Meet the Team

Principia’s Early Childhood Program

The hallmarks of excellent, high-quality early education are grounded in the educators’ knowledge of how children learn, the flexibility to respond to the individual needs of each child and family, and an understanding of the vital importance of building relationships in supporting a young child’s development. Research has shown that children who attend high-quality early childhood programs are better prepared to be successful in school and future careers. During these critical early learning years, qualified early childhood professionals accelerate how our children learn, develop, and build the skills necessary to get along with others and succeed in school and life. A highly qualified early childhood educator—one who knows how to create a dynamic, accountable learning environment—is at the center of a high-quality early learning experience.

Unlike most childcare centers, Principia School is fortunate to have dedicated early childhood professionals who participate in continued professional development every week. They have adopted professional and curriculum standards and implement effective instructional strategies at all levels of the program.

Let’s meet Principia’s Early Childhood Professionals and hear what they love about working with young children.

Dorothy Halverson, MEd and MA in Educational Leadership
Early Childhood Principal

Dorothy Halverson serves as the Early Childhood Principal at Principia School, where she has devoted 35 years to nurturing young learners. After teaching in the Preschool Junior Kindergarten program for 16 years, she now leads the infant through preschool classes and provides parenting education to Principia’s Acorn families. Dorothy cherishes time with her family, enjoys walking, traveling, baking, and finding ways to help others. Her deep commitment to Principia’s mission is reflected in her desire to see each child as whole, perfect, and complete. She finds profound joy in laying a strong foundation for Christian living and a meaningful educational journey.

Christie Dearborn, Administrative Assistant
Christie is thrilled to serve full-time as the Early Childhood Administrative Assistant at Principia. She brings over 12 years of valuable experience in education, including five years of meaningful contributions to our school community. Outside of work, Christie enjoys planning family adventures. Her favorite moments at Principia are the daily interactions with our wonderful students and teachers. She loves seeing their bright smiles and joyful energy as they head from one activity to the next, always ready with a wave, a hug, or a kind word. 

Jodi Kent, Lead Teacher
Jodi brings a heartfelt dedication to her role as Lead Acorn Teacher at the Early Learning Center, where she is entering her fourth year of nurturing young minds. With a lifelong passion for education and a commitment to meeting every child where they are, Jodi has found her calling in guiding the precious one- through three-year-olds through their formative years. She is deeply inspired by the incredible growth and development that characterizes this stage of early childhood. She finds joy and fulfillment in witnessing each child's unique journey of discovery and learning, fostering an environment where every infinite idea can flourish. Outside of her teaching role, Jodi enjoys exploring nature on long walks in the woods with her dog, Mako, hosting family game nights, and playing pickleball. Jodi feels honored to contribute to a program with a strong foundation in Christian Science, where she integrates her passion for education with values that resonate deeply with her personal beliefs.

Melody Baillargeon, Assistant Teacher
Entering her tenth year working at Principia, Melody brings a passion for teaching as the Assistant Acorn Teacher. Outside the classroom, Melody finds joy in exploring the world through reading, writing, and family travels. A nature enthusiast, she embraces hiking adventures and cherishes quality time playing board games with loved ones. Melody's favorite aspect of working at Principia is the unwavering belief in the boundless potential of every child, guided by a recognition of their innate goodness.

Meredith Pratt, Lead Teacher
Meredith teaches the Polliwogs class and has been teaching at the Principia Early Learning Center for five years. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and is a professional photographer, capturing the many milestones of her clients' lives. Meredith’s favorite part about working at Principia is getting to nurture the babies as they develop as individual ideas of God. She believes teaching at a Christian Science school has been an amazing privilege, and she is so grateful to witness the limitless love and joy of our youngest students.

Gaby Quintero, Assistant Teacher
Gaby is excited to join the Polliwogs infant classroom as an assistant teacher. She recently graduated from Principia College with a degree in education. For the past two summers, she has worked with Principia’s summer program and loved the warm environment and watching the children grow. Gaby is originally from Colombia and was inspired to pursue early childhood education by her mom, who runs a kindergarten back home. She enjoys playing tennis, crocheting, and spending time with friends. Gaby is grateful to be part of a community that supports spiritual growth and reflects her values.

Heather Hill, Lead Teacher
Heather brings her passion for education to the one-year-old classroom as the Lead Teacher. Hailing from the Florida Gulf Coast, she is dedicated to environmental conservation in her local community. Her husband works on Anna Maria Island, and together they support their 16-year-old daughter. Heather finds great fulfillment in her role here, where the community's shared love for God is expressed through love and humility every day.

Nargis Forber-Pratt, Assistant Teacher
Nargis enjoys teaching some of the youngest students at Principia and brings a wealth of warmth and dedication to her role. Originally born in India, she moved to the United States six years ago and is grateful for the opportunities she's found at Principia. Nargis comes from a large family, having grown up in a one-room house with 12 people, including her seven siblings, and is thrilled to welcome her parents to St. Louis. Nargis’s favorite part of working at Principia is nurturing our young children and finding joy in singing and playing with them.

Patti Matthys-Pearce, Lead Teacher
Patti teaches the Tadpoles 2 class and has been dedicated to the teaching field for 30 years, with 12 years at the Early Learning Center at Principia. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her family and dog, indulging in reading and learning, taking classes, and camping in the great outdoors. Patti's favorite part about working at Principia is witnessing each child as the whole and complete child of God, while expressing joy and love every day.

Cristina King, Assistant Teacher
Cristina is excited to join as an assistant teacher to the Tadpoles 2 class. She has taught at Principia for the last six years. Cristina attended Principia Upper School and College, and her two children are also part of the Principia Community.  Her daughter graduated from Principia Upper School in 2024, and her son is a Senior this year. Both of her children have attended Principia since they were in Acorn. Cristina loves to spend time with her children, take pictures, and try new recipes.  Principia has played a major role not only in her life but in her children’s lives as well.   She feels grateful to contribute to an organization she loves that shares her values and beliefs.

Leslie Hanlin, Assistant Teacher
Leslie has had a great love for children her whole life. She is known for her joy-filled singing and animated book reading, as well as her patience and understanding of the children’s needs. Leslie studied education at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, graduating with honors, a bachelor's degree in Elementary Ed, and a K–8 certificate. She has had a variety of experiences as an educator. She has worked as a professor in an associate degree program, subbed at the high school, middle school, lower school, and preschool levels, taught second grade in a public school, taught in a Chapter 1 remedial elementary classroom, and assisted in kindergarten before finding her favorite niche in Principia’s Early Childhood several years ago. She and her husband, Glenn, have two grown children who are both out of college, whom she loved homeschooling for four years of lower school. She sings for church and with the St. Louis Symphony in the Unison Gospel Chorus. When she is not working at the ELC in the summer, she serves as Director of the Sprouts program at CedarS Camps.

Rachael Ackermann, Lead Teacher
Rachael is an enthusiastic early childhood educator at Principia, teaching the two- and three-year-old children. Entering her fifth year at Principia, Rachael brings over 24 years of diverse experience working with children. She loves spending time outdoors with her two children, her friends, and her dog, enjoying activities like hiking, kayaking, biking, and gardening. Rachael is passionate about utilizing Principia's 360+ acres of property to empower children in their journey of self-discovery, independence, and imaginative exploration. She is dedicated to providing a loving environment where children can thrive and grow.

Melissa Hardy, Assistant Teacher
Melissa is excited to begin her sixth year as an Early Childhood educator and Assistant Teacher in the Frogs class. She has lived in the St. Louis area for quite some time, so Principia is very near and dear to her heart. She loves the individual, cherished relationships she builds with each child (and colleague), and is determined to foster them and watch them grow throughout the year. She feels fortunate to have worked with children ages two to six during her career at Principia and Berkeley Hall School in Los Angeles, California. She enjoys anything musical that will lift the spirit of the classroom and dabbles in performance art in her free time. She is excited to be in the toddler classroom once again and hopes to bring even more to the Reggio Emilia program this year. 

Nadine Terrell, Assistant Teacher
Nadine is delighted to be an Assistant Teacher in the lively two- to three-year-old Frogs classroom. As a parent of a five-year-old Principian, she deeply values our school's community. When she’s not in the classroom, you'll often find her outdoors, exploring the wonders of St. Louis with her family. She finds that being outside is essential and she cherishes the opportunities she gets to learn and grow together with her students outside.

Bridget Cathie, Lead Teacher 
Bridget has been a dedicated preschool teacher at Principia since 2019 and has been in the teaching field since 1997. She has three teenage children, and her family has lived in California, England, and Missouri. Bridget loves traveling the world and exploring new places. Her favorite part of working at Principia is engaging with the children on the beautiful campus and taking advantage of the numerous opportunities to interact with the physical surroundings and the vibrant community.

Brittany Watts, Assistant Teacher
Brittany is excited to be moving to the Preschool 3 classroom to teach with Bridget and Stephanie. With more than a decade of experience as a lead first-grade teacher at a private school in California and five years of substitute teaching in preschool, Brittany brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep passion for education to her new role. Teaching is truly her passion, and she is excited to share her love of learning with her students and help nurture lifelong learners in the Principia community.

Stephanie Summerlin, Assistant Teacher
Stephanie has had the joy of assisting in Preschool 3 for nine years. She loves being a part of our incredible program and helping the children learn and grow. When not teaching, Stephanie enjoys painting in her home art studio. She is happy to provide regular art experiences in the classroom and values the foundation in Christian Science that Mary Kimball Morgan established for the school. Stephanie looks forward to the new school year!

Lisa McCord, Lead Teacher
Lisa has been passionately teaching at Principia since 2011 and is very excited to step into the lead teacher role in Preschool 4. With a deep-rooted appreciation for the Christian Science foundation, she cherishes every moment guiding young minds to recognize their innate divinity. Beyond the classroom, Lisa's family finds joy in outdoor adventures, immersive reading sessions, and engaging in lively games. At Principia, she revels in the serene campus atmosphere and the warmth of the community, fostering an environment where each child is seen as the beloved child of God.

Laura Notrica, Assistant Teacher
Laura Notrica is an experienced early childhood educator with a deep passion for experiential learning, nature, and cultural exploration. She has a long history and rich background in teaching outdoor education, language, and creating creative curriculum design. She inspires young children to become curious, compassionate learners. Her approach blends structured guidance with open-ended exploration, encouraging critical thinking and joyful discovery. Laura’s diverse life experiences—from hiking the Himalayas to supporting children in immersive outdoor programs—fuel her commitment to nurturing whole-child development. She brings creativity, adaptability, and a sense of wonder to every learning environment she touches.

Katie Slecka, Assistant Teacher
Katie is brand new to Principia. She can't wait to bring her enthusiasm and creativity to this vibrant community. She and her loving husband, Jonathon, have been together for 18 years since meeting in high school. They live across the river in Illinois with their amazing daughter, Vivian. They enjoy tending to their vegetable garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and pumpkins. They spend lots of time with Vivian’s grandparents and her beloved great-grandma, creating treasured family moments. Katie loves crafting, including sewing, quilting, photography, and digital editing in Photoshop, which sparks her creativity.

Louise Elmgren, Early Childhood Atelierista, has been teaching art at several levels at Principia for 20 years. She finds joy in supporting young children as they discover beauty in the world around them, in themselves, and in each other. Outside of school, Louise enjoys visiting family on both coasts, taking walks in nature, and indulging her love for the ocean.