Deanna Chaney (She/Her) - Salamanders Co-educator

I was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama with two younger siblings. In 2003 I moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and later met my wonderful husband Derrell. We have been happily married for 14 years and have three beautiful daughters ages 4, 6, and 13 years old.

I have been enjoying teaching in Early Childhood Education for the past 10 years. I have a Child Development Associate and am overly excited and proud to be a part of the Grant Park Cooperative Preschool educators team.

In my free time, I enjoy shopping, eating out, watching CSI, and catching up on the latest movies or shows on Netflix and Disney+. One of the most important things I value is the time spent with family. Families are like branches on a tree - we grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your family.

Destiny Hughes-Barnes (She/Her) - Salamanders Co-educator

My name is Destiny Hughes-Barnes. I am 22 years old and the youngest of two siblings. I was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, and moved to Georgia in 2016 for college. I am a 2020 graduate of Clark Atlanta University with a BA in Educational Studies. I decided to stay in Georgia after graduation because of all of the opportunities here. I wanted to experience this period of my life away from my hometown.

I have worked with children since I was in high school, and it has brought an immense amount of joy to my life. I truly believe that children can teach us just as we teach them. I am excited to be at GPCP and look forward to expanding my knowledge in education.
Some fun facts about me: I enjoy reading, exercising, traveling to new places, and spending time with family and friends.

WILENA HOLLIS (She/Her) - Cats Co-educator

My name is Wilena Hollis. It brings me so much joy to be a part of something wonderful that is GPCP! I have been working here since 2017. I have worked in the childcare field since 2010. Working with children has always been a great passion of mine. I enjoy every aspect of teaching. I discovered that children can teach us as much as we can teach them. This is one of the beauties of being an educator. I look forward to learning and growing here at GPCP for years to come.

Jade Moore (She/Her) - Cats Co-educator

My name is Jade, I am 21 years old. I am a multi-age educator and have worked with all age groups from 3 months to 13 years. I mainly work with ages 3 months to 3 years, and I have recently become a teacher. I love learning, and it’s especially rewarding when children learn from me. I went to college to get my Associate’s in the Science of Management. Sometime after college, I was given the opportunity to work at a preschool and fell in love with childcare. I’m very excited to be a part of your family at GPCP. I enjoy visual art, fashion, playing video games, binging my favorite animated shows, and enjoying my partner’s cooking. I’ve always wanted to teach art, so I’m excited to do art activities with the children. In my free time, I often curate art pieces, learn something new, spend time with my partner, or watch a new show.

Folajinmi Oguntolu (She/Her) - Ladybugs Co-educator

Hello, my name is Folajinmi Oguntolu, and I am the Ladybug educator of the 2023-2024 school year. I am an Atlanta native who graduated from Agnes Scott College in 2022 with a Psychology Major and an English minor. I have always found working with children a great experience, and I worked part-time at childcare facilities during my college experience. I started working as a sub at GPCP in September 2022 and became a full-time educator later that year. Outside of work, I enjoy art and graphic design.

Rhiannon Fincher (She/Her) - Ladybugs Co-Educator

Hello, my name is Rhiannon Fincher. I am an Atlanta native, who grew up in the Decatur area and has lived all over the city. I have always had a passion for helping young children learn and grow. I started my career in early childhood in 2013, and have worked with children ages 6 weeks up to 5 years old. I am a mother to a sweet and spirited two-year-old named Freyja, who keeps me on my toes. I enjoy sports, spending time with my friends and family, traveling (especially if it involves a beach), taking pictures, and trying new restaurants around the city.

Reagan Tutwiler (she/Her) - Frogs Co-educator

Hello, my name is Reagan Tutwiler! I was born in Marietta, GA, and lived there for 18 wonderful years with my family, but have now settled down in Grant Park with 3 great roommates. Growing up, I could walk to both my elementary school and my high school- and now at 24, it looks like I’ll be walking to school once again as I join the amazing team here at GPCP as a multi-age educator.

I am an artist and have worked in many mediums over the years, making me a bit of a jack of all trades. I especially love the ceramic arts.

In addition to art, I have a passion for the science of baking and exploring nature- both things that I look forward to incorporating into our class experiences.

I am excited to have the opportunity to engage with the beautiful young minds at GPCP as we explore new ways to express their own creativity!

Fun fact about me: out of class I also love to garden, add to my shelves of miniature objects and enjoy a well-made cup of tea with my cat at my side!

Kendall Salatino (She/Her) - Frogs Co-Educator

My name is Kendall Salatino. I recently moved to Atlanta with my partner, Sara. Together, we have two cats and one dog. I was born and raised in Utica, New York, where most of my family still resides. 

I will be working at GCPC as a multi-age educator with an inclusion/parent liaison focus. I have been working in elementary schools for the past four years, and my last title was “Parent Liaison,” which is where this love story begins. I fell in love with the opportunity I had to connect with students and parents on a deeper level. It never fails to put a smile on my face when I get to provide children with directions, advice on decisions, how to deal with situations, and the smile on their faces when they know they are doing great. 

I believe in encouraging kids and people every day. I promise to always be there as a safe and educational space for the kids and the parents. I have an open-door policy, and I am always happy to help in any way I possibly can.

Jasmine McCormick (She/Her) - Swans Co-Educator

Hello everyone! My name is Jasmine McCormick and I will be taking on the role of a multi-age educator and music teacher. I was born and raised in northern Virginia, and have been an Atlanta resident for almost two years now.

I have worked with youth for almost 10 years now and have 7 years of classroom experience. I also currently work as an early childhood music teacher for a music company based here in Atlanta. My primary instruments are flute and piano and I love sharing these sounds with children.

While I have worked with students of all ages, I have a great love for early childhood and all of the excitement, imagination, and love that comes with it. I’m ecstatic to take on this new role and to help further the lives of our little ones in all of their curiosity and liveliness!

When I’m not teaching or playing music, I enjoy exploring new places and activities, spending time with my partner and friends, and eating great food!

Dashielle Heidt (She/Her) - Multi-Age Support Educator

Hi everyone, I'm Dashielle Heidt (or just Dash for short) and I am honored to be part of the GPCP community! I was born and raised in Cooper City, Florida, and moved to Atlanta to pursue Computer Science at Georgia Tech. After a couple of internships, I realized that — having ADHD — sitting at a desk all day programming wasn't for me, and I wanted to pursue something that I felt was more directly impactful and interactive. Thus, I eventually found teaching to be much more intrinsically motivating as I love fostering the excitement in children as they explore the world around them.

As someone who's neurodivergent and queer, I found GPCP's values exciting to me as — recognizing the diverse backgrounds that children come from — I believe children should have the power to explore their unique identities and what's important to their interests and at their own pace. I also admire the school's values of instilling community at a young age, as I believe it's important to be able to work together and respect our differences in order to sustain each other in our changing world.

In my free time, I love hiking, biking, traveling, cooking, and participating in mutual aid efforts. I live with my partner and our giant pet rabbit in a lovely little commune called East Lake Commons.