William Byrd Middle School welcomes new faculty and staff

By Debbie Adams

William Byrd Middle School has quite a few new faculty and staff members for 2023-2024.

First, they have a new principal, Evan Noell, who is already a familiar face in Vinton as he
served as Assistant Principal at W.E. Cundiff for two years.

Noell was born and raised in Salem and graduated from Glenvar High School. He earned his
degree in history from Coastal Carolina University, in special education from Radford
University, and in educational leadership from Liberty University. He has been working in the
field of education since 2010 across all levels of instruction.

“I am passionate about fostering student growth in a positive school environment,” Noell says.
“Over time as a classroom teacher and a coach, I developed a desire to lead a school
community.”

“I am excited to continue the relationships I have with students and families from those years;
additionally, I am extremely excited to forge relationships with the students and families I have
not had the opportunity to meet.”

In his free time, Noell enjoys being with his family.

Abby Barnes is serving as an Assistant Principal and the Athletic Director at WBMS. She is
originally from Salem and graduated from Salem High School. She earned her Bachelor of
Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from James Madison University, her Master of Arts in
Teaching Special Education General Curriculum K-12 from James Madison, and her Ed.S.
(Education Specialist) in Administration and Supervision from Old Dominion University.

Leslie Jordan is a new 8th grade School Counselor at the middle school. She is originally from
Appomattox and a graduate of Appomattox High School. She earned both her Bachelor’s in
Psychology and her Master’s in Counselor Education from Virginia Tech. This is her 17th year
as a school counselor.

Jordan has lived in Roanoke for 18 years, the last seven in the Town of Vinton. She and her
husband enjoy traveling over the summer when time permits and they love being outdoors.

Samantha Hurt is the 6th grade school counselor at WBMS. She is from Roanoke and grew up
in the Mount Pleasant area and graduated from William Byrd High School in the Class of 2009.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Liberty University in Clinical Counseling and Research
and her Master’s in school counseling from Liberty as well.

“For the past 8 years, I have worked for National Counseling Group where I was a Therapeutic
Day Treatment Counselor,” Hurt said. “TDT counselors are contracted through public schools
and work with specific students with higher needs. I worked with students in Salem City,
Roanoke City, and Roanoke County.”

“I chose to work in school counseling because I love helping students grow – in all aspects.
Growing up, my elementary school counselor was a pivotal member of our community and I
remember the impact she had on me and my family. After working as a substitute teacher right
after college, I knew that education and impacting students’ lives is something I will do forever –
because I love it so much. As a TDT counselor, I loved watching my client’s progress
emotionally, develop and implement coping strategies, and become more self-sufficient while
navigating life’s challenges. Middle school is a tough but important time in student development.
I am looking forward to helping my new 6th graders grow and learn academically and
emotionally at William Byrd Middle School.”

Hurt has worked as a TDT counselor at WBMS for the past two years and also completed her
secondary school counseling internship at the school.

“While there, I have enjoyed getting to know the awesome students, the amazing staff, and the
Terrier community. I look forward to transitioning to a different role as the 6th grade school
counselor.”

As for her other interests, Hurt says, “I love Christmas and throughout the year I am counting
down the days until it is Christmas again. My hobbies/interests include going to the gym, trying
new restaurants, taking walks, listening to podcasts, and reading novels. I enjoy spending time
with my boyfriend, my family, and playing with my adorable (but rude) cat named Stella.

“I am blessed to come from a very large family–I am the oldest of 6 siblings (and they all
happen to be taller than me),” Hurt says.

Michelle Watts is the William Byrd Middle School Special Education Coordinator for grades 6-
8. She is originally from Tennessee. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Radford
University and her Master of Arts in Teaching from Hollins University. She has been working as
an educator for over 16 years.

As for how she came to work in the field of education, “Education found me! I started out
working in the science field and planned on getting my degree in Psychology. I devoured my
classes centered around education and felt passionate about teaching and learning.”
“I started out working in preschool, then K-5, and now I’m tackling middle school.”

She has many acquaintances in Vinton and looks forward to learning more about Vinton life. She
has one daughter who recently graduated from Cave Spring High School. Watts enjoys traveling
(her family is south of Virginia), cooking, and socializing with close friends and family.

Michele Bostic will be working at five different Roanoke County Schools—William Byrd
Middle, Burlington Elementary, Mount Pleasant Elementary, Glenvar Middle, and Glenvar High
School as the 504 Facilitator and Assessment Support.

“I will be serving as Section 504 case manager, chairperson for Section 504 eligibility and plan
meetings at assigned schools,” Bostic says. “I will support my schools with the administration of
norm-referenced achievement testing and completing formal observations.  I will work
collaboratively with members of the instructional team to ensure they understand guidelines and
procedures for Section 504.”

She is originally from Butler, Pennsylvania, where she graduated from Slippery Rock High
School. She has lived in New Castle, Virginia, for 11 years. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in
Psychology degree from Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, and completed relevant
coursework to obtain her teaching license from Edinboro University in Edinboro, PA. She has
been working in the field of education for 20 years.

“I reside in Craig County with my husband, Monte, and son, Aiden,” Bostic said. “When we are
not working full-time jobs, we are working on our beef cattle farm.  During my free time, I enjoy
hunting, baking from scratch, exercising, and reading.”

Manar Basir is the school psychologist intern at William Byrd Middle. She will also be
spending some time at Glen Cove Elementary. She attended Virginia Commonwealth University
for her undergraduate degree and is currently working toward her Ed.S degree at Radford
University.

“As a school psychology intern, I will undertake various essential tasks, including conducting
comprehensive psychological evaluations, providing group as well as individual counseling,
consultation, and implementing interventions. I look forward to a great year and am excited to
work closely with the students and staff.”

Aaron Book is assigned to both William Byrd Middle and William Byrd High Schools. He is
teaching 12th grade AP US Government and Politics, 12th grade Virginia and US Government,
and 6th grade US History I.
He is originally from Pennsylvania and earned his BA in History and Politics from Ithaca (NY)
College and his MA in Education from Virginia Tech. He has been working in education for 23
years.

Book is a proud US Navy veteran. He recently moved to the Roanoke area. He has been teaching at Tunstall High School in Pittsylvania County for the past seven years.

Alexis Parrish is teaching 8th grade science at WBMS. She is originally from Vinton and a
graduate of William Byrd High School. She earned her Bachelor of Education degree
(specializing in middle school science) from Liberty University. This is her first year in teaching.

As for why she chose to teach science, “As some of you know my dad, Mark Hough, is a science
teacher as Cave Spring High School, so it must run in the family. I also believe this is where the
Lord has called me to be, and I am so thankful for this opportunity. WBMS is the middle school
I attended, and this is where I wanted to teach. I was born here, and it is where my family
resides.”

She is married to Mathew Parrish and they are parents to “the most amazing little boy, Bearett-
Adrian who will be turning one in October.”

Beth Williams is teaching 6th grade English at the middle school. She comes from the state of
Washington near Seattle. She earned her teaching degree in English Literature from Western
Washington University and has been teaching for 20 years. Her first teaching position was in
Oahu, Hawaii. She wanted to teach in the Vinton area to live near family. She loves to read and
“be outside.”

Christian Johansen is teaching 8th grade Physical Science at WBMS. He is originally from
New Orleans

“I have been a meteorologist for over ten years and I have been to many schools over the past
years while working at WDBJ. I enjoy the sciences and I hope to pass on my joy of science to
my students,” Johansen says.

He is married and has a daughter. His hobbies include rock climbing and cycling.

Daniel Faubel is teaching biology and ecology at William Byrd High School, and sixth grade
science at William Byrd Middle and Hidden Valley Middle schools. He is originally from
Pennsylvania but spent the past 12 years in Florida. He earned his BSED in Biology from West
Chester University and his MS in classroom technology from Wilkes University. He has been
teaching for 16 years.

“I chose to teach science to help promote scientific literacy in society,” Faubel says.
In his free time, he enjoys playing golf, camping, hiking, and “building things with my bare
hands.”

Kelly Morck is teaching Health and Physical Education at WBMS. She is from Vinton and a
graduate of Staunton River High School. She earned her degree from Roanoke College and has
been teaching for 20 years. She has just moved back to Vinton and her son attends WBMS as
well.

Kyle Chambers is teaching 8th grade Civics at William Byrd Middle School. He is originally
from Richmond, Virginia, and graduated from Deep Run High School. He earned his degree
from James Madison University and has been teaching for three years.

As for why he is teaching Civics, “I love history, but am not a fan of U.S./Virginia History…so
they said I got Civics!”

As for how he ended up at WBMS, “I was working in Czechia and stressing about what I was
going to do once I returned home, so I decided to mass apply to a bunch of different counties
where I either had friends or family. RCPS was the first school division to interview me and
offer a job and my brother lives here, so now I’m here.”

Chambers says he loves to travel, meet new people, hike, snowboard, and do trivia. He has four
siblings and a dog “that is super needy.”

Laura Baldwin is teaching Art Education in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. She earned her BA in Fine
Arts from Roanoke College.

“This is my second year here at WBMS,” Baldwin says. “I will miss a lot of aspects of my role
teaching Special Education, however, art is my first love in education and I am excited to teach
in my preferred content area!

“I have three beautiful children Jayda (10), Lennox (4), and Jettson (2). My husband of 14 years
is also a teacher here at WBMS. We have two dogs, Leo and Lilah. In my spare time, I enjoy
traveling, being outdoors, and just making as many memories with my family as possible.

“I will also be teaching the Gifted Art after school program at WBMS. Additionally,
Mr. Baldwin and I are both excited to be the sponsors of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

Logan Bushong has been the Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) instructor at William
Byrd High School since 2019, teaching Nutrition, Wellness, and Culinary. This year she will also
be teaching Family and Consumer Science at William Byrd Middle and coaching cheerleading at
WBHS.

Bushong grew up in Vinton and graduated from WBHS. She earned her undergraduate degree
from Liberty University where she majored in Family and Consumer Sciences.

Lynae Young will be teaching Collaborative Math and Pre-Algebra 6 at WBMS. As an “Army
brat” she was born in Germany, moved to North Carolina, then England, then Northern Virginia.
She earned her degree from Radford University with a degree in Middle School Education. She
has been teaching for 25 years.

“I have wonderful memories of middle school and math has always been my favorite subject,”
Young said. “I know this isn’t true for most people, so it is always my goal to help a new
generation find success in math.

“I worked here back in 2001-2006 as a 7th grade Math teacher. My name was Mrs. Knott. I
stayed home to raise my babies. There were no job openings at WBMS when I returned 14 years
ago so I worked at Northside Middle. I call this ‘returning to my roots.’ We have great memories
with my growing family back in 2001-2006. We loved our babysitters, pre-school and
kindergarten experiences, and friends we made.”

Young says she loves to read, work and exercise outside. She and her family enjoy hunting and
fishing together.

Mcario del Castillo (Mickey) is teaching 7th grade English Special Education. He is originally
from Los Angeles and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School. He graduated from
California State University, Northridge, with his Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a
concentration in Special Education. He is currently attending Hollins University, working on his
Master of Arts in Liberal Studies with a concentration towards Interdisciplinary Studies. He has
been teaching for two years and served as a teacher’s assistant for two years, as well. He spent
one year as a Registered Behavior Technician and over 10 years in ASD (Autism Spectrum
Disorder).

“I enjoy working with underprivileged populations,” he says. “My first job was a Respite Aide
for kids on the ASD spectrum which pushed me towards a generalized preference of working
with children with various disabilities as a Special Educator. My first thought of becoming a
teacher was in my 7th grade English class, so I've been lucky to be paired with the subject I
developed my passion with and with a population that is in desperate need.

“I had a desire to work for the county and was hired on through WBMS. I also wanted to do
more in secondary education, so I accepted the position.

“When I was more actively boxing, I had sparred (boxing) in the Lancerlot Sports Complex.” He
was a collegiate boxer and former Sport Club President. He is now semi-retired.
His special interests are boxing training and coaching, weightlifting, personal training, Yu-Gi-
Oh!, 90’s-00’s Anime, skateboarding, drawing/paint media art (illustrating and graffiti), and
writing poetry. His daughter attends Glenvar Elementary.

“People have expressed interest in a potential Boxing Club and would love to start one in respect
to the current culture of the town,” del Castillo says.

Nicole David is teaching 6th and 7th grade math at William Byrd and Hidden Valley Middle
Schools. She is originally from Wooster, Ohio. She earned her degree from Ashland University
in Ashland, Ohio, and has been teaching for 15 years.

“Since I was in middle school, I have always known I wanted to be a middle school teacher,”
David says.

Helen Riddle is teaching 8th grade Civics at WBMS. She is originally from Kansas and
graduated from Leavenworth High School. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Global and
International Studies and European Studies from the University of Kansas, and her Master of
Education in Secondary English with an emphasis in Humanities from Grand Canyon University.

“History has always been my favorite subject; my dad loved it and we connected over learning
new facts,” Riddle says.

This is her first-year teaching. She has been a substitute teacher for the last 2-1/2 years. One of
her duties this year at WBMS will be working the car rider line “to make sure our students get
into their cars safely to go home.”

She also works part-time at the Roanoke County Public Libraries, sometimes at the Vinton
Library.

Some of her hobbies include baking, crochet, and watching lots of Kansas City football.

Clayton Padfield is teaching 8th grade English and Math (Special education). He is originally
from Manchester, New Hampshire. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in
Telecommunications and his Bachelor of Science in Resort Management from Lyndon State
College in Vermont. He is currently completing his Master of Arts in Special Education. He has
been teaching for one year and chose his field because of a “demonstrated need.” He believes
that WBMS is a “great local fit” for him.

He has a son at Hidden Valley Middle School. His wife is a special education teacher in the
Roanoke City Public School system. They “love being in the same field (at different schools). As
for Vinton, he “loves New York Pizza and the beautiful views around Vinton.”

Robert Cronauer is a Special Education teacher for 8th grade English. He is originally from
Nokesville, Virginia. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor’s in English degree. He
is finishing up his Master’s in Special Education from the University of Virginia. He has been
teaching for seven years.

“I have always loved to read and write and believe that they are some of the most important
skills a person can learn,” Cronauer says. “I enjoy seeing my students gain confidence in areas
that they might have struggled in before!”

His hobbies include playing music, running, and playing volleyball.

Shenan Lovern is teaching at WBMS and WBHS—Math 8 and Algebra I. She grew up in
Roanoke County and graduated from William Byrd. She has lived in Vinton for most of her adult
life.
She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Longwood and her Master’s in Education and
Administration from UVA. She is beginning her 19th year in teaching—11 years in Franklin
County, six years in Roanoke City, and one year with Virtual Virginia.

As for why she chose her subject, “I love math! I enjoy showing students that everyone can be
successful in math. Those, ‘I got it Ms Lovern,’ moments are the best!

“I am excited to be in Roanoke County and on the same schedule as my daughter. She is a
7th grader at William Byrd Middle School.”

As for hobbies, “I love doing arts and crafts with my daughter. I enjoy making floral
arrangements and wedding flowers for family and friends.”

Tabitha Beecher is a 7th grade Special Education teacher at William Byrd Middle. She grew up
in Roanoke County and graduated from William Byrd High School. She earned a degree in
Criminal Justice from Southern Wesleyan University.

This is her second year in education. Last year she worked as a substitute and then as an
Instructional Assistant. She will also be an assistant coach for women’s lacrosse at WBHS.

“Last year I worked in special education as an instructional assistant in the FAACTS classroom.
I enjoyed working in Special Ed and was excited about the opportunity to work as a
teacher. Because I attended William Byrd High School, I was familiar with many of the teachers
at the middle school and was excited to work with them.”  In addition, her mother grew up in
Vinton and graduated from WBHS.

As for outside interests, “I played lacrosse at Byrd and also played D2 lacrosse at Southern
Wesleyan University. I love going to the farm and riding my horse named Dolly. Over the
summer I worked for the Overdrive Monster Truck Tour and got to travel the U.S. and help put
on the shows.

Tara Smith is teaching 8th grade English at the middle school. She is originally from Syracuse,
New York, and graduated from Fayetteville-Manlius High School. She earned her Bacher of Arts
in English Literature and her Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with a minor in
Creative Writing from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego.
This is her 19th year with Roanoke County and her 18th year in teaching.

“I am a third-generation educator, so I guess you could say it is in my blood. I’ve had a life-long
passion for reading and writing.

“It is important to me to teach within my community,” Smith says. “I waited patiently for my
youngest son to move on to the high school before applying for a transfer from Cave Spring
Middle.”

Her family lives in Bonsack; her two sons have attended Bonsack, WBMS and are currently at
the high school. My husband also works for Roanoke County Public Schools as an IT
Technician. Together, we have two sons and two golden retrievers.”