Molly has 38 years of experience as an educator in both teaching and administration, locally and internationally. She holds a B.A. in English and Education from CUA and a M.A. in Early Childhood Education from the Institute of Education at University College London. Molly is a member of the District of Columbia Reggio Emilia Alliance (DCREA), the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance (NAREA) and the National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). This is Molly’s ninth year with St. John’s.

For over 30 years Jennifer (BA, MEd Smith College) has worked both locally and nationally with schools inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, focusing particularly on the culture of the atelier. She has been with St. John’s for 26 years and is the proud mom of two St. John’s alumni. 

Cece has always been passionate about working with children and building strong relationships with families. Her experience across early childhood education, summer programming, and community engagement has strengthened her belief that meaningful relationships are foundational to a child’s learning and development. In May 2023, Cece earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Alabama, with minors in General Business and Management Communications. Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, she is now in her fourth year in Washington, DC. Cece enjoys welcoming families to St. John’s and helping foster the warm, connected community that makes the school so special. She is grateful to be part of the St. John’s team and looks forward to getting to know every child and family.

Emma was born and raised in Hawaii and began her career at a Reggio-inspired school in Honolulu. Hawaiian values of love, duty, righteousness, interconnectedness, and care for the environment are deeply tied to her approach to teaching children. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and the History of Math & Science from St. John’s College in Annapolis. She received her Master’s from the University of Colorado in Early Childhood Education, specializing in the Reggio Emilia Approach. This is her second year at St. John’s.

Tate has been teaching in the early childhood setting for almost 10 years. A DC native, she holds an M.A.T. in Early Childhood Education and a B.A. in Elementary Education from American University. Tate joined the St. John’s faculty from a Reggio-inspired school where she gained a deep appreciation for the approach. This is Tate’s fourth year at St. John’s, where she is thrilled to be a part of such a warm, child-centered community.

Elyse has worked in the field of early childhood education for more than 20 years. Elyse has taught in Reggio-inspired schools across the country, including in Washington, DC; Fairfax, VA; Richmond, VA; New Haven, CT; New Orleans, LA; and Seattle, WA. In addition to her work with children, Elyse has served as a Pedagogical Specialist conducting presentations and trainings about the Reggio Emilia philosophy, and she is the current co-chair of the DC Reggio Emilia Alliance. Elyse holds an M.S. in Human Development and Family Studies and a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies: Early Childhood Development and Dance from the University of Alabama. After receiving her degrees, she served as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Italy. This is Elyse’s eighth year at St. John’s.

Lucy grew up in Northwest DC and attended NCRC, Georgetown Day School, and George School, a Quaker boarding school in Pennsylvania. As a product of independent schools, she values learning environments that nurture creativity, curiosity, and joy. She studied Art History at Connecticut College and earned her Master’s in Art History from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Lucy has worked with children in a variety of educational settings, and this will be her second year at St. John’s.

Originally from Montana, Emma has always been passionate about supporting children in building meaningful connections with the natural world. She earned her B.A. in Environmental Studies from Bates College in 2017 before moving to Washington, DC to pursue a career in education. She later earned her M.S. in Elementary Education from Johns Hopkins University through the Urban Teachers Preparation Program and holds teaching licenses in Early Childhood and Special Education. Over the past several years, Emma has taught in a variety of educational settings and has found a professional home at St. John’s. She values the Reggio Emilia Approach for its emphasis on curiosity, relationships, and meaningful learning, both in and beyond the classroom. This year marks her fifth year as part of the creative and inspiring St. John’s preschool community.

Karen brings more than 20 years of experience in education, having worked with learners from preschool through high school as an environmental educator, high ropes confidence course instructor, classroom teacher, and Early Childhood STEAM Integration Specialist. She began her teaching career at a nature-based preschool in Connecticut, where she fostered children’s curiosity by encouraging them to explore the natural world. Inspired by their interests and discoveries, she created meaningful learning experiences that often incorporated natural materials the children gathered themselves. Karen holds a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Science Education, both from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is currently in her sixth year at St. John’s.

Brigitte has a Baccalaureate and a college business degree from her native country of France. After earning her degree in France, she moved to Washington, DC in 1998 and started her Reggio Emilia education under the guidance and mentoring of Kathy Price, the founding Head of St. John’s. She worked as a Brown Room Teacher, then various roles as substitute and Children’s Workshop teacher and after teaching for several years at St. John’s, Brigitte took time away to raise her family. Upon returning to Early Childhood Education, Brigitte earned her Child Development Associate Credential and taught French as a lead teacher for six years at the French Maternal School. Brigitte earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of Phoenix. She is excited to be the Early Birds and Children’s Workshop teacher!

Melanie moved to the Washington, DC area in 2014 to begin a career in early childhood education and has been teaching in DC ever since. Preceding this, she earned a dual baccalaureate degree (Environmental Studies and Comparative Humanities) from Bucknell University. Her teaching experience began at a DC public charter school, teaching by day and studying by night to earn her Master’s of Arts in Teaching (with an emphasis in early childhood) from Trinity Washington University. Melanie’s personal pedagogical philosophy and the appeal of the Reggio Emilia approach were satisfied, in 2015, when she excitedly accepted a teaching position at St. John’s. Now a veteran, she continues to co-construct knowledge and engage in joyful and curious learning with the children and families of the St. John’s community.