Meet Our Staff!
Meadowlark School is lucky to bring together an incredible team of early childhood and education professionals. Our teachers have a passion for working with children and see it as their calling. Each of our teacher brings an unique background and expertise that helps shape a diverse, nurturing, and rich environment for our children. Collectively, our staff has decades of experience working with youth, raising their own children, and researching child development. We are thrilled to be able to bring together such a caring, creative, and excellent staff.
Hope Hawley,
Director and Co-Founder
Hope is a co-founder of Meadowlark as well as the administrator. She taught at a Nature-Based Reggio Emilia inspired school in Northern Virginia, and has a background in yoga instruction and fiber arts. She is a maker and creative soul, through and through, and has shared her artwork throughout the community. She is always knitting, sewing, or spinning wool. She also loves cooking, reading, and setting up projects for her children. She is excited to share handwork, yoga, and song at Meadowlark. One of the things Hope enjoys most about the Reggio Emilia is the way art and nature are tied together and presented to the child so that they may use their own experience and creativity to express themselves.
Matthew Hawley.
Co-Founder
Matthew is a co-founder of Meadowlark School and has designed and built the entire play yard. Since receiving his BA in Outdoor Education from Sterling College in 2009, Matthew has worked with young people in a variety of settings. Matthew brings a wealth of experience from working at The Howard Gardner School, The Eastern Ridge School (Reggio Emilia), and Windsor Street Montessori School. Matthew has also been working with Wild Folk's summer program, introducing kids to beautiful parks and forests around Columbia. He loves tinkering, gardening, wood work, cooking, cycling, and spending time with his family. After four years teaching and studying the Montessori Method, he is excited to get back to the Nature and Arts integrated Reggio inspired approach that first inspired him to teach early childhood.
Sara Mooney,
Lead Teacher
From the very beginning of her career, education has been both a calling and a lifelong passion. Sara is deeply inspired by child development, respectful relationships, and creating environments where children feel capable, curious, and empowered to learn.
With fifteen years of experience in early childhood education, she has taught in a variety of preschool settings before spending four years as a Montessori Lead Teacher in a public Montessori preschool.
Sara blends Montessori and Reggio Emilia principles to create individualized, project-based learning experiences that foster curiosity, collaboration, and independence.
Her teaching is rooted in the Montessori Method, emphasizing positive communication, social-emotional learning, and thoughtful observation to meet each child where they are. She believes every child learns differently and thoughtfully scaffolds lessons to support each child's unique strengths, interests, and developmental journey.
She loves creating beautiful, calm learning environments filled with purposeful materials, real tools, and natural elements that invite exploration and meaningful work.
Whether indoors or outdoors, she strives to cultivate a classroom where children develop confidence, concentration, executive functioning skills, and a lifelong love of learning through movement, discovery, and play.
Angela Ramshead,
Lead Teacher
Angela Ramshead is a nurturing, early childhood educator with over five years of experience. She holds a CDA in Infant/Toddler care and an Early Learning Associates Credential, and plans to pursue an associate degree in Early Childhood Education.
She believes children learn best through hands-on, creative experiences and meaningful connections, often incorporating nature, sensory play, and outdoor exploration into her teaching.
Angela creates a warm, engaging environment where children feel safe, valued, and inspired.
Outside the classroom, she enjoys hiking and exploring nature with her stepson.
Angela is passionate about supporting each child's growth in confidence, curiosity, and creativity.