Meet Our Staff

We are experienced, certified teachers who believe education is about the whole child.

As a team, we provide a safe, high-quality, nurturing environment for your child to learn.

 

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Administration

Dr. Elizabeth Watson

Director

Ph.D., M.Ed., University of Missouri-Columbia, B.S., Stephens College

Elizabeth Watson is the director of The Children’s School at Stephens College and continues to work with preservice teachers as the Education Program Chair. Her passion for education has been shaped over the past 20 years as a classroom teacher in both preschool and elementary and as an instructor in the college classroom. She started her career at Stephens College as an undergraduate student and received her early childhood degree and teaching certification. After her first year of teaching, she continued her education at the University of Missouri and received her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Reading. Later she earned her PhD at the University of Missouri in Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum with an emphasis in Reading. 

 

Chelsae Cordia 

B.A. in Management, Webster University

Chelsae Cordia is the Administrative Assistant for the Children's School at Stephens College. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Management with a minor in Communication from Webster University in 2011. Chelsae brings valuable experience in news reporting, grant writing, and nonprofit management to her role. Recently relocated to Columbia from Southern Missouri with her son, she looks forward to cultivating new relationships in the community. Chelsae is an avid runner who enjoys coffee, travel, and watching Dateline.
 
Preschool Teachers

Taylor Midgley

B.S. in Education, M.Ed. in Curriculum + Instruction, Stephens College

Taylor Midgley received her Bachelor of Science in Education in 2012 and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. Taylor has been teaching preschool at The Children’s School at Stephens College since 2013. She has a passion for early childhood development and believes the key to unlocking a child’s full potential is through developing a safe, nurturing, and loving learning environment. 

 

 

 

Lauren Huskey

B.S. in Education, Stephens College

Lauren Huskey received her Bachelor of Science in Education this past spring, this is her first year as a preschool teacher with The Children’s School. She has a passion for fostering a love of learning with her students and believes that building positive relationships is important for their success. 

 

 

Emma Kelly 

B.S. in Education, Stephens College

Emma Kelly received her Bachelor of Science in Education from Stephens College in 2020. She has four years of teaching experience with Columbia Public Schools, where she taught first and third grade. This is her first year as a preschool teacher at The Children's School at Stephens College. Emma is passionate about building relationships with students and fostering a love of learning through exploration. In her free time, she enjoys crafting, reading, and spending time outdoors.
Elementary Teachers

Peter LaMear

B. A., St. John's College, M. Ed., Harvard University
Peter LaMear teaches in the open elementary classroom at the Children’s School, working primarily with third, fourth, and fifth-grade students, and teaches Foundations, Family and Community, and Inquiry into Education in the education department. His scholarly interests include psychodynamic theory, creativity, learning, learning to teach, and depictions of teachers in narrative and documentary film. Previously, he has worked as an English and math teacher in public schools in Chicago, Illinois; Chelsea, Massachusetts; and Fulton, Missouri. He has trained teachers with Harvard Teacher Fellows, developed an integrated ESOL/Know Your Rights curriculum with Boston College’s Center for Human Rights, and leads professional development with the Missouri Writing Project. Peter holds degrees from St. John’s College and Harvard University and is a certified elementary school teacher. 

Julia Gundacker

B.M. in Music Performance, M.M. in Music Performance

Julia Gundacker teaches grades 3-5 at the Children's School as she finishes her degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education at Stephen's College. She has also been a preschool teacher at Learning Star Preschool since 2019, using her extensive training in Conscious Discipline to develop and teach social/emotional skills with children aged 2 through 6, a passion that she carries with her in her work with the students at the Children's School. Julia also teaches in the community in her private flute studio, where she works with flutists one-on-one. In her free time, Julia is passionate about running, and can often be found running on the MKT Trail. Julia also holds a BM in Music Performance from the University of Arizona and a MM in Music Performance from the University of Alabama.

 

Stephanie Thompson Stilley

B.S. in Education; M.Ed. in Curriculum + Instruction