Our Faculty

• Melissa Mitchell Jordan - Program Director and Teacher
• Stacy Miller Field - 3s Enrichment Teacher
• Kristie Giles - 3s Teacher
• Heather Miller - 2s Teacher
• Susan Oliver - 3s Instructor
• Lizzie Rich - 4s Teacher
• Marianna H. Wise - Music Teacher
• Michelle D'Amour Flynn - Admissions Director

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Melissa Mitchell Jordan
Program Director and Teacher

I joined RPCNS in the spring of 1994, when my son, Tommy, joined Mrs. Kennedy's Twos class and my daughter, Katherine, was in the Sibling Nursery. Both my children graduated from RPCNS, and I have many fond memories of their time here. As a parent here I held several positions including Educational Services Coordinator, Class Rep., Sibling Nursery Coordinator and my husband was the assistant Treasurer the year Katherine was in the Fours. In the spring of 1996 the Board decided to expand, and Gail Boyle, the former director, asked if I would be willing to get my 90-Hour certificate in Early Childhood Education. I did, through MCCA, and started teaching here in Sept. 1996; Katherine was in the Threes. Three years later, when Gail Boyle resigned, the Board asked my to consider becoming director, I did accept. I have been director since September 1999. I taught the Twos for nine years and the Threes for seven before teaching the Fours for four years. This year I'm teaching the Twos and Threes again.

I attended Maryville College in Tennessee my freshman and sophomore years, then transferred to S.U.N.Y. at Albany, graduating in 1976 with a B.A. in European History. Threes years later I entered Colgate University's M.A.T. program in social studies, completing 90% of the program. I taught 7th grade social studies for Greenwich Connecticut Public Schools for five years before moving to Washington, DC and marrying my husband. Having children and enrolling them in RPCNS opened a whole new world to me. Working here has allowed me to combine my hobbies of music, photography, art and gardening with my professional training as a teacher. I love the children, tempera paint, glue and glitter. It's been a real privilege to work with and get to know so many wonderful parents.

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Stacy Miller Field
3s Enrichment Teacher

I'm very excited for the opportunity to teach the 3's enrichment classes. I have taught first grade for MCPS for eight years, and prior to that I was a long-term substitute teacher for Headstart and Kindergarten. I went to Frostburg State University and earned my bachelor's degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. Last year, I earned my Master's in Reading from Hood College. I live here in Rockville with my husband Andrew, my daughter Emily (who is in Mrs. Miller's 2's class), and my cat Cypher.

My favorite color is green. My favorite season is fall, because I love seeing all the leaves turn different colors and attending all the different fall festivals that happen. Aside from teaching and tutoring, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, as well as doing activities with Jaycees. I also enjoy cooking and baking, especially cookies. During the summer, I enjoy going to Deep Creek Lake and playing in the sand with my daughter. I am looking forward to working with your children

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Kristie Giles
3s Teacher

I started at RPCNS as a parent, when my son, CJ, was in the Fours and my daughter Katie was in the Twos. I served on the Board and started teaching here in the fall of 2004.

My background is in Speech pathology. I attended the University of Florida where I earned a B.A. in Communication Disorders. I went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Central Florida. I was awarded my certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (M.A. CCC-SLP). I previously worked in Pinellas County, Florida as a pre-school speech pathologist. I love working with children, and I really enjoy the "family" atmosphere here at RPCNS.

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Heather Miller
2s Teacher

I was so lucky to happen upon RPCNS when we moved to the area from Birmingham, Alabama in January 2006. My daughter, Emma, joined the 3's class and was happy to "go to school and have friends her own age." For me, RPCNS was more than a place for Emma to go to school. It was a place for me to meet some moms and have a place to belong as we were adjusting to the move. Emma graduated from RPCNS in June 2008 and is doing great in kindergarten. I’m so glad to still be part of this wonderful preschool, now as a member of the staff.

My background is actually as a licensed speech-language pathologist. I taught in one of the Birmingham area school systems for 15 years. The majority of my professional experience is with preschool-age children where I provided speech and language therapy to a wide range of children with disabilities. I also co-taught in a preschool classroom for children with special needs. I'm excited to be working with your children and I look forward to a great school year.

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Susan Oliver
3s Instructor

B.A, I came to RPCNS because for me it seemed like exactly what my son needed at the time. Shea started here at the age of 3 and had never really been away from me for any length of time. I had never heard of a cooperative nursery school before a friend of mine whose daughter attended the school made mention of it. It seemed like the perfect solution. He gets to go the school and mommy gets to be there too. So with a little apprehension, we became a part of the RPCNS family and fell in love with the school and the people involved in the school. The two years here were such a wonderful part of our lives that I couldn't bear to be away for the year in between my children attending. So, when the opportunity came to help at the school for this year, I jumped at the chance.

I received a bachelor's degree in Business Management/Accounting at Shepherd University and I don't think it quite prepared me for teaching art to preschoolers. In the world of accounting everything is neat and orderly. I discovered that I love getting "messy" and having a ton of fun while doing it. Over the past couple of years, I've had the opportunity to substitute for my son's teachers and have had some of the most rewarding experiences in my life.

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Lizzie Rich
4s Teacher

I was born and raised in Summit, NJ. My interest in working with young children first came about when I had the opportunity to tutor young students at my local church. After graduating, I went to Trinity College in Hartford, CT. There, I helped out in a Kindergarten classroom at a bilingual elementary school. While at Trinity, I also did an internship at the Hartford Board of Education. After graduation, I worked as a teaching assistant at the New Canaan Country School in Connecticut. That was an amazing opportunity, as I got to work with a fabulous Kindergarten teacher and I met my husband, who was a teaching assistant in the 3rd grade!

From there, I proceeded to get my M. Ed in Early Childhood and Elementary Education at Lesley College in Cambridge, MA. Lesley had a joint program with a private school called Buckingham, Browne and Nichols, where I was an intern in the Beginner’s (4’s) classroom and in 1st Grade. I got my first head teaching job in Fairfield, CT teaching Kindergarten, where I stayed for 4 years until my husband and I headed to Gainesville, FL so he could go to graduate school. I spent three years there teaching 1st grade and rooting for the Florida Gators football team. From there, we headed back north to Maryland where I took a break to raise my twin baby boys at home. Itching to get back into the educational field, I worked with MCPS on a grant called Early Reading First. This grant involved working with Pre-K and Head Start Programs. Next, I taught Pre-K at Rosemary Hills in Silver Spring. I took another break to stay at home with my baby girl Kayla, who is now two and a student at RPCNS!

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Marianna H. Wise
Music Teacher

BA, Early Childhood Education. Received training in music education through the Center for Music and Young Children of Princeton, NJ. Certified Music Together Teacher. I am originally from Hungary and have been living in the USA for 16 years. I am married and have two children. Music has been a part of my life since childhood. As a child I enjoyed ballet classes and loved it very much. After kindergarten I was accepted to a special music school, where I learned to play the piano. During the ten years I attended there I performed regularly in concerts and accompanied the chorus. In addition, I also enjoyed being a part of the chorus from elementary school through college.

My dream was to teach and educate children. Now I have 22 years of experience working with children from infancy to kindergarten, and I have enjoyed every moment of my career. I have worked both as a lead teacher and assistant director in Bethesda for many years, and also at the World Bank Children's Center in Washington, D.C. I joined the Music Together staff in June 2005 after successfully completing the training with the Center for Music and Young Children in Princeton, NJ. I teach in both the preschool setting and in parent-child classes. The Music Together program is designed for children from birth through kindergarten, experiencing music and movement together with their parents/caregivers. The learning is based on the premise that all children are musical and have the same innate ability to learn music as a language. I love to listen to music. Music plays a big part in my life and I am excited to share and teach children and their families every day.

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Michelle D'Amour Flynn
Admissions Director

I joined RPCNS in the middle of the 2004-05 school year as a parent when my oldest son, Matty, joined the Twos class. My second son, Shawn, graduated last June, and my youngest, Joe, is in the Threes. I can't get enough of telling other families about our great community here. Over the past five years at RPCNS, I have been a Class Rep, the Parent Services Coordinator and I have also Co-Chaired and under taken the "Morning Massage". A year and a half ago I was approached to become our Admissions Director. It's a wonderful opportunity for me to meet and get to know all our families, and I'm glad I am still part of our Board of Directors.

Before I was a mom, I enjoyed two different careers. I taught Physical Education at Holy Redeemer Elementary School in Kensington, MD part time while I attended Montgomery College and the University of Maryland. I then moved into a full time career as an office manager for an endodontist in Chevy Chase, MD. After my husband Matt and I started to have children, I chose to stay at home with our three boys. But my "stay at home" status was brief as I took on the position as Extended Day Director at St. Jane De Chantal School in Bethesda, MD. Extended Day is the De Chantal's before and after school care program. In my spare time I create art work for children's furniture and knick knacks for a local vendor in the fall and winter months.

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