Meet the Staff

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 herchildren. 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."

Susie Higbie

Susie’s expert care for children shows in the All Star Pre-K, 5 year old 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 is an aide with the All Stars Pre-K, 5 year old classroom. 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 20 years of experience at BCPS loving and teaching 3’s and 4’s. She teaches our 4 day 4 year old class. 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 is our new Director! She has a B.S. in Psychology with a Teaching License Certification (Pre-K – 3) from James Madison University. She has taught our two year olds and been an aide for our four year olds. She taught for seven years in the Chesterfield County Public 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 25 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 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.”

Carrie Wallace

Carrie and her family moved to the Richmond area 4 years ago from Oregon. Her children attended BCPS for 3 years. She has a Master's and Bachelor's degree in Education from the University of Oregon. Go Ducks! She has taught Special Education, Learning Disabled, Special Ed Resource Room, Kindergarten, and her 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!

Stephanie Barth

Stephanie received her Bachelor of Science from West Virginia University and holds a Certification in Early Childhood Education. All 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!”

Bio coming soon!