Little Oak Staff

​Amy Schroeder brings over 20 years of experience in early childhood education and administration. She holds a Master’s in Counseling and Education Administration and is credentialed at the highest level (Administrative Level 4) by MSDE. A respected leader in the field, Amy has earned state and county recognition, including MD EXCELS Level 5 and MSDE accreditation for nearly two decades. Passionate about creating nurturing, developmentally appropriate environments, she partners closely with families to support every child’s success.

Amy lives in Annapolis with her husband, enjoys reading, needlepoint, and time by the water, and is the proud mom of two grown children.

Kelly Baumgartner holds a B.A. in Business Management from Gettysburg College. She brings experience in both education and business to her role, having served as the Office Manager at a preschool for six years. Prior to that, she spent two years assisting with student evaluations in the classroom. Before transitioning into early childhood education, Kelly worked in event planning and at a mutual fund company.
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Kelly lives in Ellicott City with her husband, Trevor, and their two children, Hayden and Max. Outside of work, Kelly enjoys cheering on her kids at their many sporting events, walking her two rescue dogs, reading, and traveling with her family.

Sarah has worked as a preschool teacher for 12 years. 11 years were spent guiding two year olds through what was typically their first school experience, at Mount Hebron Nursery School. The 12th year, Sarah was at St. Alphonsus Nursery School teaching a 3 year old class and working at St. Johns Lane Elementary as a permanent building substitute. Here at LONS, Sarah returns to where her heart is, with two year olds. Sarah has a BA from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia. She has 2 sons, one who is a freshman at Arcadia University where he will play basketball. Her younger son will graduate in 2026 and plays basketball at Mt. Hebron High School. Sarah enjoys watching basketball, gardening, the beach and being with her family. Sarah also is very handy and has an extensive tool collection which she loves to use to do home and work projects.

Before coming on board as a LONS Educator, Andrea dedicated 9 years of teaching in the 2 year old program at Mt. Hebron Nursery School.  She spent 2 years as a parent, eventually becoming a member of the MHNS Parent Group Board and Chairperson of games for their Annual Spring Fair.  Recently, she was a substitute teacher for the Howard County Public Schools and worked as an assistant in a first grade classroom for Resurrection-St Paul School.  Andrea spent 12 years in the classroom teaching 1st and 2nd grade and as a reading reduction teacher in Baltimore County and in the state of Georgia. She holds a BA in Early Childhood Education from Towson and a Masters in Reading from Walden University.  Andrea enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.

Karen, former teacher at Mt. Hebron Nursery School, has taught Nursery School for 14 years with experience in 2s, 3s, and 4s. Karen is also a former HCPSS 1st and 2nd grade teacher.
She holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and a teaching certificate as well as a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Towson University. Karen and her husband, Bob have been married for 27 years and have 4 children. Karen is a passionate advocate for oncology patient care and breast cancer awareness. She enjoys watching her kids play sports, reading, riding her Peloton bike and going to the beach with her family.

Lindsay grew up in Howard County and worked with the Mt. Hebron Nursery School team for 6 years.  Lindsay has taught 1st and 5th grade and was also a Reading Specialist K-5 for 3 years.  She holds a degree in Elementary Education from Towson University and a Master's Degree from McDaniel College, in Reading.  Lindsay is happily married with four children.  She loves traveling with her family, running, sports, coaching, teaching and reading, and she is excited for the next chapter at LONS!

Molly has 28 years of experience in Early Childhood education. She had taught at Mt. Hebron Nursery School in the 2-day and 3-day 3-year-old programs for 25 of those years. Prior to MHNS, she was a teacher in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District in Pennsylvania for three years. She holds a BS in Special Education from King's College, PA.  Molly is married and has three daughters. She is also a proud Grandma of four grandchildren! Molly enjoys spending time with her family, summer vacationing at the beach, reading and walking her two dogs.

Ashley has 6 years of experience teaching kindergarten and first grade in Howard County and has spent the last 12 years raising four kids. She has a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Frostburg State University and a Masters Degree in Reading Education from Towson University. Ashley is married with four children ages 12, 10, 8, 6 and lives in Eldersburg. Her hobbies include cooking, exercising, walking, volunteering in church kids ministry, watching her kids play sports, and playing games with her family. She loves to make learning fun and relatable so kids are excited and curious about the world.

Lindsay is a Howard County native and spent the past three years as part of Mt. Hebron Nursery School’s lead teaching staff in the 5 day 4s program. Lindsay formerly taught Kindergarten for six years, including five years in the Howard County Public School System and a year in Wake County, NC. Lindsay earned a BA in Early Childhood Education along with a Masters in Reading Education, from Towson University. Lindsay relocated back home to Maryland in the Fall of 2017 with her husband Kris, and two daughters, Everly and Layla. She enjoys reading, cooking, crafting, traveling, and spending time with her family. Lindsay is excited to be a part of the LONS Team.

After teaching for more than two decades at Mount Hebron Nursery School, Marielena is excitedly stepping out of retirement to join the Little Oak Nursery School staff on a part time basis. She has a BA in English and Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Before originally joining our team, she taught in the Charlotte Mecklenburg school system and various preschool programs. Marielena is married to Steve and has two sons, Matt and Richard, along with daughter-in-law, Maria. She loves reading, cooking, classic design, children's literature and music.

Debbie brings over 20 years of experience in early childhood education to Little Oak Nursery School. A former Mt. Hebron Nursery School parent, she also served on the MHNS Parent Board. Debbie holds a BA in Early Childhood Education from Hood College and an MS in Early Childhood Special Education from Johns Hopkins University. She taught Kindergarten in Montgomery County, where she grew up, for nine years. After starting her family, Debbie spent 14 years teaching 4-year-olds in Howard County, including four years at Mt. Hebron Nursery School. Debbie is married and has two children. She enjoys traveling, watching movies, and playing games with her family.

Sara is the 4 Day 4’s Co-Lead Teacher at Little Oak Nursery School. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Towson University and has experience working with a variety of ages, including assisting in a 3-year-old classroom and teaching 2nd and 3rd grade. While she has enjoyed many age groups, the preschool years have truly captured her heart.

Sara believes in creating a classroom where children feel safe, supported, and excited to learn. She enjoys incorporating hands-on activities, imaginative play, and creative projects that encourage curiosity and confidence. Outside of school, Sara enjoys spending time with her two sons, baking, event planning, artistic expression, and all things Disney and history. She looks forward to partnering with families for a year full of growth and learning.

Alison graduated from Indiana University with a BA of Science in Kinesiology with a focus on Health and Physical Education (K-12). She has six years of teaching experience and five years coaching various sports. Alison started teaching preschool in 2016 once her daughter, Sydney started Kindergarten. Alison found her dream job at Mt. Hebron Nursery School with Director Amy Schroeder as the PE teacher. She is married to Mitchell, who is a Captain in the US Navy. Alison loves spending time with her family and friends, playing tennis, soccer and shopping at TJMaxx.

Jen is excited to be a part of the Little Oak Nursery School team! Jen worked as a center aide for two years and loves working with young children.  She has a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola University in Baltimore. Jen and her husband, Kevin, have four sons and a golden doodle dog. Jen loves spending time with family and friends.  She also enjoys swimming and pickleball and has recently tried to learn Mahjong and Spanish.

Stuart started working in 2009 as an assistant teacher with special needs preschool children in a Regional Early Childcare Center (Howard County Public Schools). Stuart has also held assistant teacher, as well as lead teacher positions in private preschools. She was an assistant teacher at Mt. Hebron Nursery School for three years. Her love of children led her to obtain her 90-hour Child Care Certification. In addition, she holds a BA in Spanish from Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C. Stuart is married to John, and has three children, Ally, Andrew, and Ashley. During her free time, she likes walking, reading, watching sporting events and going to the beach in the summer with family and friends.

Michelle has been an assistant teacher since 2018. She worked at Mt. Hebron Nursery School for 6 years, and 1 year at St. Alphonsus.  She holds a BA in Communications from American University. She and her husband Doug have four children. Michelle loves traveling, exercising and spending time with her family.

Anne was an assistant teacher in the 5-day 4s program at Mount Hebron Nursery School for 12 years. She holds a BA in English from Washington & Lee University and an MA in English from the University of Maryland. Anne and her husband have three children. They also have 2 rescue dogs to keep them busy. Anne enjoys reading, swimming, gardening, and volunteering.

Jen most recently worked at Mt. Hebron Nursery School as part of the Early Learning Assessment support staff. Prior to that role, she taught Spanish in both Baltimore County and Howard County Public Schools. Jen holds a BA in Secondary Education from the University of Maryland and earned her MA in School Counseling from Loyola University of Maryland.

Jen and her husband, Darren, have two children, Olivia and Dylan. In her free time, she enjoys reading, photography, traveling with her family, and spending time with her dogs, Phoebe and Sophie.

Peggy is beginning her 45th year in education and brings a wealth of experience to Little Oak Nursery School. She has taught in Lexington, Virginia, and in the Howard County Public School System, and most recently served as an assistant teacher at Mt. Hebron Nursery School from fall 2020 through spring 2024. Peggy holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Towson University and a Master of Science in Elementary Education with a focus in Teacher Leadership from Johns Hopkins University.

Peggy has been married to her husband, Kevin, for 43 years, and they have a daughter, Brittany. Peggy enjoys reading, shopping, walking, exercising, dining out, and spending time with family and friends. She also loves cheering on the Orioles, Ravens, and NASCAR.

Barbara has been working in early childhood education since 2010 and brings a wide range of experience to Little Oak Nursery School. During her time in the classroom, she has worked with all age groups and was a founding member of the school’s summer camp programs at Mt. Hebron Nursery School. Barbara has served in multiple roles, including assistant teacher, enrichment teacher, substitute, and P.E. teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics, Business, and Finance from Mount Saint Mary’s University and has her 90-hour Child Care Certification.

Barbara is married to her husband, Mike, and has three grown children, Mikey, Caitlin, and Jack. She enjoys reading, practicing yoga, spending time at the beach, and caring for her dachshund, Stewie. Barbara looks forward to meeting new families and reconnecting with familiar ones.

Aimee worked as a volunteer at Mt. Hebron Nursery School since 2013, after volunteering continuously for any position available it became apparent that her love of children and nurturing attitude would be a natural fit. As a mother of three (Zachary, Cecilia and William) she has years of on the job training. After attending Broome Community College in Binghamton, NY for Business Management she and her husband moved to Gainesville, Georgia for 5 years before finally settling in Ellicott City in 2011. Aimee has been married to Matt since 2001 and enjoys reading, volunteering, and anything having to do with children. Aimee finds joy in connecting with children and can’t wait to watch them learn and grow while at Little Oak Nursery School.

Lindsay brings creativity and enthusiasm to her role at Little Oak Nursery School. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from the University of Maryland, College Park. Lindsay lives in Sykesville with her husband, Tony, and their son, Cody. After meeting at the University of Maryland, Lindsay and Tony spent seven years living in Honolulu, Hawaii, before returning to Maryland in 2016. Cody attended Mt. Hebron Nursery School and was fortunate to learn from many of the Little Oak Nursery School teachers during his early years.

Outside of the classroom, Lindsay enjoys watercolor painting and graphic design. She volunteers on the PTA board at her son’s school, supporting social media efforts and helping plan community events. As a family, they enjoy spending time at the beach, playing outside, and visiting local arcades.

Laurie worked at Mt. Hebron Nursery school for 12 years as a lead teacher in the 5-day 4 year old and 4 day 4 year old programs.  She taught kindergarten for 11 years in Baltimore County Public Schools and substitute in Howard County Public Schools.  Laurie holds an AA from Villa Julie College and both a BS and MS in Early Childhood Education from Towson University.  She has been married to Bob since 1989 and has three sons.  Laurie enjoys biking, tennis, pickleball, gardening and spending time with her family.

Sharon has 29 years in the field of Early Childhood Education. She taught Kindergarten for 10 years at Arbutus Elementary School before staying home with her children. In 2004 she returned to the classroom at Mt. Hebron Nursery School where she worked for 19 years teaching art, 4s, 3s, coordinating Discovery Clubs and doing program and staff support as an Early Childhood Consultant. Sharon holds both a BA in Early Childhood Education and an MA in Education from Towson University.

Sharon is married and has three daughters that are grown and married. She has two grandsons and two granddaughters. She enjoys spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren, crafts, the beach and reading. Sharon is very excited to be a part of this new opportunity to serve preschool children and their families at Little Oak Nursery School!

Terry began her career as an assistant teacher in 2009 and served in that role for 14 years. Most recently, she worked at the Church of the Resurrection in their Preschool Before Care Program. Terry holds a Bachelor of Science in Speech and Language Therapy from Penn State University.

Terry is married and has two children, both of whom attended Mt. Hebron Nursery School, as well as a son-in-law. She enjoys reading, walking her dog Rooney, traveling with her family, and attending Penn State football games whenever possible.

Janel brings 15 years of experience as an assistant teacher at Mt. Hebron Nursery School. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Montclair State University in New Jersey and has earned her 90-hour Child Care Certification.

Janel has been married to her husband, Richard, since 2000, and they have two children, Madison and Andrew. In her free time, Janel enjoys reading, walking and jogging, spending time with her family, and going to the beach during the summer with family and friends.