2nd Grade Bobcats
Mrs. Hiatt
Hello! I was born in Kettering, Ohio and moved with my family to Kentucky at the age of 4. We lived in Glasgow, KY for two years and then moved to the Louisville area, where I've been ever since.
I graduated from WKU with a Bachelors in Elementary Education and a few years later earned my Masters in Education. A couple years after that my interest and passion for teaching early literacy led me to earn a 2nd Master's Degree in "Literacy and Reading in the Primary Grades." Soon after, I became Nationally Board Certified in teaching and most recently, I earned my Ed.S in Instructional Leadership and principal certification for grades K-12.
I’m dedicated to being a lifelong learner & continually look for opportunities to improve and strengthen my craft. I've taught at every grade level K-5, but have spent a bulk of my career teaching kindergarten (10 years) and fifth grades (6 years). This year begins my 23rd year in teaching!
I've been married to my husband, Eric, for almost 9 years and we share 4 children together in a blended family. Our oldest two sons, Jamison and Jake, are both seniors at Collins High School, Jackson is a sophomore, and Ella Jayne is a 2nd grader, right here at Simpsonville.
We live in Shelby County and love this community so much! We stay pretty busy with our kids' sports schedules, as Jamison and Jackson both play football for Collins, and Jake plays basketball. We also have 2 dogs: a Frenchie named Arnie and a rescued Lab named Jack. Finally, we have 2 rescued cats (Steve and Pickles).
I am originally from Harrodsburg, Kentucky. I went to through Harrodsburg Independent Schools growing up.
After graduating high school I went to Hanover College in Indiana. I majored in elementary education and graduated in 2002.
After graduation I got my first teaching job at the Harlow Elementary (my elementary school growing up) teaching special education kindergarten-3rd grade. After one year at Harlow, I started teaching 2nd grade at Jennie Rogers Elementary in Danville, KY. I taught 2nd grade there for two years. During my second year I got married so I needed to find a job closer to Louisville.
I was lucky enough to get a job teaching 4th grade here at Simpsonville Elementary. I taught 4th grade for one year and then moved to kindergarten. I was in kindergarten for nine years. Somewhere in those years, I got my masters degree from the University of Louisville. I then decided to try something new and moved into the technology teacher position. I taught technology to every student at Simpsonville for five years.
I am entering my 20th year of teaching this year and I am excited to be back in second grade for another year.
I live just outside Simpsonville with my son Mack. Mack's dad passed away in 2012 from cancer. I just got remarried last summer to Brian in an amazing outdoor wedding at Shaker Village. My son Mack was a Simpsonville Bobcat and now at MCM. He is 11 years old and entering 6th grade this year. I now have a step daughter Katelyn who is 20 and works at the VA Hospital. We have a 16 year old calico cat named Josie and a 2 year old mini sheepadoodle named Hank.
Hello! I am originally from Danville, KY where I grew up on a farm. I graduated from WKU with a Bachelor of Science and a Master's Degree in Elementary Education. After college, my husband and I lived in Logan County for 10 years. Then, in 2005, we moved to Shelby County.
I have been teaching for 23 years, 16 of them in Shelby County. Simpsonville Elementary is one of the best - I absolutely love it here!
I have been married to my husband, Jim, for 26 years. We have 3 children. Clayton is married and is an engineer. Emma is a student at the University of Kentucky, and Eli is in 7th grade at MCM. We live on a small farm outside of Simpsonville where we have a dog and 18 sheep. I love being a part of this great community and school!
I am very excited to be in charge of your child’s education this year, and I look forward to a partnership with you in helping your child achieve their maximum potential.
Mrs. Walls
Hey ya'll!
While I'm brand new to the Simpsonville family this year, I grew up in Shelby County, attended Cornerstone Christian Academy K-9 and graduated in '07 as a Shelby County Rocket.
My husband, Dustyn, is also a Shelbyville native and we have lived in Waddy for 4 years. We have two sons, Thor (11yrs) just started middle school at East and Kent (8yrs) joined the Bobcat family with me this year as a 3rd grader!
Our family also includes Zelda, our German Shepard, 2 kittens (Sylvie and Ruby) and our outdoor female huntress, Cleopatra. We love our fur babies!
I've always been a lover of learning, asking questions and problem solving - so it only makes sense that I graduated from UofL with a BA in Anthropology and a BA in Philosophy.
I stumbled into substitute teaching after graduation and fell in love with the classroom, where learning lives and breathes each day.
I substituted at all grade levels for a full year, all over the county, before deciding that elementary school was the place for me. It's here that a lifelong love of learning is instilled and I relish the opportunity to cultivate a lifestyle of learning.
Last school year, I taught 1st grade (virtually) and 4th grade (virtually) before being hired on to teach a 3rd/4th split-grade that was both online and in person. The position was unique, and due to the tragic passing of local teaching legend - Anna Simpson. Her students and I grew together as we navigated her loss, the pandemic and virtual learning as a team.
I'm currently pursuing my Masters in Teaching so that I may continue growing as an educator. I look forward to many years of sharing my passion for learning and instilling critical thinking skills in these youngsters!
<3 Mrs. Hanna Walls