VINTON–William Byrd Middle School has a new principal, Todd Kageals, and a new assistant principal, Matt Coe. They also have several new teachers on board for the 2016-2017 schoolyear. Those include Lisa Booth, Kim Barker, Danielle Boone, James Edwards, Kayla Kilgore, and Ashley Williams.
Booth will be a seventh grade special education collaborating teacher in English. She is originally from Blacksburg, South Carolina. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in special education from Carson Newman University and her Master’s in Learning and Behavior Disorders from the University of Louisville. She has been teaching special education for 26 years.
“I have been teaching at Herman L. Horn for 13 wonderful years, but I decided it was time for a change so I chose to try something different—middle school,” said Booth. “I look forward to working with great staff. I am excited about this new challenge.”
Kayla Kilgore will be teaching seventh and eighth grade science. She grew up in Cincinnati and moved to Richmond during high school and graduated from Mills E. Godwin High School. She has spent the last six years in the New River Valley. She graduated from Radford University with a B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in Biology and an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Secondary Science. This is her first year of teaching.
Kilgore is in the process of moving to Vinton. She says that “the community has been so welcoming. Everyone has made me feel right at home and has answered my list of questions.”
She says in her spare time she enjoys reading, hiking, and being outdoors with her two puppies, “who are spoiled rotten,” and spending time with her fiancé. She will be getting married in April.
Ashley Williams will be teaching sixth grade English at WBMS. She is from Vinton and graduated from William Byrd. Her Bachelor’s degree in Education is from Radford University with a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction with an endorsement as a Reading Specialist from Virginia Tech and an Ed. S from the University of Virginia in Educational Leadership. She has 13 years of experience in education.
“I have served as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, and most recently an assistant principal for Roanoke County,” said Williams. “I am returning to what I love the most; working with students directly in the classroom. I look forward to working with students within my community to make a difference. “
Williams says that she enjoys reading, her dogs, and spending time with her family.
James Edwards will be the ITRT (Instructional Technology Resource Teacher) at WBMS. He is from Vinton and graduated from WBHS in 1996 and from Radford University in 2001 with a degree in Elementary Education.
He recently transferred from an Elementary ITRT position in the county serving W.E. Cundiff, Mountain View, and Fort Lewis. He taught second and third grade in Roanoke City Schools before coming to Roanoke County to be an ITRT. This is his second year as an ITRT.
“I have been living in Vinton and coaching at WBHS (basketball) since I got out of college and I’m thrilled to now be working here,” said Edwards. “It’s a great opportunity for me to be involved with the community and work with students at William Byrd.”
Danielle Boone teaches Family and Consumer Science, on all grade levels at the middle school and also a class at the high school. She was born in New York but grew up in Vinton and graduated from William Byrd. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and her Master of Arts in Teaching from Mary Baldwin.
“I was a long term sub here last year for a science and history class and I really loved being back to where I went to middle school,” said Boone. “I enjoyed getting to know the staff and working with some people that I’ve known for years and especially working with the kids here. I’ve worked within school settings for over 5 years, but this will be my first year teaching full-time.”
“I love teaching and I’m thankful for the opportunity WBMS has given me to begin my career here,” continued Boone. “I also really enjoy working with the other teachers. The kids here are great and it’s fun sharing stories with them about when I went to school here over 20 years ago.”
Boone says that she enjoys being with her family, traveling, cooking, and camping—“you name it, we are always on the go.”
Kim Barker will be special education teacher, co-teaching sixth grade English. She has lived in Roanoke for about 20 years but is originally from Williamstown, Massachusetts. She earned a B.A. in psychology and a B.A. in Social Sciences from Westfield State College and then went on to earn a B.A. in Education from Roanoke College in 1999. She added her special education endorsement from Mary Baldwin College as a post graduate student this year.
As for how she came to be at WBMS, “My boys are Roanoke County Public School students,” said Barker. “One is a senior at William Byrd High School and the other is an eighth grader at William Byrd Middle School. “
“I taught in Roanoke City when my oldest son was a toddler,” said Barker. “I have been involved with PTA and booster clubs since my children started school. Most recently, I was a TA at Wasena Elementary school. I am happy to be working at William Byrd Middle School because the faculty, staff, and parents are the best.”
She says in her spare time, “I love to read, a lot. I am a soccer mom (my oldest has played travel soccer for years). I love to invest in and use new technology. My family is very engaged in the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia.”
She and her husband Jim celebrated 19 years of marriage this month. They have two boys, Jake and Josh, and a chocolate lab named Izzy.
“I come from a family of educators,” said Barker. “My grandfather was a high school principal; my uncle was a high school English teacher: and my mother taught English at a boarding school.
WBMS also welcomes a new instructional assistant Britney Soltis.
