Ms. Bianca
Founder and Preschool Teacher
Our Team
Bianca Hagen is the founder and director of Hidden Valley Forest School, which she established in 2022 out of a deep belief that children learn best when immersed in nature, with ample opportunities for authentic play and exploration. What began as a preschool program eventually pivoted to focus solely on the Kindergarten through Third grade levels.
As both a school leader and classroom teacher, Bianca is committed to building meaningful connections with each student. She sees every child as a unique individual who enriches the community through their distinct interests, talents, and observations. Known for her energy and warmth, Bianca loves playing active games with students and strongly believes in the importance of movement throughout the day.
At HVFS, she thoughtfully blends outdoor learning with indoor classroom experiences, creating a balanced and engaging environment where children can thrive. An avid reader and lifelong learner, Bianca is constantly exploring child development and researching learning environments that protect and nurture a child's natural curiosity and love of learning.
Bianca holds a Master’s degree in Foreign Policy from Georgetown University and is a certified Forest School Teacher (Levels 1, 2, and 3) through the Forest School Teacher Institute. She is also CPR/First Aid certified. As she begins the fourth year of HVFS, she’s especially excited to teach alongside Mr. Kyle—an experienced educator and longtime friend who shares her values and vision for nature-based elementary education
Ms. Jackie
Curriculum Developer and K-2 Teacher
Ms. Jackie is the Kindergarten through Second Grade Teacher at Hidden Valley Forest School, where she loves being part of a program that encourages student-led exploration and outdoor adventures. She believes in the magic of nature and its important role in helping children grow, learn, and thrive.
With a background in Spanish Cultural Studies and Theater, Jackie’s journey into teaching started with an adventure abroad and evolved into a deep passion for working with kids. Along the way, she gained experience as a teaching assistant and earned a Master's in Elementary Education. As a licensed Virginia Teacher for over 10 years, Jackie treasures the connections she builds with her students, which she believes make learning truly come alive.
Throughout her career, Jackie has been honored with a variety of awards, including recognition from students and families. She was also awarded a Golden Apple for her efforts in community building. Jackie loves bringing a little theatrical flair to the classroom and blending creativity with academics.
When she's not teaching, you’ll find Jackie outside exploring, reading multiple books at once, or traveling to new places—always looking for new adventures and chances to brush up on her Spanish.
Mr. Kyle
Curriculum Developer and K-3 Teacher
With a background in outdoor education and a degree in Elementary Education, Kyle is excited to be joining HVFS!
His passion for teaching started in college, where he spent 6 months teaching outdoor education to students whose ages ranged from second grade up to adults. Along the way, Kyle gained experience as an outdoor teacher, where he taught math to Kindergarten through Fourth grade. He has also taught in traditional classroom settings ranging from Second through Fifth grades. These experiences provided valuable insights to creating exciting and dynamic lessons. He is excited to share this knowledge with the HVFS community.
Kyle values the relationships he builds with students; he believes it is the foundation to a successful learning environment. He enjoys finding creative ways to incorporate students' interests into lessons.You will always hear Kyle cracking jokes with a big smile on his face. His favorite color is orange!
When he is not teaching, you’ll find Kyle Rock Climbing in the Blue Ridge Mountains, playing Dungeons and Dragons or going out for a run!
Ms. Juliet
Preschool Teacher
Juliet is a part-time educator and substitute teacher at Hidden Valley Forest School. With a history in elementary education, Juliet is passionate about childhood mental health and the importance of play, exploration, and ample time spent in nature.
Juliet holds undergraduate degrees in Music and English, as well as a Master's degree in Elementary Education. Following the completion of her studies, she gained valuable international experience by living and working in several countries, which significantly shaped her teaching philosophy. In particular, working at an international forest school and several other schools in Scandinavia taught her the importance of providing children with access to nature, and the freedom to play, explore, and nurture their innate curiosity and wonder. It became clear to her that children in these schools were happier and more resilient, and she discovered that she was also happier working in outdoor classrooms!
Juliet was also fortunate enough to work at an alternative, multi-age school in western Canada. There, she experienced in real-time the power of a curriculum that focused on the whole child and prioritized social and emotional learning. When she moved back to the United States, she worked hard to incorporate all that she had learned into her first-grade classroom.
In her free time, Juliet enjoys hiking, traveling, curling up with a book and a cup of tea, and watching The Great British Baking Show.
Ms. Kelsey
Art Teacher/Art Therapist
Kelsey is passionate about weaving mental health support into an early-childhood setting through intentional art exploration. She works at a couple of other local schools, bringing “Open Studio” to as many Crozet kiddos as she can! Kelsey holds a Masters in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Art Therapy from Naropa University. She has worked as an Art Therapist at Girls Athletic Leadership School in Denver, Colorado, facilitated groups for pregnancy and postpartum, used art as a healing resource with women and children survivors of sex trafficking in Cambodia, and spent many years teaching process-based art at Tinker Art Studio in Boulder, CO.
Kelsey integrates process art, creative play, and intuitive learning into our Open Studio art time. Students dig into their creativity, work on social relationships with their classmates, and challenge themselves through new materials. Creating art has been proven to increase self confidence, autonomy, strengthen attunement with one’s emotions and needs, and encourage self exploration and expression. In Open Studio, we lean into that intuitive creative space and watch as kids learn and grow more deeply into themselves.
Some of Kelsey’s favorite things to do include creating art with any and all types of materials, perfecting her chocolate chip cookie recipe, and bringing as much color and life as she can into the purple house that she shares with her handyman/techie husband, three spirited daughters, and an array of cats, chickens, and other critters.