Our Family

Passion. Experience. Trust.

Teacher Spotlight

Meet our team

Ms. Perla

Ms. Perla has devoted nine years to teaching at CDCW, starting as an assistant teacher before earning the Lead Forest teacher position four years ago. Working with 2-year-olds is her passion; they remind her each day of how beautiful and important the simplest moments can be. Ms. Perla is constantly inspired by the imagination and determination of the children she works with. Outside of CDCW, she cherishes moments with her family, including her seven-month-old daughter, Camilla, and her furry companion. Ms. Perla loves to travel, read, and explore the world through the pages of a good book!

Ms. Shelby

Born and raised in Richmond, VA, Ms. Shelby is the proud mother of two teenage boys, Miller kitty, and her dogs. Ms. Shelby has worked at CDCW for over 14 years as our Lead Junior Kindergarten teacher in the Desert room. In the words of Ms. Shelby, " I truly love working with this age group as they have such a thirst for learning. I get the best of both worlds with my job; I get to have fun every day and teach!". When Ms. Shelby isn't teaching or leading an exciting celebration at CDCW, you can probably find her going all out and decorating for the next holiday!!

Ms. Donna

Ms. Donna has been teaching at CDCW for 18 years, and has been the Lead Teacher in the Jungle Room for 17 years. She has three grown children and says raising them was her greatest joy. Ms. Donna reveals that, "Working with 4 year olds can be challenging, but also extremely rewarding!". In addition to being a Lead Teacher, Ms. Donna is the Health and Safety Assistant which allows her to assist administration with the policies and procedures that help CDCW maintain a safe and healthy environment. When Ms. Donna is not at school, you can likely find her relaxing at the beach, watching the sunset.

Ms. Carol

Ms. Carol is one of CDCW's original employees and has been a part of our family for over 25 years! Ms. Carol started the first day CDCW opened as a lead teacher in our preschool program and has advanced to her current position as the Art Specialist at CDCW. Ms. Carol runs an outstanding art program in the Avenues building with both our preschool and afterschool children. Ms. Carol has two beautiful grandchildren that bring her joy each day. She also has a passion for quilting and will never turn down an invitation for tea!

Ms. Suhani

Suhani is a proud mom of two wonderful boys, a dog and three chatty parrots! When she's not juggling mom duties, you'll catch her knee-deep in her favorite pastime: creating art. Whether it's crafting with wood, molding clay, or painting with vibrant oils, she's all about unleashing her creativity! Ms. Suhani is a teacher in our Junior Kindergarten class. Her love for teaching runs deep—probably because it runs in the family! With both her mom and sister being teachers back in India, Suhani feels right at home in the classroom. Her mission? Making learning a blast for kids and boosting their confidence to conquer anything they set their minds to.

Ms. Malu

Originally from Columbia with over 15 years experience in early childhood education, Ms. Malu joined the CDCW family in 2018 and teaches our youngest children, the infants. Ms. Malu's gentle and kind spirit allows her to give the babies (and the new parents) a feeling of comfort and security. Ms. Malu has two grown daughters who attend NYU, one in law school and the other studying computer design. Ms. Malu enjoys watching movies and being with her family in her spare time.

Ms. Theresa

Our Administrative Assistant, Ms. Theresa, lives just down the road in Rockville, Va. With a passion for helping others, Ms. Theresa enjoys assisting parents through the many nuances in childcare. Having been a parent herself, and now behind the scenes, so to speak, Theresa feels it gives her a unique ability to understand and help families. Ms. Theresa has two grown children. Her son started care at CDCW on the first day we opened (!!), in the Jungle Room, and her daughter began in the Pond room the following year. Years later, Ms. Theresa’s son worked at CDCW during his highschool summers. Ms. Theresa says, “This school feels like a part of my family” as it has woven itself throughout her family and her life.

Ms. Molly

Molly is our CPR and First Aid trainer as well as a homeroom teacher, a preschool teacher, and a huge part of the summer camp effort! She does so many things! She was born and raised in Richmond,Va where she played soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball, and swimming. She attended college for a few years for Criminal Justice before realizing that teaching was truly her passion and soon went into the field and moved back to Richmond. Ms. Molly has had lots of experience in our industry as she has been in it since 2011! In her spare time, Molly dog sits and spends time with my boyfriend, family and friends. She is a huge sports fanatic! Go Irish, Hokies, and Commanders! Molly takes pride in having developed great relationships with students and their families and she truly loves watching children learn and grow!

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