We are delighted to welcome an exceptional group of educators who are joining us for the 2025–26 school year. Together, they bring a wealth of experience, fresh perspectives, and a shared commitment to inspiring and supporting our students.
Please join us in giving each of them a warm Country Day welcome!
Lower School
Alexandra Eliasek ’21 – Alexandra joins us as a Fourth Grade Assistant Teacher. A recent graduate of Wake Forest University, she earned a BA in both Elementary Education and Music. Alexandra is a familiar face to many students, having worked in our Summer Programs for many years. She is also a proud Country Day alumna.
Mandy Jordan – Mandy will serve as a Second Grade Assistant Teacher. She brings 15 years of teaching experience, including six years in CMS schools, nine years at First Presbyterian Weekday School, and most recently at Trinity Presbyterian Weekday School. Mandy earned her BA from the University of South Carolina and her MA from UNC Charlotte.
Sarah Pritzker – Sarah joins us as a Kindergarten Assistant Teacher. She comes from Charlotte Jewish Preschool, where she spent four years as a 3’s Lead Teacher. Previously, she was a lead kindergarten teacher in CMS and has also taught junior kindergarten, kindergarten, and second grade in Orlando, Florida. A graduate of Rollins College, Sarah is currently pursuing her master’s degree at Tulane University.
Laurel Shelley – Laurel will serve as a Lower School Physical Education Teacher. She spent the past 13 years at Charlotte Prep as a K–8 Physical Education Teacher and, for the last six years, as Athletic Director. Laurel is already known to many in our community through her eight years as Varsity Assistant Volleyball Coach at Country Day. She holds both a BS in Physical Education and an MA in Sports and Fitness Athletic Administration from Winthrop University.
Dori Slutsky – Dori joins us as a First Grade Assistant Teacher. She is a familiar face, having served in long-term substitute roles in kindergarten during the 2023–24 and 2024–25 school years, as well as working as a Fourth Grade Assistant Teacher from 2011–14. Dori holds a BA from UNC Greensboro and a MAT from Oglethorpe University.
Faculty Members in New Roles
Tracy Dean – Tracy will serve as Interim Second Grade Lead Teacher this year, after three years as an Assistant Second Grade Teacher. Before joining Country Day, she taught at Olde Providence Elementary School.
Michelle Mulligan – Michelle transitions to the Lower School Office as our new Lower School Receptionist after many years as a First Grade Assistant Teacher.
Middle School
Mandi Colson – Mandi joins the Middle School as our Orchestra Teacher. She comes to us from Burns Middle School, where she served as Orchestra Director for six years. She earned her Bachelor of Music Education from Appalachian State University. Outside of work, Mandi enjoys camping, baking, and spending time outdoors with her husband and four children.
Kaila Gottschling – Kaila brings nine years of experience as a visual arts teacher at Charlotte Latin, where she also served as Visual Arts Department Chair. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Western University in Ontario, Canada, and has also taught art at the Spoleto Art Institute in Italy.
Claire Greene – Claire will teach 8th Grade Spanish. She earned her BA in Foreign Languages & Literature from NC State University and has taught high school Spanish for the past three years. She and her husband enjoy cooking, baking, running, and practicing yoga.
Diana Materdo – Diana joins us from Burgos, Spain, with teaching experience in schools around the world. She holds two master’s degrees from the University of Salamanca—one in Teaching English as a Second Language and another in Teaching Spanish. This year, she will teach 8th Grade Spanish. Diana enjoys traveling with her husband and two sons, reading, and cycling.
Andrew Richmond – Andrew transitions to Country Day after three years of teaching private music lessons. He is also an experienced audio engineer, having worked at a recording studio in Nashville, TN. Andrew will share his passion for music with our students and assist with Middle School plays and musicals. He is engaged to be married next May.
Lauren Schultz – Lauren joins the Middle School as our Librarian. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Education from UNC Charlotte. She previously spent 13 years with CMS. Many in our community may recognize her—her husband, Michael, works in our Upper School. In her free time, Lauren enjoys golf, traveling, baking, drinking good coffee, and cheering on her daughter in Irish dance competitions.
Paula Weiler – Paula will teach Band for grades 5–8. She has spent the past eight years as a Band Director with CMS. Paula earned her MA in Ethnomusicology from CUNY Hunter College and her BA from CUNY Brooklyn College. She and her husband, Kevin, enjoy hiking, playing music, board games, and gardening with their two children.
Upper School
Molly Gronski Arkon – Molly joins the Department of Modern and Classical Languages as a Spanish teacher. She grew up in Western New York (Go Bills!) and earned her BA in Spanish, History, and International Relations from Canisius College, as well as a Master’s in Independent School Leadership from George Mason University. Molly has taught at Sun Valley High School, Hopewell High School, The Lovett School in Atlanta, and Asheville School. Outside the classroom, she enjoys gardening, traveling, playing and watching soccer, and adventuring with her husband, Adam, and their two young sons.
Dr. Anna Foy – Anna joins the Upper School English Department. She earned her AB in Comparative Literature from Princeton University (with a focus on Italian Studies) and her PhD in English from the University of Pennsylvania. Her teaching career spans middle and upper school at the Brearley School in New York City, as well as college and graduate-level teaching at the University of Pennsylvania, University of Alabama in Huntsville, and University of the South (Sewanee). As a scholar, Anna specializes in poetry and the 18th century. She has written or is currently writing on topics ranging from agricultural poetry to Phillis Wheatley’s work and the landmark 1778 Joseph Knight case in Scotland. Anna’s daughters, Molly and Irene, will join Country Day as ninth and sixth graders.
Philip Hallquist – Philip is excited to join the Upper School as a French teacher. He recently earned his MA in French from the University of Tennessee, where he also completed his BA in French & Francophone Studies with a minor in World Language Education. Philip is passionate about making language learning engaging and culturally rich. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with his husband and their dogs.
Brianna “Brie” Nabet-Jones – Brie will teach 9th Grade Seminar. Originally from Maryland, she earned her BS in Family Science from the University of Maryland. She comes to Country Day from Gaston Day School, where she served as a Learning Specialist. New to North Carolina, she and her husband, Dawson, recently moved to Belmont with their two German Shorthaired Pointers, Luna and Apollo. Brie loves cooking, workout classes, and planning her next travel adventure.
Yessica Martinez – Yessica, a native of Chile, joins the Upper School Spanish Department with more than 25 years in education. She holds a BA in English Teaching from the Catholic University in Chile and a Master’s in Spanish Language and Culture from the University of Salamanca in Spain. Yessica has lived in North Carolina since 2000 and draws on her international experiences to make language learning dynamic and culturally rich. She enjoys running, biking, and drawing in her free time.
Brooke Tevlin – Brooke joins us as Associate Director of College Counseling with over 25 years of experience in education, including 15 years in college counseling and admissions. She has led college counseling offices and overseen international admissions, and she has specialized training in supporting neurodiverse learners. Brooke’s approach centers on empathy, active listening, and helping students find authentic educational paths that reflect their strengths and values.
Morgan Thomas – Morgan will serve as a long-term substitute in the Upper School English Department. She holds a degree in English and Secondary Education from Liberty University and lives in Lake Norman with her husband, three children, and their dog. Morgan is passionate about fostering teamwork and a love of learning.
Hannah Wagner – Hannah joins the Upper School English Department after nine years teaching Humanities at The Bay School in San Francisco. A graduate of Colby College, she began her teaching career at The Winchendon School and Cardigan Mountain School before earning her graduate degree and moving west. Hannah has also taught in a college program for incarcerated students at San Quentin State Prison. She, her husband Noah, and their young son Misha are excited to settle in Charlotte near family.