My name is Leslie Wheeler, and I am proud to call Spanish Fort my home.  My husband and I moved here from Birmingham over eight years ago and absolutely love it!  In our 18 years of marriage we have moved around quite a bit:  Alabama, Arizona, Oklahoma, then back to Alabama again.  We love being down by the gulf and feel that we have finally found our forever home.  Kevin and I have 3 boys and a sweet little girl who surprised us late in life.  Our children keep us very busy as they are all very active in the community.  We feel extremely blessed to be apart of such a wonderful community.  

My career in education began in 1999 when I graduated from Auburn University and took a teaching position in Jefferson County where I stayed over a year.  In 2000, I was recruited to Oak Mountain Middle School in Shelby County to teach 6th grade and sponsor the school's dance team.  In 2003, my husband and I moved to Kayenta, Arizona to work on the Navajo Reservation.  I taught school there for one year and learned more about myself than I ever knew possible.  In 2004, we moved to Oklahoma where I took a break from teaching to work for an insurance company.  In 2005, we moved back to Birmingham where I was able to get my old job back at Oak Mountain Middle School teaching 6th grade and working with the dance team.  During this time, I went back to school and earned my Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Montevallo in 2008.  We stayed in Birmingham until 2011 when we heard the ocean calling us down south.  I took a job at Fairhope Intermediate teaching 5th grade one year and 6th grade the next.   I came on board at Spanish Fort Middle School in 2013 and have never looked back.  I am delighted to be apart of the phenomenal faculty and staff here at SFMS.  I have been all over and have never seen a school and community more committed to high expectations and excellence than here in Spanish Fort. 

My name is Jacquie DePalma and I am the Assistant Principal at Spanish Fort Middle School. I grew up in Southern Florida and attended high school and college in Connecticut. I received a B.S. degree in Special Education in 1978 at Southern Connecticut State University, a M.S. degree in Collaboration (General Ed/Special Ed) in 1992, and later on a M.S. degree in Educational Administrator from the University of South Alabama in 2009.

I have 17 years of teaching experience, mainly at the middle school level in Connecticut. My family and I moved to Spanish Fort, Alabama in 1997. I taught for one year at Fairhope High School before transferring to the Central Office as a Special Education Resource Consultant. I spent 16 years in this position and 4 years at Fairhope Middle School as the Assistant Principal.

I have been married for 35 years to Michael, and we have three married children, and two grandchildren. Our family has been attending Bay Community Church/CITY HOPE in Malbis since 1998.

Traveling is my hobby, and my passion is medical mission trips. I have been to Honduras and Haiti many times. My husband and I decided to move to Baldwin County because of the excellent school system and the beautiful beaches. We have recently bought a travel trailer and enjoy camping with the entire family!

I believe each and every child has the potential to bring something unique and special to the world. I will help children to develop their potential by believing in them as capable individuals. I will assist children in discovering who they are, so that they can express their own opinions and nurture their own ideas. I have a vision of a world where people learn to respect, accept, and embrace the differences between us, as the core of what makes life so wonderful.

I am the 8^th Grade Assistant Principal at Spanish Fort Middle School. My family moved to the Alabama Gulf Coast in August of 2019. Prior to moving, we lived in Enterprise, Alabama for 9 years, where I taught multiple Social Studies courses at Dauphin Junior High School and Enterprise High School and coached football. In 2019, we moved to Spanish Fort worked at Saraland High School teaching multiple Social Studies courses and coaching football. I am happily married to Lynley Corley who is an Occupational Therapist in Spanish Fort. We are blessed with one daughter, Emmalyn Grace, who is in 1st Grade at Stonebridge Elementary. We are so happy to be part of this community! 

My career in education began in 2010 when I graduated from Huntingdon College. I started my teaching career at Dauphin Junior High School in Enterprise teaching 8th Grade World History. In 2014, I moved to Enterprise High School to coach football and teach a variety of subjects. In 2019, I began teaching and coaching at Saraland High School. In 2014, I completed my Masters’ Degree in Instructional Leadership from Jacksonville State University. I have been truly blessed to be a part of several great organizations with fantastic leaders at each stop! 

My family and I are excited to be joining the Spanish Fort Middle School family. I grew up in a small town where the teachers, coaches, and principals were also the Sunday school teachers, community leaders, youth league coaches, etc. My family and I are looking forward to adding to the Spanish Fort community!