Our Staff

Ms. Liz Porter has taught preschool and kindergarten for the past 15 years, eight of which have been at Macfeat. She has a Master’s degree in Child and Family Development from UNC Charlotte and a South Carolina K-6 teaching license. In Ms. Porter’s multi-age kindergarten classroom, children learn South Carolina State Standards through integrated units of study projects. These projects are driven by the children’s interests and offer them diverse opportunities to create, explore, inquire, and problem-solve. According to Ms. Porter, “I enjoy working at Macfeat because I am able to provide children with meaningful, hands-on learning experiences. My goal is to provide the children a classroom environment that is reflective of their individual identities. I am passionate about building classroom community, focusing on the whole child, and providing a culturally-responsive environment, curriculum, and materials.” 

Ms. Rosemarie Agosto has been teaching preschool for over 23 years. Her passion for teaching stems from her background in Reggio Emelia training which she received in New York. She is a firm believer that play is the work of children. The curriculum in her classroom is based on the interests of the children and incorporates all subject areas, including math, science, literacy, art, music, and movement. A wide variety of materials is used to provoke students’ curiosities and support their learning in an engaging environment. Ms. Agosto states, “I love that Macfeat gives me the opportunity and freedom to teach in a way that makes learning for young children interesting and fun. They have the opportunity to collaborate and interact with their peers and teachers as they develop their knowledge and experiences.”

Ms. Gwendolyn Miller-Burton has worked with children and their families in private, educational, and social service settings for 30 years. She believes that children learn best when they are actively engaged in their learning. For young children, this learning is acquired through play and creative activities. Her classroom is a busy, joyfully noisy space! According to Ms. Miller-Burton, “I strive to provide children with an interactive classroom environment which is varied, interesting, and supports problem-solving. Coupled with a warm and responsive classroom environment, it is my belief that children will feel confident in learning about themselves, others, and the world around them.”

Ms. Melanie Sanders, the school's director, received her B.A. in English with a Minor in American History from Hilbert College and a M.Ed in Childhood Education from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. She is currently pursuing her PH.D. in Early Childhood Education from Northcentral University and is working on her dissertation on social and emotional learning in the early childhood years. She previously worked in the Clover School District and taught first, second and fifth grades as well as a year of reading recovery instruction. After working in the public shcool, she transitioned to higher education and taught as an adjunct professor at Winthrop University in the early childhood, elementary, and reading departments before becoming an istructor in the early childhood departmen. She is absolutely delighted to take on this new role as Director of Macfeat and cannot wait to build relationships with the students, families teachers and community.   Melanie lives in Rock Hill with her husband Dave, three children David, Logan, and Ava Grace and a chocolate lab named Chewy (who has lived up to his name).