Hello! I have been teaching at Windsor since 2022 and have loved getting to know the amazing students and families during my time here. I have taught 5^th grade, 3^rd, and now 4^th! I graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 2018 with a degree in psychology and mental health. Soon after, I returned to UNI to pursue a degree in elementary education and graduated in 2021. I grew up in Cedar Rapids with my older sister, Zoe. When I am not at school, I love to spend my time outdoors, with friends and family, and cooking and baking!

I graduated from Upper Iowa University and began teaching at Windsor in 2007.  I have taught both 3^rd and 4^th grade throughout my career, and my favorite parts of teaching are helping students learn new things and reading chapter books aloud!   I also attended Windsor as a student and graduated from Roosevelt High School.  Outside of school I love cheering on the Iowa State Cyclones and spending time with my husband and our 2 kids, Lucas and Olivia.

Mrs. Byriel has taught in DMPS for 30 years. She has called Windsor Elementary her ‘home away from home’ for more than 25 years. She has taught students in grades PreK – 2nd grade, the majority of that time has been in kindergarten.

I am married and have a grown daughter. Outside of school,  I enjoy spending time with family and friends, gardening, and reading.

The best part of my teaching career has been the joy of watching students as they grow and learn. I love it when past students come back to visit me when they are in middle or high school and share their accomplishments with me.  I have been blessed to be part of the Windsor community!

My name is Saudia Cowman and I have taught for over 20 years with DMPS!  I spent my first 10 years teaching preschool at Capitol View Elementary, I taught second grade at Willard Elementary, and currently I teach first grade at Windsor. 

I am married and we have two boys.  We spend our time traveling, reading, hiking, and getting together with grandparents, cousins, aunts & uncles. I grew up in the Des Moines area and my sisters and I attended DMPS.  

I love working with young children.  My favorite part of my job is building positive relationships with my students. Seeing my students get excited about learning or happy to be in school invigorates and excites me!  I look forward to building a team relationship with parents as well.  Positive connections with parents help encourage and motivate me as a teacher and are supportive to student success.  
I look forward to working with you and your child this year.  Together we can achieve many great things!

Hello, my name is Alyssa Eisler and I am an ELL teacher at Windsor. I started teaching in DMPS in 2012 and have worked with Multilingual Learners at Central Campus, Hoyt Middle School, and Weeks Middle School. I have been at Windsor since 2022. I completed my undergrad at Drake University with endorsements in ESL and German, and I returned to Drake for my master’s in Culturally Responsive Leadership and Instruction with a focus on reading. Beyond the classrooms of Des Moines, I have connected with students and teachers in Germany, China, and Ghana. I am looking forward to another great school year!

I have been teaching in DMPS for 26 years:  first grade, 2^nd grade and special education.  I live in Ankeny with my husband and two teenage kids. I love being outdoors biking, boating, and camping.  I like to socialize, travel, and hang out with friends.

2024-2025 This is my second year as School Counselor at Windsor Elementary, my fourth year as a school Counselor in Des Moines Public Schools. Prior to being a School Counselor I was a Behavioral Strategist for two years and a classroom Teacher for eight years. I am a wife, mother, dog lover, and Cyclone fan.

I have had the opportunity to get to know your students through weekly classroom lessons and look forward to continuing to support your students social emotionally and academically. Please feel free to reach out to many any time. I’m here to support you as well

My 30+ years in education have been spent teaching kindergarten – 3^rd grades, serving as Instructional Coach and Associate Principal, as well as supporting large and small school districts as an AEA consultant. It is with a grateful and full heart that I currently serve schools, staff, and families of Windsor as Principal (Teacher at Heart).  My goal as an educator is to welcome, affirm, and empower all staff and students to learn, grow, and succeed, and to embrace families and community as essential partners.

In my free time I enjoy biking, running, reading, traveling, enjoying live music on patios and spending time with my pets, friends, and family.

Mrs. Kair has worked at Windsor for 17 years. She has taught third grade, second grade, and worked in the Windsor library, in addition to teaching kindergarten.

She is married and has two grown children who attended Windsor as students. Mrs. Kair enjoys helping students build a positive attitude about  school and learning here at Windsor.

I have been with the Des Moines Public Schools since 1994, I have taught pre-k through 3rd grade. I came to Windsor in 2000. I am proud to say I spent 12 years as a student in Des Moines Public Schools and am a Roosevelt alum!  Go Riders!  I graduated from Grand View University with a degree in elementary education and later earned my early childhood endorsement. In my free time I like spending time with family and friends, reading, knitting and watching the Chiefs play. I love that I get the opportunity every day to watch our students learn and grow. I love our Windsor community!

Hello, Wildcats!

My name is Jordan Leckband. I have been teaching general music at Windsor since 2020. Before my time here in DMPS, I taught 6-12 Vocal Music at Nodaway Valley and K-12 Vocal and General Music at Guthrie Center in western Iowa. In ten years I’ve taught concert choirs, jazz choirs, show choirs, Solo/Ensemble contests, chamber ensembles, and three musicals. I’ve also been a guest conductor for the South Central Iowa Honor Choir and for the DMPS All-City Honor Choir.

At Windsor, we focus heavily on giving students opportunities to learn different styles of music from different parts of the world using different instruments. You can expect from me:

Kindergarten and 1^st Grade: beginning instruments such as rhythm sticks and egg shakers

2^nd Grade: Unpitched percussion and glockenspiels

3^rd Grade: Pitched percussion and tubanos (classroom drums)

4^th Grade: Recorders

5^th Grade: Guitars, music composition and Honor Choir opportunities (Opus, All City, etc)

In addition, we have an after school choir at Windsor called Castle Singers. This is a non-auditioned group open to all students in grades 3-5. We sing at Fine Arts Night in the Spring and have performed the National Anthem at various sporting events in Des Moines. We would love to have your child join us!

I received my Bachelor’s in Music Education from the University of Northern Iowa, my Master’s in Music Education from the University of South Dakota, and I will finish my Ed.S in Educational Leadership from Drake University in December. I live in Waveland Park with my wife Meghan, my son Aidan, and our two cats and two dogs.

I am very excited to begin my 22^nd year as an educator in the role of Associate Principal at Windsor Elementary! My teaching career began in Los Angeles before moving to Des Moines where I’ve worked the past 17 years. I have taught 1^st through 4^th grades as a classroom teacher, worked as a reading and math interventionist, and most recently served as an instructional coach prior to coming to Windsor. I am passionate about working with students and adults to cultivate a sense of belonging and love of learning in this beautiful school of ours. I have four children who also attend Des Moines Public Schools, and I also love to travel, read, and watch baseball (Go Dodgers!).  I am thrilled to join Windsor and know you will feel the commitment to our students the minute you walk in our doors.  Please reach out with any questions/needs you may have.  I’m happy to help!

My name is Christina McFarland, I started as a substitute teacher when my youngest son was in 1st grade. I loved it so much that I ended up taking a full-time position as a special education paraeducator while attending UNI to earn my bachelor’s degree in K-8 Education with an Instructional Strategist Endorsement. 

My husband Scott and I live in Des Moines with our sons Gunnar and Sawyer. Gunnar is in 5th grade and Sawyer is in 3rd.  We have a dog named Dora, she’s still a puppy and likes to eat EVERYTHING! We enjoy camping, traveling to new places and spending time with family.  

I have been teaching in Des Moines for 20 years. I graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1999 and earned my master’s degree from Grand Canyon University in 2013. This will be my ninth year at Windsor Elementary. Before teaching at Windsor, I taught special education and 2nd grade at Capitol View Elementary, and 3rd grade at Edmunds Elementary.
My husband and I live in Clive with our 3 children Adison, Grace, and Brady, and our dog Dash.

Mrs. Rodriguez graduated from Iowa State University with a teaching degree. After college she joined the Peace Corps in Costa Rica.  In Costa Rica, Mrs. Rodriguez taught environmental education and English in public elementary schools. She has been a teacher in Des Moines since 1999 and at Windsor since 2007.  In Des Moines she has taught Spanish, 4th grade, and 5th grade.  Mrs. Rodriguez also earned her Master’s degree in Education from Viterbo University in 2010.

Welcome to kindergarten! My name is Juli Smith, and I have been teaching with Des Moines Public Schools since 2005. I graduated from The University of Iowa with a degree in elementary education. I have a reading endorsement, as well as, early childhood education and early childhood special education endorsements. Before coming to Windsor, I taught a wide range of grade levels including preschool, kindergarten, first, second, fourth, and fifth grade students.

Hi! My name is Kim Veigulis.  I began my career at DMPS in 2013 teaching 3^rd grade at Capitol View Elementary.  The past seven years I have spent my time at CV as a 1^st grade teacher and thoroughly enjoyed every minute.  I am so excited to begin another chapter of my career as one of the instructional coaches at Windsor Elementary.  I am looking forward to working with all the talented teachers and staff members to maximize student success and celebrate learning and growth.  I went to Iowa State University (much to my husband’s dismay who is a huge Hawkeye fan) for undergrad and got my master’s from Drake University through the DMPS Blue Contract program.  My favorite things are my family, friends, walking, biking, traveling, and reading.  I am looking forward to a wonderful school year at Windsor!

My name is Beth Wallukait and I am excited to be the new Office Manager at Windsor! I started with Des Moines Public Schools at Callanan Middle School in 2016 as the Attendance Clerk. I loved working with students and enjoyed my time there so much. I transferred to Moore Elementary to be the Office Manager in 2018. I have enjoyed my time at Moore and working with the students, families and staff. I am excited to start a new chapter at Windsor Elementary. I live right down the street from Windsor with my husband (Matt), son (Jack 16 years old), daughter (Ellie 13 years old). I love being outside! Gardening, going to parks, going on walks and being with my family. I have heard wonderful things about Windsor and am excited to meet all the students, families and staff!

I started teaching art for DMPS in 1996. After six years of teaching, I decided to stay at home with my three children and watch them grow.  Teaching has always been in my heart, as my children got older, I went back to the classroom to teach preschool. 2014 I was hired once again by DMPS to be the Library Associate at Windsor, such a wonderful job, but not quite messy enough.  2018 DMPS hired me one more time, and it was back to the Art Room for me, I could not be happier.  I have been a part of the Windsor family since 2005, starting as a parent and PTA co-president, all three of my children attended Windsor.   Here at Windsor, I run a Choice Based art program, where the child is the artist. We make messes, solve problems, collaborate, make discoveries, and enjoy creating.

This is my 2nd year as a school nurse, and I could not be more excited! I spent the last year and a half in post anesthesia care, waking up infants to elderly from surgery. I subbed in DMPS as a nurse last year and found that school nursing may be my niche. I am excited to serve the Windsor Community. In my free time, I can be found playing pickleball, doing yoga, spending time with my cat and husband, and advocating for the local food system. My goal as a school nurse is to promote health and well-being, serve as an advocate, and be a resource of health education for the Windsor community.  

This is my 20t+ year teaching for the Des Moines Public School District.

My husband, Brian, and I have two children. Sawyer is in his 20’s and works in Denver, Colorado. Emma is in her 20’s  and she lives in West Des Moines and is going to nursing school.​ We have two dogs named Hazel and Maddie.​

I have my master’s degree in Literacy and Instruction and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education from Graceland University. I also have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from the University of Iowa. GO HAWKS!!!

I love working with children and see each day as an opportunity to learn, grow and have a lot of fun along the way! When I am not at school, I enjoy reading, riding my bike, and taking long walks with my dogs!

Hello! This will be my 6^th year of teaching at Windsor. I absolutely love teaching and building relationships with students, and I’m so excited for another school year. I taught 5^th grade for two years, and this will be my fourth year teaching 3^rd grade. I graduated from Iowa State University in December of 2017, and I received my master’s degree from Drake University in December of 2022. I’m originally from Harlan, IA where I grew up on my family’s dairy farm alongside my twin sister, Emily, and my younger brother, Josh. In my free time, I enjoy reading, playing guitar and piano, being active, and spending time with my friends and family.