Autumn Culbreth | Preschool Director
Autumn began working with the First Baptist Weekday Preschool as a lead teacher and transitioned to serve as Interim Director. She was named the permanent Weekday Preschool Director in March 2019 and in her role leads a group of teachers in providing daily care for children ages 6 weeks to five years. She helps staff provide a loving, safe environment for children to grow and learn, while also promoting their spiritual growth. She sees it her role to not only support the children but also their families in navigating these formative years. She is a double graduate of Appalachian State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education and a Masters in Special Education. When not at work, she can be found cooking, traveling, playing taxi driver to her children and rarely sitting still. She and her husband, Chris, have three children, Emerson, Lucy and Finn. She loves that when she comes to work she can feel “church” in the storied walls of First Baptist. She believes that the staff and the congregation are both warm and supportive of the work of the Preschool
Contact Autumn | 336.274.3286 x 106
Rhiannon McGee | Infants
Mrs. McGee celebrates her 4th year as a preschool teacher this year. Previously, she worked as a nanny for several years and has her Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design. Her previous experience as a nanny ensures the best, quality care for infants as she remains in tune with daily schedules and young, growing personalities. She uses that creativity daily as she works with our infants on developmental milestones and growth. She is thrilled to be returning to the infant room, after spending the year in the Twos class. She is married with two boys. In her spare time, she enjoys knitting, crocheting, gardening and traveling.
Kandee Spain | Infants
Mrs. Spain has worked with children in various settings for several years. She has been a preschool teacher since 2006 but has worked with children through substitute teaching at the elementary level and being a swim coach. She also worked for our personal preschool favorite, Scholastic Books! She brings great experience working with infants through her care for her own grown children, just a few years ago. She loves seeing all the growth children make each year at preschool and cannot wait to experience the world through the eyes of our infants. When she’s not at school, Mrs. Spain loves traveling, reading and spending time with family.
Noel Venable | Toddlers/Transitions
Mrs. Venable is excited to begin her 7th year teaching at First Baptist Preschool. Most of her years with us have been spent in the Toddler/Transitions age group, helping children as they begin walking, talking and moving around the world. She loves teaching preschool because every day active and never the same. She loves interacting with our families and making memories with each new class. She has a two children, a boy and a girl. She enjoys traveling with her family, especially going to the beach.
Brooke Booth | Toddlers/Transitions
Mrs. Booth joined First Baptist Preschool in 2020, spending years as a nanny and at Primrose Schools previously. She loves watching the growth and major development that happens in the Toddler/Transitions class. She brings so much calm and gentleness to this age group and knows how to make children feel at ease in new situations. She looks forward to an exciting year of fun and learning. When she’s not a preschool, she enjoys spending time with her two sons.
Jennifer Kirschner | Twos Class
Mrs. Kirschner has 5 years of preschool teaching experience and 13 years spent as a family nanny. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. She finds joy in helping to create an environment where children can thrive, and believes that providing a positive and nurturing experience during early childhood can lead to a life-long love of learning. She loves that every day brings something new, along with many opportunities for laughter! Her hobbies include reading, travel and she loves to spend time with her family, including her two teenage sons.
Keighley Johnson | Twos Class
Mrs. Johnson is excited to begin her 5th year teaching at First Baptist Preschool. Much of her time with us has been spent in the Twos class. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English. Her favorite part of teaching preschool is watching children gain new experiences and the contagious excitement that happens in the classroom. She looks forward finding new opportunities to learn through play this year, sing new songs, read new books and create art together. She enjoys spending time with her 3 kids, reading, crafting and doing puzzles.
Jane McCann | Threes Class (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)
Mrs. McCann started her teaching career at First Baptist Preschool in 1993, starting with the Mother’s Morning Out Program. She has spent the last 24 years teaching with Mrs. Shepherd in the Threes class. She loves the opportunity to see children start with us in the Infants class and grow until PreK. She can’t wait to meet new families this year and see a new group of students learn through play. She enjoys spending her free time with her 3 daughters and 2 grandsons.
Jan Shepherd | Threes Class (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)
Mrs. Shepherd celebrates her 24th year at First Baptist Preschool this year. She has her Early Childhood Credentials. She is grateful for the opportunity to teach another year and feels a strong calling to her work. She loves witnessing children’s excitement and their love for learning about God’s amazing world around us. When Mrs. Shepherd is not a preschool; she loves reading, music and spending time with her five grandchildren!
Laura Wall | Threes (Monday-Friday)
Mrs. Wall has a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Education and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum (K-12) from Virginia Tech. She has spent the last 3 years teaching at First Baptist Preschool. She loves that her preschool class becomes a family throughout the year. She helps students in identifying their interest and affirming that they are loved. She shares how wonderful and awesome God’s love is for each of us. This year, she is excited about continuing Outdoor Learning this year and using science/horticulture more often in the classroom. When she is not at school she loves spending time with her family, including 4 children (ages 5-10). She also loves gardening, painting, hiking and reading.
Anita Cranford | Threes (Monday-Friday)
Ms. Cranford retired from Guilford County Schools in 2016 where she taught third and fourth grade and was an elementary school librarian, working with children from preschool through fifth grade. She currently serves as the librarian at First Baptist Church. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in early childhood education and library science from UNC-G. During the time that her four children were young, Miss Anita worked in the preschool at First Baptist Church. Emily, Wes, Casey, and Abby all attended FBC Preschool. The whole family agrees that the preschool holds a special place in their hearts.
Alison Johnson | PreK (Monday-Thursday)
Mrs. Johnson joins us for the first time this year at First Baptist Preschool. She is no newbie to the preschool classroom however. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications Disorders from Appalachian State University and has spent six years teaching preschool. She loves teaching preschool because children are so full of life and wonder about all of God’s creation. She loves watching and helping them learn, discover and navigate their journey. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends. Her husband, son, daughter, and dog keep life entertaining. Her “Happy Place” is White Lake, NC, where she grew up waterskiing. She just started running in the Spring with a goal to run a half marathon in 2022. She also enjoys creating “unique imperfect perfections” by sewing quilts and pillows for gifts.
Lindsay Simmons | PreK (Monday-Thursday)
Mrs. Simmons graduated from Elon University with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education & minor in Sociology. While working at Greensboro College, she completed several courses in the Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages degree program. She previously taught grades 4 and 5 in public school, as well as teaching for two years at First Baptist Preschool. She loves teaching preschool because she gets to show our young learners how exciting school can be! She says the sense of wonder at this age is amazing to witness. She strives to set up a classroom environment that encourages children to use that wonder to explore, ask questions, and enjoy the process of learning. She counts it a privilege to help these little ones grow into lifelong learne
Heather Wright | PreK (Monday-Thursday)
Mrs. Wright has been teaching PreK through 1st grade classes for the past eleven years. She has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from UNCG. She loves watching kids engage in learning through play, watching their creativity and mastering new skills. This school year, she is looking forward to playing, praying, singing and learning as a big classroom family. In her spare time, she enjoys going to the lake with her family and playing games together.
Beth Brinkley | PreK (Monday-Thursday)
Mrs. Brinkley joins us for the first time this school year. Her daughter recently moved to kindergarten after moving through First Baptist Preschool. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in History. She so looks forward to this new journey as a preschool teacher and working in a program her family grew to love. She loves to see a child’s face light up when they learn something new. When she’s not teaching at preschool, she loves spending time with her family, gardening and reading.
Ann Teague | Staff Floater/PreK Friday Enrichment:
Mrs. Teague is celebrating her 22nd year teaching at First Baptist Preschool. She has her Early Childhood Credentials 1& 2. This year, we are excited that she will be working as Staff Floater and PreK Friday Enrichment Teacher. She will be working in many classrooms throughout the week and helping with preschool logistics in the office. On Fridays, she will keep her tradition of “Fun Fridays”, working with our PreK children to explore the week’s curriculum theme through science, sensory play, fine motor practices and gross motor play. Mrs. Teague will also be working with our classes to help shape their time in The Community Garden at FBC. She loves working with preschool children, helping them find the joy in learning and discovering God’s love for them. She has three children (all FBCP graduates); ages 31, 30 and 18. She loves gardening and spending time with her family.