Meet the Team

We hold firm to the belief education’s greatest impact occurs in the formative years before the age of seven years old. Therefore, we have made it our mission to be “gatherers” of research, methodology, and techniques with proven success in the classroom. We would like to share our expertise with audiences of preschoolers, parents, fellow educators, and administrators who believe in quality, innovative, and creative education for all preschoolers.

Secondly, we have long held the belief the American school system, in general, has linked pre-schools and daycares together in policy making decisions shortchanging both types of programs. In our experience having worked in close collaboration with Childfind, educators in Fairfax County Public Schools, and private preschool programs in Northern Virginia, most educators know the distinction between the vastly different agendas of preschools and daycares. Both types of programs need quality training opportunities for their staff and childcare providers. With the movement towards nationwide public preschool on the horizon, let us guide your staff to become models in early childhood education.

Miss Barb

iss Barb has a degree from James Madison University in early childhood education with a concentration in nursery and preschool curriculum. She has been in education for nearly forty years, eleven years in several VA public school systems, landing in Fairfax County Public Schools teaching across the primary and upper elementary grades from emotionally and economically handicapped students to her tenure as one of the first Gifted & Talented itinerant teachers serving over 17 schools. After having children, Miss Barb planned to return to public education, but the future held opportunities for her to make an impact on preschoolers and their families. She continued to work on Fairfax County's Speaker's Bureau, taught creative arts and parenting classes for Fairfax County's Parktakes Program. She joined the staff of Chantilly Academy Preschool over twenty years ago, as a teacher, when her daughter was ready to go to preschool. As the director, Miss Barb was quoted as saying, "It's the teacher's job to introduce thought-provoking opportunities which encourage critical thinking and language, while it is the child's job to be curious, allowing literature to unlock the mind and spirit of every child." Today, Miss Barb and the other Literacy Ladies can be found in local preschools doing what they love best, sharing a favorite book with a captive audience.

Miss Robin

iss Robin grew up in upstate New York, graduating from Saint Bonaventure University with a degree in elementary education. Stationed across continents, Miss Robin fulfilled several different roles in school settings from librarian, upper elementary grade teacher, and lastly serving as the director of an Army base preschool while her husband was stationed in Germany. Joining Chantilly Academy nearly twenty years ago, Miss Robin brought a wealth of knowledge to the classroom of the youngest students of all, three year olds. Miss Robin’s calm, unruffled demeanor soothes the soul of the anxious, frightened and the most boisterous of children. Involving the children in daily creative art, literature, and music rich activities; Miss Robin’s believes teachers must create a LOVE of learning and literature. Today, Miss Robin enjoys her grandbabies and getting silly with Miss Barb as a Literacy Lady.