I grew up in Gastonia, NC. This will be my seventh year teaching and my third year in kindergarten. My teaching philosophy is: relationships first, teaching second. In my free time, I like to read and spend time with my nieces, Lyla and Ella.

I graduated from UNCG and this is my second year teaching. I have seven years of experience as an assistant teacher here at Pleasant Ridge. I have ten years of experience as a preschool teacher. I have two sons and two grandchildren. My husband and I love camping and gardening. 

I begin teaching at Pleasant Ridge in the fall of 2021. Before teaching kindergarten, I was a Pre-K teacher; before that, I was an ER nurse for 12 years. I needed to spend more time with my children, so I stopped nursing, returned to school, and became a teacher. I believe every child can learn if allowed to investigate, experiment, and ask questions about what they are learning. Not every child will learn at the same pace and that is okay! As a teacher, I feel it is my responsibility to guide each child through their learning paces and exploration.

I lived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida as a young child. My family then moved to Kinston, NC. After that, we moved to Laurinburg, NC, where I lived until I got married. I moved to Lincolnton with my husband 36 years ago. I have three children and eight grandchildren. I love to paint/draw/sketch. I enjoy working in my garden. It is fun to plant seeds/cuttings from avocados, pineapple, or other foods and watch how they grow. I also love to travel around the United States. 

Greetings! My name is Ms. Russell.  This will be my 7th year teaching at Pleasant Ridge, and my 16th year teaching! I have taught NC PRE-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade.  I love the little ones, and Kindergarten is my favorite.  I love to spend time with my wonderful family and my kiddo! I love the fall and I love football in the fall even more! GOOOO STEELERS!  My goal is to support my students and families. I believe it is important to nurture the whole child, which includes each of my students' social, emotional, and academic skills. In our classroom, we are a classroom family. I completed my Bachelor’s Degree at Western Carolina University in 2006. My degree is in Early Childhood Education, and I truly believe children are our future.