Preschool Team
Kathy Autieri
Kathy holds a Bachelors degree in Management Information Systems from St. Joseph’s University and a law degree from Villanova University. She worked for a healthcare software company, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and law firms before deciding to stay home to raise her three children. Kathy’s youngest son spent two years at GFS, an incredibly positive experience for the whole family. She is thrilled to join the GFS staff this year.
Her previous experience includes 12 years as a volunteer art appreciation teacher with the Art Goes to School Program, as well as teaching 2&3 year olds at The Goddard School, and the preschool program during Mass at St. Helena’s Church. She also enjoyed volunteering at her children’s schools as a lunch volunteer, Reading Olympics Coach, library volunteer, and field trip chaperone.
Kathy believes teaching young children is the most important job. She enjoys seeing the world through their eyes, encouraging their natural interest in and enthusiasm for the world around them. She believes that providing a loving, nurturing, inviting environment, both inside and outside, encourages children to explore, play, create, imagine, and interact with others. She saw how wonderfully the GFS teachers and culture influenced her own son and looks forward to sharing that experience with GFS students.
Emily Bertl
Emily holds a Master’s Degree from University College London and a Bachelor’s Degree from Tulane University. She first joined the Gwynedd Friends School community as a parent and later joined the teaching staff after her children moved on to elementary school. Before having her own children, Emily was a nanny for many years, later transitioning to being a stay-at-home mom.
Emily believes that instilling a love of learning in children at a young age sets them up for success as they grow, and that play-based learning and allowing children to explore the world around them helps to build that foundation. She is drawn to the Quaker principles and strives to emulate them in her own life and in the lives of her children. Teaching children to be active, kind community members is important to her and she loves seeing children work towards building their own community at Gwynedd Friends.
Veronica Deely
Veronica holds a Bachelor's Degree of Psychology from Chestnut Hill College. She has worked in a preschool classroom as both a Lead and Assistant teacher at EnVision Gymnastics, which developed its own private preschool based on mobility in learning for young children. Alongside teaching in the educational preschool setting, she also led the school-age and preschool gymnastics program curriculum development. Veronica has also spent many years coaching competitive gymnastics teams, focused on the preliminary levels and younger age groups. Prior to deciding to stay home to raise her three children, Veronica also spent 5 years working for PointRoll, a Digital Media Company.
Veronica's daughter spent last year at GFS, which is what sparked her interest to join the teaching team here. Her youngest son attends GFS this year in the 3’s program.
Since becoming a mother, Veronica has been reinvigorated to get back into working with children in an educational setting. Veronica feels that nurturing children during their earliest years of life is a profoundly rewarding experience. She believes that seeing a child develop through curiosity, play and comfort is a guiding light to us all to reconnect with our surroundings. When we take the time to see the world through a child’s eyes, we are able to guide their development in a positive and natural way. Veronica is glad to join the GFS family and work with the staff in cultivating a joyful and safe space for all students to learn and grow.
Mary Beth Garrett
Marybeth Garrett is happy to be back at Gwynedd Friends School! Marybeth has 3 grown children who all had a wonderful learning experience while attending Gwynedd Friends School many years ago.
Marybeth began her career with a Computer Science degree and worked on engineering and finance applications. When her second child was about to arrive, she became a stay-at-home Mom and volunteered her way through her children’s school years as classroom parent, soccer coach, Girl Scout leader, H&S Treasurer, parent Band Treasurer and more. When her youngest finished elementary school, Marybeth was thrilled to get jobs working at Gwynedd Friends school and then Corpus Christi preschool as a teacher’s aide.
Marybeth believes the most important job as a teacher’s aide is to help the little ones learn to love school! Outside of school, Marybeth cherishes her time with family and stays active hiking, biking, and babysitting her granddaughter.
