Our People

Jennifer has taught in all of Overfield’s classes during her long tenure here, but she’s been a fixture in the toddler classroom since she returned from a break while her children were young. “This place is dear to my heart for many reasons.” Jennifer graduated in 1993 from The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Child and Family Studies. She earned a Pre-K teaching certificate there in 1994 and a Master of Education Degree from Wright State University in 2007. She and her husband Chris have three children, Nick, Nathan and Hailey, all Overfield alumni.

Carla has a song and a book for almost any situation that arises, and she’s been sharing her love of classic songs and literature with us since 2003. “Children are my favorite people,” she says. “They’re phenomenal thinkers.” Carla studied education at Bowling Green University in the early 1970s. She went on to teach at a Waldorf-inspired school in California and worked for many years as a librarian in Russia, Ohio. Carla and her husband David live in Piqua and have four children, a daughter & son-in-law, and two grandsons.

Melissa was drawn to the field of early childhood by the love she had for watching her first daughter learn. She quickly enrolled in Edison State Community College, where she earned an A.A.S. in Early Childhood Development. She went on to earn a B.S. in Early Childhood Education from the University of Cincinnati, and joined our faculty as the Toddler Assistant in 2011. Melissa has been teaching in the North and South Side classrooms since 2013. Melissa loves to run and has successfully completed the Boston Marathon, twice! She enjoys spending time with her husband, Scott, and her daughters. She is a parent to four Overfield alumni: Caitlin, Taylor, Noelle, and Ava.

Augusta has always had a drive to help people and particularly finds joy in teaching young children. She focuses on developing relationships with each of her students – honoring that each child’s make-up is unique. It is within this understanding of each individual child’s preferred interests and languages that she is able to teach and guide them in meaningful and lasting ways. Augusta graduated with a B.S. in Education and Health and Human Performance, and a minor in biology. Outside of her time at Overfield, she enjoys coaching softball and spending time with her husband and two children. “Whether I am teaching or coaching my goal is this: to help children find that they are capable of anything they set their mind to, and to help support them on that journey.”

Laura has taught all but the youngest students at Overfield, working in every classroom except Toddlers, and moving to Kindergarten in 2012. She has often supported her students here in design-build projects, one of which resulted in the construction of the wooden train on our playground. Laura earned a B.A. in Early Childhood Education at the University of Toledo, and came soon after to Overfield, where she has taught ever since. “It’s like no place else,” she says. Laura and her husband Nick have three children, all of which are Overfield alumni.

Beth’s love of adventure is a big part of what brought her to Overfield. An avid traveler and musician, Beth has spent her entire career working with young children in the U.S. and overseas. After earning a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from Miami University, she worked for many years with families of children with special needs aged birth to three at Riverside of Miami County, Board of MRDD. Beth then spent a year in Indonesia teaching preschool and managing the infant toddler-program at Semarang International School before joining us as a teacher at Overfield in the spring of 2012. She also gives piano lessons to dozens of children.

Erin seeks inspiration and simple joy in her daily life which makes her a natural advocate for the importance of childhood and the Reggio Emilia approach to early learning. With a variety of experiences guiding her, from teaching preschool in the city of Chicago to directing an early learning program in Piqua, she has intuitively found her way to the Overfield School. As the first and second grade teacher, Erin finds value in extending the Reggio Emilia style of learning to primary grades because of its ability to support the individuality of each child while asserting higher level thinking in a natural learning environment. Erin holds an undergraduate degree in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville and is a current graduate student at The University of Dayton. She is earning her Early Childhood Education teaching license with a specialization in pre-kindergarten special needs. Beyond the classroom Erin has gained knowledge of the world and its diverse splendor through travel. She spent a week in Takahashi City, Japan in 2000, studied abroad in Gaming, Austria in 2008, and in 2015 backpacked throughout Europe for six months. Erin lives in Troy with her husband Andrew (Overfield Tavern alum), and their two cats, London and Artemis.

Stephany joined our staff in 2013. She wears many hats, working with families as the administrative assistant and with children during Before Care and Lunch Bunch. In each of these roles, Stephany maintains a warm and welcoming presence. “I feel very blessed and honored to have the opportunity to work here with the children and staff,” she says. A nature lover, she enjoys baking, cooking, gardening, camping and attending various county & state fairs. She and her husband, Roger, have two grown daughters, Christina and Jessica, and three young grandsons and a granddaughter with whom they love spending time.

Elizabeth was drawn to teach at Overfield in 2009 by the value it places on art and nature as integral parts of learning. As Atelierista, a.k.a., Studio Artist, she loves getting to work with all ages and to see them grow from Toddlers through Second Grade. She earned a B.A. in Art at Williams College, and a Masters in Landscape Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. Elizabeth has loved Overfield since she attended the school herself in its original Overfield Tavern location. As a student there, she loved playing outside, hammering at the work bench and climbing into the loft to look at books, pastimes that she still enjoys in slightly varied forms to this day. She lives with her husband, Wayne and his daughters, Grace and Lauren, both Overfield alums.

Carla has a song and a book for almost any situation that arises, and she’s been sharing her love of classic songs and literature with us since 2003. “Kids are my favorite people,” she says. “They’re phenomenal thinkers.” Carla studied education at Bowling Green University in the early 1970s. She went on to teach at a Waldorf school in California and worked for many years as a librarian in Russia, Ohio. Carla and her husband David live in Piqua and have four children – Julia, Reuben, Ben and Kevin – and one grandson, Ty.

Lisa was drawn to teach at Overfield after experiencing the wonder of the Reggio philosophy at work during her children’s time attending the school. Although much of her career was spent in the fields of advertising and marketing, her art/design education at The Columbus College of Art & Design and Art Academy of Cincinnati is serving her well as she assists the children. Her shared love of nature and the fine arts in education has found a natural home at The Overfield School. Prior to this, she worked as a preschool teacher for two years, then joined our team as a substitute teacher last year, and is happy to now join the staff in a more extended way. Like Julia Hobart, she believes that “Childhood is the most glorious time in life.” Outside of her time at Overfield, she enjoys horseback riding, Zumba, and spending time with her husband and two daughters (both Overfield alumni).

Erin brings her experience and perspective as the former Treasurer of the Board of Trustees (2009 – 2015) to her role as Finance Lead of the school. She was hired in her full time role as part of the Leadership Team in August 2015. As a CPA who formerly practiced in public accounting, she brings a strong sense of professionalism and business knowledge to ensure the administrative side of Overfield is strong and sustainable. Erin has a B.A. in Psychology from The University of Dayton and a Masters in Accountancy from Wright State University. She and her husband TJ have two children, both of which are Overfield alumni.

Beth Poronsky works as the school’s Program Lead, after spending much of her career in environmental education, including 11 years as Overfield’s naturalist. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Marquette University, and a Masters of Arts in Teaching in Biological Science from Miami University. The Reggio Emilia philosophy drew her in immediately, and the close relationships that are a hallmark of Overfield have kept her a part of the school since 2002. She has always been involved in education in some capacity, and found that Overfield provides the perfect place to study the intersection of nature, art, and education, and to lead others in exploring these fields. She has two alumni children, Liam and Gavin, and one current Overfield student, Helaina.

The Reggio Model

The Reggio model supports children developing a love for learning. This support is dependent on three factors: students, teachers, and, equally important, parents.

To facilitate this, the Overfield Family Partnership (OFP) was created to facilitate families, caregivers, and teachers working together to support the children, the school, the community, and each other. Monthly meetings keep collaboration at the heart of the Partnership and teams work on Cura (Care & Support) and act as Classroom Ambassadors.

New and current parents may also be interested in visiting the Reggio Emilia, Traditions, and Campus of the site to learn more about Overfield’s traditions.

Where to Start? Come to an OFP meeting

These open, evening meetings happen once a month. You are invited to the lively conversations, camaraderie, and decision making pertaining to everyday life in our community. At every meeting, a teacher will be present to support the Reggio model and a Board member will be available to respond to input concerning the overall direction of the school. All parents/caregivers are strongly encouraged to attend. Childcare will be available, all children are welcome!

This committee-driven body, with members in professions including education, law, business, non-profit work, and medicine, is comprised of community members, some of whom are current or past Overfield parents, who live in Troy and surrounding communities. The Board, dedicated to the school’s well-being, offers insight and guidance about the fiduciary and strategic plans aspects of Overfield.

Committees: Executive, 50th Campaign
Education: Tufts University; B.S., University of Dayton
Six children attended Overfield from 1960 – 1974

Education: A.B., Ohio Wesleyan University; M Ed., Xavier University; Post Graduate, The Ohio State University
Occupation: Retired Educator

Committees: Governance, State of the School, 50th Campaign, Strategic Plan
Education: B.A. Zoology and Masters of Technological & Scientific Communication, Miami University
Occupation: Community Volunteer
Three children attended Overfield from 2003 through 2013

Committees: Executive Committee (Chair), Finance, Buildings and Grounds
Occupation: Director of Organizational Development, Shelby County Educational Service Center
One child attended Overfield from 2010-2013

Committees: Executive Committee (Immediate Past Chair), Governance
Education: B.S., Elementary Education and Teaching, State University of New York College at Genesco; M.S., Early Childhood Education, Vanderbilt University; Ph.D. Educational Leadership & Administration, University of Dayton
Occupation: Professor, Chair of Initial Licensure Programs, Antioch Midwest

Committees: Finance (Chair), Buildings & Grounds, Governance
Education: B.S., Miami University; J.D., University of Dayton
Occupation: Attorney, Harrelson & Harrelson LLP
Alumni of Overfield

Committees: Social Chair, Marketing, Alumni Relations
Education: M. Ed., The Ohio State University; B.A., The Ohio State University
Occupation: Director of Student Achievement, Midwest Regional ESC (Gifted Coordinator)
Alumni of Overfield

Committees: Executive Committee (Chair Elect), Buildings & Grounds, Finance, Governance
Education: B.A., Purdue University; MBA, Otterbein University
Occupation: Vice President, Sidney Electric Company
One child currently attending Overfield
Alumni of Overfield (Log Cabin)

Committees: Development, Governance
Education: B.S. Education, Bowling Green State University; M.S., Educational Leadership, University of Dayton; Principal and Superintendent License, University of Dayton
Occupation: Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development, Miami County Education Service Center
Two children attended Overfield from 2011-2016

Committees: Development, Governance
Education: B.S. English, University of Dayton; J.D., University of Akron
Occupation: Attorney at Law, Huffman, Landis, Weaks & Walters, Co, LPA
Two children attended Overfield from 2005-2009

Committees: Marketing
Education: B.S. Business/Management, Ohio Northern University
Occupation: Community Volunteer
Two children attended Overfield

Jennifer Lightcap

Carla Briggs

Melissa Anderson

Augusta Johnson

Laura Daehnke

Beth Beane

Erin Luring

Stephany Deeter

Elizabeth Perry

Carla Briggs

Lisa Harris

Erin Johnston

Beth Poronsky

Overfield Family Partnership (OFP)

The Reggio Model

Where to Start? Come to an OFP meeting

Overfield Board of Trustees

Julia Hobart

Karol McCarthy

Stacey Earhart

Shawn McElroy

Julie Biddle

William Harrelson

Erica Baer

Mark Liames

David Larson

Jennifer Walters

Lisa Sargent

– Julia Hobart, Founder of The Overfield School

Interested in enrolling your child at the Overfield School?