Amanda Burnett is thrilled to be a member of the Hortons Creek family and Kinderhawk team! She was born in Ohio and raised in the small town of Kernersville, North Carolina. Ms. Burnett graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for Dental Assisting in 2013. After working as a dental assistant for two years, she decided to pursue her true passion in becoming an educator by attending the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. In December 2017, she achieved her Bachelor degree with honors in Elementary Education with a concentration in Language Arts. She enjoys getting lost in a book and spending time with friends and family. She is a dedicated UNC fan and can be easily found in the stands cheering on the Tar Heels.  She has a great love of learning and building a strong classroom community that values empathy, kindness and possessing a growth mindset. She is excited to share her passion for reading and creativity with her students this year!

Maeve Coakley graduated in May 2017 from James Madison University with her Masters in Elementary Education. (GO DUKES!) Ms. Coakley grew up in New Jersey and moved to the Cary area in the summer of 2018 after teaching second grade in NJ. In her free time she likes going on hikes and playing with her dog Stella. This is her second year of teaching Kindergarten at HCES. She is excited to learn more this year!

Kelly Dickerson is in her seventh year teaching and her third year at Hortons Creek. She has experience teaching both preschool and kindergarten. She graduated with her undergraduate degree in Child Development from Meredith College. She received her B-K and K-6 teaching licensures from UNC-Greensboro as well as her Master’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Education and Development in Birth-Kindergarten. She is a National Board Certified Teacher. She also is a level 2 Google Certified Educator. Mrs. Dickerson is passionate about children’s play and was able to study it abroad in Italy during her time at Meredith College! Outside of school she enjoys spending time with her husband Jordan, friends and family, traveling, trying new restaurants, and doing Pure Barre. She is excited to be a part of the kindergarten team!

Laura Gassaway is a kindergarten teacher at HCES! She loved teaching here the last two years and could not wait to return and have another fantastic year! Mrs. Gassaway has her bachelor's degree in psychology and a masters degree in education from NCSU, go pack! She strives to provide her students with a positive, equitable and safe classroom environment! Her classroom’s theme is superheroes and she calls her students “superhawks!” Her class trains hard to become problem solvers in today’s 21st century world! She is looking forward to how great this year is going to be!

Lisa Poirier is SO excited to be your teacher this year!  This will be her twelfth year teaching kindergarten and her third year at Hortons Creek. Mrs. Poirier is originally from Syracuse, NY. Before moving to North Carolina, she lived in Arizona where she earned her Master’s Degree from Arizona State University.  She is also a National Board Certified teacher.

She is passionate about teaching children to love reading, equity in the classroom, and utilizing instructional technology.  She and her husband live in Cary with their daughter Reece (born in December 2017). In her free time she absolutely LOVES to spend time with her family, read, go to group fitness classes, and shop!  She is so excited to be a part of the excitement that is Hortons Creek! It’s going to be a great year.

Mary Griffin is an NCSU graduate with a passion for the arts! Ms. Griffin is passionate about being a lifelong learner and learning through play and the arts. By day, she works as a Kindergarten teacher and enjoys being a dance instructor in the evenings!

Bianca Hankinson is originally from South Carolina and graduated from the College of Charleston with a BA in Political Science. After that, she moved to Raleigh to get her Master's in Teaching. (Go Pack!). She is passionate about creating a safe and welcoming community culture, teaching kindness, and helping students realize their power as world-changers. Outside of school she loves going to the beach and sea kayaking, reading, and traveling to new places with her husband.This will be her second year as a member of the kindergarten team at Hortons Creek and she is looking forward to another fantastic year!