Our Teachers

Liz Scott is one of the new On-site Owners of the school. She has a Bachelor's Degree from Georgia Tech and an MBA in Real Estate & Corporate Finance from Georgia State University. She and her family have lived in Ponte Vedra Beach for a decade after moving to the area from Atlanta. Their love for the community lead them to opening the Goddard School of Ponte Vedra Beach in June 2016. Liz and her husband, Trey, have three children, a son and twin daughters. As a family they love to travel to new places, enjoy time on the beach and watching their children discover new hobbies! "I am honored to be a part of such a high quality pre-school program in the Julington Creek community. St. John's County is an amazing place to live and raise a family and I am honored to be a part of a program that helps shape the early childhood development for so many children in this community where children can grow and develop a lifelong love of learning." -Liz Scott

Marie Ann is the Regional Director for Goddard Julington Creek, Goddard Ponte Vedra Beach & Baymeadows/Etown. She has been part of the organization since 2016 and has three decades in the Early Childhood Education field. Marie Ann has a Bachelor’s in early childhood education from an England university, where she grew up. Additionally, she holds a National CDA in Early Childhood Education and a Director’s License. In 2002 she created and launched a language school known as “Kids Club – Vilajuiga” located in Catalunya, Spain, predominantly teaching English to non-native speakers. During this time, she also worked as a consultant language teacher for local schools and became a qualified and recognized examiner/invigilator for Cambridge University. Though originally from England, Marie Ann moved to the states in 2011 and has called it home since! Marie Ann and her husband have three grown children.

Paula Joined Goddard in 2023 as Executive Director. She has 27 years’ experience working with children. She has been a director for 26 of those years. She holds a degree in Early Childcare Management, Advanced Directors Credential, and a Staff Credential. Originally from Indiana, Paula moved to Florida in 1997 with her family. She married her high school sweetheart and has 2 adult children. Paula’s hobbies are boating, shopping, and spending time with family and friends.

Cathy joined us in 2021 as the Director of Operations. She has spent the last 25+ years in the Early Childhood Development field in various capacities. She holds her CDA in Early Childhood Education, a Career Studies Certificate in Early Childhood and a Director's Credential. Cathy has lived all over the country, from California to Virginia Beach to New Mexico and, in 2006, put her roots down in Jacksonville. With three children of her own, and thirteen grandchildren ranging in age from infants to teenagers, Cathy has always had a love for watching little ones grow and learn. When she's not at work, Cathy enjoys being active outside and is a self-proclaimed thrill-seeker! Camping, outdoor activities, sky diving and roller coasters make the top of her favorites list.

Chelsea is our Assistant Director of Curriculum & Compliance. She has nearly a decade of experience in Early Childcare. She holds a National CDA, a Staff and Directors credential. She also has an associate degree from Florida State College at Jacksonville. Chelsea joined Goddard in 2021. Chelsea moved to Jacksonville in 2010 from Concord, NC. Outside of work, Ms. Chelsea enjoys being outside at the beach or pool and traveling! She also loves spending time with her husband and their daughter, Reagan!

Amelia is the Regional Director of Compliance and Standards. She has her Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education from the Univ. of North Florida and a Master's in Educational Leadership. As the Regional Director of Compliance & Standards Amelia is responsible for ensuring licensing and compliance within all the school as well as maintaining the Quality Assurance program in regards to health and safety which the Goddard brand is known for. Amelia has spent many years working in the Early Childhood Development arena at several highly respected schools. She joined the Goddard PVB family in early 2019. She has two young children, a son Vaughan and a daughter Vivian.

Christina joined the Goddard family in Feb of 2022 as our Director of Business & Marketing. Christina oversees all admissions for all three schools with a focus on managing and growing enrollments and welcoming new families to the schools. She is also responsible for all marketing initiatives and will be the point person on all billing and accounts receivable processes. Christina's background is in admissions and marketing with charter schools within the public sector in Duval and St. John's Co and she is excited to be a part of the early childhood education industry!. We are SO thrilled to have Christina join our team as she has already made such a difference for our new families and in her efforts to support the management team at all three locations!

Savanah Hejl joined our team in August as an Administrative Associate. With the announcement of the Nocatee school, Savanah will now step into her new role as Business & Marketing Associate over all school locations - assisting with school admissions, marketing initiatives, faculty engagement, and operational support. Savanah will work out of the Baymeadows location three days a week (MWF) to support the school and assist the management team and teachers with day-to-day operations. If you happen to see her at the front desk or in the classroom, please don't hesitate to say hello or ask for assistance! When she is not working, Savanah enjoys spending time with her husband, two daughters, and their dog, Whalen. Fun fact about Savanah, she has lived in four different states, moving around with her Military family. Her favorite being Alaska, where she lived for three years!

Ms. Diana is a Prekindergarten (VPK)teacher in the Fish Camp classroom. Ms. Diana has worked in childcare since 1998 and received her Florida Child Care Professional Credential in 2010. She previously worked at The Goddard School for 14 years as a Prekindergarten (VPK) teacher and has loved the opportunity to be a part of the children's lives during their early education years. "I enjoy teaching and believe a good foundation is fundamental in setting children up for a love of learning throughout their lives. I have an incredible husband and two awesome children that mean the world to me. When not at work I enjoy spending time with family and friends, reading, cooking, and baking."

Nika is a Pre-kindergarten (VPK) teacher in the Talbot Island classroom. Nika joined us in August 2022. She went to school for Interiors Design at the Art Institute of Charleston. She is currently working on her Early Childhood Education Degree at Tidewater Community College. Nika has been working in early childhood education for over 12 years. She was born and raised in Virginia. Nika went to college in South Carolina where she met her husband. After college, they moved to Charlotte, NC then back to Virginia Beach. Nika has two girls, Selena and Gabriella. Nika loves to be at the beach and read in her free time!

Ms. Jenna has worked with children for 5 years. She has experience with both VPK and extended day in the school system. She recently obtained her Associates degree from Florida State College at Jacksonville, and is working on pursuing her Bachelors degree! Ms. Jenna comes from a big family. She has five brothers and one sister and has always had a natural ability to care and teach children. Although she has no children of her own, she does have a cat child who exhaust her and eats through her wallet like an actual human. In her spare time, Ms. Jenna enjoys going to farmers markets, swimming, and bird watching on her porch with her cat son , Hazel.

Ms. Courtney has been working with children for five years and has taught ages infant all the way to PreK. She has an A.S in Early Childhood Management, an A.A in the arts and a B.S in Human services with a minor in Education. Ms. Courtney is a Disney fanatic, especially Minnie Mouse! She loves to spend time with her family and her pets, which she considers them her siblings since she is an only child!

Ms. Shannon is a teacher in the Adventures Classroom. Ms. Shannon has worked in early childhood education for over 25 years. She has worked with infants through after school. She had her Associate Degree in Art, Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, and master’s degree in education leadership. Ms. Shannon has always had a passion for children. She has worked in many schools and has gained more experience with each group she has taught. Ms. Shannon loves to read, spend time at the beach and enjoy going to the mountains. She has one daughter Jordin and a granddaughter named Charlotte. Ms. Shannon is extremely excited to be here at Goddard and to be a part of our team!

Ms. Joviette is a teacher in the Explorers Classroom. Ms. Joviette joined us in August 2022. She has her Bachelor’s Degree in Health Education and Nutrition from William Patterson University. She has been in childcare for over 17 years and owned a center for 15 years. Joviette is a mother of two, a son and a daughter, now both in college. Her husband (or as Joviette says ‘her third child’) is a software architect. Joviette is very health conscious, she eats well and exercises regularly. She recently moved here from Canada and is excited about not having to shovel snow!

Ms. Michelle started working at Goddard in August of 2024. She is originally from Boca Raton, FL and moved to Jacksonville when she was 12 years old. Ms. Michelle holds her CDA and has been working in childcare for 15 years. She has mostly worked with infants and toddlers but has 4 years’ experience working with preschoolers! Ms. Michelle loves teaching children. She loves seeing their personalities develop and being a part of shaping their minds. She is a boy mom! In her free time she enjoys dancing, shopping, and relaxing!

Ms. Almafi is a teacher in the Shrimps Classroom, as well as the Team Lead for our Two Year Old Program. She was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New York City. She has a grown son and daughter and is a grandmother of two granddaughters! She has worked in Ealy Childhood for over 19 years. Through the Army, she moved to Jacksonville in June 2003 and has continued her career in early childhood. She loves every moment of being an educator!

Ms. Amber is a Resource Teacher here at Goddard. Ms. Amber has been in Early Childhood Education for a year. She has her associate degree in Early Childhood Education and is working towards her B.A. in Early Childhood. Ms. Amber moved from Hollywood, FL to Jacksonville three years ago. She enjoys spending time with her son, and cat Nelson in her free time. She also likes shopping and drinking coffee and is interested in crime investigation.

Ms. Stephanie is a Lead Teacher in our Jaguars Classroom. Ms. Stephanie has worked in the childcare industry for 15 years and obtains her Associates Degree. Ms. Stephanie is very creative and artistic. She enjoys sewing, knitting, crochet, making candles, and jewelry! She also enjoys singing. Ms. Stephanie has one sister that is also very creative and a business owner. Ms. Stephanie loves working with children! She is also eager to learn new things and is very flexible and adapts to changes well.

Ms. Danielle is a Teacher in our Jaguars classroom. Ms. Danielle was born and raised here in Jacksonville. In her free time, she enjoys doing things with her daughter and husband. Although she is just getting into early education, she enjoys being able to teach and helping the children grow!

Ms. Virginia is a Teacher in the Manatees classroom. Ms. Virginia was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL. She is currently pursuing her Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Development as well as her Child Development Associate (CDA) in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Virginia loves working with children of all ages and has a passion for early learning and inspiring young minds. In her spare time, she loves to practice photography.

Heidi, originally from Deltona, FL, is a freshman at UNF majoring in pre-health with the goal of becoming a pediatric nurse. During high school, she was enrolled in an Early Childhood Education program for four years, where she earned her CDA and gained hands-on experience teaching children aged 3 to 5. Following this, she worked at a preschool, where she enjoyed working with all age groups. Heidi’s passion for working with children comes from the joy of knowing she is helping them learn and witnessing their growth. In her free time, she loves going to the beach, mudding, and spending time with friends. Along with her experience in early childhood education, Heidi was also part of the Health Academy and gained valuable skills in athletic training.

Ms. Andreina is a teacher in the Manatees. Ms. Andreina joined us in November 2022 and has worked in early childhood for over 10 years! She has worked as a Bilingual Administration Professional with over 10 years of experience. Ms. Andreina is a mother of two grown sons and a dog. She loves to have family gatherings and spending quality time together. Ms. Andreina loves to make a difference for a child. She believes teaching is an important role in their lives because they are watching and always listening.

Ms. Leidy is a Teacher in the Otters classroom. Ms. Leidy is originally from Colombia where she lived in Ibague. She moved to United States over 5 years ago. While living in Colombia she received her postgraduate in Talent Management and Human Rights, a bachelor's degree in communications and journalism, and earned certifications for customer service, labor relations, and project management! Though this is her first time working in the Early Childcare field, Ms. Leidy has a daughter of her own! Her favorite thing about children is watching them grow, being able to help them develop skills, an help them manage their emotions and encourage their curiosity! She loves to spend time with her family, cooking, watching movies, and going to the beach!

Ms. Cora is a teacher in the Shrimps Classroom. Ms. Cora joined us in November 2022 and has worked in early childhood education for a year. She is very outgoing and loves children. Ms. Cora has two adult children and comes from a large family. She has three brothers and five sisters and many nieces and nephews. Ms. Cora enjoys karaoke, going to festivals, comedy shows, concerts, and theater play in her free time!

Ms. Makayla is a resource teacher here at the Goddard School! She is originally from Jacksonville, Florida and graduated from Mandarin High School. While she has not worked in the early childhood field for very long, she has experience babysitting for 2 years. Her favorite thing about working with children is seeing their faces light up with smiles! A few fun facts about Ms. Makayla are that she has one older brother, she comes from a huge family, she loves to paint and be productive! She also loves to support her family as much as she can. We are so thrilled to have her as a part of our Goddard family!

Ms. Jessica M. is a teacher in the Dolphins Classroom. Ms. Jessica joined us in October 2022 and has been in early childhood education for 9 years. She has an Associate’s Degree in early childhood education. Ms. Jessica has three brothers, three sisters, a niece, and 7 nephews! She and her husband have a dog and enjoy watching movies.

Ms. Rachel is a Resource Teacher at here at Goddard. She has worked in childcare for a year now, while pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Healthcare Administration. Ms. Rachel is a junior in college at UNF. In her free time, she enjoys shopping, boat rides, swimming, and spending time with friends and family!

Coach Mike Teifer joined the PVB Goddard program in 2017 as our Physical Education teacher. Mike has been a resident of Ponte Vedra Beach for 35+ years. He graduated from Jacksonville University with a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and then received a Master's degree in Education Administration from UNF. His career resume includes teaching physical education, coaching high school athletics, and running his own personal training business. Mike has always been heavily involved in coaching local youth athletics, including club baseball and flag football. Mike enjoys working with young children and introducing them to the fundamentals of sports and physical fitness while having fun in a play-based and team-oriented environment. Mike and his wife, Cheryl, live in Ponte Vedra Beach and have three sons – Robert, Chris, and Ryan.

Ms. Dana joined our Goddard family in 2024, bringing over five years of experience in early childhood education. Originally from Yulee, Florida, she holds her CDA and has worked with children of all ages. Her favorite part of teaching is witnessing those "light bulb" moments when learning truly clicks. Ms. Dana believes that every day is an adventure, full of opportunities to discover and grow! Outside of school, Ms. Dana is happily married and has a teenage son. Each year, they travel to Europe to visit family, adding to their collection of wonderful memories. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and planting. We’re so lucky to have Ms. Dana on our team!