Miss Carmela (English, Spanish)
TK/JrKindy teacher, 2 years at LPE
Miss Carmela was born in Mexico and raised in Napa. Mother to a 7 year old daughter. Carmela obtained her certificate in Early Childhood Education and plans to continue her education at the Napa Valley community college. Miss Carmela loves children and is very passionate about teaching them to be kind an love loving individuals. She knew at a very young age she wanted to teach. At 18 years of age she accepted her first teaching job. For the next 15 years Miss Carmela work with toddlers and preschoolers in a Montessori environment . Carmela enjoys art and crafts, circle time and teaching the children new activities. She believes that children learn in different ways and should be able to express themselves. Carmela enjoys watching children grow socially, emotionally and becoming independent. Her main priority is that children are ready for elementary school and that they thrive in their unique way. She is excited to combine her experience in Montessori with Le Petit Methode at Le Petit Elephant!
Saavan, LPE Ambassador & Campus Helper (Punjabi, Hungarian, English)
Saavan was LPE's first enrolled student, and he is currently in 2nd grade. As LPE's first student, Saavan is enthusiastic about representing his alma mater in the Napa Community. Saavan finds a lot of fun in helping around the LPE campus after school, on the weekends and over the summer in his family's business. He especially likes to help the children learn how to be kind and take turns. In his spare time, Saavan enjoys playing chess, piano, soccer, basketball, and Lego.
Miss Raquel (English, Spanish)
Support teacher, 1 year at LPE
Miss Raquel recently became a mom, and she studied Languages Learning in Mexico almost 10 years ago, and since then her passion about teaching have grown more and more.
For her, children are not only the future but the present. From how they receive education, to the small details they encounter in their daily lives. She also thinks that respect and love are the main traits a baby and kid truly needs.
Staff Qualifications
Miss Daisy (English)
Infant/Toddler teacher, 2 years at LPE
Miss Daisy has her Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education from Napa Valley College. Miss Daisy always dreamed about becoming a teacher since she was a little girl. She has experience working with children for over three and a half years. She enjoys teaching, singing, dancing, and taking care of children. Miss Daisy enjoys teaching children to learn something new and see how each child is unique in their own way. In her free time, Daisy likes to spend time with family, travel, go to the gym, sing, and cook.
Miss Yadira (English, Spanish)
Infant teacher, 1 year at LPE
(on leave)
Info to come!
Miss Valeria (English, Spanish)
Infant teacher
Info coming soon!
Miss Rosa (Spanish/English)
Infant Teacher, 2.5 years at LPE
Miss Rosa was born and raised in Venezuela, where she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Administration and a Master’s Degree in Business Management. She worked for 23 years in different administrative areas. In 2017 she moved with her husband to California to be closer to her family, and to have new experiences. Rosa began to work as an Infants Teacher at an Immersion Preschool in Sunnyvale and studied English as a Second Language. After she started studying at Mission College in Santa Clara, where earned 12 units in Early Childhood Education and a Certificate in English for Childcare. Rosa has over 3 years of experience in the Early Child Care field, and she enjoys being close to children, stimulating, and supporting them so that they develop healthy and happy. She also likes to bake, spend time with her family, see new places, and exercise in nature. She is very excited to be part of the LPE team and practice Le Petit Methode while having a great time with the children.
Miss Kayla (English)
Infant teacher, 1.5 years at LPE
Miss Kayla found her passion for working with infants and toddlers when she worked at a large in-home daycare in Suisun City. She believes in child development through child-led play and art activities, focuses on educational development of infants through natural style music, dancing, and reading, language development through naturally using multiple languages (English/Spanish/ASL)in the classroom, and positive discipline to reinforce positive behaviors and celebrate positive moments in a child’s early development and education. In 2020 she attended Arizona State University where she started her Early Childhood Education journey. She is currently working on finishing her Early Childhood Development courses locally and excited to grow through her journey at Le Petit Elephant!
As a mother of two, Miss Kayla brings her many years of experience as a mother and naturally gravitates towards infants that need those extra cuddles through the day. She understands that each child develops at their own pace educationally and emotionally, and tending to each child’s personal needs is of upmost importance to Miss Kayla. In her spare time Miss Kayla enjoys spending a lot of time her partner and their children, especially exploring outside. She also enjoys camping, expressing herself through flow art (dance), and has a strong passion for music.
Miss Fatima (Spanish, English)
Staff Coordinator & Preschool teacher
5 years at LPE
Miss Fatima became very passionate about educating young children when she was 9 years old. Her mom who also is an early childhood educator, would sometimes bring her along to work. She believes that children learn better when you make it fun. Through music and movement, creativity, play and most importantly love. She has 3 year old daughter and they love to read books together. Her daughter is her world.
She currently enrolled at Napa Valley College and she is finishing off her A.S degree in Child and Family Studies. Miss Fatima loves doing art projects, reading and making up songs with the children. Miss Fatima believes that by allowing children to express themselves through a creative way, we can help open their minds to even more and achieve even more.
Miss Adrean
Assistant Director (English)
7 years at LPE
Miss Adrean received her A.A. in Social and Behavioral Sciences, and also holds a Child Development Certificate, both from De Anza College in Cupertino. She is also working towards her Site Supervisor permit. Adrean has 25+ years of experience working with children ages 6 weeks to 12 years old and has held many positions, from Teacher's Aide to School Age Program Director. Watching children grow and develop, learning through everyday challenges is such a joy for her. Adrean believes that the best way for children to learn about themselves and the surrounding environment is with a little guidance, patience and love, and lots of playtime. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, yoga and a variety of outside activities. You can also find her volunteering for the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District.
Miss Mary Ann (English, Filipino)
Lead Infant Teacher
5 years at LPE
Mary Ann was born and raised in the Philippines and moved in the U.S. when she was 18. She has had experiences working in the medical field before but she found her real passion is to be working with young children. Miss Mary Ann loves being a teacher because it makes her feel good being around the children, helping them learn and learning from them as well. She likes seeing them grow and hitting their milestones, it makes her very happy and proud. Mary Ann is planning to go to Napa Valley College to get an A.A. degree in Early Childhood. She likes hiking, camping and some fun road trips.
All Le Petit Elephant teachers meet or exceed California's childcare state licensing requirements. All of the lead preschool teachers have completed required coursework in early childhood education. The lead infant teachers have all completed infant-specific coursework as well. All of the staff have experience working with young children in a supervised program. In addition, our staff members truly love and understand children, child development, and our play-based philosophy!
Miss Maria (Spanish, English)
Infant teacher, 3.5 years at LPE
Maria was born and raised in Napa. She currently attends California State University-Chico and will be graduating with a Bachelors in Child Development. Her passion for working with kids began when she was a kid herself. She enjoys helping children express themselves in creative ways whether that be with art, dance, or setting up costumes for them to dress up in. In her free time she likes to journal, watch superhero movies, and walk her dog Apollo. She is excited to be part of the LPE team!
Miss Giselle (English, Spanish)
Infant teacher
Miss Giselle is a California native, and she is licensed in both phlebotomy and medical assisting. Giselle is currently working toward her Associate of Science degree while working with the littles at LPE. She has had a passion in working with kids ever since she became a Behavioral Interventionist, and she loves to be a part of children’s developmental process while watching them achieve all of their milestones here at LPE!
Miss Nicole (English, Spanish)
Infant teacher, 4 years at LPE
Miss Nicole was born in Daly City and lived in Turlock, CA until she made her way with her family to Napa Valley when she was in 4th grade. Nicole knew since she was a young girl that she wanted to work with children. She has been working with young kids for 15 years. She loves to walk into the classroom each morning to see all of the children's happy faces. Nicole loves reading to the kids and singing them songs and watching the children grow! Miss Nicole has four amazing children of her own, two girls and two boys, whom she loves spending her time with.
LPE's Support Staff
Miss Jessica (English, Spanish)
Infant teacher, 3 years at LPE
Miss Jessica is every child’s favorite. She has over 9 years of experience working with children. Miss Jessica believes that a child should have the freedom to become who they aspire to be, and that will happen through experiences and good communication. She always finds herself around kids and doesn’t see it as her job, but as a passion she has carried since her adolescence. In her free time, you can find her looking for beautiful views where she can reflect on life and find peace. Miss Jessica's love for family and friends is her motivation to keep striving for more in life. She hopes to further her passion in child development by educating herself through schooling and eventually graduating with a degree based in early childhood education.
Siran, LPE Ambassador & Campus Helper (Punjabi, Hungarian, English)
Siran was in LPE's first graduating class of TK/JrKindergarten, and he is currently in Kindergarten. As LPE's first TK graduate, Siran is enthusiastic about representing his alma mater in the Napa Community. Siran loves helping around the LPE campus after school, teaching the kids how to play soccer and kick ball on the playground. He especially likes to help with the little babies and enjoys helping in his family's business. In his spare time, Siran loves playing board games, piano, soccer, basketball, and Lego.
Miss Kimberly (English, Spanish)
Infant teacher, 2 years at LPE
Miss Kimberly has received her Bachelor's degree in Sociology emphasized in social work, as well as a bachelor's degree in Chicano/a studies from UC Davis. She has spent time volunteering with NVUSD in the COOL school program as well as working a summer camp course where she had the chance to teach and interact with first graders going into second grade. She has always loved children, but knew she wanted to work with children after taking Child and family courses at Napa valley college which is what inspired her to go into social work in the hopes of finding a job where she has the opportunity to work with foster kids in the future. Miss Kimberly believes that all kids are unique and different which means that all children should be free to express themselves however they want. In her spare time Kimberly loves to go on walks with her dogs, listen to music, read, travel and spend quality time with friends and family. She is excited to be a part of the LPE team, and watch all the little ones grow and develop into their unique personalities.
Miss Noemi (English, Spanish)
Toddler teacher
Miss Noemi was born and raised in Napa, California. She is the eldest of three children and loves being around children, as she helped raise her younger brother who is 13 years younger than her. Noemi has worked in after-school care with different age groups, ranging from 8th to TK/K. Her passion for working with kids always came from raising her younger brothers and taking care of them. Noemi is currently attending Napa Valley Community College to further her career in child development.
Seva, LPE School Mascot
(Punjabi, Hungarian, English)
Seva absolutely loves LPE and elephants, so this was the perfect job for him at his family's business! You will find Seva at school events representing LPE's school spirit! He enjoys playing with Legos, soccer, dump trucks, and climbing on the big play structure. His favorite people are his big brothers.
Miss Shaudae (English)
Infant teacher
Miss Shaudae was born and raised in the Bay Area. She is a proud mother of one. She has been working with kids for as long as she can remember, which sparked a passion to become a teacher. Shaudae is currently attending Solano Community College to further her career in early childhood education. On her free time she enjoys spending time with family and going to the beach!
Miss Claire (English)
Infant teacher
Claire was born and raised in the Napa Valley. She loves to watch kids grow while teaching, smiling and laughing with them. She has been working with kids since she did a babysitting class as soon as she turned 12. She loves traveling and being with family and friends. Claire’s passion and light to her world are kids!
Miss Anacani (English, Spanish)
Preschool teacher
1.5 years at LPE
Miss Anacani became interested in becoming a preschool teacher when she was in kindergarten! Miss Anacani loves to be around kids, and she volunteered for many years at her church working with 4-8 years olds. She studied Early Childhood Education at Napa Valley Collage. Miss Anacani worked at a Montessori School for 20 years in Napa before joining LPE and worked with toddlers, preschoolers and taught Spanish class. What she really enjoyed is to see the kids grow to become independent socially and emotionally. She loves circle time, music and watching the kids play with each other. This is her PASSION, she loves to be around beautiful, loving kids!
Miss Maribel (Spanish, English)
Infant teacher, 3 years at LPE
Miss Maribel is the mother of four wonderful children and she understands what it means to leave your children in another's care when you need to work- it has to be a loving place that will take special care of your children. She is dedicated to caring for the infants and children at LPE as though they were her own and she is proud to bring her beautiful Spanish speaking skills to the infants at LPE.
Our Wonderful Teachers
Ms Mariela (Spanish, English)
Toddler teacher, 4.5 years at LPE
Miss Mariela has her AS from Napa Valley College in Early Childhood Education. She is also continuing her education at Sonoma State university. Miss Mariela has work in other children centers for 2 years. She loves taking care of children and infants! Miss Mariela loves children's curiosity to learn new things and explore the world around them.
Miss Diana (English, Spanish)
Preschool Teacher, 3.5 years at LPE
Diana was born and raised in the Napa Valley and graduated with a Bachelors in Sociology and a minor in Education. Her first experience she had with children was being a teacher aid at Napa Community College Child Development Center working with children ranging from infants all the way to preschoolers. This was a special experience for her since she used to be a preschooler at that center and had the opportunity to work with teachers that used to take care of her! Through this experience she has found the joy in working with children and seeing them explore and learn. During her free time Diana likes painting and drawing as well as customizing shoes!
Miss Katia (English, Spanish)
Infant teacher, 2 years at LPE
Miss Katia was born and raised in Mexico City, where she dreamed of becoming a teacher. Now she lives in Napa where her dream came true with her husband Julio, her baby Aziel and their two dogs Shifu and Bella. She studied at Napa Valley College and received her Associates in Child and Family Studies. She also worked in the NVC Child Development Center for three years where she had the opportunity of working with a wide range of ages from Infants to Preschool. In her free time, she enjoys going to the park with her family , dancing with her baby and her husband and doing art projects. Miss Katia believes that children learn through play and that it’s never too late to learn something new.
Miss Connie (English)
Infant teacher, 3.5 years at LPE
Connie has over 20 years of experience in the child care field and studied Early Childhood Development at Napa Valley College. Connie had her own family home daycare for over 10 years with children ages ranging from six weeks to ten years old. She enjoyed her time with her home daycare as it allowed her to spend time with her own children. Connie then went on to work for NVUSD as a lead teacher for their before and aftercare program at Browns Valley Elementary School. As she enjoys all ages of children, she has joined LPE due to her love of working with the infants and young children!
Miss Cristal (Spanish and English)
Preschool teacher
3 years at LPE
Cristal was born in Napa and raised in American Canyon and Vallejo, California. From a young age she aspired to be a teacher one day. As a teenager she interned, volunteered, and later worked at Canyon Oaks Elementary school in American Canyon. In 2022, Cristal obtained her Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education at Napa Valley College. She transferred to Sonoma State University where she obtained her bachelor’s degree with Magna Cum Laude, majoring in Early Childhood Development with a concentration in Education in 2023.
Today, she teaches in the TK classroom in which she strives to create a nurturing and welcoming environment for young children to thrive. Cristal’s passion in life is guiding young children in their early stages of life; the most critical years of their cognitive development. She believes that sharing reciprocal relationships with children and their families is fundamental in ensuring that every child thrives in all areas of life. She incorporates culturally appropriate curriculum, child-directed curriculum, and intentional teaching approach.
“If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn” (Ignacio Estrada).
Miss Lizbeth (English/Spanish)
Infant teacher, 2 years at LPE
Miss Lizbeth graduated from Vintage High School in Napa. During her high school senior year, she enrolled in Peer Support where she was able to meet with a lot of students and be there to listen and support them through anything that was going on at home, school or simply any feelings they were encountering. Lizbeth the 5th oldest cousin of many young cousins, and she has always loved watching infants grow and cuddle with them! Miss Lizbeth currently enrolled in the Child and Family Studies program at Napa Valley College. She is so excited and happy to grow and be part of the LPE family! Miss Lizbeth can’t wait to see so many infants grow within our family! In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, and listening to music.
Miss Ally (English, Spanish)
Support teacher, 4 years at LPE
Miss Ally has been working with children for 5 years and is planning to continue working with children once she becomes a registered nurse. Miss ally is working towards her nursing degree and is currently working on the weekends as a CNA. She loves working with children because she is very caring and loves to help guide children in they’re growth and learning. One fun fact about Miss Ally is that she is a dancer and is currently dancing on a team and is a vintage high school cheerleading coach. Another fun fact is that Miss Ally is fluent in Spanish.
Miss Joana (English, Spanish)
Infant Teacher
3 years at LPE
Miss Joana received her Associate’s in Sociology at Solano Community College. She has 4 years of prior experience working with children. She has also completed her 12 units in Early Childhood Education. On her free time, she enjoys going to the beach to watch the sunset with her family. The best part of working with children is watching them grow as they learn new things and hit their milestones. She is excited to be working with the infants and children at LPE!
Miss Milli, Founder/Director
Miss Milli lives in Napa with her husband Robert, her 3 little boys and 2 dogs! She earned her Master's Degree in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University's Graduate School of Education (Teacher's College) in New York City. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Developmental Psychology with an emphasis in Developmental Neuroscience from UC San Diego. She founded LPE in 2015 for her own infant son and is so proud of how much the school has grown into an amazing community of parents, teachers and students!
She spent 5 years as a child Behavior Specialist (3 of those years in Napa Valley), and has completed her Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) coursework. She was also an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Napa Valley College from 2012 to 2014. When Milli started Le Petit Elephant Nursery and Preschool in 2015, she also created "Le Petit Méthode", her unique child care philosophy combining wonderful, best practices and research-based aspects of many different child care disciplines into one cohesive new approach to raising and educating secure/attached, confident, curious and happy little learners between 0 - 6 years old. Miss Milli is also a Mentor for the Florecer Program through First 5 Napa, helping to mentor the youth of Napa toward a fulfilling career in early childhood education.
Miss Milli got her first job when she was 17 years old as a teacher's aide at a preschool in Danville, CA. She had always loved children and knew immediately that she wanted to work with children for the rest of her life, and she has done just that ever since! In her undergraduate years at UCSD, Milli secured herself multiple Developmental Psychology-related research internships, ranging from running neurological memory tests (how infants learn best) on infants/toddlers in the Developmental Neuroscience lab under Dr. Leslie Carver, to testing social cognition (how children learn rules and flexibility through play) with children in local San Diego preschools through the Hayman Lab under Dr. Monica Sweet. In her gap year between undergrad and graduate school, Milli felt herself naturally drawn back to the preschool classroom and became a 2's teacher at Acorn Learning Center in San Ramon. While earnings her Master's degree at the Columbia University Graduate School of Education, Milli also worked as a researcher at Corpus Christi Preschool in Manhattan, learning more about how children learn (pre)math through patterns, and this was the basis of her Master's Thesis. It was fantastic being in the classroom again and working with children in an urban setting (love those rooftop playgrounds!) Opening a school of her own was Milli's dream, and she is so proud of how Le Petit Elephant has been creating a sense of community in Napa, is implementing best practices in infant and childcare, and is providing a safe place for the sweet children of Napa to learn, grow and thrive since 2015!
* infant nursery * preschool * TK * Kindergarten *
Miss Dafne (English)
Support teacher, 1 year at LPE
Miss Dafné is excited to join your child's developmental journey. With thirteen years of experience in childcare, from a preschool teacher’s aide, nanny, to babysitter. She is passionate about nurturing young minds. Currently pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education. She strives to foster independence, self-discipline, creativity, empathy, a love of learning in every child and to love one another. Fluent in both Spanish and English, she enjoys incorporating her bilingual skills to enhance communication and self-expression. Influenced by her mentor & mother Miss Ericka, she cherishes each child's unique personality and believes in the joy of creative learning experiences.
Miss Ana (English, Spanish)
Infant teacher
Ms. Ana was born in Mexico but raised in Napa Valley where she received her AS-T in Early Childhood Education. She then transferred to San Jose State University where she earned her B.A. in Child Development. Throughout her education she obtained experience in the classroom furthering her love for teaching. Being the oldest, Ms. Ana has always had a passion for caregiving and working with kids. She loves being in the classroom and helping kids with their development.
Miss Jackie (English)
Preschool Teacher, 2.5 years at LPE
Jackie was born and raised in the Bay Area. She went to Vintage High School here in Napa and went on to college at SFSU where she received her B.S. in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Exercise and Movement Science. While working with children in a sports setting, she obtained units in Early Childhood Education and now plans on continuing her education in the field. Running around with children, playing games together, and getting their bodies moving really develops their motor skills which you can see overtime. Watching the wonder and excitement of children as they explore, grow, and learn new things everyday is the best. Jackie has a big family who has taught her to be caring and patient which she brings to the children at LPE!
Miss Lorena (English/Spanish)
Preschool Teacher, 2 years at LPE
Lorena is a first generation college graduate. She earned a Bachelor degree in Psychology and minor in Chicano studies at UC Davis. She is the oldest on both sides of her family and has been helping care for children of all ages from a young age! Lorena loves music, reading, traveling, children, animals, and spending time with family & friends. She truly believes that it takes a village to raise and care for a child in order to foster a positive impact on their growth during the most crucial part of their development. Lorena is super excited to be part of the LPE team!