Faculty & Staff

Jill Bryson returns this year as the Classroom Teacher for our Kindergarten class. Last year she joined the team as an Assistant Teacher. Jill has experience as an inspired homeschool teacher, project coordinator for the American Bible Society, youth leader, and administrator. She has a degree in Elementary Education from Eastern University in Saint Davids, Pennsylvania and has a son and a daughter here at Ambleside. She will serve at Ambleside on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Annie Beane will be teaching First Grade this year. Ms. Beane returns for her fifth year at Ambleside, having taught one year as Kindergarten assistant and three years as the Kindergarten classroom teacher. She is a graduate of the University of Akron with a degree in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Beane completed her student teaching and worked as a substitute teacher for four years in Loudoun County. She comes from a rich and diverse educational background. She is an active member in her church and resides in Sterling with her family. In her spare time she enjoys being outdoors, swimming, and running.  

Grace Luu returns for her fifth year as our Second Grade teacher. Mrs. Luu graduated from Covenant College with a B.A. in Early Childhood Education and a minor in Community Development. She is a certified teacher for grades Pre-K through Fifth, and had the opportunity to teach for a time at Sekolah Pelita Harapan in Jakarta, Indonesia. Mrs. Luu’s brother, Paul, is a 2022 Ambleside graduate, and her dad, Ray Seto, is a regular speaker at our Friday Chapels.

Melissa Fischer is returning this year as our Third Grade Classroom Teacher. For the past four years, she has been an Assistant Teacher in the lower grades. Mrs. Fischer is a graduate of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary and Special Education. She has taught students from Preschool to Third Grade. Mrs. Fischer has experience teaching children with autism, learning disabilities, and emotional/behavior disorders. She also has experience as a classroom teacher. Mrs. Fischer enjoys reading, cooking, and especially baking. She is a mother to two current Ambleside students.

Josiah Depaoli returns as our Fifth Grade teacher. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a minor in History. He taught Literature and Composition at Trinity School at Meadowview and English as a second language at the David Cambridge School in China. His time in China has encouraged him to continue to pursue studying Chinese language and culture, a pursuit he began seriously in high school. He enjoys Revolutionary War history and participates in living history reenactments. Mr. Depaoli is thrilled to have found the Charlotte Mason method of education and is excited to be returning.

Shannon Seiberlichwill serve as our Sixth Grade teacher this year. Shannon first began reading Charlotte Mason’s volumes and practicing this educational philosophy as a homeschooler over 20 years ago. When her children were in middle school, she enrolled them at our very own Ambleside School and was invited to join the teaching staff at the school. As an Ambleside teacher, Shannon taught Art and a variety of grades over ten years. She graduated from the College of Journalism at Penn State University with a B.A in Advertising. After graduating, she worked at a DC ad agency prior to having children. In 2012 she transitioned to working for Ambleside Schools International, where she served as the Director of Homeschooling, in addition to providing support with community relations and communication, teacher support materials and training, and social media. 

Ashley Ewer returns to teach our combined Seventh & Eighth Grade class. She participates in the Master Teacher Training Program with Ambleside Schools International. Mrs. Ewer is a graduate of the Geneva College Honors Program with a B.A. in History and Writing and a minor in Biology. She also studied Shakespeare and Church History at the University of Oxford, UK. Mrs. Ewer has many years of professional writing experience and spent over a decade at a local political consulting firm prior to teaching. She is the mother of two current Ambleside students and one Ambleside graduate and previously served on our Board of Trustees. 

Jessi Scherm  returns as our Arrowsmith Teacher. As a former teacher at Faith Christian School in Sterling, VA and graduate of LeTourneau University with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, she brings a wealth of experience with her. Mrs. Scherm has spent the last 15 years as the Logistics and Well-Being Officer in the Chief of Staff of the Army’s program for Army Generals-Army Strategic Leader Development Program. She is a parent of one current Ambleside student and three Ambleside graduates.

Kassandra Laushkin is returning as our Art Teacher. She is a graduate of George Mason University with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. Mrs. Laushkin is a certified instructor in EduArts (designed by Mona Brooks, author of Drawing With Children) and a former Ambleside Second Grade teacher. She has taught at Ambleside School for a number of years and brings precision and enthusiasm to the art classroom. Kassandra is the mother of four current Ambleside students.  

Leanne Caldwell will continue to teach 6th Grade Singapore Math and Pre-Algebra, in addition to serving as the school-wide Math Specialist. Mrs. Caldwell has a Bachelor of Arts in Bible & Elementary Education from Agnes Scott College and a Masters in Education from the University of North Florida. She was an elementary teacher in Florida Public Schools and Fairfax County Public Schools for a number of years before becoming a stay-at-home mom. In addition to home educating her four children through high school, she has taught upper level math courses to high school students at the Tara Learning Center. 

Adam Hayes returns to Ambleside for his second year with us. With a passion for foreign languages and connecting with people all over the world, he is a man of many talents and spent this past summer studying in Mexico. Besides teaching 1st-8th Spanish and 1st-8th PE, Adam will support classroom teachers and administrative staff as the on-call Administrative Assistant. Mr. Hayes graduated from Radford University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages.  

Lee Anne Jardine returns for her sixth year as part time Director of Instruction. Mrs. Jardine has a Bachelor of Education Foundation Phase from the University of South Africa, Cape Town and a Dance Diploma majoring in classical ballet from the University of Cape Town. She taught first grade and led other teachers at the Vine School in Cape Town, South Africa, where she helped the school transition from a traditional school to a Charlotte Mason School. She also taught at the American International School in Cape Town before coming to Ambleside in McLean. Mrs. Jardine’s son, Ivan, is a 2022 graduate of Ambleside. 

Stephanie Louie continues this year as Assistant Teacher. Mrs. Louie graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Science in International Health. She has five children and has been involved in several Charlotte Mason homeschool co-ops prior to joining Ambleside. Mrs. Louie and her husband Lenny are also parents of two Ambleside graduates.

Sydney Smith  joins our team as the Music Teacher. Sydney has spent this last year working at Park Hall Elementary School in Park Hall, MD. She is a 2023 graduate of Liberty University with a bachelor’s degree in vocal music and minors in Psychology and Guitar Performance. At University, she participated in Shine Acapella Concert Choir and the Classical Guitar Ensemble. Sydney is excited to join the Ambleside team and is looking forward to meeting all of the students and families soon.

Jamie You comes to Ambleside with considerable experience teaching mathematics across grade levels and will serve as our Algebra I teacher this year. She has taught at both Virginia Academy in Ashburn and Fairfax Christian School in Dulles during the last several years. Mrs. You earned a Master of Science degree in Basic Medical Sciences from Purdue University, and attended two years of seminary at Biola University. Currently, she works at Mathnasium as both an instructor and as the Assistant Center Director. She has two children, Abbey and Daniel, and lives in Sterling, Virginia. We are thrilled to have her joining our team in 2024.

Kristin Nowak — or Krise to her colleagues and friends — is a long time educator with deep expertise in the Charlotte Mason pedagogy. She has taught students for over a dozen years, in grades ranging from 1st to 12th, and has been recognized by Ambleside Schools International as one of the top teachers in our 25 school association. For eight of those years Krise has taught here at Ambleside, where she is a respected and beloved middle school teacher, mentor and colleague, and a long-time champion of our finest school traditions, including the middle school “First Fridays program” which she has ably organized and led. Most importantly, she is a servant leader for Christ, having run the children’s ministry at Shepherd Gate Church for several years, devoted her professional life to transforming students and families through Christ-centered education, and most recently, as a deacon in her church.

Mrs. Nowak’s academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science in Biology from George Mason University, and a Master’s Degree in Education from George Washington University, and she has maintained her Virginia state teaching certification since 2002.

Ted Watkins returns to Ambleside as our Director of Advancement and will also teach 5th Grade Citizenship. Mr. Watkins is a graduate of Wheaton College and has a Master of Arts in Theology from the Augustine Institute in Denver, CO. Prior to Ambleside, Ted was Assistant Headmaster of Chelsea Academy in Front Royal, VA and also spent time in supply chain management and the United States Marine Corps. Ted and his wife, Emma, have three children, and their two oldest children are at Ambleside. When he’s not at Ambleside, Ted does real estate and design-build consulting with his dear friend and owner of Stello Homes.

Phyllis Lauber continues as Director of Operations as well as taking on the position of Dean of Students. She earned her BA in American and English Literature from Brandeis University and a MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is a dedicated educator with over 20 years of combined experience in administration and teaching (children and adults). Phyllis has organized and managed operational and administrative processes for both for-profit and non-profit organizations. Before joining the Ambleside administrative team, she was an ESOL teacher with Fairfax County Public Schools. She has been an Ambleside parent for eight years, and her three children are all Ambleside alumni.

Laura Hamilton joins us this year as our Advancement and Admissions Assistant. A 2015 graduate of Ambleside, Laura attended school at the Dranesville campus from Kindergarten through 8th Grade. Her time as an Ambleside student gave her a firsthand experience of Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of education and played a pivotal role in shaping the woman she is today. Laura graduated from Grove City College in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Management, and worked as an Event Coordinator at The Winery at Bull Run before rejoining the Ambleside family as a staff member. Ambleside has always held a cherished place in her heart. She is thrilled to give back to the childhood school that provided a strong foundation for her character, interests and worldview, and looks forward to serving Ambleside’s mission.

Dorothy Carroll continues as Executive Assistant. Mrs. Carroll received a Bachelor of Arts in English from James Madison University and a graduate certificate from Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis. While in St. Louis, she worked as the copy-editor for Missiology, the quarterly journal for the American Society of Missiology. Most recently, she taught English to refugees and immigrants with For the Nations DC. Mrs. Carroll also taught high school English with PWCPS and spent years as a freelance copy-editor. Mrs. Carroll enjoys serving at church, where her husband Tim is a pastor. They have two daughters, who will be in Ambleside’s Kindergarten and Third Grade classes this year.