I am Jennifer Sheppard, and I would like to introduce myself as your Director.
I have a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Art) in Art Education from Virginia Commonwealth University and 20 years of experience in the Education field. For ten years, I was the Director for OASIS, a non-profit childcare center in Lakeside, Virginia. I also served as a substitute teacher for Hanover County for two years before coming to Skipwith Academy in December 2023.
I grew up in the Richmond area. Our family moved to Georgia in sixth grade, and I moved back after high school. I enjoy arts and crafts. I make all kinds of things from found objects utilizing antique/vintage materials. I also paint, draw, and read books in my free time. My husband is an electrician. We live in Mechanicsville with our two children, ages 14 and 18.
I chose a career in early childhood education because working with children is what I do best. I enjoy the challenge of getting to know each child and meeting their needs. No day is the same, and that is what I love most about childcare.
My favorite part of the day is seeing the children cheer on one another when they accomplish something new. It warms my heart to see them excited for one another.
Raising children is hard! We all need a village to support each other, and I take pride in being part of that village for each of the families.
Skipwith Academy is committed to supporting families and children in the communities we serve. We provide a variety of options for learning, not only based on the age of the child, but also his or her prior learning, maturity, and developmental stage. Our curriculum is based on a learning plan for meeting the emotional, physical, social, and cognitive needs of children using developmentally appropriate practices in a supportive environment.