Jean Bird grew up in Pittsburgh and graduated from the Program in Child Development and Child Care at the University of Pittsburgh.  She taught in the Children’s School for seven years and then continued to work part-time for the DASH project (Developmental Approaches to Science, Health, and Technology), which was a part of the Center for University Outreach.  She returned to the Children’s staff eight years ago as an extended morning teacher and has been teaching morning older 4’s as well since 2005.  She especially enjoys working with children in science and music.  Jean is the Director of Children & Youth Ministry at her church.  Jean and her husband, Jim, have three daughters.  Darrah is enrolled at Community College in the North Side, Emilie is a sophomore at Allderdice High School and Ahleajha is a junior at Allderdice High School.

Estelle Solomon grew up in Pittsburgh and graduated from Ohio University with a B. S. in Elementary Education and a minor in Reading and English.  Her professional experience includes teaching kindergarten, third and fifth grade Social Studies and fourth grade Science at St. Edmund’s Academy for three years.  After her sons were school age, Estelle resumed her career at the Jewish Community Center where she taught three-year-olds in the preschool for twelve years and four-year-olds in the Amazing Afternoons program for two years.  This is her seventh year at the Children’s School.  Estelle and her husband, Eric (a private investor), have two sons.  Joel is living in New York City and is an entertainment writer, having written for MTV, Howard Stern, Craig Kilburn, ESPN, Comedy Network and Fuse Network.  Steven is a Federal Police Officer of the United States Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.  Both sons are Children’s School alumni.  Estelle enjoys reading, theatre, traveling, the symphony, walking, music, needlepoint and seeing through the eyes of children.

Assistant Teacher
8 Years in Education

Favorite Children's Books:
Are You My Mother?

Favorite Children's Author:
Dr. Seuss

Gina Williams has completed 30 credits toward her Early Childhood Education degree at the University of Pittsburgh and plans to complete her degree in Early Childhood Education.  Since 1994, she has provided childcare in her home, caring for children ranging in age from 6 months to 10 years old.  This is Gina’s seventh full year as an Assistant Teacher at the Children’s School.  Gina has a fourteen-year-old son, Malcolm, who attends ninth grade at McKeesport High School.  Gina enjoys reading, baking, going to movies, the theatre and playing board games with her son.