Henrietta Lacks Elementary

Hello, my name is Chelsie Caltagarone and I am thrilled to start the year at Henrietta Lacks Elementary School as a First Grade teacher! This coming year will be my tenth year teaching. I previously taught Kindergarten for four years at Potowmack Elementary School in Loudoun County. I also taught Kindergarten for four years in Manassas, VA, and 2nd grade in Danville, VA for one year.
I am originally from Pennsylvania and I moved to Virginia 9 years ago. I received my Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education from Elizabethtown College, and my Master's Degree in Psychology from Marywood University. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, reading, and playing with my animals.
I look forward to meeting all of you and having a wonderful year together!

I am Madeline Northrop and I am a 2nd grade teacher! I am moving to Virginia from Las Vegas, Nevada. I graduated from Auburn University, War Eagle!! I have been teaching for 5 years, 3 of which have been in 2nd grade. I love to travel with my husband Hamilton and spend time with our dog Willow. I can't wait to join the Henrietta Lacks community!

My name is Anna Simpson and I am very excited to be joining the HEN family as your gifted teacher!
2024-2025 will be my 11th year in education. Throughout that time I have worked at both the elementary and middle school levels and have served as a classroom teacher, gifted teacher, and an interventionist. Specifically, I have really focused on both math and literacy at both levels.
I earned my undergraduate degree and an MBA from Shepherd University. I have an MEd in Teaching and Learning with a concentration in Gifted Education from Liberty University. In December 2023, I graduated from the Elementary Math Specialist program at Marshall University.
My husband, Chris, and I have been married for 2 years. We live in Martinsburg, WV with our four dogs and many rescue cats. We love to travel across West Virginia. We are working on visiting all of the state parks. We do a lot of camping, and were actually married in Blackwater Falls State Park by our very dear friend, Alex.
I'm looking forward to getting to know you all!

Leslie Akintounde is entering her 12th year of teaching, with 9 years in LCPS. She has spent most of her years serving as an EL teacher in kindergarten and a classroom teacher in kindergarten. She is concluding her 9th year as one of the English DLI teachers for the Dual Language Immersion program. Leslie has her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education K-5 (go Jags!), Master's degree in ESOL K-12, and Education Specialist degree in K-12 Leadership. She is originally from Louisiana and is a Saints Fan (#whodat)! Leslie moved to Virginia with her husband 15 years ago. They love traveling and spending time with their two children, Akin and Lolade. Leslie is looking forward to the 2024-25 school year and joining the team and community at Henrietta Lacks!

My name is Amy Worrest, and I am thrilled to be part of the amazing PE team here at Henrietta Lacks Elementary School! I've been teaching PE for 19 years at all grade levels. I'm looking forward to an exciting year filled with movement opportunities that will help students understand the importance and value of leading active and healthy lives!

I have two daughters who are active soccer and flag football players. I enjoy anything outdoors, hiking, swimming, boating, and hanging with my family. We are big Washington Spirit fans and love watching professional women's soccer!

Stephen is entering his ninth year of teaching music in the county, having most recently opened Hovatter Elementary in 2021. He is a strong advocate for equity in the classroom, and loves to incorporate multicultural experiences into the music curriculum. As someone who has opened 1) an elementary school 2) in the past four years 3) directly next door to HEN, he knows the importance of a strong school community and is excited to foster a positive environment for each and every student and staff member!

My name is Tiffany Williams and I will be joining the music team at Henrietta Lacks! I am also at Waxpool ES in Ashburn. The 2024/25 school year will be my 18th year teaching elementary music in LCPS. Loudoun is a special place to me because I have spent most of my life here and graduated from Broad Run HS. I received my Bachelor and Master of Music in Music Education degrees with concentration in flute from George Mason University. I live in Ashburn with my husband and two boys who will be in 2nd and 5th Grade. I love cats and our home usually has one or two rescue kitties, but we don’t have any four-legged friends at the moment. In my free time, I love spending time with my family, gardening, bike riding, and taking pictures.

I am so excited to be a part of the Henrietta Lacks Community! Throughout my career, I have taught Kindergarten, Second, and Third Grade. I am looking forward to using my experience in the classroom in our Library! I love reading and can't wait to share my love of books with our students.

I graduated with my Masters in Education from Virginia Tech. My husband David and I, along with our children Sophia (15) and Caleb (13), love cheering on the Washington Capitals, spoiling our dog Charlie, going on trips together, and having dance parties in our kitchen!

It's going to be a GREAT year!

Hello! My name is Laura Manduzio! I have been teaching Health and Physical Education for 15 years. I received my undergraduate degree from West Virginia University and my Master's Degree from the University of Northern Iowa as a Polar Scholar. I started my career in Fairfax County Public Schools and taught at Clearview Elementary School for 13 years. Two years ago, I moved to Loudoun County Public Schools, where I taught at River Bend Middle School, and then I moved to Pinebrook Elementary School last school year. This year, I am so excited to be opening Henrietta Lacks to become a Honey Bee!

My handsome husband, Michael, and I are proud parents of two strong girls, Carmella Mae (4) and Scarlett Rae (2). As far as hobbies go, I love weight lifting, playing softball, dancing, wearing fun colored nail polish/makeup, and spending quality time with family and friends. I am looking forward to a wonderful year filled with fitness, nutrition, & positive vibes.

Hello! My name is Jen Thompson and I am so excited to be joining the Henrietta Lacks Elementary family this year. I knew I wanted to be a teacher in the fourth grade! I followed that dream and earned a Bachelor's Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, Elementary and a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and Teacher Leadership. I also have an ESL endorsement. I have sixteen years of teaching experience ranging from preschool to third grade and most recently, I was an EL teacher at Little River Elementary. I am passionate about building a positive, welcoming, safe space where my students can thrive and build a love for learning! When I am not at school, you can find me spending time with my husband, our four children and our dog, Archie. Our oldest daughter goes to JMU, our oldest son will be going to VA Tech this fall, our second daughter will be a Junior at Freedom and our youngest son will be starting 6th grade at Lunsford. I can't wait to meet all of the Henrietta Lacks honeybees and their families! I look forward to a wonderful year in first grade! :)

Hi, Honey Bees! My name is Kyla Rose Wilcox and I am SO excited to be part of the Henrietta Lacks community as one of the school counselors! This will be my third year as a school counselor in LCPS. Prior to becoming a school counselor, I received my Bachelor's in Music Therapy from Shenandoah University. I was a music therapist and music teacher for six years and worked with children of all ages and ranges of abilities. I then attended George Mason University and received my Master of Education in School Counseling. Music has always been a huge part of my life, so I frequently incorporate it into my work as a counselor. I believe that having fun and exploring are essential in early childhood education!

I have lived in Loudoun County for 6 years with my husband, Stephen, and our dog Luna. In my free time, I love to play music with my musician husband, take Luna on long walks, draw, cross-stitch, and play video games. I also love to cook (and eat!) vegan food and desserts!

I am looking forward to getting to know our students, families, and staff and having an AMAZING first year at HEN! Go Honey Bees!

My name is Tara Druyor and I am so excited to join the pre-school team at Henrietta Lacks. I have been teaching in Loudoun for 15 years. I have experience with ECSE Resource, ECSE Self-Contained, Cross-Categorical (K-5) and Introduction to Early Childhood for high school students.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my two kids, fur baby, friends and my horse Deacon. I love all outdoor activities and exploring/hiking.

Hello Honeybees!
My name is Mr. Holmes, and this is my 7th year teaching in LCPS. I received my BM in Performance from East Carolina University (Go Pirates!), my Teaching Certification from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and my Masters degree in Education from American College of Education.
When I'm not teaching, I love to perform, play video games, spend time with my wife, travel, and craft!

I am super excited to be joining the HEN this year! I have always had a passion for teaching, which is why I decided to go to SUNY Oneonta to become a teacher! At SUNY Oneonta, I completed my undergraduate degree in Early Childhood and Childhood Education (Birth-Sixth Grade). Immediately following my undergraduate program, I moved on to complete my Master's Degree in Literacy Education. I have been a fifth grade teacher for five years and am excited to be starting off my PE career! This past year, my fiancé Sean and I bought a house and we will be getting married this summer!
In my free time, I love to run, hike, go to the beach, travel, read, and spend time with my family! My favorite food is salad and my favorite color is green. My favorite store is LuluLemon and I love getting lattes at Starbucks, along with a pupaccino for my dog Maisy! Some of the best vacations I have been on were in Italy, Puerto Rico, California, the Outer banks, and Greece with my family. Each year I also like to visit my grandparents in Florida where I have gone skydiving and parasailing too!
I have really loved living in Virginia so far, and am looking forward to the memories we will make this year at Henrietta Lacks!

My name is Becca Madgwick and this year will be my second year at Little River, first year at Henrietta Lacks, and my third year teaching. I graduated from Radford in 2021 with my bachelors in art education and then continued my education at Radford to then graduate in 2022 with my masters in curriculum and instruction. In my free time I enjoy being in the sun, working out, hanging out with my dog Cory, and being with friends and family. I am also a volleyball coach at Stone Bridge High School, which is where I played and graduated from. I cannot wait to create with you and have tons of fun this year in art!