School At North Decatur Preschool and Prek Staff

Our Staff

Our staff is dedicated to providing a rich learning environment to each child every day. SAND currently has 21 teachers, including a music & movement teacher, an atelierista, an outdoor education teacher and a literacy specialist. Each classroom has a lead teacher and at least one assistant. All of our staff follow the Reggio philosophy and are CPR First Aid and Safe Sanctuary certified. Our staff members are also required to take an additional 10 training hours every year.

Emily Howard

Director

Emily is the Director of SAND. She joined SAND in 2011 as a 2's teacher and has over 20 years experience working in preschools. Emily grew up in Atlanta but spent time as an organic farmer and instructor at UMN in New Mexico. Emily has a B.A. in English and History and loves the Reggio Emilia approach to education. Her own creativity, coupled with an enthusiasm for a Reggio-inspired approach to teaching, provides an exciting foundation for the programs at SAND. In her spare time, Emily raises chickens, loves gardening and quilting.

Bible Park

Atelierista

Jonathan Smith

Family Ministry NDUMC

"When a child takes your hand and shows you the world as they see it, know that you have been given

a priceless gift"

Emily H.

Jerilynn Bedingfield

Outdoor Education

As an Outdoor Educator, Jerilynn oversees the most important component of our preschoool - the outdoor classrooms! Her experience and skills include Master Gardener, designer and herbalist. Having led garden education programs in local schools and the Wylde Center she is the perfect fit for SAND! And, she co-leads our Pre-K class too!

Julie Seckman

Music

Stacy Cleveland

Inclusion

Julie Seckman

Assistant Director

Julie is the Assistant Director of SAND. With a B.A. in Communication Arts, Julie worked in video production for almost 20 years before changing course and following a dream of working with children. She has been active at N. Decatur UMC since 2006, and joined the SAND staff in 2014 after working 8 years as a preschool paraprofessional. She enjoys music, hiking, reading and spending time with her family.