Teachers and Staff
Ms. Allison Falk Ribeiro
Bees (M-Tu-W) / Fireflies (Th-F),
Allison Falk Ribeiro has been a teacher for 37 years! Allison wanted to be a teacher since she was a little girl and helped her Mom in her Mom’s Kindergarten classroom. She always loved drawing, creating, investigating people and ideas, dolls, observing nature, dancing, singing, and reading! She used all of these interests to naturally, become a teacher. Allison grew up in a small town in South Jersey and went to James Madison University, where her love of working with children was confirmed into a Degree in Early Childhood Education. Allison went on to teach Head Start in FCPS for 32 years. working with not only the Prek Program but being on the team that began the Early Head Start Program in FCPS. Allison has taught second grade, third grade, K-3 Summer School, and Kindergarten! Allison has a great passion and love for teaching and working with families in need and from diverse backgrounds, making sure that they get a “Head Start” and are able to succeed in school and life. Allison studied at George Mason University to obtain three Graduate Degrees and also studied the Reggio Emilia Program after visiting the schools in 1995. Allison puts into practice all she has learned through her studies in Reggio and the Montessori and HIgh/Scope Methods. Allison’s motto is “Nothing Without Joy”, a motto from Loris Malaguzzi, the educational creator of the Reggio Emilia Approach. Allison has two sons who are the joys of her life, who are now 28 and 25 but whose childhoods informed her most precious memories. Allison maintains strong ties with her grown prek students and families, many of whom now have their own children.
Ms. Kirsten Howard
T,Th,F 3’s: Grasshoppers,
Kirsten Lee Howard, teacher of three year olds, has always wanted to teach! She holds a Master’s Degree in Teaching Students with Special Needs from Wheelock College in Boston, MA and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology (with an Elementary Education focus) from Connecticut College. Kirsten taught preschool, kindergarten, and first grade during nineteen years of teaching. She is also a certified Responsive Classroom teacher and trainer.Kirsten was born and raised in New England. She is an avid reader, an amateur gardener, and rewatches all episodes of Joss Whedon’s Firefly at least once a year. Kirsten bakes good muffins, loves to make play-doh, and has yet to find a chocolate chip cookie that she doesn’t like! Her son & daughter are ACPS alum!
Mrs. Jacquie Diedrick
MWF 3s: Ladybugs,
Jacquie Diedrick is the MWF 3s teacher. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education as well as a Master’s Degree in Literacy Education. Mrs. Diedrick has taught all over the country including, South Carolina, Ohio, Utah, and Alamaba. She found her passion for preschool last year and is so excited to continue working with three year olds at Annandale Co-Op this year! Jacquie also has two kids, a dog, and a great husband.
Mrs. Melissa Kuhn
M-Th 4’s: Spiders,
Melissa Kuhn, teacher of four- and five-year-olds, has a Master’s degree in Education (focus: Teaching and Learning) from Point Loma University and a Bachelor’s of Science in Education (focus: Early Childhood Education) from Miami University. She holds a Virginia teaching license with endorsements in elementary education and teaching English as a second language. Mrs. Kuhn has been teaching for 14 years. She’s been here in Virginia since 2009 teaching at Annandale Co-op (going on 4 years) and Arlington County Public Schools (5 years). Mrs. Kuhn has worked with just about every grade level from preschool to 5th, but early childhood education remains near and dear to her heart. She has two children — her son & daughter are ACPS graduates.
Mrs. Amy Quigley
M-F 4’s: Dragonflies,
Amy Quigley, teacher of four- and five-year-olds, has a degree in Elementary Education from East Tennessee State University. Mrs. Quigley taught preschool in Connecticut and Tennessee for over twelve years, seven of which were at a NAEYC accredited preschool. She has been a member of Annandale Cooperative Preschool since 2007, as a substitute teacher in the twos’, threes’, and fours’ classrooms, Personnel Director, President, and Membership Director. Mrs. Quigley has four children, three of whom are ACPS graduates.
Mrs. Marie Sloane
Director of Education,
Marie Sloane, Director of Education, has a Master of Science in Teaching from the University of Chicago and Certificate of Advanced Study in Early Childhood Administration from National Louis University. An early childhood educator for over twenty years, she has taught preschool through third grade, worked in administration, and served as a consultant. Mrs. Sloane is a published author and experienced presenter, with more than thirty presentations at local, regional, and national conferences.
Kate McEnerney
Administrative Assistant,
Kate McEnerney, administrative assistant, connected with the ACPS community in 2019 when her oldest child enrolled in the Fireflies. As a former high school English teacher and ACPS board member, she’s excited to join the staff in supporting the whole school this year. A Chicago native, Kate loves cheering on the Bears, finding her next book to read, and exploring local gems with her two sons.
Larissa Jackson
Floating Teacher,
As the Floating Teacher, Larissa Jackson supports all classrooms at ACPS. Her belief in educational opportunities for everyone has guided her path to working with learners of all ages. She has coordinated ESOL programs for adults throughout Northern Virginia, designed and implemented enrichment programming for middle and high school students in D.C., and served elementary and middle school communities in Fairfax County as a School Social Worker. Most recently she’s supported preschool learners as a co-oping parent at ACPS. Larissa has a fascination and love of learning and playing outdoors. You are likely to find her exploring alongside her ACPS friends, marveling at the wonders that surround us in our outdoor learning space. Larissa holds a Bachelor’s of Arts from the College of William and Mary and a Master’s of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University.
