us one thing interesting about yourself: I went on a 16-day honeymoon to 10 different national parks and shared a hiking trail with a momma bear and her 3 cubs this summer.
Kayla Polejewski
Kindergarten
Years teaching: First year
Hometown: Marshall, MN.
Education: I went to Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) and graduated with a degree in elementary inclusive education
Family: My family consists of my parents Jim and Gail as well as my brother Aaron, sister Karley, and her husband, Ryan.
Hobbies: I enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling, going on walks, and finding new coffee and ice cream shops.
What do you most hope to offer your students this year? I hope to offer support and positivity to all of my students and see all the progress that they will make in their first year of school.
What is your favorite thing about teaching/education? My favorite part of teaching is seeing the lightbulb moments in students when they realize that they had worked through a problem and persevered to get through it.
Tell us one thing interesting about yourself: I was able to travel to seven different countries in Europe this summer.
Eathen Erck
High School Social Studies, Jr. High Boys Basketballl Coach
Years teaching: First year
Hometown: Tea, SD
Education: Northern State University, Aberdeen
Family: Parents, sister
Hobbies: Playing and watching sports. Hanging out with friends and family
What do yuo most hope to offer your students this year? To help them become more interested in history.
What is your favorite thing about teaching/education? Being able to help students reach their full potential.
Tell us one thing interesting about yourself: I have a pet cat named Toby.
Racquel DeMarteleare
High School Special Education
Years teaching: This is my first year as a teacher. I have been a para for the past 3 years in the Flandreau school district.
Hometown: Hitterdal, MN but Elkton, SD has been my hometown for the past 10 years
Education: I completed my bachelors degree in both Elementary Education (K-8) and Special Education (K-12) from Dakota State University this year as part of the SD Teacher Apprenticeship Program.
Family: I have been married for 13 years and have 4 kids (12, 10, 8, & 6) who all attend Flandreau schools.
Hobbies: I love photography and scrapbooking. Reading and writing poetry also fill my time; traveling all over the place and doing all the outdoor things make me happy.
What do you most hope to offer your students this year? My hope is to offer a place for students to come where they feel comfortable, accepted and free to express themselves.
What is your favorite thing about teaching/education? I love watching students make connections and relate what they are learning to real life situations. Seeing students interact and communicate with their peers is something that makes it all worth it.
Tell us one thing interesting about yourself: I have my photography certificate and have photographed 4 weddings.
Avery Asche
7th-8th English / Language Arts
Years teaching: First year
Hometown: Brookings
Education: Graduated from SDSU in 2025 with a degree in elementary education.
Family: I am very close with my family. I have two younger brothers; one is going to be an 8th grader in Brookings and the other is going to be a junior at SDSU. I also have a French bulldog named Ace.
Hobbies: I enjoy spending time with friends and family. Every summer my family and I travel to Okoboji to camp. I enjoy being on the lake, shopping, and traveling.
What do you most hope to offer your students this year? I hope to offer the students a place where they can come and feel safe, heard, and valued.
What is your favorite thing about teaching/education? I am excited to see what I can learn from the students. Also, building relationships with the staff and students. I am looking forward to starting my first year in Flandreau and meeting the students. I cant wait to see what the year 2025-2026 has in store!
Tell us one thing interesting about yourself: Ive never broken any bones.
Ally McMacken
Fourth Grade
Jr. High Girls Basketball Coach
Years teaching: This will be my first year
Hometown: Brookings, South Dakota
Education: I attended South Dakota State University and Dakota State University and graduated in December of 2025 with my bachelors degree in elementary education
Family: My parents are Scott and Lynette McMacken. I have three older siblings, Kaylee, Bryce and Ryan. Some of you may know Ryan as the PE teacher here in Flandreau.
Hobbies: Some of my hobbies include, attending sporting events (Go Jacks!), being with my friends and family, going to the lake, being outdoors and shopping.
What do you most hope to offer your students this year? I hope to offer my students a positive and encouraging classroom where they feel seen, supported, and excited to grow both academically and personally.
What is your favorite thing about teaching/education? Helping students grow into confident, curious learners is the most fulfilling part of teaching. I love the relationships I get to make with my students.
Tell us one thing interesting about yourself: Not only will this be my first year of teaching, but I will also be coaching junior high girls basketball!
Colman-Egan
Cade Falor
K-12 PE/ 7th Social Studies, Asst Football and JV Girls Basketball Coach
I am super excited to be a part of Colman Egan High School. I will be the K-12 Physical Education teacher and the 7th grade Social Studies teacher. I am originally from Tri-Valley High School and graduated in 2018. I then moved up to Brookings SD and went to SDSU. I pursued a degree in Physical Education. I started coaching football and basketball in 2020. Go Hawks!!
Dakota Johnson
4th grade Language Arts; 6th & 8th grade Social Studies, Assistant Football
This will be my second year in education; I spent my first year as a 4th grade teacher at the Garretson School District which is where I was born and raised. I received my degree in Elementary Education from Dakota State University. Some of you might remember me from my time student-teaching at the Colman-Egan School District and assisting with the football program. I very much enjoyed my time being in the school district and coaching here, that I was very excited to have the opportunity to become a C-E Hawk again! I look forward to the upcoming school year!
Taylor Hemmer
3rd Grade
I am excited to be teaching 3rd grade at Colman-Egan this year! I am a 2024 graduate of SDSU, where I received a degree in early childhood education with endorsements in kindergarten and special education. I previously taught K-2 special education at Tri-Valley. I grew up on a farm near Crooks, SD. I married my high-school sweetheart, Chase, this summer and we live 10 miles southeast of Colman. I am looking forward to a great first year as a CE Hawk!
Whitney Tammen
K-12 Counselor
Im excited to begin this new chapter as the K-12 School Counselor for Colman-Egan. I came into this role with four years of experience as an elementary counselor at Sioux Valley School District, where I had the opportunity to support students social, emotional, and academic development from their earliest years in school. Im passionate about building strong relationships with students, families, and staff, and I look forward to supporting students at every stage of their K-12 journey. My goal is to create a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment where all students feel seen, heard, and empowered to grow. Im thrilled to be joining the Colman-Egan family and look forward to working together to help all students thrive.
Megan Conn
High School English
This will be my fourth-year teaching with the last three being in the Sioux Falls School District. I am excited to teach high school English here as my K-12 education came from a rural South Dakota town similar to Colman (Frederick). In my free time I enjoy the following: spending time with my cat, Paco; spoiling my nephews; and hiking with my boyfriend, Wyatt. I look forward to meeting staff, students, and other members of the community. Go Hawks!
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