Mrs. Erika Stark has been at Southside Elementary for 20 years serving students and families. She is passionate about seeing students be successful and supporting staff members to keep Southside moving forward. She believes our kids are our future and enjoys being able to invest in the lives of students that are in her community.  She grew up in Nortonville and is a Hopkins County Central graduate.  She furthered her education to obtain graduate degrees from Murray State University.  Currently, she lives in Nortonville with her husband and 2 children.  Some of her past time hobbies include spending time with family and friends, fishing, playing pickleball and growing personaly through a good book study.    

Mrs. Mary Jones has been an educator for the past 20 years, beginning her career at Southside Elementary School in 2005 as a classroom teacher.  Since that time, she has also served as the Coordinator of Innovative Programs for Trigg County Public Schools and as the Instructional Leader at Southside for the past 4 years. Mrs. Jones was awarded the 2016 Outstanding Educator of the Year Award by Murray State University.  She became a teacher because she believes all children deserve an education that equips them with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions they need to succeed in an ever changing world.  She lives in Madisonville with her husband and 3 young children.  She enjoys reading, being outdoors, and spending time with family.  

Mrs. Toni Martin has been at Southside Elementary for 22 years, 17 of those years as a classroom teacher and 5 as the school counselor. She is passionate about building relationships with students and helping them grow. She was born and raised in Madisonville and still lives there with her husband and son. She lived in Murray long enough to get her bachelor’s in education from Murray State University. She also has a master’s in counseling from Murray State, as well as a Rank 1 in School Counseling and Reading and Writing from the University of the Cumberlands. When she’s not at Southside, she loves spending time with her family and friends, shopping, reading, and leading worship with her husband at their church. 

Mrs. Sarah Buchanan moved to Hopkins County six years ago and quickly fell in love with the community's warmth and spirit. Dedicated to education, she has served as both an FMD Specialized Classroom Teacher and a Social Studies Teacher at South Hopkins Middle School. Sarah is deeply passionate about helping every student discover their unique path to success, believing in the potential of each individual to achieve greatness.  As the instructional leader at Southside Elementary, Sarah is committed to inspiring  and guiding students and teachers alike toward achieving their fullest potential. Outside of school Sarah enjoys serving in youth ministry, capturing memories through photography, and spending time outdoors with her two Basset Hounds.

Mrs. Jamie Hamby has over 20 years in education at Southside Elementary.  She has taught a variety of grade levels and has a wealth of knowledge to help students and teachers succeed.  Mrs. Jamie’s passion for connecting and educating students is noticed by all and she has even recieved the “Remember Your Why” award at the district level.  In her free time she enjoys going to the lake and spending time with her husband and 2 children.  

Mrs. Christian Cates has been working in education encouraging student success for 10 years, and she has been the Mental Health Counselor at SES for 1 year. Mrs. Cates values each student’s individual success and supporting them in their educational journey. She attended SES, SHMS, and graduated from HCCHS before earning her Bachelor of Social Work from Murray State and her Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Louisville. So, Hopkins County students hold a special place in her heart.  She and her husband live in Nortonville with their two children.  They enjoy games, movies, and traveling!

Mrs. Amanda McLevain has worked in Hopkins County Schools for the past 21 years. She started her her career as a clasroom instructional assistant at Southside.  Before becoming the Southside Family Resource Center Coordinator, she worked as an attendance secretary and financial secretary. She passionately advocates for our students and their families, making sure they have every resource needed to thrive. Mrs. Amanda and her husband live in White Plains and have one son. She loves the outdoors, traveling, crafting, and spending time with her family.