Darren Norton - Lead Teacher, Middle School Catechist -
Darren Norton is the Lead Teacher and Middle School Catechist (Religion Teacher) at Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary School. He has 26 years of experience in education in both public and Catholic schools. Six of those years were spent in administration of alternative schools and fourteen in administration in Catholic schools. Mr. Norton received his Bachelor’s degree in English Education, Master’s of Educational Leadership and Rank 1 Certification from Eastern Kentucky University. He has been happily married to Kathy Norton, a prior Pre-K Teacher at Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary School, for over 32 years. His three children graduated from Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary School, Lexington Catholic High School and Eastern Kentucky University.
Elizabeth Ward - Science Teacher -
Mrs. Ward teaches 7th and 8th grade science at Mary Queen. She has a biology degree from Butler University and a masters degree in teaching from Georgetown College. She has taught for 14 years in public and private schools at both the middle school and high school levels. She enjoys spending time with her husband and preschool daughter.
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Lynn Frank - Math Teacher -
Lynn Frank teaches middle school math at Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary. She has 15 years of teaching experience in both public and Catholic schools, 12 of those here at Mary Queen. Mrs. Frank received her Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Kentucky in Middle School Education and her Master’s Degree in Middle School Education from Georgetown College with Math and Social Studies as areas of specialization. She is the coach of the Mary Queen MathCounts team. She is the mother of four, two girls and two boys. She also is the grandmother to two wonderful grandkids! She loves doing home improvement projects in her free-time.
Cindy Herman - Language Arts -
Cindy Herman is a teacher in our Middle School Language Arts Department. She has over fourteen years in public education with a strong background in special education and behavior management. She has a BS in Elementary Education and a BS in Special Education from Ball State University. Her Master's Degree in Literacy Specialist was obtained at the University of the Cumberlands. Ms. Herman is the proud mother of three boys ages 16, 20, and 22 years old. In the summer of 2022, she spent time in Kya Sands, South Africa teaching kindergarten. She has plans to return in 2023 to continue her mission of educating teachers as well as their students, focusing on how to use limited resources and still make an impact. Currently, in Ms. Herman's free time she likes to binge-watch TV with her two dogs, and surf the internet for a great vacation deal.
Dr. April Wood -Language Arts-
Dr. Wood teaches middle school Language Arts at Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary. She has 20+ years of teaching experience in the public school and at the university level. Dr. Wood received her Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Kentucky in Elementary Education, her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Georgetown College with Gifted Education Certification, and her Master's and Doctorate Degrees in Administrative Leadership from Eastern Kentucky University. She is the mother of one smart and talented daughter. Dr. Wood lives on a farm in Jessamine County with her two dogs, Titan and EllaGrace.
Denise Piekarski -Science and Religion-
Denise Piekarski teaches middle school science and Religion. She has a teaching degree from Western Illinois University and an administration degree from Dominican University. Mrs. Piekarski has 8 years experience teaching middle school, and 2 years as a principal of an all-girls high school, all a part of the Archdiocese of Chicago. She currently has 2 daughters attending Mary Queen.
Kiera McEvoy -Social Studies-
Kiera McEvoy teaches middle school Social Studies. She received her Bachelor's from Eastern Kentucky University in Grades 5-9 and is certified in both science and social studies. She has taught in both private and public schools and this is her 5th year teaching. She has taught not only in Lexington but in Nashville and Chicago (for summer school). During college she helped tutor in the foster care system. She hopes to adopt in the future. She has coached soccer, volleyball, and cross country, as well as has participated in KUNA and this year KYA. In her free time she loves to play sports and go to the gym. She enjoys staying active.
Devin Lynch -Pre-Algebra-
Devin Lynch teaches sixth grade pre-algebra. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Ole Miss and Master’s degree from Belmont University. Previously, she wrote curriculum and taught middle school math in Memphis TN. When she is not at school, she loves watching college football (Go Rebs!) and playing with her two golden doodles. Devin, and her husband Colin, recently welcomed to the world a new baby boy, Keegan!