new faculty: Jennie spouse
Many people in Willis Hall might be wondering what that smell is. It smells like pumpkin pie whenever people pass by room 13.
Whether students have Jennifer Sprouse as a teacher or not, they can certainly smell her favorite fall scent and see the posters she hangs up in her classroom bringing a much-needed light and a fresh fun feeling to the Upper School. Perhaps all the decor and smells helped her feel more comfortable in her new situation.
“I’m always nervous on the first day of school,” Sprouse said. “Just because I don’t know my students. I don’t know how it’s gonna go.”
Sprouse has a very vibrant personality that is shown in her room. She has many math posters in her room along with other things she likes like Harry Potter. Her favorite book is Prisoner of Azkaban, however her favorite movie is “Order of the Phoenix.”
She grew up in south Alabama and attended a large high school that had around 2500 students, but the summer before her junior year she moved to little Christiansburg.
“I remember the first football game, “ Sprouse said. “The football team ran out on the field and I was like, ‘Is the middle school doing an exhibition?’ But it turned out that it was the football team. I felt so bad because you know, I’m used to seeing people walking down on the field and seeing nothing but numbers. And their guys look like they were all ninth graders or something and I’m like ‘Where are your football players?’”
One thing most people don’t know about her is that she likes 3D printing. She has a few of her creations in her room, and she hopes to have a 3D printing class in the near future.
This is her first year as a high school teacher. Before this, she had been teaching pre-algebra and geometry at Cave Spring Middle School. In the Upper School, she teaches Geometry, Algebra 2, and AP Statistics. She has over 100 students, about half of the Willis Hall student body. She hasn’t taught Algebra 2 in a while and has never taught AP Statistics. This doesn’t discourage her from trying her best.
“I don’t necessarily have to be liked by every single person,” she said, “but I want to make a good impression. So where they’re not going home and saying let’s drop that class,
Her favorite type of math to teach is geometry. While she has always been good at math, she believes that her teacher’s support helped her love for the subject to flourish. In particular, her fourth-grade teacher gave her more advanced worksheets in class so she was never bored.
“I’ve always kind of challenged myself to do math as fast as I could, “ Sprouse said. “I would make stupid mistakes. But math has always been the one thing that I don’t know. I get really, really, really weirdly nerdy about it.”
Sprouse went to Virginia Tech to get her bachelor’s then she got her master’s at Radford University. She has 15 years of experience teaching. She did take a six-year break when her children were born but jumped back into teaching after they were old enough.
She expressed that she always wanted to be a high school teacher, however, she was stuck teaching middle school, which she still enjoyed. She felt that the Roanoke County school administration never took her concerns into consideration. Because she could handle the “bad kids” they kept on giving her more, so she felt that she never got the respect she deserved.
She interviewed for the job in March and was offered the position of an upper school teacher on the spot. It was a hard decision for her to make, but ultimately she decided that it was for the best.
“I started telling people and letting them know that I was not coming back around May,” Sprouse said “I was super excited about it.”
It’s expected that things will be different when moving to a new school. A few things are the grading system, the classes, and the schedule. However, for Sprouse, the biggest difference is the students’ behavior.
“The biggest thing that I’ve noticed between the students here is there’s a level of respect and a level of pride in their school here,” Sprouse said. “Over there we were dealing with kids ripping the handles off of the sinks in the bathroom, and as soon as they got refurbished, they would rip them off again so we never could keep soap dispensers in the boys bathroom because they would just rip them off the wall.”
Her relationship with the other faculty members is different as well. Although she is friends with some of the faculty like Tiffany Sakaguchi because they both used to teach at Cave Spring with each other, most of the faculty is new to her.
“Everybody has been very warm and welcoming,” Sprouse said. “I’ve spent more time with the other teachers than I did in previous years because a lot of times we would be so overwhelmed. We would just kind of have lunch locked in our classroom with the door shut, trying to get something done. And here it’s like going outside and eating with the other teachers and just kind of chill. It’s just really nice.”
Although she no longer works at Cave Spring she still is an active member of their community. Her husband still works there and her children go there. She is in charge of the marching band costumes so she is required to be there for every home football game. This means she can also see some of her old students whom she still loves. However she is super excited for this new chapter of her life at North Cross.
“I get to see my former kids from there and they ask how it is at North Cross and I’m saying it’s amazing,” Sprouse said. “I love it.”
Whether students have Jennifer Sprouse as a teacher or not, they can certainly smell her favorite fall scent and see the posters she hangs up in her classroom bringing a much-needed light and a fresh fun feeling to the Upper School. Perhaps all the decor and smells helped her feel more comfortable in her new situation.
“I’m always nervous on the first day of school,” Sprouse said. “Just because I don’t know my students. I don’t know how it’s gonna go.”
Sprouse has a very vibrant personality that is shown in her room. She has many math posters in her room along with other things she likes like Harry Potter. Her favorite book is Prisoner of Azkaban, however her favorite movie is “Order of the Phoenix.”
She grew up in south Alabama and attended a large high school that had around 2500 students, but the summer before her junior year she moved to little Christiansburg.
“I remember the first football game, “ Sprouse said. “The football team ran out on the field and I was like, ‘Is the middle school doing an exhibition?’ But it turned out that it was the football team. I felt so bad because you know, I’m used to seeing people walking down on the field and seeing nothing but numbers. And their guys look like they were all ninth graders or something and I’m like ‘Where are your football players?’”
One thing most people don’t know about her is that she likes 3D printing. She has a few of her creations in her room, and she hopes to have a 3D printing class in the near future.
This is her first year as a high school teacher. Before this, she had been teaching pre-algebra and geometry at Cave Spring Middle School. In the Upper School, she teaches Geometry, Algebra 2, and AP Statistics. She has over 100 students, about half of the Willis Hall student body. She hasn’t taught Algebra 2 in a while and has never taught AP Statistics. This doesn’t discourage her from trying her best.
“I don’t necessarily have to be liked by every single person,” she said, “but I want to make a good impression. So where they’re not going home and saying let’s drop that class,
Her favorite type of math to teach is geometry. While she has always been good at math, she believes that her teacher’s support helped her love for the subject to flourish. In particular, her fourth-grade teacher gave her more advanced worksheets in class so she was never bored.
“I’ve always kind of challenged myself to do math as fast as I could, “ Sprouse said. “I would make stupid mistakes. But math has always been the one thing that I don’t know. I get really, really, really weirdly nerdy about it.”
Sprouse went to Virginia Tech to get her bachelor’s then she got her master’s at Radford University. She has 15 years of experience teaching. She did take a six-year break when her children were born but jumped back into teaching after they were old enough.
She expressed that she always wanted to be a high school teacher, however, she was stuck teaching middle school, which she still enjoyed. She felt that the Roanoke County school administration never took her concerns into consideration. Because she could handle the “bad kids” they kept on giving her more, so she felt that she never got the respect she deserved.
She interviewed for the job in March and was offered the position of an upper school teacher on the spot. It was a hard decision for her to make, but ultimately she decided that it was for the best.
“I started telling people and letting them know that I was not coming back around May,” Sprouse said “I was super excited about it.”
It’s expected that things will be different when moving to a new school. A few things are the grading system, the classes, and the schedule. However, for Sprouse, the biggest difference is the students’ behavior.
“The biggest thing that I’ve noticed between the students here is there’s a level of respect and a level of pride in their school here,” Sprouse said. “Over there we were dealing with kids ripping the handles off of the sinks in the bathroom, and as soon as they got refurbished, they would rip them off again so we never could keep soap dispensers in the boys bathroom because they would just rip them off the wall.”
Her relationship with the other faculty members is different as well. Although she is friends with some of the faculty like Tiffany Sakaguchi because they both used to teach at Cave Spring with each other, most of the faculty is new to her.
“Everybody has been very warm and welcoming,” Sprouse said. “I’ve spent more time with the other teachers than I did in previous years because a lot of times we would be so overwhelmed. We would just kind of have lunch locked in our classroom with the door shut, trying to get something done. And here it’s like going outside and eating with the other teachers and just kind of chill. It’s just really nice.”
Although she no longer works at Cave Spring she still is an active member of their community. Her husband still works there and her children go there. She is in charge of the marching band costumes so she is required to be there for every home football game. This means she can also see some of her old students whom she still loves. However she is super excited for this new chapter of her life at North Cross.
“I get to see my former kids from there and they ask how it is at North Cross and I’m saying it’s amazing,” Sprouse said. “I love it.”
new faculty: Emily mountcastle
Before new English teacher Emily Mountcastle had children, she worked part time as a SAT verbal instructor. Now she’s back full time.
“I wanted to teach at North Cross because I love to teach,” Mountcastle said, “and I knew it would be a great environment of engaged students and caring faculty.”
Mountcastle went to Patrick Henry High School and then James Madison University where she was an English Major and received a Master’s in Education.
“I was a pretty good student, social and engaged,” she said. “I liked my teachers and worked hard in my classes.”
Mountcastle taught at Patrick Henry High School for five years and she also worked with students at Roanoke Catholic and Crystal pring Elementary.
“I have wanted to be a high school English teacher since I was little,” she said, “as I always looked up to my grandmother, who was a high school English teacher as well.”
Veronica Weston ’26 appreciates Mountcastle.
“I think Mrs. Mountcastle’s style of teaching is relaxed, but in a way where I am able to learn a lot,” Weston said. “The class has been interesting so far and she is a great English teacher. She makes the learning fun with projects and videos included in her classes. My favorite thing we have done in her class so far were the group presentations on The Crucible. These presentations really took a deep dive into the background and making of The Crucible.”
Justin Jones ‘26 agrees.
“I really enjoyed The Crucible project, and I think that her class is really exciting, fun,
and enjoyable.”
Lastly, when asked what she does in her free time Mountcaslte says:
“I like to run, bike, or go to yoga. I also love to cook and bake. You can usually find me at the park with my kids though!”
“I wanted to teach at North Cross because I love to teach,” Mountcastle said, “and I knew it would be a great environment of engaged students and caring faculty.”
Mountcastle went to Patrick Henry High School and then James Madison University where she was an English Major and received a Master’s in Education.
“I was a pretty good student, social and engaged,” she said. “I liked my teachers and worked hard in my classes.”
Mountcastle taught at Patrick Henry High School for five years and she also worked with students at Roanoke Catholic and Crystal pring Elementary.
“I have wanted to be a high school English teacher since I was little,” she said, “as I always looked up to my grandmother, who was a high school English teacher as well.”
Veronica Weston ’26 appreciates Mountcastle.
“I think Mrs. Mountcastle’s style of teaching is relaxed, but in a way where I am able to learn a lot,” Weston said. “The class has been interesting so far and she is a great English teacher. She makes the learning fun with projects and videos included in her classes. My favorite thing we have done in her class so far were the group presentations on The Crucible. These presentations really took a deep dive into the background and making of The Crucible.”
Justin Jones ‘26 agrees.
“I really enjoyed The Crucible project, and I think that her class is really exciting, fun,
and enjoyable.”
Lastly, when asked what she does in her free time Mountcaslte says:
“I like to run, bike, or go to yoga. I also love to cook and bake. You can usually find me at the park with my kids though!”
Dr. Andrews returns to alma mater
By Nhi Le
A new literature teacher visited Europe a couple of times when he was still a student at North Cross School. The school gave him opportunities to go to four countries, including Italy, France, Spain and Greece. Now he has returned.
Britton Andrews, a new literature teacher at North Cross School, was a student in NCS for 14 years. Before moving back to Roanoke, Dr. Andrews used to live in Washington with his wife. Beside being a literature teacher he is also a father of a 2-year-old daughter. Aside, he was inspired to play football, tennis, and basketball from his parents, who were both college athletes.
“A good teacher is a good learner,” Dr. Andrews said. “If I want to help my students learn my subject, then I have to learn about and from my students constantly.”
Teaching has motivated and interested Britton more than ever. Even more than doing research and writing. He does not see a teacher as a Master of that subject but as a learner. Having classes is one of his best experiences. He has a B.A in Communication Studies at University of North Carolina. Furthermore, he also has M.F.A in Creative Writing at Western Washington University. Finally, he achieved a Ph.D degree in English Studies from University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Surprisingly, he also got the Upper School Math Awards at NCS.
“This school was my second home growing up,” Andrews said, “and I was ready to come home.”
It is delightful for Dr. Andrews to know that NCS still has a spot for him. Not only him but his whole family had lived along with the school. His dad worked for the school for a long time. All of his siblings graduated from NCS.
“She truly cared about me more than I cared about myself.”Britton shared “I’ve never forgotten it.”
Ms.Burt-Kinderman, who used to teach Calculus at NCS, is one of his most memorable teachers. She never stopped believing in Britton. She also one of the character whom inspired him to become a teacher.
“I have been impressed by his dedication to his classes and how hard he works,” said Lance Odom, Dr. Andrews’s co-worker. “Dr Andrew’s is a wonderful colleague and fantastic to work with.”
“He has a great disposition to be a very effective teacher,”Mr.Kier said. “Dr.Andrews is very gracious.”
Andrews not only got the love from his co-workers but also his dear students.
“He doesn’t leave people behind. He tried to carry everyone as the lesson was going on,” said Indira Weed ’25. “I really like his style of teaching and the discussions he makes.”
A new literature teacher visited Europe a couple of times when he was still a student at North Cross School. The school gave him opportunities to go to four countries, including Italy, France, Spain and Greece. Now he has returned.
Britton Andrews, a new literature teacher at North Cross School, was a student in NCS for 14 years. Before moving back to Roanoke, Dr. Andrews used to live in Washington with his wife. Beside being a literature teacher he is also a father of a 2-year-old daughter. Aside, he was inspired to play football, tennis, and basketball from his parents, who were both college athletes.
“A good teacher is a good learner,” Dr. Andrews said. “If I want to help my students learn my subject, then I have to learn about and from my students constantly.”
Teaching has motivated and interested Britton more than ever. Even more than doing research and writing. He does not see a teacher as a Master of that subject but as a learner. Having classes is one of his best experiences. He has a B.A in Communication Studies at University of North Carolina. Furthermore, he also has M.F.A in Creative Writing at Western Washington University. Finally, he achieved a Ph.D degree in English Studies from University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Surprisingly, he also got the Upper School Math Awards at NCS.
“This school was my second home growing up,” Andrews said, “and I was ready to come home.”
It is delightful for Dr. Andrews to know that NCS still has a spot for him. Not only him but his whole family had lived along with the school. His dad worked for the school for a long time. All of his siblings graduated from NCS.
“She truly cared about me more than I cared about myself.”Britton shared “I’ve never forgotten it.”
Ms.Burt-Kinderman, who used to teach Calculus at NCS, is one of his most memorable teachers. She never stopped believing in Britton. She also one of the character whom inspired him to become a teacher.
“I have been impressed by his dedication to his classes and how hard he works,” said Lance Odom, Dr. Andrews’s co-worker. “Dr Andrew’s is a wonderful colleague and fantastic to work with.”
“He has a great disposition to be a very effective teacher,”Mr.Kier said. “Dr.Andrews is very gracious.”
Andrews not only got the love from his co-workers but also his dear students.
“He doesn’t leave people behind. He tried to carry everyone as the lesson was going on,” said Indira Weed ’25. “I really like his style of teaching and the discussions he makes.”
Tatum Vega brings Florida vibes to NCS
Tatum Vega was always interested in math and grew up being really good at it, so she started with a math major in college. Eventually, she switched to being a chemistry major, because she really likes the contracts behind chemistry and thinking skills involved. And now she is teaching those subjects because she has a chemistry degree and really enjoys math.
“I always looked up to my teachers growing up,” Vega said, “and in high school I really started thinking and pictured myself being a teacher.”
Vega is a new teacher from the Orange state—-Florida. She joined the NCS family as a chemistry and math teacher. Specifically Vega comes from Gainesville, where she attended the University of Florida.
“I could really see myself doing this. It seems like something I want to do. Especially when I was in my senior year in high school because I had a teacher I really really liked. He was my chemistry teacher, he drove me to [study] chemistry and I kind of realized how much teachers have impacted on students and I want my life to do that.”
That is how she knew wanted to be a teacher.
Living in the dorm right now with international students, she not only works for NCS but also works for the dorm. The reason why she chose to become a teacher at NCS, is because Roanoke is so pretty in fall and everybody was super welcoming and nice to her when she came for the first time.
Vega did not spend her whole life doing chemistry experiments and solving math problems.
“I was a competitive cheerleader for over seven years,” said Vega. “I quit in high school and I did sideline cheer for the football team at my high school, which I didn’t like as much as competitive cheerleading, then I did diving for one semester, which was cool.”
In her freetime, she plays guitar and really likes to draw. Before becoming a teacher, she taught herself to play ukulele.
“I always looked up to my teachers growing up,” Vega said, “and in high school I really started thinking and pictured myself being a teacher.”
Vega is a new teacher from the Orange state—-Florida. She joined the NCS family as a chemistry and math teacher. Specifically Vega comes from Gainesville, where she attended the University of Florida.
“I could really see myself doing this. It seems like something I want to do. Especially when I was in my senior year in high school because I had a teacher I really really liked. He was my chemistry teacher, he drove me to [study] chemistry and I kind of realized how much teachers have impacted on students and I want my life to do that.”
That is how she knew wanted to be a teacher.
Living in the dorm right now with international students, she not only works for NCS but also works for the dorm. The reason why she chose to become a teacher at NCS, is because Roanoke is so pretty in fall and everybody was super welcoming and nice to her when she came for the first time.
Vega did not spend her whole life doing chemistry experiments and solving math problems.
“I was a competitive cheerleader for over seven years,” said Vega. “I quit in high school and I did sideline cheer for the football team at my high school, which I didn’t like as much as competitive cheerleading, then I did diving for one semester, which was cool.”
In her freetime, she plays guitar and really likes to draw. Before becoming a teacher, she taught herself to play ukulele.