Staff & Students

Hi! My name is Cathy Dodson and I am so excited to be teaching K-2 at Creekwood Academy in the fall! I am originally from Cincinnati, Ohio but grew up in Knoxville, TN. I moved to McKinney last August to be closer to family and am enjoying the beautiful change of scenery.

I have a B.S. degree in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling from Eastern Kentucky University and an M.S degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Tennessee.   I am passionate about education, having taught 31 years in Knoxville in grades 1-3.  When I retired from public education, I moved into private preschool education and taught 3’s, 5’s, and now finishing the year as a 2 year old teacher. I treasure my time in the classroom and have been honored to see a wide range of learning take place. 

I have 2 daughters who both live in Brooklyn, New York and followed in their father’s footsteps by working in a journalism field. In my free time I travel, read, and spend time with a crazy doodle named Clark and his partner in crime, Elton the cat. 

I was born and raised in Dallas.  I attended Baylor University and have a Bachelor of Science in Education. I have taught in Garland ISD for 6 years and I am finishing up teaching my fourth year of 4th grade in Plano ISD.  My husband and I have lived in Plano for the past 21 years and we have 2 kids that attend Plano schools.  My oldest son will be attending Abilene Christian University in the fall, my daughter will be in the 11th grade and my youngest son will be in the 8th grade.

I love spending time with my family and friends and going out to eat.  I also like to travel and see new and interesting places.

I am so excited to be teaching at Creekwood Academy.  I look forward to a great year and meeting all the wonderful families and staff at Creekwood. Teaching is a work of the heart and I love to watch all students grow in their love of learning by exploring new things.

“To teach is to touch a life forever.”

Hola, I am Gina Carnevale and here’s a bit about me! I spent two years studying law in Mexico City before coming to Texas to study business. I did not know English, so I spent my first months studying English before attending Texas Women’s University. It was not easy, but I graduated Magna Cum Laude and began my career at IBM.  I left one year later to become a bilingual teacher for Dallas ISD where I taught for eight years. My classes achieved the highest scores, and my students were complimented for their amazing behavior. I also did extracurricular activities such as teaching Spanish to staff members.

When I became pregnant with twins I worked as a Math and Reading tutor. Then I was faced with my biggest challenge — one of my daughters was diagnosed with autism. I did intense research on all the therapies available to help her and I became my daughter’s therapist.  After 7 years of home therapy, a nutritious diet, and a wonderful support system, she is attending school and exceeding everyone’s wildest expectations.

As a teacher I believe in building relationships with each child, using games to introduce concepts, and joining efforts with parents to reinforce teachings at home. I am looking forward to helping your child love school!

Anette’s bio is coming soon!

I’ve had a diverse and exciting experience in education so far, and I am thrilled to continue the journey with Creekwood Academy.
I hold a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Texas Tech University and a master’s degree in Library Science from the University of North Texas. I am also a Texas state certified teacher and librarian.

As a teacher, I’ve taught in public school and homeschool co-ops, worked as a private tutor, and homeschooled my own children from pre-k through eighth grade. We’ve even enjoyed roadschooling alongside remote work for a few years! I am blessed to have seen so much during my twenty years in education.

My husband, Kelly, and I have been married for 22 years, and have two teenage children. We are still homeschooling and plan to go all the way to graduation! We love playing games, traveling, spending time with family and friends, and enjoying stories together through books, tv, and movies.

This burning hunk of love is the official mascot of Creekwood – a Bernedoodle puppy who has big plans to grow to 120 pounds.