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Nicole (Nikki) established Sycamore Park Preschool (formerly known as Babies Business) in 1991 with one simple goal... providing a safe place for children to learn, grow & play. She has been living up to that standard ever since! Nicole is a San Francisco native and has been living in Marin since 1989. A graduate of Mercy High School and SFSU, Nicole began her teaching career at a San Francisco parochial school, but realized in a short time that preschool was her true calling. Nicole has studied in great detail most major preschool philosophies including Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia & Academic. Her program incorporates many ideas and practices from these philosophies, but the underlying theme of her program and teaching style is based on a traditional, developmentally appropriate style. In addition to her formal training in Biology, K-6 Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education, Nicole continues learning and studying at workshops and seminars in Marin, as well as all over the Bay Area in order to offer the most complete, interesting and wide ranging curriculum possible. Aside from her family and business, Nicole's interests include, SF Giants baseball, camping, ice skating, music & shopping! Nicole is the proud mother five children, who range in age from 5 to 18, all of whom are SPP alumni.
Ryan (Nikki's husband) began teaching at SPP in 2000. Trained in design at FIDM in San Francisco & a gifted artist who studied at The Academy of Art, Ryan now enjoys sharing his many talents with preschoolers! Ryan's passion for the arts motivates children at an early age to develop their artistic side which can be as equally important as academics. A Michigan native, Ryan has been living in California since 1982. In his spare time, Ryan's outside interests include: sports, comic collecting, movies & hiking on Mt. Tam.
After returning to Mill Valley with her husband and their son Alexander, now 14, Melinda began the fulfilling task of stay-at-home mom to her growing brood - which now includes Nicholas, 10 and Elizabeth, 7, who are both SPP alumni. Melinda finds herself extremely active in the Mill Valley Middle School & Tam Valley Elementary School community. She also recently trained in Mill Valley’s CERT (community emergency response team) program. Silvia Buckley is a native Spanish speaker from Lima, Peru. She moved from Peru to the USA 19 years ago, and has taught Spanish for the past 14 years at St. Hilary School in Tiburon from K through 8th grade.
In addition, Silvia teaches pre-school classes at various locations around Marin, including 3 classes per week at Sycamore Park Preschool. Silvia graduated from the University of Lima in Peru with a Law degree. She enjoys sharing her culture and language through teaching, using multi cultural experiences; and her system emphasizes involving students with fun activities. Silvia is the mother of two children; a daughter, 7 & a son, age 5. Her hobbies include music, opera and running.
Jane Pavis has been teaching Yoga to children in Marin for the past three years and began at SPP in September 2006. The mother of two children aged five and seven, she began teaching yoga to her own children who wanted to join in her home yoga practice. This was all so much fun that soon she was teaching at their preschool, Marin Day Schools St. Vincent’s Campus and in summer 2005 she completed the British YogaBugs teacher training in the UK. Born and raised in the UK, Jane moved to Marin nine years ago with her then boyfriend, now husband, for adventure and to experience life in another country. With a BA Hons in English Literature and Media Studies, her career before life as a ‘Mum’ and kids yoga teacher in England was as a journalist, and in the US working in independent film PR for the Mill Valley Film Festival and San Francisco International Film Festival’s for three years. As well as
teaching at SPP Jane currently offers public classes at MVCC and
Tam Valley Community Center. She is also the teacher for MVCC’s
popular ‘Create Your Own’ Party’s and is the
senior preschool teacher for MVPR’s Jump into Preschool
program. In her spare time she is an active member of Strawberry
Point Elementary School PTA and loves to her personal practices
of yoga, tai chi, chi kung and reiki.”
Wendy Dalia, Independent Consultant with What's Cooking, is a marine ecologist by training and has, over the last 12 years, developed and taught environmental education to children as young as 3 through college. For the last 4 ½ years, she has primarily been a stay-at-home mom and personal chef to her two children, both of whom have had the added challenge of numerous food allergies and sensitivities. Wendy is also an Independent Consultant with a direct sales company specializing in high quality cooking tools. What's
Cooking provides a creative outlet for Wendy to share her love
of cooking and informal education with children. Their natural
enthusiasm for "hands-on activities" makes cooking a
wonderful activity for building self-confidence, learning any
number of important skills, and of course having fun! Vegetarian/Vegan
diets, food allergies, sensitivities, or aversions are all part
of Wendy’s personal experience with her own children’s
challenging diets and may be incorporated into any class to accommodate
the needs of participants.
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