•  First Grade

     

    Meet The Team

     

    Caitlin Elliott | cgelliott@wcpss.net

    Ms. Elliott has a passion for teaching and loves the excitement her young students have for learning. She was born at Duke and raised in Cary where she attended Wake County Public Schools. Throughout middle school and high school, she was very active in both school cheer and travel All-Star Cheer. She graduated from East Carolina University in 2021 with a BS in Elementary Education and a concentration in Science. When not in the classroom, Ms. Elliott enjoys spending time with her family which includes her twin brother, Connor, and two very spoiled rescue cats.

    Jennifer Ivarsson | jivarsson@wcpss.net 

    Mrs. Ivarsson has a love of learning new and innovative 21st century skills. She is a veteran teacher. Mrs. Ivarsson grew up in a little county town of Stedman, North Carolina. She is married to John Ivarsson. They reside in Apex, North Carolina and have twin boys and a dog Belle. Mrs. Ivarsson is a graduate of Campbell University. She enjoys reading, spending time with her family, shopping, listening to music, and traveling to the beach. One fun fact about Mrs. Ivarsson is that she played the trumpet and piano for many years in school.

    Alyssa O'Neill | aoneill@wcpss.net

    Ms. O’Neill graduated from East Carolina University. Go Pirates!!! This is her fourth year teaching in 1st grade. Originally from Holly Springs, Ms. O’Neill is a product of Wake County Schools. Her dream was to become an Elementary School Teacher since the Third Grade. Ms. O’Neill loves her dog Rosco, her family, coffee, Pirate Football, and reading. She looks forward to meeting you at WES!

    Joanna Woodrum | jmwoodrum@wcpss.net 

    Mrs. Woodrum loves building a classroom community and has a big heart for meeting the needs of students! She grew up outside of Polkville, NC (a tiny town in the foothills) and has lived in Raleigh since 2013. Mrs. Woodrum received her bachelor's from Gardner-Webb University and worked for many years as a college advisor before receiving her master’s in Elementary Education from NC State. She is married to Sam, an elementary school counselor in Raleigh, and they have a daughter, Mabel, who was born in 2021. Mrs. Woodrum loves to create (woodworking, knitting, sewing, painting, etc), hike, stare at waterfalls, play board games, garden, travel, and have fun with her family.   

    Caitlin Conley | cconley2@wcpss.net

    Ms. Conley  is an energetic teacher, who has always had a passion for working with students. She is a New England native and has called Southern New Hampshire home for most of her life. She earned her degree in Elementary Education from Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, NH before relocating to Morrisville, NC to be closer to family. Ms. Conley loves spending time outdoors, kayaking, hiking and swimming. She is also an avid reader and enjoys spending time at home with her cats Rosie and Poppy.

    Teresa Pennell | tpennell@wcpss.net

    Mrs. Pennell has lived in Texas and South Carolina, but is very happy to be back in her home state of North Carolina. She graduated from Appalachian State University with a BS in Early Childhood Education. She received her Masters in Elementary Education from Lander University in South Carolina. Mrs. Pennell is married to Gary Pennell, whom she met at ASU. They have two adult children, Stephen and Kari.  Mrs. Pennell is a veteran teacher and loves teaching young children! She has taught both first and second grades. If she wasn't a teacher, she would work for a landscaping company because she loves working in the yard; planting flowers and pulling weeds is her "happy place".  

    Andy Holsinger |  aholsinger@wcpss.net

    Instructional Assistants

    Ms. Boughton was born in Philadelphia and grew up near the beaches in New Jersey. She graduated from Stockton University in NJ with a BA in Anthropology and Sociology. She loves history and is an avid reader. Mrs. Boughton studied abroad in England and Ireland for a year and then moved to Washington, DC where she worked at non-profit organizations. In DC, she met her husband, Steve, who is a British native. After they relocated to England for five years, they moved back to the States and have settled in Cary, NC with their three daughters. Mrs. Boughton is passionate about education and really enjoys working at WES. She loves traveling to new places with her family, especially visiting different countries abroad. She and her family also love exploring the great outdoors hiking and spending time at the beach.

    Mrs. Morris has been with Wake County Schools for 9 years, first working in the cafeteria and then transitioning into her current role as 1st Grade Instructional Assistant. Mrs. Morris is originally from Madison, Wisconsin, and earned her degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where she studied Spanish, Mathematics, and Finance. Mrs. Morris moved to Cary in 1999 with her husband. They have two children who have gone through Wake County Schools; both of whom now attend East Carolina University. Mrs. Morris loves spending time with her family and enjoying the NC mountains and coast. 

    Ms. Scott was born in Ft Myers FL but at the age of 9 and entering the 4th grade, her family moved to the mountains of Western North Carolina.  She graduated from Franklin High School and then attended Western Carolina University where she graduated with a Bachelors in Business Administration. After a few years in the business environment, Ms. Scott found her passion when she joined South Macon Elementary School as a first grade teaching assistant. She is very excited to have found Weatherstone Elementary after her move in July of 2024 to Cary, NC. In her time away from school she enjoys spending time with friends, family, and her aussiedoodle named Luna! In addition she loves to explore quaint downtowns, farmers markets, and local craft fairs.