Staff
Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church Nursery School - 6601 Bradley Blvd., Bethesda MD 20817 301.365.2909 (office) - 301.467.6784 (fax) - info@bhpcns.org-
Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church
Nursery School
At the heart of BHPCNS is its staff. BHPCNS is extremely proud of our staff of teachers, assistants and administrators They all have one goal in common--to make your child's experience at BHPCNS the best it can be. They truly love our jobs and believe that caring for young children is one of the most, if not the most, important job in town. A diverse group of women, they each bring their own unique backgrounds and experiences to the school making it such a special place.
MSDE License #71228 Mont. Cty. PEI License #27677
Liz Allen, A.K.A. Miss Liz, is a lifelong resident of Bethesda and attended BHPCNS in the 60’s! She graduated with a legal secretarial degree but when her son, Andrew, was born (25 years ago) she opened her own licensed childcare which she continues to run. A Friday Stay and Play teacher for 9 years, Liz has happily subbed in almost every classroom at Bradley Hills. She is a member of Bradley Hills Church and has been part of many committees including Children’s Ministry, Bible Music Camp, and an after school complement program. She was also a senior high advisor for several years. Liz is very active in the Wyngate neighborhood and enjoys coordinating and hosting block parities and assisting elderly neighbors. She also served on the Montgomery Childcare Assoc. as regional director and advertising coordinator. In her free time she loves to work in her gardens, with and without children! She also enjoys her daily walks with neighbors and entertaining friends.
Donna Barnett is originally from New Jersey and has lived in Potomac for 23 years. She and her husband, Larry, have two children, Elizabeth (27) and Emma (24) both of whom are BHPCNS graduates. Donna is a graduate of Bloomsburg University. She started at the nursery school as an assistant in the two-year-old program and then the four-year-old program. Donna enjoyed working with children so much she returned to school to get certified in Early Childhood Education. Most recently Donna earned the Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate. She is currently a teacher in the Pre-K and 2-year-old programs.
Christy Beck was born in Washington, DC, currently lives in Kensington, MD. She is a graduate from the University of Maryland. Christy and her husband, Steve, have four children, daughter Alex (31), sons Scott (29), Brady (25), and Brett (22). She enjoys walking her golden retriever puppy, reading, yoga, Bethany Beach, and the Redskins! After being an assistant for 10 years in the MWF Pre-K program, Christy has been a lead teacher for eight years in the MTWThF Pre-K program.
Anne Marie Cardoni grew up in a military family and lived all over the midwest, east coast and Spain. She is a graduate of the US Naval Academy where she earned a BS in Oceanography and a minor in Spanish. While serving in the military she met her husband, Wayne, a fellow Navy Officer. They have four children, Alexa (23) a member of the US Navy, Paul (19) a sophomore at Virginia Tech, Olivia (17) a sophomore at Walter Johnson and John (13) a 8th grader at the Heights. All three of her younger children are graduates of BHPCNS. She has earned the 90 hour Early Childhood Certificate and is interested in continuing her education. She loves the beach, working out, and spending time with her family. This is her 6th year at Bradley Hills where she teaches in the three-year-old program and the Spanish curriculum to the three-year-old and Pre-K-programs.
Ara Casey is a local singer/songwriter energized by the connection music sparks between people. She performs solo, with her INDIE band, and in various collaboration projects throughout the area. Her sons (now 18 and 20) attended BHPCNS when they were much shorter and the school still occupies a cozy corner of her heart. One of Ara’s simple pleasures is instilling a love and appreciation for contemporary and classic music in small people. She recommends playing everything on Mom & Dad’s playlist, turning it up to 11, and dancing around the living room in your jammies with your little ones.
Moon Jung Choi was born and grew up in Seoul, Korea. She received a BA in Korea and earned her M.Ed in University of Manchester, UK. She met her husband there and then moved back to Korea for her Ph.D. Then, she followed her love and moved to Maryland for her husband's work. This Korean and Italian couple love to cook and spend time with friends. They do various volunteer work to support the community in this area and in Tilghman Island located in Chesapeake Bay. Moon also has a passion for travel and art. She likes to make a mess with her only daughter doing art projects. Her daughter, Tao, is a BHPCNS graduate! This is Moon's seventh year in BHPCNS where she is currently an assistant in the MWF and T/Th 2-year-old program.
Beth Colonnais just returning to the DC area after twenty years in Rowayton, CT. She and her husband, Paul, have two children, Matt (21) and Mitch (18). For the past fifteen years she has taught preschool in CT, working primarily with 2’s and 3’s. Prior to moving to CT, she was a middle school teacher in Leesburg, VA. Beth holds an MEd from James Madison University and acquired an Early Childhood Certificate from Norwalk CC. She enjoys playing piano, guitar, skiing, and golf.
Juliana Coulton joined Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church Nursery School in 2017 after ten years as a private nanny. She grew up in Rio, Brazil, and attended college at the University of Maryland, where she studied History and English Literature. Mrs. Coulton also has a Masters of Science in History from the University of Edinburgh. When she’s not teaching the five-day-3s, she’s at home here in Bethesda with her husband, Geoff, probably reading or traveling to faraway lands! Teaching brings her great joy.
Allison Delfin is a California girl having been born in San Diego. She graduated from the University of Delaware where she majored in both Women's Studies and Anthropology. In her spare time she likes to stay fit by running. Allison's association with the school began ten years ago when her oldest of four children first began to attend BHPCNS. Allison's love of preschool education is genetic (her Mom is a preschool teacher!). This is her sixth year on staff at the school where she is a Science Instructor.
Jennifer Ferrara is originally from Connecticut and has lived in Bethesda for 12 years. She grew up helping out in her parents’ nursery school, so teaching at BHPCNS feels like coming home. She has two sons, Luke (age 17) and Colin (age 14), who is a BHPCNS graduate. Jennifer loves to knit, hike, bake, do yoga and spend time in her garden. This is her sixth year as an assistant teacher in the two-year-old program.
Amanda Frid is a Michigan girl, born and raised. It is here that she found her calling and began her life-long journey of love for the youngest of our future. After reading and loving every book in Ann M. Martin's 'The Baby-Sitters Club' series, a neighbor that ran an in-home daycare program asked her for help after school. She was eleven-years-old. By thirteen, she had cornered the neighborhood baby-sitting market. This passion has never left. Her heart has known the joy and love of many children over the years through families as baby-sitter or Nanny, Daycare programs, and her own two daughters, Daniella, 11 years and Arianna, 9 years, both graduates of BHPCNS. She is currently a Nanny for a Bethesda family with four children, three of which are also BHPCNS graduates and the fourth currently attending. September 2021 marks her fourteenth year anniversary with the family. She worked as an assistant and then as lead teacher in the 2s', class before taking a hiatus after her work family had baby #4. She is thrilled to be back playing with children at BHPCNS once again.
Victoria Gleeson is from Laredo, Texas. She attended the University of Notre Dame, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Anthropology. After meeting her husband, Tim, at Notre Dame she moved to the Washington, DC area where she began working in the psychiatric clinical trials and social science research fields. Victoria decided to focus full-time on raising her three children - Maggie (17), Ryan (14), and Shannon (9) - all of whom attended Bradley Hills. Victoria's hobbies include photography, baking, and spending time with her family and her puppy, Darcy. This is Victoria's fifth year working at Bradley Hills as an assistant teacher in the three-year-old program.
Kim Goodstein was born in Cincinnati, OH. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Krannert School of Management at Purdue University. Kim met her husband, Ryan, while working in Chicago as a financial analyst. They married and relocated to Chapel Hill where she worked as a fundraiser for the University of North Carolina. They moved to Bethesda 12 years ago and have three boys, Ben (13), Henry (13), and Andrew (8), all three are graduates of BHPCNS. She enjoys reading, taking photos, skiing, and traveling! This is her second year as an assistant teacher in the MWF 2's program. .
Janice Hansan grew up in Great Falls, Reston area of Virginia and attended West Virginia University majoring in psychology. Prior to having children, she worked in social work as a runaway overnight counselor and then intake overnight group home counselor. She moved on to weight loss counseling and then sales in cellular phones (yes the Brick)! From there, she went to HTC. All three of her boys attended Bradley Hills! She has worked at the nursery school for more than 7 years. She recently published a children's book (available on Amazon) titled Be in The Moment! Janice is an assistant in the Pre-K program.
Alex Harrington is originally from Larchmont, NY. She's lived in Bethesda for over 20 years, moving from Capitol Hill where she met and married the boy next door. Alex and Michael have two children both graduates of BHPCNS. Grace (19) is a sophomore at the University of Southern California and Luke (17) attends B-CC High School. Alex is a graduate of Tulane University, with a B.A. in History. She worked for several years in Communications at different retail trade associations. Alex enjoys reading, traveling and exercising. In fact, she's also a certified fitness instructor and is happy teaching all age groups. This will be Alex's fourth year as a preschool assistant. She's worked with both 3's and Pre-K programs and loves the joy the little people bring to her life.
Jan Hauck grew up in northern Ohio and has lived in the D.C. area for more than 30 years. She and her husband Ed have three young adult sons: Marty, Ryan, and Colin. Marty and his wife Ewelina welcomed a baby boy in November 2017 and a daughter in 2021. Jan has a B.A. from Wittenberg University (Springfield, OH), an MLS from the University of Maryland, and holds the Certificate in Early Childhood Education. Jan is a member of Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church. In her free time she enjoys traveling, reading, and cooking. This is Jan's thirteenth year at the nursery school and seventh year as a lead teacher in the Pre-K program.
Ilene Jones grew up in Baltimore, MD and has lived in the DC area for 35 years. She has a BA in Mathematics from Goucher College and worked as a software engineer for several years. After being involved in her children’s nursery school as a classroom helper and member of the parent board, Ilene was the Assistant Director of Concord-St. Andrews’ Cooperative Nursery School in Bethesda for 20 years. She also helped start a parent/child program at Glen Echo Park. Ilene and her husband, Tom, have two children - Andrea and Brian. Ilene is excited to be part of the BHPCNS family as an assistant teacher in the MWF 3’s program!
Zsuzsanna Juhaszne Jenei a.k.a. Mrs. Juhaszne, was born and raised in Hungary. She has a BS in Engineering from Obuda University, Budapest. She moved to Maryland in 2006 with her husband and two daughters Hanna and Zsuzsanna, their son Attila was born two years later. She started volunteering at YMCA Ayrlawn Program Center while her youngest was attending preschool there. The year after, she became a teacher, by then she had earned her 90 hours Early Childhood Certificate. She worked for YMCA Ayrlawn for seven years and in the meantime, she has completed her AAS in Early Childhood Education at Montgomery College. In her free time Zsuzsanna enjoys spending time with her family, reading, hiking and sewing. She joined BHPCNS staff in 2021.
Anne Karpinski is a lifetime resident of Maryland. She attended Mount St. Mary's College, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. Anne taught at Our Lady of Mercy for ten years in different capacities. She was a first-grade teacher, science teacher for the lower school and a collaborative consultant for the inclusion program. Anne has been married to her husband, Kevin, for 25 years and they have three wonderful sons--Jack (24), CB (22) and William (20). Anne's favorite hobbies are spending time with her family, playing tennis and walking her dog. This is Anne's fifth year at BHPCNS where she is an assistant teacher in the Pre-K program.
Sandy Kebler Sandy Kebler (pronounced Kee-bler – just like the cookies) is a lifelong resident of Maryland. She and her husband John have been married and have resided in Bethesda for 30 years. They have 3 children, Travis (29), Aaron (26) and Rachel (15). When not at school Sandy loves traveling, photography, and am an avid scrapbooker. I have been working with preschool age children for many years. I worked right out of High School in a Day Care center. I spent 24 years teaching children birth to 3 years old at Concord-St. Andrews Co-op Nursery School and then I was part of a team who created and developed a parent/child preschool program at Glen Echo Park called PAGE. At the PAGE Program I taught a mixed age class of 2-4 years old. This is my first-year as a teacher at BHPCNS and am looking forward to becoming part of the Nursery School family.
Crystal Lakas grew up in Maryland and has been a Bethesda resident for ten years. Her husband William, as well as their two children, Noelle (8) and Henry (5) are all BHPCNS graduates. Crystal earned her BA from the University of Maryland and is currently continuing her education. She loves reading and traveling to Disney with her family. This is her third year as a teacher at BHPCNS and her first year as a lead 3s' teacher.
Garine Magary is a DC native and graduated from Whitman HS. She holds a bachelors degree in art history from Colgate University and lived in New York City where she met her husband Drew. Their three children are BHPCNS alums with fond memories of preschool. Garine is a landscape and portrait painter (find her on Etsy!). In her spare time she enjoys reading a good novel, baking, gardening, walking and exploring the city with her family. This is her third year as an assistant teacher.
Kirsten Martin is a native of Chevy Chase, MD and has worked at Bradley Hills for four years as an assistant and lead teacher in the TTh two's class. She has a BS in Family Science in Public Health. She has four children, Taylor (Bucknell Univ.), Carter (Berklee College of Music), Noah (Georgetown Univ.) and Piper a 12th grader at Holy Child. She is an equestrian and loves spending time on the water with her family in St. Michaels.
Carolyn McCauley grew up in New Jersey, relocating to this area when she attended George Washington University, graduating with a degree in Biology. She worked in the Cytopathology Lab of the GW upon graduation. Her "nursery" career began when she took a position in a greenhouse growing plants. Carolyn joined the Bradley Hills family in 1996 when her youngest son, Petey, enrolled in the three-year-old program. Petey is now 27! Carolyn and her husband, Ken, have two other sons--Patrick & Nicholas, as well as 6 grandchildren. When she's not at nursery school, she enjoys hosting house concerts, camping, and going to auctions. This is Carolyn's 24th year at BHPCNS as, what she fondly calls, the 'school secretary', but is officially the Assistant Director.
Nancy McCullough, aka Mrs. Mac 'n Cheese, has worked at the nursery school for eighteen years. She is a lead teacher with the MWF 3's program. She has earned both the 90-hour Early Childhood Certificate and nationally recognized Childcare Development Associate Certificate. Downtime is spent with her husband Brad and sons (both of whom attended Bradley Hills!). Nancy is also an avid knitter in her free time and a beginner golfer.
Dorene Michael graduated from Trinity University in Washington, DC with a BA in Business. While earning her MBA degree from UMUC, she worked in the finance departments of an Advertising/Marketing firm and an Energy company. She is a Jersey girl, but has lived in Bethesda for 20 years with her husband Marc. They have four children, Olivia(15), Sydney(12), Gabby(10) and Tad(5); all are BHPCNS graduates. She loves spending time with her family, especially baking and gardening together. Dorene officially joined the staff in 2018 after volunteering as a substitute, assistant teacher, and all around jack of all trades. She is currently working in the office and one of our "fairy godmothers."
Kamila Mydlarz is originally from Poland. She studied in Cracow at Jagiellonian University and earned Masters and PhD in Russian Studies in 2009. She came to the USA 10 years ago with her husband, Wojtek, a surgeon at Johns Hopkins/Suburban Hospital. They have two children - Michał (8) is in 2nd grade at Wyngate Elementary and Klara (6) is in Kindergarten. This is her 4th year at BHPCNS as an assistant teacher. She loves to travel with her family and explore new places and cities all over the world. Books and coffee make her everyday much brighter.
Marybeth Myers is native to the Washington, DC area. Born and raised in Maryland, she has not ventured far since her days as a preschooler at BHPCNS. Marybeth attended Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart and Georgetown University, receiving her BA in Government. She and her husband, John, have four children, Jack (30), Charlie (27), Will (25) and Lee, (19), each of whom attended BHPCNS. Starting as substitute teacher during the 2015-16 school year, this is Marybeth's sixth year at BHPCNS. She's is currently a lead teacher in our MTWThF 3s' program.
Mimi Quijada was born in El Salvador and immigrated to the United States at a young age, arriving in Maryland and remaining a Maryland ever since. She’s been teaching at Bradley Hills for 8 years and is currently a lead teacher in the 2s' program. It has always been a main priority of hers to ensure the greatest possible learning experience for everybody. She developed a passion for preschool teaching, in the time 2 years she taught at Julia Brown Montessori School. It was her first opportunity to learn and hone her teaching skills. With her husband Ricardo they have 3 kids, a recent graduate from University Of Alabama, Roll Tide! And 2 sons, a Sophomore and a Senior at Walt Whitman High School. Behind the scenes she enjoys Bama Football and Basketball, watching the Washington Football Team, watching the Caps and the Nats!, and following many of the University of Maryland’s Athletics. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and going for walks and for swims whenever she can.
Eileen Richards, a native Texan, graduated from Spring Hill College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education and History. She taught Second Grade for several years. Eileen took a break from teaching to raise her four children; two of whom attended BHPCNS. As her children grew older, she started as a substitute teacher at BHPCNS for three years, eventually becoming an assistant teacher in the Pre-K Program. She spent one year as a teacher of the Pre-K class at Potomac Glen Day School. When the position to teach Pre-K at BHPCNS became available, Eileen, returned to the school that she loves. Eileen has been married for over 31 years to John. They have four children where two were born in Texas and two in Washington. DC. Cowboy/Redskins games are fun and exciting in the household. In addition to teaching, Eileen enjoys being with her family, cooking, reading and was an avid tennis player. This is marks Eileen's eighth year at BHPCNS where she is currently a lead teacher in the Pre-K program.
Regina Schweitzer grew up in Scarsdale, New York. She attended Fairfield University where she met her husband Frank and earned a B.A. in Political Science. Regina went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Fordham University. She and her husband moved to Bethesda in 1995 where she taught Kindergarten. Regina and Frank have three children. Caroline (23) is a recent college graduate and is living and working in Manhattan. Emily (22) is a senior in college, and Frank (19) is a college freshman. Regina enjoys spending time with her family, vacationing at the beach, and going for a run. This is Regina’s eleventh year as at BHPCNS.
Bowden Skoff was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, where she met her husband, Mike, and earned a BA in Psychology and Spanish. She moved to the Washington, DC area in 1988. She and her husband, Mike, have two children, Willie, and Ally. They are both BHCPNS alumni. In her spare time, she enjoys playing tennis, traveling, going to see live music, and mostly spending time with her family and friends. Bowden currently teaches yoga and barnyard in our Stay & Play program and is an assistant teacher in the Pre-K old program. This is her 21st year being part of the Bradley Hills' family.
Liz Sobrino is originally from Toronto Canada. She has lived in New York, Barbados, Connecticut, Washington DC, Texas, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and lived in Carderock Springs in Bethesda, Maryland for 18 years and currently resides in Chevy Chase, DC. Liz has a BA in Elementary Education, from Catholic University. Her work experiences include, the American Cafe, American Society for Training and Development, RSA & Associates, St. Frances Creche Preschool Teacher, and the Executive Director for the Alliance for Workplace Excellence. Liz and her husband, Ray, have three daughters--Jessie, Alex and Trisha who have all grown and flown. Liz is in her ninth year as the Director of BHPCNS.
Heather Stevens has lived in Maryland almost all of her life. She attended high school at the Academy of the Holy Cross and college at St. Mary's College of Maryland. She holds a BA in Economics. At St. Mary's College, she met her husband, David, and they have been married for more than 26 years. Heather and David have two children, Austin and Shea, both graduates of BHPCNS. Austin is a graduate of Coastal Carolina University and Shea has graduated from East Carolina University. Heather enjoys spending time in Ocean Pines, Maryland where she likes to go boating and beach combing. Her hobbies include reading, shopping, boating, and exercising. This is her 19th year at BHPCNS. She has worked with the Pre-K, the 3s, and the 2s! Heather is currently an assistant in the MTWThF Pre-K program, as well as BHPCNS' Creative Movement instructor.
Vanessa Vargas is a parent of a past student and a current student. She came to BHPCNS with many years of child care experience. She continues to study child development. Vanessa joined the BHPCNS staff in 2016. Vanessa has worked with all the age groups, Lunch Bunch, and Stay and Play.