The first few years in a child's life are the formative years for their development. The Goddard School recognizes the importance of a well rounded curiculum that is age appropriate and based on the child's interests. The environment and experiences at our school sets the foundation for lifelong learning. Suresh, my husband and I are very happy to offer the Goddard school to our children here at San Ramon. We have been residents of the San Ramon area for over 25 years. I have a Master's Degree in Accounting and have enjoyed the time as an active volunteer at the local elementary and middle school in the past when my own kids were growing up. My family enjoys spending time together hiking, traveling, golfing, and trips to the parks and new places.

I believe that when children have opportunities to select their own activities, they are in a strong position to learn from them. Each child develops at her/his own pace, and if given ample time and resources to explore and discover things unfettered, they can become more self-aware and confident in their abilities. It is a teacher’s responsibility to create a nurturing environment that promotes learning through self-discovery. I have been working in the field since 2010. My first experience in childcare was at a local non-profit organization then I worked for 5 ½ years at a private preschool in Oakland as a Lead Toddler teacher and administrator. I attended Merritt College studying Biology and later received my Teacher’s permit in Early Childhood Education. I then continued my education in the ECE field working towards a Bachelor's degree.

I have been teaching in a child care center since 2006 and have been caring for children since I was eleven years old. I love to see children learn and grow. Seeing their "firsts" is amazing and something that will always bring a smile to my face. I have three beautiful children of my own who are growing up too fast. I also enjoy spending time with my niece and her son. My family and I always have fun doing the littlest things in life.

I have a teaching certificate in Early Childhood Development and I am currently pursuing attaining my AA degree in Early Childhood Development. Ever since I was little I have always loved kids and knew one day I would work with them. I have a lot of experience being the oldest of 6 kids and I have been babysitting for over 13 years and have worked in a childcare setting for 5 1/2 years. I love getting to be a part of a child's life and watching them learn, develop and get so excited when they discover new things. The happiness, love, smiles, cuteness, and innocence of a child is priceless. Working with children brings me pure joy and I feel caring for them is a part of who I am. When I am not caring for children, I love spending time with my younger sisters, shopping, and hanging out with friends.

My name is Sireesha Mallela. My experience working with young children comes from volunteering at my daughter's school. I enjoy working with preschoolers which is why I am currently enrolled in Early Childhood classes. I am excited and look forward to learning more about young children and growing as a teacher. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my daughters, cooking, listening to music, and traveling.

Hi I am Anushaa Purushotham. I have a bachelor's degree in business administration. After my son was born I became interested in learning about the education system so I decided to take ECE courses at Las Positas College. I began working at a small preschool but took a break when my second child was born. In my spare time, I like to garden, watch movies and try new recipes.

My name is Sheri. I have 15 years of experience working in a child care center and almost 10 years experience as a nanny. I have worked with ages newborn to 12 years and have enjoyed every age I've worked with but I have a soft spot for preschool. I especially love science, sensory, math and art. The messier the activity the better! I believe that if a child has a positive attitude and great self esteem they can accomplish whatever they set their mind to. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, baking and scrapbooking.

My name is Mithu Biswas. I enjoy being around kids and helping them. I believe that a teacher's role is to always make students feel comfortable to learn and that a classroom should always be ready to fulfill the needs of students. I am currently enrolled in Early Childhood Education classes to become a fully qualified teacher.

I have been working with children for over 12 years now. I started taking early childhood education courses while living and Florida. Working with children fills my heart every day. It is a blessing for me to be around all these precious children- they are so unique and pure! I am married and I have been blessed with two children of my own. My family is my inspiration!

My name is Vaidehi Naik. I discovered my passion for teaching at my previous job where I worked as a teacher's assistant at an elementary school for three years. I worked with 1st and 2nd graders. I am excited and look forward to working as a preschool teacher. In my free time, I enjoy different types of art such as watercolors, jewelry making, and other small crafts. I also really enjoy baking. I love finding new recipes to try out! I love spending time in nature as well.

My name is Marina Gaid. I have worked in the early childhood development field for several years. After completing my bachelor's degree at the University of Alexandria in Egypt, I worked at a school for 3 years prior to moving to the U.S in 2018. I also have Montessori training and have worked at a Montessori school for several months. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and two sons. I also enjoy sports and reading.

My name is Samantha and I have been teaching for over 15 years. I’ve worked with kids from infant age up to 8th grade. I love the connections I make with my students and their wonderful families. My favorite part of teaching is when a student has that “lightbulb” moment. When they fully understand the topic being taught makes me blessed to know I’m making a difference in that child. I live in San Francisco with my husband, our two beautiful daughters, and our two cats. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, watching movies and shows, and organizing.

I am originally from Lebanon. I came to the United States in 2020 with my family and decided to pursue a degree in Early Childhood Education. I enjoy working with children and want to be a part of creating the best environment for them to learn and develop. My experience as a mother of 5 has been a tool when working with children. It has made me more knowledgeable about children's needs to learn and grow in a great environment. In my spare time, I enjoy exercising. I am a certified Zumba and pilates instructor.

I started with The Goddard School in December 2017 and I am glad to be a member of this family! I really enjoy working with children and my love for nature and the outdoors allows me to provide children with unique growth and learning opportunities. It's such a pleasure to work with these kids and watch them achieve their first milestones in life. I was born and raised in India. I live in San Ramon with my husband. I have a bachelor degree in Electronics engineering from Biju Patnaik University of Technology, India. I am pursuing my ECE courses from Diablo Valley College. In my spare time I love to spend time with family and friends. I love cooking, shopping, and traveling to new places. Every day I look forward in my journey here at The Goddard School and furnishing all children with the affection and care that they deserve.

Hi! My name is Poonam Patil. I grew up in India. I received my master's in biotechnology in India. I worked as an R&D engineer in a lab. After moving to the USA, I had SQA engineer training. I worked as a QA engineer trainer in a software company in Santa Clara. After having a child and spending a lot of time with her and at her pre-school as a volunteer, I was drawn towards the ECE field. I found my calling. I completed my first ECE classes and am currently enrolled for the fall semester. I have a 5-year-old daughter. I like to read books for her. I feel passionate about teaching my kids kindness, respect, and compassion for others. My hobbies include cooking, teaching, reading, and traveling. I will do my best to provide a fun, positive, and loving environment where your child will learn and grow academically, socially, and emotionally. I will consistently give them love and support to build a strong foundation in life.

My name is Viji and I believe that all children are unique, which allows for them to have different needs and styles of learning. When I think about my role as a teacher, I always focus on building positive relationships with the children because I believe that building positive relationships with children impacts children's development, behavior, and readiness to learn. I graduated from Las Positas College in the spring of 2017 and have an AA degree in Early Childhood Development. After attending Las Positas college I also worked in their Child Development Center. I have been working in the field of early childhood since 2014. In addition, I worked with school-age children at an elementary school in Pleasanton from 2007 to 2016. I am married to a wonderful husband and we have two daughters. Also, I have a poodle named Max. In my free time, I like to cook various cultural's foods for my family, as well as gardening and making flower arrangements.

If I were to describe myself, I would say that I am silly, energetic and fun. I've been working with children for the past 10 years and enjoy every moment of it. I have a BA in child development from CSU, Chico. My purpose in life is to impact as many individuals that I can and bring out their full potential. There is a greatness in all of us, including children, they just need someone to help pull it out of them!

My name is Terra Wise. I have worked with infants through 5th grade since 1997. I have taken ece courses from DVC and hold an AA in Early Childhood Education. I am a mom to a teenage boy. I love music, hiking, and gardening. Art of all kinds is my passion. I enjoy the sciences and learning new things.

Ever since I was a child, I knew that teaching was my passion, and having both parents in the teaching field, only motivated me more to pursue a teaching career in foreign languages. I strongly believe that knowing other languages makes you understand the world better, embrace diversity, and learn from other cultures. In my 40 years of teaching, I have had the opportunity to teach at all levels of instruction: infants, toddlers, school-age, teenagers, and adults. I have an MA in Education from California State University, Sacramento, and a BA in Economics from UCA, a Jesuit University in El Salvador. A certificate in Foreign Language Teaching from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. I speak Spanish, English, and basic German. Some of my hobbies include reading, swimming, and watching baseball.

My name is Lei(Grace) Fu. I was born and raised in China. I relocated to the United States in 2019. I have worked in human resources and business since I graduated from university but becoming a preschool teacher has always been a dream in my heart. I worked as a volunteer at my daughter's preschool for three years and later helped take care of the children in my community. I'm interested in teaching and I feel happy when working with children. I am now working towards a certificate in teaching. My hobbies include cooking, yoga, hiking, playing sports, gardening, and music.

Hi, my name is Deena Flynn, I have raised two sons, Aaron and Devin. I have been working with children and their families for over 30 years. I started working in a Christian school as an aide at the age of 16. I graduated high school in Goleta, California, and married at 25 which led me to the bay area. I choose to go to Diablo Valley College to become a childcare provider. I then started working at my older son's after school care at Walnut Acers Children's Center. As my life change and my children went off to college an into the world, I found myself working with wondrful families and co-teachers at Goddard. It has always been a passion of mine to see children succeed and grow. Children bring so much joy to the world. I enjoy music, art, and dancing. I also enjoy spending time with my family and friends which is the best gift in life.

My name is Prathima and I grew up in India. I love working with children because it brings me so much happiness to be a part of the beginning stages of their education journey. I have been working with children as a volunteer for more than 10 years, so childhood education has always been my calling. I have a strong support system with my husband and two wonderful kids. Some of my favorite hobbies are cooking, hiking, and music.

My name is Emilia Brett. I am originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico but have been living in California for almost 7 years. I graduated from California State University East Bay with a BA in Spanish and I am currently working towards a teacher certificate in Early Childhood. My love of being a teacher and working with children came after I graduated college. I have been working with children for a few years now. I have worked with school-age, toddlers and infants. My hobbies are cooking, reading and hiking.