Faculty and Staff
We're proud of the experience and qualifications of our teachers. Please check out the links below to find out more about our teachers and staff.
Sarah hames
Owner, History, Music
Sarah Hames is the proud owner of Music and More and Forest Path Academy. Sarah was home-schooled through high school and after working for several years as the manager of a comic book store, attended North Harris College where she received music and academic scholarships and was named Outstanding Music Student of the year. She then transferred to HBU where she received a full endowed academic scholarship and graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance, with piano as her secondary instrument.
Sarah has been playing the piano for about 22 years, and served as the organist and music director/choir director at St. Luke's Lutheran church for a number of years.
Sarah completed additional coursework through Kindermusik International to become a fully licensed Kindermusik educator in 1999 and has been teaching Kindermusik ever since.
In addition to her teaching schedule at Friendswood Music and More Sarah loves to sing and is active in theatre-she has been seen in a variety of musicals and roles including Cinderella in Into the Woods, Johanna in Sweeney Todd, the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Maria in the Sound of Music. Most importantly, Sarah is a mother of three beautiful children- Arwen Elizabeth, Nathan Joseph, and little Emma Rebekah. Sarah is privileged to be able to stay home with her children while sharing her love of music with yours.
Carla Reed
Spanish, Math
Carla Reed holds a degree in archaeology from the University of Texas at Austin and has worked a wide variety of jobs from local archaeological consulting, to oil and gas, and lab work with the meteorites in the astromaterials lab at NASA. Carla is our field trip coordinator, event planner, and school assistant that helps keep families and teachers communicating and connected. Carla shares her love of the outdoors with her husband Johnny Reed and their three sons.
Jamie Michel
Kindergarten, Elementary Science
Ms. Jamie has a degree in child development as well as a Texas Child Care Center Director license. She previously has been the director of childcare at Hope Lutheran and has many years of experience working with young children. Jamie enjoys creating developmentally appropriate activities for her students.
KAWANNA PARSONS
Music
Ms. Kawanna comes to Texas from New York. She has a degree in Music Education and Jazz Composition from Five Towns College. Kawanna has performed with the Nassau Symphony, Long Island Pops, Coast Guard Auxiliary Band, and at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and Disney World.
Leigh-Anne Marx
Art
Leigh Anne Marx has been painting and drawing since the age of seven. She grew up watching students learn about art in her grandmother's art studio in Houston. Samples of her watercolors have been seen on display at Friendswood Frame and Gallery, and students can also see some of her art on the wall in our art room. Mrs. Marx earned two degrees: a Bachelor's Degree in Art and a Master's Degree in Education with a specialization in Art. She was an art teacher with Friendswood ISD for thirteen years. Ms. Marx enjoys sharing her love of art with the students at Forest Path.
Claire Byrnsted
Science
Mrs. B has a BS in Marine Biology from Texas A&M Galveston and an MS in Environmental Science from SFA with her thesis focusing on aquatic toxicology. In her free time Mrs. B enjoys reading, traveling, gardening, and spending time with her husband, two children, and two dogs.
Brigette Berry
Science, Math
Originally born in Germany, Ms. Bridget moved to the US at the age of 10. She didn’t speak a bit of English but learned very quickly! Bridget has a Master’s of Science in education, and has over 25 years of teaching experience. She has taught a variety of classes including 6th, 7th, and 8th grade science as well as English and study skills. She is the proud mother of 5 children and grandmother of 18.
Beverly Flance
English
I retired from Clear Creek Independent School District after teaching 30 years. I have taught grades 3-8, but most of my experience has been in middle school. I taught general education classes and Gifted and Talented classes, led a Drama Club, was the Student Council sponsor, and ended the last years of my career as the Department Head for English/Language Arts in grades 6, 7, and 8. I spent time writing curriculum for the district and presented ELA teacher educational sessions at state conferences.
I graduated with a bachelor’s degree from The University of Southern Mississippi and have worked toward various certifications since that time. I taught three years in Mississippi, then moved to Texas where I taught nine years in Aldine ISD. I finished my career teaching 18 years in CCISD. Since then, I have endeavored to continue educating children through tutoring and working part-time in a school setting.
Reading is my lifelong passion. Even as a child, I preferred reading a book to watching TV, and this is still true today. I believe in creating a love of learning in children along with developing structure for life-long success.
Arwen Hames
Preschool Assistant, Art
Arwen is Ms. Sarah's daughter, and a home-school graduate. She enjoys assisting with the preschool students and showing off her reptiles during our summer camps and animal care classes. Arwen is currently studying art at Alvin Community college.
Amy Keels
Consumer Math, Language Arts, Psychology
Amy has a BS in Psychology and Anthropology as well as a Masters in Industrial Organizational Psychology.
Cynthia Howison
First Grade
Cynthia is an education major with a specialization in Special Education. She also has a Masters degree in Teacher Leadership as well as 21 years of teaching experience with first grade students! She worked for the Alvin school district from 2013-2020. She is excited to be working with the first graders here at Forest Path this year and spending more time with her granddaughter.
Kristen Kilpatrick
Language Arts, Math
Ms. Kristen has been teaching at Forest Path since 2021. She has taught a variety of classes, including 2nd, 4th, and 5th grade language arts, 4th grade math, themed activities for pre-K, and creative writing. She attended Alvin Community College before transferring to University of Houston- Clear Lake, and holds a degree in early childhood education. When she’s not at school, she enjoys running, reading, and spending time with her daughters.
Allison Sumrall
Preschool, Theater
Ms. Allison has many years of experience working as a professional actor with Masquerade Theater as well as teaching for their Tribble School. She also works as a professional voice actor. Ms. Allison has been the preschool teacher at Forest Path since 2017 as well as teaching music and theater. Ms. Ali enjoys helping our youngest students grow and learn.
Debra Jackson
Elementary Language Arts and Math
Debra has a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Houston Clear Lake and a Masters in Education from St. Thomas. She has worked in Alief and Pasedena as a classroom teacher and a special education teacher and has spent the last 6 years as an educational diagnostician for HISD.
Julia Snedecker
Math
I was raised in Oklahoma. I graduated valedictorian of my class in '91 and then attended college at East Central University. I earned double Bachelor's degrees in Mathematics and Physics. I worked for a medical software company before moving to Houston in '98. I continued exploring the insurance side of the medical software industry for a few years before becoming a stay home mom. I've homeschooled 3 children, led a Girl Scout troup for 12 years, have taught and led many classes in different co-ops over the years, and am an eternal sports mom. I've taught math at Forest Path since 2019. As one of the most challenging subjects, I enjoy helping students find their ah-ha moments. I believe in finding the learning style that works for you and using your resources wisely.
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Miranda Kelly
Botany and Horticulture
Miranda graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor’s in Horticulture in 2016, and shortly after received her Master’s in Horticulture from Texas Tech University. She has spent many years working in the green industry, growing her passion for plants and landscaping. Miranda is excited to share that knowledge with the students of Forest Path in her botany/horticulture class.