Cecilia Tompkins

Cecilia Tompkins is very excited to join the Chelsea Academy community as our First-Grade teacher. Mrs. Tompkins grew up locally and was mostly homeschooled in a large, devout Catholic family. From an early age, she dreamed of becoming a teacher and often set up schoolrooms at home to “teach” her younger siblings. Mrs. Tompkins’ love for working alongside children led her to a before- and after-school program at a local public school, to a summer camp where she served as counselor for the youngest children, to Cologne, Germany, as an au pair, and later to a Reggio Emilia-inspired school as both a preschool teacher and infant caretaker. Along the way, she received training in first aid and CPR, multiple child safety courses, emergent curriculum planning and implementation, and conflict resolution.

Mrs. Tompkins majored in History and earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It was there that she met her husband, Christian. Cecilia and Christian now live in Winchester with their three children. Mrs. Tompkins spent the last nine years homeschooling her own children while also teaching First Grade at Padre Pio Academy in Front Royal, where she devoted herself to educating children with various abilities and gifts. Particularly noteworthy is her extensive background in literacy instruction. She also served for seven years as a Master Teacher for Christendom College education students.

Some of Mrs. Tompkins’ favorite things include making math fun (believe it or not!), sharing the beautiful traditions and history of our Catholic Faith, and exploring the wonders of nature. Above all, she loves teaching children to read and seeing the joy on their faces when they realize what wonderful readers they have become. Mrs. Tompkins looks forward to bringing her love for books and the Saints, her expertise in early literacy, her "basic" art skills to help illustrate lessons, and the pure joy of learning to the younger members of the Chelsea family.