Our Staff

River Farm Forest School is a Cooperative.

What does that mean?

Our teachers focus on their students, lesson planning, and the classroom. Parents support the school through active participation, such as assisting teachers during recess and forest time during the school day, leading parent passion projects, fulfilling family jobs, serving on the school board, and more. Don’t worry if you can’t volunteer during school hours! We have other opportunities. The benefit of a cooperative is that you are involved in your child’s educational community.

After spending time out of the classroom advocating for social justice causes, Ashley is part of the River Farm community as a co-Head of School, teacher and parent. She brings over a decade of teaching experience specializing in upper elementary education, reading intervention, dyslexia, and English as a Second Language. As a reading specialist, Ashley enjoys bringing literature into all areas of instruction, including math, science, and social studies.

Ashley is a welcoming, nurturing teacher who truly cares for her students. She focuses on meeting her students where they are and teaching each student as an individual. She builds rapport in her classroom by keeping it active with humor and having as much fun as possible while learning. Ashley’s unique teaching style has been recognized by her peers; she was selected as Teacher of the Year multiple times and was chosen as the 2009 District Teacher of the Year for Clint ISD in El Paso, Texas. She has worked in several regions of the U.S. and spent a year teaching students in South Korea.

After many years of military moves,  Ashley’s family has settled down in Alexandria. Her spouse, Heather, retired from the Army and now works as a civilian. Ashley and her family enjoy hanging out with their dog, Bella, and bird, Cookie, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. Ashley remains passionate about many social justice issues. 

Stacy joined River Farm in the fall of 2021 and is now a co-Head of School and Lower Elementary teacher. Stacy’s first experience as a teacher was as a graduate student in the early 1990s. She quickly realized she enjoyed teaching as much as the archaeology she was studying! Stacy finished her Master’s in archaeology and worked in the western U.S. and Israel for several years. Later, she taught English as a Second Language to adult students in Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia for over 20 years. Stacy was a busy and sought-after English, social studies, and science teacher in the Northern Virginia cooperative community during her son’s elementary, middle, and high school years.

Stacy is passionate about progressive, personalized education. She believes students learn best when they set goals and learn at their own pace. She enjoys helping her students master the basics of reading and math and guiding them through multi-disciplinary, hands-on projects.

Stacy's southern accent persists although she has not lived in the south since she was 18. She and her husband have lived in the western and mid-western U.S. and New England, but when they moved to Northern Virginia in 1997, they knew it was home. When not teaching, Stacy enjoys trying new recipes, growing vegetables and flowers, fossil collecting, and visiting our area’s many museums and historic sites.

Andrea recently moved back to the Northern Virginia area with her two dogs, Meeko and Maya, and is excited to be part of the River Farm community. Andrea brings a decade of experience in education to RFFS. Her first job after college was as an academic advisor for an online university. Andrea worked as a preschool teacher in New Jersey for the next four and a half years and has loved watching her former students grow. 

Beyond teaching preschool, Andrea is also a yoga teacher. She has been practicing yoga for eleven years and teaching for over five years. In 2017, Andrea created a successful yoga-for-kids program implemented at the school where she worked. Teaching preschool and yoga has provided her with a strong philosophy when it comes to how people learn and the role of a teacher.  She believes every student is unique and must be met where they are in their journey through the encouragement of curiosity and exploration.

Growing up in a military family, Andrea attended seven different schools by the time she started high school.  She attended public, private, and charter schools along the way. These experiences allow her to adapt and improvise in her classroom and provide her with the fundamental tools needed to advocate for her students on a social-emotional level. Andrea earned a BA in Speech Communication Studies from the University of South Dakota and a Master of Humanities from Tiffin University.

When Andrea is not teaching, she loves to travel, and even though they are both seniors, dogs Meeko and Maya love to join her on road trips and hikes. Her love of travel allows her to bring outside-world experiences into the classroom. Andrea also enjoys photography, reading, ballet, and theater.

Shamal was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in a Buddhist monastery where he practiced meditation from age three. He arrived in Maryland as a teenager, where he continued to expand his passions for meditation, mindfulness, yoga practice, education, child development, art, and psychology. 

Before joining the River Farm community, Shamal helped develop a pilot program for 5th graders in the Baltimore City Public Schools on art, mindfulness, and peace-building. In partnership with Beyond Conflict, an international peace-building organization, and the Holistic Life Foundation, the program brought together art history, studio art, conflict resolution, neuroscience, and contemplative practices to create a new framework for student social, emotional, and creative development. 

Shamal also guides clients as a meditation and breath-work therapist in recovery and rehabilitation of the mind and body through yogic breathing.  

Shamal earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art. He brings to River Farm over seven years of experience teaching children in various disciplines, including creative writing, art, meditation, yoga, mindfulness, and breathwork. Shamal is also an accomplished illustrator and designer outside the classroom. He enjoys music, painting, photography, and reading. 

Join Our Staff

We at river farm forest school are always looking for staff to join our team

If interested in applying for a position, please email board@riverfarmcooperative.com