Hello, my name is Sara Simonson, and I’m honored to serve as the PTO President for James McKee Elementary. I’m married to my wonderful husband, Sage, and together we’re raising three boys—Michael, who is in second grade, along with Arias (2) and Travis (1). Life with three boys is complete chaos at times, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Beyond being “mom,” I enjoy baking, gardening, reading, and traveling. I’m passionate about volunteering, giving back, and showing up for my kiddos whenever and however I can. For the last 10+ years, I’ve also had the pleasure of serving the Elk Grove community through my swim school, Sunshine Swim Center, which has been such a rewarding way to connect with families.

As PTO President, I’m excited to help get this organization off the ground and work side by side with parents, teachers, and staff. My goal is to provide opportunities for our students and families to connect as a community, support our wonderful James McKee staff through meaningful fundraisers, and help build a strong, supportive environment where our children can thrive. I look forward to all we can accomplish together this year!

Outside of work, I love spending time with my family and playing golf—a passion of mine for many years. One of my proudest golf moments was scoring a hole-in-one. Beyond hobbies, I have a true passion for helping others and finding ways to brighten people’s lives, whether at home, at work, or here in our community.

I believe that volunteering is one of the best ways to give back, and I’m excited to work alongside this amazing PTO team to support our teachers, students, and families throughout the year.

Hi, my name is Shanna Cardenaz. I’m excited for a great year at James McKee as the PTO treasurer. I have three kids at James McKee- Lincoln is in 6th grade, Brooklynn is in 1st grade and my youngest, Ethan, is in Kindergarten. We have been at the school since 2019 and we enjoy being part of the McKee village.

I am a stay-at-home mom who loves traveling with my husband and kids. Our favorite places to go are Hawaii and Disneyland. My kids play baseball with Elk Grove Youth Baseball and watching them play out on the field and cheering them on is one of my favorite activities.

I am looking forward to being the PTO treasurer and helping the school and students. I was in the field of accounting for over ten years, and I am somewhat of a “money nerd.”  I enjoy budgeting and making spreadsheets. I also have a passion for advocating for children and making sure they have the best tools and resources to succeed. Becoming treasurer means I can combine two interests and give back to our school community. I want the best for our school, and I know as we come together as parents and teachers, we can make the kid’s educational experiences memorable and meaningful.  

Hello, my name is Heather Apel, and I am honored to serve as Secretary for James McKee Elementary. I’m a mom of 2 wonderful kids and 1 young adult daughter. Dakota is in 4th grade in Mrs Peterson’s class. Logan is in 1st grade, in Mrs.Buntin’s class. Adry is 19, in her second year of college. 

Besides being a “mom,” I enjoy playing and watching soccer, trail riding on my wonderful horse,hiking, taking my kids on bike rides, walking my MalinoisX Bullet, and helping my special needs cousin. Like Sara, I’m passionate about volunteering, giving back, and showing up for my kiddos whenever and however I can. For 10+ years, I had the pleasure of working as an Infant teacher for Merryhill School, and then covid hit. I became a multi-side job/ stay-at-home Mom for a bit.In 2022, I started helping my aunt take care of my special needs cousin, it has been such a rewarding way to spend my day while being able to attend my children's school events and be there to pick them up after school daily. 

As PTO Secretary, I’m excited to help anyway I can and work side by side with parents, teachers, and staff. My goal is to assist our PTO team, our students and families to connect as a community, support our wonderful James McKee staff through meaningful fundraisers, and help build a strong, supportive environment where our children can thrive. I look forward to all we can accomplish together this year.