Welcome New Staff Members!

		Ms. Elena Abbott (3rd Grade): Ms. Elena Abbott is completing her Master’s in Catholic Education this December. She is moving to the area from California, as she has family here in Leesburg. Ms. Abbott has multiple years of experience as a Catholic school educator.  She has worked for three years as a third grade teacher, in addition to multiple years as an instructional aide in kindergarten, second, third, and fourth grades.  All of this experience was at her own local parish school very similar to Our Lady of Hope. Ms. Abbott has a deep love for our faith and can’t wait to start the next chapter of her life here in our community. Welcome, Ms. Abbott!
		Mrs. Mary Wacker (Recess / Ex + Day Aide / Grade 3-5 Aide):  Mrs. Mary Wacker joins us for the 2022-2023 school year as our Recess Coordinator, 3-5 Instructional Aide, and Extended Day Assistant.  She has been a parishioner at St. Theresa’s and currently St. John’s.  Mrs. Wacker has a decade plus experience volunteering in Catholic communities.  She currently teaches second-grade religious education at St. John’s and is a Tender Heart Unit Leader with American Heritage, in addition to working with the Altar Society.  She spent thirty years in executive leadership roles in property management and is looking forward to sharing her experience and faith in a Catholic school setting.
		Mrs. Jeanne Newcomer (Art):  Mrs. Newcomer grew up in New Jersey and has been a resident of northern Virginia for many years. She has raised three sons here along with her husband Ken. They are long time members of St. Timothy Catholic Church.  While her children were young she was very active in Boy Scouts,  swim team, volunteering as an art docent,  a Junior Great Books Leader, and Reflections arts in the school program. Mrs. Newcomer has been a Catholic school educator within the Arlington Diocese for 13 years teaching Art, Language Arts and Literature, and Religion. She holds an Associate degree in Graphic Design and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Design. Mrs. Newcomer enjoys spending time with her family, bird watching, nature walks, and, of course, art making!
		Mrs. Lara O’Sullivan (Resource):  Mrs. O’Sullivan is very excited to be working at Our Lady of Hope School as a Special Education Resource teacher. Her educational background includes an undergraduate degree from Montana State University in Child Development/Family Science (1991) and a Masters Degree in Special Education from George Mason University (2000). She has a Postgraduate License in Special Education from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Her work experience includes teaching students with learning disabilities at various elementary schools in Reston, most recently at Aldrin Elementary School. She has also taught for five years at a Christian Preschool, while raising her young children at the time. She currently lives in Reston with her husband, three sons and their two cats. They are members of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Herndon. Mrs. O’Sullivan’s oldest son, Liam, will be a junior in high school in the fall. Her twin sons, Trevor and Trey, will be attending Our Lady of Hope School as 7th graders for the upcoming school year. Mrs. O’Sullivan enjoys spending time hiking, gardening and taking road trips with her family in rural parts of Virginia.
		Mrs. Hima Ghosh (Math 6 / Math 7 / Geometry): Hello, my name is Hima Ghosh; my students call me Mrs. Ghosh. I am very excited to be a part of the Lady of Hope School and am looking forward to teaching math to middle school students and helping with the Lab Learner program in the lower school. I live in Aldie, Virginia with my husband, daughter, and two dogs. I have a master’s degree in biology, majoring in Microbiology. I love math and science and am passionate about teaching. I have been a teacher for more than 20 years. For the last ten years I have been teaching math and science to middle school and upper elementary students. I love to work with students by providing them with a project-based learning environment and helping them understand and apply math skills in everyday life.  Apart from teaching, I love to travel with my family, paint and solve crossword puzzles.
		Ms. Melany Summers (P.E. / Counselor) Ms. Melany Summers, a Potomac Falls resident for eight years and parishioner at Christ the Redeemer, joins us for the 2022-2023 school year as PE Teacher and Counselor.  She has been a personal trainer for seven years and is looking forward to advancing our students’ health and wellbeing through the PE curriculum and in partnership with the administration and the nurse. She founded a business called Faith and Fitness, which focuses on using exercise and health as a doorway to discovering God and the beauty of life.  Ms. Summers also has years of experience coaching for youth soccer leagues, teaching physical education for co-opts, and teaching religious education. She completed a BA in psychology from George Mason and also has a teaching license from LCPS.  Ms. Summers has experience working with preschool and kindergarten students as a counselor who focused on teaching safety and wellness.  She also worked for five years in a family counseling setting.  We are so excited to welcome her to Our Lady of Hope!