Our Staff
Libbi: Owner
My name is Libbi Helfman. I have been working at Little Acorns since 1993. I have worked in every classroom and worn every hat possible over the years. I started working in the office as the Director in 2000 and purchased Little Acorns in 2005. I am asked quite often what I like best about my job, well that’s easy, it’s the children and how they keep me young at heart. I am greeted each day with laughter, giggles, warm smiles, big hugs and tons of inquisitive questions. My daughter Ava grew up at Little Acorns. She and I both take Tae Kwon Do classes in our spare time. Little Acorns is my family, the staff, parents and children make this environment a home for everyone every day.
Marina: Director
My name is Marina Shellhaas. I was born in Vienna Austria and have traveled all over Europe in my childhood. I was raised in Rockville and attended Wootton High School. I started working here during my senior year of high school in 1990. I have worked almost every classroom at Little Acorns. I came to the office in 2003 and love having the best of both worlds. I love having a job where I am rewarded daily by the children and get lots of smiles and wonderful greetings. I also enjoy getting to know all the children and the parents in the entire center. I have 3 children, Nicole, Alyssa and Matthew. They are all very active in school and sports so that keeps me on my toes. I enjoy traveling and exploring new foods and cultures. I enjoy exercise and have completed 3 marathons and several Triathlons. I also have a beautiful Boxer named Kane. I love to stay active and busy so whether I am at home or work I am always ready for the next activity.
Stephanie: Littlest Acorns
My name is Stephanie Reid and I joined the Little Acorns team in 1993. I am the lead teacher in the infant room. I grew up in Bethesda, MD. I currently have my CDA and am working towards my Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education. I have three children Issac, Christopher, and Cassi. All of my children attended Little Acorns. I also am the proud owner of two American Pitbull Terrier named Boss and Baby and a chug named Bella. I have always worked with infants and toddlers and I love it. It is amazing to watch all the changes and development that occur in just the first year of their lives. It is very rewarding to be a part of that process.
Courtney: Littlest Acorns
Hi! My name is Courtney Haver. I am the assistant teacher in the infant room. I was born and raised in Gaithersburg Maryland. I graduated from Gaithersburg High School in 2008. I’ve been working at Little Acorns since 2008 mainly in the infant room but I’ve had experience in all age groups. I enjoy the infant room very much. The most rewarding part of my job is watching the children grow and helping them reach their milestones. The babies always seem to brighten my day. Their little giggles and bright smiles warm my heart every single day.
Amber: Littlest Acorns
Hi Everyone! My name is Amber. I was born and raised here in Montgomery County and graduated from Wootton High School in 2009. I was a competitive cheerleader for four years and taught cheer, dance and gymnastics to children. Currently I attend Montgomery College and am on track for a degree in nursing. I joined the Little Acorns team in the summer of 2010 Working with the infants is so rewarding because we get to celebrate every little milestone. I love watching the babies grow and seeing their individual personalities develop.
Mrs. Rahman: Sprouts
My name is Ayaz Rahman. I am originally from Bangladesh but have been living in America since 1981. I have been working at Little Acorns as a teacher of young and mobile infants since 2007. In 2011 I became the Lead Teacher in the Sprouts. I have my CDA and have a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering. I have 17 years of experience as a teacher. I have always had a great love and interest in children and their well-being. When I first came to America, I saw first hand how parents depend on trustworthy and sociable teachers to take care of their children. I realized that I wanted to give back to the community as a teacher in order to assure these parents that their children were in good hands.
Norma: Sprouts
My name is Norma Rodriguez, I was born in El Salvador, Central America. I am the assistant teacher in the Toddler room. I have 3 children Erick Stanley, Rafael Antonio and Marvin Gehovany. They are grown now and are professionals. I completed high school and two and a half years in the University studying Medical Technology in El Salvador. My dream was to work as a medical researcher and when I moved to the US the plan was changed. I came to the US in 1993 and worked as a nanny during the week and as the director for a children’s program at my church on the weekends. In 2008 I came to Little Acorns and have been working with the Sprouts ever since. I am still working with the children in my church on the weekends. I think I work with the best age group. I have the most wonderful experiences with the children and am loved every day. This makes me enjoy my job.
Jannelle: Sprouts
Hello, my name is Jannelle Tucker. I am the afternoon aide in the toddler room. I have lived in Rockville for the majority of my life. I am currently enrolled at Montgomery College. I take general classes so that I can transfer to University of District of Columbia, where I plan to receive a BA of Social Work. I have been a teacher’s aide at Little Acorns since 2006 and I also have several years experience tending to younger family members. What I love most about working at Little Acorns is seeing the children grow up right in front of my eyes. I can’t imagine anything better. I work with the Sprouts and I absolutely love it: being able to witness first words and first steps is simply amazing. I am proud to be apart of the Little Acorns team and am looking forward to years to come.
Ericka: Seedlings
My name is Ericka Carroza and I am originally from Valparaiso, Chile. I am the lead teacher of the Seedlings 2 year old group. I am a proud mother of two college students and whatever free time I get I like to spend it on yoga and working out. I migrated to the United States fifteen years ago and I have been living since then in Montgomery County. I have been teaching young children for more than twenty years. My educational background starts in Chile, where after high school I went to an institute and studied pre school education. While I was in Chile I was given my first hands-on experience by being a teachers assistant in a four years old classroom. When I came to United States I worked for more than six years at Crossways Community Montessori School. In 2007 I started working at Little Acorns Early Learning Center where I am now the lead teacher of the two year old classroom. Throughout the years I have been taking courses to expand my knowledge in order to become a better teacher and better prepare the children in my classroom, which is something I enjoy the best.
Dora: Seedlings
Hello my name is Dora Ticona. I am the teachers aide in the Seedlings 2 year old group. I was born and raised in Bolivia. I have been a US resident since 1977. I have been working at Little Acorns since 2000. I speak both English and Spanish and love to cook. I am married and a mother of Albert. The most rewarding part of this job is taking care of the children. I love to see them learn and that makes me strive for more education.
Tamisha: Seedlings
My name is Tamisha Rose Reid. I am the Aide in the 2 year old Seedlings class. My family is originally from Jamaica but I was raised in Gaithersburg. I graduated from Quince Orchard High School in 2009. I will complete my Associates at Montgomery College in late 2012. I love to do hair and get my nails done. I will attend cosmetology school next year so look for me in a salon in the coming future I am secretly afraid of ALL bugs. I have been working at Little Acorns since 2009. What I love most about my job are the children. Watching them grow, especially in the baby room. They seem to just grow overnight. Every day is something new and always exciting. It is funny how we think we know everything and a 4 year old comes along and teaches us something new. In 30 years when I have kids;-) I will be well prepared.
Michelle: Saplings
Hello, I am Michelle Reid both a loving mother and teacher. I was born in Washington DC and raised with Jamaican background. I graduated from Roosevelt High School in the district. I am currently seeking a child development associates degree, I have enrolled in cosmetology classes as well. I have been at Little Acorns since 2003. I enjoy teaching children and I love the relationship I have with the children. Watching them learn and grow and helping them enjoy a positive learning experience. I feel it is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done, except for parenting my own children.
Noha: Saplings
My name is Noha Iesawi and I am the Assistant teacher in the 3 year old Sapling room. I am originally from Sudan. I came to the states in 2000. I am married and have 5 children, 3 boys and 2 girls. I speak Arabic as my first language. I have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. I have received a 90 hour early childhood certificate and a 45 hour infant toddler certificate. I am currently taking online classes to further my education with children. I joined Little Acorns in September 2011. I love to work with children and have been in the field since I graduated college.
Tay: Saplings
My name is Letavia Ballou and everybody calls me Tay for short! I was born and raised in Washington DC and went to public school there. I started at Little Acorns in February of 1997 and worked with many ages until June 2001. I came back to Little Acorns in December 2011 because I missed the rewards that come with working in childcare. I have been married to Irvin Ballou since 2000 and we have 3 beautiful girls and I also care for my young cousin. I enjoy free time to myself such as listening to music, shopping, reading and even cleaning up. I currently work full time as a security officer for the FDA in White Oak. I decided to return to childcare part time because of my love for children and their enthusiasm for learning. I enjoy being able to interact with children of different ages as and the change in environment from one job to the next.
Nicole: Oak Trees
Hi I’m Miss Nicole! I am the lead teacher in the Oak Trees class working with the pre school and pre kindergarten group. I grew up in New Jersey and moved to Maryland in the fall of 2007. I received my BA in Psychology in 2002 from Elon University and went back to school in 2004 to obtain my teaching license. I have been working in preschools since 2004, mostly with 4 and 5 year olds. I am in the process of transferring my NJ teaching certificate to Maryland to work in the public schools. I was married in June of 2010. I have a beautiful daughter Kailey who was born in August 2011 and I have two dogs to make my family complete.
Haoua: Oak Trees
My name is Haoua Samake-Kondombo. I am the assistant teacher in the Oak Tree group. I was born in Burkina Faso, in West Africa. I am married and the mother of two children. I have worked at Little Acorns since 2001. I received my degree in social work and worked as a civil servant for the government in Burkina Gaso for over 13 years prior to coming to this country. I had extensive experience working with children in my home country. I moved to the United States in 1988. I began working with children in the French International School ‘Lycee’Rochambeau, located in Bethesda from 1995 through 2001. I completed my 90 Hour Early Childhood certificate in 1999 and went on to complete the CDA certification in 2003. Since then I have attended many workshops to improve my teaching skills. I love working with children. Each and every day is unique as you watch them grow and change. It is so amazing to experience how fast they learn and develop. I am happy to be a part of their lives and help them have a good start. I also learn from them as they each are so different in their own way. They all are adorable and bring me much joy.
Jialing: Oak Tree Helper/ Breaker
My name is Jialing Liao. I came to the US from China in 1989 after graduation from Zhong Sham University with a degree in Literature. I am happily married to my husband and we have a wonderful daughter together. I have been working with Little Acorns assisting all of the classes since 1998. I work mostly with the Oak Trees now assisting with their projects, writing and other activities. I love the children at Little Acorns as much as I love my own daughter. It makes me very happy to see them grow up well. I enjoy introducing the children to art and writing.
Marie-Therese: Breaker
My name is Marie-Therese Badou. I am currently a break aide in the Sapling and Oak Tree classes. I was born and raised in Cote D’Ivoire. I am married with five children; I have three sons and two daughters. After my high school diploma, I went to a trade school and obtained a secretarial certificate that enabled me to work at the Institute of Applied Linguistics at the University of Abidjan. I worked there for eight years and became increasingly interested in working with children and therefore started volunteering at a friends daycare. I came to the United States in 1998 with my family. Given that French is my first language, the first thing I did upon coming to the USA was taking some English classes to improve my knowledge of the language. I have been here working at Little Acorns since 1999. I started as a part time staff member at the day care center and was simultaneously working at the French International School on a part time basis as well. I have consistently worked with small children with ages ranging from 3-5. I started working full time at Little Acorns in 2008. I have always enjoyed working with children- each one is special. The most rewarding aspect of my work is to be able to assist children through development changes and seeing them grow as individuals as time goes on. Completing the CDA class gave me the high quality education I needed to improve my knowledge and be a great teacher.
Katie: Mighty Oaks & Office Assistant
My name is Katie Bauman. I was born and raised in Poolesville, MD. I graduated from Poolesville High School in 2005 with my Preschool Certificate and 4 years experience with the child development program. I stared at Little Acorns in 2005 and worked with the infants as the assistant teacher. In 2008 I left to start a family of my own. In November 2008 I became the proud mother of twins, Elayna and Rayleen. They are very cute and outgoing little girls. In my free time I love taking my kids to the park, the pool, and outside to ride their bikes. On the weekends we enjoy going to the racetrack, to watch my family race cars. I returned to Little Acorns in 2010 and joined the office staff. I also help out in all the classrooms when needed. I love having the opportunity to work in each class, as they are curious and fun loving. They change and grow every day. I am very happy to be a part of their growth and development. I also love the opportunity I have been given to work administratively in the office daily.
Lalla: Breaker
My name is Lalla Dicko. I am currently a break Aide working with children 2 and under. I was born in Paris, the capital of France. I am a mother of three kids. I started taking English classes as a third language option in high school. After graduating, I attended college and got my Business Administration Diploma. I got married, moved to the U.S. and started a new career as a French language teacher with MCPS. I also worked as a substitute teacher at Little Acorns. I have always loved kids and wanted to make the best out of my time. As a substitute teacher, when I interacted with the children, I am overjoyed with a special feeling. Children look up to me as a caregiver and even as a friend at times. I love being around children, playing with them and helping them learn. I developed such a close bond with the children that I could not wait to go to work each morning and see them again. It was then that I decided that I wanted to make this something more permanent in my life. I decided that in order to fully help children I wanted to do my 90 hr course in Early Childhood Education – the course I felt helped me to become more knowledgeable about children and their needs. I am committed to helping children build skills necessary to their future education. Children to me are the joy of my life and I hope to continue to care for them for a very long time. I am confident that getting my CDA will give me the opportunity to ensure children receive excellent and quality care.