Luis Angel joins The Fay School as our Senior Facilities Technician. Luis brings us a wealth of electrical and technical service experience from his years as an Electrical Apprentice and Commercial / Industrial Service Technician at commercial electrical businesses. He holds a Professional License in OSHA Construction Safety and Health.
Wael Awad has joined the full-time faculty as a Physical Education Teacher, after working as an Extended Day and Substitute Teacher at Fay since 2023. Wael received Associate Degrees from Alexandria University in Egypt and at Houston Community College before completing his Bachelor of Kinesiology and Exercise Science degree at Houston Christian University, where he received a scholarship for his perfect 4.0 GPA. Wael will also continue to lead after-school fun as the instructor for Waelly World Soccer School for Primary through Second Grade Gators - see our After-School Activities offerings for more information.
Darla Baughman joins the School as a Kindergarten Assistant Teacher. Darla has more than 30 years of teaching experience in public and independent schools, and has worked as a classroom teacher in Primary through Second Grade classrooms and High School elective courses. She has specialization experience as an Early Intervention Teacher and a Dyslexia Intervention Teacher. Darla received her Bachelor of Arts in Teaching from Sam Houston State University and holds a number of teaching certifications.
Debbie Cunningham joins us as a Kindergarten Assistant Teacher. Debbie comes to us with 6 years of experience as a pre-kindergarten assistant teacher in independent college preparatory schools, most recently at Athens Academy in Athens, GA. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Individual and Family Studies and Consumer Affairs from The Pennsylvania State University and has done coursework toward a Master in Public Administration at Bellarmine College.
Flora Larrabee joins Fay as a Second Grade Assistant Teacher. Flora has 5 years of experience in Houston-area independent schools, most recently as the Fine Arts Project Manager & Technical Theater Instructor at St. Francis Episcopal School. She received her Bachelor of Arts in History with an emphasis in Sociology at the University of Central Arkansas and a Master of Art History at the University of Houston; she has also done coursework towards a Master of Library Sciences at Louisiana State University.
Chelsea McKinnon joins Fay as the Music Teacher for Kindergarten through Fifth Grade with 14 years of experience in public and international schools. She most recently taught at the Carlucci American International School of Lisbon in Portugal as an Elementary Music Specialist. Chelsea received her Bachelor of Music at Henderson State University, with dual Minors in Dance and Spanish, graduating Cum Laude. She received her Master of Music at Texas A&M University - Commerce. Chelsea will also be directing our first-ever Fay After-School Choir course for Third through Fifth Grade Gators - see our After-School Activities offerings for more information.
Megan O'Toole joins us as a Primary I Assistant Teacher. She received dual degrees of Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theater and Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Columbia College Chicago, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and is currently working towards completion of a Master of Arts in Dance Education from the University of Northern Colorado, where she is a Graduate School Dean's Scholarship recipient. Megan has taught in private schools in Illinois and Florida, with experience as a Junior Kindergarten and First Grade Teaching Assistant at Francis W. Parker School in Chicago.
Carla Quine joins the School as a Substitute Coordinator with 30 years of teaching experience in public and independent schools. She comes to us from St. Francis Episcopal School, where she taught Second Grade and worked as a Substitute Teacher. Carla also previously acted as the Substitute Coordinator at River Oaks Baptist School. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages and Literatures from Washington State University and a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Teaching from the Teachers College at Columbia University.
Emily Reed joins The Fay School as a Second Grade Lead Teacher. Emily has been teaching for 18 years in public, public charter, and private school environments. She comes to us from Harvard Elementary in Houston, where she worked as a Math, Reading, and Dyslexia Interventionist and, most recently, as a Second Grade Teacher. She received a dual Bachelor of Arts in Education and Psychology from Millsaps College, where she specialized in Remedial Reading in Elementary Education. Emily also holds her Teaching English as a Foreign Language certification, a Dyslexia Intervention Fundamentals Certification with Reading By Design, and is currently working towards her Science of Teaching Reading Texas Educator Certificate.
Coleen Sanchez joins The Fay School as a Primary II Lead Teacher. She received her Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Houston, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and is Texas Teacher Certified with supplemental Early Childhood PK-3 and ESL designations. For the past four years, Coleen has taught at BakerRipley Community Schools as a Pre-K 4 ESL Teacher. She is currently participating in Rice University's Early Literacy Leadership Academy.
Madalyn Webster joins The Fay School as a First Grade Lead Teacher. Madalyn has over 30 years of teaching experience in public schools, including charter and international baccalaureate schools. She received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Houston and her Master of Education in Leadership from the University of St. Thomas.
Tracy Whittaker joins Fay as a First Grade Assistant Teacher, with nine years of experience as a Teacher and 11 years of experience as a Product Developer for an educational learning materials company. Tracy received her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with a Minor in Speech Communications from The University of Texas - Austin, and worked as a Pre-Kindergarten Lead Teacher in The Gillispie School, an independent pre- and elementary school in La Jolla, CA.
Updated Moves:
Jennifer Blaine has moved to First Grade Assistant Teacher from Second Grade Assistant Teacher
Evelyn Canales has moved to Primary II Assistant Teacher from Primary I Assistant Teacher
Scott Cunningham has moved to Fourth Grade Lead Teacher from Second Grade Lead Teacher
Meredith Langman has moved to Assistant Director of Admissions from Second Grade Lead Teacher
Natalie Loverich has moved to Primary II Assistant Teacher from Kindergarten Assistant Teacher
Kristin Mata joins us as Operations Associate/Receptionist after holding the position in an Interim capacity
Rachel McDonald has moved to Kindergarten Lead Teacher from Primary I Assistant Teacher
Ryan Sanchez has moved to Third Grade Lead Teacher from Fourth Grade Lead Teacher
Lucy Strickland has moved to Primary I Assistant Teacher from Primary II Assistant Teacher
Mariah Waters has moved to Outdoor Education Specialist from Kindergarten Assistant Teacher