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Ms. Michelle
Director
Ms. Michelle is the Director at My First Place. She has a deep love for children and a passion for education. She obtained her Bachelor's in Elementary Education and a Specialization in Mathematics in 1993. Since then, she taught children of all ages in private, charter, and public schools. This experience has brought the best practices of her career to My First Place Preschool. Ms. Michelle cherishes the opportunity to foster early learning education here at MFP. She believes that preschool is a great way to begin building the foundation of a child’s future. She enjoys working closely with the teachers to provide a highly nurturing environment that enables the children to blossom and grow while developing a lifelong love of learning.
Ms. Vanessa
Director Assistant
Ms. Vanessa is our Assistant Director. She has worked at My First Place for 6 years and loves children. She is of great help in the office and all around the school. Ms.Vanessa loves to greet our students every morning and take them to their classroom. She keeps teachers and students' files up to DCF standards and manages the preschool facility, staff and students when Director is absent. She also assists teachers in the weekly lesson planning.Ms. Vanessa maintains daily communication with all the parents in person, emails and via Procare. We love her smile and the love she extends to the children every day. Ms. Vanessa is currently taking Childhood courses and working on her Director's Certificate.
Ms. Jodi
Pre-K 4 Teacher
This is Ms. Jodi’s 25th year at My First Place. She is currently the Pre-K 4 Teacher and has been working with children for the last 28 years. Her dedication to the children is relevant everyday as she presents her lessons. Ms. Jodi knows that young children learn through their senses and experiences, so she engages in a variety of hands-on activities. She takes into account the interests and strengths of each individual student which is so important for toddlers learning to socialize and become life-long learners. Ms. Jodi is certified by the Florida Department of Education with her Florida Child Care Professional Credential (FCCPC) and the Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Certificate.
Ms. Arlin
Pre-K 2 Teacher
Ms. Arlin is our Pre-K 2 Teacher. She has been a preschool teacher since 2005, 18 years now. She has a passion for educating children and enjoys watching them grow and flourish. She is a very creative and loving teacher who teaches in a way that is developmentally appropriate while keeping it fun. Ms. Arlin makes her classroom a place where learning is evident every day! She focuses daily in the areas of social skills, the use of small and large motor skills and academics, engaging them in arts, songs, dance and body movements. Most of all, she is dedicated to bringing out the best in their students. Ms. Arlin is certified by the Florida Department of Education with her Florida Child Care Professional Credential (FCCPC) and the Child Development Associate (CDA).
Ms. Carolina
Pre-K 3 Teacher
This is Ms. Caro's second year with us, but her seventh year working with children. We love her rapport with the children and the kids love her! Ms. Caro completed the DCF Background Screening and the Early Child Care courses required by the Dept. of Children & Families (DCF). In addition, she is currently studying to be a child Psychologist. She also has certification in Child Growth and Development and Early Literacy for Children Ages Birth through 3yrs. She has excellent classroom management skills and pedagogical strategies developmentally appropriate for our three year olds. Ms. Caro's lesson plans focus on various learning strategies to reach all the students. Her dedication and love for teaching is seen daily and most importantly, the children love her!
Ms. Arelis
Pre-K 2 Teacher
Ms. Arelis has been a preschool Teacher for 18 years. She is working in our older 2's classroom. The children love her and she loves to spend time with them. She is a very caring and loving teacher, who is always looking out for the safety of the children. She is passionate about preschool education and literacy and she thinks she has the most fun job of anyone she knows. To her, the most amazing thing is to see or hear one of her students apply the skills that she has taught them and see the excitement on their face! Ms. Arelis has her FCCPC credential and the Director Credential. She is certified by the Department of Children and Families with the Child Care Professional Certificate.
Ms. Sor
Pre-K 1 Teacher
This is Ms. Sor's first year with us, but has been working with children for 10 years. To her, the most satisfying thing is to see the children meet their milestones and enjoys watching the children flourish. Ms. Sor obtained her General Doctor Degree in her country of Venezuela. She has completed all the DCF required courses and Background Screening. She also loves how fun and energetic the kids are and how they keep her constantly entertained with their personalities. Ms. Sor is very creative and her favorite thing about working with children is their joy to learn!
Ms. Erika
Pre-K 2 Teacher
Ms. Erika started working with children in 2005 and has been in the field ever since. She possesses three very important qualities…patience, flexibility and love. It is no wonder that all the Pre-K 2 children connected instantly with her. She believes in the importance of early literacy, so she reads to them daily and engages in questions and conversation about the book to help them become readers. Ms. Erika is certified by the Florida Department of Education with her Florida Child Care Professional Credential (FCCPC) and the VPK Certificate.
Ms. Karen
Pre-K 2 Teacher
This is Ms. Karen's second year with My First Place. She has worked with children for four years now, and we can see her enthusiasm as she executes the daily lesson plans. She loves to play with them, read them books and dance with them during Dance & Movement Time. She loves all of the individual personalities and the fun energy they bring everyday. Ms. Karen loves knowing that she is helping the children learn and grow. She has completed the Preschool Appropriate Practices and Early Literacy for Children Workshops, as well as her DCF Background Screening.
Ms. Jennifer
Pre-K 1 Teacher
Ms. Jennifer is one of our Pre-K 1 teachers. She has been working with children since 2019. Ms. Jennifer obtained her degree as a General Doctor in Cuba. She is very creative and it shows in the classroom as she encompasses a range of skill building activities when executing the lessons! She joined our MFP Team in 2022 and we have seen how much the children love her. Ms. Jennifer has completed the DCF courses and exams. Her focus is to engage the children in their daily activities and preparing them for Pre-K 2, socially and academically.
Ms. Gigi
Pre-K 1 Teacher
This is Ms. Gigi's second year with us, but has been working with children for 12 years. She believes that being a teacher is an opportunity to create a better future for children and for society. Working with children, looking into their eyes, listening to their ideas, and teaching them in a way that inspires children to be curious about learning makes her happy. Ms. Gigi obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Education in her country of Puerto Rico. She has completed all the DCF required courses and Background Screening. Ms. Gigi's philosophy is to work with the whole child, not only academically but socially, emotionally and developmentally.
Ms. Rosy
Pre-K 3 Teacher
Ms. Rosy has been working with children since 2017. She is one of our Pre-K 3 Teachers and is currently working on her Bachelors in Psychology at FIU. In addition, she has her DCF required certification and background screening. She loves working with children and stimulating their development by getting them engaged in the curriculum. Ms. Rosy has a very friendly and outgoing personality and focuses on effective lesson planning. Her goal is to motivate the children and foster effective learning to build a strong foundation!
Ms. Christy
Pre-K 3 Teacher
This is Ms. Christy’s third year working with us and four years with children overall. Ms. Christy is working side by side with Ms. Jodi in the Pre-K 4 classroom. She loves watching the children absorb new information every day and watching their little minds at work. Ms. Christy also loves talking with the children and listen to all of the funny things they say! She is currently attending FIU studying to be a teacher. She has completed the VPK Instructor Emergent Literacy Course, as well as the Phonological Awareness Development course for Preschoolers.
Ms. Yasmin
Pre-K 2 Teacher
Ms. Yasmin has been part of our team for three years now. She is one of our Pre-K 2 Teachers and is currently working on her Bachelors in Nursing. In addition, she has her DCF required certification and background screening. Ms. Yasmin is so creative when executing her lesson plans and the children love her! Her effective planning ensures that the children are engaged and learning in a structured environment. Her nurturing ways helps build trust and encourages a positive learning atmosphere.
Ms. Deijah
Teacher Assistant
ABOUT OUR TEACHERS
Our experienced teachers are nurturing and highly qualified to prepare your children for Kindergarten. Their goal is to expose the children to music and movement, literature, Science and Math; as well as to enhance their learning through hands-on experiences, exploration and dramatic play.
Our staff has taken the childcare training courses required by Miami-Dade County, as well as the First Aid and CPR course. Furthermore, all the teachers hold a Bachelor’s degree, Associate in Arts degree or an Early Childhood certificate.
All of them are required to undergo a background screening and fingerprinting process monitored by The Department of Children and Families and Childcare Licensing and Enforcement. They are also required to attend in-service classes throughout the school year as part of their continuing education.