Meet Our Teachers!
Alice Patton is the Director of Preschool Ministry for the church She has loved holding this position for the past 20 years. Monday through Friday, she is the Director of our Weekday School program and on Sunday Mornings you will find her on the preschool hallway welcoming young children and their families for our Birth – Kindergarten nurseries and programming. It is her honor and privilege to watch these children grow and learn and to go on to great things throughout their lives. In addition, Alice enjoys spending time with her 4 children, their spouses, and her 9 grandchildren!
Mary Etta Cockrell is a floating helper for the Weekday School. Many of our families know her from working in the Nursery on Sunday mornings. She is retired from the State of NC and has two grown children and three grandsons. She loves daily walks with her mother and going fishing.
Giraffe Class
April Roy is the lead teacher in the four-year-old Giraffe Class. She holds a BA in Elementary Education and taught kindergarten at Sand Hill-Venable Elementary School in Asheville before taking time to stay home with her three children. She began teaching our four and five-year-olds in 2016 and is proud to be part of our amazing preschool! In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, hiking and traveling.
Jen de Beer is an assistant teacher in the four-year-old Giraffe Class. She holds a BA in Sociology, along with over 25 years of experience in various aspects of Early Childhood Education. Her previous work has included time at the Reach Out and Read National Center, a non-profit focused on developing early literacy, along with many years of working directly with children in places such as Head Start and Montessori classrooms. She loves being engaged with young children, especially with opportunities to explore art, science, and books, and being a lifelong learner herself. When not at school, she is busy with her family (husband and two daughters), and can often be found cooking, reading, or immersed in a family game night.
Keelin Mooney is an assistant teacher in the four-year-old Giraffe Class. She has over 15 years of teaching children of all ages in a variety of settings. She loves living in Black Mountain with her 2 teenagers both of whom were once in the Giraffes class! She loves to be active outdoors, and you might see her running through town or biking to work one day! Keelin also enjoys gardening and spending time with her children.
Kangaroo Class
Laura Centers is the lead teacher in the three-year-old Kangaroo Class. She holds a BA in Psychology with an emphasis in child development as well as a MA in Special Education. She taught in special education classrooms ranging from elementary school up to high school. Since beginning at the Weekday School, she has found a passion in teaching our 3 and 4 year olds. This has encouraged her to earn many continuing education credits in the Early Childhood Education Field. Outside of her school day, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two growing boys, who also attended school at the Weekday School.
Alicia Mayer is the assistant teacher in the three-year-old Kangaroo Class. She holds a BA in Psychology from UNCA. Her daughter went through the program and Alicia enjoyed volunteering so much that when a job became open she couldn't resist. She has an appreciation and desire to teach young children and watch them grow. When she is not at school, you can find her gardening, cooking or crafting with her family.
Raccoon Class
Kristina Maldonado is the lead teacher for the two-year-old Raccoon Class. She has her Early Childhood Education Certificate and is excited to be back for her sixth year at the Weekday School. She is grateful to work alongside dedicated educators in serving children and families. Kristina enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and baking.
Gayle Burgin is the assistant teacher in the two-year-old Raccoon Class. She attended AB Tech and is almost finished with her Early Childhood Education Certificate. This is her first year with us but her fourteenth year in early childhood. She loves her dogs, kayaking, hiking and singing.
Lambs Class
Lindsay Higgins is a co-lead teacher in the one-year-old Lambs Class. She has her master teacher certificate in early childhood development and loves working in the one-year old classroom! This is her 4th year in the Lambs classroom and before starting here, both of her children went through the weekday school. When Lindsay is not at preschool, she loves photography, writing, reading and exploring all of the wonderful trails in WNC!
Elisa Nail is a co-lead teacher in the one-year-old classroom. She worked in early childhood prior to becoming a stay at home mom to her two sons. She enjoys being outdoors hiking and canoeing. Elisa loves spending time with her husband and sons in her free time.