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Faculty Bios
For an alphabetical listing of faculty and
staff email addresses, CLICK
HERE.
Click on a faculty name to read their
bio:
• Tracey
Armour
• Candace
Arwood
• Karen
Barber
•
Abby Brosche`
• Mary
Louise Brown
• Joe Caldwell
• Alan M. Clark
• Sonya
Hampton Coley
•
Robert Conner
• Sue
Cooper
•
Regan Cothron
•
Kyle Craighead
•
Terri Curcio
•
Meg Dougherty
•
Darrell Duncan
• Tracy
Duncan
•
Amy Eatherly
• Penney
Gilliland
• Scotti Harris
• Jenny
Howard
• Kim
Howard
• Betsy
Hunter
• Bill Jung
• Charlie
Lewis
• Colleen
Lloyd
•
Stephanie Lynch
•
Lori Lyons
• Karen
MacKendree
• Mike
Marsh
• Sarah
McCreery
• Alison McDuffee
• Jolyn
Mitchell
• Raz
Molotiu
• Amy Morgan
•
Natalie Nix
• Phillip Paul
• Melissa Perry
• Beth Philemon
• Dede Pinson
•
Samantha Puff
• Cheryl
Ryckeley
• Brad
Schreiner
• Lani
Skeith
•
Alyssa Smith
• Courtney Spears
• Rebecca
Stewart
• Cindy Storey
• Jenny Stroud
• Donna Thurman
• Valerie Trantum
• Jennifer
Weedman
•
Dawn Williamson
• Bettye ZettergrenTracey Armour
is one of our 2nd grade teachers. She received a Bachelor of
Science degree in Elementary Education from Tennessee State
University, a Master of Arts degree in Administration and
Supervision from Tennessee Technological University, and her
plus 30 hours were received from Cumberland University Tracey is
married to Barry, who works for United Parcel Service and also
is a preacher. They have one son, Zachary, who also attends
Merrol Hyde Magnet School. Tracey enjoys reading, shopping, and
scrap booking in her spare time.
Candace (Candy) Arwood
is one of our kindergarten teachers. She previously taught
kindergarten at Trousdale County Elementary in Hartsville and
Lakeside Park Elementary in Hendersonville. She is a
graduate of Gallatin High School and Cumberland University in
Lebanon, TN. She enjoys sewing, cooking and reading. She
lives in Hendersonville with her husband Jeff and their two
daughters. Both daughters, Penny and MollyAnne attend Merrol
Hyde Magnet School. Candy and her family are members
of Victory Missionary Baptist Church in Hendersonville, TN.
Karen Barber
originally haled from central Illinois. She attended one year at
ISU before marrying and moving to Gallatin in 1975. She attended
Volunteer State for three years, earning associates degrees in
musical performance and musical education. After taking a
twelve sabbatical to rear three children at home, she went on to
earn her elementary education degree in 1992 from Cumberland
University. She earned her masters’ degree in education, also at
Cumberland University, in 1998. She went on to Trevecca Nazarene
University in Nashville in 1999 and earned her doctorate in
Professional Practices in 2002. During these years Dr. Barber
also taught 4th grade for seven years at Union Elementary before
going to Vena Stuart for more three years. She then taught for
two years at Benny Bills Elementary in Gallatin before joining
us in 2004 in a third grade position. Beginning with the 2008-09
school year, she moved to the 5th grade at MHMS and
has thoroughly enjoyed the new challenges. She and her husband,
Daryl, live in Gallatin. Between them, they share two sons and
two daughters, as well as 4 grandchildren, soon to be 5. Dr.
Barber enjoys reading during the cooler months and motorcycling
and traveling with her husband and friends during the warmer
months. As an animal lover, she also enjoys having pets in the
classroom and at home, encouraging children to accept the
responsibilities of pet ownership.
Abby Brosche is a high school English,
journalism, and creative writing teacher. She graduated from
Gallatin High School in 1999 and received bachelors degrees in
English and in Allied Language Arts from Western Kentucky
University in 2003. She now lives in Gallatin, TN with her
husband, Nick, and their dog, Gus. Her passions include
reading, theatre, and Grey's Anatomy.
Mary Louise Brown is a
lifelong resident of Sumner County. Her 18 years teaching
experience have all been in Sumner County. She received her
B.S. in Elementary Education from Middle Tennessee State
University with a minor in math. During her time as an
undergrad student, Mary Louise studied for a semester in England
at Harlaxton College the English campus of the University of
Evansville. Mary Louise received her master's degree from
Cumberland University in curriculum development. She has two
children Mary Katherine (8) and Trey (6) who attend Merrol Hyde
Magnet School. Mary Louise enjoys spending time with her
children. She also enjoys reading, gardening, and sewing.
Joe Caldwell (fifth grade) comes
to Merrol Hyde from Charlotte, North
Carolina, although he originally hails from Knoxville. He
recieved an
undergraduate degree in international business before
completing his
Masters in elementary education at the University of Tennessee
in 2006.
Mr. Caldwell speaks Spanish and French, and has spent summers
in both
Central Mexico and Normandy. His first great love was the
theatre, which
lost the title recently to his childhood friend, Tara, when
they were
married (also in 2006). She taught him how to cook, and now
they spend
their days creating ever-more-exotic dishes and the occasional
customized
cake. If you leave the country, please bring Mr. Caldwell a
can of green
peas from the land you visit, so he and Tara can add it to
their
collection of "World Peas."
Alan M. Clark began his teaching career in Marion County,
Tennessee in 1979. In 1981 he was offered a position as a
performer and business manager with the nationally renown Jack
Daniels' Original Silver Cornet Band. During his time with that
group he performed all over the United States, Canada and
Mexico, and highlighted that portion of his career with
performances at the White House, Carnegie Hall and the
Interlochen School of Music. In 1993, the call of teaching
returned him to settle in Sumner County as Director of Bands at
Knox Doss Middle School and Associate Director at Beech High
School. In 1996, he was offered the position of Director of
Bands at Ellis Middle School and Assistant Director of Bands at
Hendersonville High School. For several years, he directed an
adult community band, has been active as an adjudicator, is
sought after to assist bands at their summer camps, has served
on the Executive Committee of MTSBOA (the regional band and
orchestra directors' association), and he has remained active as
a performer
with the Nashville Wind Ensemble and the Sumner County Symphony.
He has been selected as a member of "Who's Who In America's
Teachers" each of the past several years. He was
honored during the Governor's School For The Arts by being
selected as an "Outstanding Educator In Tennessee" by his
students who attended the Governor's School.
Mr. Clark received his undergraduate
degree from Tennessee Tech. University, and his graduate degree
from Western Kentucky University. He and his wife, Barbara, are
actively involved in their church and they maintain a busy
scheduled centered around their five children.
Sonya Hampton Coley
teaches Art in grades 6-12 at MHMS and is the Head Girls Varsity
Basketball Coach. She graduated from King College with a BA in
Fine Arts and has completed her Masters Degree in Curriculum and
Instruction from Walden University. Ms. Coley has been a teacher and basketball coach
15 plus years. She has two children Annika and Cade. During her college basketball
playing years, Ms. Coley was a 4 year starter on 3 National
Championship teams. She has been inducted into the Basketball
Hall of Fame at Unicoi County High School and King College.
Robert
Conner, a native of Georgia,
grew up in Fort Oglethorpe. Robert
progressed through the local school-system’s academic program,
graduated, and found himself attending the University of
Tennessee in Knoxville. Having married his childhood friend and
high-school sweetheart, Amy, he fathered his first of three
children, Toby, while he was in college. Robert managed to
graduate cum laude with his undergraduate degree in the College
of Liberal Arts while he simultaneously worked toward his Master
of Science degree, which he completed.
Over the subsequent years, Robert has increased his family’s
size by three, fathering his second son, Ian, and his daughter,
Kate ,and Ben has come along unexpectedly but as a blessing to
the crew. Meanwhile, Robert has taught in a variety of educational
venues and classroom settings, including those of the inner-city
public school, the residential, psychiatric facility for
adolescents, the small-town public school, and various
home-school, cooperative tutorials. Robert believes that,
everywhere he has been a teacher, he has learned as much from
his students as he has taught them, which, he further believes,
has, adding to the sum of his experiences, helped him further
distinguish shadow from substance, and made him a better
teacher.
Robert and his family have established themselves in Sumner
County, whose communities they enjoy. The Conners are members of
Ascension Lutheran Church in Madison, Tennessee, where Robert
teaches youth Sunday school.
Robert is editing his first novel that he soon hopes to publish.
Sue Cooper,
has retired as our guidance counselor but still works part time
as guidance clerk. Sue has 31 years of teaching
experience (26 in Sumner County). She received her Masters
Degree in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Georgia
and her plus 30 from MTSU, Trevecca, and TSU. She is married to
Carl Cooper and has 2 grown children who with their spouses are
serving as missionaries in Puebla, Mexico. Sue has two
grandchildren, Carter age 5 and Emerson, age 3. She enjoys golfing and
reading in her spare time. She is active in her church and the DKG teacher society.
Regan Cothron is excited to begin her
teaching career at MHMS. She will be teaching criminal
justice and business classes. Regan graduated with
distinction from the University of Kentucky with a BBA in
Finance in 1993. She then took a year off before
attending law school at the University of Louisville
graduating in 1997. Regan has been practicing law for the
past ten years. Most notably as a public defender and as an
attorney for the Tennessee Department of Children's
Services. Regan is currently working on a Masters in
Education at Tennessee State University and is ready to
begin her new career. Regan and her husband Greg live in
Hendersonville with their two children Zoe, who attends MHMS,
and Alex, who is 1. Regan
loves the subject of criminal justice and hopes that the
students will love the subject as much as she does.
Kyle
Craighead teaches 8th grade
science and 9th grade biology. He is a 2004 graduate of
Hendersonville High School. He graduated from Lipscomb
University in 2008 with a B.S. in Biology Education. He
coaches middle school boys basketball. Kyle has a genuine
passion for teaching, and he looks forward to bringing his
talents to MHMS.
Kyle has lived in Hendersonville his entire life and is a
member of the Hendersonville Church of Christ. He regularly
attends Vanderbilt Commodore athletic events, and other
hobbies include camping, playing sports, fishing, and
spending time with family and friends.
Terri Curcio teaches kindergarten
thru twelfth grade physical education and Wellness. She lives
with her husband, Jarrod and two dogs, Daisy and Rhodi. Terri
has a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with a K-12
teaching concentration from East Tennessee State University.
She also has her teachers’ certification for Illinois where she
taught school at Loyola University in Chicago for five years.
While in Chicago Terri received her personal trainer’s
certification from USA Trainers and trained with world known
bodybuilders Charles Durr and Sergio Olivia. She also has
certifications for Brian Grasso’s Youth Strength Training,
YMCA’s Group Exercise, Spin, and First Aid and CPR.
Terri has taught school for nine years with age’s preschool
through grade twelve. She has also coached varsity basketball,
softball, and soccer. During Terri’s spare time she can be
found on the soccer field with our girl’s varsity team or at the
Sumner County YMCA where she currently teaches three spin
classes and has four personal training clients.
Coach Meg Dougherty received
her BA in Sociology from The University of Mississippi. Her
teaching certification in K-12 Physical Education and Health was
acquired at University of Memphis. She started her career in
Memphis, TN teaching middle school P.E. in the Memphis City
School System. She has just moved back to the South after
living and teaching in New York City at an all girl’s private
school. She has coached Varsity and Middle School Soccer,
Basketball, Softball and Track and Field. She is the head coach
for the Middle School Girl’s Basketball team here at Merrol
Hyde. Coach Dougherty lives in the Bellevue area and in her
free time plays in a Nashville Kickball, Basketball and Softball
league. She is extremely happy to be teaching here at Merrol
Hyde and hopes to have a positive influence on her students and
athletes.
Darrell Duncan
teaches 8th
and 10th/11th grade American History. He
earned his B.A. in History from David Lipscomb University
and his teaching certification from Trevecca. He is a native of
Gallatin, Tennessee. He began teaching here at MHMS in 2006,
after managing the Porter Paint store in Gallatin and teaching
faux finish classes at Vol State. For many years Darrell has
been an associate minister at Center Chapel Church of Christ in
Mt. Juliet. He has also
co-directed a youth camp for
225+ children and teens each summer since 2002. He coaches the
MHMS walking team. Mr. Duncan enjoys travel and hiking, making
him the perfect chaperone for the 7th grade Tremont
trip and the 8th grade Washington D.C. trip. He
really enjoys traveling with his wife, and especially enjoys
cruising in Alaska, the Caribbean, and has plans for a
transatlantic cruise.
Tracy Duncan
is a kindergarten teacher here a MHMS. She earned her B.S.Ed. in
Elementary Education from David Lipscomb University and her
Master’s from Tennessee Technological University. She began
teaching kindergarten in 1993. Outside the school classroom,
Tracy continues to be involved with children. She designed,
developed, and implemented an on-going complete curriculum of
Christian education for a 700-person church in Cannon County,
with a systemized training program for children ages 6 months to
4 years. She assists each year in summer youth camps on Short
Mountain in Cannon County, where she met her husband, Darrell, a
teacher here at MHMS and a minister at Center Chapel Church of
Christ in Mt. Juliet. “Miss Tracy” looks forward to each new
school year with great anticipation and appreciation for
exceptional gift each child brings to her classroom.
Amy Eatherly is one of our
new fourth grade teachers. She graduated Cum Laude from Austin
Peay State University with a degree in K-6 Education. Amy is
originally from Chicago but moved to Sumner County at the end of
her high school career. She recently married her high school
sweetheart, Michael, on June 20, 2009. Amy finds in joy in
reading, staying active at FBC Hendersonville and spending time
with her husband.
Penney
Gilliland has been a Sumner county
teacher for twenty plus years. She has taught Teen Living, Language Arts and a
Reading/Writing Workshop all at Portland Middle School. Mrs.
Gilliland was selected Teacher of the Year in 2000 at Portland
Middle School. Mrs. Gilliland received her B.S. in Vocational
Home Economics from Middle Tennessee State University in 1978.
She received her Masters in Education from Trevecca Nazarene
College in 1991 in Curriculum and Instruction. Mrs. Gilliland
has lived in Hendersonville since 1980 with her husband, Garry.
They have three wonderful, talented children and now have two
lovely granddaughters, Elena Grace and Annelyse. She enjoys working with computers and
enjoys building machines and repairing them. She also likes to spend time reading,
walking and is an avid sports fan.
Scotti Harris- (K-5 Library
Media Specialist) -A native of Upper East Tennessee, Mrs. Harris
received a B.S. in Special Education (Gifted/LD concentration)
from East Tennessee State University and a M.Ed. in
Administration and Supervision (Library Science concentration)
from Middle Tennessee State University. She enjoyed teaching
SEARCH classes and other Special Education classes in Sumner
County for 15 years prior to joining the MHMS faculty in 2005.
Mrs. Harris is a member of FBC-Hendersonville
and enjoys reading, traveling, UT football, creating the MHMS
elementary yearbook, and bargain-shopping with her daughter.
Jenny Howard, school counselor, is an East Tennessee
native. Growing up in Morristown, TN, Mrs. Howard wanted to
be a veterinarian. However, during her undergraduate years
at Butler University, she decided to study communications.
Upon earning her B.S., she worked as a college recruiter and
it was in this job that she met her husband of 20 years,
Brian. Early in their marriage, Mrs. Howard and her husband
decided to go to graduate school at ETSU. Mrs. Howard had
an interest in the field of school counseling because of her
work with students and their parents when she was a college
recruiter. Upon graduation, the couple decided to move to
the Hendersonville area because of employment
opportunities. Mrs. Howard has been a counselor at Gallatin
High School, Brentwood High School, East Literature Magnet
in Metro, and for the past four years at Bethpage and North
Sumner Elementary schools. Mrs. Howard lives in
Hendersonville with her husband and two children, Ethan and
Caroline, who are students at MHMS. She feels very
fortunate to work with such a dedicated faculty and staff,
and loves being at the same school as her children. When
she is not at school, Mrs. Howard enjoys being outdoors,
reading, and spending time with her family and in activities
at FBC Hendersonville.
Kim Howard
graduated from Columbia College in Columbia, South Carolina,
certifying in Speech/Drama. She worked as a production assistant
for William F. Buckley's “Firing Line” and as an on-camera
talent for children's programming with Educational Television in
Columbia. After marrying Scott Howard in 1975, they moved to
Dallas, Texas, where children Beau and Peyton were born. In
1989, the Howard's moved to Hendersonville, TN, and Kim was
offered the opportunity to teach Special Education at Portland
Middle School. She obtained her certification in special
education and elementary education while teaching at Portland
Middle and then transferred to Knox Doss Middle School. It was
at Knox Doss that Kim discovered a passion for teaching gifted
students. She remained at Knox Doss for eight years and
following a short break began teaching social studies at T.W.
Hunter where she was for two and a half years. Kim has studied
at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C and uses Holocaust
Literature in her classroom when it is appropriate. She enjoys
crossing the curriculum boundaries by combining the study of
history and social studies with literature. Kim also serves as
the academic coach for Model UN and Youth Legislature on both
the middle school and high school levels. Kim has enjoyed the
challenge of teaching at Merrol Hyde Magnet School and looks
forward to the new school year with her students.
Betsy Hunter
assistant principal at MHMS, is a lifelong resident of Gallatin
She has taught in Sumner County for 28 years. She taught
kindergarten for 15 years and taught middle school reading and
math for nine years. Betsy received her B.S.Ed. from the
University of Memphis and her M.Ed. from Tennessee State
University. She is a Career Ladder III teacher. Betsy is married
to Jim Hunter, who is General Sessions Judge for Sumner County.
They have two children, Robert and Rachel. Betsy is a member of
the First United Methodist Church where she has been a youth
counselor. She also has worked with the Sertoma Club and
sponsored the Serteen Club at Rucker Stewart for six years, and
has served on the Foster Care Review Board for Youth Services.
Bill
Jung, Coach Jung, retired from the Sumner County
School system in 2001 after teaching for 31 years. He
taught Physical Science at Portland Junior High for 9 years.
He also coached the boys 7th and 8th grade basketball team as
well as the high school freshmen team. He transferred to
Beech High School for its opening in 1980. There he taught
Honors Biology, Honors Chemistry, Honors Environmental Science,
and AP Biology. The ecology class was taught before it
became a part of the state curriculum. He also coached at
different times, tennis, cross-country, freshmen boys basketball
and was assistant boys varsity coach. From Beech High
School, he went to Hendersonville High School where he taught
Physical Science, Standard Chemistry, Honors I Chemistry, and
Honors II Chemistry. Mr. Jung received his Bachelors
Degree in Science from Memphis State University. He
received his Masters Degree from Middle Tennessee State
University and acquired his plus 45 hours from different
universities in middle Tennessee.
Mr. Jung owns a small farm in Carroll county where he spends
most of his leisure time. He plants a variety of food
plots for the different wildlife. He also enjoys hunting
and fishing as hobbies.
Charles
Lewis is a Social Studies teacher, football
coach, and bowling coach. He is a native of Nashville,
Tennessee. He was the last baby to be born in Nashville’s
Protestant Hospital. The next day, January 1, 1947, the hospital
changed its name to Baptist Hospital. He was educated in
Nashville’s public schools, and he graduated from Central High
School. Charlie graduated from Middle Tennessee State University
with a degree in History. He completed his Graduate Studies at
Tennessee State University. He began teaching in the
Metro-Nashville System in 1969. A year later, he accepted a
teaching position at Hendersonville High School. At H.H.S.,
he taught American History, Drivers Education, and Government.
He taught the Honors American History when the program was
offered at Hendersonville. He coached football, basketball, and
track while he was a teacher. He started the first high school
baseball program in Sumner County in 1972. He was the first
Sumner County “Coach of the Year” in 1979. He was also voted
Nashville “Dugout” Coach of the Year in 1978. In 1984,
Charlie was named Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at
Hendersonville High School. In 1998, he was selected Mid-State
Athletic Director of the Year by the TSSAA. He served in these
positions until his retirement in 2002. Now he has returned to
serve our children at Merrol Hyde Magnet.
Colleen Lloyd
teaches Life Sciences at MHMS. She lives in Castalian Springs
with her husband, Hugh and daughter, Alex. She has a dual BS in
both Biology and Environmental Resource Management from the
University of West Florida. After working in the University of
Alabama's Limnology department doing research, she received her
Masters degree from UA in Comprehensive Secondary
Science Education. In her eleven years of teaching, she has
taught in both secondary public schools and community colleges
in North Carolina and Tennessee. Mrs. Lloyd has taught
Industrial Manufacturing, Computer Engineering (based on the A+
industry certification exam), Network Engineering (based on the
Network + industry exam), Cisco Networking (Semesters I & II),
Total Quality Management, Computer Applications, various
software courses, Diversified Technology, 8th grade
Science, Honors Physical Science, Honors Biology I & II, AP
Biology, Honors Anatomy & Physiology and Honors Ecology.
Stephanie Lynch teaches
first grade at MHMS. Previously, she taught one year in 3rd
grade and two years in 5th grade. While attending White
House High School Stephanie worked at a day care center
where she developed a love for younger children. After
graduating from White House she went to Western Kentucky
University where she received her Bachelor's degree in
Elementary Education. Aside from teaching she enjoys
exercising, shopping, going to movies, and being involved at
her church -Long Hollow Baptist. Stephanie and her husband
Brian, who is an independent landman for oil companies,
reside in Hendersonville.
Lori Lyons
is a native of Hendersonville and graduated from Goodpasture
Christian School. Lori attended Volunteer State Community
College and transferred to David Lipscomb University
receiving a degree in Elementary Education. Lori is
currently working on completion of her Master’s degree in
education through MTSU. Lori and her husband, Charly, have
two children, Charles and Cristen. Charles is a former MHMS
student completing his senior year at Riverside Military
Academy in Gainesville, GA. Cristen is a sophomore at MHMS.
In addition Lori has two “fur” children, dogs, Lucy and
Lacy. Lori enjoys being with her family, vacationing at the
beach, and gardening.
Karen
MacKendree earned a
B.S. in Secondary Education from Mansfield University in
Pennsylvania. She taught 8th and 11th grade English at Forest
City School, a K-12 school. For several years, she was a trainer
and administrator for companies in the business world, including
Computerland, Procter and Gamble, and Sylvan Technology Center.
She has been the Computer Instructor at Jack Anderson Elementary
School prior to coming to Merrol Hyde. She has been a faculty
member at Merrol Hyde since its beginning in 2003. Karen is
married to Bob, a business manager and choir director. Their
son, Kurtis is a high school student at Merrol Hyde Magnet
School.
Mike Marsh
teaches
Trignometry, PreCalculus, Geometry and Physical World Concepts at MHMS. He is
sponsor of the Guitar Club and the Flight Club (school pep organization). He has
16 years of teaching experience including time spent teaching at a college. He
received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University
of Tennessee and a Masters of Engineering from the University of South Carolina.
In addition to his experience as a teacher he also served as a Design Engineer
and a Quality Engineer. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his
family. He currently resides in Hendersonville.Sarah
McCreery worked with Mrs. Burk last year as a
student teacher and thoroughly enjoyed her time here so she is very excited to
teach French at Merrol Hyde Magnet this year. She graduated from Middle
Tennessee State with a bachelors degree in French Education. She studied abroad
in Caen, France for a semester in 2007 and truly loves all that encompasses
France and the language. She hopes to pass her enthusiasm for learning and for
French on to her students!
Alison Shockley McDuffee is excited to join the
Merrol Hyde English department,
teaching AP, 10th, and 11th grade English as well as
Speech. A native of
Sumner County, Alison is delighted to have the opportunity
to teach here.
She graduated Summa Cum Laude from MTSU and holds a B.A. in
English with
Film Studies and Secondary Education minors. Not only does
she love
reading classic literature but she is also slightly obsessed
with The
Beatles, cheesecake, chocolate, or a mixture of all three.
Jolyn Mitchell
is a native born Californian but has lived in the south
most of her adult life. She began her teaching career in Sumner
County in 1999 and has taught grades 4-8. She is a graduate of
Tennessee State University with a Bachelor’s degree in
Education, a MEd in curriculum and instruction with an
additional EdS degree in Administration and Supervision and an
endorsement as a reading specialist. She and her husband have
five children all grown and on their own. Jolyn loves to read,
travel, and hike and experience life first hand.
Raz Molotiu teaches history and
economics at MHMS. Raz is of Romanian and German heritage and still has
relatives living in Transylvania and in Bucharest. His parents left Romania in
1983 due to political disagreements with that country's Communist government.
One reason they were able to leave was the sponsorship provided by Raz's aunt
Cristina, a ballerina, who defected from the Soviet National Ballet while in
Italy and escaped to Canada. Raz grew up in different parts of Canada and
decided to attend college in the U.S. because he always wanted to live in the
United States. He attended Michigan State University, the closest American
school to his home. There, he met his future wife Heather, with whom he moved to
Washington, D.C. upon graduating from college. Raz and Heather have since lived
in Chapel Hill and Raleigh, N.C., Omaha, Neb., and the Nashville area twice.
Heather is pursuing her doctorate in Audiology at Vanderbilt University. Raz has
a brother, Andrei, who has been a professor of Art History at the University of
Louisville and currently teaches at Indiana University.
Amy Ross Morgan
teaches marketing and business classes at MHMS. She earned
her BA in religion/youth ministry from Belmont University.
After graduation, she landed a job in the music industry
working for Word Entertainment. She started with the company
in the customer service department and then moved into the
royalty department calculating and paying copyright
royalties. Though she gained valuable office experience and
knowledge about the music industry, she realized her passion
was working with teenagers and teaching. She returned to the
classroom to obtain her master’s degree and teaching
certificate. In August 2005, she earned a MBE (Master’s
Business Education) from Middle Tennessee State University.
Mrs. Morgan student taught at Beech High School,
Hendersonville High School and completed a two month interim
position at Gallatin High School in the spring semester of
2006. She and her husband, Shane, reside in Inglewood. In
her free time, Mrs. Morgan enjoys playing with her Labrador
retriever, Samson, gardening, decorating, shopping, cheering
on the Chicago Cubs, and playing the piano.
Natalie Nix
is our Speech Pathologist. She received her undergraduate
degree in communication disorders from Harding University and her masters in
communication disorders from Auburn University. She is originally from the
state of Alabama and now lives in Nashville. She attends the Hillsboro Church
of Christ and is very thankful her church family. Natalie enjoys working out,
cooking, shopping for antiques, watching old movies, meeting new people, and
spending quality time with her family and friends. She delights in her job and
believes that communication is the building block for success not only in
academics but in daily living. She loves working with children and is
passionate about helping them reach their fullest potential.
Phillip Paul teaches 8th Grade
Math, Algebra I and Geometry at MHMS. Originally from
Australia, he earned his Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of
Teaching at Avondale College. Avondale College is also where he
met and married his wife, Kelly, an American with family from
Tennessee. They moved to Tennessee in 2004 and reside in
Hendersonville. Mr. Paul taught Honors Physics and AP Physics
at Brentwood High School and 7th and 8th
Grade Science at Shafer Middle School before taking two years
off to complete his Masters in Physics at Fisk University. Mr.
Paul is the proud father of a beautiful little girl. In his
spare time, Mr. Paul enjoys reading, travel, hiking, and
spending time with his family.
Melissa Perry teaches Algebra II, PreCalculus, and Advanced Placement
Calculus. She received her B.S. degree in Secondary Education
Mathematics from Tennessee Tech University in 1992. She began
her career in Sumner County at Portland High School where she
taught a variety of advanced math courses. After teaching in
Portland for 8 years, Mrs. Perry took time off to stay home with
her two sons, Cade and Benjamin, who now attend Merrol Hyde
Magnet School. Her husband Randy is a civil engineer and owner
of Perry Engineering. They reside in Gallatin and are active
members of First Baptist Church in Hendersonville. Mrs. Perry
enjoys exercising, scrapbooking, and spending time with her
family.
Beth Philemon
hails from the Tar Heel State and bleeds true Duke blue. She
graduated Magna Cum Laude from Trevecca Nazarene University with
a B.S. in Music Education. Beth’s favorite high school memories
are from within the walls of the chorus classroom and she
desires to create similar experiences for her students as the
6-12 grade choral music teacher. When not in the classroom, Beth
enjoys spending time with her family and friends over a good
meal, boat ride, concert, sporting event, travel excursion, or
cup of coffee.
Gayle Pinson “Dede” has been
teaching at Merrol Hyde since the beginning of the elementary
school in 2004. She has been in the teaching profession for
twenty plus years. She completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in
Elementary Education from Middle Tennessee State University. She
earned a “Masters of Arts in Teaching” Degree from Webster
University in Saint Louis, Missouri. She began her career in
Sumner County in 1976 as a second grade teacher. After three
years she and her husband moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where she
taught the first and second grades. She later moved to Saint
Louis, Missouri and continued her teaching career in the first
grade. While there, she also had the opportunity of being a
“cluster teacher” for gifted children. In 1997 she returned to
Sumner County and taught first grade for six years at Walton
Ferry. She has been married to her husband Frank for thirty plus
years. She has two grown children and two grandchildren. She is
member of the Alpha Delta Kappa Sorority, an educational
sorority for teachers and administrators. She has a passion for
developing future writers. She enjoys gardening and
traveling in the summers.
Samantha Puff
teaches middle school Spanish and Spanish III, IV and V. She
went to The University of Tennesse and received a Bachelors
Degree in Spanish and a Masters Degree in Secondary Foreign
Language Education. During college, she studied abroad in
Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was a wonderful experience and she
hopes to go back to visit soon. She loves to dance salsa and
bachata, eat food from Spanish-speaking countries and listen to
Spanish music. She is excited to share her love of this amazing
culture with her estudiantes!
Cheryl Ryckeley
has been teaching for 15 years. She graduated from Alma College
in Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.
She began her career in Nashville as a first grade teacher then
taught sixth, seventh, and eighth grades in Cheatham County. She
has been teaching third grade in Sumner County for the past six
years. Cheryl and her husband, Bryan, have two children who
attend Merrol Hyde Magnet School.
Brad Schreiner, principal of Merrol Hyde Magnet School, graduated from MTSU and has her Master’s degree from TTU. Her plus 30 hours are from TSU. Mrs. Schreiner taught at Union Elementary for nine years before going to Portland Middle School as assistant principal for five years. She was the principal at Watt Hardison Elementary for almost five years before opening MHMS. Mrs. Schreiner’s husband, Jim, also teaches in Sumner County and they have two sons. She enjoys reading and running and is active at her church.
Lani Skeith
has been teaching at Merrol Hyde Magnet since
its beginning in 2003. She taught fifth grade the first four
years, and in 2007 she began teaching 6th and 7th
grade math. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in
Elementary Education and Master of Education in Curriculum and
Instruction from the University of Illinois. She has been in
the teaching profession for 24 years. She is a Past-President
of the North Central Reading Association and has served on the
Board of the Tennessee State Reading Association. Lani and her
husband, Kevin, have two children, Trevor and Valerie, who
attend Merrol Hyde Magnet. On the weekends, she enjoys walking
their two dogs, Maddie and Sydney, but most of all she enjoys
being a soccer mom.
Alyssa Smith
teaches fourth grade at MHMS. Originally from New Jersey,
she moved to Tennessee to attend Vanderbilt University. She
received her degree in Elementary Education and Human &
Organizational Development in May 2009. A dedicated Vandy fan,
she regularly attends athletic events to cheer on her
Commodores. In her spare time, Alyssa enjoys traveling,
practicing the cello, participating in league soccer, and
playing with her kitten, Zoey.
Courtney
Spears
graduated from Gallatin High School. As a speech
competitor in high school for three years, she was the first
student in the county to attend National Forensic League
Nationals. After high school, Spears attended Western Kentucky
University where she competed on their nationally recognized
speech and debate team. Spears was recognized as one of the top
speakers at two collegiate national tournaments in 1997 and
1998. She also won several Kentucky State championships in
acting and speaking. Spears graduated Summa Cum Laude from
Western in 1999 with a B.A. in both English and Speech
Communication and is also certified in Theatre Education. She
graduated in 2003 with an M.A. in English, also from WKU. In
December 2004, she graduated from Tennessee State University
with her Education Specialist degree in Administration and
Supervision. Spears
resides in Hendersonville with her husband, Andy, and their
daughter.
Rebecca Stewart
teaches elementary French and Spanish, and she
also teaches a few middle and high school foreign language
classes when needed. In the spring of 1995, she spent five
months in Paris, France studying at the Sorbonne University, and
in the spring of 1996, she graduated from Berea College with a
bachelor’s degree in French. After earning her BA, Rebecca
attended the University of Kentucky, earning a Master’s degree
in Education in 1998. Rebecca taught both French and Humanities
in Owensboro, Kentucky for six years before moving to Tennessee.
While teaching at Owensboro Middle School, Rebecca developed and
implemented a complete Humanities and French program geared
towards eighth grade students, and later on, expanded it to
include 6th and 7th graders at three local middle schools.
Rebecca has been trained for eight years in Paideia educational
techniques and for two years in Quantum Learning strategies, and
has vigorously incorporated their philosophies into her own
teaching style. She loves teaching and is very pleased to be
given the unique opportunity to teach at Merrol Hyde Magnet
School. Go Hawks!
Cindy Storey earned
her B.S. degree in Computer Information Systems and her B.S.
degree in Business Administration from Trevecca Nazarene
University. After programming computers for the State of
Tennessee and billing Medicare for hospitals such as Vanderbilt
and others nationwide, she returned to graduate school to become
a teacher. In 2004 she earned a M.Ed. in Education/Curriculum
and Instruction from Tennessee State University. While in
graduate school, she taught special education at Knox Doss
Middle School for three years and 7th and 8th
grade math at White House Middle School for one year. She is
beginning her 4th year here at MHMS teaching
Keyboarding, Accounting, and Multimedia, and Desktop publishing.
Ms. Story sponsors Future Business Leaders of America, the
school's largest club. She is an avid Tennessee fan
and loves to travel and cross-stitch in her spare time.
Jennifer Stroud
teaches Spanish at Merrol Hyde Magnet. She holds a Bachelor of
Arts degree in Spanish as well as a Master’s degree in Secondary
Teaching from the University of Tennessee. During college, she
spent a year abroad living in Vigo, Spain. She loves to travel,
find good restaurants, salsa dance and meet new people. She is
originally from Kingsport, Tennessee where her older brother and
parents still reside. She is passionate about teaching the
Spanish language and culture, and enjoys working with students
to open their eyes to different cultures.
Donna
Thurman has been in the teaching
profession for 18 -20 years. She is a Nashville
native and received her undergraduate degree from TTU in
Secondary Education English and her master’s degree from MTSU in
Guidance and Counseling. She taught English and Journalism and
sponsored the school newspaper in Helena, Arkansas and Fairview
Middle and Brentwood High in Williamson County. For the past
nine years, she has been a guidance counselor at Henry County
High School and Hendersonville High School. Personally,
she has two daughters and one grandson. She
enjoys reading, gardening, sports, and spending time with
friends. She is an active member of First United Methodist
Church and her Sunday School Class.
Valerie Trantum
is our K-5 Music Teacher. Mrs. Trantum has taught general music
and choral music for all ages. She has a Bachelors degree in
piano performance from Gettysburg College, and a Masters degree
in music education and choral conducting from The Hartt School
of Music at the University of Hartford. Mrs. Trantum enjoys
songs and folk dances from all over the world and likes working
with other teachers to incorporate music into every child’s
learning every day. Mrs. Trantum lives in Hendersonville with
her husband Matt and their two sons. They are active at St.
Timothy Lutheran Church and spend time together cooking,
traveling, boating and doing other outdoor activities.
Jennifer Weedman is the school library media specialist.
She has a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of
Tennessee Chattanooga and an M.L.S. from Vanderbilt. She has
been in Sumner County since 1986. She has special interests in
storytelling and Holocaust education. In 2001, while at Ellis
Middle, she wrote and administered a $200,000 grant to implement
technology into the curriculum. She has a passion for books,
gardening, and travel.
Dawn Williamson
graduated from Union University in 1990 with a Bachelors of
Arts in English, with minors in Secondary Education and
Communications. Although this is her first year teaching at
Merrol Hyde Magnet School, she previously taught at College
Heights Christian Academy and at Portland High School. She has
taught English to grades 7-11, journalism, and speech/drama. In
order to spend more time with her family, Mrs. Williamson took a
break from teaching and worked part-time for an attorney in
Gallatin who specializes in real estate. She and her husband
have three children, live in Hendersonville, and are active
members of their church. Lauren and Drew currently attend
Merrol Hyde. Mrs. Williamson enjoys walking, scrapbooking, and
camping.
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