Hello, my name is Kelly Norris and I am excited to be joining the 4th grade team here at Woods. Since leaving Australia as a teacher ready to explore the world back in 2005, I have had the opportunity to work in schools in Japan, Germany, Hawaii, and now here in North Carolina. It was meeting so many wonderful and diverse students that sparked my interest in literacy and language development, leading me to pursue my postgraduate studies in these areas. There is an amazing buzz when you have a class of excited and nervous students from around the world wanting to be known, resulting in some pretty creative forms of communication! My favorite part about the job is creating a space for my students to feel comfortable and confident in exploring their strengths and facing up to new challenges.

Along my journeys, 'I' became 'we', and our family of four have loved every minute of being part of the international community. It have been a blast visiting new cities together, and revisiting our favorites through the eyes of our two children, Ethan and Greer. When we are not out and about, we love to be outside. Running has been one of my favorite ways to unwind, but recently I have discovered how great it is to get out on Jordan Lake on a paddleboard. My family are my culinary test subjects, for better or worse, as I love to try out new recipes from around the world.

We have been in the Triangle now for two years, and we are thrilled to call Woods and Chapel Hill home!