Frequently Asked Questions
Art
Jane Skafte has been teaching art to all grades, elementary through university and community colleges for over 25 years. She is primarily a watercolor painter and is also known for a series of drawings concerning climate change, which has been exhibited locally and in New York and has won awards. She has a MFA from Syracuse University and BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has a studio at McGuffey Art Center.
Leigh Heasley is a multidisciplinary artist ,author, and yoga teacher. She encourages intuitive and mindful creative expressions as a way to playfully explore the bounds of what each student believes is possible. Mistakes become opportunities for improvised masterpieces. Uniqueness is celebrated within a nurturing collaborative environment. Above all, Leigh hopes her students grow in curiosity and confidence to follow their dreams.
Drama
Claire Chandler is a director, actor, educator, and theater maker. She is currently the resident acting teaching artist for youth at DMR Adventures, where she teaches classes, works on main stage productions, and coaches their pre-professional troupes. She has taught, directed, and acted in many local and regional productions. Shakespeare is a special passion of hers, and she has adapted and directed many Shakespeare productions for youth . She also volunteers on the planning board of CLAW (Charlottesville Lady Arm Wrestlers), acts as the Emcee, and has helped them become a Virginia Organizing community partner, operating under a 501(c)3. To date they have raised over $100,000 for many Charlottesville-area women-initiated causes. She holds a BA in English from Mary Baldwin University; has training in the Folger method and from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts; ongoing training with Theatrical Intimacy Education, working toward a TIE diploma. In her spare time she likes to draw, drink coffee, and talk about going on hikes with her husband and 2 daughters.
Music
A native of Charlottesville, Brooke Mahanes taught her first private music lesson in 1999. She has maintained a private studio ever since, and now has a studio in Crozet, where she teaches violin, viola, cello, bass, and piano to people of all ages and skill levels. Currently, she also teaches orchestra at The Village School. Brooke has degrees in music from James Madison University, Shenandoah Conservatory, and University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is a freelance performing musician on violin and viola, playing for weddings and other events, and with orchestras in Virginia and North Carolina. She is a passionate advocate for music education and music as a healing therapy.
Cellist Ethan Wagner directs our beginners' orchestra. He performs as a chamber musician in the DC, Baltimore, and central Virginia areas. He has toured nationally and internationally with the Reba Ensemble and Amit Peled’s Peabody Cello Gang. His trio was the first chamber ensemble selected to perform for the late Leon Fleisher’s acclaimed series of masterclasses. As an orchestral musician, Ethan has performed as a member of the Huntington and Waynesboro symphonies, and has served as principal cellist for the Peabody Chamber Orchestra, Blue Hills Chamber Orchestra, James Madison Symphony, and University of Tennessee Symphony. Ethan earned his Masters degree in cello performance and a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, under the primary instruction of Amit Peled, while also studying Baroque cello with John Moran and orchestral repertoire with Alan Stepansky.
Our Music Appreciation teacher is Mariana Bell. She is an award-winning singer/songwriter and Charlottesville native. She graduated with honors from the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at NYU with a BA in theater and has since toured both the US and internationally with her own music. She has produced 6 studio albums while living in NYC and Los Angeles and performed and written with many renowned artists. She's taught at Stella Adler Studio in New York as well as private voice lessons.
Physical Education
Physical Education and development are stressed at Village School.
Our P.E. teacher is Courtney Coker. Courtney graduated from the University of Virginia in 1994 with a degree in Foreign Affairs. She graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in 2001 and trained in obstetrics and gynecology and radiology.
Courtney is in her second year of coaching physical education at the Village School. She also has her level one certification in Crossfit and currently coaches strength training and fitness at Solidarity Complete Fitness. She has years of experience coaching both girls soccer and basketball. When she is not in the realm of athletics Courtney also works as a freelance photographer.
Dance
Our dance teachers are Ike Anderson and Ruth Sherman. Ike Anderson is a Charlottesville native that comes to us by way of the Music Resource Center with over 15 years of experience in Hip Hop dance and musical theater. Ruth Olga Sherman has been performing professionally all over the world for the past fifteen years. She has a masters in Dance Pedagogy and Composition. She is very passionate about helping students discover and hone life-skills and emotional intelligence through the joy of dance.Athletics
Village School girls participate in a wide range of athletics. Village School teams are offered in field hockey, x-country, swimming, basketball, tennis, and soccer. Teams are coached by passionate, parent volunteers and alumnae.
Students are given a Chromebook in 5th grade to become comfortable using technology as a tool to express their curiosity and creativity. Our students learn to type and use the G Suite of programs available on Chromebooks. Several classes are equipped with document cameras and LCD projectors to facilitate immediate student sharing. While it is part of our mission to give the students the necessary skills to succeed, time away from screens is equally as important for a deeper understanding of the world around us. Screen time is thoughtfully considered and monitored to avoid being a default for ease or distraction.
Research indicates that children who dedicate time to helping others develop an enhanced sense of self esteem and self-confidence. We believe strongly in the advantages gained through an awareness and understanding of others. Consequently, community service is an integral part of our school, and being downtown provides us many community service opportunities. Every week Village School students help a downtown church with its soup kitchen. Our students are also involved in a number of special projects that benefit local organizations including, The Hummingbird Fund, SARA, Piedmont Housing Alliance, Stepping Stone, IRC, and the Kindness Café.
Tuition for the 2025-2026 academic year is $22,400.
Yes. Applicants interested in financial aid are required to submit an application through FACTS. The application deadline is January 17, 2026. Financial aid is awarded based on need and has no bearing on admissions decisions. Please feel free to call the school office if you have any questions. Click here to apply.