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Mrs. Jen Hale, ECS Teacher

My name is Jen Hale.  I was an Instructional Assistant for 13 years before going back to school to finish my teaching degree.  I have been teaching Special Education for 7 years and this is my fourth year in the ECS II class here at Stough.  I am originally from Portland, Maine and I try to visit my family there as often as I can.  I have lived in North Carolina for over 25 years with my daughter, who is now 26. When I'm not at work, I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling to the beach, and watching UNC sports, go Heels! I also enjoy cooking and trying out new restaurants. I am looking forward to another amazing year at Stough!
 

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Ms. Candace Jennette, AU-PreK Teacher

My name is Candace Jennette and I have been working with children ages Birth to 5, in the classroom and developmental settings for the past 13 years. I am originally from Raleigh, NC and received my undergraduate degree in Child Development from Meredith College. I also hold a Master’s of Education degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a concentration in Early Intervention and Family Support, B-K licensed. Go Heels! My goal is to build and strengthen my knowledge and abilities by reaching and teaching young children with exceptionalities. By doing such, it will aid them in becoming functioning, successful members of society in the 21st century.

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Ms. Rachel Lea, CCR Teacher

My name is Rachel Lea. This is my third year here at Stough in the CCR program. I grew up in Raleigh, NC and I am a former Stough Stallion as I attended this school for my K-3 years. I attended William Peace University, where I obtained a BA in Liberal Arts. I also just recently graduated from NC State University with a MAT in Special Education (Go Pack!). In my free time I enjoy reading books (I am a frequent flyer at my local public library), traveling to new places/countries (I have visited 11 countries so far), listening to music, spending time with friends and family, and trying new foods. Excited to be a part of the Stough Family and look forward to a great school year!

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Mr. Brett Reif, ECS Teacher

Brett Reif is originally from New Jersey and has also lived in Arizona. He has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's in educational psychology. Mr. Reif is currently finishing his EdS in school leadership and EdD in educational psychology. When not at Stough, Mr. Reif likes playing and watching sports, cooking, and playing with his kids. He is looking forward to helping his students learn and grow in all facets of their lives.

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Mrs. Mindy Reif, CCR Teacher

My name is Mindy Reif and I have been working with special education for the last ​10 years. This is my ​seventh year at Stough, but I have worked in Wake County Schools for over 10 years. I am originally from upstate New York but have lived in North Carolina for the last ​26 years. I graduated from North Carolina State University in 2000 with a degree in Interpersonal Communications. I graduated from Peace College and received dual licensure in Special Education (K-12) and Elementary Education (K-6).

When I am not at work, I enjoy spending time with my family. I am married and have a son, Daniel, that is 17 and a stepson, Kellen who is also 17. They are both seniors at Broughton High School. We also have a two year old son, Phoenix and welcomed our first little girl, Savannah, last May. 

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Ms. Marcia Cashwell, Instructional Assistant

I have been an employee since 1998. I started as a bus driver, safety assistant and IA. I moved here from New Jersey in 1997 where I was born and raised. I am the oldest of 3 brothers. I have 3 adult children and 6 grandchildren.
 
My favorite things to do are reading books on the origin and history of yoga and listening to Neo soul music. I enjoy watching action and drama movies and TV series.
 
I love collecting 🐘. I love coffee. I liked working for these food delivery services: Ubereats, Grubhub, and Doordash before the COVID pandemic started. Family and friends always speak about how quiet I am.
 
My purpose in life is to be of service to others. I would like to be remembered for making a positive change in the life of whomever I come in contact with.
 
I worked in a summer camp this year. It was a very intense assignment that I was happy to accomplish. If I had a superpower, it would be patience and endurance.

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Ms. Linda Dickinson, Instructional Assistant

My name is Linda Dickinson.  I am originally from Iowa and received an Associate of Arts degree from Iowa Lakes Community College.  I have three amazing adult children and an incredible son-in-law.  I have been with WCPSS for 13 years, the majority as an Oral Interpreter for Deaf Ed. and an Instructional Assistant for Special Education Preschool Programs. I am enjoying my position at Stough Elementary.  I love the diversity of the school, the positivity of the programs, and the support of the staff.  Stough has a wonderful Special Education team in addition to our Magnet program and our staff is truly warm and caring. In my spare time, I love to spend my free time with family. In the future I hope to continue the work I do now, to better the lives of my students and their families.  I firmly believe we are a team and here to help not only the kids grow but the families glean knowledge from what we do with their children. Education is better served in partnership.

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Ms. Flenner, Instructional Assistant

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Ms. Katherine Harley, Instructional Assistant

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Mrs. Anastasia Heonis, ECS Instructional Assistant

I'm a Raleigh native and a Stough Stallion myself, but moved to Columbus, OH where I met my husband. After about 25 years, I'm thankful to be back in a warmer climate, bringing my husband and daughter with me. I'm fortunate enough to raise my daughter (a Stough Stallion) on the same street I was raised, founded by my Greek immigrant grandfather. I've worked many avenues within the arts from writing to acting to photography but it was becoming a mother that pulled me onto the path I'm on now. I started as a troop leader for Girl Scouts and a volunteer for my daughter's kindergarten class, then as the building substitute and now my home is working in ECS. I love exploring the outdoors from the beach to the mountains, photographing landscapes and wildlife, but an equal love is photographing social landscapes.

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Ms. Suzanne LaHurd, Instructional Assistant

Hello Friends! My name is Suzanne LaHurd and I am so happy to have joined the Stough Stallions as Mrs. Hale’s instructional assistant this year! I have over 19 years of classroom experience either as a teacher, a substitute, or an IA. I have 1 son and 1 daughter who both attended Wake County Public schools. I love dog sitting, cooking, organizing, and entertaining. Go Stallions!

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Ms. Debra McCauley, Instructional Assistant

Hello, my name is Debra McCauley, and I am a new Instructional Assistant at Stough Elementary School! This will be my third year teaching in Wake County after teaching in Charlotte and Rock Hill, SC for twenty-one years in special education. I am originally from Alexandria, VA, and I have my Master’s Degrees in both music and special education. I enjoy biking and spending time with my son and daughter who live in Raleigh. Most of all, I love to teach reading and math! I am so excited to start this year and meet the staff and families at Stough!

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Mr. John McCullough, Instructional Assistant

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Mr. Alex Morris, Instructional Assistant

Alex Morris is originally from Dothan, Alabama. Mr. Morris is the youngest in his family, and is known to be a little goofy. Outside of Stough, he likes to read, play video games, and sleep. He is looking forward to helping students the best way he can for the ECS program at Stough.

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Ms. Teresa Stewart, Instructional Assistant

Teresa Stewart is originally from Pennsylvania but attended Sanderson High school and NC State University, where she majored in accounting and business. She has been married for 33 years and has one son who went to Stough in the early 2000's (who is now a geologist in California). Teresa is looking forward to making a difference in a student's life this year at Stough.

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Ms. Laura Lilly, Speech Language Pathologist

My name is Laura Lilly, and this is my second year at Stough as the speech-language pathologist. I have been an SLP for ten years and have worked primarily in school-based settings with preschool and elementary school students. I am originally from Greensboro, NC.  I received my bachelor's degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and my master's degree in speech-language pathology from East Carolina University. I love helping my students grow their speech and language skills and seek to always do what's best for kids. 

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Mrs. Sarah Hamel, School Psychologist

My name is Sarah Hamel and I am excited to serve as the School Psychologist at Stough Elementary and Leesville Elementary. I grew up in the Boston area and definitely still have strong hometown roots. I attended college at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. While at Denison, I double majored in Psychology and Educational Studies. I moved to North Carolina following my graduation from Denison to attend graduate school at UNC-Chapel Hill. I received my M.Ed. in School Psychology from UNC. I am also a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. I have worked as a School Psychologist in the Wake County Public School System since the 2006-2007 school year. Outside of school, I cherish the time spent with my husband and two children. We all love playing games, reading, and spending time outdoors.

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Ms. Natalie Taylor-Gyll, Occupational Therapist

My name is Natalie Taylor and I have been an OT working in the public school system for 22 years. This is my fifth year as an OT for Wake County Public Schools and for Stough ES. I grew up in Toronto, Canada and graduated from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario with my degree in Occupational Therapy. Upon graduating, I moved to Santa Barbara County working in the school system there before relocating to North Carolina.  My son, Elliott, is a freshman at NC State (go Pack!) and my daughter is a sophomore in high school.  As an Occupational Therapist I focus on helping students develop sensory motor skills.  I use play and movement therapy to strengthen muscles and improve coordination so that students can be successful at school.  I feel very fortunate that my job feels more like fun than work and I hope my student feel the same way too!