Our Goddard School Teachers

Hello! My name is Mr. Sam. My wife Anu and I are the proud owners of The Goddard School in Saint Augustine. We live in Saint Johns with our two children. My educational background includes a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science and Technology. We’re so excited to bring such a high-quality pre-school program to our community. Saint Johns/Saint Augustine is an amazing place to live and raise a family and we are honored to be a part of a program that helps shape the early childhood development for so many children in our community. "We want all children to have a quality preschool environment where they can develop into joyful, confident learners who are successful and have a lifelong love of learning". Before opening our Goddard School, I worked in IT field as a Project Manager and Solutions Architect at Fortune 500 companies. During my free time I enjoy spending time with my family. I am beyond thrilled to be able to spend my days with the amazing children that attend our Goddard School®. I look forward to meeting you and showing you our amazing school. It truly is a campus as opposed to your typical childcare center. It features a state-of-the-art multi-purpose room with a Obie/iBeam interactive teaching projector and many more educational activities! Our huge secure playground with specialized surfacing allows children to spend more time outside. During a tour of our facility, you can see these and many other features that make our program so special. But the heart of our program is the experienced and talented faculty that deliver cutting edge education programs for your child.

Hello, my name is Tammy Torres. My husband and I moved to St Johns over 25 years ago. We have four children and 8 grandchildren. I have worked in Early Childhood Education since 1997. I have been with The Goddard Schools as a Director since 2008. I started my career in Early Childhood Education as a Pre- Kindergarten teacher, after which I taught Kindergarten and then became an Assistant Director and progressed to Director. I have my Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and Management, Early Childhood Education Staff Credential, and Advanced Florida Director Credential with VPK and Trauma Informed Care endorsements. I am very proud to work for The Goddard School and to be a part of an experienced and dedicated team of Early Childhood Education professionals. It is very rewarding to work with children and ensure that they have a happy, safe, and loving environment in which they can learn as they grow.

Hello Everyone! My name is Mary Flowers, and I am very excited about being your child’s teacher here at Goddard. I have been in the education field for 15 years and I love it. I am married and have 3 children and I have been in St. Johns County for over 30 years. I am really looking forward to this school year and helping your child succeed and learn to love school.

Hello, my name is Lakshmi Sreekumar. I am originally from India. I moved to the US in 2000. I have a Bachelor's degree in Education from India. I enjoy working with children. I have completed my DCF 45 hours of training and am CPR and first aid certified. I started working as an assistant VPK teacher in 2018. I am so happy to be a part of the amazing team at The Goddard School and I am excited to work with your children and help them grow and learn!

My name is Ms. Holli, and I've been working here at Goddard since September 2022 as an assistant teacher in VPK. I started working with children in 2006; from ages 6 weeks to 18 years old, in various capacities such as substitute teacher, tutor, camp counselor and now teacher. In 2013, I earned my master's degree in education, Reading Instruction. I love teaching children to read. I live in Jacksonville with my husband George and children Jeremiah and Jasmine as well as our four furry puppies, Patience, Luna Lu, Blue Ivy and Minovery.

Hello, my name is Lauren Castaldo. I have worked professionally in early childcare education since 2018 and have been volunteering in church nurseries since 2008. All my life I have had a passion for working with children, even as a child, in group settings I would take it upon myself to look after the younger children. I started my professional career working as a two-year-old teacher in Ponte Vedra. I took a brief break from teaching in 2020 when I was offered a job as an Activities Director at an Independent Living Senior Community. Working with seniors was rewarding in its own way and while I miss the relationships, I have developed with the community I was happy to be given the opportunity to join the amazing team here at Goddard and be back where I belong, working with kids!

Hi, my name is Fayth. I was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. I have been working in childcare for 8 years, including serving in my church’s nursery. I am currently working towards the completion of my DCF 45 hours of training. Since I was young, I always wanted to work with children and amongst anyone who knows me says I have a gift. It is vital to teach through love and kindness. Having the ability to witness the little babies growing and becoming their own person makes my heart burst. I am so excited to get to know all your little ones!

Hello, my name is Nathalia. I am originally from Nicaragua. I have only been living in the Jacksonville area for a short time, but I am really loving it. I enjoy working with children and getting to be a part of their growth process. I am currently CPR and First Aid certified and have started working on my DCF 45-hour training courses. In my free time, I enjoy dancing, traveling, and getting to visit new places. I am grateful for the opportunity to work at The Goddard school and be a part of this amazing team and each of your children's journey.

Hi, my name is Emily, and I was born in Miami, FL. My family moved to St. Augustine when I was a year old, looking for a better community and better schools for my older sister and I. Time does go by too fast, I am currently in my second year of college working on getting my degree in Business and Criminology. I am CPR/First Aid Certified and working toward completing my 45-hours DCF training. I’ve always loved taking care of children, and as I got older, I became a babysitter for my nearby neighbors. I guess I can say that I have always been surrounded by little ones, watching my mom take care of us and my little cousins made me develop that nurturing, loving and caring person I am today. Watching little ones develop their personalities and learning new skills brings so much joy to me! Fun Facts about me, I enjoy going to the beach/pool, wherever there is sun and tanning! I love reading, going to Disney, mostly being with family. I am looking forward to taking care of your child!

Hi, I'm Ms. Melissa. I am currently pursuing a degree in education to become a kindergarten teacher. I'm driven by my love for children and a passion for fostering their growth. I believe in creating a supportive and engaging classroom, where every child can thrive and discover their full potential. I am excited to inspire young minds and witness their daily progress.

Hello, my name is Heidi, and I am the lead teacher in our 3-year-old classroom. I have over 3 years experience in Early Childhood Education. I have worked with all ages, and I really love working with this age group.

Hello, I'm Ms. Rachel. With over 30 years of experience in Early Childhood Education, I'm passionate about creating a fun and engaging learning environment for young children. Watching them discover new things and grow through play is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. I believe in fostering curiosity, creativity, and kindness every day in the classroom. I can't wait to share this exciting learning journey with your little ones.

Hello, my name is Ms. Colette, my husband and I have two children, a son and a daughter. We live in Mandarin, and I have worked for The Goddard School since 2018. I helped open this school in August 2020 and am proud to have been here since the first day. I have worked with many different ages, but at the heart of it I love working with the infants the most. I am now working in VPK, and I am excited to be working with the older children and helping them get ready to go into kindergarten.

I'm Jennifer and I'm a part-time resource teacher at the Goddard School. I've been with Goddard since 2018. I was born and raised in FL. I have 4 children and recently had my first granddaughter! I have worked in Early Childhood for over 20 years! I truly enjoy caring, nurturing, and guiding children of all ages! I love every moment of being an educator.

Hello my name is Brenda I am originally from Puerto Rico, I moved to St Augustine in 2019 and I started working for Goddard in August 2024. I am a mother of 2 beautiful boys and a grandmother of 3. I love working for Goddard because I love children and they need to be cared for as a family. The best part of childcare is taking care of the of the children and help them in the learning process.

Hello! My name is Jesse Calero, and I’m originally from Nicaragua. I have completed the DCF 45-hour training and bring a deep passion for working with infants. I find so much joy in their tenderness and the pure, unconditional love they share. Nothing makes me happier than seeing them happy and thriving. I’m proud to be part of the dedicated and caring team here at The Goddard School, where we nurture and support every child’s early development.

My name is Ola, a dedicated and passionate educator with over 12 years of comprehensive experience nurturing young learners. My teaching journey began when I spent three years developing foundational social and emotional skills in our youngest children. I dedicated 4 years to playgroup teaching and for the last 5 years I have been part of a Kindergarten program. My background in Business studies, with a major in marketing, which provides me with a unique skill set that enhances my ability to create compelling and welcoming classroom environments, communicate effectively with families and develop dynamic learning programs that truly resonate. I am skilled in creating a supportive and stimulating classroom environment where every child feels valued and empowered to explore, learn and grow.

Hello! My name is Celine, and I’m excited to be part of your child’s early learning journey. I’m passionate about creating a warm, nurturing environment where little ones can grow, explore, and discover the world around them. I look forward to caring for your child and supporting their development every step of the way.

Hi yall, my name is Alesia. I have worked in childcare for about 2 and a half years. I love watching children grow and see them develop their little minds. I have my 45hour DCF training and plant to get my CDA. I also serve at my church on the kids side. I am from Washington state and enjoy going to the beach, being with family and worshiping. I am excited to get to know everyone and can't wait to see where working here takes me.

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