Ms. Marcus brings a background in both Early Childhood Education and Special Education to BASIS Independent McLean, having worked extensively both in the classroom and in administrative roles. After graduating from Virginia Tech, she began her career as a lead teacher at the Virginia Tech Child Development Center of Learning and Research. Following this, she transitioned to Northern Virginia, where she gained experience on the administrative side of another local school. However, it was at BASIS Independent McLean that she discovered her passion for placing exceptional students in outstanding educational environments.

Since joining BIM in 2021, Ms. Marcus has held various roles, initially serving as the Admissions Coordinator and then as the Auxiliary Manager. This year, she returns to admissions as the Associate Director of Admissions and is eager to connect with and welcome incoming families.

Ms. Orth has been teaching in the Early Childhood field long enough to have the joy of seeing many of her students graduate from high school. Prior to coming to BASIS Independent McLean, she lived in Gunnison, Colorado, working with 4-year-olds and preparing them for their transition to Kindergarten. She holds a B.A. in Elementary Education with an Early Childhood minor from Wisconsin Lutheran College. This will be her fifth year at BIM. She previously taught PreK-1 and PreK-2, and was the Dean and Director of ELP. She is looking forward to continuing to build community within the Lower School and supporting an environment where students, families and teachers are able to have their needs met to be the best we can be. When not at school, she loves to sing, being on stage making people laugh, and mixed media arts. She and her husband enjoy traveling, especially to see their daughter in San Francisco.

Ms. Purnell is a Philadelphia native, who fell in love with the DMV when she attended Howard University. Ms. Purnell’s love for children sparked while serving as a camp counselor every summer until she graduated. After graduation she furthered her work in education with DC Public schools, while serving as the operations coordinator for a national touring company. Over the last couple years, she served as an assistant program director for a non-profit organization where she rekindled her passion for working with children. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, listening to music and planning trips for her friends and family. Ms. Purnell is ecstatic about her new position and cannot wait to utilize her skills on our team.

Now in his fifth year at BASIS Independent McLean, and after twenty plus years teaching Latin, Mr. Ramsby is absolutely delighted to join the College Counseling office. Having attended six colleges himself through both undergraduate and graduate experiences, and having navigated the college selection process twice with his own two children, Sabrina and Owen (alums of U Richmond and USC, respectively), and having advised many students over the years unofficially, Mr. Ramsby feels very comfortable talking about colleges, the selection process, and finding the right “fit” for each student. Mr. Ramsby grew up in central Florida where the college decision was either THE Florida State University or that “other” one. Florida, having only two seasons: hot and less hot, he is quite happy here in beautiful northern Virginia where leaves change and snow falls. Mr. Ramsby has taught previously in New Hampshire, North and South Carolina, and in his hometown of Winter Park, FL. He holds a M.A.T. in Latin from the University of Virginia and a B.A. in Classics from Trinity College. Engaged and soon to be married to his partner, Anne, Mr. Ramsby loves traveling, cooking, crosswords and Wordle, and most outdoor activities. He coaches the Cross Country program in the fall and the HawkManiac Fitness Club in the spring.

Ms. Reynolds brings 10 years of experience in education to BASIS Independent McLean. She was a founding math teacher at BASIS D.C., and later became the director of academic programs there. With more than five years experience in the BASIS Curriculum Schools network, Ms. Reynolds truly believes in its mission and academic program. She says, there is an incessant pulse of creativity, humor, intellect, kindness, and talent that beats through a BASIS Curriculum School, and whether observing a chemistry class or sitting at a lunch table, the students never cease to amaze and inspire her.

Ms. Robertson is a native Virginian and she and her husband are the proud parents of four children, two in college and two in high school. She has enjoyed being home taking care of her kids as they grew, and is also excited to get back to work and get to know all of our BASIS Independent McLean families. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, crafts, and sports.

Mr. Robertson is a graduate of Herndon High School and has a previous association with the Culinary Institute of America. Recognizing his passion for working with children, he can now be located in the afterschool late bird program. In his free time, he takes pleasure in activities like cooking, playing chess, and biking.

Mr. Shorbe has been a fixture of school and network management at BASIS Curriculum Schools for nearly a decade. Highlights of his career are numerous, and include being the Head of School of the first BASIS primary school in Arizona; expanding our network in Texas, California, and Washington, D.C.; serving school leaders as an Associate Vice President. In 2015, Mr. Shorbe was selected to be the founding Head of School of BASIS International School Shenzhen. Most recently, Mr. Shorbe has led BASIS International School Guangzhou as the Head of School from its founding days to a full program with approximately 1,000 students in PreK through grade 12. Guiding teachers from all over the world to adopt the best practices of our network, whether their students are 3 or 18, and building a unified student body of expats and English learners alike, takes resolve, expert management, and—as you will soon find—an unyielding sense of humor. Mr. Shorbe possesses all these qualities in abundance. Prior to joining the network, Mr. Shorbe taught primary school and middle school social studies while earning two consecutive master’s degrees from Northern Arizona University, one in Elementary Education, and the other in Educational Leadership. After high school, Mr. Shorbe spent a few years in the US Army. Upon his return from military life, he had a short career in construction management before deciding to pursue a degree in history, which he received from The University of Arizona.

Ms. Smith began her career in education with Teach For America and holds a M.Ed. in Early Childhood Curriculum & Instruction from George Mason University. She is an award-winning educator with almost twenty years of experience and has taught PreK-1, PreK-2, Kindergarten, and Grade 2 prior to becoming an administrator. This is her eighth year at BASIS Independent McLean and her second year as the Dean of Students for the Early Learning Program.

Ms. Smith’s deepest desire is to facilitate a joyful, safe, and learning-focused community for every child so that they are empowered to be curious and take ownership of their education. Her goal is to support students by instilling in them the academic preparedness, empathy, and growth mindset they need to be the change agents of the future. She considers it a great privilege to partner with so many families and work together to create life-long learners.

When Ms. Smith is not at school, you can find her listening to Taylor Swift, vacationing in 30A, FL, and enjoying adventures with her husband, daughter, Elsa (BIM Grade 6), and sheep-a-doodle pup, Olle!

California State University, Chico, B.A. | Mr. Tabatabai has worked in IT support for almost two decades, including as a systems engineer and systems administrator. Attending high school in Tehran, Iran, Mr. Tabatabai received his bachelor’s degree in the U.S. He owes his comfort with mathematics and technology to rigorous and disciplined learning in high school. He sees that BASIS Independent Mclean focuses on each student from a young age to help them build a foundation for their future. Mr. Tabatabi has been practicing Shotokan Karate continuously for 20 years. Currently, he practices and teaches in Arlington twice a week.

Previously, Ms. Tamang was a caregiver for a family with three children for almost a decade. She is very passionate about working with children and holds a bachelor of arts degree specializing in childcare development and psychology from Loreto College in India. She is fluent in Nepali and Hindi and is active with the Tamang Society of Greater Washington. Her hobbies include cooking, dancing, and community service.

Ms. Tamayo is originally from Puerto Rico and has lived in DC for 10 years. She joins BASIS Independent McLean with over 15 years of experience overseeing marketing and operations in various industries. Before joining our school, she worked as a Field Operations Manager for Special Counsel, where she managed a team responsible for providing operational support to 14 branches across the country. She holds a B.A. from Florida International University in Business Administration and an A.S. in Multimedia and Web Design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Ms. Tamayo is excited to bring her operations background to our school and support our students, parents, and teachers.

Ms. Toker joined BASIS Independent McLean as a Social Media/Communications Coordinator and later transitioned to the Admissions Team as the Admissions Manager. Born in Shanghai, China, she graduated from Shanghai University. After working for a year at a car company, she moved to Japan to continue her education. There, she learned Japanese and completed a communication/psychology program. Ms. Toker holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Nihon Fukushi University.

In Tokyo, Japan, she worked as a marketing and business specialist and a communications associate. After moving to the U.S., she worked at a local Montessori school, teaching children aged 3 to 6. She is a certified Montessori teacher.

Working at BASIS Independent McLean allows her to combine her passion for marketing with the field of education. She enjoys learning about different cultures and the diverse perspectives they bring. Ms. Toker looks forward to collaborating with the highly talented teachers at BIM and engaging with the various cultures represented by BIM families. She is very fond of BASIS and the supportive community.

In her free time, Ms. Toker enjoys playing tennis, snowboarding, and traveling.

Mr. Vigil is from El Salvador and has lived in the U.S. for more than 14 years. He and his wife have four children, two girls and two boys. He previously worked at an elementary school in Leesburg, and is excited to be at BASIS Independent McLean. Outside of work, he likes to travel to New York to visit his family. He has six brothers and three sisters, who he is very close to!

Western Carolina University, B.S. in Radio & Television, Middle Grades Language Arts teaching certificate. Utah State University, Graduate studies in Communication & Middle Grades Education Mr. Warlick began his career teaching middle and high school language arts, English, and journalism at North Carolina public schools in 1993. He shifted to residential life at Randolph-Macon Academy as a Student Life Supervisor, Dean of Residential Life at Springdale Preparatory School, and Director of Weekend Services at Eagle Hill School. Mr. Warlick advised award-winning school newspapers, broadcasts, and yearbooks. His strength is building relationships with students and serving as a liaison between parents and teachers. Mr. Warlick wants each student to enjoy their school experience and know they have an advocate for their interests. His goal is to help reduce stress, anxiety, and adolescent drama so students can focus on their classwork. He wants each student to feel challenged and expand their comfort zone. When Mr. Warlick is not at school, he enjoys exercising at the gym, swimming and other aquatic activities, and exploring the NOVA area.

Mr. Wright has been in the field of education for 20 years. Following college, he led pre-professional programs for high school students interested in medicine, law, and international relations. Over the past 10+ years he has held various teaching and leadership positions in independent schools. He believes the classroom should be a place of high engagement and deep thinking, where student-centered learning is emphasized. He holds an Ed.M. in Private School Leadership from Columbia University, an Ed.M. in Teaching and Curriculum from Harvard University, and a B.A. in Biology from Boston University. In his spare time, Mr. Wright enjoys spending time with his family, reading, playing soccer, hiking, traveling, and taking in all that Washington, D.C. has to offer.