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Our Full-Time Faculty
Executive Director
Since 1992, our director has been working to grow and improve the Friendship Children's Center. Originally as a parent with two children enrolled in the program, she was a member of the Board of Directors. In 1996, she became the full-time executive director. She has enjoyed putting her degree in Child Psychology and her background in management and administration to work at the Children's Center. In 2007, she received a Wish List Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Early Childhood Education from the Mayor's Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education for her efforts to expand the school and continue providing high-quality early learning experiences to families in Washington, DC. When she's not juggling the demands of running two schools, she is busy with her two sons, volunteering at their schools, cheering for them at sports events, and shuttling them up and down the East Coast as they compete in Soap Box Derby racing.
Communications Director In May 2009, this enthusiastic new member of our team joined us. She is simultaneously pursuing a Master's in Psychology at American University. She comes to us with Bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Journalism from American University where she was a member of the University's Swimming and Diving Team. She brings to the table a long and rich history teaching special needs populations and an unrivaled passion for child development. Furthermore, she has extensive management experience working in marketing for years and as the current director of the Curl Burke Developmental Swim Program. Her business experiences, psychology background and familiarity with family life in the DC metro area have translated into early success as our Communications Director. Always on the go, when not in the office or in class, she is found in the pool, on the field or track, always working out and staying active.
Our Education Director joined our faculty in September 2009. She is a graduate of Mary Baldwin College and a current University of Phoenix graduate student studying Early Childhood Education. This vivacious member of our team joined us with ten years experience in preschool, childcare and after school care program in Maryland and Virginia. She was the director of the infant/toddler program at a large child care center in Baltimore, Maryland. Most recently she directed the SAC (School Age Care) program at a local elementary school within the Fairfax County Public School System. Furthermore, she has previously managed and implemented programs using the Creative Curriculum, the curriculum used at FCC. This fun loving director spends her free time with her many nieces and nephews.
This Starfish Lead teacher enjoys working with younger children and has recently acquired
her CDA in infant/toddler teaching. Following in her grandmother's
footsteps as a teacher in Washington, DC, she too has the gift for
working with children. Before joining our team, she worked
at the summer child care program at her church. In her
spare time, she loves traveling. She has journeyed to
Starfish (Infant) Assistant Teacher Joining our team in February 2010 this Starfish Assistant Teacher graduated from Galludet University with a BA in Social Work. During her years in college she was a tutor at Galludet and interned at the National Children's Center. Here she found her passion for working with young children. In her spare time this happy-go-lucky staff member enjoys listening to music, doing art projects and working on elaborate puzzles.
Starfish (Infant) Assistant Teacher The newest member of our Starfish teaching team, this assistant teacher joined our staff in the spring of 2010. She brings to FCC 9 years experience as a nanny for young children in the DC area. Prior to moving to DC she completed a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics at The Phillippine Women's University. This cheerful teacher brightens our classroom with her singing and smiles. In her spare time she enjoys playing and traveling with her husband and daughter.
The Jellyfish lead teacher has worked with children of all ages. She spent three years working with infants and toddlers and has also spent a number of years in a preschool classroom. She enjoys observing the different stages of child development and finds working with toddlers to be both entertaining and rewarding. She earned her CDA in 2000 and actually spent two years in a very challenging EMT training program before settling in the classroom as a teacher. Apart from teaching, she enjoys shopping and styling hair, but above all she loves spending time with her young son, who she says has made the greatest difference in her life. She has been of the FCC faculty since September 2007.
While this Jellyfish assistant teacher comes from a background in Human Resources, specifically as a staffing and classification specialist, she has always had a love and passion for children. After her son was born four years ago, she decided to pursue her dream and work with children. She is currently working toward a degree in Early Childhood Education. In addition to the stories she loves reading her toddler class, she also enjoys writing and listening to poetry at poetry readings. After spending many years working as a pediatric care assistant, and a paralegal, this Jellyfish assistant teacher finds working with toddlers much more satisfying and fun. She loves going to the park and taking walks around the neighborhood. She also likes reading to the children and for her own enjoyment. She has one son who is beginning his freshman year in college. He has inspired her to go back, herself, to study Early Childhood Development.
Working with FCC infants and toddlers since September 2006, this assistant teacher has worked with children between the ages of 3months and 3 years but has found her home in the toddler classroom. When she is not playing or reading a book with the Jellyfish, she is attending school in the evenings and on weekends. Prior to joining the Friendship Children's Center, she worked for two years with 2-year-olds and with 4-5 year olds for three years. In addition to her classroom experience, she has two children of her own. Her hobbies include reading and enjoying the company of her family.
Guppy (Junior Preschool) Teacher Our Guppy lead teacher initially worked at the Friendship Children's Center as a preschool assistant teacher during 2005 and 2006. Prior to leading the toddler program at Friendship Children's Center, she gained experience working with toddlers at a museum-based child development program located in DC. This energetic teacher is has her CDA in Early Childhood Development and has completed the 90 hour certification course in Infant and Toddler Childhood Development. She is an avid reader and also volunteers at her local church. This Guppy assistant teacher brings her warmth and humor into the classroom every day. She loves to act silly and make her students laugh. Beginning in 2003, as a part-time aide during high school, this Guppy assistant teacher accepted the toddler assistant teacher position in 2006 and recently obtained her CDA. She has studied sign language in the past, and often uses it with the children. She also likes to read and listen to music. A little known fact about this teacher is that she went to the World Series of Softball in 2006 as a pitcher and was voted Gatorade Player of the Year.
Guppy(Junior Preschool) Assistant Teacher In August 2009, the newest member of our Guppy teaching relocated to Washington, D.C. and began working at FCC. A recent graduate of the Univeristy of Florida this energetic teacher has a Bachelor of Arts in speech-language pathology. While studying at UF she worked at the Baby Gator child care center and also tutored school-aged children through the Alachua County Library system. She is happy, active and not afraid to get dirty whether its finger paint or sandbox.
Guppy (Junior Preschool) Assistant Teacher This Guppy assistant teacher, a native of the Rockville, Maryland area is returning to the area after studying education at the University of North Carolina then working as a full time assistant teacher in the Willmington, NC area. His passion for early childhood education began when he was a part-time aide at a YMCA after school program during college. Beginning at FCC in March 2010 this energetic, determined teacher has brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the classroom. When he is not at FCC he enjoys riding bicycles with his family as well as singing and playing the guitar. Dolphin (Preschool) Teacher
The newest member of our Dolphin teaching team joined FCC in August 2009. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in biopsychology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Maryland. During the past ten years, she has worked in in the field or health care, as a technician and a policy analyst and has come to appreciate her calling to work with children. She is putting her earlier experiences as a babysitter and youth group leader, along with her psychology background into practice as an early childhood educator.
A 2005 Graduate of
Whale (Pre-Kindergarten) Assistant Teacher Our assistant in the Whale classroom has been a member of the FCC faculty since early 2007. Most recently, she acquired her CDA (teacher certification) in early childhood education. Her love of children blossomed when she began babysitting at the age of 11. She worked at two different summer camps while she was in high school and continued babysitting until joining our faculty in 2007. At home, she enjoys reading, writing, and listening to music. Like her pre-kindergarten students, she loves learning new things.
©2009 Friendship Children's Center |