Faculty and Staff

         Laura holds a Master’s degree in International Business Studies, French track from USC and lived one year in Brussels, Belgium and four years in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. She has fostered a love of languages in her three children (whose libraries of 2000+books and video’s are as much in foreign languages as in English).  
        She has taught English to French speaking children and adults, and has taught preschool through high school French.
        Additional work with children includes being a boy scout merit badge counselor, planning and chaperoning various school field trips, and being a lead teacher at First Baptist Preschool.
 Laura has pursued additional language studies in German, Russian, and Spanish. Her German studies include coursework at VCU, Inlingua in Biel/Bienne Switzerland, Interlangue in Neuchâtel, Switzerland plus private tutoring. She completed beginning Russian coursework at VCU and beginning Spanish at the University of South Carolina with extended stays in Ecuador and Guatemala.

        Jean is a native French speaker who holds a French Teaching degree from l'École Normale d'Instituteurs Ayiti Éducation.  He  has over ten years teaching experience, and has taught  French to native speakers in 1st-8th grades, including to French Expatriates studying abroad.  Recently relocated to Richmond, Jean brings with him a wealth of cultural knowledge and linguistic expertise.

        He is excited to join Heartwood Grove School and is deeply committed to helping our students appreciate the richness of his native language.

      His personal interests include playing tennis and guitar. Additionally, during high school he attended a music conservatory, Théophile Musique, where he studied classical guitar.  

       He is looking forward to traveling and seeing the United States.        

        Mrs DiFiglio was born and raised in Lyon, France. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the Institut de la Communication et de la Presse.

        Her love for teaching began when she was hired as an au pair by a family from Washington, DC to teach French as a second language to their two middle school children.

 She later taught summer camp with  the Alliance Française Richmond.

        Florence loves to work with young children and see their eyes light up when they discover new words. She is thrilled to share the passion she has for her native language and is committed to helping students understand the world around them.

        In her free time, she enjoys cooking, gardening, hosting family and friends and above all spending quality time with her two children, husband, and the family great dane.  

         Abbi holds an MA in Linguistics and a BA in French and Linguistics, both from the University of Virginia (UVA,) where she was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society and graduated Magna Cum Laude.

          Abbi teachers  French immersion at the Early K and Kindergarten level, striving to bring fun and kindness to each day. She was previously an au pair in Switzerland and New Zealand, and in 2019, she lived and worked in Poitiers, France as a teacher's assistant for children ages 3-11.

          Abbi attributes her love of languages to her grandfather, Alvin (Al), a second generation Norwegian American, who was a contributing founder of Concordia Language Villages in  MN and served as the Russian village's first Dean. 

          Abbi attended Concordia French village (Lac du Bois) as a pre-teen and later taught  as a counselor.

When not singing songs about crocodiles and elephants, Abbi can be found knitting sweaters while listening to an audiobook and spending her weekends in Charlottesville with her family, partner and dog.

         Mara is a heritage Spanish speaker and has been teaching at Heartwood Grove since  2015. She previously taught ESL to the Hispanic community in rural Virginia and Spanish in a Richmond Montessori school, as well as private lessons. 

         Mara holds a BFA in Communication Arts & Design from VCU with a double minor in Spanish and Latin American Studies. She was inducted into the Spanish Honor Society and graduated Magna Cum Laude. Mara has traveled to Mexico, Costa Rica, and throughout South America. Her parents were raised in Argentina and she has extended family living near Buenos Aires. 

         Besides teaching, Mara enjoys working as a freelance photographer and artist. She loves painting, gardening, and spending outdoor time with her family.

         Phyllis Claytor is a native of Richmond, Virginia. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Spanish Education from Elon University and her Masters in Spanish Literature from New Mexico State University. 

        Phyllis returned to her Alma Mater Tucker High School to teach in the Immersion Center for Spanish Language and Global Citizenship, the International Baccalaureate program, and the Advance College Academy in collaboration with Reynolds Community College. After 10 years in public education, Phyllis left to join Heartwood Grove where her two sons now attend. 

        Traveling is Phyllis’ favorite pastime, especially to El Progreso, Honduras where she has been involved over the last 10+ years with The Children's Home Project, a children’s home dedicated to helping children growing up in extreme poverty overcome obstacles to be successful through education, physical and mental well-being, and family-style living.

        When given the chance, Phyllis can be found on the dance floor. She loves salsa, merengue, bachata, and anything Latin. In college, she was a member of Elon’s competitive ballroom team and now is passing on her love of dance to the students at Heartwood Grove.

Paola Roberts is a native Spanish speaker from Bogota, Colombia.  She graduated from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln with a degree in Psychology. 

Before becoming a teacher, she was a Sports Psychologist for small children in her home country. She has over 7 years experience teaching and tutoring Spanish Immersion from Pre K - 5th grade .  

Paola was a Professional bowler and part of the Colombian National Bowling team for 24 years. She enjoys traveling, sports, reading and playing with son.
"I love working with children.  Being able to explore and have fun together while learning the Spanish Language makes every day exciting and unique."

Paola recently started studying French with Richmond's Alliance Française.

        Jenny Zacari is a native Spanish speaker from Lima Peru with 20 years of experience working in early education. Before joining  Heartwood Grove Jenny taught Spanish Immersion at Communikids and  worked in both the Richmond Montessori School as a Spanish enrichment teacher and  as a teacher assistant at Midlothian Montessori where she acquired her Montessori Method teacher training. 

        Jenny attended Federico Villareal University in Lima, Perú.  She holds a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management.       

          Jenny loves working with children and sharing the Spanish language and culture with students.  She lives with her husband and their Middle School  daughter in Midlothian.

         In her free time she is active as a Girl Scout volunteer use her skills in camping and crafting.

         Valentin is a native Spanish speaker from El Progreso, Honduras.   He is participating in our Cultural Exchange Teacher Assistant Program and is thrilled to share his passion for his native Spanish language and Honduran culture with our students.  As part of the exchange, Valentin  is living with a Heartwood Grove family to learn about American Culture .  

          Coach Valentin is also sharing his lifelong passion and expertise of soccer, bringing energy and enthusiasm to his PE and soccer classes.

          When Valentin is not training , he enjoys traveling, listening to music, and dancing merengue.

          Ariel Maloof is a double major graduate in German and International Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).  She studied abroad in Vienna, Austria and traveled to Munich, Germany during her German Studies at VCU. In her youth, Ms. Maloof experienced Spanish immersion first-hand for six years.  

          Ariel has backpacked through Central and South America from Guatemala to Colombia, and has lived in Nicaragua volunteering for the Asociacion de Mujeres del Altiplano (AMA) and the Biosfera Reserve & Retreat.  Her most recent Spanish adventure during the Winter Break of 2019-20 was in Peru, staying in an indigenous Shipibo community. 

          Ariel has worked with children from two through middle school.  She has taught both Spanish and German at Heartwood Grove and especially enjoys sharing her love of  nature, teaching our German nature course and incorporating gardening into all of her classes.  During her summer free time, Ariel is an unarmed security guard at music festivals.  She enjoys biking, gardening, cooking, soap and candle making, and spending time with her young daughter. 

          Heather Gandhi holds a BFA in Industrial Design from Massachusetts College of Art and Design.  She worked for a handbag designer for 5 years in California.

          She has a passion for children’s literature and is excited to help children grow their passion for literature and reading by connecting them with books that capture their imaginations. She is an avid reader and enjoys traveling, sewing, knitting, crocheting and baking. 

          Heather began as substitute at Heartwood Grove while her three children attended.  She is thrilled to be back with Heartwood Grove to support its youngest students and their families. 

          Mrs. Lau grew up in Hong Kong and London and speaks Cantonese and English.  She worked in the field of early childhood for fourteen years, as an after school counselor and a pre-school teacher before joining Heartwood Grove as a reading teacher, reading individually with students using a phonics based program.  Additionally, Margaret has training with the Orton Gillingham reading method.

          Margaret worked in the fields of finance and accounting in England and Hong Kong before changing professions to the field of early childhood. She attended the University of Northumbria, U.K. where she earned her professional certification in Cost and Management Accounting.

         “The most enjoyable moments for me are those when I experience how quickly children love to learn, and how important a teacher is in their lives. They are so accepting and trusting that it’s a constant reminder for me to be a good example to them.” 

         Margaret is the proud mother of two college students, a son at Virginia Tech and a daughter at Harvard.  Her hobbies include handicrafts, reading, martial arts, traveling, and collecting teapots.