Rockingham County Public Schools

Charity Nussbaum, Peak View Elementary School

Charity is originally from Portland, Oregon and attended Eastern Mennonite University. She graduated from EMU in December 2003 and then did a long-term sub in first grade at Peak View Elementary School. She was then hired full time and has been teaching first grade at Peak View ever since. She has also been Peak View's Child Study Chairperson for the past two years. She just recently finished getting her NETS*T certification and is currently working on her Masters in reading at EMU. 

Tracy Matthews, Elkton Middle School

This is Tracy's third year at Elkton Middle School and nineteenth year of teaching.  At EMS, her first two years she taught English 8 and this year she is teaching Math 6.  Previously she taught fifth grade for eight years for Cabarrus County Schools in Concord, NC and eight years in Nottoway County, VA.  Tracy just completed her NETS*T certification.

Denise Hill, J. Frank Hillyard Middle School

Denise has taught for 16 years, all in Rockingham County.  She currently teaches 6th grade math at JFHMS. Previously she taught 6th and 8th grade math at John C. Myers Middle School.

Karen  Harden, Broadway High School

This is Karen's 32nd year of teaching.  Twenty five of those years have been in Virginia.  She now teaches Photojournalism I, II, III, IV (YB & NP); Creative Writing; and Writing Strategies at BHS.  She is NETS*T certified.  She has degrees from Jefferson State Junior College, NC State University, and James Madison University.

Bev Jones, John Wayland Elementary School

Bev has been teaching fifth grade at John Wayland for six years.  Previously, she  taught middle school for 14 years.

Mike Thompson, Spotswood High School

Mike teaches English 11 and dual enrollment Composition at Spotswood High School.  He has taught at Spotswood for 4 years and 9 total including SHS, Fishburne Military School, and JMU.

Jerry Ridgeway, Turner Ashby High School

Jerry teaches technology education at TAHS where he's been for 18 years.  He taught at John Wayland Intermediate for six years before that for a total of 24 years.

Christy Haag, South River Elementary School

Christy teaches third grade at South River Elementary.  She has been here for the last 4 years and has been teaching for a total of 11 years.  She previously taught first, 3rd, fourth, and fifth grades.  She has completed her NETS* T certification.

Lisa Roeschley, John C. Myers Elementary School

At JCMES, Lisa is a Title I Reading Specialist.  She has been at John C. Myers for 4 years and has a total of 16 years teaching experience.  She is orginally from Ohio and have lived in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley for 15 years.  She started her career teaching in first grade at Bluffton Elementary in Bluffton, Ohio.  Since moving to Virginia she has taught at Elkton Elementary, Lacey Spring, and John C. Myers.  She received my Masters in Reading from EMU in 2003.  Lisa just recently became NETS*T certified.

Michele DeFreese, Elkton Elementary School

This is Michele's first year teaching Kindergarten at Elkton Elementary.  She taught at EES as the HeadStart teacher for the 2004 & 2005 school years. Before moving to Rockingham County in 2004 , she lived in Mahwah, New Jersey where she taught Kindergarten for 9 years. She has taught for a total of fifteen years, and was Assistant Director at Donna Reid's Child Development Center for 9 years.

Jackie Strunk, Ottobine Elementary School

Jackie has been a special education teacher for 16 years at Ottobine Elementary.  She taught previously in Page County for 7 years.

Randy Ryman, Massanutten Technical Center

Randy teaches in the Electricity Program at MTC. He is completing his 15th year at MTC. He has held a Master Electricians License in Virginia since 1976, and had 20 years electrical/HVAC experience prior to coming to MTC.

Barb Lowe, Lacey Spring Elementary School

Barb is currently teaching 3rd grade at Lacey Spring Elementary, where she has been for 9 years.  Prior to that, she taught 4th grade at Elkton Elementary.  Over a 30 year career, she has had the privilege of working with students in Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, and Maine, in grades 3-8. 

Shannon Yoder, Plains Elementary School

This is Shannon's fourth year as a fifth grade teacher at Plains Elementary School and fourth year as a teacher overall.  The specific content area she teaches is US History from the Beginning to 1877.   

Janet Hostetter, Mountain View Elementary School

For the last 18 years, Janet has taught music to all levels of students (PK-College).  She has taught elementary music in RCPS for 10 years including three years at Mt. Clinton Elementary School and the rest at Mountain View Elementary School.  She will be moving to Wilbur Pence Middle School for the 2007/2008 school year. 

Janis Churchill, McGaheysville Elementary School

Janis is currently teaching second grade at MES.  She has worked for Rockingham County since 1992 including one year at Fulks Run and the rest at McGaheysville.  She has taught PreK, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades.  Earlier this year Janis was presented with the 2006 Elementary School Technology Teacher of the Year award for Virginia.  She is currently working on her masters in Educational Leadership from JMU. 

Doris Gardner, Wilbur S. Pence Middle School

This was Doris’ first year at Wilbur S. Pence Middle School, her second year in Rockingham County as an Instructional Technology Resource Teacher. Mrs. Gardner assists teachers to integrate technology into their lessons with students. Prior to her position as an ITRT, Doris was a Business & Information Technology teacher, Department Head, Career & Technical Education Department Head, Technology Team leader, SACS co-chair, National Honor Society advisor, and junior class sponsor at Wilson Memorial High School in Augusta County. Mrs. Gardner is a familiar name to RCPS, as she previously taught at WSPMS when the Computer 7 & Computer 8 curriculum was first implemented and was a business teacher at Turner Ashby High School, where she served as advisor to the local and regional Future Business Leaders of America chapters. Doris is NETS*T certified and has assisted other RCPS teachers to achieve their NETS*T certifications.

Melissa Mathias, Linville-Edom Elementary School

Melissa teachers first grade at Linville-Edom Elementary School.  She has been teaching for six years, all in first grade at Linville.  She is an EMU graduate and has lived in the area all her life.

Julianne Ross, Fulks Run Elementary School

Julianne teaches Pre-Kindergarten at Fulks Run Elementary School.  She graduated from EMU with a  degree in early childhood education and received an ESL endoresement from JMU.  This is her first year teaching!

Anne Frazier, Pleasant Valley Elementary School

Anne is the Guidance Counselor at Pleasant Valley Elementary School.  This is her second year as a guidance counselor at Pleasant Valley.  Previously, she was a guidance counselor at Plains Elementary for 10 years and a counselor at John C Myers Elementary for 7 years.  Before becoming a guidance counselor, she taught First Grade for 4 years.

Pat Rea, Montevideo Middle School

Pat is a Special Education teacher at Montevideo Middle School.  Pat is originally from Salisbury Maryland but has  lived  in the Valley for 32 years.  She has a BS and masters degrees in Special Education from JMU.  She taught one year  at Central High School in Woodstock and 30 years at Montevideo.  Pat is retiring at the end of this year.