Millie Vanderpool
3rd Grade Teacher
Compass Elementary
My name is Millie Vanderpool, and I have been teaching since 2011. I’ve taught 1st grade, 2nd grade, and K-6 Physical Education. This fall I will begin teaching 3rd grade and can’t wait! I graduated from Missouri Western State University in December of 2010. After graduation I went to work in Northern California as an outdoor education teacher before being hired as a paraprofessional in the St. Joseph School District fall of 2011. My teaching certificates include K-12 Physical Education, K-12 Health Education, and Elementary Education grades 1-6. I am currently working on my master’s degree in Differentiated Instruction at Missouri Western State University and am set to graduate by May 2027. I recently was named MOSHAPE Northwest District Teacher of the Year for 2025-26.
My family includes my husband, John, and our daughter Ellie. I love spending time with my family and getting to see everything through our daughters eyes. My hobbies include getting together with family and friends, reading, being outside, going on small adventures, spending time at the lake, and watching the Chiefs as a family. My favorite sport is gymnastics, which I had the pleasure of coaching for 11 years. Teaching has been a passion of mine since I was in elementary school and brings me so much joy. Both of my parents were educators, and I watched their impact on many students lives growing up, inspiring me to do the same. I love being able to walk alongside my students and see how much they grow over the school year academically and individually.