Our Goddard School Teachers

Sarah is the on-site owner of The Goddard School located in Reading and manages the operation of the school so Cheryl can focus entirely on the children, curriculum and teachers. She brings thirty five years of professional management experience to running the school. "I am passionate about giving every child the opportunity of developing a healthy self esteem and to promoting the joy of being a child.”

As the Program Director, Cheryl brings over forty years of experience, a BA in Psychology, and a master's degree in child development and early childhood education to The Goddard School in Reading. Cheryl has been with The Goddard School since their opening in January of 2010. Her classroom experience has been with toddlers, preschoolers and school age children. Her passion for learning is evident in everything she does. Cheryl believes that children are free spirits who are eager participants in their own learning. Cheryl and her husband, Paul, are parents to two grown children, Josh and Sara.

Ms. Joelle is our Assistant Director. She has a BA in Early Childhood Education and a BA in Psychology from SSU. Ms. Joelle has 20+ years of experience as an educator, an administrator, and parent. She believes strongly that we are all capable of change and we are never too old to continue learning.

Mr. Jesse graduated from UMass Amherst with a BS in psychology and minors in elementary education, mathematics, and German. He brings over 8 years of experience in early childhood and elementary education to our school. He has a passion for outdoor education and strongly believes that the best learning takes place with authentic activities in authentic environments. Mr. Jesse also spent a year in Hamburg, Germany and taught young children in both English and German at a center there.

Ms. Gina worked as a Senior Admin Coordinator at a financial software company where she was involved in HR, Payroll, Events and Employee Morale for 10 years. She took a short leave to spend time at home with her two young boys, one of which attended Goddard from infancy to Toddler Two. Now she is working part time as our Office Manager and enjoys the time she gets to spend here.

Ms. Aida’s own love of learning inspired her to start teaching children. She believes people never stop learning and that “Sometimes we learn the most important lessons from our kids.” Ms. Aida graduated with a degree in Social Work and is EEC certified. She shows constant patience and persistence in her work.

Ms. Melissa is a teacher in our infant 2 classroom. She brings with her a "no problem" attitude! Her personal view of children is that they are absolute gifts. As she says , "I really believe children should be taught with love.“ Melissa is married with three children. As a family they enjoy camping and road trips. When Melissa gets a moment to herself she enjoys reading and photography.

Ms. Gina has certifications as Lead Teacher in all areas and a Director II certification. She brings ten years of teaching experience with her to our First Steps classroom. Her warmth and love of our littlest friends is immediately visible to anyone who meets her. "Each and every day I look into a child's eyes, I learn more and more about the world as seen through their imagination."

Ms. Eva is a floater in our classrooms. She has prior experience teaching in a cooperative preschool setting when her own children were students. She is now transitioning to a career in teaching preschool. She enjoys spending time with young children, and sharing in their joy of learning!

Ms. Donna is a teacher in our toddler suite. She has 8 years of experience in Early Education with Goddard and 6 additional years experience as a teachers assistant. She enjoys reading stories and letting the children act it out. Ms. Donna loves working with children and is happy to be surrounded by all of the wonderful toddlers in her classrooms. She believes strongly that teachers should carefully listen and respond to what children have to say.

Ms. Stephanie earned her bachelor's degree with a double major in Early Childhood Education and Psychology from Salem State University and is EEC Infant/Toddler and Preschool certified. She has been teaching preschool for over 10 years, five of which have been at Goddard. Ms. Stephanie believes every child should feel safe and loved while here.

Ms. Jessica has always enjoyed working with children and in the past has worked both as a nanny and as a camp counselor. She began her teaching career here at the Goddard School as a floater in our classrooms. She is now a teacher in our Toddler 2 classroom, where she brings her positive energy and passion for young people to our wonderful Dancing Dolphins!

Ms. Shaina worked at a family run business for 11 years. After having her second child and choosing to go back to work, she wanted to start a new career and do something she loved. That’s when Shaina decided to pursue a teaching career and knew she wanted to work with toddlers. She has also worked as a dance teacher and loves Ballet.

Ms. Kaitlin graduated from UMass Amherst in 2023 with a Bachelors in Psychology. She has always loved working with young children and hopes to continue doing so in her career. Kaitlin’s favorite aspect of the job is helping children learn everyday skills and she pushes herself to be a great role model for them. Kaitlin’s favorite children’s book is “The Rainbow Fish,” by Marcus Phister.

Mr. Scott is one of our lead teachers in Preschool 1 and is our resident "science guy." He attended Middlesex Community College and UMass Boston where he studied biology. He has worked with children of all ages, from infants through high school students, in Somerville, Belmont and Waltham. “I believe that all children are special and I love building a nurturing and loving environment for each and every child in my classroom.” In addition to being a certified infant, toddler and preschool teacher, Scott has also been a Storytime Chess Teacher.

Ms. Jillian is EEC Certified and dedicated a lot of high school career to childcare. Her interest in Early Education stems from her family of educators. Ms. Jillian is the youngest of three siblings and loves every minute of it. She also loves the conversations she has with the children every day as they have such a fun and uninhibited perspective.

Ms. Karen is a teacher in our fantastic Toucans classroom. She is a graduate of Lesley University and is certified in elementary education. Prior to The Goddard School, Ms Karen worked as a paraprofessional in the Lawrence Public Schools and as a teacher in another preschool. She loves teaching and believes that children are wonderfully unique individuals!

Ms. Pam is a teacher in our Flamingos classroom and brings many years of preschool and pre-k teaching experience to her classroom. She has a degree in early childhood education from Bunker Hill. Ms. Pam views teaching as "modeling appropriate behaviors”. She believes children look up to their teachers and it is crucial to provide them with positive role models.

Ms. Eliza came from Hong Kong over 40 years ago where her family owned a day care. Her love of caring for infants and children stemmed from her experience as a young girl helping her family. As a single mom, Ms. Eliza earned her degree in accounting from URI. After working as a bookkeeper for 15 years, her office closed. She then moved to MA to start her journey in childcare. She attended EEC classes at night while working as a teacher assistant. When she completed her degree in preschool education, Ms. Eliza began teaching full time and feels blessed to have landed here at Goddard.

Ms. Courtney graduated with a BA in English from Portland State University in 2021 and from Emerson College with an MA in Publishing and Writing in 2023. Originally from Portland, Oregon, she is part of a big family with two brothers, three sisters and two step-sisters. Her favorite quote is “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light” - J.K. Rowling

Ms. Rita is a floater in our classrooms. After 33 years in book publishing, she decided to pursue her lifelong passion for childcare. A mom of two, Rita has always loved caring for children and brings warmth and laughter into each classroom. Her favorite children’s book is Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton.

Ms. Bronwyn graduated from college with a degree in Communications. She grew up in an environment that emphasized imagination and creativity and she wants to foster that environment for others. As an avid reader, she enjoys sharing her passion for reading with children. Since Ms. Bronwyn was little, she has loved to spend time in a bookstore or library simply wandering around.

Mr. Max graduated in 2025 and has remained persistent and focused on his goals ever since. He previously worked with children as a Junior Karate Instructor, where he discovered his passion for teaching. Max enjoys introducing children to new experiences and watching their curiosity and confidence grow. Max is following in his mom’s footsteps, as she is also an Early Childhood Educator. A fun fact about Mr. Max is that he’s an Irish triplet—just ten months older than his twin brothers! His favorite quote is, “See what no one else sees. See what everyone chooses not to see,” by Robin Williams (Patch Adams).

Tiffany has earned an associate's degree and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. She wants to inspire and motivate students as they grow and develop. Tiffany also loves learning from the children and watching their faces light up with joy around her. Her favorite Quote is "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it". - Ferris Bueller

Ms. Ellie grew up in England and is an Irish citizen, having lived in Dublin for 15 years. During her time in Ireland, she worked as a pediatric registered nurse. She also spent a year and a half living in Australia before settling in Massachusetts, where she has lived for the past 18 years. After moving to the U.S., Ms. Ellie chose not to pursue nursing licensure and instead followed her passion for working with young children through Early Childhood Education. Ms. Ellie especially enjoys working with infants and toddlers and finds great joy in watching them develop and express their unique personalities. She values nurturing relationships and creating a warm, supportive environment during these early years. Her favorite quote is, “Enjoy the little things in life…for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things.” — Beatrix Potter (Peter Rabbit).

Kaylee is double majoring in Exercise Science and Psychology with a concentration on Occupational Therapy at Merrimack College. She has previously worked as a Paraprofessional and wants to help children reach their goals as well as inspire them to be whomever they want to be. Her favorite quote is "Learn from yesterday, live today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning." - Albert Einstein " albert Einstein

Emma earned a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has worked as a mentor at the Melrose Education Stations Program. Emma's view of working with children is constantly seeing the world through fresh eyes. "All the little aspects of life that I may tune out, they can view with curiosity and excitement. Being around kids means you never take anything for granted, and anything can be amazing."

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Student Intern

Ms. Angel is currently a student at Middlesex, majoring in business. She has over four years of experience working with infants and toddlers in a variety of childcare settings. Growing up, she frequently cared for younger family members, which inspired her strong interest in early childhood education. Through her personal and professional experiences, Ms. Angel has developed a genuine passion for working with young children and supporting their growth and development.

Ms. Ava discovered her passion for teaching while assisting as a color guard coach, a sport she loves. This experience inspired her to pursue a career in education. She enjoys introducing new ideas to her students and finds joy in watching their creativity and imagination flourish. Fun fact: Ms. Ava was signed to a modeling agency at the age of 19. Her favorite quote is, “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” — Winnie the Pooh

Ms. Lizzie earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology and began her career working on the development of a drug to treat an eye disease. She later transitioned into working as a Registered Behavior Technician, supporting children on the autism spectrum. Always eager to challenge herself both mentally and physically, Lizzie trained for and completed a marathon in October 2025. She also worked as a research associate at a biotech company; when the company closed, she began working in early childhood education with the intention that it would be temporary. However, the joy and fulfillment she found in working with young children changed her path, and she does not plan to return to biotech. Ms. Lizzie’s favorite children’s book is The Giving Tree, and her favorite quote is, “Love the life you live. Live the life you love.” — Bob Marley.

Ms. Lianna moved to Massachusetts from Lebanon in 2020, an experience that helped her develop strong adaptability and confidence in new situations. She graduated from Lynnfield High School, where she completed an internship at Summer Street School during her senior year—an experience she describes as the highlight of her high school career. Ms. Lianna is currently a student at Salem State University, where she is studying business. She enjoys working with young children and brings enthusiasm and positivity to the classroom each day. Her favorite children’s songs include “Hop Little Bunnies” and “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” and she is a fan of all Dr. Seuss books.

Ms. Shaenny, also known as Shy, grew up immersed in vibrant Brazilian culture and is fluent in Portuguese. She is passionate about helping children grow not only academically, but also into kind, confident individuals. Ms. Shaenny loves creating a warm, nurturing classroom where every child feels seen, supported, and valued. She finds so much joy in watching her students learn, grow, and reach their full potential. Her favorite children’s book is Charlotte’s Web.

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