Jennifer Adams, M.Ed., CAS School Psychology, Founding Director
We often say that The Little School is the insides of Jennifer’s brain dumped out into the world. Indeed, TLS owes its forward-thinking (and forever evolving) mission to this woman with a strong vision and profound belief in every child’s one-of-a-kind capabilities. Jennifer was born into a family of educators; her father was a superintendent in the public schools and her mother was the head of The Summit School, an independent school in Winston-Salem for Pre-K through ninth grade. These early years living and attending Summit heavily influenced her pedagogic approach for a unique child-centered education; one where creative thinking and problem solving reigned king. Indeed, her earliest jobs were spent as a camp counselor, a preschool teacher, and a middle school teacher for children with learning and emotional disabilities.
Jennifer earned her undergraduate degree from Colorado State University. Jennifer headed to the other side of the country to The University of Delaware where she completed her Masters in Education with a concentration in children with disabilities, as well as a Specialist Level degree in School Psychology. She returned to North Carolina and began working as a School Psychologist in the Alamance Burlington School System. She set out to find the perfect school for her children- one where EVERY child is invited to play. A school where children were encouraged to explore, to think for themselves, to get muddy, and to be uniquely themselves. It simply did not exist. Never content to sit still or settle, Jennifer decided to build that school, and we are grateful she did.
Mary Swanson, Founder & Owner
After 26 years at AAA, Mary left her job in 2005 to become the very first teacher at The Little School. The rest, as they say, is history. Mary makes it happen. If it weren’t for Mary, we may all be sitting around the kitchen table dreaming about this magical school. From its inception, Mary has been cheering on the children at TLS, combing consignment sales for the best deals on dump trucks, crooning karaoke over muffins, and spreading the TLS joy. Simply put, she is the lighthouse of reason in a sea of dreamers.
Mary was born the oldest of four siblings, spending much of her life here in Durham, NC. She is the proud Aunt to nine and lives to dote on her ever-growing list of great-nieces and nephews. Dubbed “The Queen”, wherever she goes, she leaves a lasting impression. You can find her most mornings at Coffee World, sharing doughnut holes and an iced latte with her dog Sweetie.
Bonnie Cady, Human Resource Director & Business Manager
Bonnie joined the Little School in June of 2017 and brought with her over 35 years of administrative experience in finance, human resource management, payroll, project management, grant proposal development, and award compliance. Of those years, 22 were spent in non-profit leadership roles: 15 years as Administrator of an organization serving adult and child victims of family and sexual violence; and seven years as Finance Director for an agency providing companion services to the elderly and disabled. Continuing in her desire to be involved with those who care for vulnerable populations, Bonnie truly enjoys her time supporting the teachers and staff at The Little School in her roles as Human Resource Director and Business Manager.Lynne No, Staff Recruiter and Trainer
Even though Lynne and her family lived in four other states in the northeast and west before moving to North Carolina when she was a child, she definitely considers herself to be a Southerner! Her interest in education began as a member of Future Teachers of America in high school. From there, she decided to major in Elementary Education at UNC-Chapel Hill and subsequently taught everything from Kindergarten to Second Grade, with a random year of teaching Fourth Grade reading and writing thrown in for good measure! While teaching at her first elementary school, she became good friends with the Pre-K teacher. She found that was drawn to popping into this classroom whenever she had a few minutes to spend time with these little kiddos. This inspired her to pursue her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. After this, she came back to NC and spent a few more years in the elementary grades, also receiving her Reading Specialist certification from UNC-Chapel Hill. It was not until she moved to Colorado that she finally found an opportunity to work with younger children. She started out as a substitute and extended day teacher at a local recreation center preschool setting. Then, when she moved to Utah, she taught 3-4 year olds at the local Head Start program. When the time came to move back to NC, she “googled” early childhood centers in Orange County, NC and found The Little School! One application and two video interviews later, she moved back to NC in the summer of 2017 and started at TLS Hillsborough as a 3-4 year old teacher. Since then, she has worked with children from 16 months to 5 years old at TLS. In the summer of 2022 she transitioned to a new position at TLS as the Staff Recruiter and Trainer and is loving interviewing and hiring fantastic new teachers at both our Hillsborough and Duke locations!Laura Haslam, Curriculum Director
Chris, Director of Food Programs
Chris was born near Hartford, CT. He found his way down to North Carolina and received his BA in Biology from UNC-CH. He has over 30 years of experience in food service. Chris was the kitchen manager at the famous Flying Burrito in Chapel Hill for 8 years. He was a line chef at Panzanella in Southern Village for 2 years and Head Chef at Town Hall Grill for 7 years, also in Southern Village. Chris is married to his lovely wife, Erin, and has two sons, Oscar and Benjamin. Chris enjoys politics, art and science exploration.
Jennie Ogden, School Director
Since she was a small child, Jennie knew she wanted to be a teacher. Initially drawn to deaf education, Jennie was compelled to make high-quality education accessible to all, despite any learning differences. After earning her degree in Elementary Education, Jennie worked as a kindergarten teacher in Durham Public Schools. She came to a place in her career where her pedagogic dreams were not matching with her reality. In search of a new way of teaching, she found TLS in 2010 and quickly discovered the joy she was searching for. In her many years at TLS Jennie has worked with nearly every age, in every building, and even taught at our Duke campus. Along with being a TLS teacher and mentor, she has also served in the role of TLS parent to her two children, Jaci-Ann and Gregory. In her spare time (ha!) she is a member of Hillsborough Elementary School’s PTA, and has a side business baking cupcakes with her mom. She can make her hair into a reindeer, is a walking Pinterest board, and perhaps most importantly, makes a mean buffalo chicken dip (but I call the next batch). A deeply reflective leader, Jennie is the first to tell you that she learns as much from her misses as she does from her wins. She is also meticulously organized, dedicated to early years education, wildly creative and so in love with our schools and our community.Natasha (Tasha) Rhodes, Assistant Director
Natasha was born and raised in Durham, NC. She began her journey as an Early Childhood Educator in 2002, working with children from infancy to 6 years of age. She earned her AAS in Early Childhood Education in 2018. Natasha has a strong belief in the power of relationships, successfully advocating a continuity of care model for our school. Natasha takes pride in raising her daughter, Kaitlyn, and 2-year-old (Yorkie-poo) Brandy. Natasha has several hobbies that she enjoys wildly, such as couponing (such an addiction!), baking, cooking, spending time with her family and friends, being a “classroom parent” at her daughter’s school, and listening to country music! Natasha joined TLS in 2013.Cole Kenworthy, Assistant Director
Mr. Cole was dropped off by unicorn storks in Hickory, NC. He learned to frolic at an early age and never stopped. Mr. Cole graduated from Rainbow Dash Wizard School with Magnum Lum Unicorn honors. He began working with children almost twelve years ago as a coach for youth sports. Cole joined The Little School back in 2007 as a professional frolicker. Together with his students, they have hiked and mapped the surrounding woods, discovering “the magic mountains”, “wonderland”, and countless other delights. Cole can find magic anywhere, and TLS is forever grateful for his humor, energy and joy. In his spare time, Mr. Cole likes to frolic between hither & yon, i.e. playing basketball, enjoying multiple brunches, running, and paddling down the Eno river with his best dog friend, Dover.
Shannon Borland, Senior Office Manager
Wendy Cuahutle, Office Manager
Wendy joined The Little School when we opened the Waterstone campus in 2010. She started as a teacher working with our 1’s, 2’s and 3’s, and was an integral part of their growth and development. Wendy joined our administrative team in 2015. Wendy began working in early childhood education after graduating high school, at which time she earned her ECE credentials. After starting her own family with her husband Oscar, she became a stay at home Mom. She was able to be actively involved in her children’s school activities during their early years. Now her daughter, Dyani, is a nurse at Duke Hospital and her son, Oscar, works in graphic design/digital marketing. Wendy enjoys spending time with her family and friends and going to the beach in her spare time.
Courtney Grasty, Atelierista
Courtney is the school Atelierista (art teacher), and she loves children and art! She started working at The Little School in 2015 and has held many different positions at TLS . Before she became a teacher, she was a stuntwoman for film and TV, and an avid painter and sculptor. She is also a 7th degree black belt Karate Master. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education through the University of Colorado and Boulder Journey School. Courtney is a native of Orange County who has lived in Los Angeles, Manhattan, and Miami Beach. She has traveled to 22 countries and 32 states and hopes to continue the exploration throughout life. She has a big family spread all around the world. She lives in Northern Orange County with her wonderful husband Luke and their daughters- Ava and Juna, dogs- Charlie and Pita, cats – Satchmo & Alfredo, and an unofficially adopted horse “Breezy.”
David, Head Chef
Chef David joined TLS in 2017 as the school chef of the Hillsborough campus and knew immediately he had found the perfect home to fulfill his passion— nourishing people. He started cooking professionally in 2005 at the age of 17 as a line cook for Jerusalem Garden Cafe— a long-standing staple of the culinary-powerhouse town of Asheville, NC. At the time, his mother Bronwyn was the executive chef of the restaurant. He followed in her lineage and took a more prominent role as sous chef in 2008. Afterwards, he served in executive/managerial roles for several restaurants including Saladelia Cafe in Durham and Bona Fide Sandwich Co. in Hillsborough. Chef David has played an integral role in developing the culinary program at TLS from our grab-n-go program, our Farm-to-Table dinner series, our weekly family take-home meals and most importantly, nourishing our young friends every day.
When he’s not in the kitchen, he’s most likely doing all the dad things (his children Jade and Onyx are both TLS alumni); coaching his kids’ sports teams and long weekend hikes are his favorites. Or he’s lacing up his running shoes and listening to music (it’s Beyoncé, he’s listening to Beyoncé). “I truly believe in the founding principles of The Little School,” he says. “This place is different. It is a rare bastion of child empowerment and development that pushes back on a society that routinely normalizes de-platforming our most impressionable minds. Food is a large part of that. We strive to nourish— to make mealtime a communal experience abundant in comfort, freedom and exposure. Being a part of this movement is an honor and without question the most noble work of my career.”
Kitchen Assistant – Sierra
Heather Rose, Director
Heather Rose has worked in early childhood education, primarily with infants and toddlers, for over a decade. If you ever want to geek out about brain development during the ages of 0-3, she is your gal. Heather first joined The Little School of Hillsborough in 2012. In her ever-evolving roles at The Little School, she has served as a teacher, mentor, school director, and pedagogista at both campuses. She has cherished the opportunity to build relationships with children, classrooms, teachers, and families at both campuses. She is passionate about strengthening the image of the child, advocating for a greater community presence, and beautifying the environment inside and out. In her spare time, she goes on adventures with her blended family, which includes 3 rambunctious boys. Her favorite daydream is life on a micro-farm with pygmy goats and chickens while spending her days gardening and pickling all things!
Jasmine Gibson, Assistant Director
Jasmine is a native of Raleigh, NC and has been a proud member of the TLS family since 2013. She has spent her time working with children ages 1-5. She embraces the idea that all children are capable and encourages them to reach their highest potential. She not only encourages children, but her co-workers, as well. Jasmine is currently pursuing a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies at Elizabeth City State University. (Go Vikings!) In her spare time, Jasmine is the Marvel and DC movie queen and also enjoys singing, traveling, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
Veta Neville, Assistant Director
Veta was born and raised in Hillsborough, NC. Early on, she knew that she loved working with little children. They were drawn to her, and she was the one who would end up babysitting! She has been working with children for about 20 years. She has worked with the school system, camps, child care centers, and church. She also gives back by helping others as a Missionary, being a listening ear, feeding the hungry, and helping battered women. Veta is also passionate about working in Cosmetology, doing hair and nails. Her hobbies are enjoying good food with family and friends, bringing joy to others, making people laugh, and any art that inspires her. Working at The Little School has become a big part of her. It allows her to give back what she so eagerly can by seeing what a child’s needs are and being creative in helping in any way that she can.
Janice Lemmons, Atelierista
Janice graduated in 2009 from Savannah College of Art and Design with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art, going on to teach painting to children and adults full time for 5 years. Later, she went back to school for a Teaching certification in ESL (English as a Second Language), working remotely with foreign language speakers. She also worked as a Pre-kindergarten teacher in Cary, at our TLS at Hillsborough campus for two years, and is training as an Art Therapy Practitioner. Her goal to pass on to others is the understanding that what we each have inside of us are all the tools to succeed the way we need to. The instructor is merely just a guide. Alleviation comes when we recognize our own strengths and talents. What the other person next to us is doing is their magic, and we each have our own. When creating art, realistic forms can teach us about techniques and symbolisms while we are expressing ourselves, and free art is what helps us exercise and realize our intrinsic motivations. Outside of work, Janice is soaking up the simple pleasures and passing moments with family and friends. She loves astronomy and the wonder the night sky brings. She is always up for a beautiful walk in nature, exploring new swimming holes and places to eat, and volunteering to help animals.
