Hi, I'm  Lisa Milliken, a native North Carolinian and a diehard East Carolina Pirate! I retired from Wake County in the spring of 2024 after 32 years in education and then returned part-time as soon as they'd let me. I like to say I've done everything in education except drive the bus. In addition to being a classroom teacher in multiple grades, I served as an instructional facilitator, magnet coordinator, arts integration specialist  and assistant principal before settling into what I consider my happy place- as an AIG specialist. This marks my 20th year working with gifted students and I'm thrilled to be part of the Joyner family. 

My name is Julie Frederick. I have been teaching gifted kids for 23 years in North Carolina. This year I will begin working with students in our ESL program.  I live in Raleigh with my husband, my daughter and son that are Carroll MS leaders, and my golden doodle named Seven. I love to travel, eat food from all over the world, watch movies, and go to Zumba!

My name is Lisa Jonczyk. I have been an educator for over 20 years! I have taught children as young as 3 and as old as 12! I have been a First and Third Grade Teacher, a Literacy Specialist, and a Title 1 Teacher, but am I excited to serve as our intervention teacher this year! I LOVE teaching our JYJ students! They are enthusiastic, fun, and manage to say the cutest things that always bring a smile to my face. Whenever I see a student learn something new for the first time or persevere through a particularly challenging task, I get so excited! These are the moments that fuel my passion for teaching and bring me joy.

Hello! I am so excited to be a part of the Joyner community as your Literacy Coach and Intervention Teacher. I have been a teacher for 9 years, 6.5 years teaching kindergarten at Washington GT Elementary. During the past few years, I have realized my passion is teaching literacy. I am an NC State graduate, receiving my masters in New Literacies and Global studies, specifically K-12 reading. I grew up in Connecticut but moved to Raleigh after receiving my Elementary Education Degree at UNCW. I live with my husband Ian and our two cats Cam and Sally, and the sweetest new addition to our family, baby Evie. We enjoy fostering animals through the SPCA and both Cam and Sally were “foster fails.” I enjoy traveling. I have made many recent trips to Denver, CO visiting my new nephew Reed. I also love the beach, Cape Hatteras is my favorite spot. I look forward to working with students and families at Joyner! 

Hi, I'm Sara Barber, and I am one of the special education teachers at Joyner. This is my 39th year of teaching and my 8th in Wake County.  I received my bachelor's degree from Colorado College in Psychology/Elementary Education and my master's degrees from the University of Colorado and UNC in Special Education and Elementary Education.  I've taught in Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Maryland and, of course, North Carolina. I'm excited to work with your kids this year.

I'm Christa Steene and I am a Cross Categorical Resource (CCR) teacher here at Joyner. I have been a Special Education Teacher since 1995 and began working at Joyner in 2009. I moved to North Carolina from New York with my family in 2008. I have three boys who keep me very busy with baseball, going swimming, and lizards! In my free time I love to read, and spend time outdoors.

Hello! My name is Brittany Kelly and I teach the EBS I class (elementary behavior support k-2). I have been teaching for 10 years. I graduated from Barton College, go Bullodogs! I am a proud mother of two beautiful daughters and one puppy, Kana (8), Alyssa (3), and Raven our pitbull puppy. I love working here at Joyner Elementary School, it is by far the best school that I have ever worked at! The community and families I have grown with over the years really have been a blessing. I cannot wait to spend my next 10 years (or more) teaching here!

Hi! My name is Lexi, and I am so excited to be the new EBS 2 teacher. This is my second year of teaching, and I bring with me a strong background in counseling. I earned my Master’s degree in Counseling from Liberty University and have since transitioned into the world of education. I’m passionate about integrating social and emotional learning into the classroom to help students grow not only academically, but personally as well.
Before teaching, I worked as a counselor, and I look forward to using that experience to support my students in meaningful ways—building confidence, emotional awareness, and resilience.
A little bit about me: I have a mini dachshund named Rezi (short for Resilient), who keeps life fun and full of energy! In my free time, you can usually find me sipping Starbucks and getting lost in a good fantasy novel.
I’m truly looking forward to a year of growth, joy, and connection—loving these students and helping them become the best little humans they can be.