PCCH Preschool Faculty Biographies
Director of PCCH Preschool: Carla DiOrio James, MS Ed.
Carla began her directorial adventure in September 2018 at PCCH Preschool. She believes strongly in the importance of challenging the intellect, honoring differences, and nurturing each student’s mind body and spirit. Carla taught middle school for several years at the The Philadelphia School, a project-based progressive independent school in Center City, where she also served on the school’s diversity committee. Prior to that, she was the school counselor in NYC area schools including The Wardllaw Hartridge School, Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child, and Fordham Preparatory School. She earned her Bachelor of Arts at Hofstra University in Human Development and Creative Studies and graduated at the top of her class at Fordham University with a Masters of Science in Education : Counseling and Personnel Services. Carla brought her ideas and enthusiasm to PCCH Preschool in 2017, where she taught in the four and five-year-old classroom and she established an innovative preschool social justice and diversity curriculum, now known as our Famous Folks school-wide curriculum. As a passionate advocate for multicultural curriculum and foreign language education, Carla implemented our inter-disciplinary Spanish immersion preschool curriculum. Carla is also committed to strengthening communications throughout the school with transparent and fun dialogue. She also looks forward to proactive team-building and peer support among faculty.
In addition to her teaching experience, Carla is an artist and designer by training. Four years ago she started her own custom furniture brand, RockerRefined.com. Through founding, growing, marketing and eventually selling her company, Carla was able to accrue skills in the areas of social media, web marketing, graphic design, and small business growth. She also is trained in the fine and performing arts and looks forward to integrating more music, dance, art, and play into our curriculum of early mathematics and early literacy as much as possible. Carla is bilingual in Spanish and English, having lived and taught for four years in Ecuador through Harvard University’s JFK School: World Teach Program. It is evident that working and living within many different cultural communities has shaped the person and the professional that Carla is today. It is her earnest wish to further the preschool’s growth within an inclusive worldview, more reflective of our global citizenry, while also deepening ownership of our community here in Philadelphia and our stewardship of the earth.
Fun Fact: Carla has installed a small coffee and tea bar in her office in the spirit of her open door policy with the community. Come by to meet her, to have some coffee, and to share ideas any time!
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Our Pre-K 5-year-old program: Kate Roehm, Karen Herman, and Ann Smullen
Kate Roehm, B.S. Ed. – Lead Teacher and Classroom Coordinator Administrator When you spend your childhood playing school, it’s no wonder you become a teacher! Kate Roehm has been a teacher at PCCH for ten years, and this is her second in Pre-K. She has taught all age levels in our preschool as well as a variety of after school enrichment classes. This year she will take on some additional administrative duties as Classroom Coordinator. She feels privileged to be part of this dynamic faculty and wonderful school. It gives Kate great joy to experience the excitement and enthusiasm that children enter school with each day. She feels the same way! Her goal is to ensure that children feel happy, loved and supported while they learn and play. She feels rewarded at the end of every year when she sees the progress children have made and is sad to see them move on to Kindergarten. Kate lives in Flourtown with her husband and two teenagers. Her son is a sophomore at Penn State and daughter attends Plymouth Whitemarsh High School. In her free time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, gardening, reading and exercising. Kate has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from West Chester University and is Pennsylvania Certified. She promotes best practices in Early Childhood Education as she stays current with ACT 48, Professional Development, Pennsylvania Learning Standards and is a member of NAEYC.
Karen Herman, A.A.- Assistant Teacher Karen started out in the business world but she found it too boring. Next, she obtained an associates degree in Human Services and worked as a counselor at a women’s shelter for two years but found it to be too stressful. Then she went back to school for Early Childhood Education and that was just right for her! (And yes, Goldilocks and the Three Bears is one of her favorite children’s books!) Karen taught at PCCH for sixteen years and then retired, but when the opportunity came up to work with Kate again, it was impossible to turn down! To be in a room with children painting, building block towers higher than they are, mixing colors and practicing pouring water might be utter chaos to some, but to Karen it is pure joy. Having three children of her own was the impetus for wanting to be a preschool teacher and she has learned more from them than any text book. Her oldest son was born premature and Karen was quickly thrown into an unfamiliar world; infant stim classes, speech and occupational therapy were like learning a new language to her. After her other two boys were born, she found it fascinating to see how differently they learned. Karen still finds it fascinating seeing how children learn and what excites them in the classroom; how best to keep their interest and curiosity in learning. Karen enjoys getting to know you and your child and seeing how together we can make the PCCH Preschool experience a very positive one for everyone!
Ann Smullen returns to PCCH after retiring in 2017. She had been a teacher in the preschool classroom for 11 years. After travels to Italy, the Pacific NW and a lake house north of Scranton, Ann is rejuvenated and excited to be back as Kate’s assistant.
Ann has a BA in Elementary Education from Westminster College in Western PA. She taught second grade in Bridgeton, NJ before returning to the Philadelphia area. She founded, directed and taught at her church’s child care for infants to five year olds. This endeavor continued for the next 22 years. Ann is married to Don and they have raised two sons. Daniel is engaged and living in Austin – Tim is nearby in Fishtown.
Ann believes in the importance of hands on learning and play. Teachers need to be good listeners and mediators and show confidence in their students’ abilities to solve problems through sharing and compromise. The social skills the children embrace will be with them in Kindergarten and beyond. A preschool classroom is a lively place and Ann is glad to be back and part of the fun!
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Our 4-year-old program: Alisa O’Bine and Mary Calvitti
Alisa O’Bine, M.S. Ed., BCBA – Lead Teacher Growing up in Upstate New York, both her parents were educators. Her mother was a preschool teacher in a church next door to our family home for over 30 years, and she always enjoyed popping in to join the fun! Alisa started her career working with young children during undergraduate studies at State University of New York, Binghamton 18 years ago. At the Institute for Child Development, she began working with students with autism and related developmental disorders as part of the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program. Upon completion of her Bachelor’s degree, she continued my graduate studies in ABA at California State University, Stanislaus. Also simultaneously worked as a Clinical Coordinator for a small agency, implementing and supervising 1:1 ABA services for preschool children with autism in their home environments. After two years, she returned to New York to be close to family, and settled in Ithaca for 10 years. She landed in an integrated preschool classroom at a non-profit agency, teaching six students with autism that were integrated with typical peers enrolled in the school’s daycare program. During her time in the classroom, Alisa completed my Master’s degree in Special Education at Mansfield University as well as obtaining my Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certification in 2012. After five years in the classroom, she spent another five years consulting with classroom teachers and providing/supervising intensive, in-home ABA educational programs. Alisa’s husband and she (along with their dog, Pixie) relocated to the Philadelphia area three years ago. She has spent those three years working as a Behavior Specialist Consultant, providing consultative services for students with different learning needs in early intervention. They now live in Ambler, and spend most of their time renovating their house and hosting various family members! She does find time to play tennis, softball, bike, hike, garden, and cook. Alisa is beyond thrilled to be back in a classroom environment, working directly with young learners! She looks forward to creating a positive, supportive environment for students to play and learn while promoting independence and problem solving skills. Alisa’s experience has shown her how critical early education is, and that each student has a unique learning style. She enjoys the challenge of being flexible and creative when implementing teaching strategies in order to meet the individual needs of each learner.
Mary Calvitti, B.S. Ed.- Assistant Teacher Mary Calvitti was raised in Colorado with parents who had a love of the outdoors. They visited and camped in most of the national parks out west and in the southwest; her dad was a scientist who gave her many opportunities to develop a love of nature. As a young woman she traveled to Mexico with her best friend where they went to San Miguel de Annde to pursue art. She continues to do her silk paintings. When she returned to the states she worked for an engineering company where she met husband John. They Moved to Mount Airy and raised their 2 children Mia and John. After her husband John passed away, and her children were pursuing their own careers, she moved to Santa Fe New Mexico. In Santa Fe, Mary co taught at a private school (Rio Grande) and help start up a new pre K program. After working there for 5 years, she moved to Colorado to pursue a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education, at Adams State University. Once she received her Early Childhood Degree she wanted to work with Head Start Children in Colorado and New Mexico. Mary’s families and children have always meant so much to her, the connections she will always cherish, she feels children can teach us so much and we can give them the tools to become successful in life. When children are given time to play, the foundations are built, supporting later learning, that can be seen in singing, creating, moving, discussing, observing and reading. A fun fact about Mary, is her love of animals! She has a wonderful rescue dog named Juno who came from the Navajo reservation, in New Mexico.Her interests are hiking, walking her dog, sewing silk painting and spending time with family and friends. Mary is very happy she has returned to Philadelphia and to be a part of the PCCH Preschool Community.
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Our 3 to 4-year-old program: Barb Raser and Owintier Charles
Barbara Raser, A.A.- Lead Teacher Barb is going into her eighteenth year of teaching at PCCH Pre School! She will be teaching the 3’s and early 4’s in the 5 days a week class. She holds a degree in liberal arts from Virginia Intermont college in Bristol , Virginia. After graduation she was hired as a flight attendant for Eastern Airlines and was based in NYC. Living in the “Big Apple” opened up a lot of opportunities and she became a traveling representative for Estee Lauder cosmetics and was featured in several Pepsi commercials filmed in Central Park! Barb met her husband, Wayne,and they were married right here at Ches Pres! Their life grew and they had two children, Eric and Becki. As a stay at home mom Barb became involved in her children’s school and was a homeroom mother, home and school president and the social event planner, and the love for early childhood education was born! As her children grew, Barb was a stylist at the Gap and also worked at Childventure in Fort Washington ( part of St. Thomas church) . In 2001 she was asked to join PCCH Preschool and the rest is history! Barb feels that watching the joy and excitement as a child learns a new word, color, person of interest, or shape is rewarding and inspirational. She says that being a small part of that development is magical and she is excited to be on this journey with your child. She is looking forward to an exciting school year with endless possibilities.
Owintier Charles- Assistant Teacher
Originally from the Caribbean Island of Trinidad and Tobago, Owintier has seven years experience in the Mortgage Industry Customer Service. She has been an assistant in kindergarten and first grade at her children’s elementary school for one year. There she was also a Lunch Room Mom, School Chaperone, Secretary of the Home and School Association and served two years on the Eighth Grade Graduation Board. Impresively, Owintier also works with children in the Philadelphia Flower Show! For the last 15 years, she has been the Sunday Sexton at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church. She is also studying for her Investment License. Owintier and her husband, Allan, live in Philadelphia and are the proud parents of six children; five girls and one boy ranging in age from Pre K to College. They both feel blessed to be able to Love, nurture and enjoy every moment with their children
as they grow. She loves spending time with her family, cooking, reading and is obsessed with coupon-ing and would be delighted to help anyone interested in learning. She truly believes in early childhood education and in children being in an environment where they are able to share their feelings. She is excited to be a part of the staff and is looking forward to meeting the students and parents.
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Our 2 year old and 3-year-old program: Megan McGowen and Kandi Ligon
Megan McGowan, B.S.W. – Lead Teacher Megan McGowan will be teaching the two day, 2 year old class and the three day, 3 year old class. Megan and her husband, Drew, live in Chestnut Hill with their three children: Riley, Katie and James and their two dogs: Maggie and Larry. After graduating from Temple University with a B.S.W., Megan was the Program Director at Need in Deed, a non-profit where she helped to create and implement a K-12 service-learning curriculum for use in classrooms throughout Philadelphia. She took time off to stay at home with her children and then started back to work as a substitute and eventually a permanent teacher at PCCH Preschool. Most recently Megan was the lead teacher and administrator of the preschool program at Nest Chestnut Hill. In addition to her work as a teacher at PCCH Preschool, Megan is the Volunteer Coordinator for Quintessence Theatre Group in Mt. Airy. Megan enjoys teaching preschoolers because there is never a day in preschool without laughter and joy. Fun fact: Megan attended PCCH Preschool as a child!
Kandi Ligon – Assistant Teacher Kandi always has a desire to make a difference, do good things and to have an impact on people’s lives. Before beginning a career in early childhood education, Kandi was an officer and Tennessee Department of corrections and performed her job humbly, firmly, and with humanity. Finding out how people feel always matters to her. The skills and lessons from her electric list of jobs and experiences have brought her back to her passion of helping others.
As a caregiver or a teacher, she cherishes every opportunity to show children that they really matter. Kandi will soon have an associates degree in Early Childhood development. Kandi’s ambitions to help shape peoples lives and to help them discover their self worth are her driving forces as a member of the PCCH family.
Fun Fact: Kandi is the proud daughter of a military parent! Being the child of a soldier provided her with opportunities to see many parts of this great country, and to make diverse new friends and try new things. Born on a military base in Pierce County, Washington state, Kandi was always required to uphold a higher standard of respect. Expectations ranged from getting good grades to being respectful to her elders and never being allowed to quit anything started and always putting her best foot forward. Balanced with her extremely warm and engaging nature, Kandi brings her uniquely poised and prepared personality to the classroom. We are so lucky to have her.
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Interdisciplinary Spanish Immersion Program: Paula Rios, B.A. –
Paula Rios is originally from Chile and after being awarded an Art scholarship she obtained her bachelor’s degree from The Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, Ohio. She started her master’s degree in Early Childhood Education at Eastern University but is temporarily taking a break from her studies to focus on raising her son.
She first began teaching children at a Psychiatric center seven years ago where she taught Art Therapy. She enjoyed the experience of working with children so much that she decided to change her career path to working full-time with children.
Her most recent job was at Nest in Chestnut Hill, where she have met many of the wonderful families that are currently attending PCCH. At Nest she created classes such as Sensory Art, Food Art, Science classes, and her most popular class, Spanish. At Nest, she was also in charge of creating collaborative art projects during special events for all the Nest families.
She is very pleased to now be working at PCCH as this enables her the opportunity to continue developing many of the young minds that she was previously working with and, she can begin working with other lovely children. She truly enjoys creating wonderfully engaging and creative lessons that facilitate the development of children’s minds and curiosity and she believes this will be evident to you as you work together in caring for your child.
Carmen Ortiz- Carmen grew up in Barcelona, Spain where she graduated and obtained her bachelor in Spanish, Italian and English at the Official School of Languages. She worked as an interpreter and translator at the Trade Fair of Barcelona, Milan and Florence, Italy where she lived for 17 years. Carmen came to the USA 7 years ago with her family and fell in love with Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy community where she currently lives with her 11 year old son. Carmen volunteered as assistant teacher at Jenks Academy for the Arts and Sciences and teaches Spanish and Italian for adults and children. She is very excited to be part of PCCH staff, and thinks that working with little kids is always magic and unique! Traveling, photography and yoga practice are her favorite activities. “There is always so much to learn everywhere and from everybody” is her lifeʼs motto.
