Welcome Voyager Families! I have the privilege of helping you learn more about US History to 1865 this school year. We will cover topics from geography, Early Colonies, the Revolutionary War and many other topics in between until we end the year with our study of the Civil War.

You probably don’t know too much about me, so I want to tell you a little bit about me and the path that led me to teaching History at BMMS. I am originally from Plattsburgh, a small town in upstate New York near the Canadian border. Boy are winters cold up there! I also lived in Saratoga Springs, NY which is the site of a major battle won by the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. However, much of my youth was spent growing up near the Jersey shore. Yes, I am a Jersey girl and like a good Jersey person, I love Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen. Students, if you don’t recognize those names, I know you’ve heard their songs!

After high school, I earned my Bachelor of Science in Education from Marywood University in Scranton, PA. If you watch The Office, you’ve heard of Scranton! Both Scranton and Staunton are off I-81. I got my first big time job as a Director of Education with Sylvan Learning Center in East Brunswick, NJ after working for them as a teacher for two years. After four years as a Director of Education, I made my way further South to Alexandria, Virginia where I worked for an educational organization as a recruiter for adult degree programs. I mainly worked with the military installations in the Washington D.C area helping military men and women further their education goals. During that time, I earned a Master in Business Administration. While I enjoyed my work in the DC area, my family and I decided to move to the Shenandoah Valley and ended up here in Staunton. After we settled in, I started teaching here at BMMS. I have taught English, Science, and my favorite subject, History over the past fourteen years.

My step-daughter, Rachel, is a recent graduate of George Mason University in Fairfax, VA and has plans to move to California this Fall. My daughter, Julia, an avid volleyball player, is a sophomore at Riverheads High School.

I have a passion for cooking! I love to cook and am always trying out new recipes. Seafood dishes are my favorite! I also love my home and am usually working on some project with it. A few years ago, I got into doing yoga and have been practicing it regularly ever since.

This school year brings many changes to the way we will teach and how you will learn. It’s altogether exciting and a little scary, but we will face these challenges together. I am looking forward to a great year with you!

I grew up in Augusta County and graduated from Riverheads High School. Originally, I attended James Madison and earned my Bachelors in Business Administration.

After getting married and having my children, I realized that advertising and sales were not my calling. So I had a home-based craft business and volunteered in my sons’ school. I then found my true calling, returned to JMU, and earned my teaching certification. I have been teaching at Beverly Manor Middle for twenty years. During that time I have taught 6th grade science, history, and reading.

My husband Mike and I celebrated our 37th anniversary this year. My two sons, Bill and Ben live in the area and my daughter, Annabelle, is a senior at Buffalo Gap High School. I like to read, garden, knit, and spend time with my cats and dog, Merlin, Rascal, Luna, and Soco.

I look forward to learning with my new students this year!

I grew up in North Carolina, but moved to the Valley when I attended Bridgewater College where I earned a BS in Biology and Medical Technology in 2000. This began a career in the laboratory where I worked for 15 years.

I live in Fishersville with my 2 daughters - Sydney (10th grader at Wilson HS) and Camryn (8th grader at BMMS) - and 2 cats (Luna and Toby). When my daughters were young, I worked in their preschool and found that teaching was my true passion. I went back to school at Mary Baldwin and earned my M.A.T. in 2015. After teaching a few years in various elementary classrooms in Waynesboro City, I took the plunge to try teaching Middle School, while continuing to work part-time at the AH Lab. This is my 6th year teaching Science at BMMS and I love it! I look forward to teaching you Science this year!

I grew up in Rockbridge County, VA for the most part. I lived in North Carolina for two of my high school years and some of college. In my early years, I always thought I wanted to be a retail buyer and travel. I soon realized this was not a good fit for me, so I returned to the local area and went to Mary Baldwin College. After receiving my teaching certificate, I decided helping others to become strong readers is what I am really passionate about! So, I went to UVA where I earned a Masters in Reading degree. I have always been an avid reader and I am looking forward to the reading journeys we will go on this year!