Clifton Presbyterian Church Preschool
Meet the Teachers
Clifton wouldn’t be the same without our dedicated team of professionals. Passionate and caring, they are here to guide students and families and help them make the most of their time here. Read their stories below.
Director
Amy McConaghie
Amy was born in Washington, DC and raised in the Clifton area. She graduated from Virginia Tech in 1995 and worked at AMS/CGI in Training and Finance. She has volunteered at Fairfax County Public Schools, with Cub Scouts, local VBS and managed local soccer teams. Amy joined CPCP in 2014 and has worked in Extended Care as both the Assistant and Lead Teacher for the 3’s class. This year she will be the Dirctor of CPCP. Amy has three teen boys, all whom attended CPCP.
Lead Teacher
Jen Radcliffe
Jen received her BA in Early Childhood Education from Hood College in Frederick, MD and has lived in Clifton since 1994. She has been an active volunteer in her children’s schools in Japan, Monterey, CA and Fairfax County. Jen joined CPCP in 2008 and is our Lead Teacher for the 4/5’s class. Jen has two children.
Assistant Teacher
Mary Jo Kaczmarek
Mary Jo Kaczmarek received a B.S. in Education from the University of Virginia. She taught first grade and kindergarten in Fairfax County for 9 years and homeschooled her children for 13 years. She volunteers at CVHS and St. Andrew the Apostle Church. She and her husband, Mark, have five children (and 2 grandchildren), four of whom attended CPCP. Mary Jo joined CPCP in 2017 and is our Assistant Teacher for the 4/5’s class.
Lead Teacher
Amy Glaze
Amy was born and raised in Fairfax City. She received her BS in Education from Virginia Tech. This is Amy's first year at CPCP but has taught preschool all the way through high school in the past. Amy has four children, sending her first off to college at JMU this fall, along with an eleventh, eighth and first grader. Amy currently lives in Manassas on the Occoquan Reservoir. She is the Lead Teacher for the 4/5's class.
Lead Teacher
Anne McKinstry
Anne has been providing Music Enrichment for CPCP for many years and joined CPCP's teaching staff in the fall of 2019. Anne will be the Lead Teacher for one of our 3's classes. She received her BA from BYU. Anne and her husband Ryan have 9 children, 8 of whom have attended CPCP. Anne coaches basketball and volunteers in her children's schools. She is also actively involved in many church responsibilities.
Lead Teacher
Kathie Cipolla
Kathie and her husband Mike of 31 years have resided in Clifton for 25 years; three of their four children attended CPCP. Kathie received her Paralegal Associates Degree from NOVA. Kathie embraces early childhood education and teaches figure skating, hockey and dance with many years of experience with children. Kathie joined CPCP in 2016 and is the Lead Teacher in one of our 3's classes.
Lead Teacher
Kate Trussell
Kate is a proud Army Brat and spent her younger years moving around, including living in Germany for 4 years. She graduated from Purdue University with a BS degree in Management and minor in Human Resources, and was a Recruiter and managed HR departments. She has volunteered and substituted in Fairfax County Public Schools, and has been a proud supporter of her daughter's competitive and high school dance teams. Kate and husband Jeff moved to Clifton in 2005, and have one daughter who also attended CPCP. This is Kate's third year as a Lead Teacher in the 2.5 year old class at CPCP.
Assistant Teacher
Melissa Halstead
Melissa grew up in Wisconsin and graduated from UW-Madison in 1992. She joined the US Army and moved to Fort Bragg, NC, where she met her husband, Scott. She left the Army to focus on her family. They have two adult daughters and have lived in Northern Virginia twice over the course of her husband's 30-year career. She received her Master of Science in Elementary Education from Old Dominion in 2009 and has been a short- and long-term substitute teacher in multiple school systems, including parochial and public schools. They recently moved back to the area after her husband's retirement, and they are happy to be "home." Melissa joined CPCP in 2022 and is the Assistant Teacher in one of our 4/5 classes.
Assistant Teacher
Lauren Kelly
Lauren was born and raised in Burke, Virginia and graduated from Old Dominion University in 2006. Lauren enjoys running, hiking and spending time outdoors with her kids, Oliver, her black lab and her family. She moved with her family to the Clifton area in 2020 from Fairfax City. Lauren and her husband Sean have two children, a fifth and third grader. This is Lauren’s first year at CPCP and she is the Assistant Teacher for one of our 3’s classes.
Assistant Teacher
Hilda Duran Castillo
Hilda Duran received a Bachelor's Degree in Health Services Administration. She moved 4 years ago from Long Island,NY with her husband and son. She has volunteered in Maps (Manassas adventist preparatory school), Manassas Battlefield SDA church, as a Teacher Assistant. She has worked in local VBS with different age groups. Hilda is joining CPCP as an Assistant Teacher in our 2.5 year old class.
Extended Caretaker
Savannah Pierce
Savannah grew up in Fairfax and is now living in Clifton with her amazing family. She graduated from Robinson Secondary School in 2022. She played all four years on the Varsity Softball team and also played 10+ years of travel softball. Savannah likes to be active as much as she can if that’s being in the gym or being outside. She is also a huge family person so she will spend as much time as she can with her family. Savannah loves to spend time with her little siblings because they always brighten up her days and always keeps her on her toes! She will be joining CPCP in the afternoons as an Extended Caretaker.