Julia Wilmeth

Lead Educator/guide kindergarten

Julia has lived in the Nashville area for over ten years. She was born in Scotland and spent her childhood living overseas and traveling, giving her a deep appreciation for diversity and other cultures.

After falling in love with the Montessori approach of connection, independence, and following the child, Julia earned her International Montessori certification from the Montessori Institute of North Texas in 2013. Her path in education has been shaped by over two decades of experience working with children in many different capacities, including starting a pod school to support children and their families during the pandemic.  Julia is excited to bring the skills she has developed into Bloomsbury Farm School, and looks forward to guiding children to feel seen, capable, and inspired in their learning journeys.

Outside of work, you’ll find her painting in her studio, kayaking on a river, or listening to vinyl records with her dog, Wolfie and her bird, Pepper nearby. She is a big fan of live music, slow meals, good stories, and time spent outdoors.

Ana Paola Criollo-Herrera

Lead Educator/guide First Grade

Ana’s journey began in Veracruz, Mexico. At the age of five, she immigrated to the United States, a path that eventually led her to graduate from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in Spanish and Sociology. She joined Bloomsbury Farm School in 2021 and has since been committed to embodying courage, kindness, and intentionality, especially in the way she explores and engages with the outdoors. Her passion for creating authentic connections through adventure and wonder is exactly what keeps her at Bloomsbury Farm School.

Ana’s joy for learning and her love for children are contagious. She has a natural gift for seeing children wholly and deeply, honoring who they are while guiding them as their teacher. A naturalist at heart, she thrives in helping young learners deepen their understanding of the world around them.

Outside the classroom, Ana loves traveling, visiting national parks, and rock climbing. These hobbies continually push her beyond her comfort zone, both physically and mentally. These adventures also connect her with people from diverse backgrounds, each with perspectives and knowledge to share. For Ana, learning truly has no limits.

Whether she’s admiring a tiny forest snail or celebrating a new reader’s progress, Ana brings joy to every moment. She leads with intention and love, nurturing and celebrating each child’s journey with care and purpose.

Tess Kelly

Lead Educator/guide 2-3

Tess came to us by way of Austin, TX…and really everywhere else in the world!

Not only does Tess have experience as a Pre-school teacher with an outdoor focus, she has been a nanny and an au pair internationally, and an essential part of our teaching team here at Bloomsbury Farm School. Her experience and warm presence instantly puts students of all ages at ease. She has an incredible gift for speaking light and positivity into every space she enters.

With a passion for ecology and environmental science, Tess brings us into places of wonder and learning and shares her love of nature easily and readily. Tess is full of fresh ideas and intentionality in her teaching, and has a back pocket full of knowledge and outdoor skills, which keeps everyone engaged and delighted. She is quick to notice each child’s special interests and places that need extra care. Her ability equally hold space for laughter or tears, while also guiding learning opportunities, is a true gift.

When Tess isn’t teaching, you can find her reading (over 100 books a year!), traveling, spending time with friends, or learning something new.

Tess is quick to wade into the mud, catch frogs, and fully immerse herself in the delight and wonder nature provides. Her positive energy and love of the outdoors is palpable and inviting to all.

isaac manley

Lead Educator/guide 4-5

Isaac was born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii. He grew up exploring the unique landscapes and environments the island of Hawaii has to offer, hiking and camping with his family. He has since lived in various states across the country. He received his Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature from Arizona State University. After that he completed the post baccalaureate Elementary Education program at the University of Hawaii-Hilo.

Isaac has taught in both charter and public schools teaching grades ranging from 2nd through 5th grades. He has taught in Hawaii, Wyoming, and most recently taught five years in the Wilson county school district here in Tennessee. His teaching started in Hawaii with emphasis on place and project-based learning. After teaching for many years in public schools, Isaac is excited to return to an environment which encourages students to explore hands on learning through the natural ecosystem Tennessee provides. He is looking forward to learning how to best implement the outdoor environment to optimize students learning and increase their love of exploration and curiosity to gain knowledge.

Other than spending time outdoors hiking and camping, he likes to read, cook, and listen to podcasts. He is steadily checking off the list how many states he has left to visit and would love to see as many National Parks as possible.

ellis osburn

enrichment specialist/guide, k-5 secondary guide

Ellis came from West TN to Nashville for college and chose to stick around. She has a B.A. in theology from Lipscomb University and loves learning about pretty much anything. She has worked as an assistant site director and reading teacher at a Nashville nonprofit focused on urban youth development and enrichment opportunities, and has worked at a variety of summer camps (now including Bloomsbury!).

Ellis's passion for curious and creative education originates in her own childhood. She was homeschooled until high school and cherishes her memories of days spent exploring outside, getting lost in good books, and creating constantly. She loves kids' natural openness to the world and believes deeply in children learning through play and exploration.

In her free time, Ellis loves to read, deep dive into new creative endeavors (most recently sewing), propagate her grandma's violets, and spend time with the people she loves.

Ellis brings a natural sense of wonder and curiosity into everything she does, her gentle spirit and strong leadership are felt by all who know her.

kate brown

LEad Guide/director preschool

Kate moved to Nashville with her family last summer from Charlottesville, Virginia. Coming from a small town nestled in the Blue Ridge mountains, she found inspiration for outdoor education. Kate studied English at East Carolina University and quickly got into early childhood education after graduating. She has a passion to nurture children’s curiosity and wonder through nature and play based experiences. 

Her experience includes helping build and establish a Reggio inspired preschool in Virginia, where she served as a director and PreK teacher for several years. As a mother of three young children, she understands the importance of providing a supportive, loving, and an encouraging atmosphere for preschoolers. 

Kate’s love for the outdoors and caring spirit are palpable when you meet her. Creating a space to guide little ones amongst nature, is not only her dream, but ours too. Bloomsbury Farm School is so excited for the new growth Kate brings to our program.

Logan baggerly

secondary Guide preschool

Logan grew up all over the southeast and his love for wildlife followed him everywhere he went. His father is a school teacher. So, summer vacations they would spend travelling the country exploring state and national parks. Logan started working in education early, just after high school, at the extracurricular schooling program connected to the Elementary School where his elder sister was a teacher. It’s worth mentioning that every member of Logan’s immediate family works in childhood education in some way. It’s a family business. 

 Later, Logan transferred his experience in education into teaching both rock climbing programs and working at summer camps. He loves getting children excited about the outdoors and helping them become more comfortable in the world around them. A big passion of his is working to show children that things they might think are scary aren’t always what they seem. That might be something like overcoming a fear of heights or the fear of the woods at night, or maybe a fear of wild animals and bugs. He’s incredibly passionate about reptiles, and has kept and bred dozens of species of reptile throughout his life. 

He loves to read, spend time in nature, and also is a regular performer of live music and comedy around Nashville. He’s excited to help children learn new things and find their voice! 

 andrea steele

lead Educator/guide Little Sprouts

Born and raised locally, Andrea comes to Bloomsbury with 25 years of experience in community arts education. Her creative endeavors began at a young age and eventually led her to study Studio Art and K-12 Education. Andrea’s professional journey started at the Frist Art Museum, where she spent over a decade designing exhibition-related programs for teachers and schools.

She then went on to serve as the Associate Director of Fine Arts at The Renaissance Center, and most recently she worked at Tennessee Craft coordinating kids’ activities for statewide craft fairs. Through the years, Andrea has remained committed to helping students of all ages explore, discover, connect with and create in response to the world around them. Teaching and learning alongside children, including her own, brings her immense joy.

Andrea’s earliest and fondest memories occurred in nature, where she and her brother spent countless hours building forts and wandering the woods. Not much has changed except now she’s adventuring outside with her own family. Together they enjoy hiking, fishing, raising chickens, growing food and flowers, and building projects of all kinds. Her three boys are her greatest teachers, and she loves watching them find their paths and tackle life with untamed passion and determination. Knowing the value of a nature-filled childhood, Andrea advocates for giving kids unlimited outdoor time, tools, and freedom to fully explore and navigate the world.

Andrea has a heart for the littlest of learners. She delights in their wonder and excitement as they make discoveries and learn new skills. In Little Sprouts, she taps into toddlers’ curiosities and uses imaginative play, movement, song, and sensory activities to lead them on fun farm adventures. Andrea believes that nature and art can enrich young lives and promote growth, and Bloomsbury provides an ideal setting to engage with the natural environment and all its beauty. She is grateful for the opportunity to come together with families in such a special place!