My name is Ann. I was born and raised in Shepherdstown, WV. While living there, I met my husband, a middle school teacher. We raised two beautiful children, Paul and Joanna. In order to stay home and raise our children, I became a home child care provider. In 1995, my family and I moved to a 69 acre farm in Preston County where we raise beef cattle.
As our children became young adults and began their careers and college education, my husband and I decided we were not finished raising children. We became foster parents through Burlington United Methodist Family Services for eight years to approximately 25 special needs children. My husband was named "Father of the Year," and in our second year, to our surprise, we were named "Family of the Year!" In 2001, we were fortunate enough to adopt our youngest son, Jerry, now 13.
I have also been a parent volunteer for five years at the Kingwood Elementary School and am active in teaching the 4-H Clover Buds. I completed West Virginia Infant and Toddler (WVIT) Professional Development Program. And, continue to participate in various educational training programs. I am excited to be working here at Little Bear.
My name is Rachel, and I am a Teaching Assistant in the Infant and Toddler Rooms. I started at Little Bear in September 2010 as a substitute and now work part- time while pursuing the Apprenticeship for Child Development Specialist (ACDS) certification. I am registered on the STARS Career Pathway and continue ongoing education. I have worked with young children since high school in recreational and educational settings. I absolutely loved teaching toddlers to ice skate! It was one of the first experiences I had that made me excited to teach young children. I hold a degree in English and have special interest in early literacy and language development. I have also worked as an after school caretaker, a Reading Aide, and a Toddler Teacher. My goals as a teacher are to continue learning; to help provide an emotionally safe and stimulating environment; to nurture children's self-esteem; and to encourage a love of learning.
I am originally from central Maryland, and since 2005, I've been happy to call West Virginia home. My husband and I run a non-profit cat rescue and adoption program called "Friends of the Four-Legged and Furry," which continues to grow. Our hope is to one day have a shelter so that we can do more for the homeless cats in the area.
I look forward to working with the children at Little Bear and helping to make their first experiences positive!
