Special Areas

Erin Baker

Eileen Palmer

My name is Eileen Palmer. I have always loved working with children.  As a young girl of 11, I started babysitting for my neighbor’s children.  During and after college I worked in Daycare facilities and then started my career in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School system.  In 2001, I started teaching at Cotton Belt after the birth of my daughter and wanting to be closer to home. My BEST decision ever.  My background in teaching is 4th & 5th grade (1 year), 1st Grade (2 years), Kindergarten (17 years) and Reading Recovery (2014-present). I am also an after-school teacher with our on-site Boys and Girls Club. My passion is helping young children succeed, not just academically but in all areas of their life.   

When I am not teaching, I enjoy spending time with my family, my husband, daughter and three fur babies, cooking, gardening, working on crafts (ALL kinds), going for walks, swimming and watching movies. I also enjoy a good nap on the weekends.  

Accomplishments/Degrees:  

AS -from Southern Vermont College, Child Development 
BS- Winthrop College, Early Childhood Education  
M.ED-Columbia College, Divergent Learning  
Clemson, Reading Recovery Certificate  
Teacher of the Year, York School District 2011 

Jennifer Johnson

H!  I’m Jennifer Gordon Johnson, and I work with gifted and talented students in the MERIT program here at Cotton Belt Elementary School and also at Jefferson Elementary School.  I have worked with gifted and talented children for most of my career.  I started my career in Lancaster, SC and spent the majority of my time teaching in Clover, SC.  I enjoy working with children to help them understand how their brains work!  My hope is that my students will gain confidence in their abilities and understand that we all have our own gifts and talents – no one learns the same way!

I hold degrees from Presbyterian College and Winthrop University.  I also hold certificates in gifted education and Read to Succeed as well as National Board certification.

My husband, Matt, and I live on our small farm with our daughters, McKenna and Mattie.  We share our farm with six horses, a coop full of chickens, and two rescue dogs.  I love spending time in my yard and barn, with my girls, and my family! 

Dena Wade

My name is Dena Wade and I have taught Elementary General Music since I began my teaching career in 2001. I have taught in Charlotte-Mecklenberg School District in NC at Hawk Ridge Elementary and Pineville Elementary in 2001-2002, in York School District at Cotton Belt Elementary School from 2002-2011, at Cotton Belt and Harold C Johnson Elementary Schools from 2011-2014, in Rock Hill School District at Oakdale STEAM Elementary School from 2014-2021, and returned to teach at CBES in 2021.  

I love elementary music! I enjoy watching students learn, grow, and express themselves in music year after year. Their musicality and creativity never ceases to amaze me! I live in Rock Hill with my husband Chris, my sons Michael and Gabriel, and our dog Bella.    I enjoy reading, kayaking, and traveling. I love going anywhere there is water! I also enjoy spending time with my family and friends.

Angela Freeman

My name is Angela Freeman, and I became the new Art Teacher at CBES in 2021. I absolutely love it here at CBES! I adore the way the students love Art and tell me that so often.   Before coming to CBES, I taught Middle School Art in Gaston County for 6 years. Prior to that, I enjoyed a very long sabbatical staying home with my children. I taught homeschool and private art lessons and painted during this time.  Before those homeschooling years, I taught Elementary Art for 5 years in Gaston County. 

I feel that I have come back home, as I grew up in York and graduated from York Comprehensive High school many years ago. 

I live in Clover and have a husband and two daughters, one son and one son-in-law.   I love painting, reading, traveling, working puzzles, and playing games with my family. 

Glenda Carnes

My name is Glenda Carnes and I have been the Library Media Specialist at Cotton Belt Elementary since 2009!  I started my career in 2004 as the Library Media Specialist at Chester Park Center of Literacy through Technology in Chester, SC.  I love working in the library!  It is my greatest joy to share all the different types of literature with my students and help everyone find books that they love to read! 

I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Winthrop University and a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of South Carolina.

I grew up in Columbia, South Carolina and I always cheer for the Gamecocks!  I like to spend time with my husband and two sons. We love to travel and spend time outside.  Of course, I always love to spend my time reading a great book, especially on the beach!

Lindsay Becker-Jones

.I’ve been teaching since 2008. I have a BS in Fitness and Wellness as well as a MAT in Early Childhood. I have taught in middle, intermediate, high school, and now elementary. It has always been my dream to teach elementary Physical Education and I have found my home finally here at Cotton Belt Elementary.

Ashley Cherry

Carrie Conrad Pike

My name is Carrie Pike. I have been working in education and with children since 2011 when I graduated from USC with my Bachelor’s Degree in early childhood education. I was an early childhood teacher from 2011-2017. I taught pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade at various districts in the area. In 2017, I completed my Master’s degree of communication disorders from USC as well and became a speech language pathologist. I spent three years working in a private practice as an SLP and have been back working in schools since 2020. I started at CBES in 2021. I love watching the students learn and grow in elementary school!

My favorite thing to do is travel and I am frequently at the beach at our family’s beach house! I spend most of my free time with my husband and our daughter! 

Heather Lease

My name is Heather Lease and I have taught special education since I began my teaching career in 2013. I have taught at Cotton Belt since 2018. I love seeing my students grow and flourish every day, both academically and socially! I was born and raised in New York and have lived in North Carolina since 2013. I enjoy road trips, singing in the car and strolling around Target. 

Binghamton University – Bachelor’s Degree in English  
Mount Saint Mary College– Master’s Degree in Elementary Education

Jennifer Cooney

I have been teaching in York School District 1 since 2008. I graduated from Clemson University and earned a Masters degree from the University of Phoenix.

I enjoy watching my two boys Levi and Landon play baseball, traveling, and hanging out with friends and family. 

Robert Burris

My name is Robert Burris.  I  began working with York school district many years ago after working for Rock Hill Police Department prior to that. I enjoy helping students at CBES learn about rules and the importance of them.

I also enjoy my family, hanging with friends and traveling.

Ashleigh Wyatt

Hello. I am Ashleigh Wyatt. I have worked with children and families since 2005. Over the years, I have worn many different hats. I have been a teacher’s assistant, a teacher, an early interventionist, a parent educator, and now I am Cotton Belt’s Mental Health Therapist. I truly enjoy working with students as well as working in a school setting. It is my hope that I can help encourage and empower others to be their best and brightest selves.

I have lived in and around York County my entire life. I am married and we have two amazing daughters. We also have a dog and a cat. I love painting, traveling, watching movies, and spending time with my family and friends. I also love a good laugh.