MEET OUR STAFF

• Director

  Jodi Dawes joined us in 2008 as the teacher of the Elephant class, which is the two or three day a week class of three-year-old children.  From 2014 -2018 she taught the afternoon Kindergarten Complement class. Jodi is the Co-op director in addition to teaching the Elephant class.  Jodi is a graduate of Bucknell University where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education.  She then went on to West Chester University to obtain her Master of Education in Elementary School Counseling.  Jodi worked in a variety of school settings before having children then stayed at home until her youngest was in kindergarten.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Meerkat Morning Out Teacher

  Allison Constable joined the co-op as a parent in 2017 and officially as staff in 2022 as the lead teacher in the Meerkat Morning Out class. She substituted in 2021. Allie obtained her master's degree in education with a concentration and teachers certification in Early Childhood Education from West Chester University. She has worked in early childhood her entire career. She worked at Elwyn in their preschool and childcare programs in integrated classrooms for several years before working for Pennsylvania's Quality Rating Improvement System. At the University of Delaware she worked, in their Early Childhood Professional Development System and as an adjunct faculty for five years before returning to Pennsylvania as full-time Education Faculty at the Community College of Philadelphia(CCP). She currently teaches early childhood courses to pre-service teachers at the CCP.

 

• Play School Hippo Teacher

  Mrs. Emma Clauser-Schwartz joined the faculty in 2015 as the teacher of the PlaySchool Hippos Hippos.  Emma graduated from the University of West Chester with a BS in Education.  While there, she was a member of the National Honor Society and also taught at the United Methodist Childcare Center.  After graduation, Emma was hired as the lead teacher of classroom for three to five-year olds at the ARC of Chester County.  She taught children with multiple disabilities.  After two years in this position, she was selected to open a classroom for children with autism.  Emma taught for three more years before electing to work part time in a teaching support role, later electing  to stay home with her children.

 

• 3-4 Year Old Teachers

  Jodi Dawes (see above)

  Stephanie Dykes has been involved with the co-op since 2007, first as a parent and member of the Executive Committee and then employed as the gym and music teacher as well as the full-time substitute teacher.  Stephanie became the lead teacher of the Giraffe class (meets M,W,F) in 2015 and then resumed her position as the gym teacher from 2016-2019. This year Stephanie will also teach the afternoon Kindergarten Complement program and assist in giving tours to interested families.  Prior to working at the Co-op, Stephanie worked as a nanny, a teacher’s aide, and lead teacher of both an infant group and two to three year old toddler group. During her teaching hiatus, Stephanie worked for an Educational Software Company researching websites for children. Stephanie has her Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education from the Delaware County Community College.
  
  
  
  

• 4- 5 Year Old Teachers

  Katie Crawford joins us in 2019  as the teacher of the 4 and 5 year old Lion class, which meets three, four or five days a week.  Katie is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Swarthmore College with a Spanish major and a minor in Education and some graduate classes under her belt.  Katie taught 3rd/4th grade at Swarthmore Rutledge School as well as a pre-first class and first grade bilingual class in the School District of Philadelphia.  In addition to teaching, Katie has held several leadership roles on various boards in her community and her first novel was selected as one of the Best Indie Debuts by the Kirkus Review 2016.
  
  
  
  
  
   

  Jeannie Wynn obtained her masters in early childhood education from Boston University and was a kindergarten assistant in Cambridge Public Schools.   Before children she taught in various pre-k and kindergarten classrooms. In 2003, she joined the co-op as the Zebra teacher when her son started in the threes. When her daughter was born in 2006 she took time off to stay at home.  From 2011-2014 she worked full time at Christ Church Preschool in Media but in 2014 her son suffered a brain injury and Jeannie took time off to care for him.  In 2018, Jeannie re-joined the coop as an aide in the Zebra class and in 2019 was thrilled to step back into her role as head teacher of the Zebra classroom.

 

• Kindergarten Complement Teachers

  Stephanie Dykes (see above)

  Allison MacCallum joined us in 2017 as Lead teacher of the Zebra class.  This year she takes over as the morning Kindergarten Complement Teacher.  Allison attended The University of Massachusetts where she obtained her BA in Elementary Education and English.  She then went on to obtain her Masters in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University’s Teachers College.  Allison has a wealth of experience having taught pre-school through Second Grade.  She has been the lead teacher of a first grade class and the science teacher to Kindergarten through Second Grade.  Allison also has extensive experience in special education, having worked in an integrated First Grade class. 
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Teacher Aides

  Ms. Alison Schilero Schaffstall is alumni of WCNS and well as the WSSD schools. She has worked as an aide in many of the classrooms at the school and is currently an aide in the in the Meerkat’s Morning Out class.  She has many years of experience working with children of all ages through summer camps and babysitting.  She studied at DCCC.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Jess Trout joined the WCNS staff as an Aide in the Meerkat Morning Out (MMO) classroom during the 2021-2022 school year. Prior to working at WCNS, she was a parent and volunteer at the school from 2009-2016. Jess graduated from West Chester University with a BA in Psychology and minor in Spanish, as well completed some graduate work in the field of counseling.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Abby Finney joined us in 2013 when she relocated her family from Alabama.  She is a graduate of the University of Virginia and has a degree in Psychology.  Abby worked as a pharmaceutical rep for much of her early career, and she also served for ten years on the Junior League of Birmingham where she worked on various projects, which focused on the welfare of women and children in the Birmingham area.  Abby works as an aide in Meerkat’s Morning Out and the Play School Hippos class.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Sam Mirante joined WCNS as the Play School Hippos aide in 2014. She has worked in a few of the classrooms, and she currently is the aide in the Zebra class. Sam graduated from West Chester University with a degree in Psychology. She has many years of experience working with children including being a nanny, doing Lego club, helping with summer camps, and being an assistant teacher to a kindergarten class.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Kami Rose has experience testing, substitute teaching and has worked as an accounting clerk and office manager before joining WSNS in 2014.  She worked as an aide in several classrooms and  is currently an aide in the Elephant classroom. Kami has a Bachelors in Elementary Education from West Chester University. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Shelley Pellegrini started as an on-call substitute and officially joined the Co-op staff as an aide in the Lion class in 2018.  She is currently the aide in the Lion and PM Kindergarten classes.  Prior to moving to the area Shelley worked as a Title1 teacher in grades K-3.  She holds a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Portland State University.

   
  

   

   

   

   

  
  
  

  

  Olivia Miller first joined the Co-op in 2007 when her oldest son started pre-school.  In 2018 she became the on-call substitute teacher, filling in wherever needed.  This year she is working as the aide in the Giraffe class and the regularly covers lunch bunch.  Olivia graduated from DCCC with an associate degree in science.

 

 

 

• Specials Teachers

  Stephanie Dykes (see above) is the Gym teacher.

  Laurie Moyer received her degree in Education/Spanish from the University of Scranton and her master’s degree in educational leadership from Neumann University. She worked for Springfield School District, where she designed the curriculum for the elementary school Spanish program and taught for 12 years. Additionally, she has worked as an adjunct professor in early childhood education at Neumann University for Language Development and teaching English Language Learners. After having her 3rd child, she left full time teaching to start her own Spanish language program for local libraries, preschools, and private lessons. Her lessons are immersion based and built on the belief that young minds learn when they are having fun! Songs, games, and movement are all part of the Spanish program she brings to Wallingford Co-op each week.

  
  
  
  
  

  Jill Coleman joined the Co-op family in 2003 as a parent and served on the Executive Committee. She is a graduate of Swarthmore College, earned her PhD in Organic Chemistry from Indiana University, and worked at DuPont before retiring to be home with her children. Jill evolved into her current role of Science special teacher over several years— she began by sharing science experiments with the classes her children attended, and then developed a science program for the entire preschool beginning in 2006. Her goal is to help your children use their natural curiosity to explore the science that exists in the world around them. Jill is also a substitute teacher in the Souderton Area School District.