Shield’s Elementary School “Teacher of the Year”, Amanda Archambault’s history with Cape started even before she attended kindergarten at the school in that she currently teaches.
Both of her parents also grew up here. Her mother graduated from Rehoboth High School and was a long-time Cape employee at the district office. Her father graduated from Milton High School and was a business owner in the area, owning and operating the Clifton Barber Shop for 38 years.
Amanda and her two sisters loved Cape and attended Shields Elementary School, Lewes Middle School and then Amanda graduated from Cape High School in 1994.
When Amanda was in school, she clearly recalls Lewes Middle School teacher, Betty Manion. In fact, Amanda went to college armed with notes from Mrs. Manion’s classes. With these notes, she was able to achieve success at the college level.
Amanda loved all of the staff at the high school and took an active role in Student Council and played for the tennis team.
Upon graduation, Amanda headed to Elizabethtown College to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy. But by junior year, she realized she was more interested in Special Education, so she transferred closer to home and began studying at the University of Delaware.
Amanda began her adult career at Cape and has been employed by the district since 1999. She was first hired as a para-educator at the Sussex Consortium.
She then began teaching at the consortium after she completed her teaching certificate and taught there until 2011.
At that time, she decided she wanted to be close to her own two children, who both attended Shields. She accepted a position as a fifth grade teacher and has found her home at Shields.
Amanda is the ultimate example of “Cape Proud”, and loves having her own children attend her alma mater.
Her son Chase is in 3rd grade and her daughter Haley is in 5th grade and will move to Beacon Middle School next year.
Amanda relayed an amazing story that truly demonstrates how wonderful our Cape family is.
The Friday before Labor Day, Haley was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and the family only arrived home from the hospital extremely late the night before school started.
At another school, Amanda may have been hesitant to start a new school year with such a dramatic change to Haley’s life. She now needed to learn how to inject herself with daily shots of insulin. However, both mother and daughter happily attended the first day of the school year confident in the knowledge that the staff at Shield’s would easily adapt to Haley’s new routine.
Amanda knew her daughter was in the excellent care of her Cape family and the transition was easy for everyone.
Amanda’s dedication to Cape and her recent accolades as Shield’s Teahcer of the Year” makes all of us as a community “Cape Proud”.
Please visit our Cape Henlopen Educational Foundation (CHEF) website at www.chef-cape.org to learn more about CHEF’s educational partnership with the Cape school district. We invite the entire community to help us achieve our mission of preparing students for a healthy, productive life in a diverse global community.
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The Cape Henlopen Educational Foundation’s (CHEF) principal objectives are to inspire learning and to prepare all students for a healthy, productive life in a diverse and global society. To help accomplish these goals, we seek to engage the entire community--educators, parents, business, civic and legislative leaders.
It is with these thoughts in mind that “Cape Rocks” highlights some of Cape’s brightest and best. The amazing stories and individuals reflected here are an integral part of our community. They make the Cape Henlopen School District and the surrounding area a truly amazing place to live.
