Consultants

DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM
Beth Melampy has worked in the early childhood community in Ann Arbor since 1984 and has been with Gretchen’s House since 2007. Beth has a Bachelor’s degree in Education with a minor in Psychology from the University of Michigan. Beth became a High/Scope certified trainer in the Spring of 2009. She has also been a Validator for the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s accreditation program. Beth is currently responsible for teacher training at Gretchen’s House. This includes an eight-week training that all new teachers go through called Starting Points, as well as a seven-week series that new head teachers go through. Beth often works in tandem with Loisann Arnold to plan and conduct trainings for classrooms which Loisann is supporting. Beth also has the opportunity to work with parents at Gretchen’s House when she conducts our annual series of parent education workshops. Beth is passionate about learning and feels lucky that she has a job that allows her to teach and learn something new everyday.

TEACHER SUPPORT COORDINATOR
Loisann Arnold has Bachelor’s, Master’s and Specialist degrees in Psychology, Clinical Psychology and School Psychology, respectively, from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, MI. She also completed the Infant Mental Health Post Master’s Certificate program through the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan. Loisann worked for nearly 20 years in non-profit community mental health organizations in the metro Detroit area, primarily with individuals with developmental disabilities as a psychologist and as an administrator.

Loisann has been with Gretchen’s House for six years as the head teacher in our WISD infant/toddler program. In 2005, Loisann assisted Gretchen’s House in establishing a non-profit corporation, Champions for Children. This organization has a goal of developing quality, inclusive preschool programs. Loisann and other Gretchen’s House staff are in the process of developing grant proposals to fund this effort. As Teacher Support Coordinator, LoisAnn is available to all centers to assist teachers with the children with challenging behaviors or developmental concerns. Loisann regularly observes in classrooms and assists teachers in creating individual action plans to meet children’s needs. She also meets with parents when needed.

MOVEMENT
Tammy Holley is our movement consultant. She visits the centers every other week to work on large-muscle strength and coordination with toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners. Tammy’s knowledge of young children and physical development are a great complement to our program. She brings an assortment of props and equipment to each visit and plans activities to meet the needs of the specific groups at each center.

HEALTH
Dr. Andrew Hashikawa works at University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital in the Pediatric Emergency Department. He trained both as a general pediatrician at the Mayo Clinic and as a pediatric emergency medicine physician at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. In addition to his hospital duties, Dr. Hashikawa serves as the Michigan Chapter liaison for the American Academy of Pediatrics. In this role, he works with the AAP and child care providers to facilitate training and to mobilize community efforts to improve the health and safety of children in child care.

Dr. Harvey L. Leo is a practicing pediatric allergist and immunologist, and an Assistant Research Scientist with the Center for Managing Chronic Disease at the University of Michigan. Dr. Leo completed his medical degree at Tulane University, pursued pediatrics residency training at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, and completed a pediatric allergy and immunology fellowship at National Jewish Medical and Research Center. As part of his research, Dr. Leo investigates the impact of education efforts with respect to childhood food allergies in childcare and school settings. This has resulted in work producing management protocols for food allergies with the Center for Disease Control.