Meet the Staff
The staff at Orchard Prairie is dedicated to serving our students, guiding them to become life-long academic learners while nurturing their social and emotional health. We believe in supporting the whole student and their families, while building deep relationships that last years.
Joseph Beckford
Superintendent
Heather Roark
Administrative Assistant
I’m Ms. Roark, and I’m the administrative assistant at O.P. I’m actually a former O.P. student, and I attended Gonzaga Prep and SFCC as well. I have a son named Dylan who will be starting high school this fall! I enjoy spending time with friends and family, yoga, hiking, and shopping. I love being able to work at O.P. and be a part of our little community!
Kirsten Schierman
Kindergarten
I have been teaching Kindergarten at Orchard Prairie since 1996. My husband is Mike and we have three kids, Braeden, Teagen, & Rianna. We spend our family time between club and school soccer, LC Drama (the actual stage kind), volunteering in the community, and even fit in a little camping on the St. Joe River with our dogs Honey & Daisy Jane. I love art, and have taught art K-7 at OP for years. My other passion is teaching children to read and write. OP is where my heart is. ️ Seeing students grow up and come back to visit OP is one of my greatest joys!
Julia Fox
1st & 2nd Grade, ELL Specialist
Hi, I’m Miss Fox! This will be my 6th year teaching first and second grade at Orchard Prairie. I also manage and facilitate our school’s English Language Learner program. When I’m not teaching I enjoy traveling the globe, spending time with friends and family, and getting outside with my sweet pup Sadie. I have a BA in Elementary Education/Reading and MA in Social and Emotional Learning. I’m so thankful I get to work with some of the best students and parents around!
Meagon Harrington
Hi! I’m Mrs. Harrington. This is my 11th year at OP. I’ve been married for 17 years. I have two kids that attended OP including a current 6th grader and a 11th grader starting high school this year at Prep. I love our small and unique community and enjoy working with kids across many grade levels. I’m excited for a great year!
Cynda Weitz
Hi! I'm Mrs. Weitz! I got my BA in International Affairs and spent over a decade working with teachers and students participating in international educational travel. I LOVE traveling and have visited 19 countries on five continents, and 38 states in the US. I also love theater, music and my dogs. I am married to a HUGE comic book nerd. We have an adult daughter, boy/girl twins who are entering middle school, and a grandson in first grade this year.
5-7 ELA, Science, Social Studies Teacher
1,2,5 Math, Title 1
Hello! I'm Mrs. Fitting and I teach grades 3-4. I have a BA in Literacy and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, both from EWU (Go EAGS!). When I am not teaching, I enjoy reading, graphic design, and hanging with my husband, son, & other family! I have been teaching at OP since 2015.
Hi! I am Mrs. Howe. I have taught at OP since 2001. I have been an OP parent, PTO representative, and now a teacher at our school. In my free time I enjoy camping and spending time with my husband, three daughters, and four grand kids at the lake. Looking forward to a great year!
Kayla Fitting
3rd & 4th Grade
Toree Howe
3, 6, 7 Math, Title 1
James Fitting
Resource Room, Physical Education
Paraprofessional
Ann Jones
Hi there Prairie Dogs! I was so excited to start at OP in January, but I am not new to education. I ahve gotten to tutor French and give swimming lessons while I was still in high school, teach both refugees and Japanese-English conversation, and work as a paraprofessional in other districts. So although my undergrad was in Asian studies, it's no surprise that I ended up with a Masters in Teaching. I love the outdoors, traveling, reading, baking, and people. My hubby and I have raised four kiddos-- a girl with special needs, another girl who now lives in Finland, and two adopted boys from Vietnam. Life is good!
Hi! My name is Mr. Fitting and I am excited to be at OP! I am the special education teacher here at the school. I received my undergrad degree in Social Studies from University of Idaho and my M.S. from Western Governors University. In my free time I like to play all kinds of games, work out, and spend time with my family.
Katelyn Schuler
Counselor
Hello I am Miss. Kate and I have the privilege of being the school social worker here at Orchard Prairie. I have my undergraduate degree in Social Work from Concordia University Portland and my Masters in Social Work from Eastern Washington University. I also work as a Clinical Social Worker where I specialize in working with children and families who have experienced trauma and abuse. As the school social worker I get to work with students one on one to meet their social and academic goals, connect families to community resources, deliver our SEL curriculum and provide ongoing education and support to our staff. I have four beautiful children, one who currently attends OP and three more who will in the following years. We enjoy camping, playing games and spending time as a family.
Alicia Low
Nurse