People

Mrs. Charske has been married to her husband for over 18 years and have five children. They are currently in the process of adopting their two youngest daughters. She enjoys many activities: roller blading, weight lifting, relaxing at the beach, reading, exercise classes at the YMCA, traveling with my husband, hiking in the mountains and especially snow skiing in the mountains. Steamboat Springs, Colorado is my favorite place to snow ski. As a family, she really enjoys sitting down for a family meal and sharing "highs" and "lows" of the day. She loves being a part of her woman's group who study God's word and pray regularly.

Mrs. Works is married with both children attending Ambleside.  Before starting a family she was actively involved in theater, both on stage and behind the scenes.  Although she enjoyed performing, she decided she did not want it to be her life’s work.  She changed her major and received her Bachelors of Science for Psychology from the University of Florida. She enjoys running, traveling, and spending time with her family. She can still be seen performing, whether she is on stage or not.

Mrs. Owens graduated from The University of Florida in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a minor in Education. She is a wife to Shane since 1999 and a mother to three children, all of whom attend Ambleside School. She grew up in Miami, FL and is the oldest of six.

Mrs. Owens can be trusted to explain any and all variations on our weather, and to point out any and all birds on campus! You'll hear her infectious laugh if you're within a mile of campus!

Mrs. Johnson holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education from Liberty University and is currently working on her Master’s Degree. She and her husband, Walter, have two sons at home and are adjusting to having their daughter away at college. The Johnson family loves to go camping, play "spicy" UNO, and attend University of Florida football games. (Go Gators!) Mrs. Johnson has been in an Ambleside classroom for five years and is currently teaching seventh grade. It is the relational approach to education at Ambleside that provides the inspiration for her classroom and her life as a teacher.

Mrs. Lacefield has been part of the Ambleside community since January 2007. She passionately embraced Ambleside philosophy, working with founders, Ken & Shari Ausley in the early years to share this education and grow our community. Aside from teaching Kindergarten, Second and Third Grade, she served as a Board Member and Head of School. She holds a BA in Education of the Speech & Hearing Handicapped as well as an MS in Speech & Language Pathology from the State University of New York, College at Fredonia. This background, and Arrowsmith Certification, equips her for her role as a teacher in the Arrowsmith Program.This program supports students with specific learning difficulties by identifying and strengthening cognitive capacities. She also coordinates our Title 1 program in relationship with Marion County Public Schools. Mrs. Lacefield considers herself a life-long learner and therefore has many interests. She attends Live Oak Christian Fellowship along with her husband, Jerry, and their three daughters.

Mrs. LaCognata is an avid reader and writer and is pursuing a degree in English from UCF. She enjoys spending time with children and helping them understand and discover new things. She is thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the Ambleside community.