Staff
Shanan Geitgey
Director
Hi! I am Shanan Geitgey, Director of our preschool at First Christian Church. We are so excited about your interest in our program, and we hope you will enjoy getting to know our staff!
My background in early childhood education began shortly after graduating from Canton McKinley High School in 1994. Upon graduating, I began working at an early childhood facility and was employed there for 4 years. When I began my teaching career, I started as an assistant teacher working with 3 year olds. It was there that I realized my God given abilities in working with young children. After many hours of training and supervision in the field of early childhood development, I took on a Lead Teacher position of the Pre-k class, where I began creating developmentally appropriate, fun and creative lesson plans and activities for young children that would enable them to learn valuable lessons & academics through play. I am trained and certified in Developmentally Appropriate Practice, First Aid & CPR, Child Abuse & Neglect and am a Certified PlayRight Signature Teacher.
After working with children and families in the preschool environment, I took on a new position working with Stark County Children Services as an Administrative Assistant and Aid in their Foster Care & Adoption Units. I was employed there for 4 years. While working there I was trained to work with children and families and social workers in many exciting capacities!
Soon after this I began a family of my own, and made a decision to be a stay at home mom. I am married to my husband Scott and have 3 wonderful children, Benjamin, Madison and Gracyn. I have been a member of First Christian Church since 1994 and have served as a volunteer in our Tiny Tots class, working with children ages 12 months to 3yrs. and in our pre-kindergarten Sunday school class as a team leader. I was also proud to serve as a member of our Mom’s Morning Core Team.
I took almost 3 years off from working outside the home before I realized that God was opening the door for me to a whole new adventure working with children in my very own church. I was the Lead Preschool 4 & 5 teacher for the 2004 & 2005 school years and then took on the role of Director in 2006, soon after completing my Child Development Associate credential. In January of 2007 I was proud to help our center achieve the “Step Up To Quality” recognition, which proclaims our preschool as a quality, above state standards learning program for young children in our community!!
I am the oldest sibling of 4 in my family, and have always been a care taker, and I truly enjoy and have a passion for working with young children. I feel blessed everyday for my own family as well as the family of children I get to grow and learn with every day at preschool! I look forward to meeting many of you!
Ivy Sterling: Office Assistant
Hi! My name is Ivy Sterling, and I am the office assistant for the preschool. I am married to my wonderful husband William Sterling and we have 3 wonderful crazy boys and a beautiful little girl. In my spare time I spend it with my family. They live in Canton and in Zanesville Ohio. We like to have cookouts and just be together as a family. It is very important to me to be surrounded by the people that you love.
I have been attending First Christian Church since we moved here to Canton Ohio in 2003. I worked in the office as well as worked in the classroom as a substitute teacher. It touched my heart in many ways watching the children grow to little adults in such a short period of time.
I am very excited that God has brought me into such a wonderful church family, which lead me to the preschool family. It has filled my heart in many ways. I can’t wait to meet your children this next school year. I know it will be a wonderful experience for myself and your family.
Stephanie Geitgey; Resource Coordinator:
I am so excited to welcome you to preschool! Get ready for a great year!!! My name is Stephanie Geitgey and I am the resource coordinator at FYCP!! I have been working with families and children for over twenty years. I graduated from Kent state university in 1994 with a BA in Child and Family Studies and in 2005 received a Masters of Social Work Degree from the University of Akron. I am happily married to my husband Don, and we have two beautiful daughters, Jordan 13, and Reagan 4. I serve on the J. Babe Stearn Community center Board and the Noesis Center for Developmentally Disabled. In my free time, if any, I love to cook, travel and watch my children in their activities. I’m looking forward to getting to know you all this coming school year!
Jessica Swartz: Administrative Assistant
Hello!!!! My name is Jessica Swartz and I am joining First Years this year as an Administrative Floating Assistant. My mornings will start with me welcoming our Transitional Kindergartners on the lower level but only time will tell where I will end up through the day! My husband Michael and I have been married for 11 years and we are parents to Ben 9 and Twins Madeline and Andrew 6. I have my BS degree in Psychology from the University of Akron. I spent a year studying for my MA in Counseling before I decided to take a break and get some *life* experience.. Life took over!!! My work experiences have found me working in the local Domestic Violence Shelters assisting Women and Children as they seek safety and make changes in their life. I then worked for 4+ years as a social worker investigating Abuse and Neglect Cases for Stark County. I have been home since the twins were born and this is my first step back into the paid working world! Through the past years, in addition to running a busy house I have been very active in the Canton Mothers of Multiples Club, The Ohio Federation Mothers of Twins Clubs and the Hartville Elementary PTO. My family has been members at FCC for 3 years and enjoy all that it has to offer. In my spare (non family!)time I love reading, cooking, catching up with friends, couponing/deal finding and exercising. I am excited to get to be a part of watching your children grow and explore this year.
Sarah Shooltz; Transitional Kindergarten Teacher:
Hello! My name is Sarah Shooltz and I am a lead transitional kindergarten teacher here at FYCP. I came on staff in January 2007 after my husband and I moved here from Michigan and this experience has been such an unexpected blessing! I have a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Language Arts from Michigan State University and have experience planning and teaching curriculum to children of various ages both inside and outside of a school setting. I enjoy getting to know each of my students and tailoring the curriculum to their interests whenever possible. As a parent, you are your child’s first teacher and I look forward to working with you to encourage and help your child grow and develop into the person God created them to be! My husband and I are members at First Christian Church and are involved in several ministries here at the church. We enjoy our “furbaby” Teddy, hiking, camping, running and working out together, and visiting with family and friends back home. Each summer we also volunteer for a week at a camp for kids and young teens that have or have had cancer which is always a highlight of our summer! When I’m not doing one of these things, you can probably find me reading or in the kitchen. I enjoy cooking, baking and cake decorating!
Welcome to FYCP! I look forward to meeting you and your child and am excited for the opportunity to share the love of Christ with you both!
Carolyn Thomas; Transitional Kindergarten Assistant Teacher:
Hello, my name is Carolyn Thomas and I am excited to be the assistant teacher in the TK class with Miss Sarah! I am 22 years old and just got married this past October. I will be working to obtain my CDA, Child Development Associate credential this school year. I am so excited to start the school year and I can’t wait to meet all of you!
Nicki Hartson; Transitional Kindergarten Teacher:
Welcome to Transitional Kindergarten! My name is Nicki Hartson and I’m so excited to meet all my new preschool friends! I am married to my husband Randy of 12 years and we have two wonderful children, Emily and Braden. I have worked at FYCP for the past 4 years. I have taught 4 year olds the past few years and am really looking forward to getting to know, play and explore with our 5 year old TK students! I graduated from Hoover High school and earned my CDA, Child Development Associate credential in 2009. Some of my hobbies include scrapbooking, camping, couponing (I always love a good sale) and spending time with my family!! I have such a passion for teaching and really enjoy my time spent teaching and watching your little ones grow and flourish. I look forward to getting to know you this school year!
Nataly Mannozzi; Transitional Kindergarten Assistant Teacher:
I’m Nataly Mannozzi this is my first year at First Years Community Preschool. I will be assisting Nicki Hartson in the transitional kindergarten class. This will be my fourth year assisting in early childhood and I am very excited to start a new year. I graduated from Perry High School in 2008. I am currently enrolled in school to become a Health Care Administrator. I love to ride horses and do anything adventurous and fun outdoors. I can’t wait to take part in seeing the children learn and explore new things and go on field trips with the children. It’ll be a great year and I can’t wait to see you all very soon.
Christen Webb; Preschool 4 Teacher:
I want to extend to you and your child my warmest welcome into our classroom. My name is Ms. Christen and I will be your child’s lead teacher this year. This is my first year as a lead teacher at First Years Community Preschool; however, I was an assistant here during the 2008-2009 school year while finishing my degree at Walsh University. I graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education, Intervention Specialist, and my Reading Endorsement. I have 9 years experience working with children and it is truly my passion in life.
I also enjoy spending time reading, working out, skiing, and traveling. As you will soon notice, I also have a real interest in sign language. Growing up I was very active in my church and youth group and have recently started attending First Christian Church. My philosophy for learning is that each child is unique and each child learns in a different way. One of my jobs as a teacher is to help your child discover his or her individuality and work alongside them to maximize it.
Working jointly with me this year will be my assistant, Miss Erin. We are both looking forward to interacting with you and your child this upcoming school year.
Erin Huggett: Preschool 4′s Assistant Teacher
Hello My name is Erin Huggett and I am excited to be joining the staff here at FYPS! I am a graduate of McKinley High school and have a Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of Akron in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology. I am currently working on my Masters Degree at the Univeristy of Akron. I have worked with families and children in many capacities through the years and am very excited to be joining the staff here at First Years and meeting all of your children!,
Cindy Franz; Preschool 3 & 4 Teacher:
Hi, my name is Cindy Franz. I am very excited to have the opportunity to be the Lead Teacher in the 3’s on T and Th and the Lead Teacher for the MWF 4’s class this year. I have a Bachelor’s of Science in Education from The University of Akron – this is where I also met my wonderful husband Joe. We have been married for 17 years and have four children, Susan 15, Lauren 12, Andrew 10 and Joshua who is 6. We are very active members here at First Christian Church. I currently serve in the Children’s Ministry on Sunday mornings and often see some of our Preschool families over the weekend. My husband grew up in this church and is on staff as the executive Pastor. I have been a member since 1995. I have many years of experience working with Children. Most recently I directed the launch of the Child Watch program at the Edgewood Community Center and served there as the Child Watch Supervisor. I have a passion and a love for children. I am certified in First Aid, Child Abuse & Neglect, Communicable Disease and CPR. I have my CDA. I’m excited to be a part of such a wonderful team here at First Years Community Preschool.
Karli Fassos; Preschool 4 Assistant Teacher:
Hello! My name is Karli Fassos, and this will be my second year teaching at FYCP! Last year, I was an assistant in the TH three’s class, and this year I will be assisting in Miss. Cindy’s four’s class on MWF. I am 21 years old, and I’m a junior, majoring in Early Childhood Education, at Malone University. I have amazing parents, two older sisters, a brother-in-law, and a niece who is 5 months old. I’m really close with my family, and I enjoy spending as much time with them as I can. I also enjoy playing guitar, reading, hanging out with friends, and playing games! Working and doing ministry with kids is my passion, and I am glad I have the opportunity to teach and learn from children- it’s a great experience and extremely rewarding!
Laura McLaughlin; Preschool 3 Assistant Teacher:
Hi, my name is Laura McLaughlin. I am the assistant in the Preschool 3 class with Cindy Franz as the Lead Teacher. I will also be working as a substitute when needed. I am very excited for opportunity to work with your children. I have been married or 19 years and we have three wonderful daughters. Courtney is 16, Morgan is 15 and Rylie is 8 years old. I graduated for the University of Akron with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management. I worked for a local company for 11 years before deciding to be a stay at home mom. Once my youngest daughter entered school I came to FYCP and worked as a substitute. This is my 4th year with FYCP and I look forward to meeting you and your child.
Kim Richards; Preschool 4 Teacher:
Hello! My name is Kim Richards. I have been happily married to my husband Steve for 21 years. We have 2 teenage children, Branden and Shelby. I am a graduate of GlenOak High School. I have attended First Christian church for 12 years. I am actively involved in our praise team and Bible class. I love the Lord and want to share His love with the children in our preschool. I have been with First Years Community Preschool for 4 years. I have completed all of my training and have obtained my certification as a Child Development Associate. I enjoy taking classes to further my knowledge in this field and continue to do so, and look forward with much excitement the start of a new school year with your children!
Nick Fernandez; Preschool 4 Assistant Teacher:
Hi! My name is Nick Fernandez and this is my 2nd year with FYCP. I am working on my degree in early childhood education at Stark State College. I graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas in 2008 and am now the head boys soccer coach there. I have three siblings Lisa (26) Drew (24) and Mia (14). I have been a member here at FCC for ___ years. I am very excited to begin getting to know all of the children in our class this school year!!
Melanie Gray; Preschool 3 Teacher:
Hello, My name is Melanie Gray. I am one of the Preschool 3 Lead Teachers. This is my third year teaching here at FYCP, and I am very excited to be here! I have worked as an assistant with the Toddler class, as well as an assistant in the Three’s class, and this year I am very much looking forward to leading my own Three’s class! I have always had a love for children, and used to run my own in home child care for many years. I really enjoy the opportunity to use my experience with children in the preschool setting. I have been married to my husband Gerald for fourteen years this October. We have two sons, Gerald and Xavier. When I am not at work, I enjoy spending time with my family, camping, fishing, going to the movies, cooking out, playing putt putt golf, watching my son play baseball, and much more! I have completed my classes, and will proudly be receiving my CDA (Child Development Associate Credential) this year. I look forward to a wonderful year getting to know you and your child!
Dawn Hill; Preschool 3 Assistant Teacher:
Hello! My name is Dawn Hill. I am excited to begin this year as a teacher’s assistant for one of the most warm-hearted and nurturing teachers I know, Melanie Gray. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Toledo. I taught for six years before my husband, Andy, and I were blessed with our own two children whom are now five and two. I’m looking forward to helping the students at First Years learn, grow and discover new things!
Angie Heid; Preschool 3 Teacher:
Hi, my name is Angela Heid. I am married, and my husband and I have two children, a daughter and a son. I have an Associate of Arts degree from Kent State Stark and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from The University of Akron. While attending college, I gained experience working with children at a preschool/day care facility. After college, I worked as a veterinary assistant where I learned to use traits such as patience, gentleness and compassion which I feel are essential to working with children as well. At First Christian, I really discovered my heart for moms and their children in working with the Mom’s Morning/ MOPS ministry at the church as part of the planning team and as coordinator of the group. I joined the preschool staff in 2007 as an assistant in the Toddler Too class, became the lead Toddler teacher for two years, and moved up to a lead Three’s teacher where I will be continuing for the 2011-2012 school year. I look forward to helping your child have a successful beginning to their academic career and gain a life long treasure of a relationship with Jesus.
Denise Bihlman; Preschool 3 Assistant Teacher
Hello, my name is Denise Bihlman. I am a very excited to be a new addition to the wonderful staff here at FYCP. I have the blessing to be working with Miss Angie in the Preschool 3 class. I have been married to my fabulous husband, Jim for nearly 18 years. We have three great children, Brandon who is 13, Brooke 12, and Bryce 11. With two dogs and a cat that completes our very noisy and fun home. I have been working with children in one capacity or another for well over 20 years. I am so excited to have the privilege of working with your precious children this year. I am looking forward to seeing all of them bloom.
Melanie Florey; Toddler Too Teacher:
My name is Melanie Flory my husbands name is Dean and we have been married for 8 years.
We have one child together, Olivia who is 4 and will be attending First Years Community Preschool for her third year. I have a son Derek from a previous marriage who is 18 and just graduated in May from Louisville High School. Dean has a daughter, Karista from a previous marriage who is 17 and is a senior at Perry High School.We attend First Christian Church. I have been at the church for 13 years. I have worked in the Family Ministry for the past 7 years. I have worked with 3 and 4 year olds for 4 years, infants and crawlers for 2 years and for the past year have worked wherever needed. My desire is to help in our Shine classroom, the children with disabilities. Dean began attending FCC after we met in 2001. We married at FCC. I graduated from Louisville High School in 1985. I began taking care of children when I was 11 years old, taking care of my cousins mostly. I have helped several families over the years care for their children while they were at work. My first family was a family of 3 children, an infant, kindergartner, and 2nd grader. My 2nd family was 2 boys, a kindergartner with special needs and a 3 year old. My 3rd family was one newborn that I took care of for a year. I am very excited to get to know you and your toddler this coming school year!
Kiersten Evans; Toddler Too Assistant Teacher:
My name is Kiersten Evans and I’m 19 years old. I’m currently a student at Stark State for Early Childhood Education with hopes of attaining my certificate for Intervention Specialist. I have always had a passion for working with children for as long as I can remember. I’m a new staff member here at FYCP and I couldn’t be more excited! I have been attending FCC for over 5 years and I’ve helped with the children’s ministry. I am blessed with a wonderful family. I have an older sister and brother, and three nieces and two nephews. I’m very family oriented and most of my family attends FCC as well. I look forward to getting to know everyone on staff, the children in my class, and building relationships with all of you.
Kristi Esposito; Preschool Substitute:
Hello! My name is Kristi Esposito, and I am excited to join the FYCP staff as a substitute teacher this coming school year! All three of my children have attended First Years!! So I have seen firsthand what a good start in a child’s first years can really allow children to grow and flourish and begin a lifelong joy for school and learning! My husbands name is Nick Esposito, and we have been married 8 years this past June. We have three wonderful children, Marisa 6, Joseph 4 and liana 3. I graduated from Lake High School in 2000. I then went to Youngstown State University on a softball scholarship, but then transferred to Kent State start in 2001 and attended for early childhood education. In 2009 I started to help my friend with her father that had Alzheimer’s, and I have also worked at Fed Ex. I really enjoy being around my family, friends, and people in general. I love my kids they are my everything. Always have loved kids and wanted to have kids:) I love the Lord, and without him nothing is possible! I like to be very active and I like sports. I can’t wait to get to know your child!!