Charlie Abney

Administration

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• Bachelor’s degree in Elementary/Early Childhood from University of Wyoming: dual Masters in both Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education from The College of New Rochelle

• Joined MCNS in 2001

 

“Children need to be allowed the freedom to play in a variety of settings with a variety of mediums. Hands-on experiences in the early years that encourage creativity and problem solving are the building blocks for future learning. Teachers should be guides helping our children learn by providing a language rich environment with challenging activities where every child feels safe to explore, make mistakes and engage with every child and adult in the classroom. As a parent Co-op I love the involvement level of the parents that is encouraged by our school. MCNS has a 'family-feeling' where the children's needs are the first priority. Our dedicated staff stay at MCNS because they also believe and value children's needs as the most important goal of early education.”

 

Charlie is from Wyoming and moved to Westchester County in 1985. She spent two years in New York City as a live-out nanny before marrying her husband, Joseph McGinnis. They have adult twin sons, Jackson and Jonathan, who still live and work in the area. Charlie was the Toddler Center Site Director from September 2001 until September 2020 when we all moved together to our 501 Tompkins Ave. site. She received her BS in Elementary/Early Childhood from University of Wyoming in 1979 and completed dual Masters in both Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education from College of New Rochelle in 2006.

Since her graduation from the University of Wyoming, Charlie has worked in the field of early childhood. Her teaching experience has been in daycare settings and preschool settings with children 18-months-old to kindergarten age. She has worked as a daycare director, as a live-in and live-out nanny, as Coveleigh Summer Camp Director, the Toddler Center Site Director and MCNS Summer Camp Director. Charlie served on the Westchester Association for the Education of Young Children’s (WAEYC) Board of Directors for three years, and has presented several teacher workshops for Westchester AEYC and New York State AEYC conferences since 1996. Charlie loves being outdoors; spending time in her gardens, doing home projects, or reading under a tree:)  When asked if she has a favorite children’s book, Charlie says, “So many 'picture books' come to my mind as favorites. However, if I have to pick one it would be a favorite of my boys, Professor Wormbog In Search of the Zipperump-a-zoo by Mercer Meyer (1976). It is a wonderfully illustrated book full of great silly words that encourage imaginative and creative play as the Professor searches for the very illusive Zipperump-a-zoo which is hidden on each page.” But her favorite pastime is hiking and camping with her sons Jackson and Jonathan, preferably in Wyoming or Montana.