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Meet the Teachers

Mandy Cary - Toddler 1 - I started working at RiverTree in June of 2003. Before that I volunteered at other childcare centers. I have worked with all different ages; however, toddlers are my absolute favorite. They are so silly, lovable, curious and ready to learn. We do a lot of learning through hands on activities. Some days we end up very messy whether we are creating an art project, making a yummy new snack, or just exploring something we found in nature. We often sing, dance and use our imaginations. You might catch us riding our pretend bus, crawling on the floor and barking like puppies, or running for our lives from a pretend alligator. If you were to ask my colleagues about my teaching style they would tell you that I am very loving, energetic and silly. I love spending time with my friends and family. I take a lot of pictures. My favorite hobby is scrapbooking. It is very relaxing and a great way to preserve memories. I also enjoy volunteering at the Stark County Pregnancy Support Center by helping to fill clothing requests for needy families. I believe that children learn best when they are actively involved. I set my room environment up to encourage the children to learn through play. RiverTree has an open door policy. You are always welcome to stop by and visit or call with any questions.

Melissa Baldwin - Toddler 2 - I started working at RiverTree this past August. I have been working with two and three year old children for 10 years. I’m known to be a person who moves quickly and gets things done by my co-workers. I have a knack for tuning into a child’s non-verbal cues and thus, assessing the situation on an individual basis. The responses from the children during circle time or free play are the most exciting and rewarding for me. Outside of work, my passion is saving money/finding the best deal. When I am not at work, I am usually at home or visiting my parents. On the weekends, I baby-sit for my church’s adult classes. I was born and raised in Wadsworth, and currently still live there. I feel very strongly about raising money and awareness for the cause of human trafficking through the organization, Women At Risk, (WAR, International). They are a non-profit ministry “established to place circles of protection around women at risk… Creating safe places for women and children rescued from many abuses including human trafficking/sexual slavery.” One thing that is impossible for me to give up is heat. I love warm weather and a warm house. I want to be remembered for giving my best and always doing my part in every aspect of life.

Lou Ann Johnson - First Step Level 1 - I began working at RiverTree Christian School in 2006. I have been in the Child Development field for over 20 years. I am a member of RiverTree's Administration Team and Early Ed Coordinator. My family and I attend North Industry Christian Church, where I volunteer in Children’s Ministries. My husband Carl and I have been married for over seventeen years. We have three sons Kurtis 14, Tim 12 and Jacob 10. I believe that an Early Ed classroom should be very upbeat, fun, cheerful and a positive experience. My assistant and I provide plenty of activities and experiences to stimulate a child cognitively, socially, emotionally, physically and spiritually. We encourage the children to use their imagination, self-help skills and manners. Team work and making good choices are always reinforced and encouraged. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family, making jewelry and reading.

Victoria Harig - Level 1 - I began working at RiverTree Christian School in 2004 as an Early Education Lead Teacher and in the School Age program. I attend church at Faith Family and enjoy visiting other churches with friends. I have worked in Early Childhood field since 2001. When I am not working, I love to be around my friends and family. I am talented at drawing, crocheting, weightlifting, and I love collecting movies and angels. My co-workers would describe me as upbeat, fun loving, willing to think outside the box and trustworthy. I am a comic at heart; I love to make people laugh. I am passionate about helping other people overcome some of the same obstacles in life that I have had to overcome and help bring them closer to God. My classroom atmosphere is vibrant, full of energy, warm and created for the children to be comfortable while exploring the world around them. My goal each year is to see God’s work in each child and discover how I can bring out each child’s individuality.

Melissa Hughes-Gruca - Level 2 - I began my position here at RiverTree April of 2008. However, I have been in the childcare profession since 2003. I have a knack for making children feel comfortable and warm in my classroom. I know that children are one of God’s special gifts. I am most excited about how children experience the ability of accomplishing a task. I like the innocence and the smile of a child. I am very passionate about my journey and spiritual walk with the Lord. I am active with a group of Christian women, we meet to discuss our journey through life, and most importantly we discuss how wonderful the Lord is. One of my favorite charities is the Salvation Army. I like to give to them as it makes me feel good to know that I am helping people in need, especially, since I am so blessed. As Jesus helped those in need, my purpose here on earth is to help others. I spend my spare time with my family; they are the most important thing in my life. I enjoy my niece Teaghan and I cannot get enough of her. She is truly a blessing from God to me. I grew up in Jackson Township and moved to Massillon after my senior year of High School. I am a church greeter at RiverTree Massillon Campus on the weekends. I LOVE being a greeter, because it gives me a chance to meet new people and step out of my comfort zone. In addition, it would be truly devastating for me to give up soda, I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, it. My most favorite hobby is shopping…especially SHOES! When my time has ended on this earth, I want to be remembered as: Melissa served God’s purpose in her generation.

Erica Williams - Level 2 - I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in elementary school. I was born in Nashville, TN and have lived in Ohio since 1999. I graduated from Hoover High School in 2005 with honors. While in high school, I participated in a vocational program at GlenOak High School that prepared me for working with children. I am currently attending Walsh University to earn my Early Childhood Education Intervention Specialist Bachelor’s degree. When I am not working I enjoy going to the movies, bowling, shopping or babysitting. I began at RiverTree in 2009 doing my student teaching in a Level 2 classroom. Eventually I was offered the opportunity to lead teach a Toddler class. For the 2011 school year I was asked to teach a Level 2 class and I absolutely adore this age level. I love watching the children grow and develop while in my classroom. I provide the children with every opportunity to be ready for kindergarten. At this age, they are like sponges and the best part is they are so curious about life and learning. I have many goals for the children in my classroom. I introduce the beginning stages of reading and writing, math skills, participation activities and more. I have an open door policy. I encourage parents to stop in, email or call me with questions. I look forward to creating a fun filled year.

Jodi Shrock - Level 2 - I accepted a teaching position with RiverTree Christian School in 2000. I have been working with children for eighteen years. I am passionate about children and setting a firm foundation for their development and conveying God’s great love for us. Also, I am personally passionate about God, life and family. My family attends RiverTree Christian Church and we have resided in Jackson Township for 23 years. We are very passionate about sponsoring children and donating monthly to several charities including St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Victory Junction Camp, Akron Children’s Hospital and several others. As a Level II teacher, I am very excited to help the children grow in knowledge and give each child the opportunity to develop skills for Kindergarten. My teaching style is to first provide a safe, loving and Godly environment for children. I like to incorporate hands-on and sensory exploration in my classroom. I plan a multitude of activities to enhance fine motor skills, one-to-one correspondence, classifying, grouping, counting and various language opportunities. I love to bring out the creativity and uniqueness of each child through these interest centers. I provide a nurturing, fun environment that supports learning. I feel that every child can benefit from a Godly role model and a structured environment. I am a firm believer of praise, encouragement, and respect for the children and to help the children experience God’s love in a Christian environment.

Annette Ricard - Level 2 - I began teaching at RiverTree in 2009. I taught toddlers or preschool and/or provided childcare in a professional setting for twelve years. What I like most about teaching is observing as a child finds out they can accomplish something they couldn’t before. The excitement is priceless. I love to plan art activities and see the creativity that the children bring into it. I believe most preschool children learn visually and my assistant and I plan hands on activities to promote their growth in all areas of development. We strive to help children grow in their weakest areas of development and encourage parents to assist us in the growing process by giving us feedback and tools to help their individual child. I have been married for 19 years, have 2 beautiful daughters Rebecca age 18, Amanda age 14 and a dog (Shih Tzu), Graham age 9. I am originally from Massachusetts and moved to Ohio 14 years ago for my husband’s career at Diebold. We have made many friends here. I like to spend time talking and watching movies with my family and friends. I also enjoy reading, the beach, walking, gardening and Patriots football. My favorite season is summer, because I love to be outside in the warm weather. I believe God has a plan for everyone and everything happens in our life for a reason, whether we understand it or not. I feel God has brought me to RiverTree and I feel blessed to be able to have the talent to teach young children. My goal is to be the best I can be and I rely on prayer and feedback to achieve that goal.

Fran Glaski - Level 3 - I have been a teacher at RiverTree Christian School since 2008. I grew up in Akron Ohio and moved to Stark County in 1992. I am passionate about cooking and love to spend weekends with my husband, two children and four grandchildren, teaching them the art of cooking. My co-workers have described me as fun loving, organized, spontaneous and energetic. I have been called “Tigger, on steroids”, and I have even been awarded the “Energizer Bunny” certificate from my co-workers. I love to express my excitement in my teaching. I strive to teach the children in my care, the way I was never taught…with laughter, joy and free of stress. Not only do we learn our ABC’s and 1-2-3’s, we love to explore the world around us...from the deep, blue sea to the tallest mountains. Our adventures have taken us to Swaziland in Africa, to swimming with a Blue Whale in the ocean. I do not teach to create, “cookie cutter children“. Each child is able to express their individuality and creativity. Each child’s personality is free to emerge, so that we can all grow and learn in a fun and loving Christian environment. Turn on your imagination and pack your imaginary bags. Get ready, get set, let's go!

Riki Horning - Level 3 - I began working at RiverTree in 2003 and have been working with children since 2000. I have been a teacher in Level 3 since 2008 and was a Level 2 teacher for one year prior to 2008. Before that I was an assistant teacher in Level 3. Along with teaching I am also the Resource Room Coordinator. My first love is teaching Level 3. Children are so amazing and rewarding to work with. Each child has their own strengths and I love to help bring them out, no matter how hidden they might be. The look on a child’s face when they learn something new or do something they have been struggling with is priceless to me. My classroom is fun and energetic. Messes are a good thing when learning is involved. We love hands on and we are not afraid of a little organized chaos. I grew up in North Canton and am a graduate of North Canton Hoover High School. When I’m not at work, you can find me out in my garden, reading a book, playing guitar or walking. I simply can’t go a day without my Bible, a bubble bath, the Words with Friends Scrabble game or my IPod Touch! I volunteer at the Pregnancy Support Center and also for TreeHouse Kids here at RiverTree. My heart is in helping new moms that need help; reaching out to them and helping them to be the moms that God wants them to be. My heart cries out for the hurting children around us. To know that there are families that can’t even afford the basic necessities for their babies is heart-wrenching to me. By volunteering my time for the PSC, I can help provide a little bit of what they need. At the end of the day, I want to know that I used the talents and abilities God has given me for His Kingdom. To know that I teach and guide children towards Christ is a humbling feeling. I want to be known for my faith, smile, love and energy

Meghan Wolfe - Level 3 - I have been a teacher at RiverTree since 2000. I completed my student teaching here and loved it! Upon graduating from Stark State College, I was offered a teaching position and have been here ever since. Since then, I have taught ages 2 1/2 - 12 but my favorite age is 4 1/2 - 5 1/2 year olds. They are so eager to learn! My classroom is a fun place to be. I’m not afraid of a mess or noise as long as the children are having fun and learning. From start to finish, our days are very busy but my motto as a teacher is “Be flexible”. There are so many things for the children to do and learn but they are only little for such a short time. It is up to me to create a fun and exciting learning experience because that is what early education is all about! My favorite activities in class are art and literacy. Art projects always focus on the process of being creative rather than the end product. I’m not afraid to put out materials and see what the children create. At RiverTree, I am generally known as the person with all of the questions. I like to think that this is because I am trying to stay one step ahead of the children. As a mom of two elementary school age boys, I know that the focus in education is on literacy skills. We do many activities in our class involving rhyming, alliteration and handwriting skills to prepare the children for kindergarten. My goal is to make the children’s first learning experiences wonderful so they have a life-long positive attitude toward school. I have been married since 2000 to my high school sweetheart, Kevin. We have three boys: Ben (age 9), Dylan (age 6) and Cameron (9 months). I am also very close to our extended families and live within a mile of the home I grew up in. Family life is a big part of who I am. When I’m not at RiverTree or snuggling one of my boys, you can often find me volunteering as a room mom in their school or helping out at a cub scout meeting. My favorite hobby is scrapbooking. I love having the opportunity to be creative, spend time with my friends and be able to preserve memories for my children. I’m proud to say that I have been published in a national scrapbooking magazine. Other activities that I enjoy are reading (I’m a regular at the library), surfing the Internet and traveling. My life can best be described as “love”. I love God, my family, friends, RiverTree and all of the families that I work with each year. “Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Cor. 16:14

Kelly Misbrener – Kindergarten - I graduated from Ohio State University. In addition to teaching Kindergarten, I have also taught Early Education. My husband David and I have been married for 19 years. We have two daughters, Emily a freshman at Ohio State and Claire, an 8th grader at Jackson Middle School. We are members of St. Michael’s Church. We have moved with my husband’s job several times, even living overseas. We are happy that we have “landed” back in Ohio and feel this is the best place to raise our kids. I believe an important component for children to learn is creating a positive environment. Kids that feel good about going to school are more receptive to learning. Balancing a challenging curriculum with many opportunities for them to feel successful allows children to exercise their minds while still providing them with ways to boost their self-esteem. I plan my curriculum to allow for individual abilities and interests, giving everyone a chance to shine!

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