Grammar School Teachers
Sarah Kyles-Kindergarten
Born in El Dorado, Arkansas, Sarah found many things she liked at an early age. She graduated from Genoa High School in 1998 and went to college at Texas A&M, graduating with a degree in English and minor in History. She has been married to her husband, Clint since 1999 and has been blessed with two boys, Caedmon and Simon Henry. She enjoys reading (Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and children's literature), hiking, biking, photography, and blueberries!
She is the kindergarten teacher at Veritas because, "I love kindergarten and kindergartners. They are so full of wonder for God's creation. Everything is new and magical to them. Like God, they can ask to hear a story over and over or watch a butterfly for hours because "it is good". They make me laugh and I am selfish enough to want to be the one to show them how perfect a good story can be!"
Becky Lewis-First Grade
Becky Lewis has been teaching at Veritas for ten years, but she has taught children for over thirty years! She enjoys working with children and "watching them learn." She has been married to Ray for thirty-seven years. They have one son, Doug, who lives in Little Rock, Arkansas; and a Russell terrier named Ellie-who goes everywhere with Becky and Ray. Becky's favorite thing to do is go to the beach-"any beach." Her true love of this life, however, is "Christ and teaching children."
Heather Evans-Second Grade
Heather Evans has been married to John for almost eleven years. She has two boys, Brendan and Joseph, both of which attend the grammar school. Heather graduated high school from Genoa and has attended Texarkana College and Texas A&M at Texarkana. Heather is a member of Grace Covenant Church and teaches second grade at Veritas Academy.
Jennifer Carnes-Third & Fourth Grades
Now officially out of her rookie year at Veritas Academy, Mrs. Jennifer Carnes and her family believe Veritas Academy is a blessing from God. Jennifer has a degree in English from The University of Texas in Arlington. After five years of teaching high school and junior high English for Joshua Christian Academy, she has settled in nicely as our third and fourth grade teacher. She and her husband, Jon, have two sons, Jacob and Joshua, who attend Veritas.
Meredith Farren-Fifth & Sixth Grades
Meredith Farren, a Texarkana native, has made it her lifelong goal to mentor and train young people in being the people God created them to be. Mrs. Farren is no stranger to the ups and downs of adolescents, due to her involvement with church youth groups. Mrs. Farren and her husband David have been working with youth for 9 years, 3 as part-time volunteers and 6 as full-time youth ministry, recently moving to Trinity Baptist Church. In that responsibility, Mrs. Farren has had the opportunity to teach Sunday school and lead small group Bible studies.
Along with the 200 or so 'kids' the Farrens have in the youth group, they also have two biological children who both attend Veritas Academy. Their children Avery and Abby are part of the grammar school.
In her spare time, Mrs. Farren enjoys spending time with her family.
Becky Ramsey-Grammar Latin/Library
Becky Ramsey is Veritas's elementary Latin teacher, librarian, and drama teacher. She grew up a Navy brat and traveled a lot. She spent most of her growing up years in Hawaii and considers it home. She graduated high school from Hale O'Ulu. She has an Associate of Arts degree from the University of Hawaii. Her focus was Theatre Arts until she met her future husband Steve while on a Summer Project in Yellowstone National park in 1979. They were married in 1980. She continued her education for a time at Louisiana Tech University, her interests now changed to Early Childhood Development. In 1982, their first child was born, four more soon to follow. Formal education was now replaced by "on the job training."
Mrs. Ramsey has been involved with Veritas Academy from its conception. She had an interest in the establishment of the library. She is an avid and eclectic reader. Many boxes of books resided in her dining room for months while she processed them and ("on too many occasions") read them. She began teaching at Veritas in the elementary school in 1998, teaching the third and sixth grades. "I have loved teaching Latin," she says. "It has been an ongoing learning process. Each year, I unfold another layer of this wonderful language."
All of her five children have graduated from Veritas.
Secondary Teachers
Mark Duncan-Science and Math
A native Virginian, Mark was born and raised in Roanoke, in the midst of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Thus he was doubly blessed: blessed by hailing from the land of Lee and Jackson and also blessed by having a Scottish heritage. He is a Cum Laude graduate of Washington and Lee University where he earned a BS degree in biology. Mark was also captain of the football team at Washington and Lee.
After teaching and coaching for several years, Mark entered Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, receiving the Master of Divinity degree. During the last twenty-seven years, Mark has served various churches as pastor.
For the past twenty-nine years, Mark has been married to his wife, Peggy. God has blessed Mark and Peggy with seven children ranging in age from twenty-five to seven years.
Mark is delighted to be back in Texarkana and on staff at Veritas Academy as our math and science instructor in the high school-and Veritas is delighted to have him!
Stephanie House-Music
Stephanie graduated from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia with a degree in elementary education and a minor degree in music education. She previously taught second grade for four years at Genoa Central Elementary. She attends Grace Covenant Church with her husband, Ben, and four children, Nicholas, TaraJane, Nathaniel, and Caroline. She has taught piano lessons off and on for the past fifteen years, including the teaching of two of her own children. For the past ten years, her teaching focus has been the students of Veritas Academy. In this role she has taught general music, music history, and recorder.
While teaching at Genoa and in preparation for our first child, she began to feel there was something lacking in what she was prescribed to teach. She didn't realize it at the time, but she was struggling to structure her classes after a classical model. Not long after this, she and her husband Ben and attended their first ACCS (Association of Classical and Christian Schools) meeting. There were barely over a hundred people attending. As they struggled with God over taking on the task of starting a distinctly classical school, it became more apparent that it was exactly what God wanted them to do. She and her husband have attended many meetings since that first time and are convinced again and again that this is a worthy Christian calling.
As you might expect, Stephanie's hobbies include music. She has been a member of the Texarkana Regional Chorale for the past seven years and has had the opportunity to sing at Carnegie hall in New York City and in Montreal.
Stephanie anxiously awaits the opportunities God has in store for her as a teacher at Veritas and in her personal musical journey.
Toni Lemley-Secondary Bible/Rhetoric/Sr. Thesis
Mrs. Lemley is NOT a stranger to the Veritas hallways. She has been teaching at Veritas since the beginning. Her roots run deep in the area, too. She was born and raised in Texarkana, graduated from Arkansas High and attended Ouachita Baptist University where she studied Accounting. She has been married to her husband, Jack, for 34 years. Their two children, Jack Jr. and Kristen are both graduates of Veritas Academy. "I have been a teacher my whole life. My goal is to teach children to see the world from God's perspective."
Susannah Linnett-Secondary Math/Director of Development
Oh, Susannah was born in Texarkana to Diana and Josh Morriss. She had a fine time at school, soaking up whatever she could learn in math, choir, yearbook and theatre and graduated from Texas High in 1998. She went on to Baylor where not only did she graduate with a BFA in Theatre Performance, but she met her future husband, Daniel. Directly after finishing her degree at Baylor and rushing home to witness her little sister, Marjorie, graduate from Veritas Academy in 2002, she was married to Daniel. They now have four children, Joshua, Isaac, Samuel and Leah. The older two attend Veritas. Daniel is a Financial Advisor with his own company, Linnett Wealth Management, and they reside in Ashdown, Arkansas. The whole family is actively involved at First Baptist Church in Ashdown, where Susannah directs the first-fifth grade choir and puts on a musical each year. As Director of Development for Veritas, she will do her best to raise the funds Veritas needs BUT "unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain..." Psalm 127:1 Thank you, Lord!
Diana Morriss-Secondary Latin
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Diana Morriss attended Southern Methodist University and graduated from Baylor College of Dentistry in 1973 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Hygiene. She worked as a hygienist in Austin while her new husband Josh attended law school. They then moved to Texarkana. Josh and Diana have three daughters, all married now, and seven grandchildren, all of whom live in the area. Their youngest daughter, Marjorie, is a graduate of Veritas. Two of their daughters, Meredith and Susannah are now teachers at Veritas, and four of their grandchildren are now students.
Josh is the Chief Justice of the Sixth District Court of Appeals in Texarkana after practicing law for 26 years. The Morrisses are members at Fellowship Bible Church, active in worship and women's ministries.
This is Mrs. Morriss's fifteenth year at Veritas teaching Latin. Some of her former students are now bringing their own children to school here. In the past several years she has taken three student groups to Rome, in her words, "the perfect topping for a classical education." She thinks Veritas is a wonderful school!
Board Members
Jeff Bruce
Jeff Bruce is the Forensic Chemist Supervisor at the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory in Hope, Arkansas. He has worked for the Crime Lab since 1998, and he has also served Veritas Academy for three years (2004-2007) as a chemistry and physics teacher. Jeff and his wife Jenefer have two children, Victoria and Adam, both students at Veritas. Jeff also serves Grace Covenant Church in Texarkana, Arkansas, as a deacon.
Richard Hornok
Richard J. Hornok is Senior Pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Texarkana, Texas. He is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute (79), Washington Bible College (80) and Dallas Theological Seminary. Richard holds the degrees of Master of Theology (84) and Doctor of Ministry (93) from Dallas. Richard comes from a family of pastors. Along with being a second generation Pastor, his four brothers and his brother-in-law all graduated from Dallas Seminary as well and they serve as pastors throughout the United States. Richard grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, and his wife Vicki, grew up in Dallas. Vicki is a graduate of Baylor University. They have been married since May of 1982 and have seven children: Jonathan, Emily, Caroline, Grace, George, Julia and Eleanor. Jonathan, Emily, and Caroline are graduates of Veritas, and Grace and George attend Veritas now. Richard has been on the school Board since 2003.
Jack Lemley
Jack Lemley was a Claims Representative for State Farm Insurance Company from 1984 to 1999. He completed a BAAS degree at Texas A&M Texarkana in 1996 with a concentration in accounting. Fall 1999 to Winter 2002 he was an independent adjuster. Winter 2002 to the present he has worked as a claims representative and supervisor for Farmers Insurance. He is a founding board member of Veritas Academy, and has been board chairman several times.
Steve Nix
Born and raised in Texarkana, Arkansas, Steve Nix did two things right in 1975: 1) Got a job with the US Postal Service; and 2) got married to his high-school sweetheart, Bettye Shuffield-both job and wife have stayed with him these many years. Steve and Bettye have three grown sons-two married and two Veritas graduates-and three grandchildren, all at Veritas.
Steve is a founding board member of Veritas Academy (and has been a founding board member of several other Christian homeschooling organizations and Christian schools), has served as chairman of the Veritas Board, and is currently (2007/2008) on sabbatical. He is also a charter member and deacon of Grace Covenant Church of Texarkana.
Steve has a desire to see Veritas Academy reach deep in the local community, gather the support of local churches, businesses, and individuals, providing a classical Christian education for all who desire to work for one.
Steve Ramsey
Steven James Ramsey is Battalion Chief with the Texarkana Texas Fire Department, a Founding Board Member of the Veritas Academy Board, and a member of Grace Covenant Church in Texarkana, Arkansas. Steve graduated with a BS from Louisiana Tech University in 1980, and has been married to Becky (elementary Latin teacher and librarian at Veritas) for thirty-one years. Steve and Becky have five children, all of which are graduates from Veritas.
Administration
Ben House-Headmaster & Humanities
Ben House has worked as an administrator and teacher at Veritas Academy since its founding. He is an elder at Grace Covenant Church in Texarkana, Arkansas. Ben received a bachelor's degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a master's degree from East Texas State University in Texarkana. He has been a teacher in both public and private schools for thirty years. At Veritas, he teaches the four year Humanities Program in the high school, along with rhetoric, government, and American and world history. His many years of teaching and reading history contributed to his writing and publishing a book titled Punic Wars and Culture Wars. His teachings and interests and writings center around history, literature, and theology. He is an unrestrained buyer and collector of books. He and his wife, Stephanie, have four children: Nicholas, TaraJane, Nathaniel, and Caroline.
Lance Vermillion-Grammar Headmaster & P.E.
Lance Vermillion has worked as a teacher and administrator for over ten years in three different classical, Christian schools. Lance received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas where he studied history, literature, and education. He and his wife Anna have been married for more than ten years, and they live here in Texarkana with their five children.
Bess Hawthrone-Administrative Assistant
Bess Hawthorne has attended Texarkana Community College and New St. Andrews College in Moscow, ID. She enjoyed classically homeschooling her own children for 8 years but now that four of her five children now attend Veritas, she can use her organizational skills in the office keeping the school running smoothly. She also enjoys cooking, reading and playing tennis in her spare time.
