Staff Bios

Garland Hattman

Hello! My name is Garland Hattman. Layne Mottola and I are co-founders of The Weaver Dairy Community Preschool. We opened the school in September of 1997. During the summer of 1997, we renovated/modified the building in preparation for the fall opening. I had just had my first child, Garrett. She was just 3 months that summer when we were busy knocking down walls, painting, and ordering equipment. I’m pleased to say that we made it through the summer renovation (which was chock full of unexpected challenges/expenses), and have been evolving ever since.

I am a native of Chapel Hill. I have two children, my daughter Garrett (1997), and my son Jonas who was born in 2001. They are both graduates of Weaver Dairy, and doing beautifully in Elementary and Middle School!

I got my undergraduate degree from the University if Georgia, and have taken several courses in the field since graduating. My first job out of college (oh so many years ago) was working as a preschool teacher. Layne and I were co-teachers, working with preschool-aged children. We were a great team in 1991, and continue to complement each other all these years later! I love working with young children, and strive to support both the child and family. I really enjoy the meaningful relationships (with children, parents and staff) that are created by working at a warm and nurturing program.

I enjoy walking with my dogs, reading and spending time in my garden.

Layne Mottola

Garland and I met in 1991 when we taught at the same (now defunct) school in Chapel Hill. We both left that school when things took an unfortunate turn for the worse and I went on to a new job teaching at the Chapel Hill Cooperative Preschool. I taught there for 5 years before Garland and I decided to pursue our pipe dream of opening our own school. After much hard work and red tape, WDCP opened in 1997!

When we opened, I was the sole blue room teacher and Garland was the yellow room teacher. There was no one in the office! Over the next few years we added more staff and had more time to spend doing administrative tasks. My husband, Rob, and I have 3 daughters, Maeve (2000), Olwen (2004) and Lia Wolhee, (2009). We live out in Orange County, about 10 miles outside of Carrboro and very much enjoy living in the "country" with our dogs, cats and chickens.

I was born and raised in Virginia and went to UVA as an undergrad. I transferred my graduate studies to UNC Chapel Hill, moved here, got a job teaching preschool, and never went back to my graduate work in speech pathology because I had found the work I love: working with young children everyday!

I enjoy reading, cooking, being outside in my garden and wish I could work more exercise into my life. I love working at WDCP because I get to laugh a lot, sing a lot, work with a great staff and I have a great co-director in Garland (which makes all the difference in the world in this job)! Children keep me grounded and help me remember what’s important in this life. And they crack me up!

Sarah Frost

My name is Sarah Frost. I began working at the Weaver Dairy Community Preschool as a teacher’s helper, and then later became a substitute teacher. I attended ECU for my undergraduate degree in Communications with a minor in Child Development. I hope that during my work experience here, I will obtain my Masters in Speech and Language Pathology. I am very excited to become the new addition here at The Weaver Dairy Preschool!! I greatly enjoy working with children of all ages! I’m really looking forward to working with the Purple Room children (ages two to three years old). I love watching children as they explore, discover, and get used to the world around them. Everyday offers new excitement for children, and it helps me to appreciate the “small things” in life. I am definitely a child at heart, and I’m very excited to get to know all the children and their families on a more personal level.

Susan Frost

I am originally from New England, and moved to Chapel Hill in 1992 when my husband transferred to the Triangle. Jeff, my husband, is an engineer. We have three children. My daughter Sarah graduated from ECU and now works at WDCP in the purple room. My son Steven attends NC State. Michael, my youngest, is still at home with us. My free time is absorbed attending sporting events, which various family members participate in. I enjoy working out, reading, and moments of peace and quiet.

I began teaching when my older son attended the Chapel Hill Cooperative Preschool (where Layne was a teacher). I had volunteered in the class, and really enjoyed it. I was hired to work part-time, and continued until Michael was born. When Michael was three, I was excited to learn that The Weaver Dairy Community Preschool was opening up. It was close to my home, and Layne was a co-founder! I enrolled Michael in 1998, and began substitute teaching. I gradually became a permanent teacher at the preschool.

I love working with young children! Every day I receive hugs, laugh out loud, and get to be silly! Watching children grow physically, socially, and emotionally is extremely rewarding.

Sophie Gray

Bonjour! My name is Sophie Gray. I am originally from Brittany, France. I moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 1998 as an "au pair" for two years. Then I attended Massbay Community College where I got my Associate Degree in Early Childhood education. During my studies, I worked in various family day cares. After graduation I worked in a bilingual preschool. I have been working with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. My husband and I just moved to NC this February 2011. We decided to take a 6-month "sabbatical" traveling around France and Thailand, and we returned to the US, we decided to move to NC. We are currently living in Morrisville.

I really enjoy working with children and watching them grow. I enjoy cooking and I'm constantly inviting my friends over for dinner parties. During my free time, I enjoy spending as much time as possible outside. I like activities such has running, walking, and hiking.

Carolyn Hamilton

I was born in Orange, California to proud educators, Mark and Debbie Hamilton. I have an older brother, David, who is married and lives in Boone, NC. My Pops lives in California with my Bonus Mom, Lin and my mother lives in Durham, right up the road from my Granddad.

At the age of 10, my family decided to move to Chapel Hill, resulting in my attendance at Ephesus for a year, Estes, Philips and ending up at East Chapel Hill right up the road. My dad worked at Chapel Hill High as a Guidance Counselor his entire career here in Chapel Hill. My mom worked as a Teachers Assistant at Seawell Elementary until she started working at UNC Hospital. After graduating from East Chapel Hill High, I attended UNC-C studying Psychology, took a detour through Pitt Community College for Marketing and ended up at East Carolina University. I graduated with an Elementary Education degree and a Concentration in Child Development and Family Relations.

I am thrilled to be a member of the WDCP family. Having been a substitute has been a wonderful experience for me and being invited to join the team is very exciting. As a team teacher I hope to touch children's lives while educating and guiding them down their path in life. I love to cook, ride my bicycle, hang with friends and listen to music. Grilling out by the pool in the Summer is great, but I also love playing in the snow in the Winter. Overall, I seek out happiness in life and try to take each experience as a chance to learn and grow.

Susanna Hogan

I was born and raised in Ohio and graduated from Youngstown State University in 2002 with a degree in Family and Consumer Sciences Education. I moved to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and taught high school until I took a summer job at a preschool and fell in love with teaching young children and decided to stay in the field. I have just moved to Chapel Hill and will be attending UNC to earn my Master's in Early Intervention and Family Support. I like to read, watch old movies and cook. I have two dogs that love to go on road trips and get into mischief. I am very excited to be joining the Weaver Dairy Community Preschool! I love spending time with children as they explore, learn and laugh!

Jennifer Rundell

I started working at WDCP in August of 2006. I have a daughter, Elliana who was born in November of 2005. I have lived in the South for 14 years now, but grew up in Massachusettes and New York. I came to work at Weaver Dairy knowing that I would find a place where I would enjoy working as well as a place where my daughter would thrive and love to come every day.

I enjoy being with my daughter, being outside, walking. In my past life (pre-baby) I loved going to the gym, but nowadays I don’t find much time for that sort of thing.

I have worked with children of all ages for many years. I have always loved working with children and families and have learned so much through them, and now that I am a parent myself, I feel that I have so much more to offer.