Check out the amazing staff who are dedicated to helping our students learn!

JANINE ROY
​Principal
jbroy@seattleschools.org | @janineroy3

​​I moved to Seattle in June 2016 to become principal of Queen Anne Elementary. With our Creative Approach focus on our Five Pillars, social emotional learning through Positive Discipline, Project Based Learning, and digital leadership, Queen Anne Elementary is truly my dream school. I am so fortunate to be part of this dynamic, enthusiastic community dedicated to empowering students to make a difference in the world. I was born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada where I lived and worked for most of my life. After being an elementary teacher for many years, I became principal at an elementary school and an international middle school and worked as District Principal of Learning Initiatives for several years. My husband Robert and I have two wonderful children, Matt and Hayley. Robert and I joyfully hike, bike and travel around the Pacific Northwest. I tried kayaking for the first time this summer and loved it! I also love running (slowly), reading (voraciously) and eating (lots)!

If you want to reach me, I would love to hear from you. You can email jbroy@seattleschools.org or call the school at 206-252-2480. Follow me on Twitter @janineroy3. Please follow our Twitter hashtag #QAE to see what our students and staff are sharing with the world. ​Looking forward to our wonderful year together!

KAREN ALVAREZ
Administrative Team
ksalvarez@seattleschools.org
​
Having recently relocated to Seattle from Orlando, Florida, I chose to work at Queen Anne Elementary as the Administrative Assistant because of this amazing community! I bring to QAE 25 years of working in the education field beginning as a Montessori classroom teacher, which has evolved into different positions in both public and private schools. Born and raised in Omaha, NE, I spent 11 years in Sacramento, CA and 14 years in Florida and without a doubt Seattle is my favorite city! I have one adult son, Charles, who also started a new adventure the year before we moved to Seattle. Together we enjoy many of the wonders that can only be found in the Pacific Northwest. In my spare time I enjoy cooking, reading, exercising and spending time with close friends. I look forward to meeting all of you and interacting with your child throughout the day. 

PRIYANKA JAYANTHI
​Kindergarten Teacher
pcjayanthi@seattleschools.org

I am beyond thrilled to be part of the QAE community! I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and received my Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. After graduating, I moved back to Columbus where I subbed for one year. During that year, I had a long-term position for two months in a second grade classroom. I then worked for two years as a multiage teacher for K/1/2 and then K/1. In 2017, I wanted a change of pace from Ohio (although I still say Columbus is the greatest city in the world) and I moved out here and joined the Queen Anne Community. My first year here, I taught third grade and then I moved down to kindergarten the next year and I've stayed there ever since. When I am not teaching, I spend most of my time running, climbing, playing soccer, reading, exploring the mountains, and lounging around with my cat. I can't wait to meet you all!

KIANNA SMITH (she/her)
Kindergarten Teacher
krsmith@seattleschools.org

I am full of gratitude to become a part of the Queen Anne Elementary community. I am Iñupiaq, from the Native Village of Kiana, Alaska (my namesake). I grew up in Olympia Washington but have lived in Seattle for just over 10 years now. I received a BA in Environmental Studies and American Indian Studies, as well as a Master in Teaching degree, both from the University of Washington. I am most recently coming from the Northshore School District where I taught kindergarten at Shelton View Elementary. I am so excited to join a creative approach community that values social emotional learning, positive discipline and project-based learning. When I’m not in the classroom, you will find me outside enjoying all the beauty that the PNW has to offer. Some of my favorite things to do are hike, kayak and most recently, I've been experimenting with my very first raised garden bed. I look forward to meeting you all and getting to know this wonderful community! Taikuu (Thank you)!

JERRIKA DICKERSON
1st Grade Teacher
jrbailey@seattleschools.org

Ms. Dickerson will be on maternity leave from Sept. - Dec. 2020. Her replacement will be Ms. Caroline Ginder.
I am greatly looking forward to my first year as a Seattleite educator at Queen Anne Elementary this year! I graduated from Dallas Baptist University in 2017 and have been teaching the most wonderful first graders in Texas for the past two years. I am a Colorado native, and a Texan by marriage, but my husband and I are anxious to begin our next adventure in North Seattle this summer. To me, education is more than a passion, it is my calling. I am dedicated to learning beside my students as we tackle new challenges and continually grow. I am overjoyed to be joining the learning movement at QAE and invest in the creative community that thrives here. My simple joys include reading everywhere, all the time, the smell of roasted garlic, and shopping local. I also love cooking my husband a "phenomenal" dinner, swimming, and coffee dates. I just can't wait to meet you!

CAROLINE GINDER
1st Grade Teacher
crginder@seattleschools.org

Ms. Ginder will be filling in for Ms. Dickerson during her maternity leave.
I am beyond thrilled to spend another year with the QAE community and cannot wait to start the year filling in for Ms. Dickerson’s 1st grade class! I graduated in 2019 from Washington State University (GO COUGS!) with my degree in Elementary Education and an endorsement in English Language Learning. In addition to being a lifelong learner I enjoy playing with my 6 month old puppy,  spending time with my boyfriend, my three sisters and their significant others (and my sweet new nephew), as well as boating over to Bainbridge for quality time with my parents. I spent my first year out of college substitute teaching all over Seattle Public Schools. I was able to experience a variety of classrooms and communities and I absolutely fell in love with the QAE community! I look forward to collaborating with the amazing staff and seeing many familiar faces in the virtual (and hopefully physical) classroom this year.

KAITLYN KESSEL
1st Grade Teacher
kmkessel@seattleschools.org | @mskesselatqae

I am overjoyed to join QAE as a 1st grade teacher. I am thrilled to join a community that is passionate about making a difference in the world. I have always loved new adventures and I now can continue my next adventure with QAE Explorers. In 2013 I graduated from the University of Washington, Seattle (Go Dawgs!) with a double major in English and American Ethnic Studies. I received my Master of Arts in teaching with an endorsement in K - 8 education from the University of Puget Sound. This will be my sixth year teaching. I have taught Kindergarten and 1st grade. I absolutely love teaching 1st grade. It is a year full of mastering foundational skills and the amount of growth students make is remarkable. A few of my favorite things to do: running, paddle boarding, golfing, hiking, crafting and shopping at Target. When spending time with my family, we like to travel, play board games and go on hikes. I enjoy collecting children's books and sharing my passion for reading. My collection has grown to over 1, 000 books. I am beyond excited for this upcoming school year and to be a new member of this community. I can't wait to meet everyone. This will be a great year filled with exploring and learning. 

LORIN BELCHER
2nd Grade Teacher
Website | @mrsbelcherqae | ltbelcher@seattleschools.org

I am so excited to enter another year at Queen Anne Elementary School! My teaching career began in 2003 as a fourth-grade teacher outside of Boston, MA. I have a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and a Master’s Degree in elementary and special education from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. Over the years I have taught second, third, fourth, and fifth grades in both Massachusetts and Washington State. It is an honor to become a part of the families that I teach.

​Since relocating to Seattle in 2008, I have fallen in love with the PNW and its' awe-inspiring beauty. I love being active and outdoors and I especially enjoy rock climbing, hiking, biking and walking around Greenlake while listening to a podcast or audiobook. My family, which includes my two sons, my husband, dog (Kora!) and bunny (Audrey Hopburn!), enjoy backpacking, swimming, paddle boarding, bird watching, kayaking and sitting around our firepit. My newest hobby is gardening, and I have found great joy in cultivating garden beds around our home.

RACHEL SCHEER 
2nd Grade Teacher
rascheer@seattleschools.org​ ​| @msscheerqae

My favorite part of teaching is following student questions and interests and all of the unexpected places they take us! This is my tenth year as an elementary classroom teacher and I absolutely love being a lifelong learner beside my students. I grew up in the Washington, D.C. area and attended the College of William and Mary in Virginia for my undergraduate degree. I later moved to Philadelphia to attend the University of Pennsylvania for my graduate degree in education. After years of living on the east coast, I picked up and moved to Seattle in 2014. I felt an instant connection with this dynamic city and the surrounding mountains and water. I never want to leave! I currently live in Capitol Hill with my husband and two cats. If it's nice out, you can find us on our porch with friends, kayaking or hiking. You might also look for me on my yoga mat or at my artist table writing and illustrating comics!

BONNIE DUDLEY
3rd Grade Teacher
​bjdudley@seattleschools.org

This is my 7th year at Queen Anne Elementary. After working as a tutor in all of the 1st grade classes for several years, I was so inspired by the teachers and students here that I went back to school to get my teaching certificate with endorsements in both elementary and special education. My husband and I have two daughters, one in college and one in middle school. An additional family member is a large white and brown dog named Pippin. We all love spending time together, travelling, walking, and beachcombing. I like to garden but can't seem to get anyone else in the family on board. Maybe one of these days!

ELIZABETH THRUELSEN
3rd Grade Teacher
emthruelsen@seattleschools.org

I am so excited to join Queen Anne Elementary this year! After spending a decade away from the area, I am so inspired to find the school of my dreams right back in my home. Project-Based Learning, partnerships with parents, and an intentional focus on Social-Emotional Learning? Yep, I knew QAE was "the one!" I studied Spanish Language and Culture and earned my TESOL certificate at Western Washington University in Bellingham. Years later, I returned to school and graduated with my MA.Ed at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Over the years I've been so fortunate to have teaching experiences in a public dual-immersion school in Los Angeles. Every experience in my teaching has reaffirmed with conviction that our children are at the center of education, not teachers. Now, coming into my 8th year of teaching, I can't imagine a better place to be than at Queen Anne Elementary. Outside of the classroom, I am a Pacific Northwest enthusiast: I love coffee-house culture, our excellent alternative rock scene, and a good hike. I'm an active member in a lay-Buddhist organization and recently became a member of the Nordic Heritage Museum. After filling my passport last year, I'm determined to travel abundantly and fill my new one! I'm looking forward to meeting the families and children of Queen Anne Elementary and joining this great community!

LIZ SUGINO DAVID
​4th Grade Teacher
esdavid@seattleschools.org

I love being a part of the QAE community. After teaching in Southern California, I spent the past decade working in teacher education locally in Seattle and internationally. As a teacher educator at the University of Fukui (Japan), the University of Washington, and Western Washington University, I had the privilege of collaborating on international research projects, leading professional development programs, and coaching and teaching with educators from all over the world, focusing on project-based learning (PBL) and student-centered mathematics. After working on my doctorate at UW, I couldn't be more thrilled to be back in the classroom. All my experiences led me right back to the most important part about teaching: students. Teaching in a community focused on students' social and emotional learning and PBL is wonderful. I love working with students on phenomenon-based science inquiry, having fun and meaningful mathematical discussions, learning how to be global citizens, and sharing our narrative and fiction stories and PBL reports with each other. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy cooking and trying new foods, hanging out with my dog Ginger, traveling, and doing anything that gets me outside, like hiking and rowing.

MIKE BACKMAN
5th Grade Teacher
mcbackman@seattleschools.org

I couldn't be more excited to be a part of the Queen Anne Elementary team! I have been working in education for the past 7 years after earning my B.A. from The University of Iowa and my M.Ed from Seattle University. After graduating from Iowa, I spent time teaching in Ireland, Thailand and Minnesota before I decided to move to the pacific northwest 5 years ago to teach 5th grade. I fell in love with Seattle immediately and have never looked back on my decision to move west from snowy Minneapolis! When I am not in the classroom, I enjoy spending time outside hiking, running, reading, and drinking coffee. I look forward to leading 5th grade explorers in math and science this year as we navigate these challenging times together!​

SARAH GOLDMAN
5th Grade Teacher
​Website | szgoldman@seattleschools.org

Sarah is currently on maternity leave. Trevor Stevenson will be teaching 5th grade in her place.
After a journey that has taken me across the country, I am so excited that I have landed in my new home at Queen Anne Elementary! I am thrilled to be joining such a dynamic community of learners, teachers and families. I come by way of the Northeast, the Midwest and the Northeast (again). Raised in the Boston area and growing up in the child of an educator, I never imagined that I, too, would find my passion in teaching. I had meaningful experiences teaching 3rd and 4th grade in Chicago Public Schools before moving back "home" to work as a 4th grade teacher in a wonderfully nurturing Boston-area public school. As an educator, I am driven to foster learning environments that inspire risk-taking and critical thinking as well as encourage students to envision and create a more socially just world. My background also includes a love for the theater arts and I am continuously looking for ways to incorporate dramatic play into everyday teaching and learning. My partner Kristina and I have been drawn to Seattle for its proximity to natural beauty as well as good friends. Outside of education, my joys in life include playing with my little nieces and nephews, singing karaoke with friends, traveling, basking in nature and getting sucked into a fantastic book. 

KRISTIN TESKE
5th Grade
kmteske@seattleschools.org

Kristin is filling in for Ms. Goldman during her maternity leave.
I have been so very lucky to have been a part of Queen Anne Elementary from its inception.  After teaching high school English for over 10 years, I had my son, Sam, and was afforded the opportunity and privilege of staying at home with him.  During that time I was the Board Chair at Queen Anne Cooperative Preschool, and was both the Communications Chair and Community Development Chair on the QAE PTSA Board. Then, when Sam was in 3rd grade, I was asked to teach a first grade class at QAE and I have been doing long-term substitute positions here ever since.  I have taught 3rd grade, Tech, PE, SpEd and 1st grade at QAE and I have loved every minute of my time with a group of profoundly talented teachers and an amazing community of students.  

When I'm not in the classroom I teach grown ups how to garden or design  their outdoor spaces, spend my summers at Lake Coeur d'Alene, ID, and spend time with my wonderful, thoughtful, kind husband, Tony, and my equally sweet and wonderful son, Sam. 

LAUREN APPEL
Visual Arts/MakerSpace
leappel@seattleschools.org

I am very excited to be part of the QAE community! I hold a BA from Smith College and a M.S.Ed in Museum Education from Bank Street College of Education. After many years working as an educator at cultural institutions in Washington and New York, including Hilltop Artists, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Youth Theatre Northwest, Rubin Museum of Art, Henry Street Settlement, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, I am thankful for the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues, students, and families at QAE to explore visual arts and grow our MakerSpace together! Prior to joining QAE I was Director of Arts Integration at Arts Corps, and worked as a teaching artist with the Highline Creative Schools Initiative. I currently serve as a faculty member of the Washington State Teaching Artist Training Lab. When not teaching I am seeking creative outlets for myself and my four-year-old, spending time outdoors, telling my two cats that I have already fed them, and engaging in social justice solidarity work in my community.

NANCY BURAN
Nutrition
​​nlburan@seattleschools.org

I can’t believe that I am starting my eighth year as Lunchroom Manager for Queen Anne! Every year I thoroughly enjoy welcoming the incoming kindergarten students and watching them grow and develop over the six years they are with us. It brings back many happy memories of my time volunteering when my own two children were in elementary school.

Although I have lived in Seattle for over 30 years, I grew up on the East coast in a small town in upstate New York. I have been married for 34 years to my husband Tom who grew up in a similar small town across the Susquehanna River from me. We live in Ballard and as a family we enjoy travel, hiking, backpacking, scuba diving and soccer. Visiting National Parks is one of our favorite things to experience. Tom and I are essentially “empty nesters”. Our son Eli is in graduate school at Portland State University getting his masters in Public Health and our daughter Anna is a senior at Linfield College in Oregon majoring in Biology and Math. 

I am very happy to be in our “new” school and look forward to an exciting year of learning!

 Fun fact: In July of 2020 I will be heading to Arizona with family and friends to hike the Grand Canyon from the North rim to the South rim!

MEGAN CHARBONNEAU
Speech Language Pathologist
mncharbonnea@seattleschools.org

I am so excited to return to Queen Anne to support our speech & language students!

I grew up in Eastern Washington in the small town of Nine Mile Falls (just outside of Spokane), where I developed my love for the water, outdoors, and athletics. I attended Western Washington University in Bellingham for my undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, before returning to the eastside to attend Eastern Washington University while pursuing my masters degree in Communication Disorders.

My first five years as a school-based speech language pathologist were spent in Federal Way Public Schools, where I supported a middle school, served as an SLP department lead for the district, and coached track and gymnastics. Eventually the commute became too much, so I decided to join the team at Seattle Public Schools. This will be my fourth year in SPS, and my second year supporting Queen Anne Elementary. I also live on Queen Anne, and love that I can now walk to school in less time than I was spending in the car to Federal Way!

​When I’m not at school, I enjoy hiking, backpacking, paddle boarding, seeing live music, knitting, caring for my indoor plants (I have over 50!), and relaxing with a good book.

KIM CHIN
Nurse
krchin@seattleschools.org

​Hello QAE! I have been a Registered Nurse for twenty years with almost the entirety of my career being based in family planning and reproductive health. A few years ago, I made the switch to school nursing and am loving this new adventure in health care. I grew up in a military family, so I've been fortunate to have traveled the world from the beginning of my life. I think this early childhood "life on the go" has stuck with me. I'm an avid traveler and use any free time to travel the world with my partner Brian and our Kids Kohen and Beckett. This summer we are headed to Peru! Aside from traveling, I love capturing images on my camera, backpacking, sailing and I also run a non-profit arts organization with my partner. 

MELISSA COILEY
Special Education Instructional Assistant
mscoiley@seattleschools.org

I am looking forward to my first year at QAE as a special education IA! Supporting and teaching students is a second career for me and the most meaningful work of my life. I started on this journey by volunteering at Broadview Thompson K-8 and tutoring special needs children in my neighborhood. After this I worked at Olympic Hills Elementary as a long-term sub in special education and then at Olympic View Elementary as an IA in Intervention for the past four years. 

I enjoy biking, hiking, yoga, playing clawhammer banjo and spending time in community with friends and family. My husband and I live just north of Green Lake on a small green belt where we share many special moments birdwatching together. I have also enjoyed traveling extensively. While in Asia I learned about Buddhism and have continued to explore the benefits of its teachings, namely the importance of connection, compassion, and gratitude. I do my best to keep these alive in my life daily. 

I am grateful for the opportunity to meet and work with the QAE community!

ALEX DUGDALE
​Instrumental Teacher - 4th & 5th Grade
agdugdale@seattleschools.org

Queen Anne Elementary is so fortunate to have Alex Dugdale as our Instrumental Teacher for our fourth and fifth grade students. Alex Dugdale is a graduate of Roosevelt High School and holds a B.M. degree in Jazz Performance from the Eastman School of Music and a master's degree in education from Seattle Pacific University. He first performed with SRJO in 2006 in the Duke of Ellington Sacred Music Concert and has done that every year since then. In 2016, he received the Earshot Jazz Emerging Artist of the Year award. Alex teaches band and orchestra at the elementary level in Seattle public schools. He is a faculty member at Jazz Port Townsend. He also works as a private instructor and frequently performs in Seattle and western Washington with his group FADE. 

HELENE McCORMICK
K - 2nd Grade Reading Specialist
hemccormick@seattleschools.org

I am delighted to be part of the academic support team at Queen Anne Elementary. It's very special to be able to teach literacy skills to young readers as the Reading Support Teacher, as well as teach second language learners in my role as the ELL teacher. I enjoy collaborating with the families and staff that make up this unique and wonderful learning community. Raised in Ojai, California, I have lived in Seattle since 1994. I earned my bachelor's degree in Political Science from UC Santa Cruz. I received my teaching certificate from Western Washington University in Bellingham. My teaching endorsements are in Elementary Education, Special Education, ELL, and Political Science. I have been teaching for almost fifteen years. My teaching experience includes classroom teaching as well as reading and ELL in the Seattle and Mukilteo School Districts. I live in Ballard with my husband and my two children. I enjoy spending time with family outside, gardening, reading and traveling.

KARI MINAS
Special Eduction Teacher
kpminas@seattleschools.org

I am excited to join the Queen Anne Elementary Staff.  I have worked in Seattle Schools for over 10 years and was a teacher at QAE 6 years ago, before my family moved abroad to Amsterdam.  Upon our return to Seattle, I have been teaching Special Education at COE and Lowell Elementary.  I am excited to be back at QAE! As a resource room teacher, I aspire to help students ignite their academic and creative potential! I live on Queen Anne with my husband and our two children.  We enjoy being active in the outdoors, traveling and making dinner together!   You will often find me running or walking the Queen Anne loop with our yellow lab, Tater.

DR. EMILY VALDEZ
​Librarian
​elvaldez@seattleschools.org

I'm so excited to be part of the QAE community as a teacher librarian. After earning my BA from Bowdoin College, I traveled the world for a year on my own to get a better sense of what I wanted to do with my life. After a short stint in a software start-up, I went back to school to get my M.Ed in special education. For three years I taught special education in high school in rural Idaho and decided that I wanted to get my doctorate. I headed for Seattle and started the program at UW. After fifteen years of doing research on education innovations and policy, I decided that I missed the classroom and most of all I missed daily interactions with students and other teachers. I recently went back to school (again) to get my endorsement in library and media science at SPU where I discovered the best job possible - teacher librarian, which combines my absolute love of books and kids. When I'm not in the library, I enjoy hiking, camping, and playing sports with my daughter, Eva; my husband; and my black lab, Helo.