Billie Clemens joins Mountain Discovery with 36 years of teaching experience as a history educator. Her passion for history and for encouraging kids to challenge themselves led her to work with the Advanced Placement United States History program including serving on the Test Development Committee for the national exam, and leadership roles at the AP Reading.  Along with teaching, Billie has served as the Director of the Gifted and Talented program for Swain County Schools and as a mentor to new teachers.  In addition to her work with current teachers, she also teaches aspiring history teachers at Western Carolina University ...
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Tracy Wharton joins Mountain Discovery Charter School with over 10 years of experience in education. Her career in education began as a middle school math teacher. Varied experiences have afforded her the opportunity to work in various settings and grade levels from kindergarten through twelfth grade. After several years teaching math, she had the opportunity to work in a Day Treatment setting providing instruction in all content areas to at-risk students in 6th - 12th grades. This experience guided her toward pursuing a career shift to Exceptional Children's Services. Tracy spent two years working as inclusion teacher with high school ...
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Crim grew up in North Georgia where she attended the University of Georgia and gained a BS in Child and Family Development. In 1996, she and her husband Jeff moved to the North Carolina Mountains to start their business, Bee Global Studio. For the past 16 years they have owned and operated a working studio gallery nestled in Stecoah Valley where they craft and market candles, ornaments, lamps and many other creations, all made from pure beeswax. They also maintain a bee farm where they harvest many types of honey. Crim has had much experience multitasking where she co- managed ...
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Amy Jo is from Minnesota and graduated with a BSW from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She loves going back home each summer to see family and spend time in the beautiful lakes of this area! Shortly after college Amy Jo was in Peace Corps-Thailand working with children in rural health and traveling for several years. She has about 20 years experience working with children through teaching, mental health, Juvenile Justice and behavioral intervention. Amy's favorite part of her school day is getting hugs and smiles from kids and her favorite part of the after school day is swimming at Deep ...
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Lisa grew up as an Army Brat following her Dad’s military career. Her family settled in Alabama where she attended Troy University obtaining her B.S. in Marketing and her Masters in Business Administration. After graduation, she and her husband, Tony, travelled the United States with his Air Force career eventually retiring and settling here in WNC. They have 3 kids all who have attended MDCS. They enjoy being outdoors, biking, fishing, hiking, and kayaking as often as they can. She is excited to be a part of the MDCS family and to help educate the emerging generations ...
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Tracy Wharton joins Mountain Discovery Charter School with over 10 years of experience in education. Her career in education began as a middle school math teacher. Varied experiences have afforded her the opportunity to work in various settings and grade levels from kindergarten through twelfth grade. After several years teaching math, she had the opportunity to work in a Day Treatment setting providing instruction in all content areas to at-risk students in 6th - 12th grades. This experience guided her toward pursuing a career shift to Exceptional Children's Services. Tracy spent two years working as inclusion teacher with high school ...
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Micheal is a father to Aaliyah, a student at Mountain Discovery, and Ethan. He has been a Swain County resident for over 20 years and has been involved with MDCS in various aspects. In 2021, he joined MDCS team full time as a Title I teacher and Tech Support ...
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Betty MacAvoy Betty is from Coral Gables, Florida, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology. She is retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida where she served veterans for 37 years as a Laboratory Medical Technologist, Supervisor, and Instructor for Nursing Personnel. In 2013, she and her husband Jim relocated to Bryson City, where they made their home in this beautiful section of Western North Carolina. She began working at MDCS as a substitute teacher, tutor, and was the Teacher Assistant in 4th grade, 5th grade, and Middle School. She is currently the ...
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Francine Barnett Bio and photo coming soon ...
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Songbird Burkey Sarah Elizabeth Burkey (Songbird) is a Recording Artist, Songwriter, and Storyteller whose work has been featured on over 17 albums including Door of the Moon, When the Redbuds Bloom, Don’t Die Yet, and Honeysuckle Vine. She has toured 19 countries and earned an international reputation as an authentic voice for Roots Music and Cultural Arts. Songbird is deeply committed to the preservation and continuation of traditional knowledge and the vital role it plays in health, healing, and well-being. She worked for the Cherokee Historical Association for 5 years as a Historian, Heritage Arts Crafter, Assistant Music Director and ...
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Jessica Ray Jessica grew up in Morganton N.C. She is the youngest of three siblings and the only girl. Jessica moved away to attend college at Western Carolina University and ended up falling in love with the Western North Carolina area. She is a recent graduate with a degree in inclusive education. Jessica is able to teach general education, special education, as well as severe and profound disabilities. Jessica will be teaching kindergarten. Her senior year at Western, Jessica did her internship at Mountain Discovery Charter School. She split her time in half with the EC department and with the ...
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Lendy Ayers Lendy is from Graham County, NC where she has spent the majority of her life. She currently lives in Almond with her husband Andy and their German Shepherd Rush. Spending time with her family is her favorite thing to do. She also enjoys activities such as, hiking, mountain biking, camping and fishing.  Lendy is completing her 25th year in education. She received her bachelor's degree in education from Western Carolina University. Her career in education includes teaching Special Education at all grade levels, 7th grade math, 2nd grade and 3rd grade. Lendy is very thankful  to be a part of the ...
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Nicole Zmuda Nicole was born and raised in Bryson City, North Carolina. She attended Mountain Discovery Charter School as a student in 4th, 5th, and 8th grades. During this time, she decided she would one day become a teacher and give back to the students at MDCS. Nicole attended college at Southwestern Community College and Western Carolina University from 2011-2015 and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, as well as a minor in Psychology. Nicole began her teaching career at Swain West Elementary in 2016, where she worked for two years as a second grade teacher. She also ...
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Alexandra Nichols Alexandra grew up on the southern coast of Massachusetts and received both her B.A. in Psychology and M.A.T degree from a small university just outside of Boston. She loves rock climbing, whitewater kayaking, playing viola & piano, and cuddling with her cats. Alexandra wants to inspire students to develop and maintain positive social relationships and identities, express comfort and tolerance with all people, and relate to people as individuals. She also wants to encourage students to lead their own learning and lead others in learning, and to inquire as scientists and evaluate as mathematicians in their everyday lives ...
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Luke Webb After exploring various career paths, Mr. Luke decided he wanted a profession that allowed him to make a positive impact in his community. Teaching fit the bill. Mr. Luke sees it as a way to pass on his life long love of learning to the next generation. He was born in Boone, NC and grew up in Sylva. The son of a studio artist turned educator and a Lutheran minister, his teaching practice centers on compassion, creativity and critical thinking. He holds degrees from Berea College and WCU. Prior to pursuing his teaching credentials he worked as a ...
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Valerie Feathers Dr. Valerie Feathers joins Mountain Discovery Charter School with a varied educational background. A native of Elizabethton, Tennessee, Valerie grew up in the mountains and loved the outdoors. She attended East Tennessee State University and graduated with a B.A. in Anthropology as well as Foreign Languages. She decided to expand her horizons and moved to Louisiana where she attended Louisiana State University. Here, she received a M.A. in Anthropology as well as a PhD in Anthropology and Geography with a concentration in Archaeology. Yes, she’s an archaeologist! Her area of focus is Mesoamerican archaeology at a remote underwater ...
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Zuzana Montagne, Middle School ELA Zuzana Montagne is excited to join the MDCS Middle School team to teach English Language Arts through Reading-Writing Workshop. Her workshop students will be reading books of their choice and developing, drafting, and polishing writing in a variety of genres. Outside of the classroom, Zuzana spends lots of time outside with her family and friends, including her husband Michael, their daughter Monika, and German shepherd Cora. She also enjoys leading kayak programs through Need More Outdoors, a grassroots organization devoted to empowering Swain County youth to pursue outdoor sports. As she anticipates her first year ...
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Preparing to Navigate Our Changing World Matthew Shirey, MS Social Studies: As a kid I spent my time reading books about early American history and Native American culture.  This lifelong interest in culture, history, and society led me to study Anthropology and Sociology in college.  While working on my degree from Clarion University of Pennsylvania I worked with AmeriCorps programs that helped me develop a service ethic and a love for teaching and working with children.  About the same time I began to study the craft of blacksmithing.  In the years since I have worked as a professional artisan and ...
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Math Math in the MDCS middle school puts a strong focus on the “nuts and bolts.” As a teacher, I believe it is important for all students to have a strong math base. Having the opportunity to mold mathematical minds for three consecutive years helps fill in any weaknesses that a student may have. They leave here with all the tools to be successful math students and everyday users of math for the rest of their lives. Daily the students learn through structure and routines. This helps the students gain confidence in their abilities. We agree that practice makes perfect ...
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The Middle School Science Program at Mountain Discovery Charter School takes directly into account the State of North Carolina's science standards. Doing this, though, doesn't have to translate into teaching to the test. Curricular field trips are a critical part of Mountain Discovery's implementation of the Expeditionary Learning model. Each year the sixth graders embark on a geology trip in the spring, where concepts learned in the classroom are observed first hand in the field. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and MDCS team up for air quality studies in the spring. Data gathered by the seventh grade on this three-day hike ...
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Krista Skrede - Art Teacher Krista was born and raised in Wisconsin, in a town right along the Mississippi River. From the time she was little, she knew two things: she wanted to be a teacher and she wanted to travel the world. Krista graduated from Winona State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in art education. She also holds a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Webster University in St. Louis. Soon after graduation, Krista packed her bags and moved the the Netherlands, where she taught art for 10 years at The American School of The Hague ...
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