Welcome to Kindergarten!

My name is Emily White and I am so excited to spend my 23rd year of teaching with your child in our class.  I am thrilled to be part of the Apex Friendship community. I've taught Kindergarten, Third grade, ESL, and Spanish during my teaching career. Kindergarten is my absolute favorite.   I am excited to teach your Kindergartner this school year.   

My husband, Greg, and I have two children.  Rachel is a Freshman at Fuquay High and William is a fifth grader at AFES. We also have two fur babies (Charlie and Fireball).  We love to travel, swim at the pool, battle in Mario Kart, cheer on the Philadelphia Eagles and play board games together.   Basketball, baseball and volleyball games keep us busy!

I am looking forward to getting to know your child.  We have lots to learn but we are going to have a great time doing it. Thank you for your support in making this a fantastic year. 

Hello there! I am Jolly (pronounced Jolee) Beyene. It's so nice to meet you! I am so excited to be joining Apex Friendship Elementary School’s stellar Kindergarten Team! This is such an exciting time for our community and I am so thrilled to be part of it.  

Before joining AFES, I taught Kindergarten at Turner Creek Elementary School in Cary and also worked as a Substitute Teacher and Extended Learning Camp Teacher. I am still new to teaching and am excited to learn and grow at Apex Friendship Elementary School as well as to integrate my knowledge from previous career and life experiences. I grew up in California but am originally from East Africa, from a small country called Eritrea. My family left Eritrea shortly after I was born and lived in Europe for several years before relocating to the U.S. Prior to teaching, I studied city planning and worked in housing advocacy. I decided to pursue teaching after volunteering in my kids' schools and discovering my passion for education. My husband, four kids, and I love the outdoors, sports, reading, eating, and traveling (and doing more eating!!). 

There have been several teachers in my life who inspired a love of learning in me the way I hope to inspire your children. My goal from the very beginning has been to foster joy in learning and to create a positive, safe, and inclusive environment for all students. I am so excited that your child will join us on a journey of learning and discovery. We will have so much fun, go on many educational adventures, and explore the world together from our classroom!