to help every child
The Day School program of St Stephen Presbyterian Church is a quality care program available to members and non-members. It is designed to create a safe, loving, secure, nurturing atmosphere of play and learning experiences to help every child grow physically, socially, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally.
Structured and unstructured activities are planned to encourage creativity with emphasis placed on developing a strong sense of self-esteem and emotional well being of each child.
SERVING AGES 4 MONTHS to PRE-K
The Day School accepts children beginning at four months of age thru Pre-Kindergarten. Children are assigned to their classrooms according to their age as of September 1 of the school year.
HOURS OF OPERATION
The Day School operates on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30am to 2:30pm.
The program follows the Fort Worth Independent School District’s (FWISD) decisions regarding the opening and closing of school during inclement weather or emergency closings. If FWISD postpones their opening to or after 10:00am, the program will be closed all day.
to help every child
The Day School program of St Stephen Presbyterian Church is a quality care program available to members and non-members. It is designed to create a safe, loving, secure, nurturing atmosphere of play and learning experiences to help every child grow physically, socially, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally.
Structured and unstructured activities are planned to encourage creativity with emphasis placed on developing a strong sense of self-esteem and emotional well being of each child.
SERVING AGES 4 MONTHS to PRE-K
The Day School operates on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30am to 2:30pm.
The program follows the Fort Worth Independent School District’s (FWISD) decisions regarding the opening and closing of school during inclement weather or emergency closings. If FWISD postpones their opening to or after 10:00am, the program will be closed all day.
WE CARE
The quality of an early childhood program is greatly affected by the extent to which knowledge of child development is applied within the program. All staff members are carefully selected for their ability to work with children as well as their ability to work together. At SSPDS, our goal is not to meet our needs but to meet your child’s needs.
WE BELIEVE
We believe in preparing children for a life as productive human beings, concentrating on the practical, imaginative, and creative thinking powers of each individual child thus allowing for their full growth and development.
WE lEARN
Our environments are designed for the eager and early learners with child size furnishings thus promoting independence and cooperative learning. Our three and four year old classes experience chapel and a variety of field trips throughout the year. All classes are visited by our Music teacher once a week to express themselves through singing, rhythm and movement.
meet our team
Our commitment is to provide a safe, nurturing and developmentally appropriate environment that will promote a desire to learn and grow with respect, encouragement and creativity. As a team we will work to provide a positive, fun and loving experience for all involved in St. Stephen Presbyterian Day School.
Lauren Ferguson – Director
Lauren Ferguson became the Day School Director in December 2019. She earned a BS in Social Work from TCU and a MS in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin. Lauren worked as a Crisis Counselor in Birdville ISD for eight years before staying home with her children. She and her husband, Matt, have two boys, both of whom attended SSPDS. It was during this time that she fell in love with the atmosphere and mission of the Day School. Lauren’s vision for the school is to continue providing a developmentally appropriate program for children while also supporting and nurturing the entire family.
Janna Franzwa Canard – Asst. Director
Janna has been a part of St. Stephen Presbyterian Day School since her youngest started in the twos class in 2011. Janna was first a parent, then a sub, then a twos co-teacher, then director, and now she’s back as the Assistant Director after a stint in the grown-up world. She holds a B.S. in education from TCU, taught at Fort Worth Montessori School for eight years, and still has a side gig as a proofreader. She’s been married to her hubby, Donald, for 16 years and has an older daughter who’s pursuing a graduate degree in England. Janna enjoys the great outdoors and spending time with her family and friends when her nose isn’t stuck in a book.
Deena Baxley – Firefly Class
Deena Baxley has been at SSPDS for 18 years. Deena has been married to her high school sweetheart, Jack, for 40 years. They are the parents of one daughter and son-in-law, and have two grandchildren! In her spare time, she loves to read a good book as well as cooking, baking, crafting and gardening.
Jan Torrieri – Firefly Class
Jan Torrieri has been at SSPDS for 19 years. Jan received her B.S. in early childhood education from Texas Tech University and has previously taught pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade in public schools. Jan has a daughter and son-in-law and is a very proud grandmother of three. She is a big fan of Texas Tech football, the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers. Jan loves gardening, decorating, fashion, music and dancing.
Larissa Simpson – Butterfly Class
Larissa Simpson has been at SSPDS for 18 years. Larissa studied early childhood education at TCC and UTA. Larissa and her husband are the proud parents of two lovely daughters and one smiley little boy. In her spare time, Larissa enjoys volunteering at her church, reading, cooking, running, and spending time with family and friends.
Laura Scarbrough – Butterfly Class
Laura is in her third year in the Butterfly Room. She was previously a substitute at SSPDS and enjoyed working with children of all ages. She received her Masters of Education from TCU and Bachelor’s degree in Education from TAMU. Laura has taught elementary-age students in public and private schools in DFW and Houston. She and her husband have two children who recently finished at SSPDS. Laura enjoys running, playing golf, and spending time with family.
Melody Roberts – Dragonfly Class
Melody is in her sixth year at SSPDS. She was a substitute teacher and loved it so much that she joined the staff. Melody has a BSN from West Texas State University now known as West Texas A&M University. She was a practicing nurse for 20 years, then became a full-time mom when her daughter was young. Melody and her husband have one daughter who lives and works in Los Angeles. She enjoys hiking, traveling and hanging out with her husband and dogs.
Sarah Brisco – Dragonfly Class
Sarah Brisco is excited to be teaching in the Dragonfly class this year! She has a BS in Elementary Education from Baylor and has taught elementary grades in public and private schools. She also has experience teaching in twos and pre-k classrooms! She and her husband, Brian, and have three kids: a junior, a 7th grader, and a second grader. At home, she loves to hang out with her family, spend time in her garden, and take care of their two cats, two chickens, and their labradoodle.
Sonia Behrens – Bumblebee Class
Sonia Behrens has been at SSPDS for 21 years. She is married to her high school sweetheart and is the proud mom of two boys. In her spare time, she enjoys running and spending time with her family, friends and three amazing grandsons and a granddaughter!
Alexa Watt – Bumblebee Class
Alexa Watt is excited to be teaching in the Bumblebee class! She previously worked as a substitute and loved it so much that she joined the staff this year. She was born and raised in Kentucky – Go Cats! She and her husband, Kenton, and have been three amazing kids, who have all attended the Day School. She loves working with children and helping them learn and grow. In her spare time, she loves reading and yoga.
Sherrie Eppstein – Roly Poly Class
Sherrie is thrilled to be teaching in the Roly Poly Room! Sherrie has worked with babies and preschoolers since she was 13, starting in the nursery at her church. She received a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies with an emphasis in child development from Texas Tech. Sherrie has worked for an Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) program for children ages 0-3 with developmental delays, as well as a few other church weekday programs. She and her husband have two children in college. Sherrie loves traveling, miniature golf, playing games, pickleball, and gathering with friends and family.
Sarah Diamantopolous – Roly Poly Class
Sarah is delighted to be working in the Roly Poly Room at SSPDS! She holds a degree in Art Education and Textiles and has taught in all different settings. She and her husband, JD have five amazing kids and a coop full of chickens. Working with young babies and children has always been a passion of Sarah’s and she is excited to care for and work with our families this year. Sarah looks forward to playing, learning, and caring with and for our sweet little ones!
Samath Sao – Day School Assistant
meet our team
Our commitment is to provide a safe, nurturing and developmentally appropriate environment that will promote a desire to learn and grow with respect, encouragement and creativity. As a team we will work to provide a positive, fun and loving experience for all involved in St. Stephen Presbyterian Day School.
Lauren Ferguson – Director
Lauren Ferguson became the Day School Director in December 2019. She earned a BS in Social Work from TCU and a MS in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin. Lauren worked as a Crisis Counselor in Birdville ISD for eight years before staying home with her children. She and her husband, Matt, have two boys, both of whom attended SSPDS. It was during this time that she fell in love with the atmosphere and mission of the Day School. Lauren’s vision for the school is to continue providing a developmentally appropriate program for children while also supporting and nurturing the entire family.
Janna Franzwa Canard –
Asst. Director
Janna has been a part of St. Stephen Presbyterian Day School since her youngest started in the twos class in 2011. Janna was first a parent, then a sub, then a twos co-teacher, then director, and now she’s back as the Assistant Director after a stint in the grown-up world. She holds a B.S. in education from TCU, taught at Fort Worth Montessori School for eight years, and still has a side gig as a proofreader. She’s been married to her hubby, Donald, for 16 years and has an older daughter who’s pursuing a graduate degree in England. Janna enjoys the great outdoors and spending time with her family and friends when her nose isn’t stuck in a book.
Deena Baxley – Firefly Class
Deena Baxley has been at SSPDS for 18 years. Deena has been married to her high school sweetheart, Jack, for 40 years. They are the parents of one daughter and son-in-law, and have two grandchildren! In her spare time, she loves to read a good book as well as cooking, baking, crafting and gardening.
Jan Torrieri – Firefly Class
Jan Torrieri has been at SSPDS for 19 years. Jan received her B.S. in early childhood education from Texas Tech University and has previously taught pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade in public schools. Jan has a daughter and son-in-law and is a very proud grandmother of three. She is a big fan of Texas Tech football, the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers. Jan loves gardening, decorating, fashion, music and dancing.
Larissa Simpson – Butterfly Class
Larissa Simpson has been at SSPDS for 18 years. Larissa studied early childhood education at TCC and UTA. Larissa and her husband are the proud parents of two lovely daughters and one smiley little boy. In her spare time, Larissa enjoys volunteering at her church, reading, cooking, running, and spending time with family and friends.
Laura Scarbrough – Butterfly Class
Laura is in her third year in the Butterfly Room. She was previously a substitute at SSPDS and enjoyed working with children of all ages. She received her Masters of Education from TCU and Bachelor’s degree in Education from TAMU. Laura has taught elementary-age students in public and private schools in DFW and Houston. She and her husband have two children who recently finished at SSPDS. Laura enjoys running, playing golf, and spending time with family.
Melody Roberts – Dragonfly Class
Melody is in her sixth year at SSPDS. She was a substitute teacher and loved it so much that she joined the staff. Melody has a BSN from West Texas State University now known as West Texas A&M University. She was a practicing nurse for 20 years, then became a full-time mom when her daughter was young. Melody and her husband have one daughter who lives and works in Los Angeles. She enjoys hiking, traveling and hanging out with her husband and dogs.
Sarah Brisco – Dragonfly Class
Sarah Brisco is excited to be teaching in the Dragonfly class this year! She has a BS in Elementary Education from Baylor and has taught elementary grades in public and private schools. She also has experience teaching in twos and pre-k classrooms! She and her husband, Brian, and have three kids: a junior, a 7th grader, and a second grader. At home, she loves to hang out with her family, spend time in her garden, and take care of their two cats, two chickens, and their labradoodle.
Sonia Behrens – Bumblebee Class
Sonia Behrens has been at SSPDS for 21 years. She is married to her high school sweetheart and is the proud mom of two boys. In her spare time, she enjoys running and spending time with her family, friends and three amazing grandsons and a granddaughter!
Alexa Watt – Bumblebee Class
Alexa Watt is excited to be teaching in the Bumblebee class! She previously worked as a substitute and loved it so much that she joined the staff this year. She was born and raised in Kentucky – Go Cats! She and her husband, Kenton, and have been three amazing kids, who have all attended the Day School. She loves working with children and helping them learn and grow. In her spare time, she loves reading and yoga.
Sherrie Eppstein – Roly Poly Class
Sherrie is thrilled to be teaching in the Roly Poly Room! Sherrie has worked with babies and preschoolers since she was 13, starting in the nursery at her church. She received a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies with an emphasis in child development from Texas Tech. Sherrie has worked for an Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) program for children ages 0-3 with developmental delays, as well as a few other church weekday programs. She and her husband have two children in college. Sherrie loves traveling, miniature golf, playing games, pickleball, and gathering with friends and family.
Sarah Diamantopolous – Roly Poly Class
Sarah is delighted to be working in the Roly Poly Room at SSPDS! She holds a degree in Art Education and Textiles and has taught in all different settings. She and her husband, JD have five amazing kids and a coop full of chickens. Working with young babies and children has always been a passion of Sarah’s and she is excited to care for and work with our families this year. Sarah looks forward to playing, learning, and caring with and for our sweet little ones!
