SCOUTS TEACHER

Hi! I am Jackie! I have been teaching elementary school for the past 15 years. I have a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education with a 4th/5th Grade Endorsement as well as a K-12 Reading Endorsement. I have my Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. My husband, Andy is also in education. We have 4 boys that keep us very busy. I love to read, travel, and spend my time hiking with my family.

My Why: I started teaching outdoor education to children 18 months-8 years old (Tinkergarten) when my oldest was only two years old and found true joy in seeing what kids could learn from nature itself. During the pandemic, I started to feel a draw toward wanting a nature infused education for my own children.  I wanted them to be free from the many hours of state testing and instead have many hours to be outside and explore: digging in mud, catching grasshoppers, and making leaf boats to float down the creek while also watching them grow academically. I couldn’t find it, so we created it.

SAPLINGS TEACHER

Hi, I’m Ashley! I’m a mom of two, wife, and dog mom. I grew up in Gahanna and still live here today—I truly love this community and all it has to offer. When we’re not at the kids’ sports games, you can usually find us camping, spending time with family, or hanging out with friends. I started my journey in the education field as a preschool coordinator and then through homeschooling my own children. After just a few months as the classroom assistant at CCS, I found my heart pulling me towards diving in more to this type of education. I passed my exam for a Ohio Alternative Teaching License and am currently enrolled in classes to become a Charlotte Mason Certified Educator.

SPROUTS TEACHER

Hi! I’m Jenn. I’ve been teaching for 20 years in a variety of settings including preschool, elementary, and while homeschooling my own children. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education with a 4th/5th Grade Endorsement and a K–12 Reading Endorsement. My husband, Brady, is a chiropractor, and we have two wonderful children, Izzy and Ryan. I love traveling with my family, exploring new places with my kids, baking sourdough creations with my daughter, and getting lost in a great book.

CLASSROOM ASSISTANT

Hi, I’m Megan! I am so excited to be joining Creekside Cottage School as an assistant teacher this year. I have always known since 3rd grade that I wanted to be a teacher and I have had the great honor of working with students of all ages. I have been in education in both public and private settings since earning my Bachelor of Music: Music Education in 2007 from Capital University. I went on to earn my Master of Education from Ashland University in 2013.

As a CCS parent during the school’s founding year I had the pleasure of watching the school develop and seeing its impact on my own family. Shinichi Suzuki, an educator I greatly admire, once said, “If love is deep, much can be accomplished.” I witness this in how the staff at CCS interact with the explorers every day and I am thrilled to be part of a team with so much heart!

When I’m not teaching I love to be with my family, read, drink coffee, and hang out by creeks.

MUSIC AND MOVEMENT TEACHER

Hi, I’m Hannah! I’ve been teaching music and movement in Central Ohio since 2014. I hold both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in music education, as well as two additional music and movement teaching certifications (Kodaly and Orff). In 2023, I decided to leave my public school teaching position to start my own family’s homeschool/hybrid school journey; I was eager and excited to give my own two girls an education that involved more time outside and less time doing state testing. Being with Creekside since its founding in 2025 has been a dream come true! When I’m not teaching, I can usually be found traveling, biking, reading, running triathlons, camping, doing yoga, playing percussion in local orchestras, and planning my next trip to Alaska, where I grew up.

ART TEACHER

Chelsea Kuhn is the Art Teacher at Creekside Cottage School. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from Smith College and later studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where she also worked in the theater department.

Creativity has always been woven into Chelsea’s life. She comes from a family of artists, writers, cartoonists, weavers, and sculptors, and she married Blake, a graphic designer and fellow artist. Together they have created a home where paint, paper, clay, yarn, and imagination are always within reach. Their garage art studio is a favorite gathering place for their own children, neighborhood friends, and anyone inspired to stop by and make something.

Chelsea believes art is about far more than learning techniques - it’s about noticing creation, cultivating curiosity, solving problems, and finding the confidence to create something uniquely your own. She is passionate about helping children discover the joy of making with their hands and looks forward to nurturing creativity, wonder, and a lifelong love of art in every Creekside student.

FORESTWAYS OT NATURE PLAY

Hi! I am Lindsey! I have been an occupational therapist in pediatric settings (schools, clinics, home-based, and outdoors!) for over 20 years. I own Forestways OT, a nature-based pediatric OT practice, which began in 2022. I am so excited to partner with Creekside Cottage to provide OT services and nature play enrichment groups focusing on regulation and sensory processing. I love helping children grow, connect, and thrive through compassionate care and collaboration with families and school staff. As a mom of two teen boys, I have experienced the benefits of sensory-rich outdoor play for my own children and those I work with. I enjoy spending time in nature hiking, gardening, running, walking, or teaching outdoor yoga. My family and I also love to travel and explore state and national parks.

TREE TALKS

Hi, I'm Jessica Berndt! I have worked as a psychologist for the past 11 years. I have bounced between working in elementary schools and private practice settings. I have my doctoral degree in psychology, and I am dually licensed in clinical and school psychology in the state of Ohio. I strongly feel that schools provide an incredible opportunity for kids to continue developing their empathy, resilience, regulation, and self-efficacy. Returning to the school setting, I often felt constrained, pushed toward reactivity, and conflicted about teaching these concepts in an environment that lacks movement, focuses strongly on achievement and conformity, and is guided by an overwhelming number of standards that push these life skills aside. To align my work with my values and better balance family life, I transitioned to running my private practice full-time last summer. I own Tulsi Psychological Services in Gahanna, which focuses on providing evaluations and treatment that help people of all ages gain clarity, balance, and the skills needed to reclaim resilience. I am thrilled to join Creekside Cottage School’s mission to strengthen kids' love for learning, nature, and community! In my role, I will guide students through weekly TREE Talks—interactive sessions using art and play to foster mindfulness, regulation, executive functioning, and healthy habits to grow students who are thriving, resilient, empathetic, and empowered.  Outside of work, my husband, David, and I are raising four incredible kids who keep us grounded and constantly learning. As a family, we love spending time outdoors, camping, hiking, cooking, and crafting. Individually, I enjoy spending my time exercising, being in nature, baking, learning, and sipping local coffee.