Our Goddard School Teachers

Lance and Michele Shimomura are parents of three children and are excited to own The Goddard School of Northfield. Lance was a stay-at-home dad and has over 25 years in business management. He volunteers with Kiwainis of NE Denver, Winter Park Volunteer Ski Patrol, and is a mountain bike coach for Green Mountain High School. Michele has a Master’s in Public Health and is passionate about promoting healthy living for children and families. Lance believes high quality preschools have “a safe, nurturing and fun environment as well as engaged teachers and an enriched curriculum.” They believe The Goddard School offers the best balance of academic preparation for success in school and social & emotional development. In addition to spending time with their children, Lance and Michele also enjoy skiing, biking, reading and swimming.

Education: Director Certificate, and Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education in progress. Ms. Maria has been in early childhood education since 2014 and at Goddard for over 10 years. She believes children learn best through play and when they are in a safe environment which the Goddard School provides for children. Her goal is to ultimately become a Kindergarten teacher. She loves spending time with her daughters and husband during her free time.

Ms. Jenna is excited to be the Director at The Goddard School. She graduated with a Masters degree in Special Education with a focus in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Denver. Her Bachelor's degree is in Psychology from West Virginia Wesleyan College and she has over ten years of experience working with children in a preschool setting, along with one on one therapy for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other diagnosed disabilities. Ms. Jenna brings positive vibes to Goddard every day! In her free time she enjoys being active; hiking, going to the gym, and spending time outside with her dog. Ms. Jenna also enjoys being with my family and taking trips into the mountains or going to the beach. She likes to travel to different states and countries with family.

Ms. Kellie was born and raised in Colorado. She has been in Early Childcare Education since 2008. She has worked with ages 3 to 6 years old in Jefferson County Public Schools and Littleton Public Schools before joining the Goddard family over 6 years ago. Ms. Kellie enjoys being a part of a safe and friendly environment and building strong relationships with every child. The best part of her day is receiving those special hugs from the children. Outside of work when Ms. Kellie is not spending time with her children and 6 grandchildren, she enjoys boating, hiking, and traveling.

Ms. Grecia has been working with toddlers for years! She finds teaching and this field incredibly rewarding. Along with finding it rewarding she loves the opportunity to learn and grow alongside the children. She is currently enrolled at CU Denver, in their Early Childhood Education program to expand her knowledge and skills to help young children develop during these extremely important early years. She is originally from El Paso, Texas, but moved to Denver with her husband, and 3-year old daughter in 2023. She is bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish. Ms. Grecia loves to incorporate both languages at Goddard! Ms. Grecia has shared that she is so excited to be able to guide the children at Goddard as well as cheering them on for these huge milestone in their lives. Outside of work on her free time Ms. Grecia enjoys finding local coffee shops, read, relax, as well as spending time outdoors with her family!

Ms. Ruby has been working with young children since she was 17 years old. Ms. Ruby loves working with children and is lead qualified. She has been a part of the Goddard family for nearly 10 years. Ms. Ruby brings her warm smile to all of our friends every day. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her children.

Ms. Sonia joined the Goddard family over a year ago. Originally she is from Mexico, where she taught preschool for 12 years. She loves to work with kids. Outside of work Ms. Sonia enjoys going on walks, read, ride her bike, and spending time with her family. Ms. Sonia is a very calm and spiritual individual. At home she has 3 pets (two cats & one bird).

Ms. Blanca is a preschool and infant teacher of over 10 years. She is enthusiastic with children, brings positive energy and a warm professional kindness. Working with children means a lot to her. Ms. Blanca believes guiding and caring for children during their early stages of development helps them learn, grow, and discover the world. She is very happy to be at Goddard and continue her wonderful experience in early childhood education. Ms. Blanca loves spending time with her son, especially doing activities that bring joy and fun.

Ms. Perla has been a part of the Goddard family for over three years. Ms. Perla's favorite part about working at Goddard is seeing how much growth each child makes! Her favorite color is blue and she adores roses. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her daughter and son.

Mrs. Lupe is a preschool teacher of 25 years with over 10 years at Goddard. When away from Goddard, she loves spending time with her family, doing all sorts of activities in Colorado like camping, traveling, rafting, and snowmobiling. Over the years, she has an uncanny ability to remember her Goddard friends, even when they're in high school! Mrs. Lupe has a diverse background, including college, that she brings to the classroom everyday.

Ms. Mariela discovered she is passionate for early childhood education. She is excited to be part of the Goddard family, and brings experience from a lot of in-home babysitting, as well as watching her nieces and nephews. Ms. Mariela is committed to being an ECT and enjoys learning more about ECE. Her favorite part about working at Goddard is watching children develop. Outside of work Ms. Mariela enjoys spending time with her family and going on walks.

Ms. Gina has been working with prekindergarten friends for three years and has a passion for helping little ones get ready for kindergarten. She is the youngest of three siblings, not counting her family dog, Toto! She wants to build strong relationships with children, families, and having fun. She likes to go shopping, and trying new things. Some of her favorite hobbies are reading mystery books, the color pink, and spring in Colorado!

Ms. Ky was born and raised in Colorado and has been at Goddard for almost 3 years . She is nearly finished with her bachelors degree from UNC. Ms. Ky's favorite part about teaching at Goddard is watching as students light up when they learn something new in the classroom. She welcomes friends with her warm smile everyday. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family and traveling.

Ms. Jenny has been in early childhood education for 8 years and started at Goddard in 2017. She enjoys focusing on social-emotional skills to build the foundation of self-regulation for friends. She enjoys being a support to the other Goddard teachers. Outside of work Ms. Jenny enjoys traveling, the outdoors, and a good adrenaline rush. One thing that really interests Ms. Jenny is entrepreneurism.

Ms. Amber has been working with children for over 15 years, and is a mother of two. She has her Early Childhood Director certificate. Ms. Amber adores working with children! Outside of work she enjoys spending time with family, and also loves going up to mountains to watch the leaves change. One of her goals for the classroom is to provide a fun, safe, and loving environment for the children.

Mrs. Lydia is a Colorado native. She is a wife and has 3 adult children, one son in law, and 5 grandkids. One fun fact, is that two of Mrs. Lydia's kids are twins. Mrs. Lydia has been working with kids for over 44 years. She has been a part of the Goddard family for over 6 years and worked in ECE for over 8 years. Mrs. Lydia loves working with children! Outside of work Mrs. Lydia enjoys traveling and long walks. She is also very family oriented!

Ms. Ruby was born and raised in Colorado. She has her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology, and also a certificate in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Ruby has worked with children ranging in ages from 8 months to 13 years old. Ms. Ruby has expressed how rewarding working with children is for her! Outside of work Ms. Ruby enjoys hiking with her three dogs and reading a good book!

Ms. Daisy found her inspiration to help guide the creative growth and development of children while working for an in-home provider. She has a passion for the fine arts and aspires to help children discover and explore different art forms. Ms. Daisy is very creative and invites friends to express their ideas and emotions through art. She enjoys music, theatre, writing, and spending time with family.

Ms. Jessica has been caring for children since high school. A little known fact about Ms. Jessica is she has her Phlebotomy certificate! She is so happy to be at Goddard; helping children to learn new things and seeing them develop. Sharing time with her family is her favorite activity including going to comedy shows, concerts, and basketball games. She is a big fan of the Nuggets and follows Nikola Jokic.

Ms. Morgan discovered early childhood education while at the University of New England. Her Bachelors degree is in Medical Biology, and she loves interacting with children while making them feel like school is home. Although Ms. Morgan is excited to be at Goddard, her goal is to someday work in pediatrics. Ms. Morgan enjoys playing volleyball, reading and enjoying time with friends.

Ms. Biance has worked in early childhood education for the past three years, and creates a nurturing and safe classroom environment. She makes sure every child feels seen, heard, and valued. Ms. Biance has a passion for reading, particulary books focused on spiritual an psychological growth. Outside of work she plays volleyball, tennis, and spends quality time with her boy friend and family, trying new recipes, and baking.

Ms. Stephanie has been a part of the Goddard family for over three years, and has shared with us that she has loved the experience. Outside of work she enjoys hanging out with family; husband and daughter, and friends, going around the city of Denver, trying out new restaurants, and enjoy the little things!

Ms. Heba has been a part of the Goddard family for over 5 years. She has her BA in Electronics of Computer Science, as well as her ECE lead certificate. Ms. Heba has been a kindergarten teacher and a primary teacher since 2007. She believes kids learn best through fun and when they are in a positive, fun, and healthy learning environment. Outside of work, Ms. Heba loves to spend her time with her sweet little daughter Amana and her lovely son Adam and Amir. With her family she enjoys swimming, boating, hiking, and traveling.

Ms. Dali has been with the Goddard family since 2023. Ms. Dali graduated with her Bachelor's Degree in Education in 2008. She was a 5th grade teacher for 3 years, and then became a flight attendant for about 10 years. After that, she moved to the United States in 2019. She absolutely loves being back working with children and making a difference in their lives each and every day. Her favorite part about working with children is engaging with the kids and providing a joyful environment.

Ms. Renne has been working in ECE since 2019, and has received her lead teacher certificate through the Community College of Denver. She enjoys drawing and decorating her classroom at Goddard for the past 3 years.She was born and raised in Colorado. Ms. Renne always strives to help each child grow, build positive relationships, have empathy, and as well as creating a fun environment. Outside of work Ms. Renne enjoys spending time with family and friends, as well as traveling.

Ms. Mirela was born in Cajinice, Bosnia, has one child, and has been married for 27 years. Her passion is helping people in need. She believes children are the best gift and is passionate about nurturing children's social-emotional growth, helping them develop empathy, kindness, and respect. She has worked with children since 2008. When she is not working she likes to sing and dance.

Ms. Kimberly has been caring for children for years. She recently graduated from Adams City High School and worked in retail before joining Goddard. Ms. Kimberly enjoys helping children learn, grow, and help them to express themselves. She is fluent in English and Spanish, and enjoys spending time with family.

Education: Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education. BS in Human Development with a minor in Elementary Education. Mrs. Karena has had a relationship with the Goddard School of Northfield since 2015. Ms. Karena began her journey in early childhood education as a Preschool and Kindergarten teacher. She is an experienced school education leader with prior roles as an Assistant Director and a School Director. Ms. Karena enjoys spending time with her husband, son, daughter and extended family, which includes her three younger siblings. Some of her other interests include going to the motocross track, camping, and cupcake decorating.