About Us
Our Story
​For over 50 years, we have been pleased to provide this ministry to our church families and the community of Leesburg, VA and Loudoun County. St. James’ Preschool is the largest ministry of St. James' Episcopal Church and is dedicated to providing children a quality learning experience, while cultivating their spiritual awareness. By providing a loving social environment, the students will be raised with the knowledge of God’s love. Respecting the God-given worth of all children, the program has been designed to enable each unique child to be involved in a creative learning experience in a Christian atmosphere of love and acceptance. St. James’ Preschool will provide your child with the opportunity to develop socially, emotionally, and spiritually in a group outside of their home. It is their first major step towards independence. This is an opportunity for growth, fun, and learning—about their self and God’s world—in relation to other children and to adults other than their parents. This opportunity is provided in an environment especially equipped for and suited to the needs of the small child. A child learns through experience, and experiences through the world of play. Over the course of the year, your child’s teachers will provide him/her with a variety of activities to enhance his/her budding abilities: cultivate self-expression, improve language skills, teach respect for the rights and property of others, improve large and small muscle coordination, explore new art mediums, and develop music and listening appreciation. In engaging your child in these activities, our goal is to aid in the development of your child’s self-confidence and to provide cause for a positive self-image. To foster closeness to God, the preschool provides a meaningful weekly chapel service conducted by our Chapel Leader.  Grace is said before snack time, and a prayer may be included in opening exercises. Bible stories and religious songs are used in the classroom. Thank you for your interest in St. James’ Preschool!
Our People
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Lisa Krepich
Preschool Director
We are thrilled to introduce Lisa Krepich as the Director of St. James’ Preschool. With over twenty years of dedicated service to our St. James’ community, Lisa has been a vital part of the preschool’s growth and success. Her journey began as a parent (her three children attended SJP) and volunteer, joining the Preschool Board where she played an instrumental role in key projects such as staff hiring, fundraising initiatives, and securing our current logo and playground equipment. Lisa’s deep connection to St. James’ has continually guided her work and advocacy for our preschool. Lisa’s professional background is as impressive as her commitment to St. James’. She brings extensive experience in nonprofit development, alumni relations, event planning, recruiting, and constituent services. Throughout her tenure at St. James’ Preschool since 2014, Lisa has held numerous roles including Lead Teacher, Assistant Teacher, Substitute Teacher, and Marketing Assistant. Her versatility and collaborative spirit have allowed her to support students and staff alike, fostering a nurturing environment that prioritizes safety, creativity, and individualized learning. Beyond the classroom, Lisa has excelled in marketing and community engagement for the preschool, managing outreach efforts such as social media, public events, and fundraising activities. She is committed to connecting with families and building a vibrant school community. Lisa’s skills in administration, database management, and event coordination further strengthen her leadership and organizational abilities. Lisa holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from James Madison University, with additional involvement in student and professional organizations. Her unique blend of professional expertise and heartfelt dedication makes her the perfect leader for St. James’ Preschool as we embark on an exciting new chapter. We are confident that Lisa will continue to inspire, support, and guide our preschool with compassion and vision.
Kim Carren
Operations Manager
Music Teacher & Chapel Leader
A long-time resident of Leesburg Kim, her husband Mike, and their two adult children, have worshipped at St. James’ Episcopal church for 26 years. During that time, Kim has been involved in multiple adult and youth ministry efforts at St. James’, served on the (former) personnel committee, and has been singing and helping to lead musical worship with the St. James’ Choir for 24 years. Kim has enthusiastically taught Music and Chapel at St. James’ Preschool for the past 5 years. She also supports the Preschool ministry as Director of Operations. Kim holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Early in her career, she was one of the founding members of a small DoD contracting firm, helping the company to establish business operations. As the company grew, she moved into a personnel management role, and was eventually appointed Director of Human Resources, after earning her Professional in Human Resources management certification. Kim also worked at the Loudoun Free clinic in varying capacities– first as a long-time volunteer, and later, serving on the Board of Directors and helping the clinic to establish a robust Care Coordination effort, ensuring that low-resource residents of Loudoun had access to needed medical care. Fueled by a long-standing interest in medicine, and perceiving new needs for persons navigating the healthcare landscape, she decided to move further into care coordination and advocacy activities. Kim furthered her knowledge in the growing field of patient advocacy and healthcare navigation, and was honored to be among the first class of nationally board-certified patient advocates. During the COVID pandemic, Kim was hired into a new Care Navigator role with a local oncology practice, providing support and advocacy to newly diagnosed cancer patients and their families. Post-pandemic, Kim was thrilled to answer a new call -to tap into her love of music and share her faith with the St. James’ preschool community. Kim loves working with the precious children and families of this warm and nurturing ministry. She brings with her an empathetic nature, positive energy, deep faith, and a fierce commitment to mission and to each of the communities that she has had the privilege of serving.
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