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Our Staff
3-5 year old Co-teacher Ann Gordon has a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from George Peabody College for Teachers in Nashville, Tennessee, and a BA in Religion from Duke University. Ann has been teaching and learning from young children and their families since 1973, most recently at Carolina Friends School and the The Sunflower School. She has worked in both public and private environments in a variety of roles, including Arts Catalyst, Reading Recovery teacher and Family & Community Workshop facilitator. Her favorite role continues to be that of early childhood teacher using child-centered and project-oriented approaches. Creating nurturing and motivating environments where children can grow and unfold petal by petal is truly a passion of hers! She and her husband, Alex, enjoy watching from afar as their own three grown children unfurl around the world, one in China, one in Lithuania, and one in college in North Carolina. Ann sees them as her most amazing teachers! Ann’s other passions range from collecting a ‘great find’ at the dump, digging in the dirt, writing children’s books, and watching their meadow and its creatures unfold.
3-5 Year old Co-Teacher Aviva Enoch comes to us from Emerson Waldorf School, where she spent the past two years as a kindergarten assistant. Prior to that, she spent more than a dozen years teaching music and movement classes for young children and their grownups around the Chapel Hill/Carrboro/Durham area. Her teaching experience includes working in her own studio “MusicAviva” as well as being a music teacher at many area preschools and community centers including: UPPK in Chapel Hill; Juhlin Kindergarten in Orange County; the ArtsCenter in Carrboro; Durham Arts Council; the Community Independent School in Chatham County, and Chapel Hill/Carrboro Head Start. Aviva also teaches piano lessons in her home studio. She holds a Master of Music degree in piano and recently became certified in Early Childhood education at Durham Tech (2007).
In the 1980’s and early ‘90’s Aviva worked in public radio, putting her music degree to work on the airwaves. She worked at public radio stations in Lawrence, KS and Beaumont, TX before moving to Chapel Hill in 1985 to accept a position at WUNC-FM. In addition to hosting music shows, she has produced arts features that have aired nationally on NPR.
When she became a mother in the early 1990's, Aviva discovered that she loved being part of the joyful, creative and imaginative world of the young child. She left her high pressure work in radio to spend her days playing and singing with young children. She loves to be part of a playful, joyful, relaxed atmosphere in which children are free to explore their interests and are actively engaged in sensory experiences through the natural world, creative play, and the arts. Her special love is still group music making, joining the circle of rhythm and song, to create a sense of community and connection.
Beth joins us as a newcomer to the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area after relocating from her hometown in Wisconsin. She received a BA in Early Childhood Education from the Universtiy of Wisconsin Madison. Beth has a strong background in the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education and emphasizes seonsory experiences, creativity, and collaborative learning in the classroom. In her free time, Beth enjoys camping, sewing, playing rugby and spending time with her adorable beagle.
Sadie Bauer, Director
Sadie is a graduate of Carolina Friends School, having attended from ages 3-18.
After high school, she went to college at Emory University, and received her B.S. in Psychology and Women's Studies. She then took a leap and moved to New York City to complete graduate work, receiving a Masters in Social Work from Columbia University and a Masters in Special Education from Bank Street College of Education.
Sadie has been teaching for 13 years. Prior to opening Our PlayHouse, she was the Teacher Director of a local preschool. She has also had the pleasurable experience of teaching art classes for young children and their parents at the Carrboro Arts Center for the last 8 years.
Some of Sadie's loves include spending time with her family, husband Jon and 3 year old son, as well as doing crafts of all sorts, particularly scrapbooking and sewing. Sadie also love to be outside, play, watch kids discover, hike, cook, and practice yoga. She very much enjoys re-discovering the world through the eyes of kids.
Jay and Danielle Sunde, Owners
Jay and Danielle have lived in Chapel Hill for the last five years. They both grew up and went to college in Virginia—Jay to Virginia Tech, Danielle to Randolph-Macon Woman’s College.
Jay and Danielle decided to partner with Sadie after finding out that her fabulous preschool, where they sent their children, would be closing. Fortunately, they were able to persuade Sadie to keep the preschool open and expand it into the exciting new space.
Jay, Danielle and their two boys love all things outdoors, including gardening and hiking together. The boys especially enjoy chasing squirrels away from their bird feeders and playing in the creek beside their house. When not busy with family, Jay enjoys Carolina basketball and folk music, and Danielle enjoys reading and sewing.