Born and raised in Virginia Beach, VA. Married and the mother of three beautiful children, Colton, and identical twins Evelyn and Abigail.

Tara, Graduated from Old Dominion University with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Park, Recreation and Tourism Studies with a focus on child program development. Tara has spent 10 years in business management and marketing for non-profit organizations and private small businesses. Growing up, Tara has always aspired to work with children in some capacity, everything from a CHKD certified childcare provider to volunteering for children’s summer camps.  Today, having children of her own, she realizes a need for an educational environment in Virginia Beach that meets her high expectations in education, nutrition, and sanitation standards.  Establishing a safe learning environment where creativity and innovation are nurtured, physical fitness and healthy eating habits are instilled, and problem solving and technological activities are promoted, is a high priority with a daily emphasis on kindness and mindful thinking.

Associate Director

Born and raised in Virginia Beach Ms. Joe lives with her husband and is a proud dog momma to a black German Shepard named Kobe. She has two beautiful nieces, Nola, and Natalie, and a handsome baby nephew named Cam.

After graduating from Radford University with a Bachelor of Science Degree with concentrations in Early Childhood/Special Education and Psychology, she began teaching Preschool students at St. Pius X Catholic School. From there, she furthered her career to become the Youth Development Director at a Licensed Child Care sports facility during the pandemic. At the facility, she produced new and creative ways to keep children engaged while following all the licensing requirements. Ms. Joe was in the National Honor Society in Education in college and has always had a passion for working with kids and helping people find their true potential. She has a huge heart and is super dedicated to education, organization, and helping grow Baylake Academy to its known and recognized great academy.

School Coordinator

Ms. Fish is a Hampton Roads native from a Navy family. She loves being an aunt to her year-old niece and enjoys traveling, cooking, and museum trips in her spare time. She graduated with an Associates of Science in Early Childhood Development from Tidewater Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Hollins University. She is aspiring to obtain her Master’s degree in early childhood education.

She has taught children of varying ages for over seven years in private school, day learning centers, and library outreach programs.

Ms. Fish is passionate about cultivating student’s curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills within her classroom. From her varying roles in the Early Childhood Education field, she has learned to be a leader who encourages and collaborates with fellow educators to develop intentional lesson planning and wholesome learning experiences. As a prior lead teacher at Baylake Academy, Ms. Fish looks forward to bringing her unique academic and professional experiences from the classroom and hopes to inspire a lifelong love of learning for staff and students.

Kindergarten Lead Teacher

Ms. Wigfall is originally from Hampton, Virginia and attended school at Virginia State University where she obtained her Bachelors in Family and Consumer Sciences. She has worked in the mental health field working with children in the school setting starting in 2012. While working with children with developmental disabilities and mental diagnoses she grew a new love for education and in 2017 realized she wanted to make the transition into education. In 2017 she married and moved to Upstate New York for her husband’s military obligations when she decided to start on her master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Wigfall completed her masters while continuing to work with children in the mental health field. Upon completion of her master’s degree and her husband’s retirement, her family returned to Virginia and she started her journey into the field of education.

Ms. Wigfall is extremely excited to excel in the classroom and spark new ideas for growth and development in the classroom. She has a huge desire to assist children in developing in the best way possible in all aspects of life. Ms. Wigfall is confident in her journey in early childhood education she will be able to touch so many lives and bring so much joy and excitement to education. Ms. Wigfall really enjoys crafting, music, dance, and all other forms of art and would love to share this with my students. She is excited to share these interests with her students and families throughout this journey.

Pre-K4 A Lead Teacher

Ms. Lutz was born and raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She is a proud Second-Generation American with most of her family located in Chișinău, Moldova. She is also a dog mom to a wonderful 3 year old chocolate lab who keeps her busy with hikes by the bay.

While studying Biochemistry at Hollins University, Ms. Lutz quickly found a love for the real-life applications of the study of the brain and the body. She found her passion lay in the classroom instead of in the lab after getting the opportunity to work with students both in and out of the classroom. She has switched her academic focus to early education and special education, hoping to ensure that all students have the tools they need to successfully move forward in life. She is passionate and enthusiastic about working with the next generation of leaders and is very excited to see her students explore and thrive this year at Baylake Academy.

Pre-K4 A Associate Teacher

Ms. Carroll is originally from Gainesville, Florida. She attended Florida State University and received her Associate of Arts Degree. She has been living in Denver for the past two years and just moved to Virginia Beach this past summer. Ms. Carroll started working in aftercare and summer camp programs in college five years ago and found a passion for working with children. She then went on to work as a paraprofessional in Florida in a second-grade classroom. She moved on to Denver and worked in the heart of the downtown area as a first-grade assistant. She also worked at a Montessori school and had a classroom of first, second and third graders. Ms. Carroll believes working in different kinds of schools gave her a new and comprehensive perspective to teaching; she was given hands-on experiences and taught all kinds of different ways to teach and learn. Her favorite part about working in the classroom is how each day is different; it might have a schedule and plans, but it always has its own unique excitements and challenges that not only push the students, but the teachers as well.

Ms. Carroll is excited to share her experience, teach with love and compassion and to start her new adventure here in Virginia Beach.

Pre-K4 B Lead Teacher

Ms. Schratwieser was born in San Diego, California. She has 2 wonderful daughters and one granddaughter, all of whom live within miles of each other here in Virginia Beach. Ms. Schratwieser began her journey in Early Childhood Development in San Diego. Her love of children led her to work at her daughter’s preschool as a volunteer. She loved it so much that she decided to make this her career. She began her education at San Diego Mesa City College where she received her Certificate in Early Childhood Development. In 1992, Ms. Schratwieser and her family relocated to Virginia Beach. Ms. Schratwieser began working for the Virginia Beach City Public Schools until 2012 when she and her husband opened a little boutique in Virginia Beach which she owned for 10 wonderful years. After the closure of her boutique, Ms. Schratwieser was eager to return to her passion of working with children and decided that Baylake Academy was the perfect place to do so. Ms. Schratwieser is excited to bring happiness, excitement, and curiosity to learn in a happy environment here at Baylake Academy.

Pre-K4 B Associate Teacher

Ms. Hallenbeck is originally from upstate New York. She and her husband of 28 years moved to Virginia Beach approximately 4 years ago, after spending most of her life in the upstate New York area. Ms. Hallenbeck graduated from Cazenovia College with an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts and then went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Alfred University. She has been working in the field of social work teaching, counseling, advocating, mentoring and nurturing children of all ages for over 30 years. After making the move to Virginia Beach, she decided to focus on teaching early childhood education. She and a co-volunteer ran a reading group called Beach Readers, a program to promote literacy for young adults with developmental disabilities who had aged out of special education services but remained interested in improving their reading skills. Ms. Hallenbeck spent the last (almost) 3 years teaching at a local licensed early childhood program before joining Baylake Academy. She is beyond excited to be part of Baylake Academy and their mission for their students. Ms. Hallenbeck has found that being an educator in early childhood has been the most rewarding experience she has had during her career. Education is a passport to the future….and she looks forward to sharing her passion for teaching, being a positive role model, and inspiring young inquiring minds. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Hallenbeck enjoys reading, traveling, gardening, yoga and walking her dog.

Pre-K3 A Lead Teacher

Ms. Burns was born and raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She has raised 3 beautiful children, graduates of Cape Henry and Norfolk Academy, and has been blessed with beautiful granddaughters.

Ms. Burns is well known throughout the community for being an incredible educator, bringing over 20 years of experience in teaching Pre-K3 students. Over the years, she has built long lasting relationships with her students and their families, watching them blossom throughout their educational journey. Ms. Burns has a magical way with children, inspiring them to learn using the tools available to them in their daily lives. Her hope for the student’s of Baylake Academy is to learn without pressure, enjoy the excitement each day brings, and encourage creativity and discovery.

Pre-K3 A Associate Teacher

Ms. Pittman is so excited to be an Assistant teacher with Baylake Academy. She is originally from North Carolina and now calls Virginia her home. Ms. Pittman attended The Art Institute of Charlotte North Carolina as well as Kee Business College. While studying, Ms. Pittman felt her true calling was geared towards working with children as many members of her family have been private school educators. She is passionate about the early childhood field and her goal is to ensure she provides each child the proper education, love, and guidance throughout their educational journey. She is pleased to work alongside Ms. Burns, Pre-K3 Lead Teacher, with whom she looks up to as a great mentor and has helped her grow as a professional at Baylake Academy. Ms. Pittman also enjoys reading, shopping, traveling, art, and music. She is a dedicated member of St. Paul Deliverance Christian Center where she helps with their youth dance ministry. Ms. Pittman focuses on the needs of others and always offers a helping hand. She enjoys new adventures each day here at Baylake Academy where she believes in everyone.

Pre-K3 B Lead Teacher

Ms. Wyatt was born and raised in Cebu, Philippines. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Special Education. In her hometown, she taught in public schools from Kindergarten to Fifth grade where she had the opportunity to explore a variety of methods and strategies in teaching students from different indigenous backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses in the community. Ms. Wyatt moved to Virginia Beach in 2010 with her husband and this city soon became her second home. A year later she transitioned into early childhood education, a profession that she quickly fell in love with. She had the experience working with children from infants through Pre-Kindergarten. She has seen firsthand how children grow in the different stages of their development having taught a variety of ages.

As a preschool teacher, she focuses on individualized learning for each child. Not only will the children learn and discover new things, but they will have fun doing so. Her goal is to help each child get ready to move up to their next level of development. It gives her the utmost pleasure to be a part of their journey.

Pre-K2.5 A Lead Teacher

Ms. Jaspe is originally from Caracas, Venezuela. She lived in Miami, Florida, for 10 years before recently moving to Virginia Beach with her husband. She is happily married and enjoys her new life immersed in the natural beauty that Virginia Beach offers. Ms. Jaspe holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and holds an Early Childhood Professional Certification. With over eight years of experience teaching young children from 18 months to 5 years old in private schools, she has developed her teaching approach based on the Reggio Emilia and Montessori philosophies. Her main goal in teaching is to support her learners in developing their thinking skills by engaging them in thought-provoking experiences that foster intellectual growth and curiosity from a young age. She is committed to nurturing respect, kindness, and compassionate citizenship in her students while creating a nurturing and supportive learning environment.

Pre-K2.5 A Lead Teacher

Ms. Velandria is from Leesburg, Virginia. She graduated from Mary Baldwin University in May of 2023 and got her bachelor’s degree in studio art with an emphasis in drawing! She loves combining creativity and education in order to create fun lesson plans for her students! Her main goal in regard to teaching is to create a fun and safe learning environment for children to thrive in! Ms. Velandria has been working in early childhood education for over a year. Before working in this field, she worked as a personal assistant to her art professor at her University. She is very excited to working alongside Ms. Nicolino in the Pre-K2.5 classroom! Ms. Velandria enjoys drawing, video games, comic books, watching movies, and going to the beach!

Pre-K2.5 B Lead Teacher

Ms. Nicolino was born in Miami, Florida and was raised in the Keys in the house that her Grandparents built when they came to America from Cuba. She moved to Virginia Beach in 2015 when she married her loving husband. She has been blessed to be a grandmother of two beautiful children who happen to live next door to her.  She and her family are highly active in their community through their church. She enjoys crafting with mediums such as painting, clay sculpting, and yarn work though crocheting. She is a foodie and loves to try and cook new foods from all over the world. Prior to coming to work at Baylake Academy, Ms. Nicolino spent three years homeschooling her grandchildren and has over 35 years of experience working with early childhood and elementary school students. She started her educational career as a Montessori Guide and has taught utilizing a variety of pedagogies and approaches to learning such as, Reggio Emilia, Creative Curriculum, Play-Based Learning, Project-Based Learning, High-Scope, and STEM/STEAM. Ms. Nicolino has a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in child developmental psychology and graduated Magna Cum Laude; and a Master of Education in Curriculum and student instruction with a minor in student behavioral services and graduated with distinction. Both degrees were obtained through Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Ms. Nicolino has always wanted to teach and is compassionate to help children feel safe and secure while they learn. While in foster care, she saw so many children fall through the cracks emotionally and educationally and promised herself that she would do everything in her power to help children when she was older. Ms. Nicolino is excited to lead our Pre-K2.5A class as she knows what a special time it is for this age group and is looking forward to being a part of their discovery. She is eager to inspire their curiosity for learning and life, passionate to assist them to develop emotionally, physically, and mentally, and is enthusiastic to support them in discovering what this world has to offer all the while keeping them safe and secure.

Pre-K2.5 B Assistant Teacher

Ms. Hardy is a local of Hampton Roads and received her degree from Tidewater Community College. She began her career in education with Norfolk Public Schools where she gained a wealth of knowledge.  Improving our children’s education and giving them the skills and knowledge of how to succeed has always been a large part of Ms. Hardy’s drive. When Ms. Hardy is not working she enjoys being by the water, working with animals, sightseeing, traveling, and going to museums and restaurants.  She is an animal lover so working with animals any chance she can brings her great joy. Her greatest achievement in life is becoming a mom to her daughter Nyla Arabella. She hopes to leave a positive impact on each child’s life with her kindness and wisdom as well as providing them with the skills to be successful in this world.

Pre-K2 Lead Teacher

Ms. Bardeen is originally from Fairfax, Virginia but has been in Virginia Beach for over 30 years. She is a mother of 3 wonderful children. Her oldest daughter is a senior at Purdue University and she has a 15 year old twins who are currently in the 10th grade.  Ms. Bardeen attended school at Old Dominion University where she obtained her Bachelors Degree in Psychology and her Masters Degree in Business Administration.  She has worked in the education field for over 25 years and has served as a teacher and director at schools throughout the area.  In addition to working in the education field, Ms. Bardeen also serves as a professional figure skating coach. She grew up a competitive figure skater and has loved turning her passion for the sport into a small business. She has coached skaters of all ages and levels for many years.

Ms. Bardeen is extremely excited to be a part of Baylake Academy and to bring her love for teaching children into the classroom.  She has a strong desire to assist children in developing in the classroom through cognitive, emotional, and physical development.

Early Explorers Lead Teacher

Ms. Pugh joined the Baylake team just one week after moving to the East Coast from the Midwest! Her educational journey began in a special education program for children aged 3-5 and continued at a public elementary school where she discovered her deep love for teaching and nurturing young minds. During a five-month stint with Youth With a Mission, Ms Pugh focused on justice-oriented programs, which reinforced her dedication to uplifting and empowering others. Before moving to Norfolk, Ms. Pugh was an outreach pastor at Roots Church, a nondenominational church she co-founded with a friend in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There, she dedicated herself to community engagement and building a welcoming space for all. Ms. Pugh moved to Norfolk in July, bringing her passion for education and community with her. She strives to cultivate love and serve as a beacon of belonging for every child and family she encounters.

Early Discoverers Lead Teacher

Ms. Cohoon is a Norfolk, Virginia native and is the mother to her beautiful five-year-old daughter, Harper; who means the world to her. In Ms. Cohoon’s free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors and with her family. She is a very family-orientated person and feels blessed to have such a great support system. She also enjoys going to church and raising her daughter on a foundation of faith. She has always been drawn to teaching and making sure children know that they are capable of anything. Over the years, Ms. Cohoon has worked in several licensed childcare facilities and holds an Associate of Applied Science Degree from Tidewater Community College. She is now pursuing her dream of becoming a licensed teacher by continuing her education at Western Governors University to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. Ms. Cohoon’s  goal as a teacher for Baylake Academy is to foster a positive teaching environment and assist in implementing developmentally appropriate and stimulating learning activities every day. Moreover, she looks forward to building relationships with the children as well as the parents for the children to receive the best care possible.

Early Explorers Assistant Teacher

Mrs. Moser was born and raised in Ocala, Florida. She moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia with her husband and their dog. She found a passion for teaching when she started as a Special Needs Paraprofessional at an elementary school in Florida. Mrs. Moser mainly worked in inclusion classrooms and saw first-hand how an individually tailored learning experience can truly ease a child’s growth. While working at the school she developed skills to do the same. Her goal at Baylake Academy is to apply these skills in a way to enhance development through the learning experience for the students. Mrs. Moser hopes to pursue a degree in education in the future. She enjoys playing the piano, crocheting, and reading in her free time.

Early Discoverers Assistant Teacher

Ms. Sonnino is originally from Manteo, North Carolina, where she attended the College of The Albemarle receiving her credentials in Early Childhood. She moved to Virginia Beach in 2011 with her now fourteen-year-old son and has been working in Early Childhood since 2014. She truly enjoys watching children achieve new goals and helping them get there. Ms. Sonnino enjoys quality time with her son, jigsaw puzzles, nature walks, video games, movies, and reading.

Substitute Teacher

Ms. Douglas was born and raised on the beautiful Islands of Antigua and Barbuda. Ten years ago, she married her military husband and moved to the wonderful state of Virginia and has two amazing children, Micah and Tamera. She is also a pet mom of two adorable guinea pigs dice and Coco. Ms. Douglas has been in the childcare field for more than twelve years. She loves children whole heartedly and her dream and desire is to use her skills each day to build a better world for each child. She has also served as Child Care Center Director and Preschool Coordinator. She enjoys all things outdoors including fishing, swimming, hiking, and her favorite, running. Her goal is to grown, learn, and become better every day and help make life more exciting, enjoyable and peaceful for everyone that she meets.