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(757) 499-7393
5181 Singleton Way | Virginia Beach, VA
Staff 2026-2027
Cherie Zorn
is the Director of EEDS. She joined the school as a teacher in 2022 Cherie is very passionate about working with preschoolers and their families. She believes very strongly in whole child learning: teaching children physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively to complete overall wellbeing. Cherie loves the strong community that exists within EEDS and plans to continue to support and encourage that community. She received her B.S. in Elementary Education from Indiana Wesleyan Univerity and has over 20 years of experience in education and childcare.
She is married to a Navy veteran, and is a mother of 4. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, camping, and being at the ball field with her family.
Kelly Sherman
is the classroom assistant at EEDS. She is a mother of 3. Kelly studied early childhood education at Tidewater Community College. She has been a personal nanny, and has spent many years working with children. She is passionate about helping 2 to 5 year olds grow and learn. Kelly's family has been with E.E.D.S. since her oldest attended the day school in 2018.
Kristyn Winegardener
is excited to join the Emmanuel Episcopal Day School family this year
as a M-F Four-Year-Old Pre-K teacher. She brings five years of experience working with children in a variety of
educational settings, including serving as a Teacher Assistant with infants through Pre-K in
Illinois and as a special education Teacher Assistant with elementary, middle, and high school
students in both Colorado and Virginia. As the wife of a U.S. Navy servicemember, Kristyn has
had the opportunity to serve students and families in several different communities.
Kristyn believes the preschool years are some of the most important in a child's development.
She hopes to nurture each child's natural curiosity while fostering a love of learning, exploration,
and discovery. She feels privileged to be one of the many caring adults who can encourage,
support, and love the children in her classroom. She is excited to create a Christ-centered
environment where students can learn, create, build meaningful friendships, and grow in both
confidence and faith.
Kristyn and her husband have two daughters, ages six and three, and a cat. Their oldest
daughter attended EEDS for two years, and they are excited that their youngest will begin
preschool at EEDS this year. In her free time, Kristyn enjoys spending time with her family,
hiking, and reading.
Elena Eaken
teaches one of our M-F Four-Year-Old Pre-K classes. Mrs. Eaken is an Ohio native where she earned her B.A. in communications from Mount Union College. She has also studied Elementary Education at Virginia Wesleyan College where she earned her Pre-K - 6th Teaching Credentials (with a Meritorious Teacher designation). She previously taught four-year-olds at another local preschool. She has been with EEDS since 2018.
Mrs. Eaken has been married to her husband, Shawn, and living in Chesapeake for 19 years. She has three children ( two boys and one girl- ages 18, 13 & 11 ), two dogs and one cat. In her free time, she serves on her local PTA board, volunteers with her children's Scout troop/pack, enjoys reading and spending time with her family.
Emily Jones
is teaching the MWF Four-Year-Old Pre-Kindergarten class. She has been with EEDS since 2021. She grew up south of Baltimore and has a degree in Early Childhood Education from Salisbury University. Her professional experience includes developing and running a Preschool Program at a gymnastics studio and as a Student Teacher/Intern at Princess Anne Elementary School. Emily coached gymnastics at a local studio and worked with their pre-competitive and competitive teams. Previously, she coached gymnastics in Maryland for seven years.
She moved to Virginia to be with her now husband. Emily has a daughter and a son. She enjoys spending her time on the beach with her family and their dog.
Christi Hamrick
will be a Tuesday Thursday teacher for our pre-K 4's. After seeing her own children attend EEDS she is thrilled to help continue supporting the same warm and engaging experience they had. Christi has been with EEDS since 2025. She has a B.A. in Communications from Oral Roberts University, and has worked in alumni relations with Regent University, as a photographer, a substitute teacher, and babysitter. Mrs. Hamrick enjoys time with her husband and 3 boys at the beach, church, baseball field, and school events.
Autumn Bezeau
has been with EEDS since 2024 and will be teaching a Monday-Friday Three-Year Old class. She joined us after teacher for another local preschool. Part of a military family, Ms. Bezeau (Bea-zoo) moved every three or four years throughout her childhood. As an adult she has traveled both in the United States and internationally where she has taught in various camps and schools. Her educational background includes a Master of Science in Sport Science and a Master of Arts in Executive Leadership. One of the great joys in her life is coaching 2-5 year old's soccer! She is currently working on a degree in Early Childhood Education through the GI Bill (Army-4 years) and is beyond excited to teach three-year-old students!
Jason Blumrick
will be one of our Monday-Friday Three-Year-Old teachers this year. Bio coming soon!
Emily Weeks Batista
will be teaching the Monday, Wednesday, Friday Three-Year-Old class. She has been with EEDS since 2024. She has experience working with children as a Daycare Teaching Assistant and nanny since 2019. She enjoys volunteering at her church, teaching preschoolers and working in the church nursery. Ms. Batista is currently in school working toward a degree in Early Childhood Development. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband his sweet son and her daughter, going to the beach, reading, trips to the coffee shop and writing.
Psalm 127:3 says, "Children are a gift from the Lord, they are a reward from him." That's why it is her goal that children in her care feel confident, valued, safe and respected.
Kali Butler
joined the staff of EEDS in 2023. She will again be the Two-Year-Old Lead teacher.
A former resident of Virginia Beach, she returned to the area following her husband's military transfer. Mrs. K. Butler was excited to return as a staff member. Both of her children
were students at EEDS when they attended preschool.
She enjoys hiking, spending time with her family and going to the beach.
Kristen Blake
is a substitute teacher for EEDS. She is a graduate of Towson University. Married to a retired Navy pilot, she has three grown sons and a chocolate Labrador. In her spare time she enjoys going to the beach, traveling, and spending time with her family. She was a teacher with EEDS for many years before retiring to spend more time with her family.