Erin Baker
Pre-Algebra
Geometry
Math Olympiad
Mrs. Baker is excited to be sharing her passion for all things math with the students of Saint Augustine. She earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Kettering University followed by a masters in education from National-Louis University. She has taught in a variety of settings and levels from college to homeschool environments, alternative schools and private tutoring. In addition, Mrs. Baker also currently works with the Center for Talented Youth with Johns Hopkins University.
In her free time, she and her husband enjoy cheering on their three boys as they live their best lives and compete in a variety of sports. If there really is free time, Mrs. Baker will curl up in her favorite chair with a book.
Christie Barber
First Grade
Mrs. Barber earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Belhaven University. She taught in Hinds County Public Schools and Jackson Public Schools before shifting to privately teaching students with learning disabilities while coaching men’s and women’s cross country at Belhaven University for the last eighteen years.
Christie and her husband, Duane, live in Crystal Springs where they attend Crystal Springs United Methodist Church. They have two sons, Austin and Truman, the latter of whom attends Saint Augustine as a student.
Kayton Barnes
Math Chair
College Algebra
Mrs. Barnes received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Mississippi College and a Master of Education in Secondary Mathematics Curriculum and Instruction from The University of Mississippi. She teaches College Algebra Dual Enrollment. Prior to joining St. Augustine she taught a variety of math courses and worked alongside math teachers and student teachers in secondary math classrooms. She is passionate about helping math come to life for students.
She and her husband, Jonathan, live in Jackson with their two children where they attend Grace Community Church. When she’s not teaching, you can find her making art or spending time with her family, preferably outdoors.
Naomi Baugus
Assistant to Head of School
K-5 Teacher Assistant
Mrs. Baugus originally hails from Grand Rapids, Michigan where she graduated with her B.A. in Spanish and Sociology from Calvin University.
She is married to Nathanael and together they have one daughter, Ingrid. They live in Ridgeland and are members of Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church. In her free time, she enjoys reading, baking bread, and playing board games with her family.
Steve Beagles
Physics
Mr. Beagles received a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering Degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1984. Concluding a 30 year career in Nuclear Power Generation, Mr. Beagles retired from Entergy in 2016 after serving as Corporate Manager over Nuclear Operations, Nuclear Chemistry, and Reactor Engineering. He went on to become a business owner in Ridgeland with his wife, Lisa, whom he married in 2003.
Mr. Beagles has found his calling here at Saint Augustine, to show God’s truth in the world of Science. Mr. Beagles, Lisa, and their two daughters, Sarah-Beth and Rachael-Ann, attend Word of Life Church in Ridgeland, and enjoy sunny days by the pool, playing guitar, and riding around in his German sports car.
Hallie Bolen
Latin Grammar 4-5
French I
Mrs. Bolen lives in Jackson, MS with her husband, Samuel, and her three sons, two of whom attend Saint Augustine. She attends Redeemer Church, where she serves in the preschool ministry. She enjoys cooking, traveling, spending time with her family, and reading a good book on her porch.
Mrs. Bolen received her B.A. in Liberal Arts from the University of Mississippi and her Master’s in Education from Mississippi College. She previously worked in the Madison County School District for six years as an English and French teacher. She is passionate about educating her children in a classical environment and being a positive Christian influence in the classroom.
Calen Brantley
Writing Coach
Calen Brantley is currently working with teachers and administration on a writing program for Saint Augustine School. She aids teachers in implementation of writing strategies and working on ideas for the future in the Writing Department.
She has worked at Saint Augustine since its establishment. She has taught music, 4th and 5th grade English, worked as the Community Care Director, and now is working as a Writing Coach.
Calen is married to Will, and all four of their children attend Saint Augustine. They are active members of Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Clinton. She enjoys reading, drinking coffee, good food, and playing tennis in her spare time.
Andrew Byrd
Latin I & II
World History III
Andrew Byrd holds BA degrees in English Literature and Classical Studies from Millsaps College. His literary interests span literary time itself, from the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Homeric epics to Ian McEwan’s Nutshell. He enjoys studying the conversation works of literature have with each other. In school, he studied authors ranging from Homer, Aeschylus, Lucretius, Catullus, Livy, Vergil, Pliny the Younger, Augustine, and Bede, to the Beowulf poet, Dante, Marie de France, Chaucer, Spenser, Shakespeare, Cervantes, Milton, Blake, Coleridge, Emerson, Whitman, Woolf, and Trethewey—just to name a few.
“I like to describe myself as a scholar–at–heart. What is meant by this is that I am perpetually fascinated with literature. Whether it is reading Homeric epic poetry and pre-Socratic philosophy or identifying ‘romance codes’ in “Frozen II”, I love to study literature down the ages. Stories have been told since language, the means by which stories are articulated and recorded, has existed. It seems, therefore, silly to think that stories and the intellectual study of those stories (more broadly speaking, ‘the humanities’) are irrelevant in our post-modern age. As William Faulkner asserts, ‘The past is never dead. It’s not even past.’
Liz Callen
Math Foundations 7
Algebra II
Mrs. Callen graduated from Belhaven University with a B.S. in Elementary Education. Teaching math and instilling a love of learning in her students is something she is very passionate about. She also enjoys running, exercising, and being outdoors. Liz and her husband Alex have three children: Rush, Cooper, and Emmaline. They live in Jackson and attend Redeemer Church.
Elizabeth Cangelosi
Second Grade
Mrs. Cangelosi graduated from Mississippi State University with a B.S. in Elementary Education. After graduating college, she taught second grade at Northwest Rankin Elementary School and English at the Veritas School. She also homeschooled her children for ten years.
She and her husband, Caleb, live in Madison with their five children and attend Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church, where Caleb is the senior pastor. Elizabeth is a hopeless bookworm and enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.
Rachel Cooley
Second Grade Teacher Assistant
Rachel Cooley is originally from Metairie, Louisiana. She attended Mississippi College where she received her degree in Elementary Education. After teaching fourth grade for six years, she stayed home with her children for a while.
Rachel and her husband, Jermaine, have four children: Harrison, Eden, Asher, & Nolyn. They live in Clinton and attend Cornerstone Church in Pearl.
Savannah D’Alessandro
Math 4 & 5
Mrs. D’Alessandro graduated from Mississippi State with a degree in Elementary Education. She spent 8 years in the public school elementary classroom before deciding to homeschool, which led her to Saint Augustine School.
Savannah and her husband, Bobby, live in Brandon, MS and attend Pinelake Church. They have two children, Robby and Rosa. Mrs. D’Alessandro’s favorite things include reading good books, baking from scratch, and listening to a good true crime podcast.
Nancy Elkins
Kindergarten
Mrs. Elkins received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Reading from Mississippi State University, and her master’s degree from The University of Alabama. She also holds a gifted education specialty through the University of Virginia. She has over ten years of elementary teaching experience in Virginia, Germany, and Mississippi.
Mrs. Elkins has been married to Lee for 18 years and has four beautiful children—two sons and two daughters. The Elkins family loves to serve in their home church, Highlands Presbyterian.
Caleb Ellison
History & Bible 8
Geography
Mr. Ellison’s college background was at Belhaven University where he received a Bachelors in Fine Arts. It was under the tutelage of Dr. Seth Parry and Dr. Jonathan Koefoed, that he fostered a love for history. He works part-time at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson MS as an assistant. This is his first year of teaching at St. Augustine.
Mr. Ellison is married to his lovely wife Sarah Wolfe-Ellison; together they have one son, Donovan, and another child on the way. He enjoys reading books on European history, fantasy novels by J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, and academic works by contemporaries such as Thomas Sowell and Jordan B. Peterson.
Mollie Gardner
Music K4-4th
Mrs. Gardner has taught music at Saint Augustine for several years. She has an Associate of Arts degree in Biblical Studies from New Tribes Bible Institute. Before coming to Saint Augustine, she and her husband Thomas served as missionaries in Austria at the International Christian School of Vienna. She also taught elementary music and directed the high school choir at Canton Academy. Mollie has over 20 years of experience both serving in worship ministry and teaching piano lessons.
Mrs. Gardner is married to Thomas and they have three boys — Thad, Ian, and Daniel — all of whom currently attend Saint Augustine School. They attend and serve at Riverwood Bible Church where her husband is the Teaching Pastor. She loves playing the piano, writing songs, and gardening.
Katie Gilchrist
English 11-12
History 12
Ms. Gilchrist earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in English at the University of Mississippi in 1988 and her Juris Doctorate in 1991, also from Ole Miss. She has practiced law in the Jackson area since graduation and is now one of the founding partners of Gilchrist Donnell PLLC in Ridgeland. Katie specializes in health care law, and has taught health law classes at the Ole Miss Law School for thirteen years.
Katie has always been drawn to teaching and spent fifteen years as a volunteer leader with Young Life at Jackson Academy, working with high school girls, beginning right after law school. She lives with her two miniature dachshunds, Annie and Dottie, at Lake Caroline in Madison, and is a member of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson. Whenever she can manage to, she enjoys traveling (anywhere), planning trips for others, spending time with her five nieces and nephews, photography and all things “weiner dog-related.”
Linda Grantham
K4
Mrs. Grantham has served as a K4 teacher since 2011. She has a love for children and teaching, and homeschooled her own children from kindergarten through high school. She and her husband, Horace, live in Raymond and have six grown daughters. They have been members of Grace Presbyterian Church since 1993. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading, bike riding, going for walks, planting flowers, and being “Gigi”and “Grammy” to her eleven grandchildren and her great granddaughter.
Katelyn Harbaugh
Art I
Mrs. Harbaugh graduated from Belhaven University with a Bachelor of Arts in Art. She has been a working artist since 2015 creating original collections of art inspired by God’s beauty and truth and personalized pieces on commission. She enjoys painting, singing, organization, cooking, and learning about art supplies.
She lives in Madison with her husband, David. They have four children, two attend Saint Augustine. The Harbaughs serve and worship at Highlands Presbyterian Church and love spending time with their friends and family.
Jill Hathcock
Chemistry
Mrs. Hathcock earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Alabama. Upon graduation, she taught freshmen Biology and AP Biology before becoming a stay-at-home mom to her children. During this time, Mrs. Hathcock worked as an Events Director at a private Christian school in Oklahoma. She later served as a tutor for Classical Conversations and finally, Director of their local Classical Conversations community.
After living in both Alabama and Oklahoma, Mrs. Hathcock now resides in Madison with her husband, Holt, and children, Ella and Sam, who are juniors at Saint Augustine. They attend Broadmoor Church. She is director of StoryTellers Jackson, a women’s ministry and podcast consisting of local gatherings across the country. Mrs. Hathcock enjoys all sports, reading, gardening, traveling, and, of course, spending time with her family.
Amy Henry
Third Grade Teacher Assistant
Mrs. Henry assists in third grade and has four children attending Saint Augustine. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Mississippi College and a Master’s Degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. A former Executive Director of the Center for Pregnancy Choices in Vicksburg, Amy felt called to stay home with her children. Little did she know how the Lord was growing and preparing her for a hybrid school model!
Amy, her husband, David, and their children live in Clinton, where they are members of FBC. She is active in choir and is on the church hospitality committee, as well as involved in various other ministries. Amy enjoys photography, reading, traveling, and being at the lake with her family.
Aimee Hudson
Fourth Grade English, Science, History & Bible
Mrs. Hudson has a B.S. in Elementary Education from Mississippi College and has been teaching at Saint Augustine since 2016. Mrs. Hudson and her husband, Brian, have 3 children and live in Clinton where they attend First Baptist Church. She enjoys spending time with her family and reading.
Rebekah Kettleman
Kindergarten
Mrs. Kettleman graduated from Mississippi College, where she received her B.S. in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations. Previously, she has worked as a Communication Specialist and a freelance press release writer.
Rebekah and her husband Bryce currently reside in Jackson with their blessings, Holden and Levi Kettleman. Rebekah and Bryce are both members at Shiloh PBC in Bovina, MS where her father is the pastor. She has several hobbies, but calligraphy and running are what she prefers to do in her spare time.
Suzanne Koefoed
First Grade
Suzanne Koefoed serves as a first grade teacher at Saint Augustine School. She has also enjoyed serving in various roles at Saint Augustine including K4, K5, and 2nd grade teachers aide positions. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Education from Indiana University and her Masters in Education from the University of Massachusetts in Boston. Before coming to Saint Augustine, Suzanne served as a behavior technician working with children with autism and has also taught lower elementary grades in public, private, and charter schools.
Suzanne moved to Jackson in 2016 when her husband started a job as a history professor at Belhaven University. Her family has also lived in Massachusetts, Texas, and Indiana. They now live in the Belhaven neighborhood and have enjoyed making Mississippi their new home. In her free time, Suzanne enjoys running, spending time outdoors, reading, cooking, drinking coffee, gardening, and going on adventures with her children. Most of all, she loves laughing and enjoying time with friends and family!
Cindy Lee
Math 6
Pre-Algebra
Mrs. Lee graduated from the University of Mississippi with a B.S. in civil engineering and worked as a licensed engineer for a Jackson consulting firm for twelve years. For the last twenty years, she has home educated her three daughters and privately tutored students from elementary math through college algebra. She also taught pre-algebra for two years at the Veritas School. She has always had a love for math and for young people. Cindy has been married to Jim for almost thirty years and they attend Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church where they enjoy teaching children’s Sunday school, and serving in the special needs ministry and orphan care ministry. Her oldest daughter dances with Ballet Magnificat and her youngest two daughters attend Mississippi College. In her free time, Cindy loves to read, spend time with her girls and Jim, and invest in friendships.
Seth Matthews
Financial Management
Seth Matthews is a graduate of Mississippi College, obtaining majors in both finance and accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant, working at a CPA firm in the area. Seth lives in Belhaven with his wife, Lauren Metz Matthews, and is a member of Grace Community Church in Jackson. Seth and his wife enjoy reading and all things sports and outdoors.
Amy McCart
Art K4-4th
Mrs. McCart has served as the art teacher at Saint Augustine School since 2014. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2006. Mrs. McCart loves baking, music, and, of course, art! She and her husband Chris have two sons and reside in Madison.
Reagan McElroy
Primary School Physical Education
Mrs. McElroy earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree from University of Alabama and is a licensed Registered Nurse in Mississippi. She currently practices as an RN at Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson. She is wife to Michael McElroy, owner of Iron Sharp Fitness gym, and mom to four: Camp, Everett, Miriam, and Mac, all of whom attend Saint Augustine. She is passionate about health and fitness and uses that passion as a trainer at Burn Boot Camp Madison. Her family attends Broadmoor Baptist Church, where Michael serves in the deacon ministry and she serves in social media and preschool ministries. She is passionate about training up children in health, fitness, and appreciation of moving their bodies to glorify the Lord.
Kristen Meyer
Third Grade
Mrs. Meyer is originally from Hattiesburg, MS and graduated from The University of Southern Mississippi with a degree in Child Development. She worked as a Child Life Specialist at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Women & Children outside of Washington, D.C. before moving back to Mississippi. She is married to Clay, and they have a daughter who attends Mississippi College and a son that is a high school student at Saint Augustine. Mrs. Meyer loves teaching third grade and working with great friends.
Allison Miller
Latin I
Mrs. Miller has a B.A. in English and Journalism from the University of Mississippi. She developed a love for Latin as she studied the language along with her children during more than twenty years of homeschooling. Mrs. Miller also has taught Essentials of the English Language at the Classical Conversations program in Brandon. She has been teaching at Saint Augustine since 2018.
Mrs. Miller and her husband Jason live in Madison. They have three grown sons, one lovely daughter-in-law, and their daughter Julia, a 2021 graduate of Saint Augustine, attends Mississippi College. They are long-time members of Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Miller enjoys getting to know her students, listening to audiobooks, and simply being with her family, especially on the rare times when everyone is home.
Erin Miller
Arts Director
Music 5 & 6
Mrs. Miller is the Director of Fine Arts and teaches 5th and 6th grade music. She has loved and appreciated the arts all of her life and is grateful to assist in offering arts education and experiences to the Saint Augustine community. After receiving her B.A. in Liberal Arts (Music, English, and Southern Studies) from the University of Mississippi, Mrs. Miller worked at the university for 10 years as an admissions counselor and academic advisor.
She and her husband, Ryan, have three children, all of whom attend Saint Augustine. The Millers are members of First Presbyterian Church of Jackson.
MacKenzie Mitchell
Ancient and Medieval Literature
Mr. Mitchell studied Writing, English, and Theatre at Belhaven University, earning a B.F.A. in Creative Writing and a B.A. in Theatre, and received his Master’s in Education from Schreiner University. He enjoys particularly the spiritual meditations of Thomas Merton and C.S. Lewis and attends Providence Presbyterian Church. Outside of school, Mr. Mitchell enjoys writing plays, a little bit of stage acting, reading and rereading Terry Pratchett, and Running as an absurd but meaningful pastime.
John Perritt
Bible I, II, & III
Dr. Perritt received a B.A. in Public Relations from the University of Southern Mississippi, an M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary (Jackson, MS), and a D.Min. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY). He served as Youth Director of Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church for over 12 years and worked in insurance prior to that. He is the author of several books and the series editor for the Track series published through Christian Focus Publications. John’s full time job is with Reformed Youth Ministries where he serves as the Director of Resources.
He and his wife, Ashleigh, have five children and are members of Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church where John serves as a Ruling Elder. John loves to spend time with his family and friends, grill out, and watch movies.
Ashleigh Perritt
Bible Teacher Assistant
Mrs. Perritt graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a B.S. in Finance and worked as a branch manager with Trustmark National bank for seven years before coming home and becoming a stay at home mom. She is married to Dr. John Perritt, the high school Bible teacher, and they have five children. They are members of Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church.
In addition to aiding her husband’s Bible classes, Mrs. Perritt also has the privilege of coaching the Club soccer team for Saint Augustine and the Girls’ JV soccer team. Mrs. Perritt loves spending time with her family. She also likes to spend time outdoors, go camping, and to cook and bake. She enjoys sports, particularly soccer, football, and tennis. She is so thankful to be able to help Dr. Perritt with the administrative side of his Bible classes, and to be a part of the Saint Augustine team.
Amanda Quarles
Second Grade
Mrs. Quarles earned her B.A. in English and Philosophy from Belhaven, her M.A. in English from the University of Alabama, and taught at local colleges before helping found Saint Augustine School. She is currently finishing her M.Ed. in Dyslexia Therapy at Mississippi College.
In addition to teaching for Saint Augustine, she also directs accreditation efforts for the school. The Quarles family has two children at Saint Augustine and are actively involved at Covenant Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Quarles loves fascinating science videos, diagramming sentences, good stories, good trips, and good projects.
Katherine Ranck
K4 & Childcare
Mrs. Ranck graduated from Belhaven University in 2017 with a B.A. in Biblical Studies. In 2018 she married her husband Daniel. Katherine worked as a nanny and a private humanities tutor before coming to work for Saint Augustine in 2020. Katherine is involved in and has written for local and national pro-life organizations such as Live Action News, Human Defense Initiative, and ProLife Mississippi.
Katherine and Daniel live in Brandon with their daughter Charlotte and attend Grace Baptist Church at Castlewoods. She enjoys spending time with family, discussing theology, writing, and painting.
Ashley Reese
First Grade
Pre-Biology
Mrs. Reese graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences. She later obtained a Texas teaching certificate in early childhood through sixth grade. Mrs. Reese’ passion for teaching has taken her around the world to China, virtual TESL learning for Chinese students, Texas, and Mississippi since 2012.
Ashley and her husband, Stuart, live in Macon, MS where Stuart is the Assistant Director at Lake Forest Ranch. They have two children, Ruby Grace, a Saint Augustine student, and Forest, a future student. The Reeses attend First Presbyterian Church in Louisville, MS.
Sarah Rein
English 5
History 5
Bible 5
Mrs. Rein‘s great scholastic love in life is language and all the subjects that use it most heavily. So she is thrilled to be teaching 5th grade English, history, and Bible (all her favorites). She grew up in Copiah County as the daughter of a music minister who also loved to read and write. After graduating from Mississippi College with a degree in Political Science, she taught in Rankin County Public Schools and then managed a corporate training department in the health insurance sector for several years. Since 2011, she has been home with the four fantastic and loud children God has given her. Mrs. Rein has homeschooled since her oldest began kindergarten, and is now thrilled that they are all together in the Saint Augustine family.
She is married to Trey Rein, who also works in education, and they are raising their family together in Flowood where they are members of Lakeside Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Rein loves libraries, sleeping, living down the road from her sister, and drinking lots of coffee. She is thrilled to have a room full of students she can encourage to love reading as much as she does.
Megan Rowan
Junior High Choir
Choral Music
Megan Rowan is the Upper School Choir Director at St. Augustine. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Belhaven University and a Masters of Music in Collaborative Piano from The University of Southern Mississippi. Before coming to St. Augustine, Megan spent several years as a choir, show choir, and musical accompanist at Jackson Academy and is happy to share stories of middle school show choir life with anyone who is interested. Cultivating a love and appreciation for a broad range of music in young people is one of her deepest joys.
Megan and her husband, Jacob, met as students at Belhaven University where Jacob now teaches drawing and art history. The Rowans live in Jackson with their daughter Juniper and attend Redeemer Church.
Daniel Scarbrough
History & Bible 7
Mr. Scarbrough’s college background was at Mississippi State University where he obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Accounting. After a twelve year career as a CPA working with financial institutions, he moved into children and student ministry as the Pastor of Family and Youth at Riverwood Bible Church in Jackson, MS. Daniel has been teaching at Saint Augustine since 2015. Mr. Scarbrough and his wife, Shea, have 4 children. He enjoys keeping up with his favorite soccer and football teams and throwing frisbee with his family and his dog.
Shea Scarbrough
Logic I & II
Science 5
Mrs. Scarbrough earned a B.S. in Psychology from Mississippi State University and a Masters in Counseling from the University of Alabama. She is married to Daniel Scarbrough, Pastor of Families and Youth at Riverwood Bible Church, and they have four children. All of her children are Saint Augustine School students. When not teaching at home, school, or serving alongside Daniel at church, Mrs. Scarbrough enjoys camping, kayaking, and laughing with family and friends.
Della Sellers
First Grade Teacher Assistant
Mrs. Sellers is the First Grade Teacher Assistant at Saint Augustine School. She earned her undergraduate degree in Paralegal Studies at Mississippi College and her Juris Doctorate at Mississippi College School of Law. After practicing law for several years and working subsequently with a legal forms company, she was a full-time wife and mother until her oldest child started first grade at Saint Augustine. She loves spending time with her husband, her two boys, who both attend Saint Augustine, reading, traveling and being involved at Saint Augustine.
Mary Kathleen Sims
Art 5 & 6
Mrs. Sims obtained a bachelor’s degree in Human Sciences from Mississippi State University in 2011. She has a passion to see children learn about our first Creator God through creation. Mrs. Sims hosts art camps for young children in her home throughout the year with the goal of spreading the Gospel through art. She teaches keeping the words of Frances Schaffer in mind, “A Christian should use these arts to the glory of God, not just as tracts, mind you, but as things of beauty to the praise of God. An art work can be a doxology in itself.”
Mrs. Sims and her husband, Daniel, and their children, Harper Lee, Wailes, Rosemary & Joy, all live in Madison. They are members of Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church. When not in the classroom, she stays home with the children or redecorates her home with treasures from the thrift store. You can usually spot Mrs. Sims around campus wearing the brightest colors in the rainbow.
Emmaline Smith
English 6
Mrs. Smith earned her B.A. in English from the University of Mississippi. She teaches 6th grade English at Saint Augustine. She lives in Jackson, MS with her husband, Peyton, and their two children where they are actively involved at Redeemer Church and in their neighborhood of Belhaven. The Smith family joined Saint Augustine in 2018. She loves to adventure, read good books, learn new things, and connect with others.
Nikki Starr
Third Grade
Mrs. Starr serves as a third grade teacher at Saint Augustine School. She is originally from Daphne, Alabama and moved to the Madison area in 2013. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary and Special Education from The University of Southern Mississippi. Before finding Saint Augustine, she previously worked in the Madison County School District for five years as a Resource teacher.
She is married to Thomas, and they have two daughters, Greer and Ellis Jay. The Starrs are members at Broadmoor Baptist Church. In her spare time, Mrs. Starr enjoys riding horses, reading, being at the beach, and spending time with family.
Emily Strange
English 8: Renaissance and Reformation Literature
Originally from Hattiesburg, Emily Strange followed her husband to Jackson after graduating from Mississippi State University. Over the next few years, she earned a master’s degree from Mississippi College, taught seventh grade ELA at Clinton Junior High School, and became a mama. She, her husband Chancellor, and her son Elijah live in the Belhaven neighborhood, where they enjoy going on long walks, eating biscuits from Native Coffee Co, and spending time with their neighbors.
Ansleigh Thornhill
Librarian
Science 4
Mrs. Thornhill obtained a B.S. in Education from Delta State University. She has 12 years of experience as a teacher and library media specialist with Madison County Schools. After spending some years at home with her children, she came back to the classroom and is beginning her third year of teaching first grade.
Mrs. Thornhill is married to Jake and they reside in Madison with their five children. She has actively served alongside her family as a member of Ridgecrest Baptist Church since 2002. Mrs. Thornhill enjoys travelling, spending time with her friends, and reading, but spends most of her time shuttling her kids around.
Mona Trotter
Kindergarten
Mrs. Trotter holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from Mississippi State University. She has taught for many years in public and private school as well as homeschooling her own children.
Mrs. Trotter lives in Madison with her husband Jeff, and son, Andrew. She has three grown children and six grandchildren. The Trotters are members of Highlands Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Trotter enjoys reading, scrapbooking, playing with her grandchildren, and hosting parties.
Alex Weis
Ancient & Medieval History
Mr. Weis is a native Brazilian, son of a missionary, and retired Army Lieutenant Colonel. His favorite Army assignment was educating and mentoring cadets at the United States Military Academy, West Point where he taught Introduction to Philosophy and Ethics for five years in two separate tours.
Alex is married to the former Haven Knight a most patient, kind and forbearing woman who was dragged out of Mississippi across the Mason Dixie Line. They are blessed with six covenant children: Joseph, Haddie, Isaac, Thomas, Damaris, and Caleb. The Weis’s returned to Mississippi in 2021 and attend First Presbyterian Church in Jackson. Alex loves God, his family, reading the Bible, Classical Christian education, worldview studies, literature, opera, metaphysics, epistemology, history, single-origin coffee, distance running, LSU football, LeBron James basketball, Brazilian futebol, good beer, and most definitely “Go Army, Beat Navy”!
He received his B.A (magna cum laude) from Belhaven University double majoring in Biblical Studies and Philosophy. While studying at Belhaven, he was mentored by the late Christian Worldview scholar, Dr. Wynn Kenyon. He received his MA in Theological Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS, and a MA in Philosophy from Saint Louis University.