Staff Bios

Jill Allen

Director

After 9 years in the Blue Room, Jill has moved into the Director’s role. Jill’s relationship with the school started as the mother of three ESNS graduates: Sophie, a freshman at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism in Phoenix, AZ, Molly, a junior at Nerinx Hall, and Lucy in 8th grade at The College School. As a parent, she served on the ESNS board and as a substitute teacher. She has experience as a past board president at TCS, years of HR and AR work during the time she helped run a local bakery/cafe and currently coaches swimmers at Clayton High School. Jill has a degree in art history from Old Dominion University.

Robert Bernstein

Music

Robert started teaching music at the nursery school in 2005. He has his BS in communications from Boston University. He has been a drummer and performer for over twenty-five years and a lover of music for even longer. In addition to his time at the nursery school, Robert is teaching Music Together classes in the St. Louis area. His son, Lucas, an alum of ESNS started 8th grade this year and his daughter, Emily, just turned 8 this summer.

Georgette Bisson

Teacher (Green Room)

This is Georgette’s fourth year teaching at ESNS. She has been affiliated with the school for eight years, as a parent and a board member. She has three sons, who all attend Christ the King School, and are ESNS alum: Leo is now a Freshman at SLUH, Elliot 5th grade, and Jonah 4rd grade. She has a B.A. in English from Ithaca College, a Ph.D. in 18th-century British Literature from Tulane University and a MLIS from L.S.U., in Baton Rouge. In addition to teaching Writing and Literature classes at Tulane University, Georgette worked in and directed the college’s writing workshop. She also worked as an academic reference librarian at Loyola University’s award-winning Monroe Library. Hurricane Katrina forced her family to evacuate New Orleans, and they relocated to St. Louis in December of 2005.

Stacie Zink-Duda

Director, Summer Camp

Stacie Zink-Duda has been teaching preschool at University United Methodist Preschool for thirteen years. All four of her children graduated from there. She currently loves teaching the four and five year olds who will be going to kindergarten the following year. Every week she also explores and teaches science to the three/four year olds and the four/five year olds. In the Spring every year, she runs an enrichment program called Yearning for Learning for the older children.

Stacie has a masters degree from SIUE in child clinical psychology. This is her third year as director at the Ethical Society Nursery School Summer Camp.

Maggie Horn

Teacher (Green Room)

A former board member, substitute teacher and current parent at ESNS, Maggie Horn is ready to play in the 2-Day Green Room! She holds a BS in theater and French from Northwestern University and spent more than ten years performing in the vibrant Washington, DC theater scene. She wrote grants and raised funds for different arts organizations too. Maggie has three sons: Charles and Paul, who will be second graders at Reed Elementary and Wesley who is excited to be in the yellow room. In her free time Maggie enjoys baking and experimenting with new flavors when cooking.

Ariel Gardner

Extended Day

Ariel begins her second year as one of our creative, extended day teachers. She has three ESNS alumni: Marley, 12, Abe, 8, and recent graduate, Robin who will attend kindergarten this year. Ariel is studying English Literature at Washington University where she was accepted into the undergraduate honor’s program and is planning to pursue her PhD. In her spare time, she teaches knitting and spinning classes at a local yarn store.

Debbie Indeck

Administrative Assistant

Debbie is not new to the nursery school; she taught for 14 years in the Blue Room. This is her fourth year assisting in the office. She has a BA in art history from University of Minnesota and her preschool experience includes working as a substitute teacher at University United Methodist Preschool and teaching four and five year old children at Hamilton Preschool in Creve Coeur. Her three children are: John, an attorney in New York City, Joseph, a graduate student and Kate, a graduate student in Australia.

Mindy Keller

Teacher (Yellow Room)

Mindy joins Nuni full time in the Yellow Room this year after a year of shared teaching with Julie and years of substitute teaching here at ESNS. Mindy has a BS in Elementary Education from DePaul University and a BA in Psychology from the University of Iowa. She taught third and four grade in Chicago for seven years and spent one year teaching second grade at Kennard Classical Junior Academy in St Louis. Her son, Max, and daughter, Sasha, are in Clayton schools and her youngest, Graham, is in fifth grade at New City School.

Julie Kohlberg

Teacher (Green Room)

For her second year here at ESNS, Julie will join Georgette in teaching the 3 day green room class. Julie has advocated for youth in foster care for over 10 years, coached Girls on the Run at New City School and worked as a volunteer reading tutor for students through the YMCA. Julie is also a Certified Master Gardener and has volunteered at gardens throughout the St Louis area. She has raised two daughters. The oldest, Zoe, attends University of Richmond in Virginia and her youngest, Sarah will be a freshman at George Washington University in DC.

Liz McCane

Science

Liz has been teaching science classes at ESNS through the “Nature on the Move” program for 10 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies from Swarthmore College and was a Volunteer Naturalist with the Missouri Dept. of Conservation for 10 years. She and her husband, Jim, have been married 35 years and have two grown sons and two Labrador retrievers. Liz enjoys spending time on their property in the Ozarks where she is restoring a native prairie. She is an avid gardener and loves to read, travel, participate in sprint triathlons and stay active in her church.

Katie Ryan

Teacher (Blue Room)

After four years in the Green Room, Katie moves to the Blue Room to team with Linda. She has her BS in elementary education with a concenctration in children’s literature from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. She has taught pre-k through 4th grade and PE in four cities (including Monterrey, Mexico.) Her son, Mac, is in 8th grade at Chaminade. Her daughters, alumni of the nursery school, are Annie, in 6th grade and Mia in second grade

Linda Varadachari

Teacher (Blue Room)

Linda has a B.S. in Child Development from Missouri State University and a B.S. in Special Education and a B.S. in Education from University of Missouri, St. Louis. She has taught Pre-K and 1st grade at Greenwich Country Day School in Connecticut and Kindergarten in the Bronx. She was a teacher of the Early Childhood Program at The Miriam School. She has a son Kiran (alum of the nursery school) in 7th grade at Ladue Middle School and a daughter Maya in 3rd grade at Old Bonhomme. This is her seventh year teaching at the nursery school.

Nuni Zimmerman

Teacher (Yellow Room)

Nuni started teaching in the Yellow Room in 1999. After several years, she took some time away, taught extended day, and returned to the Yellow Room in 2007. She graduated from Emory University with a BA in English. She was a teacher assistant for the University City School District, a photo stylist, and in sales before coming to the nursery school. She has three children; Henry is at Columbia College in Chicago, George is a junior at Cornell College in Iowa, and Oliver is in eighth grade at Wydown Middle School in Clayton. They are all alumni of the school.