My name is Mr. Acquanita. I was born in Rochester, Michigan and was raised in Brookfield, Connecticut. I have 2 brothers, 1 sister, and 2 amazing parents. This is my first year living in North Carolina and first year teaching second grade! I love math and reading biography books. In my free time I love hiking, playing tennis, and watching football! I am super excited for the upcoming school year and for my new 2nd grade class! 

Facts about me:

-I won the national championship at Disney in 8th Grade for football.

-I did 7 different hikes in 7 days with my sister around Connecticut. 

-The Giving Tree is my favorite Childhood book.

Hello! My name is Parker Burrows and I am so excited to be joining the 2nd Grade team at Joyner! I grew up in Winston-Salem, NC and I just graduated from NC State University (go pack!). I love live music, traveling, cooking, the beach, and spending time with my family. A fun fact about me is that I have traveled to five of the seven continents and one day I hope to visit the last two. I love teaching and I want students to experience the love of learning and growing every day. I look forward to making this a special year for all my students in my class!

Hi, my name is Whitney Illing! I am so excited to be a part of the Joyner family this year! I grew up in Mocksville, NC, a small town outside of Winston-Salem. I have always known I wanted to be a teacher! I attended NC State (Go Pack!) where I received my degree in Elementary Education. I then went on to receive my master’s degree in reading from NC State. For fun I enjoy relaxing on the beach, spending time with my family and cheering on the Wolfpack! I cannot wait to spend this year getting to know you and your child!

Hello! I'm Jennifer Smythe, 2nd grade teacher at Joyner. This will be my 12th year teaching overall, 7 years in 3rd grade, 1 year in 4th, and 3 years in 2nd grade. I'm a graduate of NC State, where I played soccer and got my degree in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism. I went on to get my Masters in Elementary Education at UNC Greensboro. As a college athlete, I learned all about hard work and perseverance, which is something I love to pass along to my students. In my classroom, I encourage the students to be part of a family, supporting each other and building each other up.

I am married to Will and we have 2 kids, Evan and Kate, who are both graduates of Joyner! They are 6th and 7th graders at Carroll Middle School. Looking forward to a great year!

I am a native of Raleigh, North Carolina. I am a wife in law enforcement and a mother of two wonderful children. Carson will be attending 1st grade at Joyner this year and Chandler is three years old. I enjoy spending time with my family and reading books with my book club. I graduated from Meredith College with a Performance Degree in Opera Performance. I absolutely love singing and sharing music with others. I graduated from N.C. State University with my masters in Elementary Education. I LOVE teaching and working with families. I am so excited to be apart of your child’s family this upcoming school year.