Get to know new LS teachers

Join us in welcoming Green Door Kindergarten Teacher Sara Maciel, First Grade Teacher Moira Land, and Third Grade Teacher Cala Millis.
By Kristian Noden, Head of Lower School

Sara Maciel joins the kindergarten team as the lead teacher in the Green Door classroom. Maciel is a familiar face in Lower School, as she served as a teacher assistant in first grade for the past two years. Prior to moving to Nashville, she taught preschool in Guadalajara, Mexico. Maciel earned a Master’s Degree in Education from Universidad Del Valle de México, as well as a Master’s Degree in Special Education from Tennessee State University. She said she is excited to join the kindergarten team.
 
Moira Land joins us in first grade from Springwood Elementary School in Tallahassee, Florida, where she taught both kindergarten and first grade. Holding a B.S. in Family and Child Sciences from Florida State University, Land also has a K-12 reading endorsement and an elementary literacy credential from the University of Florida. Land said she is looking forward to “utilizing both my passion and dedication for children’s education in my work daily.”
 
Additionally, Beth Terwilliger is transitioning from teaching first grade to joining the second grade team. Terwilliger is entering her second year of teaching at USN and holds a B.S. and an M.Ed. from Middle Tennessee State University. In addition to having a Reading Specialist endorsement and over 10 years of experience, Terwilliger has taught kindergarten, first, and second grades in her teaching career. 
 
Cala Millis joins Lower School as a third grade teacher. She earned a B.S. in Early Childhood Education from DePaul University, as well as a Master of Arts in Program Evaluation and Assessment from the University of Michigan at Dearborn. Millis has been an elementary classroom teacher at several grade levels, and has also served as a multitiered system of support lead, early intervention specialist, instructional coach, and second & third grade literacy teacher. Millis moved her from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and we look forward to welcoming her to Nashville.
 
Kari Jansen has been promoted from Lower School Student Support Coordinator to Assistant Head of Lower School for Assessment & Academic Support. Over the past few years, Kari has served as a dedicated and thoughtful administrator, consistently demonstrating a deep commitment to student success and academic growth. This new role is a recognition of her hard work, expertise, and unwavering dedication to supporting both students and teachers. We look forward to the continued impact she will make in this expanded leadership capacity.
 
Assistant Head of Lower School for Teaching & Learning Felicia Holst has an unwavering commitment to excellence that has made a lasting impact on our community. In recognition of her leadership, insight, and dedicated focus on academic growth, she has assumed a new title: Assistant Head of Lower School for Teaching & Learning. This change reflects her expanded role in shaping curriculum and instructional practices, and we are excited to see the continued positive influence she will have in this vital area.
 
Iloire Nye is taking on additional responsibilities as an Instructional Coach, while continuing in her role as Math Specialist. In this expanded role, she will lead instructional coaching efforts in the Lower School, working closely with faculty to support professional growth and strengthen teaching practices. Her work will also focus on establishing a sustainable coaching model that supports long-term instructional development.
 
Also joining Lower School are new Teaching Assistants in 
  • First grade: Emerson Jamieson, Emma Wiley, and Allie Willingham
  • Second grade: Rory Michelson and Grace Hardin
  • Fourth Grade: Emily Crawford
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Email:    info@usn.org

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University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.