November Company-Wide Teacher of the Month

What a busy and successful month November has been! Our educators are truly the best in the industry and we are so lucky to have them!! The following teachers were nominated by their Program Directors and Assistant Directors for Teacher of the Month:

Kate Robinson, Ozark
Shauna Smith, Springfield I
Katie Beall, Colorado Springs
Tonja Hutton, Southlake
Eileen Welding, Springfield III
Dakota Ellington, Rogers
Sarah Miller, Gilbert
Jessica Aparicio, Scottsdale
Morgan Lash, Leawood
Natalie Pickering, University City
Danielle Neely, Lakeway
Jenette Stevenson, Willowbrook
Shay Leckenby, Springfield II
Teresa Enockson, Littleton
Karen Rushton, The Woodlands

Congratulations to all of these nominees! We are very thankful for each and every one of you and for all that you do for the children in your care every day!

Our November 2016 Company-Wide Teacher of the Month is Gerissa Russell from Alpharetta, Georgia. Gerissa is the lead teacher for the Infant I classroom.

Gerissa’s supervisor, Ashlee DiMarzio, had the following to say about her:

“LSP Alpharetta nominates Gerissa Russell as November’s Teacher of the Month. Gerissa joined LSP as our Toddler Assistant Teacher and was quickly promoted to Lead Infant Teacher. She brings so much joy and happiness to our team with her infectious laughter and contagious smile! It is impossible to NOT be happy around her. Gerissa has transitioned seamlessly into a lead teacher role. Her lesson plans and LuvNotes are always top notch, and the babies have learned so much with her. We could not be more proud of Gerissa, and we can’t wait to see how she continues to grow with LSP!”

Gerissa started in the child care industry in 2011 when she moved to Atlanta for college. While she was getting her Bachelor’s in Fashion Management at the Art Institute of Atlanta and a Master’s in Business Administration at Argosy University, she wanted a job that she could enjoy every day! “Spending my days with children was the perfect fit for my energetic personality! I started off as an assistant substitute teacher and worked my way up to a lead in just a few years.” She is currently enrolled online at the University of Alabama, securing her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education.

Gerissa loves absolutely everything about LSP, especially the culture and philosophy. “I have never stepped into a child care center that brought so much joy to my life. I was welcomed with open arms, as if I had been with LSP for years. I love spreading my happiness, genuine joy for teaching and passion for early childhood education to each of the children that come into our school.”

Gerissa is the lead teacher for the infant classroom, ages 6 weeks to 6 months, also known as Enchanted Forest. She loves this age group because this is when the learning begins and there is so much progress during these first few months of life. “I love to be a part of that process and build that special bond with my babies!”

Her favorite curriculum activity was making silly putty out of yogurt and corn starch. “It was so fun to watch the kids exploring during this great sensory activity!”

Outside of work, Gerissa enjoys doing fashion shows, fashion styling, spending time with her family and friends and shopping.

Something that people might not know about Gerissa is that she has her own workout/meal plan that she has sold to hundreds of people. “I use to live an unhealthy lifestyle, but made some important every day changes with eating and working out, and now I feel great! I love inspiring others to do the same!”