NOTE: This is a general supply list with items that most third grade teachers will request. You will receive a supply list specific to your teachers needs on the Meet The Teacher day
Teacher Biographies
Hi, I’m Melissa Beard and I am so excited to be a 3rd grade teacher at North Ridge! I graduated in 2003 with a B.S. in Elementary Education and in 2010 with a Master’s in Reading Education; both degrees from East Carolina University. I began my teaching career in Greenville, NC in 1st grade and the last 7 years, I lived in New York City where I was a 3rd and 4th grade Learning Specialist at a private school.
One of my favorite things about being a homeroom teacher is building my classroom community and creating a warm, safe learning environment. I also really love teaching reading and helping my students reach their reading goals.
My husband, Mark, and I have an amazing (almost) two year old daughter, Meritt. We love spending time with our family and getting to know our home state again. New York City is amazing but there is no place like North Carolina! I love all things ECU Pirates, traveling, reality T.V., and shopping!
Hi, I’m Elizabeth Chapman, and I’m thrilled to be teaching Third Grade at North Ridge Elementary! I have a B.A. in Psychology from the College of William and Mary and recently earned my Masters in Teaching at North Carolina State University. Go Pack!
My husband, Kermit, and I have four boys, Matthew, Daniel, Stephen, and Joseph, and a lab-mix rescue named Daisy. I love sports, especially football and college basketball, and cheering for the Wolfpack and the Steelers.
When I’m not teaching and/or learning, I enjoy spending time with my family, biking, and hiking.
Hi! My name is Julie Gadd. I am originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I met my husband while attending college. We have one daughter who went to elementary school right here at North Ridge! After graduating from college my husband and I moved to his hometown of Pinehurst, North Carolina. That’s where I began my teaching career. Several years later we moved to Raleigh where I continued teaching. I have taught kindergarten, first and third grade. This year I am again part of the third grade team. They are an amazing group of teachers. I love teaching and enjoy coming to school and spending time with the children. It makes me feel good when I see the sparkle in their eyes as they learn about something that excites them. I love watching their faces when I’m reading their favorite book. They have a way of always being able to make me smile! I’ve been a member of the North Ridge family for a really long time. The staff here works very hard to help the students develop a passion forbecoming lifelong learners, the parents are supportive, and the children are very loving!
Hello! My name is Joanne Londe. I joined the North Ridge third grade team in 2007 after moving from California where I had been a third grade teacher for 8 years. Originally I am from England, and although I’ve been in the U.S. for over 15 years now, you might still detect a slight accent! I graduated from Nottingham University with a B.Sc. in Mathematical Physics. How I ended up teaching third grade is a long story (involving a stint in South Korea working as a teacher’s aide and teaching English) but it was definitely a great career choice!
As a teacher I believe that I have the most rewarding and interesting job possible. Every day is different, bringing with it new successes and challenges. I look upon my students as individuals, each with their own special qualities and all with the potential to shine. In our class we work hard to create an environment that is happy and safe where everyone can learn.
Outside of school, my family keep me very busy. I am happily married to David, a high school social studies teacher. We have two wonderful children, Rachael and Nathan who are students here at North Ridge. We try to spend as much time together as possible; bike riding, running 5Ks, camping and canoeing at Falls Lake, and exploring all the many things to do here in Raleigh. We also enjoy reading, watching movies and working out at the YMCA.
My name is Jeremy Ogburn, and I am excited to be a third grade teacher at North Ridge Elementary. I am a rare native of Raleigh, North Carolina. I am a graduate of Meredith College’s Master of Arts in Teaching program, and I have a B.A. in History from Harding University.
Before teaching at North Ridge, I worked as a museum educator at Mordecai Historic Park. I live in Franklin County with my wife, Kelli, and our unusual cat, Kermit. I enjoy going to hockey games, canoeing, reading nonfiction, and cooking.
One of my goals as a teacher is to create an environment for my students where learning can happen – an environment that is safe, challenging and productive.
My name is Kali Shuford, and I am very excited to be teaching third grade at North Ridge. I grew up in Shelby, NC. I graduated from Meredith College in 2008 with a BA in Mathematics and a k-6 teaching licensure. I went back to Meredith for graduate school and graduated in December 2013 with a M.Ed. in Reading. Prior to joining North Ridge, I taught in Johnston County for five years, and Fuquay-Varina for one year. I taught second grade for two years and third grade for four years.
I love teaching, and I love my students as if they were my own children. I work hard to create a classroom community that each student enjoys being a part of, and want to come to school every day. I am very passionate about teaching math, and I try to instill that love for math in each of my students.