Music Teacher

Ms. Michael, a dedicated community member, is embarking on her 18th year at TCE. She considers it a blessing to be part of a strong community with a shared mission to foster our children's growth, character, diligence, and confidence. With 39 years of experience teaching and directing music, her commitment to our students is unwavering. Hailing from Pilot Mountain, NC, she is married to her high school sweetheart. They have been married for 42 years and are proud parents of three children and three grandchildren. Mary loves the outdoors. Her favorite activities are running, biking, swimming, camping, and gardening.

 Ms. Michael’s mission is to instill music education's transformative power in our students. She believes that it nurtures creativity, responsibility, discipline, and dependability and fosters composure, confidence, social and communication skills, emotional maturity, and many other invaluable traits and skills. In her view, music provides a safe haven for children to collaborate, reflect, and persevere, making it an indispensable part of their holistic development.

Art Teacher

Mrs. Nunnery began teaching elementary art to students in North Carolina 18 years ago, while starting her 4th year at TCE. Mrs. Nunnery is originally from Fayetteville, North Carolina & grew up on several Army bases, including one in Germany. Her love of the arts began when she was a little girl in school, taking art classes & observing the beautiful world around her. Mrs. Nunnery lives in Wake Forest with her husband, David & two pups-Hazel & Maisy.

PE Teacher

Kevin Whilden has been teaching Physical Education at Turner Creek Elementary since the school opened in 2004. Prior to teaching at Turner Creek, he also taught in New Jersey, South Carolina and at other Wake County schools.  He received his Bachelor of Arts in Health and Physical Education from Glassboro State College in NJ.  Mr. Whilden loves spending time with his family, gardening and traveling.  He wants to encourage all students to live an active and healthy life by developing their skills and confidence.

STEM teacher

Mrs. DiOrio has been teaching for 16 years and is very excited to continue the STEM program at TCE! She enjoys spending time with her husband and dog, Piper. They love to travel. Mrs. DiOrio loves to read, garden, and care for her indoor plant collection. She believes that school is a place for students to enjoy learning by connecting to the curriculum through personal interests and problem-solving.

School Library Media Specialist

Mrs. Powell is a lifelong learner and she has been a classroom teacher and now librarian for many, many years 😀. Mrs. Powell is invested in promoting equity and being an advocate for underrepresented voices through library services. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and of course, all things books and tech!