Administrators

Mrs. Portenier will be joined the Administrative Team at Plaza Middle School starting in the 23-24 Academic Year!  Having previously served Plaza as a 6th Grade Math Teacher she comes to the position with established relationships with both students and staff.  She also brings 20 years of educational experience to her role.  She has an undergraduate degree in Middle School Education from Northwest Missouri State University and continued her education, obtaining her master's and Educational Specialist degrees in Education Administration from William Woods University.  Mrs. Portenier is a mother, a wife, and a friend who lives by the words "kindness matters," regularly extending a helping or caring hand when it is needed to colleagues and students alike.  She intends to bring her wealth of experience in education along with the experience of a parent into her role and serve the families of Plaza Middle School.

Amanda Benjamin, who served as a special education teacher at Plaza Middle School until July, 2022, came to Park Hill in 2016 and is Plaza's Activities Director. While in Park Hill, Benjamin has served as an assistant to the activities director and she serves on the district's strategic planning team. Before Park Hill, she was a special education teacher in the St. Joseph School District. Benjamin was nominated for a Star award, and she was nominated for the Excellence in Teaching award from the Northland Chamber of Commerce. 

She received her specialist degree from Northwest Missouri State University, master’s degree from Northwest and bachelor’s degree from Missouri Western State University.