Our Teachers

My name is John Pelicano. I hold a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland in Business Management and Marketing. I also hold my Early Childhood Education 45 and 90 hour certifications through additional Early Childhood Educational college course work. I am First Aid and CPR Certified Infant-Adult and trained in Disaster preparedness. We are so thankful for all of the families who place their trust in the Goddard School Urbana Stone Barn every day, playing a part in the future of their children.

I earned my degree from UMBC and began working for early intervention with children on the autism spectrum, which led me into my career in Early Childhood Education. I started as a classroom teacher with Goddard in 2016 and joined the Urbana I location in 2020 as a Pre-K teacher. In 2024, I was promoted to Director and opened this beautiful location, Stone Barn. Outside of work, I am a boy mom. I love to go to concerts and trying out new recipes in the kitchen. I love being a part of the Goddard family here at Stone Barn.

I am a dedicated education professional with over 20 years of experience creating nurturing, engaging, and supportive environments for children to learn and grow. I earned my degree from Hood College in Early Childhood Education, where I developed a strong foundation for my future work in the field. Beyond my career, I am a proud wife and mother of two, balancing family life with my passion for early childhood learning. My family and I love vacationing at Deep Creek Lake, where we enjoy the outdoors and quality time together. I am excited to bring my experience, enthusiasm, and commitment to the Goddard School community here in Urbana and look forward to being part of a team that values the growth and well-being of children.

I have always been interested in Early Childhood Education, although my career did not start in the field. I have an Associate's Degree in Law from Katherine Gibbs College, 25+ years as an Administrative Assistant and 15+ years of office management experience in the medical field. I am a mother of 4 children. My oldest is grown and my younger three are 14, 13, and 11. I enjoy finding time for myself, taking naps, and good coffee. I love being a part of the positive and nurturing environment throughout the school, fostering the growth and development of both the children and the staff.

I have been working in Infant & Toddler Childcare since 2020 but have been working with children of all ages since having my first child in 2003. I have my Infant & Toddler CDA. I am a mother to 3 beautiful children. I look forward to carrying and loving your children like my own.

I have been with The Goddard Schools since 2017. I hold my 90 hour Infant/Toddler and 45 hour School Age certifications; as well as my Medication Administration, CPR/First Aid and many more. I am a mother to a wonderful son. I enjoy spending time with him and having fun! I love that the Stone Barn family supports my son here at our school as well. I am excited to help your children learn and grow!

I have been teaching for over 16 years. I was inspired by my own children to begin teaching and love being an infant teacher. I have my Associate's Degree in Education, a CDA in Child Development, and enjoy continuing my education through a variety of courses. I am a mother to four beautiful children. A fun fact about me is that I get to work with my daughter every day because she is an aide here. I look forward to teaching here every day and love being a part of the Goddard family.

I have been teaching for 6+ years with children NB - 12 years of age. Working with children has always been a passion for me. I have my 90hr in infants and toddlers and have worked for 3 years with a kids on the spectrum of autism as a Behavioral Technician. I am a mother of a 5 year old little girl who will be starting kindergarten in the fall of 2025. Watching your kids grow and learn everyday is so much fun.

I am the Founder of Natamu School of Sri Lankan Traditional Dance in Washington, DC. With a strong background in both early childhood education and performing arts, I have dedicated my career to nurturing young learners through movement and cultural expression. I have extensive experience as a Lead Teacher in preschool settings. My background also includes positions at the Academy of Performing Arts - Sri Lanka Foundation in Los Angeles and several public schools in Sri Lanka, where I combined my expertise in dance and early childhood development to create engaging, developmentally appropriate learning experiences. I have completed all necessary early childhood education certifications, including the 90-hour Preschool Activities certification, Child Growth and Development certification and Infant and Toddler Care Certification from Frederick County Community College.

I am enjoying meeting all of you and your children as one of the Ducklings teachers. I just started in February but have learned so much already! I have an associate degree in engineering but chose to work with children because of my passion for interacting with them. I have two kids—a 13-year-old boy and a daughter who will turn 7 in May. Some of my favorite activities include painting and doing crafts with my children at home. I cannot wait to continue to grow here at Stone Barn!

I graduated from FCC in May 2019 with a Certificate of Accomplishment for Preschool and School Age. I've been in early childhood education as a teacher for 5 years. As a teacher I am dedicated to creating engaging learning activities and providing individualized support to children with diverse needs. I am currently studying with a program called "Level Up Academy" to pursue a career as a business entrepreneur. My goal is to help people achieve their life goals. I enjoy dancing Salsa. Art is my favorite hobby and has helped me be more creative with children. Art taught me to engage in creative activities to help children connect different ideas and emotions into our classroom. "If You Give A Pig A Pancake" is my favorite childhood book! My hope is to impact the children I work with through creating a nurturing, positive environment for growth and development.

I work with two year old children to help them get a head start in early childhood education so that they have a smoother transition into preschool and pre-kindergarten, while helping them learn who they are as a person. I have my 90 hour child development, 9 hour communication, ADA certificate, basic health and safety, many ways to learn for toddlers and preschoolers certificate. I'm currently working to complete my 45 hour infant and toddler. A fun little fact about me is I own six cats and my favorite kid's book is Knuffle Bunny, on weekends I play Dungeons & Dragons. I love being a part of the Stone Barn family!

I work in childcare because growing up my mother had her own daycare service and I always admired the way she cared for children. I knew from a young age that is something I wanted to do as well. My biggest accomplishment is that I also have a child who is a Goddard kid as well. With that being said, it will always be my top priority to care for all of your children as if they were my own and prioritize their education to help prepare them for there futures once graduating my class.

I have a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Information Technology. I am certified and have experience in working with preschool and school age students. I love to help children bloom and grow. I understand that each student has their own strengths, and I encourage them to help achieve their goals. I have a 10-year-old son, and I understand as a parent we come up with different concerns and questions related to our child's growth and learning. I would love to help you with all your questions and concerns.

I am a dedicated Preschool educator passionate about early childhood learning. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree, a postgraduate diploma in Business Management, and a 90-hour Preschool certification from Montgomery College. I love incorporating arts and crafts, cooking, and hands-on activities to make learning fun and engaging for young children. My goal is to create a nurturing and stimulating environment where kids can explore, grow, and develop essential skills. Outside the classroom, I enjoy cooking, creating henna art, fruit and vegetable carving, traveling, and discovering new creative inspirations.

Growing up I always dreamt of becoming a teacher. I first started working with children in High School and have been loving it ever since! Over the years, I’ve taken multiple college courses focusing on Early Childhood Education and Adolescent Psychology, as well as obtaining my 90 Hour Early Childhood Education Certification and 9 Hours of Communications Training. Outside of teaching I enjoy hiking, camping, and almost anything outdoors. In 2022, I moved to Anchorage and found myself teaching at a Montessori-based Preschool. I love incorporating some of those same concepts into our classroom and allowing the child to be guided by their own interests. I’m so lucky to have found Goddard and have loved watching our school community grow since we first opened. Establishing connections with children and their families is something I find very important, beyond just the students in this classroom. Anyone is welcome to stop in and say hello!

My previous experience in corporate training has provided me with an understanding of different learning styles and strategies. I’m passionate about creating a fun, inclusive and innovative educational environment. When I’m not at school, you may find me on a baseball field, soccer field or attending another one of my children’s activities. My goal is to cultivate a positive learning foundation for your child!

I have been working with children for over 16 years. I have my 90 hour certification in both Preschool & School-Age and am working on my Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education. I enjoy being a teacher and am grateful to be able to continue to support each of my children in their development.

I have been working in childcare for over a year and am currently working toward completing my 90-hour certification. I believe in fostering an environment where every child feels encouraged to explore, grow, and make wonderful memories. As a mother of an 8-year-old, I understand the importance of creating a safe, fun, and creative space where children can thrive. I love reading and enjoy incorporating creative activities that help children develop their imagination and skills. I am excited to be part of your child’s learning journey!

I was born and raised in Frederick, and I have been in the early childhood education field for two & a half years. I have my 90hr certification for infants through 4 year old children, have attended extra childcare trainings, and also a child care conference in 2023 to better my knowledge in the field because I always want to be working towards a better me, for my students. I spend most of my free time with friends and family, as those are the things that matter to me most in life! I also love relaxing at home with my cat and best friend/roommate!! I absolutely love caring for children & creating a safe space for them while they are at school. Working as a preschool teacher has become the most rewarding experience in my life & I cannot wait to continue making memories with all of the families I meet at Goddard!

I graduated with my Early Childhood Education degree from Coastal Carolina University in 2023 and have been here at Stone Barn since then. I am very passionate about working with children and love the Pre-K & School Age children! When I'm not working you can find me trying out new restaurants, hanging out with friends and enjoying a good baseball game. I am so excited to help get all of our children ready for Elementary School!

I am currently a senior at Urbana High School. I have a strong focus on community service and helping others. Over the years, I've devoted over 500 hours to volunteering, and I founded initiatives like the Pet Pantry at my local Food Bank and The Helping Hawks Tutoring and Mentoring program at Urbana Middle School. I have also been the Girls Basketball manager at Urbana High School for four years. I am very interested in sports; basketball and football are some of my favorites to watch! I enjoy hanging out with my friends and watching movies with my family. I love working with the kids at this school and it brings me joy to see them grow. Looking back at my childhood, I would say duck, duck, goose was my favorite game! I loved to play it at school and with my neighbors. My hope for the future is to keep pursuing the things I'm passionate about while continually evolving as a person.

I have been with Stone Barn since it opened and love being a part of the family here. I have my 90 hour certification in both Preschool and School-Age. I have worked with children for over 10 years and have worked in special education as well. I am expecting my first baby of my own this year, and excited to start my journey as a mom. I wish to create an environment for all of our students to grow.

I am a highly enthusiastic and creative infant and toddler teacher with a passion for nurturing young minds to help them grow. I have my 90 hour certification in Early Childhood Education. I am a mother of two children; I teach them so many things and I also am learning from them everyday. I am a dedicated and passionate teacher with more than a year of experience nurturing young minds.

I hold a four-year degree in engineering and have always had a passion for learning and problem-solving. To pursue this passion professionally, I completed my 90-hour certification in early childhood education. My journey into early childhood education began when I became a mother to my wonderful 6-year-old daughter, which deepened my appreciation for child development. I love creating engaging learning experiences that nurture curiosity and confidence in young children. I am excited to be part of The Goddard School and to support the growth and development of each child in my care!

I'm an intern at Goddard through Urbana High School's CD program! I'm also a cheerleader, and in April 2024 placed third in the world's biggest competition! Cheer has also helped me to develop leadership skills that I bring into the classroom! My favorite children's book is "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" because I love seeing how excited it makes the kids. I enjoy traveling and plan to do more in the future- my favorite place so far being Venice, Italy. I love working at Goddard because of the positive atmosphere and early learning environment!

I am a senior in High School and am working on my CDA. I have been working with children since 2017. I enjoy working with all age groups of children. I have worked in Spanish speaking childcare and with children of all developmental levels. I am hoping to be an elementary school teacher once I finish high school and college. Stefany loves being a part of the Stone Barn family!

I am excited to be a part of this great team and be able to help grow little minds. Most of my career has been in sales, until my grandchildren came in 2015, when I decided to take a step back and focus on my four grandchildren during their early years. I learned so much during their first few years and discovered my passion for teaching and being with children. I realized every child learns differently and needs love and patience. In 2021, I started my journey to getting my child development & early childhood certifications. I am very passionate, devoted and eager to work with all of your children here at Stone Barn. My favorite book is "Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?" and I enjoy playing Chinese Checkers with my family.