Our Staff

I have worked with children in the school setting and home setting for over 25 years. Before coming to STP, I worked for the Intermediate Unit with children with Autism, as a Behavior Specialist. I worked in many school districts throughout Delaware and Montgomery County. I am originally from Pittsburgh, PA (Go Steelers!) and moved to the Philadelphia area in 1998. I live in Lafayette Hill with my husband, Chris, my daughter, Alexis and my son, CJ and our dogs. CJ attended STP for three years, starting in the three year old class.

My interests outside of work are running to clear my head and family time. I spend most of my weekends moving from activity to activity with my children and my husband. We travel back to Pittsburgh often and now to Rochester, NY where my family now resides. I chose this school for my son because of the nurturing and loving environment. The teachers are what makes this school so special. I am blessed to have been a parent here and now to be the Director of an extraordinary place like STP.

Interesting fact: I am a triplet! Three girls, not identical, though!

My love for children is what brought me to St. Thomas’ Preschool. I began as the cooking teacher in 2008 and my position has changed to Administrative Assistant. In this role I assist Shari with greeting our wonderful families each day, tours, lunch bunch, subbing (my favorite) and all things STP!

I am incredibly proud of our sweet little school which offers a warm & loving environment to our families. My husband, David, is a professional musician and we are parents to 3 daughters. Sophie, and Annabelle. My favorite activities involve being together as a family, whether we are at the beach or just hanging out together! My background is in Early Childhood Education, graduating w/ a BS in 1990 . I have worked in public school, special education, Directed a pre-school, and even had an ESL tutoring business in Palisades Park , NJ. My favorite position to date is being a mom to Sophie, Sade & Annabelle! STP is truly a wonderful place to call “work”. The teachers and staff all work together to make sure that we are the special first school experience that children need.

Born and raised in Paris, Tennessee. Graduated from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, where I also met my husband, Jim. I have two girls: Taylor, and Paige, (both came through St. Thomas’). My family and I live in Plymouth Meeting. Before coming to St. Thomas, I was involved in all areas of Banking from Secondary Marketing to Mortgage Processing.

What I love most about St. Thomas’ is the children and their families. I love the beginning of the year when the children come into the school. They are so young and I get to see them grow and mature throughout the year. I also love getting to know all the families. I am so appreciative of all they do for St. Thomas’.

My interests outside of St. Thomas’ are eating out, shopping, antiquing, going to the beach and doing things with my family.

I have been employed at St. Thomas’ for over twenty years. I am presently teaching in the Blue Pre-K, and have also taught in the twos, the three, and four-year-old classrooms. Working with young children is challenging but also very rewarding. What I love most about my job is watching a child grow physically, emotionally and developmentally throughout the year. At the end of the school year, you see a completely different child than at the beginning. That has always been very exciting to me.

My favorite thing about working at St. Thomas’ is getting to know all the wonderful families that come to our school. I look forward to meeting new families each year and developing a relationship with them and their children.

Before I came to St. Thomas’, I worked with emotionally disturbed teens and children with learning disabilities. I have two daughters, Courtney and Brooke.

I have been teaching at STP since 2000. What wonderful years! The children, parents and staff are what make STP such a special place.

Some of my interests outside of work include gardening, reading and enjoying a variety of music (especially Irish). All three of my sons are alumni of St. Thomas’ Preschool.

I truly feel blessed to be able to go to work every day and absolutely love what I do!!!

I am a graduate of Loyola University, MD with a BA in Business Management. I am a native of Fort Washington, PA and I’m so happy to be living with my husband, Ed, and raising our three daughters in the town where I grew up. Ed and I lived in Connecticut when we were first married and moved back to Fort Washington in 2005. We have three daughters: Aileen, Kelly and Amanda.  Kelly & Amanda both attended STP and Aileen attended STP Summer Camp. My daughters and I still love talking about all the wonderful memories they have from their time at STP.  While my girls were at STP, I enjoyed the opportunity to help as a substitute in the 2’s, 3’s & 4’s. I was also able to serve on the STP Board of Directors and Co-Chair the STP Gala.

Outside of St. Thomas, my interests are playing tennis, attending my daughters’ sporting events, and travel (although with 3 girls I don’t get to do the travel as often as I’d like 😉 ). Ever since my daughters graduated from STP, I have hoped that someday I would have the chance to be a part of the incredible community of teachers! This new path in life is truly a dream come true for me and I can’t wait to share my dream with all the sweet preschoolers at STP!

“Wake up every day with the thought that something WONDERFUL is about to happen.” Teaching children is that WONDERFUL for me. I graduated from the University Of Delaware majoring in Elementary Ed, got a job at Methacton School District and then continued onto Penn State where I received my Masters. Teaching 1st and 3rd grades for a total of 20 years was amazing, but I decided to resign to be home with my children, Gavin and Claire.

STP is now my new home. I began teaching the yoga and movement classes and fell in love. As my children head off to full-time school, I’m ready for a classroom again. I’m thrilled to get the opportunity to teach and see what kind of magic we can bring to the three-year-olds! In my “down time,” you can find me relaxing by the pool or beach with my husband, Gary, and our kids, reading an awesome new book, or teaching fitness classes.

I was born and raised in the area, attended both Springside School and Drexel University.  I am high energy, compassionate and I love connecting with children of all ages.

I have been teaching in the area for over 15 years and I have experience working closely with all ages of children.  I come from a large family (a few who are St. Thomas Alum).  I pride myself on making family time one of my main priorities.  I also enjoy baking, road trips, and hunting down the best ice cream shops!

I truly feel each year I get to teach is special.  I’m grateful to have ended up at St. Thomas and feel blessed to be surrounded and supported by such an amazing community.  I’m looking forward to many years here at St. Thomas!

I graduated with a BS in Elementary/Early Childhood Education from Penn State. Following graduation, I worked in various facets of the field including Special Education, substitute teaching, tutoring and teaching preschool. I left teaching after I gave birth to my oldest son and decided to stay home full-time to raise my children. I am ready to head back into the classroom. I was thrilled when the opportunity to teach at St. Thomas’ came my way!

My youngest 2 children attended St. Thomas’ starting in the 3-year-old room. I could immediately feel the warm, welcoming and nurturing environment that is St. Thomas’ Preschool! My kids loved their time at St. Thomas’ and still talk about all of the fun memories they made, awesome activities they engaged in and loving teachers they had while here.

I currently live in Fort Washington with my husband of 22 years, Dave, and our 6 children, Nais, Ella, Hayden, Quinn, Keaton and Roan. When my kids are not keeping me busy, I enjoy walking, being outside (preferably at the beach!), doing crafts and relaxing and watching movies with my family.

I am so excited to get back into the classroom and meet all of the wonderful families of St. Thomas’!

I am incredibly excited to be a part of the STP community!  I graduated from Temple University in May 2022 with my BFA in dance and a minor in Political Science.  While at Temple, I worked with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions as a tour guide and was the commencement speaker at the university wide and Boyer’s commencements.

I started working with 3-6 year olds when i was fourteen and have spent nine summers working with 3-6 year olds at Cedar Grove Park Summer Camp.  I feel so happy and blessed to be with your children.

In my free time I love to exercise, spend time with my family and friends, and watch Philadelphia sports!

Hi, I am a graduate of Penn State University with a BS in Marketing. St. Thomas’ has been home to our family since we moved back to Philadelphia in 1999. Mark and I have been married for 27 years. We have 3 children: Ian, Emily and Connor. All of them attended STP and summer camp. We all have fond memories of our time at STP Connor, our youngest, is on the autism spectrum. STP and the wonderful teachers and families stood by our side as we learned behavior therapies. Today, Connor is thriving. We are forever grateful for the patience, love, and support he received at STP.

Besides being a mom, I am 500-hour certified yoga instructor. Yoga has been in my life for years. I was certified in 2008 and will continue my passion for teaching as the yoga and movement teacher. I look forward to sitting, breathing, and moving with your children!

I am so thankful for STP and I am humbled and honored to join the team.

I am thrilled to be back in the classroom, especially at St. Thomas’ Preschool. My kids spent their preschool years here and we all found a loving community of teachers and parents dedicated to creating a nurturing environment for learning and growing. It is truly a special place! Having taught 4th and 5th Grades and coached high school crew locally at Chestnut Hill Academy and the Springside School (now SCH) for 11 years, I took time off from teaching to raise my kids. Now that they are in elementary school, I’m excited to be teaching again, though my students are significantly younger!

I love teaching these little people and witnessing their daily growth; they are full of questions and curiosity with boundless energy and imagination. It is so fun to see them take on their world and become explorers and learners in the Orange Tiger classroom.

Outside of STP, I love to be with my wildly creative husband Jay and my two energetic kids. Aside from the usual sports practices and afterschool activities, we all enjoy working with our hands and making things from scratch whether it’s a batch of cookies or a costume, a painting or a project. We love to be outdoors especially on, in, or near the water and prefer a beach to nearly any other destination.

Hi, my name is Malia Paladino, and I am so excited to work at St Thomas’ Preschool. For over 20 years, I have been married to my wonderful husband, Anthony, and a mom to three children: Luc, Bella and Giacomo.

In addition to my 20+ years of service to my husband and children, I have a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Child Psychology from Drexel University. After graduation, I earned my teaching certificate in grades K-8 in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and I worked for many years as a classroom teacher. More recently, I have enjoyed being a nanny for children from STP, and I have also tutored many children in the local community for the past several years. I love sharing my love of kids and education STP. I am looking forward to fun, laughter, and learning with your children.

I am thrilled to join STP among amazing students and dedicated, positive staff. St. Thomas’ was my son’s first introduction to school and he was excited to go every day. I aim to instill that same love of learning in a nurturing environment for my students.

After taking time off to raise my 2 children through their preschool years, I began subbing at STP where I enjoyed it from the start and felt it was a good fit for me, so when a full time position became available, I was happy to step in. The preschool years are so precious and fun and knowing that I have an impact on the lives of children makes teaching so rewarding. I look forward to watching my students grow academically, socially and emotionally in a place where it seems to happen almost naturally.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and attending my kids’ sporting events, trying out new restaurants, going for walks and traveling.

I feel so blessed to be at teacher at STP! My three children (Gavin, Maggie & Tucker) have recently matriculated through St. Thomas’ and each has had their own wonderful & unique experience. It is so rewarding to be on the other side and to have been given the opportunity to empower children to grow through positive learning experiences in play and nature. I am in awe of the wonder and excitement that the children possess and it is what makes teaching so fun!

I love being outdoors, running, yoga and spending time with my family. Thrilled to be a part of the St. Thomas’ family. Looking forward to a great year!

I could not be more excited to have the opportunity to teach three year olds at STP! I’ve been a stay at home Mom for the last eleven years. My youngest son Brendan attended St. Thomas’ and has had a fabulous experience. To be able to be a part of this loving and caring community is very special to me.

I earned my bachelors degree from Virginia Tech and my masters degree in Elementary Education from Chestnut Hill College. I worked as a consultant before switching career gears and becoming an elementary school teacher. I love being back in the classroom and I am having a blast seeing the Red Pandas grow. I hope they come to love school as much as I do. My husband and I live in Lafayette Hill with our four kids and chocolate lab. My interests outside of school are: reading, running, yoga, and relaxing on the beach.

I feel so very fortunate that my love of children and return to teaching has brought me to St. Thomas’ Preschool. Since starting in September 2018, I learned rather quickly that it is a special, magical place, both for a teacher and for the children that attend.

After graduating from Gwynedd Mercy University with a degree in Elementary Education, I taught and coached at Germantown Academy for three years. At that time, my husband, Jim and I started our family and went on to raise our 5 daughters. Once they were launched, I returned to teaching in the Lower School at Springside, now Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, in 2000 and continued until 2008 when our first grandchild arrived.

Now another 9 grandchildren later, working at St. Thomas’ to teach the 3 yr. old class, the Purple Owls, is a perfect balance. Developmentally, it is such a wonderful age to be a part of in these little peoples’ lives.

Besides spending time with our grandchildren that are scattered between Vermont and Philadelphia, I enjoy long walks, gardening, sewing and cooking.

I’m extremely excited to be working at St. Thomas for my second year.  I love the STP community as both a mom and a teacher!  I have a son named Heath who is in the Green Geckos.

I’m coming from Plymouth Meeting Friends School.  I also taught environmental education for a few year in Florida, Maryland, and Costa Rica.  Most of my professional career was working at the Department of the Interior headquarters in DC as an Environmental Protection Specialist.  My favorite hobbies are cooking, hiking the Wissahickon and yoga!

When I’m not teaching at St. Thomas I have a small gardening business in the Wyndmoor/Chestnut Hill area.  I also do traveling garden workshops for adults and children alike.  I love combining my passion for teaching and gardening when I teach STEAM camp at St. Thomas in the summer.

I’m really looking forward to meeting all the new STP families this year as well as strengthening all the existing bonds I began last year!

I am so happy to be part of the STP community!

I was born and raised in Lower Gwynedd.  I am a graduate of Temple University with a BA in Marketing.  Prior to starting my family, I worked at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center.  After becoming a mom of three boys (Cooper, Wyatt, and Penn), I took time off to stay home with them, as well as start a floral and event design company.

My family and I fell in love with STP and its community when my eldest son started in the two year old classroom in 2018.  My other two boys followed suit, and all of them have made such amazing memories here.  Along the way, I started subbing and found that I just simply had to be a part of it!  I love working with children and even more making an impact on their lives.

When I am not at school, I enjoy spending time with all of my boys and pup Reggie, hiking at Forbidden Drive, watching my kiddos play sport, going to the beach, and snowboarding.

I am so excited to give your kids a fun and exciting place to play and learn!

I am very excited to have the opportunity to be working at STP!  Both my boys are currently at STP and we love the community!  We love the “learn through play” approach of this school which really allows the kids to explore and learn new things the fun way!  I have my associates degree but have been a stay at home mom the last 5 years.  I have worked at a few daycares/camps growing up and I really enjoy teaching these little ones.

My family and I love exploring new outdoor attractions, hiking different trails, and we especially enjoy finding new parks and park hopping when we have a free day.

Outside of St. Thomas, I love being with my family, traveling and going on day trips (although not nearly as often since having our boys), doing lots of DIY projects around our home, and trying new restaurants.

I’m looking forward to having a great year!!!

I am so excited to be part of the STP family and teaching the 2 Year Olds in the Grey Elephants!

For over 10 years, I worked in Commericial Real Estate (where I met my husband Dave), before making the decision to be a stay-at-home for my children Jack & Erin.

Prior to joining the STP team, I worked in administration for an Elementary School  in CSD for three years. I also spent several years teaching a 3 year old class at another preschool in the area. Being apart of those schools helped me realize working with children is where my heart is.

I love running, the beach, watching my kids play sports, and football Sundays with my family!  

I am learning very quickly how special STP is, and feel so lucky to be apart of it.