Our Goddard School Teachers

Ms. Van has been the Owner of the Goddard School on Higley Road since 2011. She has over 25 years of experience in the education field in various capacities, from preschool teacher to vice-principal of a public elementary school. Ms. Van believes the children have an incredible capacity to learn in the early years. A day we waste teaching something new to a child is a day lost forever. Children who enter kindergarten should have a good foundation to accelerate future learning. That is why the Wonder of Learning and STEAM curriculum at this school is very robust to prepare our students for that step. Ms. Van earned a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. She taught her two daughters to read before four years old. One of the children skipped 8th grade, graduated from Berkeley University. The other one skipped Kindergarten, graduated from Stanford University, and also received a Master's degree from Berkeley.

Ms. Mykelanne is our wonderful Director of Education. Ms. Mykelanne joined our Goddard School on Higley Road in August 2012. She has extensive experience as a teacher as well as a successful administrator at a high-standard preschool before joining The Goddard School. Mykelanne has a solid record in providing training to teachers and serving the children and parents with dedication and care. Ms. Mykelanne attended Cerritos College in Early Childhood Development/Child and Family Organizations and Management and a CDA from Successful Solutions Professional Development.

Ms. Brooke just loves music and Netflix movies! And she loves the movie Monster Inc. In working with children, her guiding principle includes Patience, Kindness, and Encouragement. Before coming to the Goddards school on Higley Road, Ms. Brookes had extensive experience working in reputable licensed preschools in the Valley.

Ms. Annaliese has extensive experience as a preschool teacher in the 2 to school-age groups. She loves working with children because she feels happy when helping them learn and grow. She still keeps her fond memory of when her 4th-grade teacher taught her how to garden. She loves the children's song “Roar Like A Lion” because her son always jumps to that song. It makes her laugh! Ms. Annaliese’s favorite place on earth is a cabin surrounded by tall, green pine trees.

Ms. Beth earns a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Sorsogon State College. She has extensive experience with 2-y to Pre-K age groups. Her approach to teaching is to build a good relationship and provide interactive, fun, and appropriate learning activities. Ms. Beth loves working with children because their laughter and innocent humor make her happy. One thing she learns from her Mom is that “being humble and kind is important”. Ms. Beth’s favorite book is The Giving Tree.

Ms. Christine's single focus at the Goddard School is to prepare our students to be in the top tier of their Kindergarten class next year. She has been with The Goddard School on Higley Road since 2014. She has over 18 years as a "Kindergarten Readiness Teacher & Specialist". She also has many years of experience in management as an Assistant Director of a national preschool in the Valley. Ms. Christine is an avid reader. Her favorite children's book is "The Lorax". From her students, she learns "to be more open and live in the moment. It's all about right now".

Ms. Tania has over 4 years of experience in teaching pre-K to 6th grade when she came to the Goddard School on Higley Road. Her success was due to her approach to teaching: teaching must be interactive and based on clear communication with the students and the parents. She learned one important thing from her Mom: Always be honest no matter what. She feels happy when she makes someone’s day special. Her favorite children’s book is The Giving Tree. After reading the book, Ms. Tania felt like someone was always there for her even though she might feel lonely at the moment. Her favorite children’s movie is “The Land Before Time” because it shows you how strong friendship could be.

Ms. Valerie's hero is her Mom who made some tough decisions, sacrificing herself, for the family. Before coming to the Goddard School on Higley Road, she has extensive experience working with children from infant to 3. Ms. Valerie loves to see her students reach the milestone. It makes her smile knowing she had a hand in making it happen.

Ms. Alisa has extensive experience in leading students in the 1-3-year-old groups. She recognizes each student is different and requires a different learning style thus the teachers need to have different approaches for the students. She loves to read Dr. Seus’ books and loves anything Disney. No wonder her favorite children’s movie is Mullan. She also loves the song You Are My Sunshine since her Mom always sang that song to her at bedtime. She still finds herself humming the song without even thinking.

Ms. Grace

Ms. Mackenzie

Ms. Jennifer