Therese Fournier -Preschool Director
Welcome to Adat Reyim Preschool
Whether you are a returning family or new to the school, it is my pleasure to welcome you to our wonderful community preschool.
We know that children learn best when they feel safe, secure and (most importantly) loved. This is why we work to create an environment where children are truly seen and celebrated and where they have the opportunity to challenge their minds and their bodies. We want every child to feel confident and competent and feel that the world is an exciting, interesting place. When it’s time to start kindergarten, we want every child to walk into that big building feeling like a super star!
As the mother of three children, I know how quickly the years pass. I also know that parenting is a lot more fun when you share the journey with others. I hope that you will enjoy your own preschool years here –- most especially by making new friends (adult play dates are awesome).
Our preschool community is made up of families from all different faiths and backgrounds, all committed to raising children who will grow up to make the world a better place. I hope Adat Reyim is a place of joy for every one of you and that many years from now, when your own little one is ready to go out in the world, you look back on your time here as something unique and wonderful.
L’Shalom – Therese Fournier
Note: Adat Reyim Preschool requires that all staff receive yearly health screenings, biyearly TB assessments, and biyearly first aid and CPR training.
Paula Andreoli - Lead Teacher
Paula is the lead teacher in the Pre-K program. She believes building a community facilitates a welcoming and safe environment where learning comes naturally, and children feel confident and comfortable to try new things. Paula's commitment to communication and developing connections plays an important role in fostering this environment. Previously, Paula was a teacher in Adat Reyim’s Twos/Threes class. After a few years living overseas, as a leader for USA Girl Scouts Overseas and volunteering at her children’s school, she returned to a community she missed. Paula has a Master of Business Administration degree, with a minor in psychology, from the University of South Dakota. Born and raised in Minnesota, she has since lived around the world due to her husband's career with the U.S. Department of State. In her free time, she enjoys reading, baking and spending quality time with her family. She currently resides in Springfield with her husband and two children.
Natalie Davis - Lead Teacher
Natalie leads the Twos/Threes class. She has a background in Waldorf education, which emphasizes the cultivation of children’s imagination and creativity in the classroom. She loves co-constructing knowledge with her students and she creates environments and conditions for her preschoolers to gain social, emotional and cognitive skills. There is much sensory, movement, listening and observing in Natalie’s classroom. As such, she knows that her presence in the classroom creates the climate for learning and she takes her role very seriously. She studied Biology at the University of Cincinnati and is currently pursuing a degree in Occupational Therapy. Originally from Kentucky, she now lives in West Springfield with her active duty Army husband and three children.
Etaine Raphael-Literacy & STREAM Enrichment Teacher
Etaine is the preschool's Literacy Circle and STREAM* teacher. As a children’s book author and illustrator, she loves introducing preschoolers to the great classics and diving deep into age-appropriate discussions about their meanings. (For example, Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are is not only about a little boy with a big imagination, but also about big feelings, and the quest for boundaries.) Etaine loves introducing these topics and then listening to wherever the children go with their discussions, providing prompts and guidance along the way to make it as interactive and meaningful as possible. In STREAM, Etaine develops fun and educational science experiments, literacy activities and art projects that give children a better understanding and appreciation of the magical world around them. Etaine holds a master’s and a doctorate degree in the sciences. Before moving to Springfield with her husband and two daughters, Etaine was a physical therapist at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. There, she helped rehab the men and women coming home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with traumatic amputations. Etaine is thrilled to be a part of the Adat Reyim community for her eighth year.
*STREAM stands for Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art and Math.
Cristina Bet-Pre-K Teacher
Cristina is a teacher in the Pre-K class. She believes that children are young scientists who are in charge of their own learning experience and that the teacher’s job is to facilitate their journey while the child leads the way. Her favorite sentence is, “How can you solve this problem?” Cristina loves to bring boxes and recycled materials into the classroom to spark creativity, to develop imagination and to grow building skills. She has a BS in Tourism, Recreation and Hospitality with a minor in Theatre Arts. Cristina is originally from Brazil, where her journey in education began managing, leading and planning educational and ecotourism trips around Brazil for K-12 students for over a decade. While out of the classroom, Cristina enjoys camping, hiking, biking and paddle boarding with her family. She lives in Fairfax with her twin daughters and her husband, who is an engineering professor at GMU. Her passion in life is traveling and exploring National Parks.
Angela Blackwood-Twos/Threes Teacher
Angela is a teacher in the Twos/Threes class and has spent most of her life working in various forms of childcare as well as a few years as a personnel officer in the Air Force. She has a master's degree in elementary education and has also worked as a nanny, babysitter, and before and after school care director. She has twin daughters in middle school and one in elementary, but each spent their preschool years at Adat Reyim. So, when the opportunity arose, Angela was thrilled to return to the AR family as a teacher. She was raised in Louisiana, but has lived all over the US and in Germany due to her husband’s job in the military, and has lived in Springfield for the past 10 years. Her favorite ways to spend her free time are reading, hand embroidering and traveling.
Sanela Scalfani - Pre-K Teacher
Sanela is a teacher in our Pre-K class. She values the curiosity and enthusiasm that children bring to every situation and believes that her primary role as an educator is to foster this natural inquisitiveness. Originally from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sanela lived in Germany for ten years before emigrating to the United States. From her travels, she learned to speak four languages. Sanela is a military spouse and a mother of three children, all of whom attended Adat Reyim Preschool. In her free time, Sanela enjoys cooking, hiking, and volunteering at a non-profit community support organization.
Ariel Michaelson- Music, Movement & Judaics Teacher
Ariel is a certified Rhythm ’N’ Ruach instructor from Northern Virginia. She has her Bachelor’s degree in Music and Psychology from The American University. Ariel is excited to have found a career that combines all of her passions -- music, Judaism, and teaching children. She also loves being able to work in the community she grew up in. Outside of education, Ariel is training as an opera singer and has also started branching into pop music. Ariel hopes to foster the love of music and the connection that it brings into every community she works with.
