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Tara Alexander

Immersion - ELA and Social Studies

I graduated from Newberry College with a degree in English, Secondary Education. I went on to add Gifted and Talented, as well as Early Childhood and Middle Level Language Arts. This will be my 23rd year of teaching. My daughter will be a junior at River Bluff High School and my son will be a junior at Columbia International University. My oldest son graduated from the University of South Carolina. I am excited about the upcoming school year here at Midway! Go Mustangs! 

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Samantha Hammond

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s in Divergent Learning from Columbia College. I am certified in both Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education. I also have endorsements in Online Teaching and Gifted and Talented Education. This is my 20th year of teaching. After all these years, I still love being in the classroom. It is my passion and calling!

My husband Brian and I have two awesome boys, Noah and Henry. As a family, we love going on adventures, and playing games together. In my free time, you can find me at the pilates studio or reading a great book. I am looking forward to another amazing year at Midway!

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Jonna Howell

I am very happy to welcome your family to our third grade class at Midway Elementary! I began my teaching career in 1996 and have been lucky to teach third graders at Midway since 2005. My family and I enjoy spending our free time together outdoors on Lake Murray with our dogs, but I can’t forget our very favorite past time… cheering on the University of Florida Gators (although we root for the Gamecocks and Tigers, too!) I am looking forward to another great year of learning and growing with my third grade students and their families.

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Amanda Shealy

I am so excited for another great year in third grade!  I started here at Midway in 2012.  I have taught kindergarten, first, and second grade.  My bachelor's degree is in Early Childhood Education from the University of South Carolina and my master's is in Language and Literacy from Converse University.  I live here in Lexington with my husband, Brooks, and my two daughters, Stella and Nadine.  I enjoy spending time with my family, cooking, reading, and just being outside when I am not teaching.   I look forward to our year together! 

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Maria Villalobos

Immersion Math/Science

Hi, my name is Maria Villalobos. I’m Venezuelan and I moved from Panama exclusively to be part of the Midway family, so I’m really excited to start my second year in MES, as a 3rd grade teacher in the French Immersion Program.

I strongly believe that languages are like windows to the world. I’ve been teaching foreign languages (French, Spanish, English) to the most varied audience (from first graders to master’s degree students) in different countries (France, Venezuela, Panama, and now, USA) for over 20 years.

I love watching my students grow in our classroom, a happy place where they belong, and which is filled with interaction, challenges, problem solving, songs and games, where exploration and experimentation take place, and mistakes aren’t but opportunities to learn.

My husband, also a French teacher in Lex1, and I have two awesome kids: Emmanuel, 19, and Sebastian, 15. We love going places and appreciate the simple things in life like watching movies and playing games together. We are a happy tribe in a great place.

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Erin Waring

Welcome to third grade! I am starting my 13th year as a Midway Mustang. I attended Midway when I was in elementary school. I graduated from Winthrop University with a degree in Elementary Education. I earned my master’s degree in Advanced Studies with a concentration in Literacy from Converse College. I have had a lifelong passion for teaching and feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to teach in my hometown. My husband, Brad, and I have one son, Bryson. We love to take trips to the mountains and spend time with our family. I am looking forward to another great year in third grade!

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Kim Whyde

Hello fellow Mustangs! I am so excited about another school year at Midway. My love for teaching began as I earned my bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Columbia College and began my teaching career in Lexington School District Five across the dam. I taught third grade and earned my Master’s in elementary education from the University of South Carolina. I also went on to earn my National Board Certification and have since recertified twice as well. This is my 27th year of teaching third grade, and I still love every minute of it! I have 1 daughter who is a senior at River Bluff High School and another who is in her second year of her dental hygiene program of study.  In my free time, I spend my time with my family having fun in the sun and water as much as possible. We ride our wave runners at the lake and river or spend time relaxing on the beach. I love live music concerts and singing along.  I am looking forward to another great year of learning together.  Go Mustangs!