Faculty & Staff

Annie Beane will continue teaching Kindergarten this year. Ms. Beane returns for her fourth year at Ambleside and third year 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 and doing puzzles.

Lee Anne Jardine returns for her fifth year as our First Grade teacher. 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.

Grace Luu returns for her fourth 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.

Kate Meadowcroft continues as our Third Grade teacher. Mrs. Meadowcroft has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Grove City College with minors in Biblical and Religious Studies and in Family Studies. She loves nature, camping, and hiking and enjoys leading her students in the care of living creatures, such as chickens and cicadas. Mrs. Meadowcroft is an alumna of Ambleside School and draws from many years of experience caring for and tutoring children.

Josiah Depaoli will continue 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, where he developed a love for Chinese language and culture. 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.

Jill Bryson will teach Sixth Grade. Besides being an incredibly faithful and competent substitute teacher for us last year, 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 we are thrilled that Jill is bringing her thoughtful service and heart for children to Ambleside on a formal, regular basis. She will teach 6th grade on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Ashley Ewer is returning as our Seventh Grade teacher. Mrs. Ewer first read Charlotte Mason’s book series during college. She is a graduate of the Geneva College Honors Program with a Bachelor of Arts degree 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 16 years of professional writing experience and spent over a decade at a local political consulting firm before starting her own business. She is the mother of two current Ambleside students and one Ambleside graduate. She previously served on our Board of Trustees.

Lue-Yee Tsang will be teaching Eighth Grade. He recently completed his Masters of Theological Studies from Wycliffe College in Toronto and also a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He taught most recently at the Canterbury Christian School in Los Altos, California, which followed a position at Veritas Collegiate Academy in Fairfax, Virginia. Lue-Yee spent much of his summer in Oxford, England visiting with family.

Melissa Fischer is returning as an Assistant Teacher this year. 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.

Stephanie Louie continues this year as Assistant Teacher after having served as a substitute teacher for the past several years at Ambleside. 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. She is a parent of three current Ambleside students and two Ambleside graduates.

Jessi Scherm returns as our Arrowsmith Instructor. 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 two current Ambleside students and two Ambleside graduates.

Kassandra Laushkin is returning as our Art Instructor. 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 three current Ambleside students.

Leanne Caldwell will continue to teach Singapore Math in Sixth Grade and Pre-Algebra in addition to serving as the school-wide Math Specialist. Mrs. Caldwell has a Bachelor of Arts in 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.

Sarah Wilcox continues as our Music Instructor. She is a graduate of James Madison University, where she majored in music, with a concentration in voice and a minor in jazz. She is trained in the Kodaly method, which is the approach to music used at Ambleside. Ms. Wilcox is a composer and has several albums to her name: Our Father, Crucify Him, My Lord and My God, and Emmanuel, which is set to be released Christmas 2024.

Eileen Hughes returns as our Spanish Teacher. Mrs. Hughes brings with her many years of experience teaching in various settings, including private and public schools and homeschool co-ops. She has a degree in Spanish education from the University of Maryland. Her undergraduate experience includes a study abroad program in Madrid, Spain. Mrs. Hughes also participated in a teacher exchange program in Toluca, Mexico, and she helped to write Spanish curriculum and testing materials for a local school district. When not in the classroom, she enjoys spending time with her husband and five children.

Adam Hayes joins the team as our PE Instructor, K-3rd Spanish Teacher, and Administrative Assistant. A faithful and dutiful substitute during the previous school year, Adam will join us on a full-time basis in the upcoming one. He is a man of many talents with a peaceful, relational demeanor. Besides teaching the younger Spanish classes and PE for First-Eighth Grades, Adam will provide assistance in the classrooms, including answering walkie-talkie calls, greeting in the morning, serving at carpool, and a hundred other things one can dream of. He graduated from Radford University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages.

Annie Newbrander is returning after a one year hiatus as our Teacher Trainer. A long-time employee and friend of Ambleside, Annie is rejoining the team as a part-time teacher trainer. She will be working primarily with our three new teachers, helping them with their classrooms, journals, rhythms and routines, and the first week’s lesson plans. Annie served as the Director of Administration, Director of Instruction, and as a Fourth and Sixth Grade teacher. Needless to say, Annie has a lot of experience, and we are thrilled to have her rejoin our staff. She attends George Washington University and is pursuing a Masters degree in Education. She and her husband, David, welcomed their first child in October.

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. Mr. Watkins is a graduate of Wheaton College and has a Masters 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. On his off days, Mondays and Thursdays, Ted will be exploring the wide world of real estate and remodeling alongside his dear friend and owner of Stello Homes.

Phyllis Lauber continues as Director of Operations, in charge of school operations, events, and parent volunteers. She is a dedicated educator with over 20 years of combined experience in administration and teaching in grades Pre-K through Eighth Grade. Phyllis has organized and managed operational and administrative processes for both for-profit and non-profit organizations. She was most recently an ESOL teacher with Fairfax County Public Schools, prior to which she ran operations and administration for Heart Song Counseling. She has been an Ambleside parent for eight years, and her youngest, Eli, just graduated from Ambleside last year.

Rita Thompson continues as our Director of Development. Mrs. Thompson earned her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Regis College, attended the Law and Diplomacy program at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Harvard Law School/Tufts University, and earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. Mrs. Thompson served as the Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions and Director of the Rappahannock Scholars Program at the University of Mary Washington. She is the grandmother of two Ambleside students.

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. She is also an Ambleside parent, and her oldest will be in our second grade class.