Barb Rosensteel has worked with preschool children for over 40 years and over 30 of them have been as Director and teacher at Derry Preschool .

Mallory McDermott has been with Derry Preschool since 2013. She is currently the Assistant Director at Derry Preschool where she coordinates the daily enrichment programs as well as summer camp. Mrs. McDermott’s passion is teaching! She loves watching how the students grow throughout the year and hopes to instill a love for learning in each of her students. She previously worked at the Vista School for four years with both elementary aged and high school aged students. She attended Eastern University and graduated with a degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in reading. Mrs. McDermott is married to Jason and has two young boys, Caden and Jordan. She is very grateful to be able to be a part of the wonderful Derry Preschool family!

I have been at DP for 19 years. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science from Penn State.
I have four daughters and three granddaughters.
I live with my husband and Siberian husky and enjoy hiking, reading and baking in my spare time .

Emilee joined Derry Preschool in 2019 as a substitute, but has been part of the Derry Preschool family since 2013 when the first of her two daughters began. She is a graduate from the University of Pittsburgh earning a BSBA in marketing. Emilee enjoys spending time with her family and dogs, going to the beach, and attending art classes.

Julie Beaver is pleased to be rejoining the Derry Preschool family. Before joining the Capital Area Intermediate Unit (CAIU) as an Early Intervention Preschool teacher in 2010, she taught at Derry Preschool from 1996-2009. Mrs. Beaver is a graduate of Penn State, and holds an Early Childhood Teaching Certification and a Master’s degree in Special Education. In 2018, the CAIU and Derry Preschool collaborated to create an inclusive classroom environment where children who have developmental delays learn and play alongside children who are typically developing. Mrs. Beaver and the Derry staff utilize a “co-teaching model” to ensure that preschool curriculum and activities are accessible by all students of varying ability. She believes that all children benefit from inclusion by developing positive social relationships, compassion for others, and confidence to demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of ways. Mrs. Beaver is committed to meeting the individual needs of all children and their families by providing high quality programming with an emphasis on learning through play. Mrs. Beaver lives near Mt. Gretna with her husband and two cats, and enjoys gardening, reading, and spending time with her two daughters and her 2-year old grandson.

Lindsay Bellissimo has been a part of Derry Preschool for the last three years when her oldest son started in the Rainbow Room. She graduated from Millersville University with a Bachelors in Early Childhood and Special Education. After graduation she finished two Masters one in Special Education with a focus on Learning Disabilities and just finished her second degree this past summer in Reading Specialist. Before joining the Derry Preschool team she taught in a variety of different classrooms including third, first, middle school, and kindergarten. This is her first year subbing and teaching the 5 year old extended day at Derry Preschool and she could not be more excited! Aside from teaching she loves spending time with her family and friends, traveling, tutoring, and keeping her three boys active!

Laura obtained her bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Alvernia University. She began her career with Head Start and taught 3-5 year olds for 6 years. Laura was able to learn that early childhood education and development is vital in creating a strong foundation for a child’s future through her experience.

Laura moved to the Hershey area with her husband, 2 kids and 2 dogs in 2017

and is so happy with what it has brought to her life. Searches for preschool for her daughter lead her to Derry preschool and then she was fortunate enough to begin to be involved with the school. Laura was able to join the Derry Preschool board and sub last year and is now very excited to begin teaching at Derry Preschool.

Samantha Gustantino has been part of the Derry Preschool family since 2020. She teaches the 4-year-olds in the Green Room, as well as the Extended Day 4-year-old program. Mrs. Gustantino attended Kutztown University and graduated with a degree in both Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education. Prior to joining Derry Preschool, Mrs. Gustantino taught for five years in the Derry Township School District. She taught 4th grade, gifted support, and spent three years as a 5th grade teacher. Mrs. Gustantino is married to Mike and has two young girls, Emily and Maggie. When she is not teaching, she enjoys spending time with her family, working out, reading, going to the beach, baking, and teaching yoga. Mrs. Gustantino’s goal is to provide a positive atmosphere for learning and for each child to have an exciting and rewarding year!

Mrs. Lintz has been a friend of DPS since her own children were students in 2008-2012. Since that time she’s taught our supervised playgroups and helped out in subbing roles. In 2019-2020, she was pleased to teach our 4-year-old friends in the Red Room. For the past two years, she has been excited to play with our young friends in supervised playgroup and teach our MW pre-3s in our lower-level Rainbow Room location.

She is a graduate of Muhlenberg College. Her husband Scott is an ER physician and their teenagers, Kipper and Katie, will be seniors at Palmyra HS. Most of her free time is spent watching her teens play sports, walking her puppy, Norman, and enjoying photography.

Erika Luongo started working at Derry Preschool in 2022 as a teacher’s assistant after her son attended the preschool as a 4-year-old. Watching the children at Derry Preschool learn and grow throughout the year is truly a joy! Erika earned an undergraduate degree in Social Work from Millersville University as well as a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of North Dakota. In her free time, she can be found hiking, baking, traveling, volunteering and spending time with friends and family. Erika and her husband Paul stay busy raising and enjoying their three children Madeline, Eli & Nolan.

Donna Maurer has been with Derry preschool for over 10 years now. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology, health and phys ed, and nursing from Indiana University and Villanova. She currently lives in South Hanover with her husband Bob (an orthopedic surgeon) and her two dogs. She has three children and one granddaughter. Her oldest son Rob is a Neuro surgical resident at Hershey Med Center. Her second son Tim is an orthopedic surgical resident at UPMC and her daughter Steff is a math teacher at Lower Dauphin high school. Donna enjoys spending time with her family, walking her dogs, traveling, and skiing (water or snow).

Anna Miller graduated from Hershey High School in 2021. She first joined the Derry Preschool family working summer camps and being a substitute. Ms.Miller attended Derry Preschool from 2006-2008 as well as her 11-year-old sister from 2016-2018. Her lovely mother, Nathalie Miller (Mrs.Miller) has been a room mom, and sub, and eventually became a teacher’s assistant until 2023. This is currently Ms. Miller’s first year as a teacher’s assistant in the Red room with 3 and 4 years olds and she could not be more thrilled and excited. She has always had a passion for helping children grow and watching their imaginations sparkle! Outside of the classroom Ms. Miller enjoys painting, nature, traveling, reading and spending time with her family and three cats!

Carol Mitchell has been with DP since the 2009 school year,* after her retirement from Verizon in 2002 with a career of 35 years and becoming a widow in 2008. She enjoys nurturing ‘little ones” on their learning path and is grateful for this opportunity.

I have enjoyed working at DPS since 2006. I started working with the 5-year-old age group. 9 years were spent in the yellow room and 3 years were spent in the purple room. Then I have been in the rainbow room for the past 6 years, where I am still currently working. 

I have been married to my husband, Jeff, for 37 years. He has worked with airplanes for 40 years and now owns Shearer Aviation from 2020. We have 3 adult children.  Cody has his Master of Divinity and is currently a full-time minister at a church in Ephrata. Our daughter, Abigail, works full-time at a bank is a financial Center Assistant Manager, and lives in Mechanicsburg. Our son, Shane, is working on his bachelor’s degree in business communications and will graduate this year. He also works part-time at Chocolate World where he is an operator and area coordinator in Create your own candy bar. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and going to our Cabin up north. I also love decorating and shopping.

Mrs. Steelman has been part of the Derry Preschool family for the last 13 years…serving as a mom, an active member of the Derry Preschool Board, a substitute teacher and a teacher.  She has degrees in secondary education and mathematics from Elizabethtown College and has taught both high school and middle school math.  Currently Mrs. Steelman enjoys coaching field hockey and loves being with her family and spending time outdoors. Mrs. Steelman lives in Palmyra with her husband, four children and two dogs.

Mrs. Steelman loves teaching! Each year she looks forward to a year full of fun, new adventures, new friends and lots of exploration as she helps her students learn to love school and learning. 

Colleen Tunnell has been with Derry Preschool for over 18 years.  She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a specialty in early childhood education from Shippensburg University.  She received her master’s degree in teaching and curriculum from Penn State.  She currently lives in Hummelstown with her husband Matt and their two dogs.  She has two daughters, Marley and Alaina, who are both Derry Preschool alumni. Colleen loves spending time with her family, walking her dogs, traveling, and reading.

Maxine Umberger has been part of the Derry Preschool staff since 2003. Mrs. Umberger loves being in the classroom and helping children learn and grow! Prior to joining Derry Preschool, she studied elementary education at Harrisburg Area Community College and worked as an instructional aide in a learning support classroom in the Lower Dauphin School District for 17 years.

She and her husband, Randy, have two children and four grandchildren whom they love to visit in Florida and South Carolina. She is an avid reader and enjoys being part of a great book club.

Nancy Walmer is beginning her 8th year at DPS enjoying the “Littlest” kiddos of the DPS Family.  She is a retired Middle School Library Aide.  She enjoys reading, flower gardening, and spending time with family and friends.  She has been married for 50 years, has two grown children and three amazing grandchildren.  She is thankful to be working with the great staff and families of Derry Preschool.

Anne Wehler became part of the Derry Preschool community with the enrollment of her son in 2020. Starting in 2023 Anne was delighted to take on the role of office assistant to our director. When not in the office Anne is most likely walking her two dogs downtown, practicing yoga or spending time with her husband Jeff and their two beautiful children Charlie and Libby.

Lisa Zacharia is a passionate art teacher at Derry Preschool. With a Bachelor’s degree in childhood education from Hunter College and a Graduate Degree in early childhood education and special education from City College of New York, Mrs. Zacharia brings a wealth of knowledge to her young students. Her love for art shines through, having minored in the subject herself.

Notably, Lisa taught in the vibrant community of East Harlem, NYC, for an impressive 11 years before joining Derry Preschool. Her dedication to education is a testament to her commitment to nurturing young minds.

Beyond her role as an educator, Lisa is a loving mother to an 11-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter. Together with her husband, Brad, and their rescue dog, Benjamin, they share a joyful household. In her free time, Mrs. Zacharia indulges in her adventurous side by skiing, mountain biking, and hiking. She’s an avid reader and cherishes any moment spent outdoors, immersing herself in the beauty of nature. Art is not just a profession for Lisa; it’s a cherished part of her life’s canvas.

Kristin Zack has been with Derry Preschool since 2018. She teaches the 3-year-olds and the 4-year-olds in the Red Room. In addition, Mrs. Zack also teaches a Kickstart class and the Extended Day 4-year-old program. Holding a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Misericordia University, she brings seven years of experience teaching fifth-grade language arts. Following this, she dedicated herself to caring for her daughter, Daniella, as her husband, Chad, pursued cardiology training. Daniella is now in fourth grade and enjoys playing the saxophone. Outside of her professional life, Mrs. Zack loves visiting family in her hometown of Scranton, PA, traveling, drawing, the beach, and visiting Hersheypark. She has a passion for teaching and loves watching her students learn new things!