New staff begins new school year at Northern Elementary

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series highlighting new staff for the school year.

By Nila Harris

BUTLER — A new school year means welcoming new staff at each of the four Pendleton County schools. Here’s who’s new at Northern Elementary School.

• Tiara Hony joins the fifth-grade team at Northern Elementary. She is a Cincinnati Christian University graduate who holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with an Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education certification.

She is teaching writing, science and interventions.

Born and raised in Northern Kentucky, Hony enjoys taking her “three beautiful kids” on adventures and to cheer practice and performances.

“A fun fact about me is that I lived in India for 100 days during college for a study abroad program.”

• Another new addition to fifth grade is 2005 Pendleton County High School graduate Derrick Kells.

Kells attended college at the University of the Cumberlands and earned his Bachelor of Science degree with a focus on social and behavioral studies. He teaches social studies.

Kells is a member of Fairlane Baptist Church, where he attends with his wife and two sons.

In his limited free time, he enjoys playing golf, hunting and watching University of Kentucky basketball, although he admits to watching some UK football too.

• Cassandra Robinson is new to the cafeteria, but not to Pendleton County. She said she has “been here my whole life!”

The 2012 PCHS graduate is “excited to learn and work with the wonderful ladies in the kitchen and provide healthy meals to the kiddos.”

Robinson enjoys reading and riding horses — but, she says, not at the same time! She has also developed an interest in birds.

• Joining the staff as a speech therapist is Alexandria native Sophia Cooney. She provides services for preschool through fifth grade.

Cooney completed her master’s degree in speech-language pathology at the University of Cincinnati. Her undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky is in communication sciences and disorders.

Cooney said that in her free time, she enjoys playing pickleball, doing needlepoint and spending time with her family and friends.

• Angie Ammerman comes back to NES as a kindergarten teacher. She brings a wealth of classroom experience after substitute teaching for more than 10 years, serving as an interventionist at NES four years ago, and more recently, teaching creative writing at Sharp Middle School.

The Northern Kentucky University graduate holds a degree in middle grades language arts and social studies, and is in a proficiency program through the University of the Cumberlands to add an elementary certification.

Her hobbies include traveling to the beach or mountains (she said they she and her husband like both places), watching movies and swimming.

• Rounding out the third-grade team is Kamon Smith. Smith, who grew up in nearby Bracken County, has a master’s degree in IECE elementary and in special education learning and behavior disorders (LBD), and moderate to severe disabilities (MSD) from the University of the Cumberlands.

Smith calls herself a “special needs mom” and admits that her educational focus was influenced by her daughter.

Smith enjoys diamond painting, evening walks and spending time with her husband and two daughters.

• Kayla Roberts is originally from Indiana, moving to Pendleton County in 2016 because of her husband’s job.

Roberts, who holds an associate’s degree in applied sciences, joins veteran teacher Chelsea Hisel as a special education aide.

Roberts said that in her spare time, she enjoys attending horse shows, gardening, reading, baking and spending time with her family.

• New third to fifth grades reading and math interventionist AnnMarie Stacy grew up in Georgetown but relocated to Northern Kentucky when she was in high school.

The Northern Kentucky University graduate holds a bachelor’s degree in leadership and is working on Option 6 to obtain her teaching certification. The Option 6 program allows students who already have a bachelor’s degree, a minimum grade-point average of 2.75, and are employed in a Kentucky school system to gain their teacher certification.

Drawn to education by her family background and ready for a change from her previous career, Stacey chose to pursue teaching.

She said that when not in the classroom, she enjoys hanging out with her three dogs — a Labrador mix, a coonhound and an Aussie.