Our Teachers

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 since 2009 and 2013 respectively, and truly believe in being active members of their school community. They are present every single day to support the children, families, and faculty!

Hilari is our Executive Director and joined our Goddard Family in 2019! 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 12 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 their first experiences with school as positive as they can be!

Julia is one of our Education Directors and joined our faculty in 2024. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. Julia comes to us with over 12 years of experience in early childhood education. She enjoys teaching children new things and watching their curiosity grow. One of her favorite children's books to read is "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" by Mo Willems because it brings so much laughter to the class. In her free time, she likes to go hiking, explore new restaurants, and spend time with her family.

Sabrina joined our Goddard Family in 2021 and is one of our Education Directors! She has her Bachelor's in International Relations and is currently working on her Master's in Curriculum and Teaching at Boston University! 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!

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. 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!

Miss Julia joined our faculty as a Resource Teacher, providing support primarily in our youngest age groups, before finding her "home" in our Infant program! Miss Julia brings lots of joy to her role as a teacher and caregiver, and loves to watch the personalities of her students develop! Fun fact: Miss Julia plays the drums!

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!

Miss Erykah joined our faculty in the fall of 2023 and quickly found her home in our First Steps program! As a teacher, Miss Erykah loves bonding with her students and watching them grow throughout their time in the classroom. Outside of school, Miss Erykah loves spending time with her family and friends, especially her younger sister-- they are fifteen years apart!

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!

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!

Ms. Alana joined our faculty in the fall of 2023 with a CDA and a love for working with toddlers! She loves building bonds with her students and making an impact on each child's journey. In her spare time, Ms. Alana enjoys spending her time with family and friends, as well as building up her extensive collection of cups and mugs!

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!

Ms. Heema joined us in 2024, first as a resource teacher and now as a Young Toddler teacher, with over eight years of experience working with children! She is frequently seen singing to the children and making up new verses to songs! Ms. Heema enjoys reading with the children and teaching them new things about various cultures. Her favorite books to read are interactive, such as "Peek-A-Boo." In her spare time, she enjoys singing and traveling!

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. Isabella, or "Ms. Bella" joined our staff as a resource teacher in 2024! She quickly found her home in our Young Toddler classroom! She has been working with young children for the past three years. Ms. Bella loves watching children come out of their shell and learn more about themselves! Some of her favorite things to do with the children are art projects and reading books, such as "Little Blue Truck." When she is not teaching, you can find Ms. Bella painting, skateboarding, and writing poetry!

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. 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!

Amelia joined our faculty in the summer of 2024! They come to us with 5 years of experience as a nanny working with children of various ages. Amelia found a home quickly in one of our Older Toddler classrooms and enjoys doing art projects and watching the children explore the world around them! Their favorite children's book is Goodnight Moon! In their spare time, Amelia likes to read and work on graphic design. A fun fact about Amelia is that they are from Chicago!

Miss Sarah joined our faculty in fall of 2023 and hit the ground running in our Older Toddler program! She loves the playfulness, imagination, and creativity that students exude as they learn and grow at school! Miss Sarah enjoys implementing lessons and activities that nurture the discovery of new ideas, especially anything related to scientific inquiry and science experiments! Fun fact: Miss Sarah holds a yoga teaching certification!

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. Holly joined our staff in 2024 with several years of experience working as a nanny for young children! Ms. Holly joined one of our Older Toddler classrooms soon after joining us! She brings plenty of knowledge from her experience at the Tyler School of Art as well! In her spare time, Ms. Holly likes rollerskating, meditation, and riding her bike. She even rode her bike from Philadelphia to Atlantic City three times!

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. Lourdes joins us with a love for children and many years of working with little ones! She is a teacher in our Older 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!

Ms. Monica joined our team in early 2024! She comes to us with experience working in the art education world looking to expand her skillset with younger children! Ms. Monica started with us by bouncing around in all of our classrooms, always with a bright smile doing fun and creative activities! She has found her home in Preschool! She enjoys painting, hiking, and singing. Her favorite children's book is "James and the Giant Peach."

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!

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 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!

Ms. Morgan joined our faculty in 2024 with experience nannying! She has a degree in studio art and enjoys doing arts and crafts with the children! Ms. Morgan loves watching children grow and learn new skills in her care. When at home, she enjoys knitting, cooking, and going for long walks. She is a Philly native who loves reading "Where the Wild Things Are" to her class!

Miss Deirra joined our faculty as a Pre-K teacher-- it's her favorite age group to teach! She has a background in Elementary Education and is thrilled to gain valuable classroom experience in an age group applicable to her degree! Miss Deirra loves to not only teach her students, but learn from them as well. In her spare time, Miss Deirra enjoys running and training for marathons, as well as playing guitar!

Ms. Abigail started with us in the summer of 2024! She has a B.A. in Psychology and has been working with children for three years. Abigail has the philosophy that she can learn from the children just as much as they can learn from her! In her spare time, she likes to embroider, paint, and watch documentaries. A super fun fact about Abigail is that she was raised in Mexico for 8 years and her first language is Spanish!

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 completed 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. Siani is a resource teacher 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. Niya came to us in 2024 with 6 years of childcare experience! She is a resource teacher primarily for our younger children in the Toddler classrooms. Her favorite thing about teaching is seeing the children in her care happy and learning! A fun fact about Ms. Niya is that she is afraid of heights but loves traveling by plane!

Lucia joined our faculty in the summer of 2024! She has several years of experience working with children and has two young children of her own. She is currently in school working on her Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education. She loves teaching children new things and is also a dance teacher in her spare time! Lucia would love to take a vacation to travel through Africa!

Ms. Sa'Donna joined our team in the summer of 2024 with 14 years of experience working with children and even has a daughter of her own! She says teaching is rewarding and she loves building relationships with the children and families in her care. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, riding her bike, and listening to music. She hopes to make her way to the West Coast for a roadtrip!

Diamond joined our faculty team in the summer of 2024! She has worked with children for several years and says that her favorite thing about teaching is creating strong bonds with the children and families! She can be found journaling, taking walks, and hanging out with her friends in her spare time. One of her favorite books to read to the children is "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!"

Elizabeth joined our Goddard team in the summer of 2024 with several years of experience working with older children. Elizabeth has a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Arts! She is a resource teacher, moving around in all of our classrooms and very excited to enter Early Childhood Education! Elizabeth enjoys painting, reading, and making jewelry when she is not working. She is a dual-citizen and has lived abroad!