Resource

Team Leader: Allison Gevat gevata@friscoisd.org

I graduated from the University of North Texas in 2008 with my Bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, focusing on Special Education. I was an aide in an Active Learning Classroom and an SLC classroom here in Frisco Independent School District before I was hired as a Resource teacher here at Gunstream Elementary. This is my 12th year at Gunstream, and love being part of this amazing school community! When I am not at school, I love to spend time with my family, especially my beautiful nieces Madison and Morgan, reading, and watching movies. I am looking forward to a great year this year!!

My Favorites

Color-Purple

Snack- Popcorn, Pirate's Booty

Drink- Cranberry Frozen Lemonade from Sonic, Peppermint Hot Chocolate, Smart Water

Place to Eat- Jersey Mikes, Chickfila, La Hacienda, Chuy's, Casa Mia

Shop- Target, Mardel

Hobbies- movies, reading and spending time with my family/friends, baking

Birthday- May 31st

Sam Alkadi alkadis@friscoisd.org

My name is Samantha Alkadi (pronounced like golf caddy). I am very excited to be a resource teacher at Gunstream Elementary this year. I moved to Irving, Texas from about an hour outside Toronto, Canada with my husband in 2005. We explored the US for a few years, so our 13 YO daughter, and 12 & 10 YO sons were born in TX, WI, and MA respectively. We moved back to Texas in time to get settled to start K in Frisco ISD at Anderson Elementary. It is hard to believe my youngest is finishing 5th grade this year, and my older two are now in 7th and 8th grades at Vandeventer Middle School. We spend our family time with our schnoodle, as well as lots of time fencing. My husband and I are both coaches and referees, and the kids are entering their fourth season competing. I also love to bake and decorate cakes. I earned an Honors Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Brock University and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada. My teaching background includes pre-k, 2nd and 4th grade blocks in Canada, a year teaching 1st and 2nd grade language arts overseas in the UAE, 4 years as an ESL instructional specialist at North Lake College before taking some time off while we moved around when my kids were babies and toddlers, and then I taught ESL for 8 years at Richland College upon returning to DFW, and then I joined Frisco ISD at Elliot Elementary as a resource teacher in the fall of 2021. Some summertime off to spend time traveling with my family has been great, and now I am looking forward to getting started at Gunstream!

Favorites:

Color- blue (all colors really)

Food- almost anything with cheese

Snack- cheesy rice cakes

Drink- Topo Chico, coffee

Place to Eat- Chipotle, Rusty Taco, Lane's Chicken, Mike's Subs

Place to Shop- DSW, Target, Mardel

Hobbies- fencing, cake decorating

Birthday- Jan 20

Madina Abdullaeva abdullaevam@friscoisd.org

I was born and raised in the beautiful country of Uzbekistan. My journey eventually led me to New York, where I lived for 12 years before my family and I made Texas our new home. Education has been a central part of my life, and this marks my 10th year in the field.

I earned my bachelor's degree in TESOL from Queens College, part of the City University of New York, and my master's degree in special education (SPED) from Concordia University. I began my educational career teaching English and Japanese at the university I graduated from. Later, I worked as a substitute teacher in various schools across New York. Since moving to Texas, I've been working as a Special Education teacher.

Fluency in five different languages has allowed me to connect with students from various cultural backgrounds facilitating effective language learning.

On a personal note, I am happily married and a proud mother of four beautiful daughters, aged 17, 13, 7, and 5. Spending time with my family is my greatest joy, and I cherish every moment with them. Apart from family time, I love reading books and continuing to improve my language skills.

I'm looking forward to another great year at Gunstream!

My Favorites

Color-lilac, pink, blue

Snack- mixed nuts, Pirate's Booty

Drink- latte (with oat milk or almond milk), orange juice, lemonade

Place to Eat- Casa Mia, Chili's, Panera

Shop- Walmart, Costco, Target

Hobbies- yoga, movies, reading, and spending time with my girls.

Birthday- April 28th

Noel Thacker thackern@friscoisd.org

I have a Bachelor's in Social Work and completed my teaching certificate through Texas Teachers. I spent two years working in McKinney ISD - first as a paraprofessional then as a teacher, both in a self-contained classroom. I am originally from Indiana, but I love calling Texas my home. I am looking forward to expanding my scope of knowledge and expertise to include Resource. Let's make it a great year!

Favorites:

Color - Purple

Snack - Flipz chocolate covered pretzels

Drink - Sonic Cranberry Limeade

Place to Eat - Dutch Bros, McDonald's

Shop - Walmart

Hobbies - hiking

Birthday - January 22

Gemma Cenci cencig@friscoisd.org

Hello! I’m Gemma Cenci, a proud graduate of The University of Alabama’s Multiple Abilities Program. This year marks my first year at Gunstream Elementary, though it’s my second-year teaching with Frisco ISD. I’m thrilled to join the vibrant community here at Gunstream.

Outside of school, I love spending time with my family and friends. I also enjoy going on long walks, relaxing by the pool, and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen.

My Favorites

Color-Purple

Snack- popcorn and cheez-its

Drink- Dr. Pepper, Coffee, Celsius, Alanis

Place to Eat- Cava, Chipotle, Dumpling house

Shop- Bath and Body works, Ulta, Target

Hobbies- movies, spending time with family and friends, and cooking

Birthday- November 8th, 2000

Teacher Assistant:

I graduated from Texas A & M-Commerce in 1996 with a Bachelors Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. I have been an aide in Frisco ISD for 10 years. The past 2 years, I was in an SLC classroom so this is my first year in Resource. When I am home, I enjoy reading, watching movies, and playing games with my family. My husband and I have 3 boys that keep us busy. I am looking forward to a great year here at Gunstream.

Color-purple, blue

Snack-Cheez-its, trail mix

Drink- Dr Pepper, Sonic Cherry Limeade

Place to Eat-Casa Mia, Chick-fil-a, Hutchins BBQ

Shop- Bath &Body, Amazon

Hobbies-reading, movies with family

Birthday-February 23rd

Teacher Assistants:

Hey! I am Ms. Gomez! I currently attend WGU and will be finishing out my program this year with my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. This is my 4th year here at Gunstream. I was a Pre-K Paraprofessional for 3 years; this is my first year in Special Education.

I have a son who is in 6th grade at Wortham Intermediate School in FISD and a daughter who is in 2nd grade here at Gunstream. When I have free time, I like to read, travel, bake and play board games with my family. I am looking forward to and am so excited to work with all the students this year!

My Favorites

Color-Leopard

Snack- Cheez-Itz (extra toasty), White Chocolate Reece's, Chex Mix

Drink- Diet coke, Spring Water,

Place to Eat- Jersey Mikes, Chipotle, The Yard

Shop- Amazon, Market Street

Hobbies- Reading, traveling, baking, playing board games

Birthday- Nov. 6th

Eligibility

The TEA's Parent's Guide to the Admission, Review, and Dismissal Process states: There is a two-part test for determining whether your child is eligible for special education and related services: (1) your child must have a disability; and (2) as a result of the disability, your child must need special education and related services to benefit from education. To meet the first part of the two-part test for eligibility, a child between the ages of 3 through 21, except as noted, must meet the criteria for one or more of the disability categories listed below:

auditory impairment (from birth);
autism;
deaf-blindness (from birth);
emotional disturbance;
intellectual disability;
multiple disabilities;
noncategorical early childhood (ages three through five);
orthopedic impairment;
other health impairment;
specific learning disability;
speech or language impairment;
traumatic brain injury; or
visual impairment (including blindness from birth).

The ARD committee must make the eligibility determination within 30 calendar days from the date of completion of the initial evaluation report.

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