Kindergarten Teacher

Ms. Hall grew up in Raleigh, and attended WCPSS schools growing up. She attended NC State to major in nutrition science, with a focus in childhood nutrition education. Ms. Hall interned at the Boys and Girls club of Wake County and reignited her passion for working with children. After graduating with her bachelors, she decided to return to NC State and now has her masters in Elementary Education! She has been part of the Powell family since 2021. When she is not at school, Ms. Hall enjoys spending time with her husband, family and friends, cooking, and supporting NC State athletics (Go Pack!)

My Play-losophy:

Integrating play into the school day is so important because it gives students the opportunity to apply what they are learning in the classroom in a hands-on manner. Additionally, students have the ability to think outside the box and use their imagination. 

Kindergarten Teacher

Ms. Shamel was born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas. She came to the U.S. to attend Saint Mary's College here in Raleigh and then transferred to Savannah College of Art and Design where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration and a minor in Art History. After college, she moved to Orlando, FL with her future husband to work for Walt Disney World. Following that magical adventure, Ms. Shamel was a graphic designer, in-house illustrator, and photo researcher with Harcourt School Publishers. Her proudest moment while working for Harcourt was doing the photo research for the fourth grade NC Social Studies textbook that her children eventually used after the Shamel family moved back to Raleigh. While this is only Ms. Shamel's second year at Powell, and first as a Kindergarten teacher, her roots run very deep here. Her mother-in-law taught at Powell for 30 plus years and both of her children attended Powell. With her teaching experience being primarily in Pre-K where play and learning are so intertwined, Powell was a natural progression for her. With a great love for teaching little people and all things creative Ms. Shamel is thrilled to be inspiring a new generation of children with a passion for learning.

My Play-losophy:

"In every job that must be done, There is an element of fun! You find the fun and snap! The job's a game." - Mary Poppins

Play is organic. It's intuitive. It's not something that has to be taught. The problem is, as we get older we forget how to play. This is the reason why I love working with children. Their natural ability to always gravitate to the playful side of life is a trait we should all be so lucky to have. Playing along with learning creates the foundation for the philosophy of "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life."  My goal as a teacher is to foster a love for learning in each child, and what better approach than with play and ingenuity. 

Kindergarten Teacher
Mrs. Best was born in Maryland and moved to Wilson, NC when she was a young child. She started her journey working with children in 1997 as an intern at NCCU. She attended North Carolina Central University to major in Sociology, and graduated in 2001. Mrs. Best went back to school at Barton College in Wilson, NC and received her B-K Teaching License in 2021. She did social work for six years in the public schools as a one-on-one and a play coach for small children. 

Mrs. Best is married to her high school sweetheart, and they have two adult children. She is a self-published author and has spoken with a motivational and encouraging model at events in Baltimore, Maryland, Atlanta, Georgia, Virginia, Washington DC, Wilson, and Raleigh. When she is not working, you will find Mrs. Best enjoying time with her family, skating, reading, writing books and poetry, swimming, and cooking.

My Play-losophy:

Learning should be Fun-Da-Mental with more emphasis on the fun than mental. By integrating play into their learning for those who are kinesthetic, visual, and auditory learners, it helps to maintain their learning on their level.

My favorite quote is from Dr. Seuss "Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You." This speaks volumes about how children can learn when they are on the playing field which makes them feel confident in themselves.

Instructional Assistant

Mrs. Holman grew up in Wake Forest, North Carolina. She attended Meredith College and majored in Social work with a minor in Psychology. While at Meredith, Mrs. Holman worked in the Meredith Autism Program, and did a Social Work internship. After graduation, she gained experience working as a social worker for one year, before she decided to shift her path towards working with children. Mrs. Holman has experience working with children aged 0-5 in various settings. Mrs. Holman is married, has a one-year-old daughter, and a son coming in December 2024! This is Mrs. Holman's first year at Powell, and she is excited to be here helping children learn and grow.

My Play-losophy:

Play has a major role in childhood development, which is why it is important to integrate it into education. Everytime a child plays, they are developing in some way. There is no right or wrong way to play, so any child is able to participate, in their own way, and learn.

Instructional Assistant

Mr. Skinner is a native of Raleigh. He has worked on many activities in different resorts in Myrtle Beach, Orlando, and Wrightsville beach. Mr. Skinner joined Powell in 2021. Prior to working at Powell, he worked at the YMCA for eighteen years for Track Out and different summer camps. During that time he taught sports, fishing, art, and target sports. 

My Play-losophy:

Play can teach life skills, reduce stress, boost confidence, and it is just fun!

Instructional Assistant

Ms. Talley is a native of Raleigh and attended WCPSS Schools. She has a 10-year-old daughter. Ms. Talley was previously an art teacher at Root Elementary prior to having her daughter.  She has been working in Raleigh preschools and has been a substitute teacher in WCPSS as well. Ms. Talley enjoys spending her time with young children and teaches art at her home on the porch during the summer months to preschool children. Ms. Talley enjoys hiking, cooking and traveling to the NC beaches and mountains.

My Play-losophy:

Play sets us up to learn, stay active and live a healthy life. Play is a fun way to learn at school. Play is a great way to connect together as a team with students and staff. We can explore all areas of learning together as a school and community. 

EBS-K Instructional Assistant