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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. Keilyn
Pre-K 3 Teacher
Ms. Keilyn is one of our Pre-K 3 Teachers.We love her rapport with the children and the kids love her! She has worked with children in the past as a Behavior Therapist. Ms. Keilyn 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 teacher. 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. Keilyn'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. Jiselle
Pre-K 3 Teacher
Ms. Jiselle has been working with children since 2017. She is one of our Pre-K 3 Teachers and is currently working on her Bachelors in Education and has her certification in Child Development (CDA). She loves working with children and stimulating their development by getting them engaged in the curriculum. She 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 4 Teacher
This is Ms. Christy’s second 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. 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. Yani
Pre-K 1 Teacher
This is Ms. Yani's first year with us, but has been working with children for 15 years. To her, the most satisfying thing is to to see the children meet their milestones and enjoys watching the children flourish. Ms. Yani obtained her Nursing Degree in her country Cuba. 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. Yani 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
Ms. Karen started working with us this year. 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. Yasmin
Pre-K 2 Teacher
Ms. Yasmin is our one of our Pre-K 2 teachers. She started as an Assistant to Ms. Arlin and after receiving excellent training, this year she became the lead teacher and has her own classroom. Ms. Yasmin loves her students and they feel her loving ways as she teaches them and plays with them. Ms. Yasmin believes that knowledge is power and recognized that the earlier it begins, the better for the child’s future academic life. She is very creative and is devoted to enhancing the life of every toddler under her care. Ms. Yasmin is currently studying to become a nurse. In addition, she has the Conscious Discipline Certificate and Professional Child Care Certificate.
Ms. Carolina
Teacher Assistant
This is Ms. Caro's first year with us, but her sixth year working with children. She loves going in and out of 10 classrooms and seeing all of the different and cute personalities. Ms. Caro plays with them and helps them during their Instructional Time. She is always providing support to all of the teachers who need it and does it with much love and patience. She is currently studying to be a child Psychologist and has completed all of the DCF required courses, as well as the Background Screening. She is a great help!
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.
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Edison
Guard/Greeter
Edison has been with us for two years now. He is the first person you see before entering our preschool. The children love to High Five him when they leave and Edison loves to see their smile daily! Edison is in charge of the front door. He knows all the parents and family members who enter our preschool, which adds much peace and safetiness to us and our parents. He also helps out during our 1pm dismissal and After Care. Edison also has his DCF Background Screening. We are happy that he is part of our team.
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.