Andrea Losh - Director

Andrea is the Director of the Harvard Avenue School program. Andrea is a Seattle native. After graduating from Seattle Preparatory School Andrea attended Santa Clara University where she obtained her Bachelors Degree in English Literature and also studied studio art. She then taught preschool in a Portola Valley, California program while attending the College of Notre Dame in Belmont, California for her Masters of Early Childhood Education and Montessori Teaching Certification. Andrea has taught various preschool philosophies and methodologies. Andrea was the Director of a California preschool program before moving home to Seattle to open Harvard Avenue School.

Andrea acts as a substitute teacher as needed in the toddler, preschool and pre-kindergarten classrooms as well as assisting in special classes that are offered at the school. Andrea opened Harvard Avenue School in winter 2003. She lives in Seattle with her husband, Chris, and their three children.

Kirsten Camp - Admissions Director

Kirsten Camp is very excited to be Harvard Avenue School's new Director of Admissions. Kirsten graduated from Brown University with a degree in Educational Studies and holds a Masters in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Bank Street College in New York. A native New Yorker, she spent nine years working at The Chapin School in Manhattan, seven as a Kindergarten teacher and two as the Director of Lower School Admissions. Kirsten's two daughters have attended Harvard Avenue; one is currently in Kindergarten at Seattle Country Day School and loved every minute of her three years at Harvard Avenue School, while the other has just started in the Capitol Hill Preschool program after a year in our Toddler Program.

Andrea Wallner(Ms. Wallner) - Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher, Capitol Hill

Andrea Wallner is the lead teacher in the Pre-K program. She was born and raised in the Seattle area. Andrea attended CWU's teaching program, receiving a double Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education. She later obtained her Masters Degree in Curriculum Development & Creative Arts in Learning from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. Andrea has also had extensive training in special education, gifted & talented learners.

Andrea W. has enjoyed teaching children for the past fifteen years. Much of her experience has been in a multi-age K-3 program, teaching in the Kitsap Peninsula area. She and her family returned to the Seattle area to become part of the Harvard Avenue School community. Andrea began teaching at Harvard Avenue School in fall 2003.

Daniel Royer (Mr. Daniel) - Assistant Pre-Kindergarten Teacher, Capitol Hill

Daniel teaches in the Pre-K program and also teaches music and French throughout our community. Having spent his first 25 years in Quebec where French was his first language, he teaches French to both the Pre-K and Preschool programs on a weekly basis. He received a Bachelors degree in Mass Communication and Law from Carleton University and spent several years working at a Seattle-based newspaper before coming to the Harvard Avenue School. Daniel is the father of two children Maxence and Pablo, both graduates of our preschool/pre-kindergarten programs. Daniel has worked in our school since fall 2006

Sonia is a co-teacher in our Madison Valley pre-kindergarten class and also a yoga teacher at that facility. As a teacher, Sonia believes that the finest educators not only share their knowledge and experiences, but also provoke their students to question, challenge and explore a variety of possibilities within the coursework. The role of the student is not to just receive information but a role in which an active contribution is of value; it is important for a teacher to realize that this contribution can come in many different ways depending on how the student learns and receives material.

Sonia began teaching for us in fall 2006 and quickly became a favorite among the staff and children due to her calm presence, her talent for yoga instruction, and fantastic creative story telling. As a teacher of creative movement Sonia finds that improvisation through art and storytelling allows the children to feel a closer experience to the feeling of transformation. This sense is important because this transformational growth surrounds them in the environment and in our their own developmental stages, and connects the children to the world around them.

Originally from Alaska, Sonia has been an educator for many years both in Anchorage and Philadelphia. She has taught extensively in early childhood, as well as classes in both creative movement and ballet. She is a trained dancer, performer and has studied yoga for the past 12 years. Sonia has her BA degree, and pursues a dance and acting career when she is not instructing the children at Harvard Avenue School.

Kelly Ann Hughes (Ms. Kelly) - Lead Preschool Teacher, Capitol Hill

Prior to joining Harvard Avenue School Kelly had been teaching and directing at a program in New Jersey for over three years where she wore many different hats.  She was an Early Childhood Education Teacher, Creative Arts Instructor, a Program Specialist & a Director.

Kelly has been active in the arts and in teaching for more than the past 20 years.  She has a BFA degree in Art from Montclair State University in NJ and a Continuing Education degree from the School of Visual Arts in NY.

Kelly also has a background in advertising, being a part of the Nashville theatre community, and became a published children’s book artist (The Twelve Dogs of Christmas), while she partnered in a design firm, Artichoke Design.  She also lived abroad in Paris and London, for over a year and a half.

There, she studied French at the Sorbonne University and Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She also had the privilege of tutoring a young French girl everyday in English.  After her European adventures Kelly taught two years of Preschool Education and three years of Elementary Education.  She concurrently taught Art & Drama for five years as well.  It was at this private elementary academy, under outstanding mentorship, where she received her ACSI certification in Early Childhood Education. 

Since their move to Seattle, Kelly has been developing and instructing new and creative curriculum in the arts at local schools.  Further, she has been able to continue her joy in writing, storytelling and face painting for children, around the Seattle area.  On a sunny day you can find her, creator of Tangerine Tales, face painting outside of Clover Toys, at the Ballard Farmers Market. 

Lauren Thomas (Ms. Lauren) - Assistant Preschool Teacher, Capitol Hill

Lauren is originally from Washington D.C. but she spent much of my childhood overseas.  She moved to Seattle eight years ago to attend Seattle University where she earned a BA in Sociology in 2007.

Kate Reese - Assistant Preschool Teacher, Capitol Hill

Margo Tomoko Brennan (Ms. Margo) - Assistant Preschool Teacher, Capitol Hill

Margo received her undergraduate degree from Purdue University where she tripled majored in Psychology, Japanese, and Asian Studies.  She moved to Seattle in fall 2010 to be part of an educational Americorps service program called City Year. 

Margo works with our preschoolers as an assistant teacher, as well as leading a Japanese after school program at two locations each week.   In her free time, Margo enjoys reading, doing yoga, creating and enjoying art, hiking, dancing, and going on spontaneous adventures.  When she is able to, Margo enjoys visiting her family in Japan, sometimes for a month at a time, giving her opportunities to practice the language. 

Rebecca Young, M.Ed (Ms. Rebecca) - Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher, Madison Valley

Coming from a family of teachers (mother, father, brother, and sister-in law), Rebecca always knew she belonged in the classroom.  Upon completing an undergraduate degree from University of California Berkeley she went to University of California Santa Barbara to get a Masters in Elementary education.  Rebecca's Masters studies focused on promoting critical thinking skills in young children.

Since joining Harvard Avenue School in winter 2010 Rebecca has lead several camps for the school including Winter Break, Summer Break, and Summer School.  In fall 2011 she began the post of lead pre-k teacher at Madison Valley.  

Glenna Wiley, MA (Ms. Glenna) - Assistant Pre-Kindergarten Teacher, Madison Valley

Glenna joined the Harvard Avenue School team in fall 2011.  Glenna grew up in Seattle not far from the Madison Valley campus and attended Lakeside School.  She later achieved a BA in Art History at Colgate University. 

After college Glenna pursued her interest in art and design working at a design firm in Chicago for two years, before deciding to return to the world of academia to complete an MA in Art History at the University College London in England.  London provided countless cultural and academic opportunities that Glenna was thrilled to take advantage of.  Throughout her studies, she has always made sure to nanny for nearby families and along the way realized her sincere desire to find a career working with children. 

Summer Godfrey (Ms. Summer) - Lead Preschool Teacher, Madison Valley

Summer Godfrey began working as a substitute teacher at Harvard Avenue School in 2008.  In fall 2010 she became our lead preschool teacher at the Madison Valley location. Summer attended Cal Poly where she studied Nutritional Science as an undergraduate student.  She hopes to get her Masters in teaching in the future.  Post College Summer worked at a California preschool as a lead teacher and Assistant Director.  She next worked at a California parochial school as the Assistant Director of afterschool enrichment, and a tutor to children in elementary school.  She also taught private piano and sewing lessons to children during this time.  Summer also worked with older children as a chaperone and guide for High School seniors at Disneyland Resort. 

Blair Kelley (Ms. Blair) - Assistant Preschool Teacher, Madison Valley

Blair is one of our Madison Valley preschool staff, working three days a week.  She believes in active hands on learning and encouraging critical thinking.  She likes to keep her class activities very student centered in order to establish autonomy and constructivism.

Blair received a BA in Early Childhood Education from the University of Oklahoma in May 2008.  After graduating she worked at the Institute of Child Development where she created and implemented lesson plans and held the role of lead teacher.  Blair has also taught Elementary School as part of her college training, working with Kindergarten, second, and third graders where she gained experience conducting behavior assessments and training in classroom management.  

As part of her studies she later had the opportunity to work with children living in a shelter.  She played and talked with children who were staying in a shelter, talking to the older children about whatever was on their mind and motivating the younger children to play games and do fun activities.

Blair has had other training in working as a nanny for two Seattle families when she re-located to the west coast.  The positions included complete physical/emotional care for the children along with cognitive development while maintaining consistent communication with the parents and family alike - which is much what a preschool teacher is charged to do!

Amanda Privitt (Ms. Amanda) - Assistant Preschool Teacher, Madison Valley

Amanda is originally from Prescott, Arizona and went to school in Flagstaff, Arizona.  Amanda graduated Northern Arizona University in 2010, receiving a BA in Art History and minor in photography. 

Amanda has worked as a teacher all throughout her undergraduate years and into present with children ages infant to eight years old. Amanda has studied abroad in Italy, where she studied Italian language, art, and art restoration.  She moved to Seattle in November 2010 and she joined the Harvard Avenue School substitute staff shortly thereafter.  Amanda worked as a regular substitute teacher through fall 2011 when she joined our staff as a two day a week teacher, off-setting another staff schedule.   Amanda is very sweet and caring and we are glad to have her in our preschool class!    

Angie Burrell (Ms. Angie) - Lead Toddler Teacher, Madison Valley

Angie is an experienced toddler teacher with a Masters in Early Childhood Education and a strong background in the Montessori Philosophy. 

Angie’s goals in working with the parents of her students include listening, talking and collaborating. She enjoys reading and sharing continual research on child development that she finds extremely interesting and essential in meeting the needs of our ever-changing society. 

Angie has gained valuable firsthand knowledge and insight throughout her experience working with children over the past 20 years. She will tell you that she knows with certainty the first six years of life are a time in which the foundation that will support the child for the rest of their life is being formed, nurtured and stimulated. She believes these young children have amazing capabilities, passion for life and determination to develop. In supporting young children she feels they need respect, encouragement and a feeling of security to begin challenging themselves. 

Angie feels that the classroom environment she creates must be one of beauty, order, purpose and one that meets the different abilities and learning styles of her students. The toddler classroom should be an environment that keeps the children happily engaged and can ensure they are being provided with what they need to develop to their highest potential mentally, physically, and emotionally. Angie is well practiced at creating this type of classroom, which is why we selected her to lead our toddler program. 

We are thrilled to have Angie as a part of our team and know that she will give the very best to your children and family.

Jeni Barcott (Ms. Jeni) - Assistant Toddler Teacher, Madison Valley

Jeni works daily with our toddler group on their Montessori curriculum, and sharing with them skills in the French language and American Sign Language.  She is an undergraduate student at the University of Washington.  She has been volunteering and assistant teaching in classrooms for more than six years.

Jeni's biggest passion in life is working with children.  She anticipates becoming a certified Montessori teacher upon graduation from the UW.  Jeni is also passionate about being outdoors, baking, travel and learning about other cultures - parts of her life she likes to bring into the classroom as much as possible.