Ms. Atkins is a long time dance teacher in the state of North Carolina.  She was the 1991 NC Dance Educator of the Year and has written dance curriculum for DPI.  She is a mother of two daughters and a native of Charlotte NC.  

I began teaching in the 2007-08 school year and knew I wanted to be a teacher since I was 4!  At 3 different schools across Wake County, I have taught 3rd and 4th grades. I taught 2nd grade and preschool in the private sector before beginning with WCPSS.  I have been in the Design Specialist position since January 2025, and I have to honestly say, I have learned so incredibly much and am so blessed to be a Wendell Eagle!  

I love animals, especially pandas and rodents.  There is a girl mischief of rats who support my teaching in all the stages of design — especially empathy. 

I have 5 wonderful sons and 1 daughter-in-law. My husband is absolutely amazing and is my rock — do not be surprised to see him helping out around school as well! I am so fortunate to have my mom and grandmother also living in our home, and we truly share design thinking across generations.  Thank you all so much for sharing your children with me!

Born and raised in North Carolina, Mrs. Maddox has dedicated 14 years to the field of education. After eight years as a classroom teacher, she combined her passion for teaching and reading by earning a Master of Library Science degree from Appalachian State University. She is excited to serve as the Media Coordinator at Wendell Elementary.

Outside of school, Mrs. Maddox enjoys spending time with family and friends. She loves reading, shopping, taking summer trips to the beach, and cheering on Duke Basketball.

My name is Amy Parker and I am excited to be joining the wonderful staff at WMES! I grew up in Tennessee but have lived in the Wendell area since 2007. I have spent the bulk of my teaching career as a high school choral director, but am excited to be building foundation skills with younger students. My husband teaches music at NC State (GO PACK!) and we have 3 children. 

Mrs. York is a native of Falmouth, VA but has been in the Raleigh area since she attended Meredith College in the late ‘90s. She loved playing basketball and studying art education at Meredith College.  She has been the art teacher at WMES for 26 years and Wendell is her home.She is married to a Wolfpacker and has two college age children. One at NC State and the other at ECU. Mrs. York  looks forward to sharing her passion for the arts with our students at WMES. Being a WMES Eagle is the best it can be!