Introducing Ms. Stacy Watkins Ms. Watkins has been teaching PEP for 9 years. She has a bachelor’s degree from Towson University and a Master’s of Science in Special Education from Johns Hopkins University. Her favorite thing about teaching is seeing a student master a new skill. She loves outdoor activities, going out to eat, and watching football. She loves to read poetry and novels and one of her favorite authors is Jodi Picoult.

Introducing Mrs. Colleen Hanson Mrs. Hanson teaches Pre-kindergarten.

Introducing Ms. Shelley Laub This is Mrs. Laub’s 10th year teaching Head Start at Fairland ES. She has previously taught in Howard County, as an inclusion Special Education teacher. She has degrees in Special Education and Elementary Education from Kent State University and a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Special Education from George Washington University. She loves teaching and is proud of how much her four year olds learn during the time they are in her class. She loves teaching them to use higher level vocabulary words, called "juicy words" as well as teaching them the love of literature. She loves to cooking and reading and is in two book clubs. She doesn’t have one favorite author, but many!

Introducing Ms. Dawn Brewer Ms. Brewer is from Norfolk, Va. where she taught in the Virginia Beach area for over 20 years before coming to Fairland Elementary School. She received her Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education from Norfolk State University. Kindergarten is one of her favorite grades to teach because there is so much change and growth by the end of the school year and it completely amazes her!

Introducing Mrs. Nicole Fithyan Mrs. Fithyan has been teaching Kindergarten for 11 years at Fairland. She has a bachelor's degree from Millersville University in Elementary and Early Childhood Education. One of Mrs. Fithyan's favorite things about teaching is teaching a child to learn to read. She is amazed to see how much growth kindergartner’s show throughout the school year! Some of her favorite things to do are reading, scrapbooking, playing volleyball, and hanging out with her family. Her favorite authors are Nicholas Sparks and James Patterson.

Introducing Ms. Andrea Kuzela Ms. Kuzela has been teaching early childhood for 22 years, primarily in kindergarten. She took a 5 year break from the classroom when her son Alex was born in 1999 and returned to teaching when he started kindergarten. She graduated with a Bachelor’s in Elementary and Early Childhood education from Loyola College in Baltimore. Her favorite thing about teaching is getting to know each child as an individual and helping them grow academically and emotionally. Mrs. Kuzela loves reading, cooking, shopping, working out and going to Chipotle and Starbucks. Her favorite books from childhood and even now include The Little Engine that Could, The Long Winter, The Importance of Being Ernest and anything by J.D. Robb.

Introducing Mrs. Shona Weaver Mrs. Weaver has been teaching for 13 years. She spent her first 6 years working with second graders and is in her 7th year teaching kindergarten students. Mrs. Weaver has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Maryland at College Park and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. Mrs. Weaver loves incorporating technology into her lessons and encouraging students and colleagues to problem solve using technology to help them. Mrs. Weaver enjoys baking, reading, going to the movies, spending time with Mr. Weaver, and screaming her head off on roller coasters. One of Mrs. Weaver’s favorite book series is Harry Potter because it encourages a vivid imagination.

Introducing Ms. Ytsel Tacza Ms. Tacza has been teaching for 2 years. She has a bachelor’s degree from Towson University. One of the things she enjoys most about teaching is seeing how much progress the students make throughout the year. Ms. Tacza likes to travel and go on new adventures. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends. Her favorite books genres are suspense/mystery. As of right now, her favorite author is Suzanne Collins.

Introducing Mrs. Angela Poinsett Mrs. Poinsett has been teaching for 19 years. She is originally from Louisiana where she earned her bachelor's from LSU. Since moving to Maryland, she has earned her Master's in Curriculum & Instruction from McDaniel, her Master’s plus 60 hours from Trinity as well as her Reading Specialist degree. One of her favorite things about teaching is seeing the growth a child makes from the beginning of the year to the end. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two boys, as well as friends and family. She also enjoys reading, shopping, going to sporting events, and traveling. Her favorite book series of all time is Harry Potter. She also enjoys the Castle Rizzoli and Isles books series.

Introducing Ms. Teresa Austin Ms. Austin has been teaching for 17 years. She attended Catholic University in Washington D.C. and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and her Masters of Science in Curriculum and Instruction and Literacy from Trinity College (now know has Trinity University.) One thing Ms. Austin loves about teaching is the look of excitement on the faces of young children when they have accomplished something. In Ms. Austin’s spare time she enjoys shopping, reading and watching movies. She also enjoys playing with her son Austin Lance. Ms. Austin loves reading novels. One of her favorite novels is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

Introducing Mrs. Margie Evans Mrs. Evans has been teaching for 38 years. The majority of her teaching experiences have been in first grade. She has a bachelor’s degree from East Tennessee State University and a Master’s in Education from Bowie State College. One of the many things she enjoys most about teaching is seeing the smile on a child’s face after he or she has accomplished a difficult task or discovered something new. Her favorite activities include spending time outdoors, playing games with friends and family and going to dinner or a show with friends and family. Her favorite books are historical novels and mysteries. One of her favorite authors is Mary Higgins Clark.

Introducing Mrs. Melanie Cofield Mrs. Cofield has been teaching first grade for 24 years. She has a bachelor’s degree from James Madison University and her Masters of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University. What she enjoys most about teaching is creating projects and activities that engage students in joyful learning. Her hobbies include scrapbooking, working out, writing educational raps and spending time with her family. Her favorite author is James Patterson and her favorite book is Susan’s Diary for Nicolas.

Introducing Ms. Kate Hollingshead This is Ms. Hollingshead's first year teaching first grade. She earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Maryland. Go Terps! Ms. Hollingshead loves getting to know her students and watching them learn and grow. Some of Ms. Hollingshead's hobbies include swimming, baking, and reading. Some of her favorite authors include Nicholas Sparks, Eric Carle, and J. R. R. Tolkien.

Introducing Ms. Alex Zajac Ms. Zajac has been teaching first grade for four years. She has a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Towson University. Her favorite thing about teaching is seeing the growth of learning from the beginning of the year to the end. Some things that she enjoys are running, shopping, going to the beach or anywhere warm and reading a good book. Her favorite authors are Nicholas Sparks and Suzanne Collins.

Introducing Ms. Lisa Menter Ms. Lisa Menter has been teaching for 16 years, all of which have been at Fairland. Most of her career has been in first grade. Ms. Menter has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Maryland and a Master's of Science in Reading Education from Johns Hopkins University. Her favorite things about teaching include building relationships with her students and making learning fun and engaging. Ms. Menter likes spending time with her family and friends, going to the beach, and going to Yankee games. She enjoys reading mysteries by her favorite author, Mary Higgins Clark.

Introducing Mrs. Pegah Yousefi Mrs. Yousefi has been teaching second grade for four years. She has a Bachelor’s degree from The University of Maryland in Elementary Education. One of her favorite things about teaching is making connections with students and encouraging them to love learning. She loves doing crafts, baking, reading, and spending time with her family. Her favorite books are The Giver and all of Shel Silverstein’s poetry collection.

Introducing Ms. Rebecca Hessler Ms. Hessler earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland in Elementary Education with a minor in Human Development. Since then, she has been teaching at Fairland Elementary for three wonderful years. In the classroom, she loves developing students’ critical thinking and reasoning skills. Out of the classroom, she loves thinking about teaching, reading about teaching, and watching videos about teaching. Can you guess her favorite book? It’s Elementary and Middle School Mathematics by John Van de Walle. Surprise, it’s a book about teaching.

Introducing Ms. Chelsea Massari Ms. Massari is a first year teacher with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland. She teaches Second Grade and also has experience in third grade. Her favorite thing about teaching is giving students a positive self-concept that harbors unwavering confidence in themselves to know and believe that they can accomplish anything. Some of the things she enjoys doing most are going to the beach, spending time with family and friends, traveling, running, and exploring new things. Her favorite books are mysteries and psychological thrillers. She loves books by the author James Patterson.

Introducing Ms. Jennifer Smith Ms. Smith has been teaching second grade for 3 years at Fairland Elementary. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Towson University. One of her favorite things about teaching is watching her second graders learn, grow and feel comfortable being themselves. She also loves teaching because she enjoys finding new and creative ways to teach and learn through movement, song and dance. Ms. Smith loves spending quality time with friends, family and her Labrador, Lucy. Ms. Smith's favorite children’s book is Ms. Nelson is Missing by James Marshall. Ms. Smith's favorite author is Mo Willems.

Introducing Mrs. Sandy White Mrs. White has been teaching for 17 years. She has a Masters of Curriculum and instruction from The University of Scranton. What she loves most is teaching Science and Math. She loves the look on a child’s face when they get something they figured out for themselves. She enjoys hanging out with her family and traveling. She also loves playing with her furry children, which are her two dogs! Her favorite book right now is George R Martin’s Game of Thrown Series, and she truly believes the books are much better than the TV show.

Introducing Mrs. Angela Chery Mrs. Chery has been teaching third grade for 6 years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Sarah Lawrence College , a Master’s of Art in Teaching degree from Towson University, and an Administrator and Supervisory Certificate from McDaniel College. Mrs. Chery’s favorite thing about teaching is seeing the individual progress being made and the moment the students realize that there are no boundaries to what they can accomplish. She believes that she is truly the lucky one to have the opportunity to interact with the world’s greatest natural resource, children. When she is not teaching, Mrs. Chery enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, playing board games once a week as a family ritual and most importantly, living each day to the fullest. Her favorite children’s book is Where The Wild Things Are because her dad use to act out the story every night when she was a child using costumes and props and one of her favorite authors is Mitch Albom.

Introducing Mr. David DiFonzo Mr. DiFonzo teaches third grade.

Introducing Ms. Ebony House Ms. House has been teaching for 18 years. She has taught all grades pre-K-8 in general education, and specialized in Special Education. She has a bachelor’s degree from Hampton University and a Master’s in Education from Bowie State University. One of the many things that gives her great joy is challenging students to be better than they ever thought they could be. This may be emotionally, or academically. She loves seeing the huge smile on a child's face when they finally "get" something. Her favorite things are traveling, experiencing new things, and fine dining. She's somewhat foodie. In her next life she hopes to be traveling around the world ordering room service from expensive hotel rooms, and seeing all of the "must sees" that the world has to offer. The three books that she thinks are beyond great are: Homemade Love by J. California Cooper , The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein, and Oh the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss

Introducing Mr. Brenton Skolaski Mr. Skolaski is in his first full year of public school teaching. He has a Bachelor's degree in Elementary and Special Education from Hood College. The one thing he enjoys the most about teaching is witnessing the excitement that a child experiences when discovering something new. His hobbies include singing, watching sports and spending time with family and friends. Some of his favorite children’s authors are Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss.

Introducing Mrs. Patricia Ysern Mrs. Ysern has been teaching for 16 years. She has taught second and third grade. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Towson University and her Master’s equivalence in teacher leadership from Walden University. One of the things that she enjoys about teaching is watching her students make progress at their level and seeing their faces light up when they finally get a concept that they have struggled with. Her favorite things to do include spending quality time with her daughters, working out and doing outdoor activities. Her favorite adult books are realistic fiction novels and her favorite children’s author is Tomie dePaola and Patricia Polacco.

Introducing Ms. Sloane Soffer This is Ms. Soffer’s first year teaching in MCPS. She has student taught in 3rd grade and currently teaches 4th grade. She has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. One of the many things she enjoys most about teaching is getting to know each student. Her favorite things include watching football, spending time with family and playing with her dogs. Her favorite book is Tuck Everlasting.

Introducing Mrs. Laura R. Grabowski Mrs. Grabowski has been teaching fourth grade for ten years. She has a Bachelor’s degree from McDaniel College, a Master’s in Education from Johns Hopkins University, and an Administrator and Supervisory Certificate from McDaniel College. One of the many things she enjoys about teaching is the symbiotic teaching and learning relationship that she shares with her students. Mrs. Grabowski’s favorite hobbies include playing with her young children, reading mystery books, going to the movies, traveling, and experiencing new foods and cultures.

Introducing Mrs. Amanda Yannes Mrs. Yannes has been teaching for 26 years. Fairland is her fourth school and she has taught first, third, fourth and fifth grade. She received her Bachelor’s degree at Alma College in Michigan, then her Master’s degree at Johns Hopkins and a Certificate in Bilingual Special Education at George Washington University. Her favorite aspect of teaching is the creativity she can bring; she enjoys developing engaging, motivating lessons to share with her students. Her favorite hobbies include reading, creating artwork and exploring the great outdoors. One of her favorite series of books that are appropriate for fourth-graders is Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.

Introducing Mrs. Mavis Julian Mrs. Mavis Julian teaches fourth grade.

Introducing Mr. Douglas J. Blake A native of South Setauket, New York, Mr. Blake has been teaching for 23 years. He spent 6 years teaching fifth and sixth grade in Prince George’s County at Riverdale Elementary School and Lyndon Hill Elementary School before coming to Montgomery County. For the past 17 years, he has taught fifth grade at Fairland Elementary School. Mr. Blake holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Oneonta State College (Go Red Dragons!) in Oneonta, New York and a Master’s in Educational Technology from Loyola College in Maryland. His favorite things to do include playing golf, going to the beach, attending sporting events and spending time with his wife, Karen, and three kids; Keegan, Brigid and Declan. Mr. Blake enjoys reading. Two of his favorite authors are John Grisham and John Feinstein. As a teacher, one of the most rewarding things to him is seeing a student achieve something in class they thought may have been too difficult to do. That is what teaching is all about!

Introducing Mr. Ryan Celestino Mr. Celestino has been teaching for 6 years, all of which have been at Fairland Elementary. He has a Bachelor’s degree from Mount St. Mary’s University and is currently completing his Master’s degree at the University of Maryland, College Park. His favorite thing about teaching is recognizing the students’ reactions once they “get it” and being able to watch a child progress with their academics and behavior. Mr. Celestino enjoys playing in one of many rock bands, and is obsessed with golf. He would play golf everyday if he could. He also enjoys spending time with his fiancée, Robyn. In addition, he enjoys traveling, hiking, and hanging out with his friends. His favorite author is Roald Dahl and his favorite book of all time is The BFG.

Introducing Mrs. Jessica Goocharan Ms. Goocharan has been teaching for four years. The majority of her teaching experiences are with second grade. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is currently working toward a Master’s in Education in Teacher Leadership with a concentration in Minority and Urban Education. Her favorite thing about teaching is seeing the world through a child’s eyes and building long-lasting relationships with her students. Ms. Goocharan enjoys shopping, reading, spending time with friends and family, and drinking lots of iced coffee. Ms. Goocharan’s favorite authors are Cecily von Ziegesar and Jenny Han.

Introducing Mrs. Mary D. Hester Mrs. Hester has been teaching for 22 years at Fairland Elementary. Her first four years were in fourth grade, and the rest have been in fifth grade. She has a Bachelor's and Master's degree from the University of Maryland at College Park. As a teacher, she really enjoys when students are able to work independently or collaboratively when applying skills they have learned. When not teaching, she enjoys working out, reading non-fiction books and the New Yorker magazine, watching movies, and traveling. Her favorite authors include Malcolm Gladwell and Lee Smith.

Introducing Mrs. Alison Praisner-Klumpp Mrs. Praisner-Klumpp has been teaching for 24 years. She taught third and second grade at another MCPS school and taught second grade for many years at Fairland before moving to fifth grade three years ago. She earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, in English as A Second Language, from the University of Maryland. One of her favorite parts of teaching is seeing a child excited to learn a new topic. She has lived her entire life in Burtonsville and is a graduate of Paint Branch High School. She loves spending as much time as possible at her other home in Bethany Beach, DE, especially with her family and close friends. She enjoys reading novels (when she has the time) and spends many hours watching her daughter swim on swim teams. She is an avid collector of turtles and lighthouses. Her favorite books are realistic and historical fiction.

Introducing Mrs. Ginny Arca Mrs. Ginny Arca teaches ESOL.

Introducing Ms. Jess Cohen This is Ms. Cohen’s twelfth year teaching ESOL at Fairland. Prior to that, she taught first grade at East Silver Spring Elementary school for four years. Ms. Cohen graduated from The University of Maryland, College Park, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. She then earned her Master’s in Early Childhood and Elementary Teaching from Johns Hopkins University. She likes working with - and constantly learning from - children whose families come from all over the world. In her spare time, Ms. Cohen enjoys live music, hiking, museums, and spending time with family and friends.

Introducing Mr. John Rebstock Mr. Rebstock has been teaching for 21 years. He started teaching first and second grades before he became an ESOL teacher in Montgomery County. He has a bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary and a Master of Arts and a Master of Science from George Washington University. His favorite part of teaching is the cycle of new beginnings—every year, everyone gets a fresh start to learn and grow. He loves reading, working in his garden, and hiking in woods and hills near home or far away. Patricia Polacco is his favorite author because she usually writes about people caring for and helping one another, and that makes him happy.

Introducing Ms. Adell Thomas Ms. Thomas has been teaching for 15 years. She was a classroom teacher before becoming a media specialist. She has a bachelor’s degree from Towson University and a Master’s degree in School Library Media from Towson University. The one thing she loves most about teaching is the interactions and discussions after reading a book. Her favorite things are listening to music and dancing, and watching Masterpiece Theater such as Miss Fisher’s Mysteries or Inspector Lewis or Inspector Morse. Her favorite books are children’s books, Mysteries by Agatha Christie and her favorite author is Danielle Steele.

Introducing Mrs. Amanda Williams Mrs. Williams has been teaching elementary Physical Education for 10 years. She received her Master of Education and Bachelor of Science degrees, both specializing in Health and Physical Education, from James Madison University. She holds an ASEP Coaching Certification and is certified to teach Health and Physical Education from preschool through grade 12. Her favorite thing about teaching is helping children individually discover and embrace the joy in moving their bodies. She enjoys running, biking, weight lifting, TaeBo, golf, gardening, and spending time with her husband and two daughters. Her favorite author is Jodi Piccoult.

Introducing Mrs. Ivette Burgess Mrs. Ivette Burgess teaches Art.

Introducing Ms. Brittany C. Johnson Ms. Johnson began teaching at Fairland in January of 2014. Before coming to Fairland, Ms. Johnson taught in Florida and was a full-time performer. She has a Bachelor’s of Music in Education degree form Furman University in Greenville, SC and a Master’s of Music in Performance from the Florida State University. When she’s not at Fairland, Ms. Johnson is busy working as a singer and actor. She is also a teacher of private voice and piano to students of all ages. One thing that Ms. Johnson loves about teaching is the opportunity she gets to inspire her students. She enjoys singing, acting, dancing, and cooking delicious food!

Introducing Mrs. Theresa Briscuso Mrs. Theresa Briscuso teaches P.E.

Introducing Mrs. Mary O’Neill Wood Mrs. Mary O’Neill Wood teaches Art.

Introducing Mrs. Arlyn Borst Mrs. Arylyn Borst teaches P.E.

Introducing Ms. Jacqueline Krueger Ms. Jacqueline Krueger teaches Music.

Introducing Mr. Ben Kepler Mr. Ben Kepler teaches Instrumental Music.

Introducing Mrs. Liz Anderson Mrs. Liz Anderson teaches Speech.

Introducing Ms. Felicia Hart Ms. Felicia Hart is the FES school counselor.

Introducing Mrs. Kristine Daigle Mrs. Kristine Daigle teaches Academic Skills.

Introducing Mrs. Bonnie Louden Mrs. Bonnie Louden teaches FOCUS.