Meet our wonderful teachers:
Lynann Derrick (Executive Director & Teacher)
Lynann joined Colonial Nursery School in 2009. She previously taught at the School Within School: A Reggio Inspired Charter at Peabody Elementary School in Washington, DC. Lynann has also worked at the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center as a Museum Education Specialist, Assistant Teacher, and Lead Classroom Teacher. She earned a BA from the University of Texas in liberal arts with a major in English and a minor in Geography. She has also completed coursework in early childhood education and art history
and holds a teaching credential for pre-k and kindergarten. Lynann has
presented many workshops nationwide through NAEYC (National Association
for the Education of Young Children) and NAEA (National Art Educators
Association) and co-authored the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center's
curriculum. Lynann is married to Ed Derrick. They have two young
children – Annabelle 8 and Philip 5. When asked to tell a little about herself, Lynann said that she knows just enough French and German to be dangerous and that the song, “I love to Laugh,” from Mary Poppins could have been written about her.
Kim Schneider
Kim
joined Colonial Nursery School in 2010 as the 2 and 3’s teacher. She has
been have been teaching for the past 29 years in the field of Education.
She previously taught at the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center for the
past 10 years; and will continue as a Resource Teacher on Mondays and
Wednesdays. She has a Bachelors Degree from the University of Georgia in
Child Psychology and Child Development; and have completed 90% of my
Masters in Education at Kennesaw College in Georgia and is also a
certified K-5 Elementary School Teacher, and has spent many years in the
public schools. She continues to further her education by presenting and attending workshops and conferences at both the local and national levels. She believes that the National Association For Young Children is the marker for excellence in educating the young. Kim currently lives in Bowie with her husband and two sons.
Michelle Gay
Michelle is thrilled to join the Colonial Nursery School family in 2011 as the Pre-K teacher. Her family moved to Annapolis in June 2010 and her daughter attends CNS. She graduated from James Madison University in 2001 with a degree in Psychology and Early Childhood Education and earned her Master’s degree in teaching from George Mason University in 2006. Michelle taught for seven years in Fairfax County Public Schools, six years in kindergarten and one year in second grade. After Michelle had her two children, she decided to become a stay-at-home mom but she continued her teaching career by tutoring in Fairfax and teaching Spanish and Science for after-school programs in Annapolis. Michelle is married to Chip Gay and they have two daughters, Caroline (4) and Sarah (1). Michelle knows the lyrics to every 80s song and enjoys trying to beat her husband at Scrabble. She likes to have dance parties both in her kitchen and her classroom. She plans to bring ideas to CNS to teach early literacy and math skills in a fun, play-based way. Michelle’s ultimate goal is to make your child feel loved and supported every time they walk through the door.
Helena Sauma
Helena joined Colonial Nursery School in 2010 and served as a
teacher’s assistant for our 4-year-old students. She also taught
early-childhood Spanish as an after school enrichment class. Prior to
joining Colonial, Helena served as an accountant for the Department of
Defense and was the proprietor of Sophia Slings, an Okinawan-based
company that sold handmade baby slings and children’s items. In her
spare-time she taught English to underprivileged children in Costa
Rica. Helena holds a BA from the University of Maryland University
College in accounting. Helena is also certified as teacher in early
childhood education by the Maryland Department of Education. Helena is
married to Jonathan Agee and they have one daughter, Sophia.
