Meet Our Staff
Owner, Director
Marsha Wesley
Marsha is the owner of Reading Friends Keller and knows firsthand how important it is for children to develop a strong foundation and love for learning at a young age. After her two youngest children attended preschool at Reading Friends in Fort Worth, she and her husband, Lyn, were amazed at how well prepared their children were academically and developmentally. Marsha was so impressed with the program that she jumped at the opportunity to open her own Reading Friends location when the owner, Nancy Spencer, decided to franchise her business. She opened the doors to her first Reading Friends in 2002 in Colleyville, and opened the Keller location in 2008. Marsha graduated from Texas Tech University with a BBA in Marketing and spent most of her career in yellow page sales and publishing. She and Lyn have been married over 25 years and have four children, three children-in-law, and eight grandchildren.
K1 Kindergarten Lead Teacher
Dyslexia Services
Laurie Briggs, CALT
Laurie works as both the K1 Kindergarten teacher and with individual clients for Dyslexia Services after school hours. Laurie joined the Reading Friends family in 2008, after teaching 5th and 6th grades at White Settlement ISD and teaching 2nd grade for 9 years in Fort Worth ISD. She was a mentor teacher, a member of several curriculum development teams, a presenter at the district wide teacher inservice days, and presented on management and implementation of student learning centers in the classroom at the Texas State Teachers Association Annual Conference. Laurie has her Master of Arts in Teaching Multisensory Education from DBU. She has a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from UNT and holds a Lifetime Texas Teaching Certificate in Reading and Self-Contained. Laurie is also a Certified Academic Language Therapist, and has completed therapy-level training of the Shelton Academic Reading Approach at the Shelton School and Evaluation Center in Dallas. Laurie and Mark have 2 children.
Pre-K Language Teacher
Marcy Wetsel
Marcy joined the Reading Friends family in 2015, after retiring from 30 years in the public education system. She worked both as a teacher and in administration, eventually finishing her career as an Assistant Principal at the Elementary school level. Marcy has certifications in Special Education and as a Reading Specialist. She received her Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Tarleton and a Bachelor of Science in Education from UNT. Marcy and Gary have 3 children who are all married and three grandchildren: Zeke, Georgia, and Brooks.
Mackensie Chaffin, CALT
Director
Dyslexia Services
As Marsha’s middle daughter, Mackensie has been part of the Reading Friends family since its beginning, but returned to work in 2017 after her family moved back to Texas. Mackensie serves as the Assistant Director and helps Marsha run the office. In the afternoon, she works with individual clients for Dyslexia Services after school hours. Mackensie is a Certified Academic Language Therapist with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a minor in Child Development from TCU. She worked at Reading Friends during her time at TCU and then at the Read Write Center in Oklahoma City, where she taught dyslexic students to read. She tutors a limited number of students after school hours. Mackensie and her husband, Spencer, live in Grapevine with their 3 children: Lawrence, Annabelle, and Susanna.
Shanna Blair
K1 Kindergarten Teacher
Shanna started the 2020 school year as the K1 Kindergarten assistant teacher after teaching Pre-K Math and Gross Motor. Shanna rejoined the Reading Friends family in 2017 when she and her husband moved back to Texas. She had previously worked at the school for eight years before her move, both as a substitute and full time teacher. Shanna has a 16 year background in early childhood education and 13 years of experience as a legal assistant. She attended Lamar University. Shanna and her husband have four adult children.
Melissa Butler
Pre-K Art and Discovery Teacher
Melissa teaches Pre-K Art and Discovery. Melissa joined the Reading Friends family in 2012, after working at Fidelity for 10 years. She has a BBA in Finance from UTA. Melissa has a love for art, finding random animals, and instilling a love for the natural world with the students. Melissa and Blake have two children, three dogs, and a fish.
Kim Owens
Pre-K Math and Gross Motor Teacher
Kim teaches our Pre-K Math and Gross Motor. She first joined Reading Friends several years back as a substitute teacher. When a position opened on our Pre-K team in 2020, she was ready for the opportunity to join our staff full-time. Kim is known to tend to any scrapes, bumps, bruises, or wiggly teeth here at school. Kim and her husband have two daughters (both of whom frequently volunteer at our summer camps) and a son. Kim is a proud military wife, but is happy to have set down roots here in Keller after her husband's career with the U.S. Navy.
Yayi Polanco
Primary Math/Art/Gross Motor Teacher
Primary 5-day Teacher
Yayi teaches Math and Art Primary students. Yayi joined the Reading Friends family in 2008 after teaching in KISD and BET home groups. She also co-directed at Spanish School House for a year. Yayi has a BA in Elementary Education with certificates in Spanish and early childhood education. She is one of eight children in her family. Yayi and her husband have been married for over 25 years and have five children. She loves spending time with her family and friends enjoys the outdoors, going to the gym, listening to music, and sewing for fun.
Adriana Cesta-Tapia
Developmental Teacher
Office/Pre-K Aide
After visiting several preschools and day cares in the Keller and Southlake area for their kids, Adriana and her husband decided that the best option was Reading Friends of Keller. Adriana joined the Reading Friends Family in 2014 when a position opened up, and she jumped at the opportunity to work here. Adriana has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from a prestigious university in Mexico. In 2002, she and her husband, Pablo, moved to the United States to pursue new opportunities. She obtained a Master's degree in Administration from the University of Philadelphia in 2006. Adriana and her husband have a son and a daughter. She loves spending time with her family and participating in her children’s activities.
Natalie Sartell
Developmental Aide
Natalie is a Developmental teacher in the older 2's class with Ms. Carrie. As Marsha's oldest daughter, she has been a part of the Reading Friends family in different capacities over the years. She is happy to be here to teach and love on the students again. Natalie, and her husband Ryan, live in Keller with their two children, Ben and Emma.
Carrie Wood
Developmental Teacher
Carrie teaches our older Developmental class. Carrie joined the Reading Friends family in 2003. She has an Associate’s degree and a long background in Child Development for preschool-aged children. She has been teaching at Reading Friends for many years and shows great love for all the children she teaches. Carrie enjoys gardening, traveling with her husband, Tim, and spending time with their 3 children.
Mallory Pruneau
Primary Language/Gross Motor Teacher
Mallory teaches our Primary Language and Gross Motor classes. She began her teaching career in 2008 after graduating from Wittenberg University in Ohio with a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a license in Early Childhood Education and Special Education. She taught special education for students with mild to moderate disabilities at a middle school in Colorado prior to moving to Texas in late 2013. During this time, Mallory completed a graduate program in Autism, received a M.A. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, as well as her principal license. In early 2014, Mallory joined Grapevine-Colleyville ISD and opened and led an elementary site-based behavior unit before transitioning back to a special education resource teacher role serving students K-6 with mild to moderate disabilities. Mallory was trained to use the Multisensory Teaching Approach (MTA) for students with dyslexia and is a licensed Educational Diagnostician. In 2019, Mallory began staying home, which fortunately led to her family’s discovery of Reading Friends. Mallory and Michael live in Keller ISD with their three sons: Patrick, Tyler, and Luke, all of whom have attended Reading Friends. They also have a goldendoodle named Copper.
Lisa Grandberry
Developmental Teacher
K1 Kindergarten Aide