Welcome to Kindergarten
The Ashlawn Kindergarten team would like to welcome you to Ashlawn Elementary School.
Mrs. Patricia Butler
Welcome to Kindergarten at Ashlawn! I am so happy to have you in my class this year. I have been teaching for many years and this is my 10th year teaching kindergarten at Ashlawn. This summer I spent my vacation in Maine with my husband, Mr. Butler, my two sons, Jack (Senior at W-L) and Ben (Freshman at W-L) and our dog, Stella. I love sailing, reading and taking trips to the ice cream store. I’m so excited to get to know you, introduce our assistant teacher, Ms. Abida to you and share my favorite book series, Charlie the Ranch Dog, with you. I love Ashlawn and the amazing Kindergarten team and I know you will, too!
Ms. Caroline DeBlasis
caroline.deblasis@apsva.us
I am so excited to be joining the Ashlawn community this school year! After teaching First Grade and a Kindergarten/ First Grade split class in Prince William county for the past three years, I am eager to teach in the community I live in! Born and raised in a small town in Maryland, I have lived in Northern Virginia since 2014 when I began attending George Mason University for a degree in Early Childhood Education. After completing my Masters degree in 2019 in Curriculum and Instruction from GMU, I moved to Arlington County and have loved it here ever since! When I am not teaching, I love gardening, traveling, cooking, trying new restaurants and foods, catching up with friends, and of course, reading (especially poolside!)! I am so excited to meet all of you and be welcomed into the warm and diverse Ashlawn community this year. We are going to have so much fun learning together!
Patti Demsky
Instructional Assistant
Patricia.Demsky@apsva.us
Mrs. Susan DeMatties
I am so excited to start my ninth year as a member of the Ashlawn community! I have taught in a wide range of special education elementary classroom settings for over 20 years, including my current role as Primary Self-Contained Special Education teacher. I grew up in New York, lived with my family in Chicago for six years, and now live in Virginia. I have a MS in Early Childhood Education and a dual BS in Elementary Education and Special Education and have taught in New York, Maryland, and Virginia. When not at Ashlawn, I love to travel, read, and spend time with my family. Two of my children are hockey players – my daughter is playing hockey in college and my son is in middle school and playing locally. My favorite part of teaching at Ashlawn is building a warm, nurturing environment together with my students and colleagues where we work to learn new skills, have fun, and celebrate each of our successes. I feel incredibly lucky to have the support of my students’ families and the greater Ashlawn community!
Mrs. Cara Lewis
cara.lewis@apsva.us
I am so excited to be joining the team here at Ashlawn! This is my 8th year teaching and my first year back after my husband and I welcomed our son in April 2021! I was born in Portland, Oregon and raised in Loveland, Ohio. I graduated from The Ohio State University, Go Buckeyes! I completed my Masters Degree from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I can’t wait to teach in the community I live in!
Mrs. Isabelle Isakson Popovic
isabelle.isakson@apsva.us
This is my 6th year teaching kindergarten at Ashlawn. My husband Jason and I live in Washington, DC, about a mile and half away from the United States Capitol. We welcomed our son, Charlie, in November of 2021! I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia and moved to DC 7 years ago. We have a sweet rescue dog named Sammy. In my spare time, I love to read, cook, run outside, watch Gilmore Girls and The Great British Baking show and workout at OrangeTheory. I am an avid Georgia Bulldawg fan and love watching college football in the fall. I love all things Disney and love to have Disney dance parties. I am so excited to be your kindergarten teacher this year and I can’t wait to meet you!
Lauren Walsh
lauren.walsh@apsva.us
Hi, Everyone! I’m Ms. Walsh and this is my 14th year teaching kindergarten at Ashlawn. Before moving to Arlington, I grew up in Northville, Michigan and studied Elementary Education at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Not long after I started teaching, I completed my Master’s Degree in Reading Education from the University of Virginia. One of the best parts of teaching kindergarten is watching the our children grow and change over the course of the year. I love to see the progress that our children make academically, socially, and emotionally. My favorite part about teaching at Ashlawn is our Global Citizenship Project. I love that we focus on raising children that are passionate about making their school, community, and world a better place. Since 2009, when I first moved here, I knew Ashlawn was a special place. I love our community and I am so grateful to be here!
