Our Team

Christine Ammirati is very excited to return to the Rock Spring community for another year! She was a Dinosaur parent in the mid 90s, served as RSCP Director from 2000-2009, and re-joined the RSCP community in 2022 as Director.  Mrs. Ammirati graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Wharton School Bachelor of Science degree and a B.A. in Chinese.  As a State Department spouse, Mrs. Ammirati has lived and taught in China, Taiwan, New York, San Francisco, and Hong Kong where she chaired the learning-through-play Preschool Playgroups Association for 2 years.  Mrs. Ammirati spent her RSCP hiatus accompanying her husband Joe to Williamsburg, VA where she earned a Masters in Education from the College of William and Mary.  She has taught 3rd and 1st grade in Williamsburg, 2nd grade in Marin County, California, and most recently taught kindergarten at Kent Gardens Elementary in McLean for 7 years.  Christine and Joe live with their 2 dogs in Falls Church City and Warrenton.  Their daughter and son both live nearby in Arlington.

Emily joined RSCP in 2025 to provide administrative and classroom support. Emily is an Arlington native who spent her childhood around the DMV. After graduating from James Madison University, she had the opportunity to work in various corporate and non-profit jobs that included marketing, fundraising, and administrative support. As an adult, she enjoyed living in San Francisco for several years with her husband, but they ultimately decided to move back home. After returning to Arlington and having two children, she became a stay-at-home parent. During that time, Emily volunteered as a room parent, classroom aide, and PTA board member.  Emily is thrilled to join the RSCP community and looks forward to getting to know all the children and their families as she settles into her role. You can find her at school on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. 

Maggi Holloway will be teaching the Panda and Polar Bear classes. This is her third year as a Rock Spring teacher. Before that, she served as Board Secretary while her children attended RSCP. Before getting involved with Rock Spring, she taught in Prince William County, then took a break to take care of her three kids, all of whom are Rock Spring graduates. She is looking forward to a great year!

​​Ms. Martha has been working at RSCP for the past 23 years as the lead teacher in the Bunny, Beaver, and Bear classrooms. This year she will be teaching the Sun Bear and Beaver classes. Ms. Martha, who has a BS in Spanish from State University of New York at Brockport, began working with children in the 1990’s at Head Start in NY State, then moved to the DC area where she worked as a lead teacher for 2-year-olds at First Baptist in DC. She later worked for Arlington DHS as a resource mother for pregnant teens and as a lead teacher for Project Family. Ms. Martha has also worked as a second language tester and interpreter for APS. Ms. Martha has also worked at Westover Baptist as a lead teacher for 3-year-olds.  Ms. Martha enjoys spending time with her family– her husband, her daughter, and son (an alum of RSCP Beaver class 2001).

​​Jennifer Wallace is looking forward to another year at RSCP. Ms. Jennifer earned a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from the University of South Carolina and a teaching certification for preschool through 4th grade. She taught a mixed age 3-5 year-old class at Higher Horizons Head Start in Falls Church for 9 years. From 2002-2014, Ms. Jennifer taught at Falls Church McLean Children's Center, teaching a 4-year-old preschool class. She joined RSCP in 2015 and has experience teaching 3-year-old and 4-year-old classes. She uses an interactive, hands-on approach to play-based learning, and is looking forward to collaborating with families to create a warm, nurturing, stimulating environment where children feel free to create and explore.

Hillary Ellis is excited to join the Rock Spring community as the Penguin teacher this year! Hillary brings several years of experience in early childhood education, most recently teaching the 3–4-year-old class at Falls Church Episcopal Day School. She is also the owner and director of Hillary's Dance Company in Falls Church, where she has shared her love of dance and movement with children for many years. Hillary was drawn to Rock Spring's learn-through-play philosophy and welcoming community, and she looks forward to creating a joyful, creative classroom where children feel confident to explore, imagine, and grow. When she's not teaching, Hillary enjoys spending time with her family and sharing her passion for dance with students of all ages.

​​Saira Smith is returning to Rock Spring to teach our Pony Class this year.  Ms. Saira has been the lead teacher for both 2-year-old and 3-year-old classes at Rock Spring for the past 3 years, and was our Resource Teacher from 2017 - 2020.  Prior to that, Saira's son, Parker, attended RSCP in the Bear and Bunny classes. She also served on the board as Secretary.  Saira also has an extensive work history in the service and restaurant industry. Saira grew up in Arlington and continues to live nearby with her husband and son Parker.   Saira has a wealth of knowledge and experience that she will bring to another fun year with the Ponies!

Mycala Strong is excited to join the RSCP community this year! Before returning to the classroom, Mycala worked as a Curriculum Coach, partnering with teachers and families to support children's learning and development through play-based, developmentally appropriate practices. Prior to that, she worked as a Behavioral Therapy Training Specialist, implementing hands-on strategies to help children build important developmental skills.

Throughout her career, Mycala has been passionate about creating engaging, child-centered learning environments where children feel safe, valued, and inspired to explore. Her teaching is deeply influenced by the Reggio Emilia philosophy and the belief that children are naturally curious, capable, and competent learners who thrive through meaningful play and authentic discovery.

Mycala is excited to bring her experiences back into the classroom and looks forward to partnering with families while learning and growing alongside the children at RSCP.

Rkia Raiq is returning this year as the Dinosaur Class Assistant Teacher. Ms. Rkia has been involved with the RSCP community for more than twenty years, first as a nanny for two former RSCP families where she actively participated in the classroom as both a co-oper and substitute teacher, then in assistant teaching roles. Ms. Rkia has also led RSCP's Summer Camp for several years. Her many years of experience with young learners and her love of all children make her an excellent assistant and a warm presence in the classroom.

Meghan Karolyi is excited to be a part of RSCP as Resource Aid. She is a former RSCP parent and co-oper and looking forward to transitioning to teacher this year! Meghan has a degree in early childhood education and has worked as an elementary school teacher and learning support teacher with a focus on reading and writing. She is trained in Orton Gillingham, a multisensory approach to reading and the letter-sound relationship.

Meghan, her husband, and two kids love the beach, baking, swimming, and playing sports. Another member of Meghan’s family is a lazy and sweet dog named Penny who, yes, happens to be the color of a penny! She is looking forward to exploring and growing with the families and children of Rock Spring.

Ms. Cayce is excited to join the RSCP community as a Resource Aide! As an RSCP parent and co-oper, she is grateful for the opportunity to transition into a supportive role this year. She loves the learn-through-play approach at RSCP where children can learn, explore, and grow with confidence.

Outside of school, Cayce is the owner of Little Miss Whoopie, a small whoopie pie bakery where she enjoys sharing her love of baking with the community. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, baking, cooking, and homeschooling her oldest daughter. She looks forward to getting to know each child and family and making this a fun and memorable school year.