Michele Zipperer (she/her): Preschool Director

I often tell folks that I have my “dream job”; creating the program and being the director of Westover Hills Preschool!  I received my undergraduate degree in Special Education at James Madison University and my master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University.  My career in education spans over 32 years and includes teaching in both public and private preschool programs, as well as working for nearly ten years with the Department of Correction Education; evaluating and instructing juvenile offenders.  Once my two children were born, I stayed home with them and when they were preschool-aged, we attended Bon Air Presbyterian Preschool (BAPP); an excellent program with which I know many of you are familiar.  I subsequently taught at BAPP for several years and then worked with a Title I elementary school in Chesterfield Co. teaching at-risk kindergarten and first graders.  More recently have worked as a Head Start educator in Richmond Public Schools.  My family has lived in the Forest Hills community for nearly three decades and I have been so gratified to see so many young families settle into this vibrant and historic neighborhood in recent years.  If the considerable activity at our popular WHUMC “Tot Lot” (corner of Westover Hills Boulevard and New Kent Avenue) is any indication; preschoolers, toddlers, and infants are delightfully abundant where we live.  In my spare time, I enjoy organic vegetable and flower gardening, tending my enormous collection of house plants, cooking, and caring for my two cats and very needy Rat Terrier. Please let me hear from you if there is any further information I can provide about our preschool program.  I am looking forward to another wonderful year of learning and growing with your child and family!

Jackie Barden (she/her): I joined the wonderful team of Westover Hills Preschool in February 2017 with the Bluebirds.  In the fall of 2017, I started co-teaching in the Eagle class which where I am currently at. Before I came to WHP,  I worked at Good Shepherd Episcopal School in their early education program (prek-3 and jk-4) for 25 years.  I also was a kindergarten assistant for several years. I truly enjoy watching children learn and grow.  My goal is to have a positive influence on the children in my care by promoting joy in learning.
Though I was born and raised in Richmond, I currently live in Keysville, VA. I am married and have two daughters and a son-in-law.  I also have 3 grandchildren, 2 boys and 1 girl, that I adore.  I enjoy are arts and crafts and making kids smile.

Megan Cossitt (she/her): I am so excited to join WHP as a staff member with the Bluebirds!  I truly enjoy working with kiddos and helping them learn and grow their skills as tiny humans in training… I also coach soccer at my son’s elementary school and I am actively involved with the PTA.  I like to spend my time walking and reading, cooking and eating, I am an avid crossword puzzler and appreciate art and music. 

Bonnie O’Donnell (she/her). I have lived in Richmond since coming to VCU in 1999 and it quickly became home. I am an artist, specializing in jewelry making and I love working in my yard. When my husband Chip and I bought our house 12 years ago, I knew where I wanted my babies to attend preschool.  We have fallen in love with this school over the last 4 years! My daughter Betsy “Bicycle” was here as an Owl, Robin and Eagle, and is now a kindergartener at Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts. My son Don “Dump Truck” has been a Bluebird, Owl and now Eagle here at WHP.I have been a nanny for 14 years and babysitting nearly all my life as the eldest of 5 sisters. We have a dog, Daisy, who is a rescue Labrador and Boxer mix. We have a large garden of fruit trees, vegetables and flowers and even have chickens. I am so excited to be caring for your precious babies in the Peacock Class!"

Nicole Timms (she/her): Assistant Director

I love all things arts and crafts and have a minor houseplant obsession. I am a New Jersey native but proud to call RVA home! I live here with my husband, children and rescue pup Molly. We love to vacation at the lake and are slowly working our way through all of the beautiful lakes Virginia has to offer. 

FG Rockwell (he/him): As a parent of two former Peacock students, I am so excited to join the staff of this amazing preschool! I have experience working with children with developmental disabilities and a background in applied behavior analysis. I’ve also worked in restaurants and record stores and am a graduate of St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland. When not teaching at WHP I enjoy reading, cooking, listening to music and spending time outside with my family.

Amy Arnold

I feel so lucky to be a part of WHP and work with it’s AMAZING team of teachers.  My years here have gone by so quickly. I can hardly believe it's been five years. I'm originally from northern California. I come from a big family and was always around children. In high school, I fell in love with Early Childhood Education. One of my electives was working in the on-campus preschool. This experience set in motion my future working with young children. 

After I graduated high school I continued my education at the local college, majoring in Early Childhood Education and Psychology. I worked for several years at a children's center before getting the opportunity to move to Boston where I worked for several wonderful families in New England as a nanny before getting married in 2003. In 2005 we moved to Virginia and I worked as a Lead Teacher at a preschool in Richmond’s west end. In 2009, my long-awaited son was born and I stayed home with him until he began kindergarten and I returned to work at his elementary school assisting the Reading Specialist in the Title 1 Program. During the past five years I also have been employed at Bon Secour and the YMCA; working with children newborn through 5th grade. I am again back in school, working towards my teaching credential.  

I'm excited to be back where I started and working with my first love... preschoolers! There is something magical about that age. WHP is magical too! There has never been a place I have enjoyed working at more than here.

Caroline Kigans (she/her): I am thrilled to be a part of the Westover Hills Preschool as a Bluebird teacher!  My youngest son Parker was a Robin, in a year that was incredibly important for his development, and I am so grateful every day that we were brought into the fold of this family!  

I have a wonderful husband, two sons and a dog large enough to basically be considered a human.  I was born in RVA and have a Bachelor's Degree in Religious Studies from VCU.  I love helping our WHP children learn and grow through play, art and movement activities.  In my spare time, I am a tie dye artist, a voracious reader, and enjoy cooking, music, and volunteering.  I look forward to many more years of laughter, art, and teaching at Westover Hills Preschool!"