Aberdeen's First Grade page

  Miss Gentile

Hello! My name is Erika Gentile and this will be my fifth year teaching 1st grade! I graduated from Liberty University with a dual degree in Elementary Education and Psychology. I am currently working on my master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction at Appalachian State University. My main goal as a teacher at Aberdeen is to equip students with appropriate social, emotional, and cognitive tools to succeed in all aspects of life. It is my passion to make a positive difference in the lives of our students and shape them into productive adults. I am so lucky I get to care for and inspire my students to do better and go further. Go Tigers!

 Ms. Bortz

Hello, my name is Olivia Bortz and I am excited to get to join the 1st grade team as a teacher this year. I obtained my Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University and I obtained my Master's degree in teaching from Liberty University. My purpose for becoming an educator is to reach students in unique ways and always be their advocate when they feel their voice is not being heard. Often children are lost in the every day challenges of life and I want to be their light during life's challenges and also life's successes. One goal that I would like to accomplish as an educator this year at Aberdeen is to grow as a teacher and become a leader in school committees and PLTs. Things that make me unique as an educator is my background. I am a certificed registered behavioral therapist and have worked with a variety of children in many different settings. I have also been a certified nursing assistant and spent many years in the Emergency Department. 

 Miss Horm

Hi, my name is Kelley Horm and I am so excited to be a new member of the first grade teaching team at Aberdeen Elementary School! I have obtained my Bachelors of Science in Education in Early Childhood Education at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania. My purpose for being an educator is to encourage, inspire, and value my students to help guide them to achieve their fullest potential. As a teacher at Aberdeen Elementary School, I hope to remind my students consistently that they are capable of incredible things and are infinitely valued in my classroom and in our school. I believe my creativity, enthusiasm, and experience working with children in Central America makes me a unique and valuable educator. I am both thrilled and honored to be working with you and your child this school year!

  Miss Jackson

Hi! My name is Rachel Jackson and this will be my 3rd year teaching First Grade at Aberdeen. I will soon be Mrs. Brown, as I am getting married in the spring. I grew up as a little girl in 2nd grade at Aberdeen who only dreamt of becoming a Teacher. Returning back to this amazing new school upon graduating has been so rewarding. I graduated from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a Bachelors in Elementary Education, minoring in Sociology. I believe all students are capable of learning. Students who are viewed as individuals who play a role in the classroom community by sharing and gaining knowledge from each other. As a teacher it is my job to make sure my students are safe while exploring and learning new things to help shape their minds for the real-world, which not only requires academic knowledge, but social skills as well. I believe teachers should not be alone in educating students, but that parents, families and the community to work together to support and enrich the lives of their children, who are the future!

  Ms. Edwards

Hello, my name is Cindy Edwards, and this is my second year teaching 1st grade at Aberdeen Elementary School. I hold degrees in Business Management and Marketing from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and a teaching certificate from the State of North Carolina. As an elementary educator, my goal is to provide students with a strong foundation on which to build their future educational dreams. I hope my legacy as an educator will be that I challenged my students, but not to the point of frustration. It is also very important to me for my students to know I care about them. I'm a numbers girl so I tend to look at it from this standpoint: My students and I are together 7 hours a day for 180 days each school year. That's a lot of together time. Let's try to have some fun and enjoy each other's company while we're learning. Sound like a plan?

 Mrs. Holley

Hello, my name is LaShon Holley and I am proud to be a First Grade Teacher at Aberdeen Elementary School. I earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. I am honored to have served in many capacities at Aberdeen Primary School and Aberdeen Elementary School for the past eighteen years. I have served as a Substitute Teacher, Technology Instructor, Teacher Assistant, and First Grade Teacher. My belief is not only do I make a difference, but I am the difference. Being compassionate and relatable has allowed me to create long lasting bonds with students. I always instill the belief in our students that greatness lies within you. Dream big, because with preparation, hard work and preserverance dreams can come true. If you believe it, you can achieve it!