Staff Directory

James Gilroy is a native Washingtonian, having attended Stoddert Elementary and Hardy Middle School before moving to Northern Virginia, where he is currently a resident. He lives in Falls Church with his wife Jeanne, daughter Evyenia, and son James. He attended Georgetown University, receiving a B.A in Psychology, minoring in Sociology. James also holds a M.Ed from the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education in Educational Psychology.

Prior to coming to Little Folks, James was a teacher and administrator at Beauvoir, the National Cathedral Elementary School for 10 years. He began his educational journey there as an Associate Teacher in 3rd Grade, transitioning to Directing 2nd Grade Teacher, and then becoming the Director of Auxiliary Programs, serving the families of the youngest learners in Pre-Kindergarten to the oldest departing 3rd graders. While directing Beauvoir Summer, Enrichment Programs, and the Beauvoir Language Institute, James served on the Administrative Team at Beauvoir, as well as the Board of Directors of other neighboring preschools.

James is a lifelong learner who enjoys building lasting relationships and putting the child at the center of his work as an educator. His weekends revolve around his children’s extracurricular activities, spending time with friends and family, and waiting for the Georgetown Hoyas’ return to greatness.

Marta Kassahun was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 1980, she went to the former Soviet Union to study Languages. She earned her Masters in Education at the Pedagogical Institute in Piatigorsk. In addition, Marta has studied Early Childhood Education at the Northern Virginia Community College. After completing her studies in the Soviet Union, she worked as a Nursery School Teacher in Saarbruckan, Germany, for two years. We in the Little Folks Community have benefited from Ms. Kassahun’s professional expertise since 1989. Her extensive experience and knowledge of appropriate practice in the nursery school environment is treasured by her colleagues and the families at the Little Folks School. Marta is also teaching a variety of classes in our after school program, including science, cooking, and creative art.

Juliana grew up in Arlington, Virginia and recently moved back to the area. In May 2015, Juliana graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She also took many courses focusing on early childhood development as well as Human Development and Family Studies courses. Juliana worked as an Assistant Toddler Teacher at a Montessori school in State College, PA this past year, and is excited to continue her teaching career at Little Folks School. She enjoys the energy of working with the toddlers and creating an environment for exploration, creativity, and growth.

Karen is excited to be joining the Little Folks Community. She earned her B.A. in education at Towson University and has lived her childhood dream of being a teacher for the past 20 years. A mother of three, she draws from her broad experience to teach and to communicate with parents, including her past work with special needs students and her own child’s ADHD and speech therapy. Karen believes education should evoke happiness in children when entering class. She loves to sing with students and hearing their surprise remarks.

Karen and her family have many passions including fostering puppies and Walking for Breast Cancer. So far she has walked over 490 miles in varies events to raise money for a breast cancer cure, inspired by her aunt, who is a two-time survivor of the disease. Karen lives in Kensington, MD with her husband, three teenagers and two dogs.

Leonor Rosero, known affectionately as “Nory” to the children of the Little Folks School, was born in the Philippines. She studied Communications at the Far Eastern University in Manila, majoring in Drama. She is an accomplished Musician, sharing her musical expertise with the Little Folks community through circle time and weekend guitar lessons for children. Nory has been teaching at the Little Folks School since 1990. Nory’s love of children does not end at the Little Folks School - she reads stories to children at libraries in Fairfax County and serves as a ballroom dance choreographer for teenage students in Maryland and Virginia. This year, Nory is teaching drama afterschool, including script writing, set design, costume making, and dramatic performances of classical stories. Nory also helps children develop creative skills through visual and manipulative arts during before school class.