Jillie and Jon were beyond thrilled to open the first Goddard School in the city of Philadelphia! This is the second location that Jon and Jillie have owned together. Jillie has a background in music and music education, she started in this field as a young toddler teacher and is incredibly proud to now own this location with Jon. Jon's background is in accounting and construction. They have been franchisees for over ten years and believe in being active members of their school community. They are present every single day to support the children, families, and faculty!

Ms. Melissa is the Executive Director at our school! Melissa earned a dual bachelor's degree in elementary education and history from Rowan University and is also certified to teach grades K-5 through the state of New Jersey! She has been with our schools since 2014 in the Toddler, Get Set and Kindergarten classrooms before becoming an administrator! Melissa loves working in the early childhood education setting and forming special relationships with both children and parents. She knows first-hand how challenging it is to be a parent, and how much we want for our children. She is committed to creating an exceptional childcare program that is both nurturing and educational!

Ms. Brooke joined the Goddard community as our Operations Director! She has her Master's in Education from Cabrini University as well as her Bachelor’s in Special Education from High Point University. She has been working in the early childhood field for seven years! Ms. Brooke loves watching children develop a joy for learning and developing positive, lasting relationships with parents. Outside of school, Ms. Brooke enjoys trying new restaurants around the city and spending time in the mountains!

Ms. Hilari is our Director of Education and Curriculum! She has her Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in American Sign Language/Deaf Studies. She has been working in the field of early childhood education for the last six years! She loves creating a nurturing environment that's both fun and educational while building connections with the children and families in her care to make the first experiences with school as positive as can be!

Ms. Sabrina has her Bachelor's in International Relations and is currently remotely working on her Master's in Curriculum and Teaching at Boston University! Ms. Sabrina taught Junior Kindergarten before rising up into an administrative role within our school. She loves building relationships with her students, as well as helping them pursue interests that they are drawn to. Ms. Sabrina loves to travel and has been to 22 countries! In her spare time she loves spending time with her puppy, hiking, and trying new restaurants!

Ms. Charlie is a teacher in our Infant program and has been working in early childhood education for many years! She enjoys playing a vital role in the growth and enrichment of her students! In her spare time, Ms. Charlie enjoys taking nature walks, working on graphic design projects, and spending time at home with her cat, Ginger.

Ms. Victoria has a Bachelor's in Human Development and Family Studies and absolutely loves teaching and caring for our littlest learners! She loves watching children discover new things and creating bonds with her students' families. In her spare time, Ms. Victoria is trying to learn Italian and enjoys hiking!

Ms. Geneva has her Child Development Associate credential and over fifteen years of experience in childcare! She loves working with our littlest learners and is currently teaching in our Infant program. Ms. Geneva enjoys watching the impact and growth that learning, playing, and teaching have on the children in her class. Ms. Geneva loves collecting perfume and has over 100 bottles! In her spare time she loves shopping and taking trips with her family!

Ms. Shauna joined our faculty in the fall of 2023 and hit the ground running! She brings to her role experience as both a nanny and a Preschool teacher. Prior to working with little ones, Ms. Shauna was a CNA! In her free time, Ms. Shauna enjoys spending time with her wife, son, and their dogs. Fun fact: Ms. Shauna grew up in Ireland!

Ms. Julie joins us with her Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education and years of experience working with children! She teaches in our First Steps classroom and enjoys making her students laugh and creating lasting memories! In her spare time, she loves to take her dog to the park and enjoy the outdoors!

Miss Sam joins our faculty with years of experience in the early childhood education field! Teaching in our First Steps classroom, Miss Sam loves being able to witness and facilitate improvement, growth, and learning each and every day! Apart from teaching, Miss Sam loves to sing and write music, as well as work on art and DIY projects!

Ms. Latoya has been working with children for many years and is one of our Young Toddler teachers! She loves being able to teach, inspire, and mold the minds of the children in her class. In her spare time, Ms. Latoya enjoys cooking, baking and playing the game Vikings!

Ms. Tymicha has years of experience in the realm of early childhood education and is excited to be growing her skillset with us at Goddard! She loves to read to her students as a group as well as one-on-one to really engage with their interests and get to know their little personalities! When she’s not being a fabulous teacher, Ms. Tymicha loves to travel near and far to explore new restaurants and shops. Wherever she travels, she collects a cup as a souvenir!

Miss India has a Bachelor's degree in Marketing and is a Young Toddler teacher at our school! She enjoys working with children because of the positive impact you can have on each child's future. Fun fact: Miss India likes to travel and has studied abroad in South Korea!

Ms. Shavonne has her Child Development Associate credentials and is a Young Toddler teacher at our school! She enjoys watching her students learn through play and loves reading stories aloud! In her spare time, Ms. Shavonne loves to sing and spend time with her friends and family!

Miss Catherine, or "Miss Cat", has her BFA in Fine Arts and loves utilizing her creative thinking and skills in the classroom every day! As a Young Toddler teacher, Miss Cat takes every opportunity to incorporate art and movement throughout the day to tie in learning and fun simultaneously! In her spare time, Miss Cat loves visiting thrift stores for vintage fruit paintings and hanging out with her cat, Ampersand!

Ms. Lourdes joins us with a love for children and many years of working with little ones! She is a teacher in our Young Toddler program and is passionate about the field of early childhood education because she knows she can make a positive and lasting impact! In her spare time, Ms. Lourdes loves cooking and indulging in self care!

Miss Gianna joins our faculty with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art and Illustration and is currently pursuing her Master's in psychology! She is an Older Toddler teacher and absolutely loves exploring all things creative with her students while helping them grow their individual interests. In her spare time, Miss Gianna can be found pursuing--you guessed it--anything art related, but enjoys painting the most!

Ms. Stacey brings over fifteen years of experience in early childhood ed to our Goddard School and we're so glad to have this veteran as a member of our faculty! Ms. Stacey enjoys cultivating one on one interactions to make each learning experience personal and memorable. In her spare time, Ms. Stacey likes to visit amusement parks with her family and ride rollercoasters!

Ms. Sue came to us with an extensive background in the education field, including a Bachelor’s from Temple University, where she double majored in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education. Ms. Sue is also close to completing her Master's in Special Education! She has worked primarily in the Early Childhood Ed, as well as with special needs classes with students from elementary through high school ages. Upon joining our faculty, she expressed a desire to work with two years olds—her favorite age group!—and does a stellar job of imparting structure and fun equally with her students!

Ms. Adeira has been working in childcare for many years and is so excited to grow her career as a toddler teacher with our Goddard School! She spent a year and a half in a Young Toddler classroom and currently teaches in our Older Toddler program. She enjoys watching her students grow and develop a love for learning each and every day! In her spare time, she loves crafting with her daughter and taking her on adventures!

Ms. Natalia holds a Bachelor's degree in English and has been a part of our faculty since our school opened in the fall of 2019! She is currently teaching in our Older Toddler program after exploring other age groups and classroom settings in the ECE world, with OT being her chosen home. Ms. Natalia loves all things Disney and is planning her next steps in the nursing field, commencing this fall!

Ms. Christine joined our faculty with a CDA and a love for working with toddlers! She has been working with children for many years and now teaches in our Older Toddler program! Ms. Christine loves seeing children light up and take pride in themselves as they learn new things. She especially loves helping children learn through music and songs! In her spare time, she enjoys spending her time with family, especially her grandchildren.

Ms. Siani is a teacher in our Older Toddler program and brings years of experience in the realm of early childhood ed, and also comes from a large family! She is fondly known as "Miss Sisi" to her students and especially loves instilling a love for reading early on! She loves implementing language and literacy activities and hosts a fabulous circle time dance party every day!

Ms. Zora joins us with her Bachelor's in Psychology and many years of experience in early childhood education! She teaches in our Preschool program and loves helping her students navigate the world as it unfolds around them. She also loves making learning fun! In her spare time, Ms. Zora enjoys playing video games, painting, and engaging with anything and everything Marvel!

Miss Zyanni joined our faculty with her CDA and years of experience in early childhood! She started her Goddard journey as an Older Toddler teacher and later moved onto our Preschool program to grow her teaching journey and experience! Miss Zyanni enjoys watching her students learn and grow, and especially loves seeing how excited they get about discovering new things! In her spare time, Miss Zyanni enjoys doing makeup!

Miss Kelly is a Pre-K teacher on our faculty and has her Bachelor of Arts in Art History! She started her Goddard experience as a Resource Teacher and loved working in every classroom before finding her home in the Pre-K program at our Annex building! A fun fact about Miss Kelly: she speaks Spanish and Swedish and loves learning new languages!

Miss Lexi began her teaching journey with us as a Lead Older Toddler teacher before moving to our Annex location and rising into a Junior Kindergarten teaching position! She has her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from West Chester University and is currently in graduate school studying Education. She has been a camp counselor, a nanny, and before joining Goddard, a toddler teacher at a center in the suburbs. Her favorite aspect of teaching is the endless opportunities to introduce students to new concepts (along with the hilarious conversations that ensue)!

Miss Hannah comes to us with an arts-oriented background! Since obtaining her BFA in Musical Theatre from University of the Arts in 2019, she’s dabbled in fine and performing arts personally and professionally with the goal of helping others through artistic expression. Formerly our beloved yoga and dance instructor for all ages, she is rising to a full time teaching role in our Junior Kindergarten program for the 2023-2024 school year! In her spare time, Miss Hannah enjoys drawing, painting, bullet journaling, and meditating.

Ms. Emily holds a Bachelor's degree in History as well as a Master of Education in Early Childhood! She has been teaching in school settings for over fifteen years and has taught in our Pre-K program since we opened our school in 2019! Ms. Emily truly enjoys being with the children in her class and you will often find her engaged with activities the children are leading. She was our Teacher of the Year nominee in 2022!

Ms. Cara joined our faculty after being referred by a family from our Goddard community for whom she nannied! She teaches Pre-K in our Annex building and is currently completing her Urban Teaching Residency through the University of Pennsylvania. She loves gaining valuable work experience in the classroom while still being a student herself! Ms. Cara's favorite part of teaching is the opportunity to foster a creative and nurturing learning environment for her students! In her spare time, Ms. Cara enjoys exploring the city with her pup, Frankie!

Ms. Alyssa joined our faculty as a Resource Teacher upon moving to Philly from Florida! Prior to starting her Goddard experience, she taught in a preschool setting in addition to running volleyball camps for kids and teens year round! Currently Ms. Alyssa coaches girls volleyball at Arcadia University in the evenings and weekends and loves being involved with every classroom throughout the week.

Ms. Chloe is one of our fabulous Resource Teachers! Born to a family of educators who inspired her to join the field as well, Ms. Chloe is currently working on her Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education at Temple University! Her favorite thing about teaching is watching her students' creativity shine through art projects. In her spare time, Ms. Chloe loves exploring the city!

Ms. Yvette joined our faculty in the spring of 2022 and hit the ground running with us as a Resource Teacher! She enjoys floating around and meeting every single child in the school. A fun fact about her is that her birthday is on the 4th of July, and she loves making fandom-inspired birthday cakes!