Early childhood education is the key to the betterment of society.
-Maria Montessori

Meet the SoulSong Staff

Administration

Virginia Fillers, Director

Hello! I was raised in Oak Ridge, TN. I moved to Cookeville in 2008 to complete my BS in Elementary Education at TTU after spending a few years working professionally in film and television production. My experience working in schools spans more than a decade and encompasses private and public education. I credit much of SoulSong’s program to my experience at Knoxville Montessori School. In 2014-2015, I served as captain of the art committee for the Heart of the City Playground project. I have also been the MOPPETS childcare coordinator for Cookeville MOPS, as well as the president of Cookeville Roller Derby.  I live in Algood with my daughter Charlotte and our corn snake and our cat. Charlotte attended SoulSong since it opened in 2015 until graduating from pre-k in 2019. She is now a student at Algood Elementary. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, taking walks, watching musicals, and having adventures with Charlotte.

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I am very excited about the teaching staff at SoulSong! Each one is very gifted as a caregiver and educator. It is a blessing for our program to have such a fantastic group of teachers. They have all come to us with exceptional recommendations and consistently impress me with their creativity, commitment, and patience. I consider myself lucky to have also been able to experience SoulSong as a parent!

Classroom Teachers

Erin Murray Foley, Rhythm Room, ages 1.5 - 2.5 years, Tuesday and Thursday

Hello, I’m Erin Murray Foley. I moved to Cookeville from Seattle a few years ago with my two wonderful children Luke and Ava, my husband Sal, and our two dogs and two cats. We enjoy hiking, gardening, swimming, doing arts and crafts, cooking and baking, and traveling together. Much of my spare time is spent driving to and watching Ava and Luke’s sports practices, games, play rehearsals and performances.

I grew up in New York State and graduated from Marymount College (now part of Fordham University) with a degree in Sociology and International Studies. I am also a prenatal postpartum and infant Massage Therapist, and a Postpartum Doula certified through DONA International. My children both went to Montessori and Waldorf inspired cooperative preschools where I worked as a classroom volunteer, and I have also volunteered regularly throughout their time in public elementary, middle, and now high school. I have worked in the MOPPETS childcare program for Cookeville MOPS for the last 3 years.

I am so excited to get to know each of the children who will be in my class this year! My goal is to provide a loving, safe environment where we will learn, play, discover, create, grow, and be kind together.

Jami Brown, Rhythm Room, Ages 1.5-2.5 years, Monday/Wednesday

Hello, I am Jami Brown. My husband, Dustin, and I have three wonderful children (Jeremiah, Dawson, and Makayla). Almost all of my free time is spent at some sort of sporting event. I decided seven years ago to work at a daycare, and I fell in love with teaching. After that daycare closed, I opened my own daycare and operated that until my husband’s work schedule changed and no longer accommodated it a couple years later. Since then, I have been spending time home with Makayla and also working part-time for Cookeville MOPS, Community Bible Study, and a select number of families (many from MOPS and SoulSong) to provide in-home childcare. I use basic sign language paired with spoken words to encourage vocabulary development in my classroom. I help the children become more independent while providing a loving environment in which they can learn and grow. It is always bittersweet when children graduate from my classes, but I love watching them succeed in the next room up. I am so excited to get to know each child in my class this year and to be part of this special time in their lives. 

Erica Swenson, Melody Room, Ages 2.5-4 years

Hi, I’m Erica Swenson, and I look forward to getting to know all the unique personalities that will be in my class this year.  Much of my experience in early childcare comes from working at Montessori Centre in Nashville.  I agree with the Montessori emphasis on encouraging independence and providing a stimulating environment in which children are able to learn from the activities they choose.  I also have a BFA in Illustration from the Rochester Institute of Technology and work as a freelance artist.  I created a mural that is installed by the Erie Canal, as well as many murals around Cookeville. I enjoy visiting all the local waterfalls and swimming in Center Hill lake in my free time.  My mural of Burgess Falls is part of the Heart of the City Playground in Dogwood Park.

Lesley DeNoble, Harmony Room, Ages 4-5 (Prekindergarten)

My name is Lesley DeNoble. I earned my degree in Early Childhood Education from Grand Canyon University. I graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2016. I have a  school-age daughter, Jayley, who keeps me very busy. I enjoy teaching children in fun ways with hands-on activities. I believe that all children can learn, and I keep high expectations to help them reach and strive for more. Most importantly, I believe that children should be in a loving environment that encourages them to build strong morals and strong minds. My classroom is a kindergarten prep room with a focus on the skills students are expected to have when they enter school. I previously taught pre-k in the Putnam County School System and am very familiar with their expectations.