Welcome New Teachers & Staff 26-27

I am originally from Moore, Oklahoma but have lived in states due to my time in the military. I got my BA from the University of Oklahoma, MA from National University, and will finish my PhD from Walden University early next year. My wife and I are both teachers, she teaches at Moore High School as the choir director. I also coach wrestling and have coached football as well. We have two dogs who are our kids now since all of ours are on their own. I have taught in several states now. Started in CA, then IN and now in OK. I’ve taught English and social studies and have also taught in professional settings through the military and corporate settings.

3 Things About Me:

1.)Life long learner, love to learn new things.
2.)Big OU fan (alumni and former athlete)
3.) Sci-fi geek

What I love about teaching? Seeing the “light bulb” light up when they finally get it.

Favorite Quote or Motto? You don’t lose, you learn

Email: Craig Burney craig.burney@edmondschools.net

Hello Cheyenne Middle School staff!

My name is Ali Rundell, and I am so excited to be joining the Cheyenne Middle School community! I am originally from California and earned my bachelor’s degree from California State University, Stanislaus, and my master’s degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. I have experience teaching kindergarten and 5th grade, and I am excited to begin this new chapter in middle school. My husband, Ryan, and I were recently married, and we enjoy spending time with our dogs, traveling, and making memories with family and friends. I can’t wait to get to know all of my students and families and make this a wonderful school year!

3 Things About Me:

1.) I’ve lived in four different states.
2.) I once traveled to three different countries in one month.
3.) I love baking and cooking and am always excited to try new recipes!

What I love about teaching? Is watching students grow in confidence, knowledge, and independence throughout the school year.

Favorite Quote or Motto? “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.“ - Maya Angelou

Email: alienna.moraitis@edmondschools.net

I’m originally from Hughes Springs, a small town in East Texas. I graduated from Oklahoma Christian University with my bachelor’s degree. I have an older sister, a younger brother, and both my parents who all still live back home in Texas I’m also married to my wife who has grown up in Oklahoma and is a NICU nurse. This will be my third year teaching, and I’m excited for another great school year! My first year, I taught Special Education Mathematics at Jones High School, and last year I taught Freshman Health at Edmond North High School.

3 Things About Me:

1. I played five years of college baseball, with my fifth year made possible through the COVID eligibility extension.

2. My wife and I foster medically complex dogs and cats, and we love helping them find their forever homes.

3.If I could eat one type of food for the rest of my life, it would definitely be Mexican food!

What I love about teaching? is watching students grow in confidence, building meaningful relationships, and making learning enjoyable. My goal is for every student to feel valued, challenged, and excited to come to class each day.

Favorite Quote or Motto? “Everyone likes to believe that baseball is a game of failure, but really it’s a game of opportunity.” — Skip Johnson

Email: alex.bruce@edmondschools.net

I was born and raised in Texas, but Oklahoma has been home for the past seven years. My husband and I have been married for 15 years, and we have four awesome kids who definitely keep life interesting!

I've spent most of my career in office administration, financial support, and operations as well as managing our family business. I truly enjoy helping things stay organized and running smoothly.

3 Things About Me:

1. Momma to 4 kids, 1 currently at Cheyenne Middle. Spending quality time with family

2. Family does commercial and background acting

3. Finding local coffee shops with my husband

Favorite Quote or Motto? Bloom were you are planted.

Email: jodi.banks@edmondschools.net

I’m from Moore, Oklahoma, I graduated from Westmoore HS in 2016. My family has just grown to 4! My fiancé and I have our 4 year old Teagan (about to be 5) and our 2 month old Jett James Foster. My family is everything to me! I have taught for 3 years, and I am coming from Mustang Public Schools. Teaching and coaching is my passion!

3 Things About Me:

1. I’m 28 years old

2. My fiancé, and 2 brother in laws went to Cheyenne MS

3. I’m a huge golfer!

What I love about teaching? Impacting lives on a daily basis and building relationships

Favorite Quote or Motto? Control what you can control

Email: dakota.foster@edmondschools.net

I'm a farm girl from northwest Oklahoma. I graduated from my hometown's Northwestern Oklahoma State University. I taught elementary for 7 years before staying home to raise our two oldest daughters. In those next 7 years we moved to Texas, Nebraska, back to Texas and then returned to Oklahoma where I resumed teaching at EPS for the 2016-17 school year.

My husband and I have 3 wonderful daughters. (We had our third daughter at the beginning of COVID.) The oldest just graduated from Santa Fe this past year and our middle daughter is a Junior there this year. Our youngest will be starting first grade at Cross Timbers this year. I have had 10 years in the district, 8 in middle school science and 2 in 5th grade math and science.

Science has always been my passion. I love teaching students about all of the remarkable things science has shown us about the world we live in!

3 Things About Me:

1. I enjoy home renovation- anything from installing cabinets to flooring to simple electrical work. If it transforms a space into something new, I love it!

2. I loved living on a farm! I showed livestock, rode horses, fixed fence, drove a tractor and pretty much anything my dad needed help with. I am the youngest of 4 girls so we did it all!

3. In high school I competed in the International Science and Engineering Fair Tucson,Az and The National Junior Academy of Science in Seattle, WA. I originally wanted to be an entomologist because of my science fair project.

What I love about teaching? Inspiring students to love science! I "nerd-out" when sharing new science discoveries to my students.

Favorite Quote or Motto? If you are not willing to learn no one can help you. If you are determined to learn no one can stop you.

Email: sharie.mitchell@edmondschools.net

I am from Edmond, Oklahoma and a graduate of Edmond Public Schools. I received my Undergraduate degree from the University of Central Oklahoma and my Masters from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. I've worked in Edmond Public Schools since 2013. I began my career at Cross Timbers Elementary, opened Scissortail Elem, and then went to Heartland Middle School for the last 2 years. I am a Mother of two, Everly (7) and James (3). My husband and I enjoy spending time with our family cooking, playing board games, and taking walks with our Corgi Max.

3 Things About Me?

1. I was previously a wedding singer

2.In high school, I was part of Northern Lights Show Choir.

3.My first pet was a goldfish named Cleo (from Pinocchio).

What I love about teaching? "When all the work begins to pay off and the student sees that they are becoming a better communicator/conversationalist.

Favorite Quote or Motto? Make sure what you are doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow.

Email: katy.williams@edmondschools.net

I am from New Mexico, and I graduated from UNM. I have been married to Rick for 27 years and we have 3 kids who all went to Cheyenne for middle school. I have been at John Ross for the previous 11 years as a ca2. Before that I worked in preschool/pre-k or MDO at my church for 10 years, and previous to that I ran an in home childcare.

3 Things About Me:

1. I love the outdoors. I love hiking, horseback riding, rockhounding, hobby farming, bike riding, beaches, mountains, deserts, grassland plains… If it’s outside and/or out of the city, it’s for me

2. When inside at home, I love reading, blasting music during housework, and when my kids come over for Sunday dinner and board game night.

3. A recent fascination for me has been finding out how many wild plant species on my small acreage are edible. It’s crazy! I would say more than half of what’s growing on my 5 acres is food! Until the last couple of years, I just walked through it all unaware.

What I love about teaching? Never a dull moment. Special needs has been especially rewarding and good for my soul. There is an endless amount of types of both hardships to work to overcome and blessings to be celebrated. No child or family is having the exact same experience as the next, and the versatility and patience and need to pay close attention to seemingly small details has given me a new depth of appreciation for my own life, and those around me, that I don’t think I would have had otherwise.

Favorite Quote or Motto? To be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause (Song lyric from ‘The Impossible Dream’)

Email: maggie.quick@edmondschools.net

I am from the country of Georgia in Eastern Europe. I graduated from Tbilisi State University with a Master's degree in Linguistics. I taught Georgian language and literature at the university for 15 years until my family—my husband and our two children (our son, who was 9, and our daughter, who was 5)—moved to the United States in 2001 for my husband's job as a university professor.

After moving to the U.S., I taught Russian for several years at a community college and later at a charter school. Since 2020, I have worked for Edmond Public Schools as a CA||.

3 Things About Me:

1. I speak three languages: English, Georgian, and Russian.

2. One of my biggest dreams is to open my own doggy daycare someday.

3. I am obsessed with decorating of Christmas Tree

What I love about teaching? Loving kids

Favorite Quote or Motto? Everything always happens for reason

Email: nina.kalandadze@edmondschools.net

I was a military brat growing up, but I call Lubbock, Texas home. I received my undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University and my graduate degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. I have 3 children, all of whom went to or are currently at Cheyenne. I fell in love with Cheyenne as a parent first! My daughter is working on her masters degree at the University of Tulsa, my middle child loves all things baseball and he is a sophomore at North, and my youngest is thrilled (ahem) that mom is teaching at the school where he is an 8th grader.

I have been teaching Special Education in Edmond for 8 years. I also have 8 years experience as a general education elementary teacher.

3 Things About Me:

1. I have three German Shepherds; two of them are rescues!

2. I love to travel and the best place I've been to was Santorini, Greece.

3. Baking is my stress relief!

What I love about teaching? When my students experience an "Ah-ha!" moment. When they work hard and then a skill clicks!

Favorite Quote or Motto? "Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing." Philippians 2:3-4

Email: Kathy.radle@edmondschools.net

Hello! My name is Amanda Davis. This year will be my 14th year in art education and my first in Edmond. I graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2013 and have been teaching art ever since. I am originally from Guthrie, Oklahoma, I have one wonderful daughter and a big, fun extended family and the amazing friends who have become family along the way. Outside the classroom, I enjoy reading, traveling, exploring all the new hobbies, spending time outdoors...all fueled by copious amounts of coffee, most likely in a weird mug or mason jar.

I'm looking forward to an incredible school year filled with creativity, growth, and lots of amazing artwork.

3 Things About Me:

1.1. I grew up on a dairy farm.

2. I love a good road trip.
3. I enjoy long walks through the antique store.

What I love about teaching? I love watching young artists discover they're capable of more than they ever imagined and seeing the pride and confidence that comes from creating something they're truly proud of.

Favorite Quote or Motto? "You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have."-Dr. Maya Angelou

Email: amanda.davis@edmondschools.net

Hi, I am Angela Zwirtz but I go by Ms. A. I am starting my 14 year in education this Fall, coming from Mustang Public Schools and PC Schools. I am extremely passionate about Public School Education. I am mom to a Senior at Mustang Highschool #92 who plays Football and a 5th grader who cheers for Reign Athletics. When I am not working you can find me reading, going to the gym and whenever possible TRAVELING!

3 Things About Me:

1. Traveling, I always have a suitcase packed. If I don't have it I can BUY it!

2. Music, passion and always playing 99% of the time.

3. Highly involved in State Education.

Favorite Quote or Motto? Change my Heart or Change my Path

Email: angela.zwirtz@edmondschools.net

Michelle Grinsteiner, Principal, Lead Administrator

David Wheeler, Assistant Principal & Athletic Director

Stacey Ruston, Assistant Principal

Kelsi Nine, Assistant Principal

Michelle Pursell, Counselor

Leslie Velez, Counselor

Jenny Bynum, Counselor

Website: http://cheyenne.edmondschools.net/
Location: 1271 West Covell Road, Edmond, OK, United States
Phone: (405) 340-2940
Facebook: facebook.com/@edmondcheyenne