FB Meekins Preschool

It is time for our 3rd installment of our Meet the Staff series! Meet Stephanie Jasenak, our brilliant Greens teacher! Stephanie joined our staff in 2017 starting as the music teacher while her daughter started in the Yellows class. Stephanie grew her career within our school and became the Greens teacher in 2019, as well as assistant director in 2024! She earned her undergraduate at Western Connecticut State University and graduated in 2006 with a Bachelors in Music Education. Stephanie continued her education at the University of Florida and left with a Masters in Music Education in 2016. She has now been furthering her training in early childhood development and in outdoor, play-based learning. Stephanie has taught music in Connecticut, California and Virginia, and holds a certification in Music Education for PreK-12. She has taught every single age group, from Preschool to Highschool, and she integrates her knowledge of the long term, big picture education journey into everything she teaches in the classroom. Stephanie brings high energy fun to her classroom and is the master of helping her students navigate their new independent personalities. She helps her students learn vital life skills like how to express and handle feelings, play with other kids, form friendships and navigate conflict in play. When she is not teaching, you can find her crocheting, taking pictures, singing karaoke or spending time with her family camping, skiing and traveling. Stephanie is adored by her students and their parents and is a vital part of our little school.

It is always fun to have Alumni visit! We took advantage of the FCPS day off and the teachers brought their big kids to school!

The Blues and Reds had so much fun exploring Riverbend Park today! It was a beautiful day full of learning and adventure! Thank you for having us!

This is our 2nd installment of our "Meet the Staff" series! Meet Kathy Ellen Davis, our multi-talented Reds teacher! Kathy Ellen discovered Meekins visiting for an author talk featuring her children's book Ta-Da! As an accomplished author and bookseller, Kathy Ellen brings a wealth of literary expertise to the classroom. Her experiences in the world of books enrich the learning environment, making lessons both engaging and insightful. Kathy Ellen has a two year degree in Math and Science, and a Bachelor's degree in English Writing, with a minor in Journalism. As the daughter of an elementary school teacher, she was leading story times and helping teach as a kid! She spent time teaching at a preschool in her hometown, then through AmeriCorps programs taught reading in first grade, worked at a public access TV station, helped build houses with Habitat for Humanity, worked with volunteers on flood relief projects, and was even a wildland firefighter in Arizona! She's worked on a farm, attended a summer camp to learn French, got her Waldorf Teacher certification, and taught interactive history presentations to kids. Most recently, she's been a bookseller, worked with bookstores on their social media accounts, started the Book side of TikTok, and came back to teaching at Meekins! She's ALWAYS reading a book or three, and when she's not doing that or at Meekins you can find her volunteering as a Loudoun County Library Board of Trustees member, volunteering with local organizations, speaking about books at school board meetings, or at ninja class, getting stronger and faster. Kathy Ellen's dedication to education shines in her classroom with her commitment to fostering creativity and a love for learning! We are very lucky to have Kathy Ellen as part of our Meekins family!

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Trunk or Treat and made it so fun for our kiddos! Everyone was so creative and made this event so special! I hope everyone had fun!
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Shape recognition is such a fun way to incorporate education into learning through play! The blues had a fun time looking for circles in the building with Mrs. Erdman, and using elastic bands on a nail board allowed students to create other shapes! Hands-on play like this helps create a deeper and more lasting understanding of topics.