Friends Meeting School, Faculty and Staff

B.A. in Anthropology

8th year at Friends Meeting School
6 yrs. in administration at Sandy Spring Friends School
7 yrs. administrator/teacher, Arthur Morgan School, NC
1 semester teaching high school and middle school in India

Annette Breiling - Head of School

M.A. in Child Development. MD Advanced Professional Certificate as Elementary-Middle School Supervisor & Principal, Reading Specialist K-12, Teacher N – 8

10th year -- Founding Head of Friends Meeting School
2 yrs. Associate Head for Planning, Sandy Spring Friends School
8 yrs. founding head, Friends Elementary School
12 yrs. Montgomery County Public Schools
4 yrs. part-time teaching preschool and remedial reading
2 yrs. co-editor/publisher of small town weekly newspaper

Joyce Connelly - 3rd & 4th Grade Teacher

Masters degree in Administration, Bachelors degree in Elementary Education, Orton-Gillingham training

3rd year at Friends Meeting School
23 previous yrs. as school administrator
7 yrs. teaching gr. 3-8
1994 – Bishop Thomas Lyons Award-Outstanding Principal of the Year

Sherry DiFrancisci -- Spanish Teacher

B.S. Psychology, graduate work in psychology, Spanish courses

2nd year at Friends Meeting School
3 years preschool assistant
1 semester after-school Spanish Teacher gr. K-4

Jane Mabry – Pre-K & Kindergarten Teacher

B.S. Education, Certified in Early Childhood, 33 additional credits

MD and PA teacher certification

7th year at Friends Meeting School
16 yrs. prior teaching experience in early childhood

Charlotte Murphy – 2nd Grade Teacher

B.A. Philosophy, M.A. Elementary Education

3rd year at Friends Meeting School
7 yrs, Executive Director, Natl. Assoc. of Artists’ Organizations

Tina Nerlinger - Teaching Assistant, Early Childhood

90 Hour Certification in Early Childhood Development and Curriculum for Infants through Pre-School. Red Cross Certified in First Aid & CPR

10th year at Friends Meeting School -- founding staff member
6 previous years in child care and/or supervision

Joyce Nichols – Administrative Assistant

Business courses at Towson University; preschool courses in Kansas

5th year at Friends Meeting School
14 yrs. prior secretarial experience
7 yrs. preschool teaching assistant
9 yrs. teaching & working in quilt shops

Curran Powers – Middle School Teacher, Gr. 5 - 8

B.F.A. Corcoran School of Art, Teacher certification, Hood College Graduate courses in Exceptional Child and Educational Psychology

10th year at Friends Meeting School -- founding teacher
1 fall & winter as instructor/counselor at Echo Hill Outdoor School, teaching outdoor & survival skills
2 summers Community Center Director for The Montgomery Village Foundation Recreation Department

Glenn Singer – Assistant Head of School

B.A. Psychology, Master of Education in Private School Management

1st year at Friends Meeting School
12 yrs. prior private school teaching & administrative/advancement experience PK-12
9 yrs. mental health work in counseling & administration
3 yrs. retail management

Caroline Smith – 3rd & 4th Grade Teacher

B.A. in Politics, Post-baccalaureate degree in Studio Art

1st year at Friends Meeting School
prior year substituting at FMS, all grades
1 yr. 3rd grade teacher; 1 term middle school art teacher
4 summers camp counselor, including 1 summer at FMS

Claire Sorensen –1st Grade Teacher

M.A. Reading Specialist, B.A. Early Childhood Education.

Maryland Advanced Professional Certification N-Gr.3

Reading Specialist certification K-12, Orton-Gillingham training

10th year at Friends Meeting School -- founding teacher
12 yrs. prior teaching experience including 5 yrs. as co-director at School for Friends, a Friends day care school in D.C.
6 yrs. home instructor and 2 years substitute K-12 in local public schools

Daphne Thompson – Pre-K & Kindergarten Teacher

B.A. Honors French, University of Sierra Leone,

90 hr. teacher certification Columbia Union College

4th year at Friends Meeting School
7 previous yrs. as early childhood teacher
4 yrs. bank customer service representative

Paul Tooley – Middle School Teacher, Gr. 5 - 8

B.S. Elementary Education

4th year at Friends Meeting School
1 yr. president and CEO, Catoctin View Christian School
11 yrs. principal & head teacher, Catoctin View Christian School
8 yrs. teacher, SDA schools in Frederick and Gaithersburg

Ada Walters – Pre-Kindergarten & Aftercare Assistant

Frederick Community College, Bank Management Certificate

3rd year at Friends Meeting School
Junior Camp Counselor at Summer Friends
3 summers camp counselor, Frederick County Parks & Recreation
2 yrs. directing preschool arts and crafts activities

Part-Time Administration, Faculty, & Staff

Maria Fotopoulos –Advertising Coordinator

B.S. Elementary Education, minor in English Literature

5th year at Friends Meeting School
1 yr. director/teacher at Saturday Greek school, ages 4-16
9 yrs. tutor, over 25 children, ages 4-16, phonics, math, Greek
1 yr. teacher, English and math, gr. 1-3

Cynthia Fritz – Aftercare Group Leader

B.S. Home Economics

1st year at Friends Meeting School
3 yrs. Kids on Campus teacher at FCC
3 summers Program Coordinator for Mothers’ Morning Out program

Pamela Leonard - Art Teacher, Gr. PK-6

M.A. Special Education; B.S. Recreation

6th year teaching art at Friends Meeting School
6 yrs. half-time special education teacher, Montgomery County
5 yrs. substitute teaching, Montgomery County
5 yrs. in Arlington County Division of Parks & Recreation teaching art, directing gym & playground programs, & coordinating community partnership events

Lisa Lowe -- P.E. Teacher

Masters - Applied Anthropology

2nd year teaching P.E. at Friends Meeting School
1 year FMS Aftercare
5 yrs substitute teacher, Montgomery County
Summer Friends staff

Marsha Meehan – Pre-Kindergarten Teacher a.m.

B.S. Elementary Education, 9 credits towards Masters Degree in

Elementary Education

7th year at Friends Meeting School
19 yrs. in public relations/advertising
5 yrs. prior teaching experience, preschool and 5th grade

Uriel Orellana – Spanish Teacher, photographer

B.A. Anthropology, Film Making minor, high school diploma from Friends high school in Guatemala

3rd year at Friends Meeting School
one summer of Spanish Immersion camps
docent for Smithsonian’s Hands On Science Center
videographer for archeological project in Belize

Bonnie Slawson – PE Teacher /Dance & Body Development

B.A. Dance

5th year at Friends Meeting School
13 yrs. Director, Motion Mania Dance Theatre
20 yrs. Dance teacher, all ages

Cynthia Sparks –Early Childhood Teaching Assistant, a.m.

Graduate Durbin’s Business School

1st year at Friends Meeting School
2 prior years as Kindergarten teaching assistant
Frederick County MD Dept of Education award for 800 + hrs. volunteering at Urbana Elementary

Donna Wilkinson – Library Coordinator, Yearbook Adviser

Business courses at Goldey Beacom College, DE, Certificate from Institute of Children’s Literature, CT

4th year employment at Friends Meeting School
2 prior yrs. as Friends Meeting School library volunteer
4 yrs. vacation Bible school teacher

Brenda Yankaskas – Performing Arts Teacher

B.A. Communications

8th year at Friends Meeting School
6 yrs. teaching music at Yes I Can preschool
6 yrs. Director, Soundtreks Music Studio
12 yrs. personnel work & business administration