Diane Bowden is the owner of the Goddard School in Apex. After being in the corporate workforce for over fifteen years, she wanted to own a business that could make a significant contribution to the community by providing an exceptional, high quality preschool experience for children. Diane is a graduate from the College of Veterinary Medicine at NC State. She has spent the majority of her professional life working in the pharmaceutical industry. I am excited and proud to be a part of the Goddard family. I am committed to providing an experience that will enrich every child's emotional, social, intellectual and physical development, while providing the foundation for a lifelong love of learning.

Ms. Trina is the school's Director. Ms. Trina earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1996. She received her NC Early Childhood Education Credential and NC Early Childhood Administration Credential from Wake Technical Community College. Trina is certified in infant, child/adult CPR and SIDS and is a NC certified CNA-I. Trina is a Level III administrator. In addition to managing the day to day operation of the school, Trina is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment in which children can learn, explore, imagine and discover new skills. Her passion for education ensures the school is using the most current, academically endorsed methods needed for long-term success in school and in life. Trina loves children and counts each Goddard child as part of her family. Ms. Trina’s favorite children’s book is “I Am Enough” by Grace Byers.

Ms. Shanae is the school's Assistant Director. Shanae attended Johnston Community College where she earned her NC Early Childhood Education Credential. In addition to having completed her SIDS training, Shanae is certified in infant, child, & adult CPR and First Aid as well as Playground Safety. Ms. Shanae has over 12 years experience working in an early childhood education setting. Shanae believes play is critical to the healthy growth and development of children. She enjoys working closely with the faculty to create classroom environments where they use the child’s/children’s interests to guide their learning. Ms. Shanae’s favorite children’s book is “Corduory” by Don Freeman.

Ms. Emily is a lead teacher in our Lil' Shrimp Infant classroom. She attended St. Augustine University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication. She has been working as an Early Childhood Educator since 1993 and obtained her NC Early Childhood Education Credential from North Carolina Central Community College. Emily is certified in SIDS as well as infant/child CPR and First Aid. Emily has a passion for the infant age group as she enjoys designing activities to stimulate brain development and get the babies in touch with their environment. Ms. Emily’s favorite children’s book is “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” by Bill Martin.

Ms. Diamond is a lead teacher in our Lil' Shrimp Infant classroom. She is currently attending Wake Technical College where she is working toward earning her Early Childhood Education Credential. She has been working as an early childhood educator since 2012 and is certified in SIDS as well as infant/child CPR and First Aid. Diamond believes the best way to help babies grow into curious, confident learners is to provide them with warm, consistent care so they can form secure attachments to their caregivers and begin to develop relationships. Ms. Diamond's favorite children’s book is “I Love Fall” by Alison Inches.

Ms. Seng is a lead teacher in The Sea Horses classroom. Seng attended the State University of Fresno where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development. In addition to having completed her SIDS training, Seng is certified in infant, child, and adult CPR and First Aid. Ms. Seng has over 15 years of experience working in the early childhood education field. She has a passion for this age group as she enjoys designing activities to encourage the development of gross motor skills. On a daily basis, she teaches the children skills such as pulling, pushing, jumping, hopping, throwing, tossing, catching and climbing to assist in the development of large muscle control. Ms. Seng’s favorite children's book is “Love You Forever” by Robert Munsch.

Ms. Lopa is a lead teacher in The Sea Horses class. Lopa attended Jadavpur University, West Bengal, India where she earned a post graduate degree in Comparative Literature. Ms. Lopa is certified in SIDS as well as infant/child and First Aid. Ms. Lopa has over 8 years experience working in an early childhood education setting. Lopa believes play is critical to the healthy growth and development of children. She enjoys creating a classroom environment where she uses the child’s/children’s interests to guide their learning. Ms. Lopa's favorite children’s books are the “Pete the Cat” series by Kimberly and James Dean .

Ms. Carolyn is an assistant teacher in our Starfish classroom. Carolyn is certified in SIDS as well as infant/child CPR and First Aid. Ms. Carolyn has over 5 years of experience working with toddlers. She has a passion for this age group as she enjoys designing activities that stimulate their curiosity and inquisitiveness. On a daily basis, she provides interesting materials for the children to explore and will add a surprise to a routine activity. Ms. Carolyn's favorite children’s book is “The Three Little Pigs” by James Halliwell-Phillipps.

Ms. Jennifer is a lead teacher in The Sea Turtles classroom. She has been working as an Early Childhood Educator since 2003. Jennifer earned her Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education at Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, AZ. In addition to having completed her SIDS training, Jennifer is certified in infant and child CPR and First Aid. Ms. Jennifer truly loves working with young children because she is able to watch them learn, develop and grow. She finds it rewarding to be able to assist them on this journey. This is what makes being an early childhood educator so awesome! Ms. Jennifer’s favorite children’s book is “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown.

Ms. Gabriella is a lead teacher in Sea Turtles classroom. She has over 3 years experience in the childcare industry. Ms. Gabriella is certified in infant, child, and adult CPR and First Aid. Ms. Gabriella recognizes the importance of creating an environment where children feel safe and have secure relationships with the ones that are caring for them. When children feel secure in their environment, children become effective learners. Ms. Gabriella's classroom setting, activities and her interaction with the children promote a safe, stable and nurturing environment. Ms. Gabriella's favorite children’s book is “Waiting Is Not Easy” by Mo Willems.

Ms. Nirmala is a lead teacher in our Stingrays classroom. Her education qualifications include a Bachelor's in Business Management/Accounting and an Early Childhood Education Credential. Ms. Nirmala is also an advanced hypnotherapist and counselor and a member of the International Association of Counselors and Therapists. She is certified in infant/child CPR and First Aid and has also completed her SIDS training. Ms. Nirmala has over 9 years experience working with children. Ms. Nirmala's daily goal is to guide her Preschoolers to become independent and engaged while learning. Her long term goal is to continually add resources to the classroom that support the different learning styles of every child in her class. Ms. Nirmala's favorite children’s book is “The Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle.

Ms. Shirelyn is a lead teacher in our Jellyfish classroom. She earned her Associate in Applied Science degree in Early Childhood Education from Wake Technical Community College. In addition to having completed her SIDS training, she is certified in infant/child CPR and First Aid. Ms. Shirelyn has been teaching at The Goddard School for 9 years. She loves the excitement and challenges that she faces every day as a Preschool teacher. Her goal is to bring out the best in each child as she challenges them in a fun and positive way. She enjoys inspiring independence and fostering growth/development so that each child is provided with a strong foundation for learning. Ms. Shirelyn’s favorite children’s book is “Giraffes Can't Dance” by Giles Andreae

Ms. Mackenzie is a lead teacher in The Jellyfish class. Ms. Mackenzie earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and Psychology from Meredith College, Raleigh, NC. She is certified in infant/child CPR and First Aid. Ms. Mackenzie recognizes the importance of outdoor play. She designs activities that give the children opportunities to explore, discover, run, jump, climb, roll, yell and sing. She enjoys enabling children to be children! Ms. Mackenzie's favorite children’s book is “Halibut Jackson" by David Lucas.

Ms. Angela is a lead teacher in our Dolphins classroom. She attended North Wilson Community College where she earned her Early Childhood Education Credential. Ms. Angela is certified in infant/child CPR and First Aid. Ms. has over 15 years experience working with Preschool, Pre-K and School Age age groups. Ms. Angela recognizes that children learn best when they are having fun. She creates an entertaining, engaging and creative classroom that promotes learning as well as social, cognitive and emotional development. Children learn to value their differences and feel empowered with self-directed activities. Ms. Angela's favorite children’s books are the “Pete the Cat” series by Kimberly and James Dean.

Ms. Abrita is a lead teacher in our Dolphins classroom. Abrita has 5 years experience working with children in this age group. Her educational background includes a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, an MBA and 18 hours of Early Childhood Education. In addition, she is certified in infant/child CPR and First Aid. School readiness is the primary objective of the Pre-K class. Ms. Abrita develops cognitive goals and activities to help Pre-K children become proficient in simple literacy, critical thinking and problem solving. Ms. Abrita's favorite children's book is "Rainbow Fish" by Marcus Pfister

Ms. Kelli has been teaching at The Goddard School since 2005. She is a lead teacher in our Sharks classroom. She earned her Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education at Central Carolina Community College. Kelli is also certified in infant, child, and adult CPR and First Aid. Ms. Kelli has over 20 years of experience working in the field of early childhood education. She has a strong understanding of the expectations placed on children entering kindergarten and creates an environment to meet the children’s academic, social and emotional developmental milestones. Ms. Kelli’s favorite children’s book is “The Cat in the Hat” by Dr. Seuss.

Ms. Syarra is a lead teacher in our Sharks classroom. Syarra attended Wake Technical Community College where she earned her Early Childhood Education Credential. Syarra is certified in infant, child, and adult CPR and First Aid Ms. Syarra has 8 years experience in an early childhood setting. As a Pre-K teacher, Ms. Syarra enjoys providing the children with opportunities for independent discovery and problem-solving skills. Her goal as an educator is to help each child reach their own personal developmental goals and milestones, while exploring and progressing at their own pace. Ms. Syarra's favorite children’s books are “The Magic Tree House ” series by Mary Pope Osborne.

Ms. Renee is an assistant teacher. She attended Wake Technical Community College where she earned her Early Childhood Education Credential. She has over 19 years of experience working in the early childhood education field. In addition to having completed her SIDS training, Renee is certified in infant, child, and adult CPR and First Aid. Ms. Renee has worked with children of all age groups, but truly enjoys working with three year old’s. Everyday her classroom is exciting, different and new. Her lessons incorporate lots of visuals and projects that incorporate “practice by doing”. She enjoys creating activities that inspire critical thinking as well as creativity. Ms. Renee's favorite children’s book is “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss.

Ms. Cheryl is an assistant teacher in our Guppies classroom. Ms. Cheryl attended Alfred State College, in Alfred, NY. In addition to having completed her SIDS training, she is certified in infant, child, and adult CPR and First Aid. Ms. Cheryl has worked as a nanny as well as a substitute teacher. Ms. Cheryl believes that building trust with young students is the most important goal for a toddler teacher. Forming positive relationships with little ones, ensures their classroom is a safe, welcoming, nurturing place and is essential for achieving new goals and meeting developmental milestones. Ms. Cheryl's favorite children’s book is “The Little Old Lady Who was Not Afraid of Anything” by Linda Williams

Ms. Rosa is an assistant teacher in our Starfish classroom. She has been working as an Early Childhood Educator for over 20 years. She attended Wake Technical Community College where she earned her Child Development Associate credential . In addition to having completed her SIDS training, she is certified in infant, child, and adult CPR and First Aid. Ms. Rosa recognizes the importance of reading to children on a daily basis. Reading to toddlers boosts their cognitive and language development. Ms. Rosa loves selecting books with lots of action, pictures and details, particularly those with cause-and-effect relationships or a problem that the characters must work to overcome. Ms. Rosa's favorite children’s book is “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss

Ms. Holly is the afternoon floater in our Dolphins classroom. Holly is currently a senior in high school and is also a Goddard School alumnus. Holly loves working with children. She enjoys watching children grow and develop into confident, self-sufficient learners. Ms. Holly's favorite children’s book is “Wynken, Blynken and Nod” by Eugene Field.

Ms. Mykeal is the afternoon floater in our Sharks classroom. Mykeal is currently a senior at Apex High School. Mykeal finds working with children to be very gratifying. Every day is not alike, and you get to be a part of a community that helps children learn, grow, and develop to their greatest potential. Ms. Mykeal's favorite children’s book is “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown.