My name is Ashlei Funtjar and I am a special education SAIL teacher at Smith Elementary.  This is my fifteenth year teaching, my twelfth year at Smith and in SAIL.  I started my teaching career for 3 years in Columbus, Ohio.  I received my bachelor’s degree in education and my  master’s degree in special education from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  When I am not teaching, I love to spend time with my family.  My fiance’s name is Gary and we have a 6 year old daughter named Charlei Mae who is a first grader at Smith.  We also have a 3 year old named Bradei Layne.  We have two cats, Leonard and Penny, and a dog named Hank. I am excited for another year at Smith! 

My name is Sydney Gressett and I am a special education SAIL teacher at Smith Elementary. I attended Frisco schools from kindergarten through 12th grade. This is my seventh year in education, and I have had the opportunity to teach at the middle school, high school, and elementary levels. I have spent the last few years at the elementary level and love supporting students as they grow academically, socially, and emotionally.

I earned both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Texas Tech University. Outside of school, I love spending time with my husband, Tucker, our two-year-old son, Braxton, and our Goldendoodle, Cooper. I am so excited to continue serving the Frisco community and have another wonderful school year!

My name is Deb Fleming and I am a Special Ed. Para in the SAIL Program. This is my 19th year at Smith both as a resource para and a SAIL para. I graduated with my Bachelor’s in Psychology from Miami University in Ohio and my Master of Social Work from THE Ohio State University. I’ve been married for 33 years  to my husband Dave, and have 2 daughters who went to Smith, Gaby (29) and Natalie (25) who is married and expecting my first grandchild!  When I’m not at Smith, I love to read, travel, watch sports, and spend time with my family and friends. I am so excited to begin another year at Smith! 

Hello! My name is Josefina Barrera, and I am honored to be a Paraprofessional in the SAIL (Social and Interpersonal Learning) program. I have been working in Special Education with Frisco ISD for the past 20  years and truly enjoy helping students learn, grow, and build confidence every day.

Before moving to Texas, I attended Cerritos College in California and worked for three years at Nuffer Elementary School in the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District.

My husband and I have been married for 31 wonderful years, and we are blessed with two sons, Jonathan and Christopher. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, watching movies and TV shows, trying new restaurants, writing songs, singing, volunteering at my church, and gardening.

Working with children is a blessing, and I am grateful for the opportunity to support each student and celebrate their successes. Thank you for trusting us with your children. I look forward to another wonderful year of learning and growing together!

My name is Jennifer Melton, and I am a paraprofessional in the SPED SAIL program. This is my 7th year at Smith Elementary and in Frisco ISD. Before joining the staff, I was a Smith parent for 13 straight years, so you can imagine how much I LOVE Smith! I earned my Bachelor's degree in Business Marketing from Texas Tech University and used to be an Event Planner. My husband, Lauren, and I have been married for almost 28 years, and we have four children who all attended Smith Elementary: Cassidy (25), Summer (23), Zoe (19), and Tanner (almost 18). When I'm not at school, I enjoy reading, watching movies and sports, and spending time with my family. I am excited for a new school year and look forward to working with our amazing students and staff!

Hi! My name is Kyndra Daigneault and I am a Paraprofessional in the SAIL program at Smith Elementary. This will be my 11th year in Frisco ISD. I live with my 2 cats, Lady and Lunar. Outside of work I love to spend time with family and friends. I love to watch movies, do different art projects, pet sit, and organize. I enjoy being at Smith very much. I am excited to work with the Smith family!