Staff
The commitment and dedication of our staff to create a supportive and nurturing environment for families with young children has been, and continues to be, the strength of our school. We are also blessed with low staff turnover.
Directors
The wonderful Mustard Seed Preschool staff is led by Co-Directors Rina Woodfin and Shirley Wong.
Rina Woodfin is a seasoned and certified Early Childhood Educator and Director. She has been teaching at MSP since 1993 and co-directing since 2002. Besides being a gourmet cook, Rina appreciates listening to Jazz and classical music. She has greatly enhanced the cohesiveness of the staff team with organization, dedication and her delicious baked goods.
Shirley Wong has an M.A. in Clinical Psychology and an Early Childhood Program Director Credential. She was the founding Director of our sister school in Oakland—Little Sprouts Preschool. She has been teaching at MSP since 2001. She finds great joy in working with young children and seeks to get to know each child’s personality and learning style. She enjoys hiking, horseback riding, and spends quality time with friends and family.
Roos Class
Denise Hattam is working toward becoming certified in Early Childhood Education. She has taught in the Pooh Bear class two years ago and was our substitute last year. Denise has always had a heart for children and children ministries. Her passion includes Sunday school teaching for the two-year olds at a local church in Berkeley, taking walks with her daughter, biking, and reading biographies of people of faith and other books of inspiration.
Sharon Lee is a certified Early Childhood Educator and has been teaching at MSP since 1993. She is a graduate of Sook Myong University in Korea, in Art. This is the 7th year that Sharon co-teaches the Roo class. She is wonderful and warm with toddlers and creates strong bonds with them, inspiring trust and affection. She is calm and skilled in helping these toddlers transition through the separation process. She is fluent in Korean. Her excellent Korean cooking brings special warmth and laughter to our staff team.
Piglets Class
Monica Pelucchi is a certified Early Childhood Educator. She has been teaching at MSP since 1996. Monica works diligently, patiently, creatively and flexibly with children. Her teaching combines love & humor with developmentally appropriate limits. She has a contagious enthusiasm and enjoys the outdoors and social gatherings. Monica is a dedicated teacher at MSP and a loving wife and mother to her husband and two children. She is a great cook and baker. She is Italian and speaks her language fluently.
Carmela Asucion has a B.A. in Child and Adolescent Development with an emphasis on Young Child & Family. She co-taught the Roo class last year. She is warm and gentle in the way she connects and interacts with children. Her “kid-at-heart” personality really comes through in her teaching and interactions with the children. She was also involved in Jumpstart—a program aimed to prepare the children for kindergarten and the staff to be involved with the children's family and community. She is fluent in Tagalog.
Pooh Bears Class
Vicky Brodt is a certified Early Childhood Educator. She is in her 6th year of teaching at MSP. Vicky also works with children’s ministry at Berkeley Covenant Church. She brings a diverse and rich training in Early Childhood Education, along with her creativity, to the classroom. Also a certified horticulturist, she enjoys gardening, quilting, and spending time with her two kids; Sean (14) and Chelsea (6). She produces the MSP newsletter “Seedling”.
Jill Wang has a B.A. in Public Relations. Jill was a preschool teacher for two years at Decatur First United Methodist Preschool in Atlanta, Georgia. She relates with children and adults with warmth and enthusiasm. Jill communicates with children in clear, age-appropriate and respectful ways. She has two sons: Jameson has graduated from MSP last year and Ryan attends MSP this school year in the Kanga class. Jill enjoys traveling and camping with her family. She also loves to read, cook, scrapbook, and take long walks.
Tiggers Class
Meri Thwaites is a certified Early Childhood Educator and Director. She has been teaching at MSP since 1986 and has years of experience teaching the Pre-K class. Meri is warm-hearted, hospitable and humorous. She welcomes children and families into her life and keeps them in her spirit. She shares her gift of music and singing in the classroom and combines welcoming warmth with loving/healthy boundaries with the children. Meri has just become grandmother to her first grand-daughter Johana.
Helen Wu is a certified Early Childhood Educator and Director. She has a B.A. in Art and Psychology and is currently working toward her Master of Fine Arts Degree. She has taught at MSP from 1989 to 1996 and co-directed the preschool from 1996 to 1999, before moving on to become the Children Ministry Director at a local church. Having raised her two sons to adulthood, Helen holds a deep passion for nurturing children and helping them to cultivate their multi-faceted potential. With her warm and loving nature, she brings a nurturing presence that children can readily sense in the classroom. It has truly been a joy to welcome Helen back to MSP last year to co-teach the Tigger class.
Erwin Vista is a certified Early Childhood Educator and has a B.A. in Music. He is in his 3rd year of teaching at MSP. Erwin has taught the older pre-K class at MSP for two years. He brings wonderful music skills and talents as well as a love for children to our teaching team. He teaches children piano outside of MSP. He has an even temperament that brings calmness to the classroom. His awareness of children’s different temperaments makes him especially attuned to children who may need an extra word of encouragement and individual attention on a particular day. He also brings the joy of science discoveries to the children on a daily basis.
Kangas Class
Kristen Matarazzo is a certified Early Childhood Educator and has a B. S. in Fine Arts. She is in her 4th year of teaching at MSP. She taught Karate to children 4 - 11 year-olds at the Academy of Martial Arts. Kristen is a keen observer of children. Children feel an instant comfort with her and she balances humor with the setting of healthy boundaries. She is sensitive to provide activities that both encourage and challenge children to discover their potential. She is a leader and a ready public speaker. She enjoys reading, having coffee with friends and laughing.
Candace Martinez is a certified Early Childhood Educator. She taught and directed the Little Sprouts Preschool for the past few years. Candace is insightful about children’s needs and interests, and she engages them in activities that would cultivate in them a love for learning. Her teaching and curriculum combine healthy boundaries with fun & games, drama, songs, and creative expression. She encourages children to become aware of and communicate their feelings and needs with teachers and peers. For fun, she loves to explore new restaurants and cafes with her husband.
Rabbit Class Staff
Myrna Shadley has a B.A. in Education. She has worked in Early Childhood Education since 1980, both as a teacher and Director. Myrna is in her 5th year at MSP. She is delighted to be part of the Mustard Seed community and enjoys getting to know the children and families in the Rabbit class. This year Myrna is also our parent resource person, in charge of the “Our Space” bulletin. Myrna is a mom to six children and grandma to three. She enjoys gardening, spending time at the beach and being with her family. The teaching team for the Rabbit class includes: Shirley, Myrna, Megan, Monica, Sharon, and Candace.
Megan DeRouchey is one of the teachers in the afternoon extended care. She taught the toddler class last summer. Megan was the gym teacher at MSP five years ago and has been a part of the afternoon teaching team for two years. She is kind, loving and energetic in the classroom and maintains appropriate boundaries with the children. Megan is now a new mom to her daughter (Johana) who was born this past summer. It brings her great joy to spend time bonding with Johana and simply “being” a mom.
Support Staff
Laurie Fiddes (Bookkeeper); Nimota Abina (BCC receptionist); Elizabeth Liu (Office Support); Ron (Repair & Maintenance)
Mustard Seed Committee: Jo Ann Moseley, Peter de Laveaga and Laurie Fiddes
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