Preschool Teachers
2's Class
Melissa Saha (Lead Teacher) has been working in early childhood education since 2002. She has been the Twos' Class Lead Teacher at ADS since 2004. Melissa is married and has two children. She enjoys running, reading, singing, and hanging out with her African Grey parrots.
Melissa has a love for teaching young children. She believes that all children are individuals, and that differences should be tolerated and embraced. She starts every day striving to engage and motivate her students to give them an exceptional and fun learning environment. Creativity and flexibility are definitely part of each day. Melissa believes in finding teachable moments in every situation. She also believes that patience, love and a good sense of humor are the things that make teaching young children possible. Melissa is so thankful each day to spend time with her students.
Berhan Abey is originally from Ethiopia and has worked with young children for 10 years. She loves working in a classroom setting and always brings a loving, compassionate approach to her teaching. Both of her children also attend ADS. Berhan is fluent in Tigri, Amharic and Italian.
In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, running, and spending time with her family.
Romina Riccardi Costa (Assistant Teacher), originally from Venezuela, pursued her studies in journalism. Prior to becoming a stay-at-home mom, she gained experience working in radio, TV, and corporate team-building events. Over the past five years, Romina has dedicated herself to being a nurturing caregiver for her daughter. With a strong passion for integrating different cultures, she has been teaching her daughter both Spanish and Italian.
Romina is passionate about working with children and her desire to be part of a diverse and inclusive learning environment led her to Annunciation Day School, where her daughter also attends. In her free time, Romina enjoys reading, engaging in family activities, and watching documentaries, further fueling her curiosity and passion for learning.
3's Classes
Anna Burns (Lead Teacher) is married and a proud mother of two children. She has been blessed to be a part of the Annunciation Day School as a teacher for more than 12 years. Anna teaches in the three year old program and absolutely loves it. She believes that nurturing a child’s natural curiosity and fostering a love for learning is the best gift we can give. There is nothing she loves more than the excitement in a child’s eyes when they have discovered something new. Anna is truly thankful to have the opportunity to influence so many young lives in a positive way and to work alongside a team of amazing and loving teachers.
Olivia Shepard (Assistant Teacher) is originally from Charlotte, NC and has a degree in Studio Art. She came to ADS through a substitute teacher opportunity and fell in love with the small, personable environment and the children. Her favorite thing about assistant teaching is the opportunity to continue learning under her lead teacher and being able to engage with the students as a partner in their education. In her free time she enjoys painting, reading, and finding parks where her and her husband can spend time outside together.
Pre-K Class
Rebecca (Becca) Parker received her B.A. in Environmental Studies with a concentration in geosciences from Mount Holyoke College. She is very passionate allowing students to grow their understanding of our world from a cultural, environmental, and geopolitical perspective. She believes that the path to peace is through understanding, and she hopes to foster an interest in learning about the rich diversity of communities all around the world.
Becca has always enjoyed working with children, and she worked as an educator in both formal and informal settings prior to joining the ADS community. In her free time, Becca enjoys hiking, walking, and spending time with her cats.