Our Teachers

Thank you for considering The Goddard School to be your child’s best preschool experience. As a parent myself, I know the importance of a safe and nurturing learning environment. I believe that an early start to quality education is essential for a lifelong love of learning. Here at The Goddard School, we are dedicated to providing that utmost quality of care and education to the children in our community. I look forward to welcoming you to our beautiful school!

Mr. Fernando is the Operations Director, and has been with the school since the opening in 2013. Having two children of his own, he understands the importance of creating meaningful relationships and moments with both families and children alike. Mr. Fernando has always had a passion for teaching young children and is most known for his interactive storytelling across the school. He also loves creating environments designed to stimulate children and develop their critical thinking skills. When he's not at work, Mr. Fernando loves to spend his time at various sporting events and making memories with his family.

Mrs. Adriana is our Senior Associate Director here at the Goddard school. She has been with us since 2014 and originally started as the lead teacher in our older infant classroom, Jolly Jellyfish. She comes from a family line of preschool teachers and previously worked for MAAC Head Start. Working with the children and families here at Goddard is a passion she truly is grateful for. She loves teaching children through play, art, and other sensory activities and loves being able to over see all the classrooms. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with her two boys and husband.

Ms. Ninamarie joined the Goddard school in 2018 as an assistant teacher in our infant program and has worked alongside many of the younger classrooms. Though she is currently one of our Associate Directors, Ms. Nina loves visiting the classrooms and working with children of all ages. She received her Bachelors Degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Child and Adolescent Relationships in 2020 and aspires to continue building strong relationships here at the Goddard School.

Mrs. Shannon joined us in 2016 as the Lead Teacher in our Pre-K Program. She is now one of the Lead Teachers in our Transitional Kindergarten classroom. She has an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Child Development and has recently graduated form California State University of San Marcos with a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development. As the current Lead Teacher in Brilliant Blue Jays, Mrs. Shannon loves to prepare her kids for Kindergarten through a variety of interactive activities. Her main goal as a teacher is to provide a safe and positive learning environment for young children.

Ms. Tina joined our school in 2019 and has brought over 7 years of experience with her. She is currently the Co-Lead in Transitional Kindergarten classroom. She has her Associates Degree in Child Development and has a strong passion for working with children of all ages. Ms. Tina loves to get children excited about learning by bringing math and science alive through fun and exciting experiments/ activities. She believes that watching children grow is one of the most rewarding and cathartic careers one can have. When Ms. Tina isn’t at work she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, she also loves playing sports and getting out doors!

Ms. Kathryn joined the Goddard School in 2016 and is one of our Pre-K lead teachers. She received her Bachelors Degree in Child Development from California State University of Sacramento and has her State Permit in Child Development. Ms. Kathyrn loves to implement ASL into her daily curriculum to encourage knowledge of various languages. Throughout her years at the Goddard School, Ms. Kathryn has really fostered a love for watching children learn and grow.

Miss Darby is one of our Pre-K teachers in Zippy Zebras. She comes to Goddard with over 7 years of teaching experience. She is currently pursuing her BA in Early Childhood Education. In Ms. Darby's free time she enjoys playing video games, going to the beach and amusement parks.

Mrs. Patricia (Paty) joined our school in 2014 and is the Lead Teacher in our Preschool program. She has her Associate Degree in Child Development and has over 12 years of teaching experience. Working with young children is her passion and she loves to help them develop and learn new things each day. She brings new ways to challenge each child depending on their current skills and abilities. She does her best to make the class more interesting and exciting throughout the day by planning different activities that consist of creative learning, art, music, and lots of sensory play.

Ms. Michelle joined our school in 2022 and is a Co-Teacher in our Preschool classroom. Prior to working here at the Goddard School, Ms. Michelle worked at several volunteer internships involving children of all ages. It was at these internships she realized her true love for teaching young children. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Child Development from the California State University of San Marcos in 2022 and is eager to grow. In her free time Ms. Michelle loves to spend time with her family, try new restaurants and go to Disneyland!

Ms. Briana joined us as a teacher in our Preschool program and has developed a love and passion for teaching young children. She is currently a Lead Teacher in one of our Bridge, Get Set classrooms. She strives to create a welcoming and safe environment that fosters growth and discovery. Her main objective when teaching is to make learning fun and meaningful through a variety of activities. Ms. Briana received her Bachelors Degree in Liberal Arts from California State University of San Marcos in 2016.

Ms. Maren has joined us as the lead teacher for our Wise Whales classroom. She is currently attending school for her Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Elementary Education. Her goal is to create a nurturing and engaging environment, where children feel safe and are excited to learn. She loves how rewarding it is to watch children grow. She also values building trust with children and their parents. Ms. Maren loves animals and in her spare time is usually hiking with her dogs, at the beach, or spending time with her family.

Ms. Bernadette joined The Goddard School in 2014 and has supported in most of our programs from Infants through Pre-K. She has an Associate's Degree in Child Development and is pursuing her Bachelor's in the same field. She loves working with children because they are very curious about learning and their surroundings.

Ms. Elaine joined the Goddard School in 2015 as a Lead Teacher in our toddler program. She is currently the lead teacher in our Smart Starfish classroom but enjoys working with many of our younger classrooms. Ms. Elaine received her Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis on Preschool Education from the University of St. Thomas in the Philippines. She has a passion for teaching young children and loves to create a warm environment filled with art, academics and music.

Ms. Diana has recently joined us as a lead teacher in our toddler program. Prior to joining us, Ms. Diana had worked in childcare for numerous years and enjoys all age groups. Some of her favorite activities to implement in the classroom are manipulatives and creative art. She says that these activities allow for the children to best express their imagination. When she is not with us at school, Ms. Diana loves to explore the beach and different cities.

Ms. Maria Carroll joined us in 2022 as a Lead Teacher in our young Toddler program with lots of love and excitement for teaching young children. Ms. Maria's warmth and happiness create a nurturing and inviting environment that allows for growth and development. Some of her favorite activities with the children include music and movement as well as manipulative play. When Ms. Maria is not at school she can be found at the beach or watching her daughters play basketball!

Ms. Salia is one of our Toddler teachers. She was born and raised in Ensenada BC. She has been working with children since 2019. When she started her childcare journey, she started with Infants and has worked with children through Pre-K. What she enjoys most about being a teacher, is being able to create a positive classroom environment where children feel valued, supported, and encouraged. She loves watching the growth in her students. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Salia has a very playful 7 year old son. In her spare time she enjoys watching movies with her loved ones.

Ms. Maria is one of out Infant teachers in Baby Belugas. She joined our team after working for a Goddard School in Missouri. She has recently received her Associate's Degree in Education Studies and plans to get her Bachelor's as well. Some of Ms. Maria's favorite activities include art and sensory play, as she feels it brings out the most happiness in the children. When she is not at work, Ms. Maria loves to read and spend time at the beach!

Ms. Brenda joined The Goddard School in November of 2023 as a Teacher in our Infant Program. She is now one of our Toddler teachers in Jolly Jellyfish. Through the years, Ms. Brenda has found that she enjoys working with children of all ages because of how curious and creative they can become. Ms. Brenda implements Spanish into daily interaction with the children. Ms.Brenda loves the outdoors and often goes to Ocotillo Wells.

Mrs. Janelly is one of the lead teachers in our younger Infant Program, Baby Belugas. She started working with us in 2014 and has her Associates Degree in Child Development. She feels that working with young children is very rewarding because they are full of energy and that it is fascinating to see how much they learn and grow. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, watching movies and reading books.

Ms. Darcy joined The Goddard School in 2018 as a lead teacher in our infant program, she is currently a lead teacher in our "Baby Belugas" classroom. With over 10 years of experience in early childhood education, Ms. Darcy is extremely passionate about creating a warm and welcoming environment for young children. She believes that a strong foundation in early childhood will lead to a successful future.

Miss Jessica, who goes by Miss JP, is one of our Baby Beluga teachers. She has been working in early childhood development since 2006. She has taught all ages from Infants to Kindergarten. Miss JP's favorite part about teaching preschool, is seeing the children interact through play. She loves doing freestyle art with her students and seeing what they can create on their own. She enjoys having conversations with her students and watching them hit different milestones as they grow. When she is not teaching, she loves to read and spend time with her nephews.

Ms. Maria R. is the lead teacher on our Toddler classroom, Jolly Jellyfish. She has brought over 10 years of experience. She believes that creating a warm and inviting environment encourages a lifelong love for learning. She loves to implement various sensory activities to get as much participation as she can. When she is not at school, Ms. Maria loves to spend time with her family.

Ms. Monica joined the Goddard School in 2017 with love and passion for teaching young children. In 2019 she received her Bachelors in Child Development and is currently pursuing her Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy. Ms. Monica feels that working with children and watching them grow is very rewarding and exciting. She also loves introducing S.T.E.M activities into curriculum as it is a passion of hers. When Ms. Monica is not at work she loves to be outdoors exploring in her 4Runner.

Ms. Rhiannon joined our school in 2017 as a Teacher in our Infant and Toddler programs. She has completed her Early Childhood Education units and is currently pursuing a Bachelors Degree at the University of California San Diego. Ms. Rhiannon likes to think outside of the box to create new experiences for our students. She feels that making connections with learning at home to learning at school is an important bridge to education. Finding new ways for children to learn and finding out their passions is her favorite part of the job.

Ms. Esmeralda joined The Goddard School in 2023 as supporting teacher. She has over 15 years of experience and before joining our team, she worked at the Vista Unified School District with the Teen Parent Program. Ms. Esmeralda enjoys doing art, music and manipulative play with the children. On her free time she loves spending time with her family.