Meet Our Teachers

Kyanna Andrews (Power Tots Gymnastics) is a true Washingtonian who loves being from the nation’s capital. She has over ten years of childcare experience working with children as a teacher, nanny and coach. She has spent most of her life cheering in some form, whether on the mat or behind the scenes, which has helped her understand the sport and gymnastics. Ms. Kyanna has been a volunteer competitive cheerleading coach with DC Parks and Recreation for 7+ years, motivating and encouraging young women to be confident while building positive relationships through core skill and team building exercises. 

Michelle Brady (Baby Signs®: Sign, Say, and Play) has been teaching baby sign language classes since 2008. As a mother of three, Michelle has used the Baby Signs® Program with all of her children with great success. She has seen and experienced the many benefits of baby sign language and loves to share this knowledge with growing families who are interested in communicating with their babies. Michelle is a Certified Baby Signs® Instructor, Birth doula, Certified Prenatal/Postnatal/Children’s Yoga Teacher, Certified HypnoBirthing Practitioner® and childbirth educator. You can find out more about Michelle and her offerings by going to MichelleBradyWellness.com. 

Iana Clifford (Baby Signs: Sign, Say, and Play) has always had a passion for working with babies and children. She has a Masters Degree in Education and has taught several different ages. When she had her first daughter in 2015, she used baby signs and saw the tremendous value in helping her communicate at a young age. She is really excited to work with other families who are interested in using baby sign language too!

Dr. Heather Diamond (Beyond the Bump) is a licensed clinical psychologist with a private practice in downtown Washington, DC.  She earned her doctorate degree in clinical psychology from The George Washington University and has several years of experience working in community mental health, college counseling centers and court settings.  She completed her residency at The Catholic University of America counseling center, providing psychotherapy to the undergraduate and graduate student population. As a mom of three young children herself, Dr. Diamond has a special interest in adjustment to parenthood concerns and in developing a sense of community for young families.

Lindsay Ferrer (Getting Ready for Preschool) has worked in early childhood education throughout her career. In addition to degrees in developmental psychology and education policy, Lindsay is a certified pre-kindergarten classroom observer, providing feedback on dozens of DC pre-k, toddler, and infant programs. Outside of her work at the EDCJCC and helping her own 2-year-old son get ready for preschool, Lindsay conducts classroom evaluations and presents seminars for parents on navigating the DC pre-kindergarten lottery. 

Rebecca Gitter (Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Babies, Tots, and Tykes) is a registered yoga teacher, completing her training in 2006 at the Yoga Center, Columbia, MD, following her facilitator training as an Itsy Bitsy Yoga teacher. She is certified for Itsy Bitsy Baby, Tots, Tykes and Little Families. She has continued her studies by completing courses with Radiant Child, Budding Yogis, Yoga for the Special Child, YoKid and special training in pre and post natal yoga. Rebecca brings a sense of humor to her classes and focuses on meeting her students -of any age- exactly where they are. Sharing yoga with kids and caregivers in the DC metro area in studios, schools and community centers, as well as with her own children and parents, always leaves her smiling and inspires her personal practice.

Dave Greenfieldboyce (Music with Mister Dave) is a stay-at-home dad, musician, puppeteer and artist. He has been performing “Songs, Stories and Puppets” at Bloombars in Columbia Heights since 2012 and is the mastermind behind the Mount Pleasant Children’s Puppet Hour. He completed “Music Together” training with the Center for Music and Young Children in 2013.

Hope Greenleaf (Tunes 4 Tots) completed her Bachelors Degree in Music Education at Millersville University, then taught choir and general music in the school setting from 2011 to 2014. Hope holds two teaching certifications and has performed in a variety of ensembles and solo recitals throughout her lifetime. She has extensive training and experience working with children of all ages and abilities. Hope’s passion for music and love for children led her to found Tunes 4 Tots in 2014. Tunes 4 Tots primarily serves the Washington, DC metro area. 

Jay Gruber (Infant and Child CPR, Pediatric First Aid) has been an American Heart Association instructor for over 20 years.  He has taught hundreds of classes and has been the CPR instructor for the EDCJCC Preschool and Summer Camp for the past several years.  He has served the Montgomery County community for over 25 years as a volunteer EMT-B.  He is also the Chief of Police at Georgetown University.

Michelle Hessel (Makin’ Music with Ms. Michelle, Movin’ with Ms. Michelle) has been educating and entertaining young children since 2002. She spent 8 years as Director of Operations for musiKids Inc. in Bethesda, MD. She is the music specialist for a number of area preschools and also leads musical programs for  toddler and preschool birthday parties.  Michelle performs all over the DC area and is very proud to be a part of the musiKids cd “Gilly Good Morning” which was nominated for a 2012 Wammie for Best Childrens Recording.

Amanda Holliday (Zumbini®) has been a Zumbini® instructor for 4 years, a ZES Master Trainer for the Zumbini® program, a mom, and an early childhood educator for almost 10 years. After earning her Bachelor/Master degree in Early Childhood Education, she found that this class combines everything she values in high-quality early childhood education with the fun of attending Zumba® classes. She loves seeing the growth each child makes each week in class, whether it’s an infant starting to “coo” as they sing, a toddler clapping to the beat, or a preschooler jumping all by themselves! Happy to answer questions at Amanda@Bouncingbambini.com

Ari Jacobson (Music Time with Ari!) has been working with young children since he was in high school, and loves to combine his early childhood educational background with his fifteen years of guitar experience to provide the musical enrichment he truly believes is essential to a well-rounded education (not to mention having a rocking great time). After a varied career as a camp songleader, substitute teacher, toddler music provider, hebrew school musician, and private guitar instructor in both NYC and Massachusetts, he is now the EDCJCC Preschool music specialist as well as teaching various classes and lessons all over the DC area.

Robyn Lindsey (Pre-Ballet) studied Choreography and Performance at John Hopkins University in Liverpool, England. After receiving her B.A., she trained and taught in London, Ohio and Texas before moving to Maryland in 2013. She teaches Ballet, Modern, Hip Hop, Jazz and Ballroom and Latin dancing as well as Circus Skills and Fitness classes.  She has 13 years experience working with children from age 2 through to adults.

Miriam Szubin (Getting Ready for Preschool, Musical Infants) is the Director of the Parenting Center and the Director of Preschool Admissions at the Edlavitch DCJCC. She has an M.A in Education and decades of experience as an educator of all ages. Formerly a teacher at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, she has taught tots and adults at the EDCJCC since having her first child back in 2007, and has been running the Parenting Center since 2010. Her three boys have grown up at the EDCJCC and have loved participating in the Parenting Center, Preschool, Afterschool, and Camp programs.

Kimberly Tanner (Art for Tots) has a passion for working with children. She has taught swimming for toddlers, children, and adults of all levels and is currently one of the EDCJCC’s Preschool and After-School swim instructors. She holds a BA in Sociology from George Washington University and is currently working on her MA. Kim’s love of artistic expression has been nurtured by 12 years of playing the violin, and she is excited to introduce toddlers to learning through art.

Jamie Weaver (Power Tots Gymnastics) is a Managing Instructor at Power Tots and has been with the company for 10 years. She has a Safety Certification with USA Gymnastics, is CPR certified for infants, children, and adults, and also has a KarmaKids Yoga certification. Jamie loves helping little kids develop their motor skills, and cognitive ability. She has really enjoyed meeting and working with the families at the EDCJCC!