Our Staff for
2023-2024
Colleen Gambrill - Director
A new addition to our team last year, Colleen "CeeCee" Gambrill is excited to be working with "little lovebugs." CeeCee is a retired HCPS teacher. She taught 1st and 2nd graders for most of her career. She also worked for 10 years as a Teacher Mentor coaching beginning teachers across all grades including Pre-K. Colleen holds a Master's in Elementary Education as well as a post-graduate certification in Administration & Supervision, both from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. Collen holds Administrator I and II certifications through MSDE. She lives with her husband and orange Tabby in Bel Air.
Lisa Roberts - Lead Teacher, Happy Hearts
Assistant Teacher, Joyful Learners
Miss Lisa joined Christ Our King Preschool as the 4s Aide in 2017. She has been an important force in the development of the 2s class where she now serves as the Lead Teacher. Lisa also works as the Assistant Teacher in the 3-day 4s. Lisa has recently earned Associate's in Early Childhood Education from Harford Community College. She also holds her 90-hours certification for Preschool and is credentialed through MSDE. As a lifelong learner, Lisa has already begun work on her Bachelor's. We are very proud of her work in the classroom. Miss Lisa lives in Bel Air with her husband and three children.
Elisabeth Phelan, Faith Formation & Assistant Teacher, Happy Hearts
Miss Betsy joined Christ Our King Preschool last year as the 2s and 3s aide. She is returning to help our youngest learners in Happy Hearts. Additionally, she has chosen to share her love of teaching religious education with our students this year, and we couldn't be more thrilled to know our students will benefit from her deep faith and love of teaching.
Betsy holds a Bachelor's in Education from Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland.
She lives in Bel Air with her husband and four children.
Laura Ewing - Co-Lead, Cheerful Spirits
Miss Laura has joined us for her sixth year as a preschool teacher after teaching 2s and 3s at Bel Air Athletic Club and Tiny Tots at Bel Air United Methodist Church. Laura is a former Kindergarten teacher with Harford County Public Schools where she taught for 10 years before starting her family. She is a graduate of Towson University with a Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education. She also holds a Master's Degree in Elementary Education from Walden University. Additionally, Laura holds her certification in Preschool Administration.
She lives in Bel Air with her husband and two daughters.
Suzanne Thompson - Co-Lead, Cheerful Spirits
Miss Suzie permanently joined our staff this year after teaching a couple of months last year in the 4s class. Before joining us, she taught 4s at the Bel Air Athletic Club after she retired from Harford County Schools where she taught for 30 years.
Suzie earned her Bachelor's in Elementary Education from York College of Pennsylvania. She also has her Master's in Reading Education from Loyola College. She is certified and fully credentialed as a preschool teacher through MSDE. Suzie also enjoys her time as the Manager of the Harford Dance Theatre Company at Harford Community College.
Suzie and her husband are the parents of three adult children and have recently become empty nesters in Bel Air.
Jill Holtschneider - Lead Teacher
Joyful Learners
Miss Jill became the 4s Lead Teacher at Christ Our King Preschool in 2015 and we are thrilled that she is still sharing her expertise at our school.. Previously, she was a COK parent for three years and a substitute teacher for three years. She was also the Assistant Teacher in the 3s class and the 4s class for 3 years at each level, She has done it ALL here at COK! Jill has earned her 90 hour certification in Early Childhood Education and she is accredited by MSDE. Currently,, she is pursuing her CDA credential (Childhood Development Associate). Beloved by students and parents, Miss Jill brings a dynamic energy to her work with all children as they prepare for Kindergarten. She lives nearby with her husband and two college-aged daughters.
Danielle Cochran - STEM Teacher
Assistant Teacher, Joyful Learners
Miss Elle has taken on a unique role this year as our first STEM Teacher at COKP. Danielle worked in this role in a previous position with the YMCA in upstate New York.
She is also assisting Miss Jill in the 2-day 4s program. She has earned her 90 hour preschool certification and is completing a course of study in Early Childhood Education at Harford Community College. Her creative talents are impressive and she's made quite a hit with previous students, She loves to get messy with hands-on lessons that often involve sending children home dirty, so bring a smock! This mother of five lives on a farm in Darlington with her husband, children, chickens, kittens, dogs, rabbits, pigs and a new goat.
Kimberley Thompson -Lead Teacher,
Growing Disciples
Miss Kim joined Christ Our King Preschool as the Transitional Kindergarten teacher for the 2021– 2022 school year. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Elementary and Special Education from Monmouth University in New Jersey, her home state. Miss Kim also holds her 90 hour preschool certification and she is fully- credentialed through MSDE. In addition to teaching preschool, she has worked as a Kindergarten and 1st grade teacher in a New Jersey public school system. Miss Kim speaks Spanish and loves to integrate conversational Spanish into her class. Her students LOVE learning to "hablo Espanol." Kim lives in Havre de Grace with her husband and and two daughters.
Carrie Post -Assistant Teacher,
Growing Disciples
Miss. Carrie joined Christ Our King Preschool in 2015 as our 3's Aide. She was instrumental in the development of our Transitional Kindergarten program, and now helps prepare those children for Kindergarten in new and exciting ways. She is our in-house expert on helping children successfully and happily move on to Kindergarten. A native of Long Island, New York, Miss Carrie has lived in Bel Air for many years along with her husband, three children, her mother. and two much-loved pups.
