Lower School Administrators
Mrs. MeyerI am excited to be joining the University Academy Family and getting to know you all. The journey of life takes us in many different directions and I can say that my life has definitely been interesting. I was born in Newfoundland, Canada (which is a small rock in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada) to two parents who loved adventure and change. I have lived as far south as Sydney Australia and as far north as Labrador, Canada and I can truly say that the beaches and sunshine will win every time.
It was Mr. Wells, my 5th grade teacher, that helped me see my potential and it is because of him that I became a teacher. I truly belief that we need to inspire our students to greatness just as Mr. Wells saw the good in me at a time that I was down on myself. I left Canada at the age of seventeen to attend university in South Carolina, where I met my husband and completed my degree in Elementary and Special Education. I attended William Woods University and completed my Masters in Educational Leadership in 2008 and I have just completed my Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Central Missouri. I am in my 25th year of marriage to the love of my life, Roger and I have two wonderful children: Charity and Joshua. Charity is pursuing a degree in Computer Science at University of Central Missouri and Joshua is in 10th grade at Harrisonville High School. One of our family passions is riding Roller Coasters and we have traveled the country to do that on our family vacations. I have had a variety of experiences including group home management, business ownership, and store and district level management for the Limited Corporation before coming back to education. As an educator, I have taught in private school and public school in grades 2, 4, 5 Regular Ed. and K-12 Gifted Ed. and I have been an Elementary Principal for the past 3 years at Adrian Elementary. I have had the privilege to help make a difference in the lives of my students and the people that I work with and look forward to making new connections at University Academy. |
Mrs. KnappWelcome to the 2015-2016 school year everyone! I am very excited to get the year started. My family places much importance on education and because of which we are all life-long learners. My mother teaches children with special needs while my older sister teachers college level public health courses. My father and younger sister are pediatricians, both of which also teach at UMKC and Children's Mercy Hospital.
I have completed three degrees at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in Elementary Education, Curriculum & Instruction, and my Educational Specialist Degree in Administration. With these degrees I have worked in Kansas City charter schools for the past 15 years, gaining teaching experience in grades Kindergarten to 8th grade. It is an honor to return to University Academy for my eleventh year, my sixth as Lower School Assistant Principal. Everyone at UA is part of a unique family who strive each day to provide our students with the education they deserve. All our children are capable of learning, but not all children learn in the same way. I believe that children need to feel safe and successful in their classroom. They also need to know how much they mean to our school community. I believe that families and teachers must work together in order to have the greatest impact on a child’s learning and love of learning! |
MR. LeonardWelcome! I want to thank you for choosing University Academy for your scholar’s educational journey. Growing up in the mountains of Southwestern Virginia, I began to sense the importance of education at an early age. After graduating High School, my passion for teaching led me to the great city of Boston where I completed my Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education.
In 2008, I had the privilege of working in the Lee’s Summit School District in which my teaching and leadership skills began to progress with the mentorship of excellent and experienced educators. Teaching 2nd, 5th, and 6th grade, I was able to learn from a variety of experiences. After completing a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership at the University of Kansas (Rock Chalk!), I took the opportunity to teach at University Academy for two years. Beginning my second year as Lower School Assistant Principal, I am eager to continue learning and progressing as an educational leader. Education continues to be a major factor in my life, as I continue working on my Doctorate at the University of Kansas. It is our responsibility, as a school community, to create successful students in a nurturing and safe environment. As an Assistant Principal, I look forward to developing positive relationships with all students, parents, and teachers. By doing so, we can work together to make University Academy an exceptional school. Each member of our team is excited to know and understand the specific needs of your student and family so we may provide the best education possible. We pride ourselves in ensuring the individual needs of your student are met on a daily basis. We are eager to work together to better ourselves and our community. |