Paul F. Larner
Head of School
Paul Larner received his JD from the University of Virginia and began his career as a real estate lawyer at Piper & Marbury in Baltimore in 1985. He switched to real estate finance in 1991 while working at The Charles E. Smith Companies in Arlington, VA, where he became Chief Financial Officer in 1998 and in 2002 Chief Operating Officer. After Smith merged with Vornado Realty Trust he became Chief Administrative Officer of the combined public company. Since 2003 he has been the principal in many real estate investment partnerships and he also manages a private investment fund dedicated to real estate income securities. He is a graduate of Haverford College (with Honors); Kings College, the University of London (with Distinction); and the University of Virginia School of Law. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger from 1978-80. In addition to formerly being Chairman of WCDS, Mr. Larner has been instrumental in the Advisory and Adjunct Faculty Programs at WCDS. He lives in Rappahannock County with his wife Rosita; they have three children. Their youngest, Daniel Larner, is a 2012 graduate of WCDS and a 2016 graduate of the University of Mary Washington.
Faculty
WCDS teachers know their students and push each to succeed in a caring, stimulating environment. Every teacher challenges students to question, research, write, and speak in a reflective manner appropriate to their level of development. Teachers wear many hats, coaching teams, sponsoring afterschool activities and clubs, and giving their all to the school. All teachers and staff are expected to embrace the school’s mission of striving for personal and academic excellence.
Sylvie Blank
Pre-Kindergarten
BA, Sancta Maria College of Social Pedagogy,
Bruchsal, Germany;
AA, Gustav von Schmoller
College of Business, Heilbronn, Germany;
additional educational training, Sunbridge Institute, New York
Tara McCormick
Molly Fairhurst
Keni Herman
Fifth Grade
BS, James Madison University
therman@wcdsva.org
Margaret Di Domenico
Welby Griffin
Latin, Comp/Grammar, Grades 7 & 8
Geography, Grade 6, AP Literature
AB, Bryn Mawr College
WCDS Alumna, 1995
Amanda Hoffman
Learning Specialist
BA, English;
MA teaching, Mary Baldwin;
AA, nursing, LFCC;
MEd, James Madison U
Ann Pankow
Dual Enrollment and AP Environmental Science, Chemistry, Anthropology, Forensics, Earth Science, Physical Science
BS, University Maryland;
MEd, Penn State;
MS, Virginia Tech
JuLong Zhao
AP Statistics, Algebra & Geometry
B.S., University of London & Singapore University of Social Sciences
M.S., Texas A & M University
Brian Beres
Biology
Science, Grades 4/5
Math, Grades 5/6
B.S., University of Virginia
PhD., Arizona State University
Stuart Ginsberg
Middle and Upper School Teacher
B.A. Williams College
J.D. Georgetown School of Law
DMD University of Pennsylvania
Gladdy Hampton
AP Language & Composition and AP Literature
B.S. MacMurray College
M.Ed., Notre Dame College
M.A.L.S. Columbia University
Elizabeth Monseur
Upper School History
B.S. James Madison University
M.Ed., George Mason University
Post Graduate, American Military University
Joe Crain
Upper School Spanish
BA, University of North Carolina at Wilmington
M.Ed., North Carolina State University
Jeannette Miranda-Gould
James Looney
Music Teacher
BM, Trumpet Performance, Shenandoah University
BM, Jazz Studies, Shenandoah University