Nandita and Aasheesh Upadhyaya - Owners - Nandita and Aasheesh Upadhyaya are the owners of The Goddard School® located in Holly Springs. They have resided in the Triangle since 1995 and love being a part of this ever-growing and vibrant area. Aasheesh has an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill and has worked in various Technology Management and Leadership roles for over 20 years. Nandita has a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and has held a variety of Business Analysis and Technology roles for over 17 years. As parents of a young daughter, they recognize the importance of offering a safe and nurturing learning environment to meet the needs of other families in the rapidly growing Holly Springs community. Their experience as parents have made them particularly aware of the significance of providing a quality preschool setting with caring and professional teachers. Nandita and Aasheesh thank you for being a part of their Goddard family and look forward to getting to know each one you.
Faculty - At The Goddard School located in Holly Springs, we pride ourselves in our faculty. Our teachers meet or exceed the education and experience requirements for a North Carolina Five Star rated preschool.
We require 100% of our teachers to have First Aid and CPR certification.
All Infant room teachers have also completed SIDS training.
All of our teachers are encouraged to continue their education and training through local courses and through Goddard University. Goddard University offers continuing education from our home office at our School and off-site.
We also work closely with local resources to ensure our faculty is up-to-date in the latest concerning childcare education.
Ms. Barbi (Educational Director) Ms. Barbi is the Educational Director of The Goddard School located in Holly Springs. For the past fifteen years, Barbi has worked in early childcare and education in many capacities, with ten of those years in a leadership role. Barbi received a Bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences from Campbell University and is a Level 3 NC Administrator. In addition to her childcare experience, Barbi is a North Carolina approved trainer for childcare workers. Ms. Barbi is very proud to be leading the Management Team at The Goddard School. Her love and drive for the development of young children is an asset that helps The Goddard School develop and grow.
Ms. Sarah (Administrative Assistant) Ms. Sarah joins The Goddard School management team with 2 years experience as a Teacher and Administrator. She has her NC Credentials and is working on her Associate's degree in Education. Ms. Sarah is wonderfully patient with children and adults alike and is always working with a smile on her face.
Ms. Syreeta (Little Skippers) Ms. Syreeta is the Lead teacher in the Little Skippers classroom. She joins the Goddard family with an Associate Degree in Early Childhood. She has over 5 years of teaching experience in a preschool setting. Ms. Syreeta believes that every child is a gift, if you nurture and teach each child the right way, he or she will grow into a successful human being.
Ms. Nirmala (Little Skippers) Ms. Nirmala is the calm and composed Co-teacher in our Nursery program. She joins The Goddard School with her Lead Teacher credentials and also a Masters Degree in Commerce. She teaches through fun and play. Ms. Nirmala and Ms. Syreeta make a wonderful and nurturing team in our Infant program.
Ms. Jennifer (Adventurers) Ms. Jennifer is the Lead Teacher in our First Steps classroom. She has her Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education and comes to The Goddard School with about 8 years experience teaching toddlers. Ms. Jennifer's calm and composed personality is very soothing to the young toddlers and parents alike. Ms. Jennifer says that it is very important for a child to feel loved and nurtured every day and she will always stand by that.
Ms. Jeni (Pathfinders) Ms. Jeni is the lead teacher in our Young Toddlers classroom. She joined the Goddard family a year ago with a Bachelors of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences from Meredith College. She has over eight years of experience teaching toddlers and firmly believes that every child has an ability and love for learning, but it is the teacher’s responsibility to provide the child with the proper tools to succeed.
Ms. Miranda (Trailblazers) Ms. Miranda is the lead teacher in the Older Toddlers classroom. She has her AAS in Early Childhood Education and over 14 years of teaching experience. She has been with the Goddard family for the past 2 years. Ms. Miranda's love for learning, her experience and genuine love for the children are great assets to the children, parents and our school.
Ms. Ashley (JetSetters) Ms. Ashley is the lead teacher in the Get Set classroom. She joined our school a year ago with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Anthropology from the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and over 8 years of teaching experience. While she has worked with all age groups, she has found the two year old children to be her favorite age group.
Ms. Amanda (Navigators) Ms. Amanda is lead teacher of our Preschool 1 classroom. She joined our school over a year ago with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and has eight years of teaching experience. Ms. Amanda feels that it is important to encourage preschoolers to enjoy the world around them, respect others, love their friends and have the courage to try new things.
Ms. Martha (Explorers) Ms. Martha is the lead teacher in our Preschool 2 classroom. Ms. Martha has her NC Credentials and brings a little over 33 years of experience to this classroom. She has worked with Ms. Karen (Pre-K Lead) for the past 4 years. Ms. Martha's spirit along with her ability to use her experience to tackle any situation makes her a wonderful addition to the Goddard team.
Ms. Karen (Voyagers) Ms. Karen is the lead teacher of our Pre-K classroom for the past year. She has her Master's degree in Education and has over 12 years of experience teaching preschoolers. Ms. Karen's passion for education as well as her great use of resources are great assets to children, parents and The Goddard School.
Ms. Terry (Voyagers) Ms. Terry is the Assistant Teacher in our Pre-K classroom. She has about 2 years of experience working with children. Ms. Terry believes that each child is special in their own unique way; therefore she strives to help them to see what makes them one of a kind and why they should be proud of everything they accomplish.
Ms. Diane (2 year classrooms) Ms. Diane is the nurturing co-teacher in our 2 year old classrooms. She has her NC Credentials and has been caring for children aged 2-3 years for over 14 years. She has been with the Goddard school at Holly Springs from its inception. She believes that children learn through play and exploring their surrounding through touch, sight and sound.
Ms. Dustin (Program Support Specialist) Ms. Dustin is a Program Support Specialist. She is available to assist teachers throughout the school. Ms. Dustin and her cheerful disposition are a great addition to The Goddard School team. Ms. Dustin has her NC Credentials and is pursuing an Associate's degree in Early Childhood.