I am a special education paraprofessional who provides support to students to include academic support and instruction along with behavior management under the direction of special education teachers.  I  lead small groups, supervise breaks and assist wherever I am directed with my focus being on positive interactions with all. I have been at The Royce School for one school year and was at Harrison Elementary in Cottage Grove Oregon for 6 years.

I have a passion for helping kids feel safe, cared for, and confident along with understanding their challenges and identifying their strengths. I have an autistic, special needs older brother and both my daughters have learning challenges so it is a personal work of heart. . 

I wish there was a school like The Royce School when my kids were growing up to support and assist in building their toolbox with coping skills academically and socially as well as encouragement of their individual gifts.  The mission statement of The Royce School is something I fully believe in and it’s my honor to assist in planting seeds of confidence and self advocacy skills in the next generation of world changers.

My name is Ashleigh Wetherington, and I am an 18-year-old paraprofessional at The Royce School in Savannah, Georgia. I am a proud The Royce School graduate, Class of 2025, and I am grateful to contribute to the same supportive community that shaped my high school education. 

Born and raised in Savannah, I have always had a passion for helping others learn and grow. As a parapro, I assist students with their schoolwork, provide one-on-one support, and reinforce lessons taught by our classroom teachers. I enjoy getting to know each student to help them reach their full potential through engagement, patience, and personalized attention when needed. 

In addition to these classroom duties, I also serve as an aftercare worker at The Royce School. I am responsible for creating a safe, engaging environment where students can have fun, learn, and relax to end their eventful school days.

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I am the MS and HS STEM and Mathematics teacher at The Royce School. Outside of the classroom, I share my passion for creativity and entertainment as an event curator and DJ for businesses in the Savannah area as well as for private functions. I am a proud Savannah native and graduate of Savannah State University, where I earned my B.S. in Mathematics.

Over the past decade, I have worked in education through the AmeriCorps City Year Program in Dallas, TX, SCCPSS, and the University System of Georgia. My goal is to merge mathematics and music to create an environment where education and entertainment work in tandem and are equally appreciated.

Hello! My name is Sigrid Butler and I am an experienced special education teacher skilled in adapted curriculum, individualized instruction, behavior support, and inclusive classroom practices. I have a masters degree in special education from Dominion University, university autism certification, and a Georgia state teaching certificate. I am committed to empowering students with diverse abilities through patience, creativity, and evidence-based teaching strategies. My classroom is a safe, structured, and encouraging space where students can explore their strengths, build new skills, and grow at their own pace. I believe in fostering independence, communication, emotional regulation, and confidence in my students through meaningful relationships with parents, colleagues, and multidisciplinary professionals.     

I was born and raised in Savannah. I attended college at Auburn University and graduate school at GA State University. I taught school in Atlanta for a while before returning to Savannah. I have taught at private and public schools for 37 years.

Most of these years I taught at the elementary level, but I have also taught Middle School and High School. When I’m not teaching, I enjoy cooking, walking my dog, and being at Tybee or the mountains.

I was born on April Fool’s Day in a Western Maryland hospital that looked more like a West Virginia hospital. (It’s condemned now, which feels about right.) After college at the University of Maryland, I started my professional career in finance and moved to Philadelphia, where I traded my harsh rural Maryland accent for the ever more charming South Philly accent. That’s why I still say “jawn” and pronounce “Seven Eleven” as “Sem Lem”—as in, “Ah’m goin dayown to that Sem Lem for some jawns, ah’ll be back in a whall.”

By my late twenties, I realized I wasn’t living up to my potential analyzing stocks and making one-percenters even wealthier. I felt stuck, and a mid-midlife crisis was brewing. Luckily, the global financial disaster solved the problem for me—I was laid off. Best day ever.

With my unemployment cash, I bought a one-way ticket to Bolivia and found myself volunteering at the Inti Warra Yassi family of animal sanctuaries. I had the choice of caring for birds, wild cats, or monkeys. Birds? Nope. Cats? I love the small, cute ones, but leopards and pumas weren’t my jawn. So I chose monkeys—specifically howler monkeys. Soon I was known around the park as the “monkey man” (for both my job and my smell). Life was surreal but good. Sure, the food was bland, the bunks were crowded, and showers were buckets of cold water dumped over your head. And without mirrors, I grew a horrible, patchy beard that Ms. Culbreth surely would have made me shave. But I was content.

The monkeys became my babies. The boys wrestled my arm and gnawed on my hand, while the girls checked my head for mites. (The boys did too, but with way more hair-pulling.) I had such fun—until an unknown jungle insect bit me, leaving me with a vicious wound and a mysterious infection. Bedridden and shivering in 100-degree heat, I turned to the park doctor, a man of few words and fewer teeth. He muttered “Eh?” at my wound, shrugged, and then eeny-meenie-miney-moed his medicine bottles before saying, “try these I guess.” Spoiler: the pills didn’t work.

Weeks later, feverish and barely conscious, I was sent home. My clearest memory is of an elderly woman in a Florida airport stepping over me as I lay shivering under a blanket. She muttered, “that ain’t good.” She weren’t wrong. Back in my parents’ care, my mom calmly informed me, “WE’RE ALLERGIC TO THAT! STOP TAKING IT, IT’S ACTIVELY KILLING YOU! WE NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL!” Mystery solved. On the plus side, jungle illness is the best diet ever—I lost twenty-five pounds.

That near-death experience made me reassess my life. In Bolivia, without TV or video games, I had rediscovered my passion for creative writing. And since I’d fallen in love with Savannah as a kid in the nineties, I took a leap. Even though I’d been accepted to Temple’s School of Actuarial Science with a scholarship, I applied to the Dramatic Writing program at SCAD instead. The rest is history.

I moved to Savannah, graduated with honors, got some national attention for a project, and kept writing. But Hollywood is a tough gig, so I took a job as a ghost tour guide with Blue Orb Tours. About a year later, Condé Nast Traveler named Blue Orb one of the best ghost tours in the world. People loved my tours—they weren’t the scariest, but they were fun. I even saved glowing internet reviews to reread when I needed a confidence boost.

At the same time, I worked as a math tutor at Royce Learning Center. For about ten years, I balanced tutoring and guiding tours—even through COVID. (Turns out, people who believe in ghosts tend not to believe in COVID.)

By 2023, life was steady but monotonous. I felt unfulfilled. Then, while on vacation in Asheville, I got a text from Laci Culbreth asking if I’d consider teaching full time. I’d never thought about it before, but I took the gamble. It paid off. Teaching saved my life. I found joy, passion, and purpose. I loved my students and coworkers, and I still got to write and direct plays—less edgy, but still off-the-wall and fun.

Two years later, on November 6th, 2025, all the teachers got an email: “we need you guys to write your bio for the website.” I wasn’t sure how long or detailed it was supposed to be, so I just wrote without thinking—until the doorbell rang. “Ooh, Chipotle’s here.” And that’s how my bio ends.

Hello, I am Joe Levan, but everyone knows me as Coach. With approximately 30 years of teaching and coaching experience at The Royce School, and one year at Royce Learning Center prior to the merger, I have developed a deep understanding of the institution. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Education and Physical Education from Armstrong Atlantic State University, now known as Georgia Southern University. Over the past 30 years, I have worked hard to develop the sports program at The Royce School. The appreciation expressed by students and parents, who acknowledge that I have made a positive impact on their lives, serves as a significant motivator. This academic year, I have coached cross-country and flag football, and I plan to establish a basketball camp during the winter season. 

Beyond academia and athletics, I coordinate educational excursions to Disney World and Universal Studios for my students. I receive numerous letters from parents who observe a transformative change in their children upon their return home. Many of these students have never traveled without their parents before, and this experience teaches them the value of independence and accountability for their actions. After 25 years of traveling with my students, they share with me the valuable lessons they have learned and how they apply these skills to their family trips.

My ultimate objective is to provide students with every opportunity to achieve their goals within and beyond the classroom. 

Sports career history:

• NFL FLAG director and coach in Savannah (2000-2020)
• NFL FLAG Atlanta Falcons Coach of the Year (2013)
•  NFL FLAG National Tournament coach (2000, 2004, 2008, 2018)
• NBA Jr Director/Coach (2010-2019)
• NBA Atlanta Hawks Coach of the Year (2019)

Hi, I’m Jessica Loyd.  I teach Art and Orton-Gillingham at The Royce School.  I graduated from the University of Georgia in 2002 and from Piedmont University in 2012 with a Master’s Degree in Special Education.  I am a professional artist specializing in oil portraits.  I am a Certified Orton -Gillingham classroom educator and am currently finishing getting my Associate Certification in OG.  I have been married for 21 years, have two almost grown children, and 2 dogs and 2 cats.

Hi, I’m Mr. Jonathan MacArthur, and I teach Social Studies at The Royce School. I graduated from Georgia Southern University with a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education, where I focused on Social Studies. Before joining The Royce School, I taught 8th-grade Social Studies and English at Bryan County Middle-High School, served on the Curriculum Development Team, and led the 8th-grade Social Studies Professional Learning Committee. I’m passionate about helping students see history as more than dates and facts—it’s a living story that connects to their own lives and shapes the world around them. Soon

I was born in Alaska and grew up as a military child, moving frequently and experiencing many different cultures and communities. I began my college education at Central Texas College and later earned my degree in psychology from South University. I have been teaching for 4 years and truly enjoy helping students grow academically and personally. My husband, who also served in the military, and I have made Richmond Hill our home, where we are raising our three daughters. In my free time, I enjoy exploring new places and being active outdoors in the sunshine.

I was born in Savannah and have spent most of my life in the area. I did my undergraduate work at Georgia Southern University, then moved cross country to the University of California, Santa Barbara, where I received a Masters in Philosophy, focusing on cognitive science, sensory perception, and language learning. As I learned more and more about what’s required for humans to actually learn things in classroom and workplace environments, I became interested in working directly with learners, especially those who don’t benefit at all from traditional – and still quite popular – methods of teaching. I’ve been a full-time member of the faculty here at The Royce School since 2017. I’m the teacher I am because of this school – its methods, its values, and its students.

I’m Mary Prescott, born and raised right here in Savannah, Georgia. I graduated from St. Vincent’s Academy (SVA hey!) and went on to earn my bachelor’s degree in Special Education and my master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction/Accomplished Teaching from Georgia Southern University (Hail Southern!). I’m an Associate member of the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators and am currently completing my Certified Level practicum. I love teaching using the Orton-Gillingham approach and helping students grow into confident, joyful readers. Outside of school, I have a wonderful husband and two beautiful girls, Ellie and Mollie, who keep life busy and full of love.

I am a proud United States Air Force veteran who served in Germany and was honored with a nomination for Airman of the Year. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, I am an identical twin from a set of triplets, which has given me a unique perspective on understanding individual differences within families.

With 37 years of teaching experience across Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and North Carolina, I have dedicated the past 20 years to serving students at The Royce School. I hold four college degrees, including a Master’s degree, a Bachelor’s degree, and two Associate of Science degrees, reflecting my lifelong commitment to education and professional growth.

My favorite subjects to teach are Civics and Science, with a particular passion for space exploration. Outside the classroom, I am a devoted mother of two and grandmother of four. I am also an active member of Bible Baptist Church and the Thunderbolt American Legion. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, playing board and card games, and completing challenging 1,000-piece puzzles.

This year marks my fourth year of teaching at The Royce School. I graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, with a focus on education, along with minors in history and political science. I began my journey in education to support my son, who is a student at The Royce School. I am continually researching and seeking new resources to help him succeed as a student, and I am grateful for the opportunity to share what I have discovered with our Chatham Academy community. I especially enjoy working with our high school dual-enrolled students and helping our seniors with their transition planning as they prepare for life after The Royce School.

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