Our Team
The strength of our school is our educated, well-trained, passionate and caring teachers.
It is obvious from watching the children blossom that the teachers do a wonderful job.
Ariel Benton (she/her)
Ariel has been with TPG since 2021. She has always loved children and has spent a lot of time helping out her mom growing up who is also a preschool teacher and nanny. She loves chatting with the children and hearing the stories they have to tell. Ariel loves working with children because she is a kid at heart and has a special way to connect through her silly side.
Melinda Bernsdorf (she/her)
Melinda has been with us at Trinity Playgroup for 8 years and currently the Lead teacher of the Intermediate class. She is dedicated to supporting the social-emotional growth of her students. She loves the creativity and imaginative problem solving of children and is always ready to read a story, play on the floor, or get messy with the Trinity kids.
Barbra Chigounis (she/her)
Barbra has been the Lead Teacher in the Toddler Class since 2005. She captures children’s interests through creative and developmentally appropriate lessons, capitalizing on everyday moments and establishing connective experiences. She supports self-expression, likes to improvise songs and games, tell interactive stories, and facilitate “toddlerglyphics” by exploring various fine art techniques.
Caitlin Covello (she/her)
Caitlin joined Trinity Playgroup in 2022 after working as a toddler teacher in Connecticut. Her teaching philosophy is rooted in understanding every child as their own individual. She loves to bring nature into her classroom and encourages children to use their creativity to navigate the world around them.
Chase Crudup (he/him)
This is Chase’s first year with us at TPG as an Assistant Teacher at who supports all classrooms as needed. Chase started as a dance teacher for Hope Church School and the Upper Main line YMCA. He has also worked as a first grade TA at GSFS and as a Pre-K teacher at Old City Kinder Care. Chase enjoys dancing and used to perform for the Arden Theater.
Christa Cywinski (she/her)
Christa Cywinski has been the Director of TPG since 1998. In addition to minding the office, Christa enjoys collaborating with the teacher and parent communities that make TPG the special place that it is. She adores the preschool age group - the running hugs, the clever discoveries, and all the sweet, goofy moments.
Myra Davis (she/her)
Myra has been teaching at TPG since 2005. She enjoys conversations with small friends, puzzles, and games. She teaches in our intermediate class, and enjoys storytelling and leading the crew in a game of basketball.
Dex Johnson (he/him)
Dex joined us in 2022. He uses his passion for teaching to connect with the children on an interpersonal level. He encourages out-of-the-box thinking and embracing one's silly side to bring joy to our everyday lives.
Jackie Kolifrath (she/her)
Jackie has been with us since 2023, joining us after working as a teacher at The Bala Cynwyd School for Young Children. She believes that a classroom is a space for creativity, fun, and laughter. Outside of teaching she is passionate about art, nature, and skateboarding! Her passions have helped her develop a creative teaching style that she is excited to share with her new class.
Madhu Lal (they/them)
Madhu joined Trinity Playgroup in 2022 after working as a museum educator at the Please Touch Museum. Madhu is the lead teacher of our Post Day program, and is passionate about making art of all mediums accessible to children of all ages. They believe that artistic exploration is an essential tool for personal and community based development and strives to foster this form of growth within the students at Trinity.
Andrew Lantz (he/him)
Andrew joined our Post-Day and Admin team in 2023 after moving from Vermont, bringing eight years of childcare experience with him. He views children as blank canvases, with every experience being a brush stroke that influences their life’s portrait, and he encourages them to take charge of their own painting. Outside of work, Andrew’s interests include music, art, food (eating and cooking), and trying new things.
Meesh Robinson (she/her)
Meesh has been at TPG since 2016. She is the Lead Teacher of the Pre-K Program and loves working with kids of all ages! Meesh believes that children are unique and capable tiny humans, and truly enjoys getting to know each child as an individual. You will often find her hard at work on processed-based art projects or exploring new sensory based experiences. Working with young children and their families is truly her passion. Meesh has a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Education at Drexel University.
Shawn Robinson (she/her)
Shawn has been at TPG since 2020. She came to us highly experienced with a tenure of working with young children as a nanny, working in early childhood education, as well as working with third graders up to the high school level. Shawn says that working with kids allows her to be a kid herself— learning new things from her students. She has a talent of shepherding the cautious and reluctant to feel safe and secure, so that they can show their hidden talents and shine their bright lights!