Hello Parents! My name is Lauren Smallwood and I am the On-site owner of The Goddard School in South Windsor. I was born and raised in Connecticut and studied at The University of Connecticut, where I earned my Master's. The Goddard School, which is where my husband and I turned to care for our own children, has made a lasting impact on our family. We recognize the importance of a safe and nurturing learning environment, so this is an exciting opportunity for me to provide the best in early childhood development for you and your family. We look forward to welcoming you to our new school in Evergreen Walk!

Andrea has worked in early childhood education since 2010. Her career began as an assistant teacher in Massachusetts, which is where she found her love of education. Andrea quickly gained increasing responsibility, owing to her dedication and passion, which eventually led to roles in administration. Andrea says one of the most rewarding aspects of being Center Director is that it allows her to inspire and motivate other educators to be the best in the field! Andrea holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development from Merrimack College, with a concentration in school and society – a program that was designed specifically to prepare for a career as a Center Director. She also holds a minor in Elementary Education. Andrea joined the Goddard school in February of 2023, and is excited to be here at the brand-new South Windsor location!

Ms. Alyssa began in the ECE field in 2011. She holds her bachelor of science degree from the University of Hartford in social sciences. She was a lead Goddard Get Set teacher for 6 years and a Goddard parent. In her spare time she loves to watch her son play baseball and spend time with their dog Missy! Her favorite thing about childcare is building a bond with the families and watching the children grow.

Ms. Katie began in the field of ECE in 2020. She holds her associates degree in General studies as well as her Head teacher certification issued by the state of Connecticut. Ms. Katie enjoys the field of early childhood education because she enjoys watching the little ones grow and explore the world. In her spare time, she enjoys paddle boarding, spending time outside and listening to music.

Mr. Moe began working in the ECE field in 2006. He holds not only early childhood education credentials but his bachelors in Human Services. He loves watching the children grow and develop. When they love coming to school, so does he! Mr. Moe enjoys playing music and is multi-talented with many different instruments. He also just enjoys having fun!

Ms. Emilee began in the ECE field in 2022. She holds her degree for Child Studies at Post University as well as her teaching credential from the state of Connecticut. For Emilee, her favorite part of education in watching children grow and achieve different milestones. She enjoys her free time by spending it with her daughter and family, going to the beach or pool, listening to music and coloring in adult coloring books. Ms. Emilee has lots of different interests!

Ms. Sydney began in the field of ECE in 2010. She holds her associates degree in Early Childhood Education She is in the process of obtaining her head teacher certification issued by the state of Connecticut as well! Her favorite thing about the field is the moment you can see a concept "clicking" for a child, aside from building those meaningful relationships with children and families. She loves the moment they truly understand something! Ms. Sydney loves to read, hike and spend time with family when she can!

Ms. Kyla began in the field of ECE in 2014. She has completed multiple coursed as ECSU and enjoys continuing to learn in the field. To start off her career she worked with before and after school care tailored to preschool aged children through second grade. She gained experience in different childcare centers and mainly works and enjoys preschool. In Ms. Kyla's spare time she enjoys things that have to do with make-up, fashion and music. For her, seeing a child's eyes light up when they understand or accomplish something new is what is is all about!

Ms. Jaime began in the ECE field in 1997. She has completed a number of college courses and continues to learn professionally and personally in the field. She feels that her experience with children is amazing. She loves to learn how to care for them and learn from them as well. They are loving, kind, smart and fun. Her favorite thing about childcare is simply being with the children and creating that bond together. In Ms. Jaime's spare time she loves going to concerts and seeing local bands. She also enjoys cooking, reading and baking. Most of all, Ms. Jaime loves spending time with family.

Ms. Jill began in the field of ECE in 1989. She has her bachelor’s degree in science from Courtland College and her master’s degree in social work from Syracuse University. A fun fact about Ms. Jill is she was a snow and water ski instructor for over 20 years! Her favorite thing about childcare is everything! Being around children brightens her day and she loves smiling and laughing with them. In her spare time, Ms. Jill loves to be outside, go running, going to the beach and digging for clams, watching football, and spending time with her three kids and her husband!

CieAnna has been working in childcare since 2014. CieAnna began her career teaching children how to swim, tutoring, nannying, and working with children with special needs. She has always loved working with children and it is one of her biggest passions. CieAnna was attending school to become a child psychologist/therapist before Covid hit, and is planning to continue her degree. She is a mother of 2 beautiful little girls who attend Goddard as well. In her free time she loves to go on adventures with her kids and make new core memories with them every chance she can get.

Ms. Ashley is new to the ECE field but has a lot of experience with her 5 younger siblings and younger cousins as well as observation hours and student teaching for school. Ms. Ashley obtained her associate degree in early childhood education where she found her love for ECE even more. Over the years she has experienced many different children with different personalities including siblings and cousins from her large family. Her favorite thing about childcare is making a positive difference in the lives of children and hearing the children laugh, seeing them smile, and sharing her kindness and positivity with them. In her spare time, Ms. Ashley loves traveling, spending time with her family and friends, being outdoors, photography along with drawing and writing.

Ms. Gia began in the field of ECE in 2015. She started off by working during her summers home as a teachers aid in pre-school classrooms where the experience led to her decision to go to school for teaching. She attended Quinnipiac University from 2016-2022, where she completed her Bachelors of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Sociology. Following that, she continued forward receiving her Masters of Arts in Teaching, specializing in Elementary Education. Ms. Gia's favorite thing about childcare is getting to see her students learn and grow as their personalities grow every day. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family back home in New Jersey and going to the beach with her family and friends. Her favorite thing to do during summer is spending time outdoors reading new books, along with crafting and decorating!

Ms. Elaine began in the field of ECE in 2020. She attended college for Early Education where her passion with working with children grew. She has worked with many age groups from infants to preschool. Ms. Elaine's favorite thing about childcare is helping and watching the children learn and grow. She loves being a part of their journeys and creating bonds with all of her kids. In her spare time, she loves to go shopping and spending time with her two children.

Ms. Ariel has been an Early Childhood Educator for nearly 17 years! She began as a school-age leader in high school, and continued working with various age groups until finding her niche as a Preschool teacher. Ariel has an Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education and continues her education through online trainings. When she is not in teacher mode Ariel enjoys spending as much time as possible with her family and her dog Aussie! She enjoys listening to live music, reading, taking care of her many plants, trying new restaurants, watching her favorite movies and TV shows, and spending time with the people she loves most! Ariel believes that the goal of education is to create a life-long love of learning.

Erica began working in the childcare field in 2012 as a substitute teacher in a preschool. Over the years she switched over to being an assistant teacher! Erica is currently going to school to become a nurse, with a goal of eventually becoming a pediatrician. Erica has a two year old daughter, and loves taking her on trips around the world and finding fun activities for them to do together! Erica's favorite thing about working in childcare is seeing her students learn new things, and watching their faces light up when something they are learning excites them!

Ms. Shade began in the ECE field in 2018 where she began baby-sitting for family friends. In 2021 she began working at a summer camp and the YMCA in the before and aftercare program where her love for working with children grew which led her here to The Goddard School. Ms. Shade is a mom to her young son Quincy who also attends the Goddard School. Her favorite thing about childcare is watching and being a part of the children growing and making her students happy! In her spare time, she loves shopping, make up and spending time with her son!

Ms. Anjaleek is new to ECE field. She is working towards her degree for Early Childhood Education. She found her love for working with children in high school where she was part of a program where she would go to elementary schools as a student helper and worked as a paraprofessional shortly after. Her favorite thing about childcare is helping kids learn and grow and showing and teaching new experiences! In her spare time she loves to spend time with her daughter and doing a lot of family activities together!

Ms. Cora began in the ECE field in 2021. He has her Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education from MCC. She has worked with preschoolers for over 3 years and has been to 3 Early Childhood public schools where she found her love for teaching. Her favorite thing about childcare is building loving and trusting relationships with each child that is in her care. In Ms. Cora's spare time she enjoys crocheting and selling scrunchies she makes along with going on hikes with her dog!

Ms. Olivia began in the field in 2020. She is currently working towards a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in leadership and administration. She has been working with children for the past three years along with nannying, babysitting, and working at a Sunday school. Her favorite thing about childcare is watching the children learn and grow over the years and creating relationships with the children and their families! In her spare time, she loves going to the beach, watching sunsets and roller-skating!