Shelley

Director

                                                                       Shelley has a passion for children that stems from her youth. As a child herself, she 

                                                                    started working with kids and has never looked back. She is particularly drawn to age  
                                                   1-3 year olds because of their curiosity about the world around them and how eager they are to 

                                                  learn new things! Shelley understands how important education can be for a child at any stage in                                                    their life.

It’s her goal to make sure each child who attends her preschool has an engaging curriculum with plenty of opportunities for exploration and discovery; and to have fun while learning, too.

Shelley has a wealth of experience caring for children. She started working as an assistant in a 2-year old program, and as a caregiver to special needs children when she was just 17 years old. Since then, Shelley moved to the Washington D.C area where she spent 5 ½ years as a professional nanny caring for children 8 weeks - 9 years old, while also working at Kenwood Learn & Play in Maryland. She currently raises her own five children, plus fosters children from the area.

It's not only her extensive knowledge that sets her apart from other child caregivers; it is all the experiences with different age groups, backgrounds, and levels of development, which have helped make her such an adept caregiver.

Shelley is CPR, First Aid, and EMAT certified. She continues to build upon her child development skills through classes yearly while spending time with family and friends.

She loves cooking, reading, hiking, as well as being an active member at church. Shelley enjoys volunteering around her community, and finding ways to get her family involved, too.

Cassis

Teacher

Cassis is passionate about her position at Freetown Friends School. Originally from Bolivia, she

moved to Northern Virginia when she was 13 and has a strong background in Spanish language skills

which is a great benefit to the classroom.

In 2013, Cassis received an A.S. Degree in Social Sciences with a specialization in Teacher

Education from Northern Virginia Community College and is especially excited about working

with children during their earlier formative years to provide support as they observe,

experiment, and explore the world around them.

She works hard to provide a safe and engaging environment for the children she

cares for. Her goal is to foster their academic development while providing plenty of fun!

Having three children of her own, Cassis is a hard working mother who loves spending

time with family. She also has two dogs and enjoys the finer things in life like music, fashion, art history, hikes, and going to new museums around every corner she goes!