Meet the Teachers...
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Sandy Farris (Director/Owner) graduated from Gorham State College with a BS degree in Elementary Education/ Science. She earned a Master’s Degree in Literacy from Lesley University. For 37 years she taught kindergarten through 4th grade in the South Portland and Auburn school districts. Sandy piloted the first all-day kindergarten program in the state while at Redbank School. She has been a consultant and teacher trainer for hands-on science in Maine and New Hampshire. She developed the first 5+ and full day nursery school in Cape Elizabeth. Sandy has owned Maiden Cove, formally Cape Cottage Nursery School (1960-1982) since 1982.
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Jennifer Concannon (Half Day Program Co-Head Teacher and Enrollment Coordinator) graduated from Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland. She majored in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education. Jennifer also received her Master’s Degree at Loyola as a reading specialist. She taught primary special education in the city of Baltimore for 5 years and then moved to Virginia where she was a reading specialist at an elementary school for 3 years. She began teaching at Maiden Cove in 2007. She was named to the Maine Registry by Maine Roads to Quality in 2010. This registry recognizes Jennifer’s experience, training, education and volunteer contributions to the early childhood professions.
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Lisa Labesky (Assistant Full Day Teacher) is entering her tenth year as an early childhood educator. She joined the Maiden Cove Staff after relocating from Atlanta where she taught Pre-K for four years. Lisa is a graduate from Georgia State University with a degree in Commercial Music and undergraduate coursework in Child Development & Family Life. She has a passion for outdoor education and is a member of the Green Teacher Network.
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Paula Schonewolf (Half Day Program Co-Head Teacher) has been a part of Maiden Cove since 2010, before that she was a kindergarten teacher assistant in Westerville, Ohio. She has great enthusiasm for early learning, especially enriching young minds through play and mindful experiences. Paula graduated from Champlain College in St. Lambert, Quebec with a concentration in social sciences. She lives in Cape Elizabeth with her husband and three grown children Xander, Katie and Lauren. In her free time she enjoys reading, traveling and spoiling her fur baby, Sadie.
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Stephanie Bowe (5+ Head Teacher) graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in Family Education with a focus on child development. She previously taught at Maiden Cove as a Co-Teacher in the 3 and 4 year old half day programs from 2008-15. She is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children as well as the Maine chapter of the same organization and recently received a certificate from Mindful Schools for their mindfulness in education program. She is also on the Board of Trustees for the Portland Symphony Orchestra and chairs their committee on Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning. She has lived in Maine for over 20 years and Cape Elizabeth for the past 17 where she and her husband have raised their six children.
Missi Piscopo (5+ Assistant Teacher, Travelogue and Wacky Wednesday Head Teacher) has lived in Cape Elizabeth for over 35 years. She and her husband were the owners of Piscopo’s Bakery for many of those years. She has a son and daughter who have gone through the Cape Elizabeth school system which gave her many opportunities to be involved in the community. She has been a Girl Scout Leader, Cape Football Booster volunteer, fundraising coordinator for the Cape Elizabeth Little League program, co-president for High School Girls Soccer Boosters and parent volunteer at both Pond Cove and the Middle School.
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Jordana Berner (Full Day Head Teacher). Jordana Berner comes to us from Miami, Florida where she taught in a preschool for 1.5 years. She has a degree in elementary education from Florida Gulf Coast University. She is excited to learn about and explore Maine’s environment with her students. She loves to explore new areas, go to museums, watch movies, and play with her new cat named Shores!
Amy Lombardo (Travelogue and Wacky Wednesday Assistant Teacher) graduated from St. Michael's College in Vermont, majoring in Elementary Education and Sociology. She received her Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Boston College. Amy taught elementary and special education in schools located in Massachusetts and Connecticut before returning to her hometown of Cape Elizabeth in 2004 with her husband to raise their three children. All three children attended Maiden Cove. Since returning to Cape, Amy has worked for the Cape Elizabeth Schools as a tutor, substitute, and classroom volunteer. She also has been involved in many volunteer roles in the community.
