Piney Point
Elementary School
Staff Directory
Greetings! I am Mrs. Tara Zeier, and I am excited to serve as your child's principal!
The 2025-2026 school year marks my 26th year in education and my 3rd year with the St. Mary’s County School System. My experience includes roles as an elementary classroom teacher at both primary and intermediate levels, as well as serving as an assistant principal before becoming a principal. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Fairmont State College in West Virginia and completed my Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Administration from McDaniel College.
As the principal of Piney Point Elementary School (PPES), I warmly welcome you to our school! We are proud to be the home of the Beacons, where every student shines brightly! At PPES, we strive to uphold high academic standards while fostering a safe and nurturing environment that promotes curiosity and a passion for learning.
I am privileged to be your principal and look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead for our students and school community. Together, let’s make this school year a memorable and enriching experience for all!
~Mrs. Zeier
Principal
| Name | Contact | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Tara Zeier | tbzeier@smcps.org | Principal |
Assistant Principals
| Name | Contact | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Andrea Smith | alsmith@smcps.org | Assistant Principal |
Office Staff
| Name | Contact | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Missy Adkins | maadkins@smcps.org | Principal's Secretary |
| Jayne Worch | jdworch@smcps.org | Secretary |
| Mackenzie Rhinehart | School Safety Officer |
IRT and Literacy Coach
| Name | Contact | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Leila Lynch | lllynch@smcps.org | Instructional Resource |
| Amanda Davidson | atdavidson@smcps.org | Literacy Coach |
Health Room
| Name | Contact | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Erica Kittrell | ejkittrell@smcps.org | Nurse |
Counselor
| Name | Contact | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah Weinberg | sjweinberg@smcps.org | Counselor |
| Lisa Galati | lagalati@smcps.org | Pupil Personnel Worker |
| TBD | Social Worker |
Specialists
| Name | Contact | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Rushworth | rirushworth@smcps.org | Media Specialist |
| Emily Longo | erlongo@smcps.org | Art |
| Renee Campbell | rbcampbell@smcps.org | Music/Band |
| Rebekah Norris | ranorris@smcps.org | Music/Orchestra |
| Karen Colonna | kgcolonna@smcps.org | Physical Ed |
| Jordan Moxley | jlmoxley@smcps.org | Physical Ed |
| Reena Williams | rrwilliams@smcps.org | Media Clerk |
| Kira Williams | kbwilliams@smcps.org | ESOL |
Pre-Kindergarten
| Name | Contact | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Maria Ficalora | mjficalora@smcps.org | PreK Teacher |
|
Tiffinay Brooks |
tmbrooks@smcps.org | PreK Paraeducator |
| Jake Flowers | jtflowers@smcps.org | PreK Paraeducator |
Kindergarten
| Name | Contact | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Marcy Nguyen | mhnguyen@smcps.org | Teacher |
| Jack Getty | jrgetty@smcps.org | Teacher |
| Rebecca March | Teacher | |
| Jessica Crandall | jrcrandall@smcps.org | Paraeducator |
| Jeri Cropper | jlcropper@smcps.org | Paraeducator |
| Jessica Sievers | jbsievers@smcps.org | Paraeducator |
First Grade
| Name | Contact | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Tara Bersell | tlbersell@smcps.org | Teacher |
| Amy Hepp | aehepp@smcps.org | Teacher |
| Julie Tavel | jmtavel@smcps.org | Teacher |
Second Grade
| Name | Contact | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Genevieve Pharis | gspharis@smcps.org | Teacher |
| Kellie Schroyer | kmschroyer@smcps.org | Teacher |
| Megan Taylor | metaylor@smcps.org | Teacher |
Third Grade
| Name | Contact | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Jessica McLane | jlmclane@smcps.org | Teacher |
| Elizabeth Pizzadili | ehpizzadili@smcps.org | Teacher |
| Beth Sabo | ehsabo@smcps.org | Teacher |
Fourth Grade
| Name | Contact | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Donna Cheng | dlcheng@smcps.org | Teacher |
| Michaela Davis-Rigney | madavisrigney@smcps.org | Teacher |
| Sarah Johnson | sjjohnson@smcps.org | Teacher |
| Julie Gaston | jrgaston@smcps.org | Teacher |
Fifth Grade
| Name | Contact | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Kimberly Plagge | kaplagge@smcps.org | Teacher |
| Charles Schroyer | crschroyer@smcps.org | Teacher |
| Franci Hill | fahill@smcps.org | Teacher |
Special Education
| Name | Contact | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Jessica Sohn | jesohn@smcps.org | Teacher |
| Amanda Pike | ampike@smcps.org | Teacher |
| Kathryn Shepherd | kmshepherd@smcps.org | Teacher |
| Jami Elwell | jlelwell@contracted.smcps.org | Speech |
| Marcy Meisowitz | mnmisowitz@smcps.org | Paraeducator |
| Sydney Goodrich | smgoodrich@smcps.org | Paraeducator |
Building Service Staff
| Name | Contact | Position |
|---|---|---|
| John Young | joyoung@smcps.org | Building Service Manager |
| Matt Lewis | mwlewis@smcps.org | Assist. Building Service Manager |
| Carlotta Arcega | cvarcega@smcps.org | Building Service Staff |
Cafeteria Staff
| Name | Contact | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Sherry Curtis | srcurtis@smcps.org | Cafeteria Manager |
| Dorothy Goodwin | dagoodwin@smcps.org | Cafeteria Staff |
| Pat MeWhinney | plmewhinney@smcps.org | Cafeteria Staff |