Archives: Staff

Hi, my name is Lora Peterson.  I am one of the Paraprofessionals at North Metro Flex Academy.  I have absolutely loved being given the joy of working with your children.  I am originally from New Jersey.  I moved to Minnesota over 20 years ago, looking for a fresh start in the Midwest.  What I found was my calling in childcare and teaching.  I have been working with children of all ages for over 26 years.

When not working with my kiddos, I am happiest when I am raising Monarch Butterflies.  During their months, it’s not unusual for me to have about ten of the little buggers chomping away on leaves in my butterfly enclosures.  When not doing that, you can find me smiling my biggest just being outside with my significant other, enjoying the short but beautiful Minnesota summers!

My job is to connect the families with the school and keep them informed on the school activities.  I communicate with parents on behalf of the teachers and also with teachers and admin on behalf of the parents.  I schedule tours for parents, assist with their enrollment, and connect them with the transportation coordinators.  I report attendance to the office and also schedule and interpret for conferences and meetings.  I help advocate for the students and families I work with and connect them with additional resources in the community.  I do student intervention and occasional home visits when needed.

Ember Russell graduated from Augsburg University with a B.S. in Elementary Education. Before she became a teacher, she worked as a Special Education Paraprofessional. She began her teaching career at NMFA as a founding teacher. She loves teaching Kindergarten because she gets to sing, dance, and create with the youngest learners at NMFA.

My name is Colleen O’Rourke, and I am the 2^nd Grade teacher at NMFA. I graduated from St Cloud State University in 2003 with a BS Degree in elementary education. I am licensed to teach K-8. I began my teaching working as a substitute teacher in several area districts and private schools. I also worked every summer as a teacher in a school age summer care program. For the last 5 years I have been teaching Preschool and while I loved it, my passion is teaching in an elementary classroom. I find joy in the connections I have with students and the confidence I see in them as they learn and grow. I am a single mother to 2 children. My Son Ryan is a Police Officer in Oakdale, and my Daughter attends North High School where she is involved in Show Choir and Drama. She also dances on a competitive team at White Bear Dance Center. Although her activities keep us very busy, I enjoy spending time hanging out with friends and family in the Brainerd Lakes Area where I grew up. I love life on the lake and cool nights around a campfire. I am very excited to be a part on the NMFA Family.

Hello, my name is Kaylee Nash, and I am the 1^st grade teacher at North Metro Flex Academy. I graduated from Winona State University with a degree in Elementary Education K-6. I have always had a passion for helping children learn and I am so excited to teach and learn along side the students this year. During my free time I enjoy being outdoors going to the lakes, taking hikes and going on walks with my bulldog Russell.

What’s up people reading this bio.  I’m Megan.  I have taken a long, twisting, looping, winding path to get to North Metro Flex Academy, and I am SO very happy to be here.  My education has included 3.14159 stints at the University of MN (Twin Cities) spanning from 1995 to 2016 where I started off on an unknown path to Civil Engineering to Mathematics to Design to FINALLY deciding to get an Individualized Studies degree in Political Science, Film and Management.  In 2008, I moved to Vancouver, British Columbia and had the time of my life going to Vancouver Film School where I made some lifelong friendships and connections.  I had high hopes of being able to live and work in Vancouver, but that did not work out, so I moved back to MN.  Life has been a consistent and persistent struggle for me, but I think everything happens for a reason, and I think these struggles have prepared me well for things to come.  I am really happy where I am presently, and I am so excited about what the future holds.

I’m currently working to get my 501c non-profit status for my film production company, and I plan to attend Metro State University in the fall for a Master of Arts in Individualized Studies with my areas of focus being Nonprofit Leadership and Management, Advocacy and Political Leadership and Social Studies Teacher Preparation Grades 5-12.

For fun I like to spend time with friends and family.  I’m a huge film, music and sportsball lover (especially the NBA and watching hockey at all age levels).  I am a lover of the game of disc golf/frisbee golf, frolf; in the recent past I ran a women’s disc golf league.  I’m also getting back into things I liked/loved doing as a child or wish I had started as a child including martial arts, dance, piano and guitar.  Finally, I am a firm believer in mindfulness and meditation and practice them daily.

As long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a teacher.  That dream came true when I graduated from the Urban Education Program at Metropolitan State University in 2010.  Since then, I have had the privilege of teaching middle and
high school grade levels.  I enjoy outdoor activities in my free time: camping, biking, rollerblading, snowtubing, ice skating…etc.  I play some sports for fun with family or friends like tennis, volleyball, or kickball.  I grew up dancing and still love to dance.  I hope one day I will be able get back into participating in flash mobs when the pandemic is over. My teenage daughter and I enjoy doing arts/crafts together.  My fiancé and I enjoy bowling and video games.  We have 2 dogs that we love taking to the dog park and watching run around joyously.  We also have 2 cats that like to sit right behind us on the back of the couch.  We have 2 bearded dragons in which we built a stand for to hold both of their cages.

Hi!  I am a Special Education Paraprofessional at NMFA!  I graduated from South Dakota State University with a B.A. in Global Studies.  I graduated from Minnesota State University with a M.A. in TESL.  I enjoy working at the school and helping the kids grow and learn!  Aside from working at school, I enjoy reading and creating art!!!