About Us

EUMK has grown to a school of 30 teachers and nearly 200 students in age groupings from Toddlers to Senior Kindergarteners. The teachers and staff strive to encourage the development of the whole child while helping students to develop a positive attitude toward learning.

At EUMK we believe in a developmentally appropriate curriculum where learning takes place through active exploration and play. Emmanuel has continually received re-accreditation from NAEYC and is proud to follow the NAEYC guidelines. EUMK is licensed by the Tennessee Department of Education.

Our curriculum is built on 6 fundamental ideas. Each idea is unique and offers a different perspective on learning.

to have children learn everyday phenomena in firsthand sensory ways
to have the child question thoughtfully and think for him/herself
to help children enjoy the satisfaction of solving problems and learning skills
to allow children to express their feelings and sense of self through dramatic play, dance, art, and literature
to help children begin to symbolize ideas with pictures and signs, as well as spoken words
we want children to have fun as they play, since play is a young child's natural way of working

Ann Satchfield is originally from the MS Gulf Coast. She went to the University of Southern MS and has taught for over 25 years. Ann is married (Esco) with three children and five grandchildren. Her daughters attended EUMK.

Ramona Sanders has a BSE and MEd. in Elementary Education from Delta State University. She has a total of 22 years of teaching experience. She taught elementary and middle school with Shelby County schools for 10 years, 2 years with Desoto County Schools and has taught at EUMK on and off since 2010. She has taught in K1, K2 and K3 at EUMK. She and her husband, Jeff, have two children that went to EUMK as well

Eliza Ray has 5 years of classroom experience. She has a BS in Mathematics from Hollins University and an MS in Psychology from the University of Memphis. She is married and has two children at Riverdale. Eliza is excited about her first year at EUMK!

Dixie Weimar has an undergraduate degree from the University of Mississippi and a Masters from the University of Memphis. She was an elementary school counselor before becoming a teacher at EUMK. Dixie has been part of the EUMK family for over 15 years.

Ashley Young graduated from Covenant College with a degree in Family and Child Counseling. She is married to Matt Young and a mom to four girls- Ella (21), Olivia (18) and twins Clayden and Collins (11). Ashley is a freelance artist and offers weekend art sessions and weeklong summer camps teaching art to ages 5-13.

Elizabeth Zanca began teaching at EUMK in 2023. She is a parent of current and former EUMK students (and is married to an EUMK alum, too!), has been a substitute teacher at the school, and was previously a member of the Parent Council leadership team.

Elizabeth earned her BA in Religious Studies from Rhodes College.

Ashley Robson earned a BA in Psychology from Fontbonne University in St. Louis, MO. She has 5 years of classroom experience and is excited to be teaching at EUMK.

Colleen Shallow has an undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University. She was the After Care Director for the 2022-23 school year and an assistant teacher in the five day 4 classroom. She and her husband Tom have seven children. Colleen is so excited and blessed to be teaching the five day 2s.

Meghan Ewing has a Master of Education degree and has been a teacher and/or parent since 2017. She previously taught music and is beginning her 4th year teaching the 2s.

Megan James has three children. In high school, she studied early childhood education and was a substitute teacher at a small daycare in Bartlett. She worked in chiropractic for 11 years. Her favorite part was taking X-rays and caring for and playing with the children that would come in, which lead her to go back to childcare. Megan has worked in childcare for 3 years since. When she's not working, she enjoys spending time with her children, working out, and reading.

Amanda Sorrier has been a part of EUMK since 2022 as a parent and began substitute teaching in 2023 in the K1 class. She is an active member of the Parent Council and is excited for the year to begin and watch all the amazing accomplishments of her K1 students.

Emma Woodard has been working with children for over 10 years. She has experience in various settings, including special education classrooms, one-on-one, and small groups. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and dog, as well as teaching gymnastics!

Becky Wishnia is originally from New York and moved to Memphis from Florida. She has a BA from the University of Richmond and attended the Early Elementary Education Masters program at the University of Central Florida. She is excited to be teaching at EUMK.

Heather Gavin has a Bachelor Degree in Professional Studies from the University of Memphis. Heather has been at EUMK since 2007 as a parent and substitute and started teaching in 2014 in the K1 classroom.

Alicia Miller has a BS in Elementary Education from the University of Memphis. She has three years of teaching experience as a first grade teacher and two years of teaching at another preschool. This is her fourth year at EUMK.

Kim Williams is a Memphis native and has been a member of Emmanuel UMC for over 40 years. She has a BS in Chemistry and a BS in Medical Technology but has many years of experience leading children in music through accompanying and directing children’s choirs, VBS music, and music during Music, Art, and Drama camps (MAD Camp) at Emmanuel. She and her husband, Darren, have 2 grown sons, 2 sweet Doodle pups, and 1 orange tabby cat. She loves children and all things music and is really excited to be a part of the EUMK staff and family!

The EUMK Parent Council is committed to encouraging involvement of parents, teachers, and staff to provide a high quality, creative, and secure learning environment where our children can grow intellectually, socially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

To accomplish this mission the Parent Council will:

1. Act as a liaison between parents, teachers, and staff

2. Promote family unity and development

3. Support faculty, staff, and families

4. Initiate and execute fundraising activities for the school

FAMILY FOOD TRUCK PARTIES

a night of fun and fellowship for students and families

FALL FUNDRAISER

major fundraiser for the year which is usually held in October/November

FALL AND SPRING CHARITY PROJECTS

recent projects supported Perea Preschool, Lester Elementary School, Jacob's Ladder and The Child Advocacy Center

BOOK FAIR

a fun week to support EUMK while shopping

TEACHER APPRECIATION EVENTS

a variety of activities to honor the EUMK staff, including lunches throughout the year, Silent Auction and Parent Party, an end of the year dinner, and Teacher Appreciation Week in the spring