Catherine Hopkins
Catherine has worked at BCPS for more than 6 years. She currently serves as the assistant to the director. She holds a degree in Animal Science/ Veterinary Medicine and is licensed by the VA Board of Veterinary Medicine/ VA Department of Health. Two years ago, she decided to leave her full time job as a hospital administrator to stay home with her family and better homeschool her 4 children. She teaches animal science to 3rd-6th graders at her co-op. She is a also Disney travel agent and Plexus ambassador in her spare time. She is involved with the sports her children play and also sits on the board for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Virginia Chapter.
Joelle Hawkins
Joelle has a Music Education degree from Wright State University. She also has 11 years of teaching experience.
"I love how free and energetic the children are in music class. It brings me such joy to watch them grow."
"I love how free and energetic the children are in music class. It brings me such joy to watch them grow."
Susie Higbie
Susie’s expert care for children shows in the 3’s and 4’s classroom as she teaches them daily. She has a degree from University of Akron and an Associate Degree in Child Development. “I love teaching because I enjoy seeing children learn through play. The highlight of any day is to see a child figure something out on his/her own. I love to see children grow and become independent. I love to be part of their first school experience.”
Jill Hunter
Jill has a BS degree in Elementary Education from Louisiana State University. She has been teaching for over 20 years. The last eleven years have been at the Brandermill Church Preschool. She especially enjoys painting and creating art with the children. She loves greeting the three year olds with warm welcomes and hugs.
Kristen Matthews
Kristen has been subbing for us in all classrooms and working as an aide with the 2's and 4's for the past three years. She has a Bachelor Degree of Science from Elmira College and has worked with special ed and hearing impaired children. “I love working with children! It’s amazing watching them learn and grow during the school year. BCPS provides a fun atmosphere for students and myself.”
Chris has more than 18 years of experience at BCP loving and teaching 3’s and 4’s. Her love of books is the reason why she spends so much time ordering and distributing the preschool’s Scholastic Book Orders. She has a Bachelor degree in Elementary Education (Certified N-6). “I love the children’s enthusiasm for learning. My favorite activities are reading to the children and class discussions during circle time.”
Heather Nghiem
Heather has a BS in Psychology with a Teaching License Certification (Pre-K – 3) from James Madison University. She has taught our two year olds and is an aide for our four year olds. She worked seven years in the Chesterfield County School System. “Teaching is seeing and experiencing learning through the eyes of a child.”
Monique Novak
For eight years, Monique has been a loving and caring aide with the 2’s and 4’s. She attended Old Dominion University. “I love to see the kids eyes light up when we tell them it’s time to go outside or we have popsicles for snack. They get so excited about the little things.”
Cathy Ray
Cathy has touched many little lives as a teacher in all our programs for more than 20 years. She earned a BS in Child Development from Virginia Tech. “The things I love about teaching are the children’s cheerful faces, hugs, and being a part of their early education. I think Erma Bombeck said it best, ‘Children make your life important.’”
Sherry Smith
Sherry has been an awesome aide for BCPS for more than 10 years. She loves the children's hugs and is always ready to give hers away!Her love for children and enthusiasm shows every day!
Amanda Dunlap
Amanda Dunlap has a B.S. from Longwood University. Her 2 children completed a combined total of 6 years at BCPS. She fell so in love with the preschool, that she started subbing and was part of the preschool board before she became a full time aide!
Miriam Sims
Miriam has her Bachelor’s degree from Illinois Wesleyan University with over six years of experience teaching preschool & is the mother of three girls. She cherishes the unconditional love of our students & their sheer joy for learning! “Teaching preschoolers is so rewarding! As an educator, you get to play a role in developing a child’s awareness of themselves & their world and, in early childhood, we get to help them with some of the most vital building blocks of life: communication & self-expression, understanding letters & numbers, wonder & exploration, healthy social interaction & empathy.”
Heather Csontos
Heather earned her BS in Business Administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She left her career as a senior certified Human Resources Information Systems Analyst to be a stay at home mom 9 years ago with her two daughters and a son. She relocated form Maine and felt an immediate connection to the school, it's parents, and staff when she registered her son. Her five year old daughter is excited to be a BCPS All Star this year. Heather began volunteering with BCPS in 2014, became a substitute in 2015, and officially joined the team in January 2016 as an Aide in the 2 Day 2's class. Her favorite part of working with the children is being able to be curious and to share their wonder for the world. She loves hearing all of their stories and seeing them grow.
Carrie Wallace
Carrie and her family moved to the Richmond area 4 years ago from Oregon. I have been a stay at home mom to Hannah and Carter for 10 years. Carter attended BCPS for 3 years and is a recent graduate. Now that he is in school all day, I get to go back to my first love of teaching! I have a Master's and Bachelor's degree in Education from the University of Oregon. Go Ducks! I have taught Special Education, Learning Disabled, Special Ed Resource Room, Kindergarten, and my very first teaching job was a developmental preschool class. I'm thrilled to be back in a preschool and am so happy it is at BCPS!
Peter Bringman
Pete has a BSBA and Master of Arts from the Ohio State University and a Master of Accountancy from Bowling Green State University. He then spent seven years in IT risk management, primarily at financial institutions. Prior to joining the Brandermill Church Preschool as a teachers aide, he had been a stay at home dad with his two sons. In his spare time, Pete enjoys playing golf and watching his beloved Buckeyes.
Stephanie Barth
Stephanie received her Bachelor of Science from West Virginia University and holds a Certification in Early Childhood Education. She and her husband, Eric, have three children and have lived in Virginia since 2008. All three of her children attended BCPS and had wonderful experiences. Stephanie joined our staff when her youngest began Kindergarten. “I love working with children. They love learning and exploring … and they make every day such an adventure! The sense of accomplishment they feel when they figure something out for the very first time and their excitement is contagious. I’m looking forward to another great year at BCPS and teaching your wonderful children!”
Jennifer Raugh
Bio coming soon!
Beth Dabney
Bio coming soon!
Pauline Dawson
Since graduating from Longwood many years ago, she has had the honor of teaching children ages 3 to 12. Most of her years were spent in kindergarten in Lynchburg and in Chesterfield County, although she also taught in Greensboro, N.C. and at Redeemer Lutheran Preschool. She loves watching children grow and learn. Her goal is always to teach others the love of learning so that they can be life long learners and leaders. Pauline shares that it is delightful to be at Brandermill Church Preschool and hopes to be as much a blessing to the staff and families with whom she works as they are to her.
Kelly Crow
Kelly comes to us from Northern Virginia where she worked at a large preschool for 11 years in all capacities including Assistant to the Director, Lead Teacher, Assistant Teacher, and Floater. She has a love for God, a love for children and a strong desire to help families and coworkers. Kelly is a graduate of James Madison University with a BBA in Computer Information Systems. She and her husband, Mike, live in Brandermill with their three children, dog, cats, and bearded dragon. “I am so happy to be a part of the Brandermill Church Preschool family and look forward to seeing all of the little smiling faces when I come to work! How lucky am I?”