Viola Wallace
2s Lead
M/W & T/TH
Hi, I would like to tell you a little about myself. My name is Vi Wallace, and this is my ninth year teaching in the two-year- old class at Spring Meadows Academy. I really enjoy watching the kiddos grow and learn throughout the year and teaching them about God’s love!
I grew up in Wichita, Kansas where I met and married my husband, Lee, and we have had 31 wonderful years together! We lived in the Kansas City area for nine years where I worked as a home health aide for hospice and where I taught Pre-K at the preschool of my church, Overland Park Church of Christ.
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I enjoyed teaching so much that I took classes in early childhood education at the local junior college. When we moved to Spring Hill 20 years ago, I worked for a daycare center until we completed a very long adoption process and got our sweet daughter, Jillian, from China. She is now15 years old and starting her sophomore year at Summit High School.
We feel blessed
to be a member of the Church at Station Hill. I am looking forward to having another great year!
Morgan Kenley
2s Assistant
M/W & T/TH
Hello! My name is Morgan Kenley, and this is my second year as the assistant in the 2's class!
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I grew up in St. Louis, MO and have lived in Tennessee since I was 17. I met my husband, Scottie, at a campus ministry summer program, and we have been married for three years!
I am also the lead teacher for the Kindness Class at Spring Meadows Art School! I am looking forward to another great year. This year, I am excited to get to know your children and see them grow! My desire is for your children to feel loved and seen in our class!
We have lived in Spring Hill for one year. In my free time I love to bake, spend time outside, read, and go for walks!
Hannah Lawson
Young 3s Lead
M/W & T/TH
Hello! I’m Hannah, and I would like to tell you a little about myself. This is my 8th year teaching here at SMA. I am originally from Almo, Kentucky, which is a small town just outside of Murray, Kentucky. I moved here with my family 17 years ago. I was homeschooled from kindergarten through high school.
I earned a career diploma in Childcare and worked as a nanny for two boys for six years. I still babysit when I can. My family and I attend Spring Meadows Church Of Christ. I love animals and I am a dog and cat Mom to Bella (dog) and Milo, Annaleigh (cat).
In my spare time I like to craft, read and Pow Wow dance to honor my ancestors.
I really love watching the kiddos grow and learn through the year and teaching them about God's great BIG love. I am so excited to have a great year with your sweet little ones. See you soon!
Patti Hesselrode
Young 3s Assistant
M/W & T/TH
My name is Patti Hesselrode, and I’m the assistant for the young three’s. My hometown is Memphis, TN where I taught elementary and middle school for twenty years. I love that SMA allows me to continue to be in the classroom setting.
I have lived in Spring Hill for six years now. I have two children and three grandchildren who I enjoy spending as much time with as possible. Also, I attend Spring Meadows Church of Christ. I look forward to teaching and getting to know your child this year!
Lauren Dial
3s Lead
M/W
My name is Lauren Dial, and I am so excited to begin my third year at SMA!
I live in Columbia with my husband and two girls where we attend Jackson Heights church of Christ. Being a mother and a teacher are very important to me! I also love tending to my flowers in the summer, camping and cheering on the Vols in the fall!
I have my master’s degree in education, and I am a former elementary school teacher where I taught multiple grades. It is important to me to make every child feel loved and have fun but most importantly learn about God. We are going to have a great year!
Kylie Iodice
3s Lead T/TH
3s Assistant M/W
Hi, my name is Kylie and this is my first year at Spring Meadows Academy! I grew up in Indiana and have been in Middle Tennessee since 2006. I currently live in Spring Hill with my husband, son (1st grade) and a dog.
My son attended SMA when he was two and has loved going to the summer camps. We love this school, and I am so excited to be a part of the team this year. I cannot wait to meet and teach your little ones. They will have so much fun this year and rest assured that they will be well taken care of and loved.
Lindsay Nickell
3s Assistant
T/TH
Hello! My name is Lindsay Nickell and I live in Spring Hill with my husband Grant and our three children, Jack (11), Rhett (8) and Lucy Mae (6).
I am a Tennessee native, born and raised in Franklin. I graduated from MTSU with a degree in Elementary Education K-6. Before having children, I taught first grade. This is my sixth-year teaching in a mother’s day out program and my third year at SMA.
When we are not at work or school you can find us on the baseball fields, at gymnastics, Center Hill lake, attending church at Grace Chapel or enjoying family time at home.
I am excited about the upcoming school year that the Lord has prepared for us all. I feel very blessed to be part of this school and to be one of your child’s teachers. I look forward to getting to know you and your precious child. It’s going to be a wonderful year!
Karis Murphy
4s Lead
T/TH
Hello, my name is Karis Murphy, and this is my first year teaching at SMA! My kids attended SMA for seven years, and my youngest child is now in kindergarten. I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for over eight years, and I feel that God has lead me to be a part of the SMA team!
I was born & raised in Augusta, GA. My husband & I moved to Spring Hill in 2016 and absolutely love it here! We have four beautiful children. We have two boys and two girls ages 26, 11, eight and six! Our oldest is expecting his first baby, which is due the week of Christmas! We are beyond excited to see what the experience of being grandparents will be like!
In my spare time, I love spending time with my kids, exercising, watching football, having a date night with my husband and going on vacation! I’m really looking forward to teaching & watching your little ones grow with Jesus!
Courtney Chapin
4s Lead
T/TH
Hi! My name is Courtney, and this will be my fifth year at SMA. I am so excited to be teaching in the T/Th fours class again this year!
My husband and I have been married for 18 years, and we have three boys and a crazy dog! After finishing my MA in Counseling from Spring Arbor University, our family grew and I had the opportunity to stay at home with our children.
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We moved to Tennessee in 2012 and have loved raising our family in this community. I am so grateful to teach at a preschool that values sharing God’s Word with our young students, as well as helping them to grow academically and socially.
We want your little ones to feel safe, loved, and excited for school. I look forward to meeting your family and to a wonderful year of learning and fun!
Tiffany Brantley
4s Lead M/W
Hi! My name is, Tiffany Brantley, and I am a homegrown gal from Bethesda! I never meet a stranger and love Jesus with all of my heart!
The Lord has richly blessed me with a wonderful Husband (Roy) of almost nine years, a bonus daughter (Olivea 18), daughter (Rochelle 7), and our last but never least daughter (Violet 3)! We are navigating what it’s like to be parents of one child in college, one into cheer EVERYTHING, and the other is a THREENAGER! I’m gaining more gray hair daily! Haha!
I have been a Christian since an early age of eight. We are members of Jones Chapel. I think Dolly said it best, “God don’t care where you go, just as long as you show up!”
I am looking forward to working with your babies! Jesus is going to show up in a BIG way in their lives, and I believe He is working through me and the staff here at SMA to make that happen! Praying big prayers for you and your families always! Let me know how I can serve you in any way I can. Let’s build a friendship together!
Chesney Alarcon
Pre-K Lead
M/W
Hello pre-k families! I am very eager and excited to begin our year together. This will be my first year teaching, but I have been subbing and helping out for the last two years. Two of my littles are SMA graduates, so we’ve been part of the Spring Meadows family for the last five years.
I am a Tennessee native. I was born in Nashville, but moved to Spring Hill when I was a young girl. I graduated from Independence High School and went on to receive my associate's degree in politcal science with a pre-law concentration. I have been blessed being a stay-at-home mom for the past 6 years. I have also enjoyed assisting in childcare for two different churches in the Spring Hill area.
My passion and hobbies include reading, baking/decorating cakes, crafting and spending time making memories with my littles. My husband, James, and I have three adorable little ones: Ryleigh (6), Anthony (5)
and Asher (1). We love frequent trips to the Zoo, vacationing to the beach, spending time at the baseball/softball fields, and the network of family/friends that surround us.
I’ve always held a special place in my heart for nurturing and helping little minds grow. I feel that God led me here to SMA to help fulfill that part of me. I look forward to learning your little ones and watching them grow over the school year. I am honored and can’t wait to meet you all!
Denise Dillingham
Pre-K Assistant
M/W
I am going into my thirteenth year at SMA. I am looking forward to assisting Katie again in
pre-k!
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I am a member here at Spring Meadows and also work as the Assistant Director at the Friday Arts program.
I am looking forward to another great school year! My husband John and I have two boys.
We enjoy living in our small town of Chapel Hill. There is nothing like the community here. It is great to be a Forrest Rocket!
Kara Hensel
Pre-K Asst.
M/W & T/TH
Hi SMA friends and families! My name is Kara Hensel. I am excited to be teaching pre-k again this year. I grew up in Franklin but have lived in Spring Hill for more than twenty years.
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My husband, Dave, and I have two great boys named Collin and Caston. Our older son was married last year, so we are lucky to have his wife, Adie, officially added to our family. We also have a family dog named Striker. As a family, we enjoy watching and playing sports and games, music, being outdoors, boating, fishing, soccer and spending time together.
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I have a master's in organizational management and a bachelor's in merchandising and design. I have been a staff member at SMA since it was established. I am looking forward to a great year of learning, playing, and growing together. I am excited to help prepare your little ones for kindergarten, while helping them learn more about God, the Bible and about His amazing love.
This is an exciting time in a child’s life, and I am blessed to share it with you. We have lots of exciting things planned this year. I can’t wait to meet you! It is going to be a great year!
Katie Crowder
Pre-K Lead
M/W & T/TH
Hi! I am Katie Crowder. I’m so excited to be going into my 14th year at SMA. I will be teaching pre-k alongside Denise Dillingham and Emily Gentry.
My husband and I have two children, a son, Devers, who attends Columbia State and a daughter, Karson, who attends Mississippi State.
We attend Thompsons Station Church. I’m looking forward to another great year at SMA and feel blessed to be a part of such an amazing program!
Emily Gentry
Pre-K Asst.
T/TH
Hello everyone. My name is Emily Gentry, and I am SO excited about this year! I'm originally from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I went to the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!!) starting out as a nursing major.
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I worked at my church preschool while in school, fell in love with all my little preschool friends and was hooked. I quickly changed my major. I continued to work at University Church preschool until my husband and I moved here 10 years ago. I met my husband, Eric, at that same church, so it will always hold a special place in my heart.
After we moved to the Nashville area, we had our first child. I became a stay-at-home mommy to our now four kiddos. Leeson is 10 and attends Heritage Elementary. Maelee Sam is 8 and my only girl. She attended SMA a few years ago and we loved it here so much!
Luca (5) and Ledger (3) are my little terror twins that will be tagging along to school with me. As a family, we love playing games, watching Bama football, anything involving the water but especially the beach, watching movies, and worshipping with our church family at 4th avenue.
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When I'm not hanging with the fam, I like shopping, eating Chick-fil-a, and running. I'm so looking forward to the school year and can't wait to meet all of your precious children!
Rachel Worsencroft
Pre-K Lead
T/TH
Hi! I'm so excited to be starting my 3rd year teaching Pre-K at SMA! I can't wait to meet all my sweet kiddos and watch them learn and grow this year.
I love being able to teach them about God and the Bible as they learn their letters and numbers. All three of my children (ages 12, 10, and 7) are SMA grads, so my family has been a part of this great school for a while now.
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I received my bachelor's in elementary education and taught second grade in Williamson County for seven years. My husband and I met after I moved to Spring Hill, and we have been married 16 years.
We love to go camping as a family, and I enjoy doing stained glass when I have spare time. I am looking forward to a great year!
Vanesa Osborne
Pre-K Lead
M/W & T/TH
My name is Vanesa Osborne. This is my sixth year with SMA. I am from Argentina, but I have been in the States for 21 years now. I'm married to my husband, Jeremy, and we have a 10-year-old daughter named Giuliana.
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We have lived in Spring Hill since 2008, and we love it here! We also attend the Church at Station Hill.
I’m so blessed to be a part of SMA to help partner with parents to teach children about God and help them grow.
I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us this year, and I can’t wait to get to know you and your child.
Jessica King
4s Assistant M/W
Pre-K Assistant T/TH
This is my 2nd year of being a part of SMA, and I am so excited for this year. I attend Spring Meadows Church and have been for 10 years.
I've been married to my husband for almost 16 years, and we have 3 kids; who my world revolves around when I am not here. My oldest is Dallas, who is in 9th grade, my middle is Dalton, who is in 6th grade, and the baby of the family is my daughter, Ava, who rules the household, and she is in 3rd grade.
I love to travel and go shopping when am not at a football game/tournament or cheer competition. My kids keep me on the go with all their sports and activities. I love animals! We have 8 dogs, lots of goats, several chickens, 1 horse, 1 hamster and 4 cats.
Dorothylizy Naveen
4s Assistant T/TH
Hello,
I am Dorothy. I grew up in Tamil Nadu, the southern part of India. I received my bachelor and masters in electronic and communication engineering from Thiagarajar University, India.
I fell in love with teaching! I gained my experience by working as a lecturer at Loyola College of Engineering and Technology in India and now I am working with SMA from Last year 2022.
The best thing about being a teacher is helping my students to love learning! I love teaching them to read, write, do math and most importantly, teaching them to be kind, loving friends.
I feel blessed to serve young kids with SMA. I am
waiting for this school year’s adventure.
Lisa Brown
Floater
Hello! I am Lisa Brown, and this will be my 7th year working for SMA. I have been an assistant teacher in 3s, 4s, and Pre-K during my time here.
This year I am looking forward to supporting our new and returning staff members and being a resource to them as the school’s floater.
My husband Jeff and I have two boys: Connor, a junior in high school, and Hunter, a 7th grader in middle school this year.
We attend Thompson’s Station Church. Both of my boys are graduates of SMA, and we have loved this school for many years!
Emily Shell
P.E. Teacher
Wed. & Thurs.
Hi, my name is Emily Shell, and this is my first year teaching at Spring Meadows Academy! I was born in Kentucky but lived in Maine throughout high school and college where I received my bachelor's degree in business and coaching.
I have lived in Spring Hill for12 years. I just celebrated my 10-year anniversary with my husband Brian and we have four children together: Brayden (8), Dylan (6), Ethan (4) and Madison (2).
In my spare time, I love being active, playing soccer, attending Wellspring Church and spending time with my family. I also coach soccer locally and am on the Spring Hill Parks and Recreation Board.
I am very excited and grateful to be a part of this school. I can’t wait to meet all your wonderful children! This is going to be a great year of fun and learning!
