Megan Ball, Art

I am very excited to be coming back to Sunrise Valley! Both of my sons went to SVES, and I was a long-term substitute here from 2010 – 2016.

This will be my 13^th year of teaching! I earned a bachelor’s degree in Comprehensive Fashion Design from Marymount University and a Master of Science in Marketing at Johns Hopkins. I completed my PreK-12 teaching credentials with Shenandoah University. I will be at SVES 1 ½ days a week. Plus, I teach Art 1 day a week at Crossfield ES, and I teach Marketing part-time for Northeastern University in Boston. I have taught Marketing, Business, and Algebra I in Loudoun County.

Outside of teaching, I enjoy traveling, baking, photography, volunteering with the Fairfax County Animal Shelter, and cheering on all of the Boston sports teams. I look forward to working with you this year!

Teresa Padgett, Kindergarten 

I am thrilled to join the Sunrise Valley community this year! I was a substitute teacher at Sunrise Valley last Spring, and I am so grateful to return full time as a Kindergarten Assistant. I am from Bedford, Virginia - right by the Blue Ridge Parkway - and now live in Reston. 

I have a bachelor's degree in Public Policy from St. Mary's College of Maryland and a passion for working with youth. After graduating from St. Mary's, I served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Dutlwe, Botswana at an elementary school with K-6 students. Through this role, I maintained the school library, lead after school clubs and facilitated classroom lessons on English literacy and HIV prevention. Upon returning from the Peace Corps, I volunteered in a community for immigrant and refugee families where I taught a Pre-K class and one-on-one adult English classes. This summer I am working at Camp Alleghany in Lewisburg, WV as the head of a leadership development program for a group of 10 sixteen-year-old girls. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, backpacking, traveling, reading, and writing letters. 

I'm excited to be a part of the Sunrise Valley team and look forward to working with all of you very soon! 

Megan Lewandowski, Third Grade

I am excited to join the third grade team at Sunrise Valley Elementary! Born and raised in Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, I moved to Fairfax last year. After attending Washington & Jefferson College, I began a career in business. I spent several years working in that field, and it wasn’t until I started coaching volleyball that I discovered that I was meant to be a teacher. I enrolled at Marymount University as a part of their Professional Development School, which was a one-year intensive Master in Education program. I had the opportunity to intern with a first-grade classroom at Sunrise Valley through this program, and I am honored to start my teaching career with this amazing community.

As an educator, my goal is to create a comfortable, supportive, and fun learning environment that inspires students to become lifelong learners. Also, I strive to create engaging lessons that will meet the needs of all learners.

Outside the classroom, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, playing volleyball, and reading a good book. I am looking forward to meeting my upcoming third grade students and their families!

Nancy Kusher, Special Education

I am really looking forward to a wonderful year of teaching at Sunrise Valley Elementary School. I have been a Special Education teacher for over 30 years, and I transferred here from Mount Eagle Elementary School, in Alexandria, where I taught for the past 4 years. I was also a Special Education teacher in Bonita Springs, Florida and in Long Beach, N.Y.  I have a master’s degree in Special Education from Hofstra University, N.Y. and an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from George Washington University, D.C.  As an educator, I believe that all children are capable of learning despite the challenges they face along their journey.

I currently live in Reston with my husband, 23-year-old daughter, an energetic Border Collie dog, and a rabbit. I grew up in a house on a lake in N.Y., and I am so happy to be moving to a house on Lake Anne. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, playing tennis, swimming, and hiking in trails. Also, some of my other favorite activities include: going to Farmer’s Markets, visiting craft fairs, and apple picking. I am excited to be part of the Sunrise Valley Elementary School community and look forward to meeting all the wonderful staff and students here.

Kaylee Dobyns, First Grade

I am so excited to be joining the Sunrise Valley first grade team this year! I was born and raised in Arkansas where I attended the University of Central Arkansas and received a bachelors degree in early childhood education. I moved to Virginia two years ago, and I have fallen in love with the Reston area. I cannot wait to become part of the SVES family.

I have been teaching for four years in grades first to fourth. As an educator, I aim to make all students feel safe and welcomed in my classroom. The importance of having an everyday environment that is tailored to all types of young learners is essential for organic growth. Not everyone learns the same way, so understanding each individual will lead to a more productive classroom.

In my free time, I enjoy working out at Orangetheory Fitness where I also work part time, hanging out with my teacher friends, and taking care of my dog, Jax. I love being so close to a big city like Washington, DC. I grew up on a farm in Arkansas, so this change of pace has been great for my personal growth. I am looking forward to starting the year and meeting all of my new students and parents!

Stephanie Harris, Psychologist 

I am excited to join Sunrise Valley as your new school psychologist! I have been a psychologist in FCPS for 19 years and have worked in quite a few schools at both the elementary and middle school level. Most recently I was at Rachel Carson Middle School. I found that I missed working with elementary-aged students, so I requested to move back to the elementary Level. I will be at Sunrise Valley 2 days a week and at Bull Run Elementary the other 3 days.

I received my undergraduate degree in psychology from George Mason University. Then I earned my graduate degree in School Psychology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where I also met my husband! My husband Dan is a school counselor at Westfield HS. We have a 13-year-old daughter, Marley, who is in 8^th grade, and a 9-year-old son, Cole, who is entering 4^th grade. We love traveling, watching our kids participate in their activities (dance and baseball), and cheering on our favorite sports teams. We are die-hard fans of all the DC area teams and of course of our UNC Tar Heels!

I look forward to working closely with all of you to ensure that our students are supported for their emotional, social, and academic needs.

Megan Garrett, First Grade

I am so excited to join the first grade team at Sunrise Valley this school year! I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Virginia. This will be my fifth year teaching first grade in FCPS. My goal is to create a positive and welcoming classroom environment where students can grow academically, socially, and emotionally. I think of myself as a lifelong learner, and I hope to cultivate lifelong learning within my students as well!

Outside of teaching, I love reading, crafting, walking my dog, and spending time with friends and family. I cannot wait to join the Sunrise Valley community and make this my best year yet!

Monica Mathieu, Fourth Grade

I am joining the fourth grade team at Sunrise Valley this year. As a native of Fairfax, I am thrilled to teach in the county I grew up in! I recently graduated from Marymount University with my Masters in Education. Prior to Marymount, I graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelors of Science in Early Childhood Education and Family Studies. After graduating from WVU, I moved back to Fairfax and taught at a small private school. I have always loved working with children and believe in helping students becoming creative, curious lifelong learners.

When I am not teaching, I love to cook, travel, and read. This summer I visited two other countries with family and friends. I am hoping to explore Italy and Thailand next year. I look forward to collaborating and building relationships with the Sunrise Valley community!

Heather Smith, Music

I am grateful to be joining the staff of Sunrise Valley as a General Music Teacher this Fall. I received bachelor’s degrees in Voice Performance and Music Education from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Master of Music Education degree from the University of South Carolina. After teaching General Music and Chorus for four years in Loudoun County, I took time off to work part-time and stay home with my 3 children. During those years, I ran a successful parent-child music business called Music Play, and I taught music at Lake Anne Nursery Kindergarten and United Christian Parish Preschool. For the last 15 years, I have been the Children’s Choir Director at St. John Neumann Church in Reston where I direct 3 youth choirs and perform as a cantor and soloist. Prior to coming to SVES, I also taught at Lutie Lewis Coates Elementary in Herndon for 6 years during which I became Level 1 certified in World Music Drumming. In my years at Coates, I co-directed the school choir and ran the daily school news show in addition to teaching General Music.  

My husband and I are very excited to have our 3 children at only 2 schools this year. I am looking forward to a very short commute to work this year!

Christie Panameno, Student Information Assistant

I am ecstatic to be part of the Sunrise Valley family. I have a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Strayer University. I have been living in the Fairfax County area for over 30 years. I began my career as an administrator with Inova Health System and built a professional relationship with coworkers, colleagues, and our patients.

My goal is to create a fun and friendly environment for the students and their families by guiding them to be part of the community and staying connected. I am a strong believer in being kind to every person that I encounter. 

I have been married for 14 years and have a 13-year-old son and a seven-year-old daughter. I enjoy my time by balancing my son’s travel soccer games, my daughter’s travel dance competitions, and supporting my husband as head coach for ECNL McLean Youth Soccer travel team. My family loves soccer and dance, and we support each other’s talents. In my spare time, I love to craft and draw. Also, I love to travel and hope to visit many places around the world. 

Karen Burklew, Special Education

I feel very blessed and honored to be joining the Sunrise Valley team. I am a graduate of the University of Florida and working with students with disabilities is my passion. I am excited to meet my students and learn about the unique characteristics of each one of them.  

At the beginning of each school year, the mental well-being of our students is emphasized. I fully supported this at Langley HS, where I worked for three years, and hope to bring my very positive experiences to Sunrise Valley. I have experienced some phenomenal events in my four years with FCPS, and the students and families I have worked with have truly touched my heart. 

I am a proud mother of two. My oldest graduated from George Mason University, and my youngest is starting her college experience at Christopher Newport University. Also, I have a Cockapoo named Sonny. In my free time, I enjoy many outdoor activities with family and friends. In addition, I work at the Smithsonian, Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum where I welcome visitors from every part of the world and share with them about our country's aeronautical history.