Introducing Ms. Stacy Watkins
Ms. Watkins has been teaching PEP for 9 years. She has a bachelor’s degree from
Towson University and a Master’s of Science in Special Education from Johns
Hopkins University. Her favorite thing about teaching is seeing a student master a
new skill. She loves outdoor activities, going out to eat, and watching football. She
loves to read poetry and novels and one of her favorite authors is Jodi Picoult.
Introducing Mrs. Colleen Hanson
Mrs. Hanson teaches Pre-kindergarten.
Introducing Ms. Shelley Laub
This is Mrs. Laub’s 10th year teaching Head Start at Fairland ES. She has
previously taught in Howard County, as an inclusion Special Education
teacher. She has degrees in Special Education and Elementary Education from
Kent State University and a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Special
Education from George Washington University. She loves teaching and is
proud of how much her four year olds learn during the time they are in her
class. She loves teaching them to use higher level vocabulary words, called
"juicy words" as well as teaching them the love of literature. She loves to cooking and reading and is in two book
clubs. She doesn’t have one favorite author, but many!
Introducing Ms. Dawn Brewer
Ms. Brewer is from Norfolk, Va. where she taught in the Virginia Beach area for over
20 years before coming to Fairland Elementary School. She received her
Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education from Norfolk State University. Kindergarten
is one of her favorite grades to teach because there is so much change and growth
by the end of the school year and it completely amazes her!
Introducing Mrs. Nicole Fithyan
Mrs. Fithyan has been teaching Kindergarten for 11 years at Fairland. She has a
bachelor's degree from Millersville University in Elementary and Early Childhood
Education. One of Mrs. Fithyan's favorite things about teaching is teaching a child to
learn to read. She is amazed to see how much growth kindergartner’s show
throughout the school year! Some of her favorite things to do are reading,
scrapbooking, playing volleyball, and hanging out with her family. Her favorite
authors are Nicholas Sparks and James Patterson.
Introducing Ms. Andrea Kuzela
Ms. Kuzela has been teaching early childhood for 22 years, primarily in
kindergarten. She took a 5 year break from the classroom when her son
Alex was born in 1999 and returned to teaching when he started
kindergarten. She graduated with a Bachelor’s in Elementary and Early
Childhood education from Loyola College in Baltimore. Her favorite thing
about teaching is getting to know each child as an individual and helping
them grow academically and emotionally. Mrs. Kuzela loves reading, cooking, shopping, working out and going
to Chipotle and Starbucks. Her favorite books from childhood and even now include The Little Engine that Could,
The Long Winter, The Importance of Being Ernest and anything by J.D. Robb.
Introducing Mrs. Shona Weaver
Mrs. Weaver has been teaching for 13 years. She spent her first 6 years working with second graders and is in
her 7th year teaching kindergarten students. Mrs. Weaver has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education
from the University of Maryland at College Park and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. Mrs.
Weaver loves incorporating technology into her lessons and encouraging
students and colleagues to problem solve using technology to help them. Mrs.
Weaver enjoys baking, reading, going to the movies, spending time with Mr.
Weaver, and screaming her head off on roller coasters. One of Mrs. Weaver’s
favorite book series is Harry Potter because it encourages a vivid imagination.
Introducing Ms. Ytsel Tacza
Ms. Tacza has been teaching for 2 years. She has a bachelor’s degree from
Towson University. One of the things she enjoys most about teaching is
seeing how much progress the students make throughout the year. Ms.
Tacza likes to travel and go on new adventures. She also enjoys spending
time with family and friends. Her favorite books genres are
suspense/mystery. As of right now, her favorite author is Suzanne Collins.
Introducing Mrs. Angela Poinsett
Mrs. Poinsett has been teaching for 19 years. She is originally from
Louisiana where she earned her bachelor's from LSU. Since moving to
Maryland, she has earned her Master's in Curriculum & Instruction from
McDaniel, her Master’s plus 60 hours from Trinity as well as her Reading
Specialist degree. One of her favorite things about teaching is seeing the
growth a child makes from the beginning of the year to the end. In her
spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two boys, as well as
friends and family. She also enjoys reading, shopping, going to sporting
events, and traveling. Her favorite book series of all time is Harry
Potter. She also enjoys the Castle Rizzoli and Isles books series.
Introducing Ms. Teresa Austin
Ms. Austin has been teaching for 17 years. She attended Catholic University
in Washington D.C. and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood
Education and her Masters of Science in Curriculum and Instruction and
Literacy from Trinity College (now know has Trinity University.) One thing
Ms. Austin loves about teaching is the look of excitement on the faces of
young children when they have accomplished something. In Ms. Austin’s
spare time she enjoys shopping, reading and watching movies. She also
enjoys playing with her son Austin Lance. Ms. Austin loves reading novels.
One of her favorite novels is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.
Introducing Mrs. Margie Evans
Mrs. Evans has been teaching for 38 years. The majority of her teaching experiences have been in first
grade. She has a bachelor’s degree from East Tennessee State University and a Master’s in Education from
Bowie State College. One of the many things she enjoys most about teaching is seeing the smile on a child’s
face after he or she has accomplished a difficult task or discovered something new. Her favorite activities
include spending time outdoors, playing games with friends and family and going to dinner or a show with
friends and family. Her favorite books are historical novels and mysteries. One of her favorite authors is Mary
Higgins Clark.
Introducing Mrs. Melanie Cofield
Mrs. Cofield has been teaching first grade for 24 years. She has a
bachelor’s degree from James Madison University and her Masters
of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University. What she
enjoys most about teaching is creating projects and activities that
engage students in joyful learning.
Her hobbies include
scrapbooking, working out, writing educational raps and spending
time with her family. Her favorite author is James Patterson and
her favorite book is Susan’s Diary for Nicolas.
Introducing Ms. Kate Hollingshead
This is Ms. Hollingshead's first year teaching first grade. She earned both her
bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Maryland. Go Terps! Ms.
Hollingshead loves getting to know her students and watching them learn and
grow. Some of Ms. Hollingshead's hobbies include swimming, baking, and
reading. Some of her favorite authors include Nicholas Sparks, Eric Carle, and J.
R. R. Tolkien.
Introducing Ms. Alex Zajac
Ms. Zajac has been teaching first grade for four years. She has a
Bachelor’s of Science degree from Towson University. Her favorite thing
about teaching is seeing the growth of learning from the beginning of the
year to the end. Some things that she enjoys are running, shopping, going
to the beach or anywhere warm and reading a good book. Her favorite
authors are Nicholas Sparks and Suzanne Collins.
Introducing Ms. Lisa Menter
Ms. Lisa Menter has been teaching for 16 years, all of which have been at
Fairland. Most of her career has been in first grade. Ms. Menter has a
Bachelor's Degree from the University of Maryland and a Master's of Science
in Reading Education from Johns Hopkins University. Her favorite things
about teaching include building relationships with her students and making
learning fun and engaging. Ms. Menter likes spending time with her family
and friends, going to the beach, and going to Yankee games. She enjoys
reading mysteries by her favorite author, Mary Higgins Clark.
Introducing Mrs. Pegah Yousefi
Mrs. Yousefi has been teaching second grade for four years. She has a
Bachelor’s degree from The University of Maryland in Elementary
Education. One of her favorite things about teaching is making
connections with students and encouraging them to love learning. She
loves doing crafts, baking, reading, and spending time with her
family. Her favorite books are The Giver and all of Shel Silverstein’s poetry
collection.
Introducing Ms. Rebecca Hessler
Ms. Hessler earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland in
Elementary Education with a minor in Human Development. Since then, she
has been teaching at Fairland Elementary for three wonderful years. In the
classroom, she loves developing students’ critical thinking and reasoning
skills. Out of the classroom, she loves thinking about teaching, reading about
teaching, and watching videos about teaching. Can you guess her favorite
book? It’s Elementary and Middle School Mathematics by John Van de Walle. Surprise, it’s a book about
teaching.
Introducing Ms. Chelsea Massari
Ms. Massari is a first year teacher with a Bachelor’s degree from the
University of Maryland. She teaches Second Grade and also has experience
in third grade. Her favorite thing about teaching is giving students a
positive self-concept that harbors unwavering confidence in themselves to
know and believe that they can accomplish anything. Some of the things
she enjoys doing most are going to the beach, spending time with family
and friends, traveling, running, and exploring new things. Her favorite
books are mysteries and psychological thrillers. She loves books by the author James Patterson.
Introducing Ms. Jennifer Smith
Ms. Smith has been teaching second grade for 3 years at Fairland
Elementary. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from
Towson University. One of her favorite things about teaching is watching
her second graders learn, grow and feel comfortable being themselves.
She also loves teaching because she enjoys finding new and creative ways
to teach and learn through movement, song and dance. Ms. Smith loves
spending quality time with friends, family and her Labrador, Lucy. Ms.
Smith's favorite children’s book is Ms. Nelson is Missing by James
Marshall. Ms. Smith's favorite author is Mo Willems.
Introducing Mrs. Sandy White
Mrs. White has been teaching for 17 years. She has a Masters of
Curriculum and instruction from The University of Scranton. What she
loves most is teaching Science and Math. She loves the look on a child’s
face when they get something they figured out for themselves. She enjoys
hanging out with her family and traveling. She also loves playing with her
furry children, which are her two dogs! Her favorite book right now is
George R Martin’s Game of Thrown Series, and she truly believes the books
are much better than the TV show.
Introducing Mrs. Angela Chery
Mrs. Chery has been teaching third grade for 6 years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Sarah
Lawrence College , a Master’s of Art in Teaching degree from Towson
University, and an Administrator and Supervisory Certificate from
McDaniel College. Mrs. Chery’s favorite thing about teaching is seeing the
individual progress being made and the moment the students realize that
there are no boundaries to what they can accomplish. She believes that
she is truly the lucky one to have the opportunity to interact with the
world’s greatest natural resource, children. When she is not teaching, Mrs.
Chery enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, playing
board games once a week as a family ritual and most importantly, living each day to the fullest. Her favorite
children’s book is Where The Wild Things Are because her dad use to act out the story every night when she
was a child using costumes and props and one of her favorite authors is Mitch Albom.
Introducing Mr. David DiFonzo
Mr. DiFonzo teaches third grade.
Introducing Ms. Ebony House
Ms. House has been teaching for 18 years. She has taught all grades pre-K-8 in
general education, and specialized in Special Education. She has a bachelor’s
degree from Hampton University and a Master’s in Education from Bowie State
University. One of the many things that gives her great joy is challenging
students to be better than they ever thought they could be. This may be
emotionally, or academically. She loves seeing the huge smile on a child's face
when they finally "get" something. Her favorite things are traveling, experiencing
new things, and fine dining. She's somewhat foodie. In her next life she hopes to be traveling around the
world ordering room service from expensive hotel rooms, and seeing all of the "must sees" that the world has
to offer. The three books that she thinks are beyond great are: Homemade Love by J. California Cooper , The
Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein, and Oh the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss
Introducing Mr. Brenton Skolaski
Mr. Skolaski is in his first full year of public school teaching. He has a
Bachelor's degree in Elementary and Special Education from Hood
College. The one thing he enjoys the most about teaching is
witnessing the excitement that a child experiences when
discovering something new. His hobbies include singing, watching
sports and spending time with family and friends. Some of his
favorite children’s authors are Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss.
Introducing Mrs. Patricia Ysern
Mrs. Ysern has been teaching for 16 years. She has taught second and third
grade. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Towson University and her
Master’s equivalence in teacher leadership from Walden University. One of
the things that she enjoys about teaching is watching her students make
progress at their level and seeing their faces light up when they finally get a
concept that they have struggled with. Her favorite things to do include
spending quality time with her daughters, working out and doing outdoor
activities. Her favorite adult books are realistic fiction novels and her favorite children’s author is Tomie
dePaola and Patricia Polacco.
Introducing Ms. Sloane Soffer
This is Ms. Soffer’s first year teaching in MCPS. She has student taught in 3rd
grade and currently teaches 4th grade. She has a Bachelor’s degree from the
University of Maryland, College Park. One of the many things she enjoys most
about teaching is getting to know each student. Her favorite things include
watching football, spending time with family and playing with her dogs. Her
favorite book is Tuck Everlasting.
Introducing Mrs. Laura R. Grabowski
Mrs. Grabowski has been teaching fourth grade for ten years. She has a
Bachelor’s degree from McDaniel College, a Master’s in Education from
Johns Hopkins University, and an Administrator and Supervisory
Certificate from McDaniel College. One of the many things she enjoys
about teaching is the symbiotic teaching and learning relationship that
she shares with her students. Mrs. Grabowski’s favorite hobbies include
playing with her young children, reading mystery books, going to the
movies, traveling, and experiencing new foods and cultures.
Introducing Mrs. Amanda Yannes
Mrs. Yannes has been teaching for 26 years. Fairland is her fourth school
and she has taught first, third, fourth and fifth grade. She received her
Bachelor’s degree at Alma College in Michigan, then her Master’s degree
at Johns Hopkins and a Certificate in Bilingual Special Education at George
Washington University. Her favorite aspect of teaching is the creativity she
can bring; she enjoys developing engaging, motivating lessons to share
with her students. Her favorite hobbies include reading, creating artwork
and exploring the great outdoors. One of her favorite series of books that are appropriate for fourth-graders
is Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.
Introducing Mrs. Mavis Julian
Mrs. Mavis Julian teaches fourth grade.
Introducing Mr. Douglas J. Blake
A native of South Setauket, New York, Mr. Blake has been
teaching for 23 years. He spent 6 years teaching fifth and sixth
grade in Prince George’s County at Riverdale Elementary School
and Lyndon Hill Elementary School before coming to Montgomery
County. For the past 17 years, he has taught fifth grade at
Fairland Elementary School. Mr. Blake holds a Bachelor’s of
Science degree from Oneonta State College (Go Red Dragons!) in
Oneonta, New York and a Master’s in Educational Technology
from Loyola College in Maryland. His favorite things to do include
playing golf, going to the beach, attending sporting events and spending time with his wife, Karen, and three
kids; Keegan, Brigid and Declan. Mr. Blake enjoys reading. Two of his favorite authors are John Grisham and
John Feinstein. As a teacher, one of the most rewarding things to him is seeing a student achieve something in
class they thought may have been too difficult to do. That is what teaching is all about!
Introducing Mr. Ryan Celestino
Mr. Celestino has been teaching for 6 years, all of which have been at Fairland Elementary. He has a Bachelor’s
degree from Mount St. Mary’s University and is currently completing his
Master’s degree at the University of Maryland, College Park. His favorite
thing about teaching is recognizing the students’ reactions once they
“get it” and being able to watch a child progress with their academics
and behavior. Mr. Celestino enjoys playing in one of many rock bands,
and is obsessed with golf. He would play golf everyday if he could. He
also enjoys spending time with his fiancée, Robyn. In addition, he enjoys
traveling, hiking, and hanging out with his friends. His favorite author is
Roald Dahl and his favorite book of all time is The BFG.
Introducing Mrs. Jessica Goocharan
Ms. Goocharan has been teaching for four years. The majority of her
teaching experiences are with second grade. She has a Bachelor’s
degree in Elementary Education from the University of Maryland,
College Park. She is currently working toward a Master’s in Education in
Teacher Leadership with a concentration in Minority and Urban
Education. Her favorite thing about teaching is seeing the world through
a child’s eyes and building long-lasting relationships with her students.
Ms. Goocharan enjoys shopping, reading, spending time with friends
and family, and drinking lots of iced coffee. Ms. Goocharan’s favorite
authors are Cecily von Ziegesar and Jenny Han.
Introducing Mrs. Mary D. Hester
Mrs. Hester has been teaching for 22 years at Fairland Elementary. Her
first four years were in fourth grade, and the rest have been in fifth
grade. She has a Bachelor's and Master's degree from the University of
Maryland at College Park. As a teacher, she really enjoys when
students are able to work independently or collaboratively when
applying skills they have learned. When not teaching, she enjoys working out, reading non-fiction books and
the New Yorker magazine, watching movies, and traveling. Her favorite authors include Malcolm Gladwell and
Lee Smith.
Introducing Mrs. Alison Praisner-Klumpp
Mrs. Praisner-Klumpp has been teaching for 24 years. She taught
third and second grade at another MCPS school and taught
second grade for many years at Fairland before moving to fifth
grade three years ago. She earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s
degree, in English as A Second Language, from the University of
Maryland. One of her favorite parts of teaching is seeing a child
excited to learn a new topic. She has lived her entire life in
Burtonsville and is a graduate of Paint Branch High School. She
loves spending as much time as possible at her other home in
Bethany Beach, DE, especially with her family and close friends. She enjoys reading novels (when she has the
time) and spends many hours watching her daughter swim on swim teams. She is an avid collector of turtles
and lighthouses. Her favorite books are realistic and historical fiction.
Introducing Mrs. Ginny Arca
Mrs. Ginny Arca teaches ESOL.
Introducing Ms. Jess Cohen
This is Ms. Cohen’s twelfth year teaching ESOL at Fairland. Prior to that, she taught first grade at East Silver
Spring Elementary school for four years. Ms. Cohen graduated from The
University of Maryland, College Park, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.
She then earned her Master’s in Early Childhood and Elementary Teaching
from Johns Hopkins University. She likes working with - and constantly
learning from - children whose families come from all over the world. In her
spare time, Ms. Cohen enjoys live music, hiking, museums, and spending
time with family and friends.
Introducing Mr. John Rebstock
Mr. Rebstock has been teaching for 21 years. He started teaching first and
second grades before he became an ESOL teacher in Montgomery County. He
has a bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary and a Master of
Arts and a Master of Science from George Washington University. His
favorite part of teaching is the cycle of new beginnings—every year, everyone
gets a fresh start to learn and grow. He loves reading, working in his garden,
and hiking in woods and hills near home or far away. Patricia Polacco is his favorite author because she
usually writes about people caring for and helping one another, and that makes him happy.
Introducing Ms. Adell Thomas
Ms. Thomas has been teaching for 15 years. She was a classroom teacher
before becoming a media specialist. She has a bachelor’s degree from
Towson University and a Master’s degree in School Library Media from
Towson University. The one thing she loves most about teaching is the
interactions and discussions after reading a book. Her favorite things are
listening to music and dancing, and watching Masterpiece Theater such as
Miss Fisher’s Mysteries or Inspector Lewis or Inspector Morse. Her favorite
books are children’s books, Mysteries by Agatha Christie and her favorite
author is Danielle Steele.
Introducing Mrs. Amanda Williams
Mrs. Williams has been teaching elementary Physical Education for 10 years. She received her Master of
Education and Bachelor of Science degrees, both specializing in Health and Physical Education, from James
Madison University. She holds an ASEP Coaching Certification and is certified to
teach Health and Physical Education from preschool through grade 12. Her
favorite thing about teaching is helping children individually discover and
embrace the joy in moving their bodies. She enjoys running, biking, weight
lifting, TaeBo, golf, gardening, and spending time with her husband and two
daughters. Her favorite author is Jodi Piccoult.
Introducing Mrs. Ivette Burgess
Mrs. Ivette Burgess teaches Art.
Introducing Ms. Brittany C. Johnson
Ms. Johnson began teaching at Fairland in January of 2014. Before coming to
Fairland, Ms. Johnson taught in Florida and was a full-time performer. She has
a Bachelor’s of Music in Education degree form Furman University in
Greenville, SC and a Master’s of Music in Performance from the Florida State
University. When she’s not at Fairland, Ms. Johnson is busy working as a
singer and actor. She is also a teacher of private voice and piano to students
of all ages. One thing that Ms. Johnson loves about teaching is the
opportunity she gets to inspire her students. She enjoys singing, acting, dancing, and cooking delicious food!
Introducing Mrs. Theresa Briscuso
Mrs. Theresa Briscuso teaches P.E.
Introducing Mrs. Mary O’Neill Wood
Mrs. Mary O’Neill Wood teaches Art.
Introducing Mrs. Arlyn Borst
Mrs. Arylyn Borst teaches P.E.
Introducing Ms. Jacqueline Krueger
Ms. Jacqueline Krueger teaches Music.
Introducing Mr. Ben Kepler
Mr. Ben Kepler teaches Instrumental Music.
Introducing Mrs. Liz Anderson
Mrs. Liz Anderson teaches Speech.
Introducing Ms. Felicia Hart
Ms. Felicia Hart is the FES school counselor.
Introducing Mrs. Kristine Daigle
Mrs. Kristine Daigle teaches Academic Skills.
Introducing Mrs. Bonnie Louden
Mrs. Bonnie Louden teaches FOCUS.