Wee Lad & Lassie
Preschool and Child Care Programs
Our Staff
Our teachers and staff members are enthusiastic about children and teaching! The interaction between children and adults is positive, warm and nurturing, with lots of attention to each child's needs. We find that our teachers are happy here, with many of our staff remaining for a number of years.
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Lisa Herbst,
Program Director
It is an honor and a privilege to serve as the Program Director of both A Child’s Garden and Wee Lad & Lassie Early Learning Center beginning in 1985. I am especially proud of our Level 5 rating in MD EXCELS which is evidence of our dedication to high quality early childhood education and care. My guiding philosophy is to meet the needs of each child and family through the application of best practices in early education and my knowledge of child development.
I completed my undergraduate education at Penn State University in Biology with an Early Childhood Education minor, followed by a Masters in Early Childhood Education at Towson University. In 2016 I earned my doctorate from Johns Hopkins University in Education with a specialization in Entrepreneurial Leadership. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to prepare young children for success in school and in life!
Courtney Johnson, Threes Lead Teacher
I have am pleased to be teaching the three's again, after a short break to have my second child. It is my goal to create a respectful, safe, and engaging environment for your children. Throughout the year, I want to inspire their natural curiosity, and build their self-confidence as they sharpen the skills, they need to become life-long learners.
Alyssa Fortune, Assistant Three's Teacher
I joined the Wee Lad & Lassie team in 2019, while I was still in high school. I am currently attending Anne Arundel Community College and working towards a degree in Early Childhood.
Laurie Cloud,
Assistant Director
I am happy to have been a part of the Wee Lad & Lassie family since 1999. I have spent many years in the classroom learning from many wonderful teachers and children. In 2012, I moved from the classroom to become the Assistant Director of Wee Lad & Lassie. This is a great opportunity to be able to continue to work with children, as well as be helpful to parents and teachers. This also gives me the chance to be a part of the ever changing world of Early Childhood Education and overseeing many changes as we continue to grow and maintain our commitment to excellence and meeting our families and children’s needs.
Stephanie Malafarina, Lead Twos Teacher
I was welcomed to the Two's Class as the lead teacher in 2020. I am the mom of two children and have worked with children for many years. I have completed my Associates Degree at Anne Arundel Community College in Early Childhood.
Lindsay Wooster, Two's Teacher
I have worked with children for many years in different positions, such as a nanny, a preschool aid in high school and as an intern in an AACPS kindergarten class. I am currently enrolled in Anne Arundel Community College where I am working towards my degree in Early Childhood Education. I am very excited to join the Wee Lad & Lassie team this year by working in the two's class
Afternoon Assistants and Floaters.
Morgan Smith, Jenna Mastalski, and Frankie Nicklin
Charlie Wright
Pre-K Lead Teacher
I have a Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education. I have worked in the early childhood field for many years and joined the staff in 2017. I am excited to be part of the Wee Lad & Lassie team. It is my goal to create a respectful, safe and engaging environment for children to be able to discover and learn through play. I want to feed their natural curiosity, and build their self- confidence as they sharpen the skills they need to become life-long learners.
Cecelia Smith, Pre-K Lead Teacher
I am ecstatic to be welcomed by the Wee Lad & Lassie staff and families for another year. I will be leading the Pre-K Language & Literacy group this year. As a Pre-K teacher previously, my desire to teach has given me the ability to learn something new every day. I enjoy engaging children through the are of learning, using my creative and instructional way to teach. I am looking forward to a bright school year. One of the many reasons why I choose to teach is because making a difference in a community will ignite the spark of learning in children's growth and success.
Dani Colainni, Assistant Pre-K Teacher
I am currently in school for Elementary School Education. My goal is to become a kindergarten teacher and eventually a second grade teacher. I used to work at another preschool in Southern Maryland and /I was an au pair in Ireland. I am excited to be part of the Wee Lad & Lassie team.! I will be leading the art rotation in the Pre-K. classroom
Gabrielle Reynolds, Pre-K Assistant Teacher
I joined the Wee Lad & Lassie team in 2021. I am currently attending Anne Arundel Community College and working towards a degree in Early Childhood.
Sami Peterson, Pre-K Assistant Teacher
I joined the Wee Lad & Lassie team in 2022. I am currently attending Towson University and working on mu teaching degree.