Beatrice Tierney — Founder
Beatrice established Children’s International School in 1985 in Arlington, Virginia, drawing from her own experience as an immigrant child and a passionate ESL and language development educator. Her foundational mission was to provide young children with the language tools, cultural understanding, and self-confidence needed to thrive in the American school system. A true pioneer in early childhood education, Beatrice spent years volunteering and studying methodologies across Europe and Asia, including traveling to Italy in 1980 to study the world-renowned Reggio Emilia approach firsthand. Her 40-year legacy of holistic, play-based learning remains the guiding compass for all four of our campuses today.
CIS Leadership Team
Monica Tierney
Education Program Manager & Community Outreach Coordinator
Monica oversees our four locations with over 17 years of international education experience spanning past work with Columbia University and the United Nations. Inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, she designs curricula focused on environmental storytelling and sustainability and earned a prestigious Global Gold Award at the UK Parliament in 2025.
Her educational and sustainability focused work has been featured in publications including Good Housekeeping, MSN, Los Angeles Business, and Creative Child Magazine.
Maria O'Lenick
Director, CIS Arlington (Arlington Blvd.)
Maria brings an incredible 40+ years of early childhood expertise to our team, including 8 dedicated years leading our Arlington Boulevard campus. A former Head Start Director in Arlington for 12 years, she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and has trained early childhood educators internationally. Maria specializes in building the critical foundations for lifelong social and cognitive development.
Daphne Canales
Director, CIS Arlington (North Scott St.)
Daphne earned her degree in Early Childhood Education in Venezuela and possesses 17 years of specialized classroom and administrative experience. She focuses deeply on the Reggio Emilia philosophy, designing creative spaces where children can explore natural wonders. Her primary mission is fostering deep partnerships between children, families, and teachers to build a true community.
Gayle Gregoire
Director, Foreign Service Institute
Gayle features 20 years of experience as an Early Childhood Director and has spent the last 8 years leading our programming at the Foreign Service Institute. A former parochial school Assistant Principal, she has served on the board of the NAEYC and the Fairfax County School Readiness Team. Gayle recently spearheaded Virginia’s rigorous VQB5 Quality Education Program at our North Scott campus.
Ami St Louis
Director, CIS Alexandria
Ami channels 15 years of diverse education experience as a classroom teacher, tutor, and school administrator. As a passionate linguist, she is fluent in 5 languages (Albanian, English, Spanish, French, and Italian) and holds a deep background in early phonics and reading acquisition. She also brings unique expertise training diplomats and government professionals for international assignments.