Staff Directory
Principal & Teachers
MS. WARNOCK
Megan Warnock | Principal
"It is my privilege to be a part of the educational opportunity at Portsmouth STEM Academy!
My passion is watching children and teachers connect and learn through innovation and experience in a positive learning environment."
Ms. Megan Warnock, from Portsmouth, Ohio, has a Master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati in Educational Leadership and a Bachelor’s degree from Shawnee State University in Middle Childhood Math, Science, and Reading. Ms. Warnock has taught 8th grade science for ten years, and has led the development of many programs that benefit children academically, socially, and behaviorally. Ms. Warnock loves Science and Math! She also loves animals, sunshine and being outdoors!
MR. SPRADLIN
Barry Spradlin | Guidance Counselor
My name is Barry Spradlin and I am excited to start my 2nd year as school counselor at Portsmouth STEM Academy. Before starting the position here, I worked in public schools for the prior 36 years. My first 14 years in education were spent as a math teacher for grades 7-12. My next 22 years were spent as a school counselor primarily serving middle school students. I love working with young people and am proud to serve our students here at STEM. I am looking forward to a fantastic school year!
MRS. DELAWDER
Bree Delawder | Teacher
Bree Delawder is a 2020 graduate of Ohio University with a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education. She is also a 2012 graduate of Wheelersburg High School. Bree is currently the 3rd and 4th grade Reading and Social Studies teacher and is starting her second year at Portsmouth Stem Academy.
Bree recently married her husband John in 2021. She is the mother of 2 boys ages 6 and 7. Her hobbies include reading, playing sports, and spending time with family. Bree also enjoys travel, watching movies, and playing outside with her kids and dogs.
MS. FRALEY
Kelly Fraley | Teacher
Kelly Fraley is a 2012 graduate of Shawnee State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education, and a green 2005 Green High School Alumni. She is currently the 1st and 2nd grade Reading and Social Studies teacher and has been at Portsmouth STEM Academy since 2014.
Kelly has been in the field of education for over 10 years. She volunteers at church and helps coach Biddy Ball cheerleading. She loves to read and her favorite book series is Harry Potter. Ms. Fraley loves to visit the beach and spending time with her family and friends. Ms. Fraley has a daughter, Macy Fraley, who attends Portsmouth STEM Academy.
MRS. WEBER
Meaghan Weber | Teacher
Meaghan Weber is a 2020 graduate of Shawnee State University where she majored in Early Childhood Special Education (a dual-license). She is a member of New Boston High School’s graduating class of 2012. While attending SSU, Meaghan worked at CAO Head Start for 2 years, where she gained valuable classroom experience.
Meaghan recently married Seth Weber in 2022 and has a black cat named Shinx. She loves watching movies, and Netflix series. Meaghan loves to travel, try new foods and experiences. She is a lifelong Cincinnati Reds fan and loves to attend games at GABP during the Summer. Some of Meaghan’s favorite things are iced coffee, sour gummy worms, and the MCU.
MRS. BARNHART
Amy Barnhart | Teacher
Mrs. Barnhart is currently the middle-school Social Studies and History teacher at Portsmouth STEM Academy in Portsmouth, Ohio. Previous to her teaching career, Amy had a career in marketing and graphic design, working in the corporate business world for over fifteen years.
When Amy moved to the Portsmouth area, she decided to go back to college and pursue a new life as a teacher so that she could help make a difference in the lives and education of children.
Amy Barnhart is President of the Portsmouth Area Arts Council and Children’s Theater, and serves on the Educator Committee for Placemaking in Scioto County, Ohio’s curriculum development initiative through Ohio State University.
Amy lives in Portsmouth along with her husband, a Professor at Shawnee State University, a son who attends the University, and a daughter in high school at Portsmouth STEM Academy.
MR. WILLIAMS
Jeff Williams | Teacher
My name is Jeff Williams and I am very proud to be a part of Portsmouth STEM Academy, seven years and running. I received a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Ohio University in Science and Social Studies.
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I have a true passion for storytelling, I love sharing my experiences all the while teaching children through these interactions, especially teaching them how to reflect and learn from what they might experience as they progress in the future.
I am open minded and old school teaching all in the same sentence, and understand that learning will come in many different forms. I enjoy learning from my students, as their anecdotes provide an all around view of their personalities, making teaching them all the more enjoyable.
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I strive to create a community of learners based on activities from constructing projects for a class assignment to school garden boxes for tomatoes. I enjoy sharing outdoor activities, such as biking, hiking, kayaking, and camping.
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Personally, I have been married 26 years and have an eighteen year old daughter, who recently graduated from Portsmouth STEM Academy. Teaching her the past six years has been the highlight of my teaching career. Watching her grow from a young age to the young person she is today inspires me as both an educator and a father.
MRS. MCKNIGHT
Monica McKnight | Teacher
Monica McKnight, of Minford, Ohio, is a 2018 graduate of Shawnee State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education. She is also a member of Minford High School’s Class of 2014. Monica has worked at Portsmouth STEM Academy for 3 years as a kindergarten teacher. She has a passion for building genuine relationships with her students and their families throughout one of the most exciting school years of their life- Kindergarten! Her favorite way to spend her time is with her husband and all of their animals on their farm.
MR. SCHNEIDER
Dustin Schneider | Teacher
Dustin Schneider, of Lucasville, Ohio, is a 2021 graduate of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, with a Masters of Arts in Teaching Secondary Education. Prior to his masters he was a 2011 graduate of Shawnee State University with a Bachelor's degree in Science. He is also a member of Lucasville Valley High School's graduating class of 2004. This is Dustin's 7th year here at Portsmouth STEM Academy. Dustin is married to Meagan Schneider and has three daughters, Madison, Makenna and Maelee. He is a sports fanatic that loves the Buckeyes, Liberty Flames, Bengals, and Reds. Dustin says that he came to the Portsmouth STEM Academy to help develop and encourage young adults to prosper in both the classroom and in life.
MRS. JONES
Lesley Jones | Intervention Specialist
Lesley Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in education (orthopedically handicapped, learning disabilities, emotionally disturbed & cognitively impaired students) from the University of Kentucky as well as a master’s degree from Morehead State University and a supervisors certificate in general education & special education from Ohio University. She developed a resource room in Lexington, Kentucky for learning disabled students, taught orthopedically handicapped students in Portsmouth, Ohio, served as the special education coordinator at Scioto County Career & Technical School for 32 years, and is currently completing special education compliance forms to ensure student success at STEM.
Lesley believes that a teacher’s classroom should be a “full-service center” to fulfill the needs of “at-risk” and “exceptional” students, and is committed to maintaining a professional, secure, and protective environment to enhance learning opportunities and provide a positive educational experience for each student with special needs.
MRS. SCOTT-MCMULLEN
Evelyn Scott-McMullen | Teacher
Evelyn Scott-McMullen is a 2012 graduate of Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) where she majored in Secondary English Education and minored in Classical Humanities. While there, Evelyn had her writing published in an on-campus literary and arts magazine, and studied abroad in Scotland, taking classes in Philosophy and Psychology at the University of Stirling.
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Evelyn grew up in Lucasville, Ohio, where she returned after graduating to marry her partner, Michael. Together they are the proud parents of two pugs, Ziggy and Zappa, Stevie Nicks (the cat), and 8 chickens. Evelyn is a Ravenclaw, loves the creativity of cooking, and reads - all of the books - in her spare time. Currently, she is Art Club advisor and GSA advisor.
MRS. WATTS
Samantha Watts | Teacher
"I am a 2009 graduate from Shawnee State University. My husband, Alex, and I have two great children, Rylie and Owen, who attend school here at PSA. We live in Wheelersburg with our black Labradoodle Claire-Belle. We enjoy traveling and visiting our family. My husband and I teach a young adult Sunday School class at our church and love spending time with them.
'I am thankful for the privilege to be teaching your student math and science this school year. When PSA opened their doors in 2014, I knew that I wanted my family to be a part of this unique opportunity. I love that our students are learning the Design Process at an early age. They are growing a passion for science and technology and are encouraged to be innovators."
"If we teach today as we were taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow."
~ John Dewey
MRS. ADAMS
Amanda Adams | Intervention Specialist
I graduated Shawnee State University in 2016 with a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education PreK-3, with an endorsement in Teacher Mentoring/Leadership. I earned my Master’s in Intervention K-12 from Shawnee State University in 2017. I have worked at Vern Riffe School for 5 years as an Intervention Specialist/Primary Teacher in a self-contained classroom. I enjoyed my time teaching at VRS and developed a passion for working with students with disabilities.
I attended Minford High School and graduated in the class of 1998. I currently reside in Franklin Furnace, Ohio with my husband and 2 children. My daughter attends Wheelersburg High School, and my son was a 2021 graduate of Wheelersburg. In my spare time I enjoy watching my son race his dirtbike and watching my daughter run in cross country. I also enjoy owning and operating my small side business in jewelry sales, shopping and traveling with my family.
MS. JOHNSON
Catie Johnson | Teacher
“Ms. Johnson, of Wheelersburg, Ohio is a 2021 graduate of Shawnee State University with a Bachelor’s in Middle Childhood Math and Science. She is also a member of Wheelersburg High School’s Class of 2016. Catie has always known that she wanted to become a teacher. She is thrilled to be apart of the Portsmouth STEM Academy family! Outside of teaching, Catie loves sports, puzzles, crafts, and animals. She participated in basketball, volleyball, and track and field throughout her time in grade school, but her favorite sport is football. She also showed lambs in 4-H for 7 years and loved every minute of it. Catie is overjoyed to have the opportunity to equip students with knowledge and life skills as they come through her classroom!”
MRS. TRAPP
Katie Trapp | Teacher
Ms. Trapp graduated from Shawnee State University with degrees in English and Graphic Design and received her Master's in Media Design from Full Sail University. Prior to that, she graduated from Northwest High School in McDermott, Ohio.
Having originally come from the world of Public Relations and Communications, Ms. Trapp found her passion for education when she was offered a chance to teach first-year writing classes at Shawnee State University. When she was offered the position of middle school English & Language Arts at STEM, Ms. Trapp happily accepted. She believes that everyone can enjoy reading, they just have to find the right book. Ms. Trapp is also the owner of Wendell, PSA's Therapy Dog in Training.
In her free time, Ms. Trapp is an avid attendee of theater productions and renaissance festivals, she also reads, draws, and plays video games with her husband in their home with their other pets, another dog, Bowie, and three cats, Vincent, Apollo, and Lil-Cat.
Instructional Aides & Support Staff
MRS. CONNALLY
Amy Connally | Instructional Aide
Amy Connally is from Portsmouth, Ohio. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and is a 2003 graduate of Portsmouth High School. Amy is a passionate about caring for others. Before joining her STEM family she was employed at Southern Ohio Medical Center and Florida Hospital, in Orlando Florida.
Amy has been married to her husband, Emmanuel since 2011 and together they have two STEM kids, Isabella and Emmanuel II. She attends Life Point Church in Portsmouth and is a vocalist on the worship team. She comes from a large family and enjoys spending time with them. She also loves to travel, especially to warm places, and prefers to be outside!
MRS. Opperman
Angela Opperman | Instructional Aide
Angela (Angie) Opperman is a 1990 graduate of Wright State University. She has a B.S. in Business Management. Angie has worked in a variety of different supervisory positions. Her most recent role was as a Teaching Assistant for West Preschool for 16 years. Her husband, Craig, is her best friend. They have two sons, Austin and Jared and will soon be welcoming a daughter in law, Kaylee.
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Angie is very excited for this new opportunity at STEM.
Ms. Brewer
Madison Brewer | Instructional Aide
Madison (Maddie) Brewer lives in West Portsmouth, Ohio and is a 2019 graduate of Valley High School. Before coming to STEM, Maddie was an employee of the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office. Maddie has a son named Carson along with a pup named Calli. Maddie has a large family whom she enjoys spending time with.
Maddie is very excited to be part of the team at STEM and looks forward to helping the kids excel!
Mrs. Bryant
Kirstin Bryant | Instructional Aide
Kirstin Bryant is a 2020 graduate of Shawnee State University. Mrs. Bryant's passion of caring for children and shaping their educational experiences became very clear while working at Shawnee State's Children's Learning Center. She has since dedicated her career to helping students grow into the independent critical thinkers of society.
Mrs. Bryant is a West Portsmouth native but currently resides in Russell, Kentucky with her husband, Mason, and her dog, Mac.
MRS. STEVENS
Debbie Stevens | Administrative Secretary
Mrs. Debra Stevens has been employed at PSA since August, 2016. Through her years at STEM, she worked as a Paraprofessional. She felt the most rewarding aspect of that position was seeing students set goals and achieving them. Most recently, she took over the position of Administrative Secretary, AKA…Chaos Coordinator. Mrs. Stevens lives in the Friendship area with her husband Paul. Living next to Shawnee Forest, she finds joy in the outdoors and enjoys doing outdoorsy things including fishing, hunting, hiking, kayaking, bonfires, etc. She and Paul have a blended family with 4 children, Matthew, Kirstin (Mason), Levi, Rebecca (John). They have 5 fur babies, attend LifePoint church, enjoy flea markets and hanging out with friends. She will be welcoming her first grandchild in September, 2023.
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Her son Levi was a first-year student of PSA when it opened in August, 2014. He is now a PSA alumni, graduating in 2020.
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Go Owls!!
Board Members
MATT SEIFERT
President
(bio coming soon)
ADAM HEIM
Treasurer
(bio coming soon)
Coleen Kosan
Recording Secretary
(bio coming soon)
Scottie Powell
Member
(bio coming soon)
MICHAEL BARNHART
PhD, Member
Michael Barnhart teaches music and technology courses at Shawnee State University and serves as vice president of the faculty senate. At the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music he created an award-winning rural multimedia studio with support from the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund. Barnhart sees his involvement with the Portsmouth STEM Academy as a continuing step in his 20-year commitment to project based learning.
FRANCESCA HARTOP
Founder, Honorary Emeritus Member
Francesca Hartop is the organizing founder of Portsmouth STEM Academy. A life-long entrepreneur, she was an early advocate for the economic and cultural revitalization of downtown Portsmouth. Her three boys, now 15, 12, and 9, were part of the school's opening day enrollment in 2013.
ANDREW FEIGHT
PhD, Honorary Emeritus Member
Dr. Andrew Feight teaches American history at Shawnee State University, where he serves as Director of the Digital History Lab and President of the University Faculty Senate. His nine year old son, Henry Ulysses Feight, enrolled as part of the Portsmouth STEM Academy's first class. "When I first heard of the plans for the Portsmouth STEM Academy I was immediately interested in getting involved in such a forward thinking, innovative alternative to the existing public and private schools in the Portsmouth area. The Academy fills a void and offers a bright path forward for area children and their parents. The fast pace of technological development of our day and age will now be matched by the Academy's dynamic curriculum of project-based learning."