Meet Our Preschool Staff!
Melanie Qualls
Preschool Director
Melanie Qualls graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education. She has an endorsement in English as a Second Language and Early Childhood Special Education.
She began her career as a kindergarten teacher in the Little Rock School District. After moving to the northwestern part of the state, she began teaching Pre-Kindergarten. This is where she realized that she had a passion for getting children ready for kindergarten. The last seven years she has been in a supervising position.
Her background includes gymnastics, ballet, dance and yoga. She looks forward to teaching through the arts and getting to know students and their families.
Dylan Blackwood
Dance Instructor
Dylan Blackwood is an Arkansas based performer with a background in classical ballet, theatrical jazz, acting, classical acting, and voice.
Dylan earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Ouachita Baptist University. Some of his credits include Featured Dancer/Joseph P Murphy in The Stephen Foster Story(Stephen Foster Drama Association), Neleus/Featured Dancer in Mary Poppins (Stephen Foster Drama Association), Ensemble in Guys and Dolls (Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre), Featured Dancer/ Dance Captain in Mary Poppins (Murry’s Dinner Playhouse), Wikersham in Seussical (Ouachita Baptist University), Featured Dancer/Dance Captain in Fiddler on the Roof (OBU) and Sheldon Potts/Dance Captain in Junie B. Jones The Musical(OBU). Dylan placed Second in the regional NATS Upper Division Musical Theatre Competition. For his role as Sheldon in Junie B Jones he received the Irene Ryan Nomination for acting.
Kim Burke
Art Instructor
I love teaching Visual Art at The Community School of Arts PreK classes. I’m married to Mack and we enjoy signing and sharing our creative experiences in life! Together we have 5 children, 14 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. We enjoy every minute we get with them, guiding & encouraging their lives.
I previously taught Art, Yoga, & Zumba and Sing & Sign with the Faith Homeschool Co-op classes. I am currently in the process of completing my Art Therapy Certification and then I will be able to help others heal and improve their lives through art.
I have played piano since grade school and started art classes with Miss Anna Ferrell at Greenwood High School. Although I did win a poster contest in 6th grade along side my oldest brother who was in 12th grade for “Keep America Clean”! He has been a great inspiration to me in art throughout my life! I have had the opportunity to be in theater with YAG & Pilot Arts, both in acting & props. Occasionally I get to create letters & paintings for my husband’s Stucco business! I love helping the kids learn they have a creative mind and help them build confidence in saying they CAN, while building motor skills and ways to express themselves through art! I do not take teaching for granted, for the youngest are only driven by what we allow them to learn!
Sherry Jones
Art Instructor
Sherry Roe Jones, a native of Harrison, Arkansas has been drawing since she can remember. Her architect father always kept his children entertained at his office with mounds of scrap blueprints and his large carousel of Prismacolors in every color imaginable! At the age of fifteen, Sherry began oil-painting under the guidance of Gene Brantley of The Gallery in Harrison. From the start, oils were an easy and enjoyable medium for her.
Taking a more practical route, Sherry majored in nutrition and is a registered dietitian but she continued her art studies during college and beyond, taking art classes at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, as well as drawing classes at the Arkansas Arts Center.
She has won recognition in regional art competitions and recently had a gallery showing at the Center for Art and Education in Van Buren. Sherry’s specialty is portraiture and she works in oil, charcoal, graphite and pastel. Sherry is a member of the Greenwood Art Guild and she resides in Dayton, Arkansas with her husband, Kevin Jones, and daughters Karly and Katy Grace.
Rilla Stone
Piano Instructor
Rilla Stone earned her Bachelor of Music in Piano from Oklahoma State University in 2017. While at Oklahoma State, she studied piano with Dr. Thomas Lanners and piano pedagogy with Professor Heather Lanners. During this time, she actively performed as a soloist and collaborated with many vocalists.
Rilla furthered her education at Wichita State University, where she graduated with a Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy in 2019. While at Wichita State, she studied piano with Dr. Julie Bees and piano pedagogy with Dr. Justine Sasanfar. She was awarded a graduate teaching assistantship where she taught class piano for music majors and private lessons for elective college students. Rilla had many opportunities to perform as a soloist in recitals and masterclasses. She also accompanied the Wichita State University A Cappella Choir and Women’s Glee Club. During this time, she also served as a church musician.
Rilla is passionate about teaching piano. She strives to inspire a love of music in her students through creative expression and holistic musicianship.
Cody Walls
Theatre Instructor
Cody is an Arkansas based actor who holds his Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Ouachita Baptist University.
Previously, Cody has toured the country with Bright Star Touring Theatre performing roles such as Velveteen in The Velveteen Rabbit. Other roles include Nicely Nicely in Guys and Dolls(Arkansas Shakespeare) Don Jon in Much Ado About Nothing (Arkansas Shakespeare), The Park Keeper/Dance Captain in Mary Poppins (Murry’s Dinner Playhouse), and Dickon in The Secret Garden (Ouachita Baptist University).
Cody would like to thank his family and friends for their love and support!
Paula Jaramillo Sanjuan
Spanish/Violin Instructor
Violinist Paula Jaramillo Sanjuán holds a Master’s degree from The University of Oklahoma, where she studied with Dr. Gregory Lee, and where she is currently a candidate for the Doctoral program in violin performance.
Her musical activities have taken her across Latin America and North America, becoming part of remarkable projects in performance, pedagogy and research. Such experiences have introduced her to a wide variety of venues, students and contexts, enriching her knowledge and tools in the professional and personal field. As an experienced orchestral musician, Paula has performed with the Norman Philharmonic Orchestra, The Symphonic National Orchestra of Colombia, and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Bogotá, and was selected to be part of the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra of Colombia and the Juvenile Philharmonic
Orchestra of Bogotá.