Staff
April Winston
Director
I'm the director here at RMCA Preschool, where I've had the pleasure of working for the past 7 years. With 20 years of experience teaching early education, spanning preschool through second grade, I am deeply passionate about fostering young minds. Outside of work, I’m a proud parent of four kids aged 8 to 18 and share my life with a wonderful husband. When I’m not at RMCA, you’ll find me baking, running, or enjoying quality time with family and friends.
Dacia Coddigton
Assistant Director/Teacher
Hello! My name is Dacia Coddington and this is my 7th year teaching preschool in the Dragon classroom at Rocky Mountain Classical Academy. I have been married to my wonderful husband for 21 years and we are proud parents of 2 amazing boys, one dog and one awesome orange cat. My biggest passion is books! I love to read anything and everything. I also love knitting socks and taking walks. Preschool is my happy place and I absolutely love being a part of a child's first school experience and fostering a love for learning.
Melissa Cornelius
Front Office
Hi, my name is Melissa Cornelius! I have worked in the front office and taken care of enrollment at RMCA Preschool for the last 6 years. My family has been a part of RMCA since 2010, all three of my kids graduated from here. My hobbies include reading (mostly fantasy and sci-fi), hiking, and photography. I love working in the preschool, this is by far my favorite job I have ever had!
Antoinette Moses
Teacher
Bio Coming Soon!
Blair Bartlett
Teacher
I’m the youngest of five children and I was the first of my siblings to graduate with a degree from college. I’ve been married to my wonderful husband for 16 years and we have an amazing set of boy/girl twins in 6th grade. I would like to be brave enough to finish and publish children’s books. If I can find a way to work in a quote from any movie in the Fast and Furious franchise, I will. American buffalo are my favorite animal and if I could be a bird, I would be a flamingo. I love going fishing but I do not eat fish. Real black licorice is life.
Brittani Lee
Teacher
I have been in Early Education for almost 11 years, and have a level 4 credential in the Colorado PDIS system. I also hold my infant/ toddler supervisors credential. I have 4 wonderful children who all attend RMCA. I would like to travel the world someday. I love to rewatch movies, to me they never get old. I can quote Harry Potter religiously. I will stay up reading books, literally just one more chapter is not a thing for me if it’s really good.
Cerys Bullard
Teacher
This is my second year here at RMCA and my second year in full time education! I have my BA in Inclusive Early Childhood Education and I love getting to do what I love here at RMCA Preschool. I love animals I have 6 pets at home: two dogs, two cats, and two guinea pigs. I also love to travel. If I could move anywhere outside of the US it would be to England or the Netherlands, I love both places a lot. Outside of work hours you will find me in my bed cuddling my cat watching whatever show I am hooked on at that moment, which has been 9-1-1 as of late. I can’t wait to have an another amazing year with all your littles.
Clara Garner
Toddler Teacher
Hello! My name is Ms. Clara and I am a toddler teacher here at RMCA. This is my 6th year teaching at RMCA, with a mix of teaching in the preschool as well as in the toddler room. I have taken Early Childhood Education classes at PPSC and have previously worked in another childcare setting for 2 years. I absolutely love the toddler room and all the exploring, learning, and fun we get to have! I grew up right here in Colorado Springs, Colorado with my mom and siblings. I have an 8-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son of my own who both attend RMCA.
I can’t wait to spend the year learning and growing with you!
Claudia Lopez
Teacher
Bio Coming Soon!
Destiny Brown
Teacher
Hi, my name is Destiny Brown. I am a proud mom of two boys and a Colorado native! This will be my 5th year at RMCA! I started volunteering in the classroom and found my passion for teaching. I love to see how much each student grows and learns throughout the year. I love the relationships that I build with each one. I am always learning and setting new goals for myself. I want to create an amazing school experience and instill the love of school and learning in each one of my students. I love to be outside, watch movies and shows, and spend time with my family and our dog!
Erin Kieffer
Infant Teacher
Hi, my name is Erin and this is my 6th year at RMCA! I just love working with the babies every day, it’s my happy place! I have been married almost 18 years and we have 3 daughters. The oldest graduated from RMCA last May, and we have a 6th and 3rd grader here. We love watching Football, going to the beach, and being outdoors as a family!!
I am really looking forward to this year with all the babies!
Kelly Kennedy
Teacher
Hello! My name is Kelly Kennedy and I LOVE teaching preschool. This is my first year at RMCA and I have been teaching for almost 25 years, in various programs and school districts in our beautiful state of Colorado. I am married to a Colorado native and we have four boys, ranging in age from 36 to 17. We enjoy spending time camping and hiking. As an avid gardener, I grow all the things, from tomatoes to peppers. Our most recent addition of four hens have brought me so much joy…and eggs! If I had one wish, it would be to live off grid, farming the land and sipping my coffee while gazing at the mountains. Until that day arrives, you can find me in preschool, sometimes playing my ukulele, but always leaning, growing, playing and engaging with our students. My motto: Be who you are, and say what you fee, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. – Dr Seuss
Kristin Jessen
Teacher
Hello, I am Kristin Jessen and I have been working at RMCA since 2021. I have been married for 18 years to my wonderful husband and we have two teenage boys who keep us very busy with soccer, karate and acting. When we have free time, we enjoy playing board games, watching movies, building Legos and family time. Our favorite vacations are Disney, Universal Studios, and just relaxing at the beach. I enjoy teaching preschool because this is a fun age to watch children grow: socially, emotionally, and academically. It is so enjoyable seeing a child's eyes light up when they learn something new, make a new friend, or successfully complete a difficult task.
Mandy Rood
Teacher
Hi and hello! My name is Mandy Rood, this is my first year at RMCA Preschool. I have spent over 10 years teaching preschool, as well as many years in pediatrics. For the most part you can find me in Squires and if not than I will be around the preschool and/or the preschool front office. I have also been a Teacher Assistant for first grade here at RMCA in the past. I have two kids. A son who is a Junior at Pine Creek High School and a daughter who is a middle schooler in 6th grade here at RMCA. We have a dog who will be 2 in December who keeps us moving! In my free time I am at cheer practice for my daughter, working on a puzzle, going for walks or baking. I also own my own cookie business that keeps me busy. I look forward to an amazing year full of learning and laughter.
Nikki Cucuzza
Teacher
Bio Coming Soon!
Sarah Lopez
Toddler Teacher
Hello, my name is Sarah, I’ve been working here at RMCA for 6 years now. I love working with the toddler age group and their chaotic energy, I enjoy teaching and helping them grow. It’s so cool to also work with my mom here and seeing my siblings at the school as well. I have 4 other siblings, 2 cats and I survive off of Dutch Bros. I was born in Colorado and raised in South Carolina, I would love to travel to South Korea in the future because of the food. I look forward to working with the littles this new school year!
Kallaya Norton
Toddler Teacher
Hello, my name is Yaya! I joined the RMCA team in May of 2023 as a substitute Pre-School teacher, and I am so excited to join the team this year as a Pre-School Lead teacher! I thoroughly enjoy mentoring children as they get ready for Kindergarten. I was born and raised in Thailand and have two bachelor degrees, one in Marketing and one in communication art. I have been to school in Thailand, Germany and England. I am an Asian-American, a proud wife, a mother, a coffee enthusiast, Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, and I’m a “Disney adult”. I grew up watching Disney movies and I have visited the parks in Tokyo, Hong Kong, France and California. To quote Walt Disney, “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”
Photo Coming Soon!
Clay Traylor
Business Manager
I’m Clayton (Clay) Traylor, the RMCA Business Manager. With 16 years of experience in business operations and a Master’s in Management with a concentration in Human Resource Management, my goal is to ensure that our preschoolers and teachers have the resources they need to achieve academic excellence. On a personal note, I’m a huge New York Yankees fan!