Our Staff

Sam P

Owner / Partner

ScuttleBugs has been quite the labor of love, and that’s why Sam often refers to our center as her third child! In fact, ScuttleBugs was created out of necessity when she started a family of her own, and just wasn’t satisfied with the childcare options available.

Her career spans 30 years encompassing all manner of roles such as neighborhood babysitter, English teacher abroad, teacher’s aide, Team Lead, Assistant to Regional Manager, and Center Purchasing Manager. Sam was able to hone her skills under the mentorship umbrella of Universal Childcare, now “Only About Children”, the premier childcare company in Australia.

The ScuttleBugs crew get a real kick out of learning wacky Aussie expressions such as “chuck a sickie” (time off work pretending to be sick), “dag” (look it up – basically a slob), and she insists we refer to the snacks we serve as morning and afternoon tea on the menu – admittedly it does sound fancier.

Her other titles include Resident Queen Bee and Jill of all trades, master of none! Budding ornithologist, whose other hobbies include sleeping, aromatherapy, and dancing with her boys to 80’s music. Her secret past time is sharing her mad origami skills by leaving a toilet paper hospitality fold in random public bathrooms, although this Grasshopper has yet to master “the fan” (think serviette/napkin in a posh restaurant).

But behind it all, Sam is a strong advocate as well as serious student of early childhood development. She follows developments close to home and around the world and her opinions are always insightful. You can read her ongoing thoughts and research – and occasionally some of the kiddies stuff that makes us weep with laughter – here.

Linda W

Center Director

Linda brings with her a wealth of experience and success gained over her 20 years of work at leading Bay Area childcare providers. Linda is a born leader with exceptional management skills to add to her B. A. in Child Development from San Jose State University. Her insights and steady hand show themselves at all levels throughout the center. She makes a point of staying in close touch with everything and everyone in the classrooms. She is central to the delivery of ScuttleBugs curriculum and loves her role, even indirectly, in helping children find value and worth in themselves and the world around them through everyday experiences such as play, problem solving, conflict resolutions and interactions with children and adults. She believes in a partnership with parents as an important bonus in the early childhood education process.
Her quick wit, warmth and sparkling sense of humor immediately endear her to all. In the rare moments when she is not working, Linda loves spending her free time with her family and friends, “doing just about anything”. Fun Fact: Linda goes on paranormal adventures, searching for proof of the existence of ghosts. A Social Media enthusiast (even her cat has her own Instagram account!), she is a great communicator and we’re delighted staff and parents can benefit from her wisdom and experience.

Sarah F

Program Manager

For Ms. Sarah, child development is a passion and watching children master tasks and milestones is a source of happiness. “Passion lies with providing a nurturing quality environment to enrich each person’s interest to learn and grow on their individual level. We should continue to learn and grow – no matter what our age is.” Ms. Sarah sustains that strong relationships with the children, families and staff are key to creating an environment to have fun while growing, learning, getting inspired and excited about life and the world around us.

Ms. Sarah joins ScuttleBugs as a Program Manager with an experience of over 20 years of working in the education field with focus on Early Childhood and science enrichment, Master’s Degree in Education with emphasis on ECE, Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development with emphasis on ECD in addition to over 40 ECE Units.

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Ms. Sarah enjoys our great sports teams (Go Giants, Niners and Warriors!!!) She also loves to explore the wonderful diverse foods with her 23 year old son, and finds relaxing joy in painting in her spare time.

Arina S

Kitchen Manager

Ms. Arina brings nearly 10 years of professional cooking experience with her. She has worked for catering companies making dishes from a range of cuisines for a varied clientele. She has also worked cooking for children at another Preschool.

Ms. Arina’s first experience cooking, dating back to many years ago when she and her partner were young parents of 3, is still fresh in her memory:

“The first time I made fried chicken, I forgot the oil and wondered why it wasn’t frying up!!

That didn’t discourage me!! I kept pushing, and eventually I grew from dreading making food to really enjoying creating interesting and tasty dishes. … My love for my kids motivated me as a mother, and forced me to learn things out of my comfort zone.”

Ms. Arina loves the fact that cooking allows one to transform even simple basic ingredients into something extraordinarily tasty!! She most enjoys making soups, sandwiches & sauces.

“Working with children, you get to be silly and they keep your energy level high. You learn from them, they bring out your creativity and, my personal favorite, they show love in the purest form.” – says Ms Arina. At ScuttleBugs she finds it amazing that children at such a young age are opened minded to trying different types of foods – without being bribed!

In her free time, Ms. Arina loves to spend time with her children and her 5 (!) dogs. She also loves to sing at home although she admits that she’s repeatedly told that she shouldn’t!

Nicole B

Infant program

A Los Medanos College Graduate, Ms. Nicole has also completed ECE units at De Anza College and a Reggio Emilia Course, and now she is working towards her degree. She has almost 20 years experience of working with young children and is one of the supporting columns of our new Curriculum! She loves to hear children laughing and seeing smiles on their faces. Ms. Nicole believes that communication is the key, both for working life and life in general! “I enjoy helping children reach their milestones” – says Ms. Nicole about what’s the best of being a child care teacher.

Ms. Nicole is helping and supporting her son Evan with his goal to be a San Jose State Graduate with his BA in Communication. The two enjoy trying new burger joints and Chinese restaurants together.

She always stands out with her clothing and shoe style, and has a ready joke for every occasion! Ms. Nicole loves to read, and is a Big Fan of Harry Potter (We are making bets about her next Halloween or Fall Festival costume!!!). She strives to read a new book or vlog twice a month. Ms. Nicole also loves watching the Food Network and tries to incorporate new techniques in her cooking style.

See a video of Ms. Nicole with some parenting tips about the period when your baby is learning to walk.

Itzel J

Infant Program

Ms. Itzel started caring for her neighbors’ babies when she was in elementary school and it was then that she realized that she wanted to care for and teach children. Ms. Itzel has since then earned her Bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development from SJSU in 2020 and made her dream to be a professional early childhood educator come true.

“I love how I can be a part of a child’s life, even for a short period of time, especially from a young age because that is when their development and learning is most critical. What I teach them and how I care for them can influence the course of their lives in many ways, making my work rewarding and life-changing for me and the children”. – says Ms. Itzel.

“As a teacher, I want to help and motivate children at an early age to be curious about the topics they are interested in learning. Having worked with children of different ages, I have always enjoyed seeing them happy and excited to learn. Each child is unique, and I am amazed at how I can learn from them and witness how each one of them develops their personality.”

Ms. Itzel believes that building a relationship with families and co-workers is just as important as building a relationship with a child. Her idea of fun is going to amusement parks, and she makes sure to ride every ride! She also has an unusual hobby:

Elizabeth T

Infant Program

Ms. Elizabeth enjoys when she’s able to help children with learning new things and understanding new material, but she also believes laughing, playing and doing activities as a group, doing arts and crafts is a big part of being a teacher. “It’s just really fun and I love being able to make lasting memories with them.”

Ms. Elizabeth has done both tutoring and teaching young children for about 5 years, helping with preparing lesson plans and activities for the kids. She can’t imagine her life without being able to work with children. “They’re like sponges soaking in all the new information you teach them. I believe as an educator it is our job to make impactful choices of teaching the children how they should carry themselves in life. This is also true when creating relationships with parents, making sure we as educators show parents we are here to help their child grow to the best version of themselves that they can be.”

Ms. Elizabeth is a creative type, and enjoys being artistic when she has me-time. She relaxes while drawing with pencils or markers and bullet journaling. She also enjoys reading books and likes to collect different hard cover book versions of the ones she really likes. She also collects figurines like Sonny Angels or Japanese toy collectables. Fun fact: Ms. Elizabeth plays violin, viola and piano, violin being her favourite. She started playing violin 10 years ago.

Isabella R

Infant / Toddler Program

Ms. Bella has over 6 years of experience working in early childhood education with children from infant to school age. She has a BA in Early Childhood Studies plus 2 AA degrees: one in Social Sciences and the other in Human Development.

“Everything is new, exciting, fun to young children! I love their wonderment about the world around them! – says Ms. Bella. – I believe that it is a privilege, a gift – to be a part of their growth and exploration of the world. It’s amazing how every child, no matter how young, has their own personality and strengths. I am so excited to get to know each child in my care, and provide an environment for them to feel safe, explore, play, experiment, grow.”

Ms. Bella’s other great passion is dancing, and she has worked teaching ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary dance to students aged 3 years old and older. Her favorite dance style is tap dance, and her favorite place to be is at a beach.

Amanda P

Toddler Program

Ms. Amanda, with a bachelor’s degree in Child & Adolescent development obtained at San Jose State University, has been working with children since 2020, from newborns to 7-year-olds. And this without counting her taking care of her many nieces and nephews.

“I love seeing the world through children’s eyes, and being a part of their development and help them learn through exploring – says Ms. Amanda. – And it’s exciting to observe how their personalities form.

Ms. Amanda is an animal lover, her house is like a little farm. She has a dog (while boxer), 3 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 2 crested geckos, 2 lizards and 2 water frogs as well as a 5 gallon fish tank with a dozen tropical fish and a beta fish. An ideal day for Ms. Amanda is a day spent playing with her puppy and listening to country music.

Christine A

Toddler Program

Ms. Christine, with a Bachelor’s degree (Food science) and working on her ECE units, has been working with children since 2018. “I enjoy seeing the wonder and awe of children exploring and learning about themselves and the world around them.” – says Ms. Christine.

She believes that children are natural scientists, motivated to learn about their world – so the caregivers’ role is to guide and nurture that intrinsic love of learning.

Ms. Christine’s “guilty pleasure” is Pokemon Go. Her goal is to catch all the Pokemon, and each needs to be 3 or 4 stars. Her Pokemon battle partner is her 12-year-old terrier mix named Snowflake: together they take walks to Pokemon Gym to battle Pokemon. Other favorite ways to relax include being at the beach and / or hanging out with friends.

Sam G

Toddler Program

Ms. Sam was born in California and doesn’t really see herself moving anywhere else. However, she dreams of leaving the city and going to a more open space where she can fish, hunt, hike and walk with her dog!

Ms. Sam has been working with children from 0 to 2 years old since 2016. “I enjoy making an impact on their development, also seeing their personalities form and watching them grow and learn.”

Ms. Sam’s other great passion is sports: she’s an elite gymnast – she’s much stronger than you would expect! She is a country music fan and an avid concert-goer: there are already 6 on her calendar for 2023… and she hopes to add 18 more to the list! Ms. Sam tries to read 3 books per month and her favourite genre is horror.

Destiny R

Room 3

Ms. Destiny, with an Associates Degree in Child and Adolescent Development, says she enjoys working with children because they inspire the best in her. “I adore that we, as early childhood teachers, play such a significant part in their early years of development. I enjoy watching them and guiding them to achieve their little and big milestones.” – says Ms. Destiny.

She thinks that her profession helps her to develop the skill of being open-minded and she is learning from little ones and in particular their imagination. In her own words, “Children are unique because they have such a vivid imagination. I strongly encourage imaginative play because it enables children to think past their pretend limitations. Additionally, supporting hands-on learning helps kids understand concepts and maintain focus.”

Ms. Destiny enjoys traveling by car, board games and painting. Sun, sand, and the sea is pretty much a description of Ms. Destiny’s happy place. In her personal rating, the playas in the state of Guerrero, Mexico, are the absolute winners, while her favorite beaches in the US are the beaches in San Diego.

Sara R

Room 4

Ms. Sara has obtained her teaching certifications from DeAnza College, and she is continuing her education in early childhood education. She has been working with preschool age kids since 2016 and she really enjoys watching and helping children as they experience the world around them and help them grow and understand themselves. Instead of giving children ready solutions, she believes the best is a slight nudge for the kids to see the problem and find their own ways to solve it.

Ms. Sara enjoys cooking, playing video games (outta my way!), and reading – according to her own confession, she likes cheesy romance novels and manga. Fast reader, Ms. Sara can finish a book of 300 pages in a day and sometimes has to intentionally slow down so that she can enjoy a good book a little longer. Fun fact: she would love to open a small flower shop one day.

AJ P

Room 4

AJ, with BA (in Theater) and Child Development Associate Credential, has over 4 years of experience of working with children, from infants to school age. “I love seeing how young children make sense of the world and hearing their questions, curiosities and grievances, – says AJ, – I value child-led, whole child learning”.

They believe that their mission is helping children make sense of the world through facilitation, partnering with families and engaging the community and dismantling white supremacy in education, to help children become empathic, critical thinkers with a strong positive connection to their identity and community.

AJ is a gamer, and they also like music and singing! Another hobby is thrifting and creating outfits with bold statement pieces. AJ, together with their partner, is a loving plant-parent: when moving to CA from Philly, they had to let a lot go, but they smuggled cuttings in their carry on to bring to their new home.

Jeni T

Room 5

Ms. Jeni loves travelling. Here are a few of her incredible adventures: she has been to Alaska doing a safari on glaciers, climbed the Great Wall in China and have been sky diving in Monterey!

Ms. Jeni believes in kindness, respect and inclusiveness, and considers learning through play the key for early childhood development. “I like to engage individually and as a group to reach each child. – says Ms. Jeni. – I read to them, do the circle time and crafts. I always enjoy working with children because of their creativity, how they express themselves and how witty they can be. I also like talking to parents because it helps to better understand the kids.”

Ms. Jeni has a BA in Child Development as well as a Competency Award in Communications. Besides, she is a professional Massage Therapist.

Amy T

Room 5

Ms. Amy’s vocation for early childhood development started when she was babysitting her brother, cousins, and nieces/nephews (while still a child herself). A Girl Scout from the times of middle school, she was a cadette leading of brownies and juniors and then eventually became a venturer and helped oversee the girl scouts and cub scouts. In her senior year of high school, Ms. Amy worked with young children in a preschool setting; now she is at her fourth year at San Jose State University.

“I enjoy working with kids because they are very eager to learn and are very energetic. I love it when children are curious about their environment and ask questions, or are very into a subject and are excited to tell you all about it.”

Ms. Amy believes that learning should be fun for kids. “At this age they should be able to enjoy learning and be able to learn and explore what they want. It is important as teachers that we are there to help, facilitate, monitor and help guide children when they are learning instead of making them do activities that they are not interested in. I also believe that children should be able to express their emotions, and as educators we should talk to children about their emotions.”

Ms. Amy is a foodie but instead of having a bucket list of places, she has a bucket list of foods she wants to try, and every time when going somewhere she checks if she can find any food from her bucket list there. Ms. Amy is one of the very few people who actually chose their own name! Her birth name is Nhi but when she was in preschool, she came back home one day and told her parents that her name was Amy, and everyone has been calling her Amy since then!

Jessica H

Substitute Teacher

Ms. Jessica loves reading, journaling and going to concerts – especially those of Harry Styles! As a huge fan of Friends (the T.V. show, not the group of people – well, obviously she likes them too but…..), Ms. Jessica has an uncanny ability to provide a Friends reference for most situations. “I’ll be there for you”! Every year she rewatches the entire show! Ms. Jessica also confesses that she likes dancing even though she’s not good at it.

Ms. Jessica loves working with children because it gives her a possibility to contribute in helping them achieve their milestones and creating a safe and stimulating environment for them. She says, she was inspired to become a teacher by her teachers who created a safe environment and were there to support her… “Thanks Ms. Rosa!”.

At the moment she’s working on her Associate Degree in Child Development (graduating in fall 2022, yay!). Ms. Jessica has worked with children at the school she attended as a child.

Audrey T

Substitute Teacher

Ms. Audrey has 3 years of experience working with young children in the classroom, as a tutor and nanny and is working on her Major in Childhood & Adolescent development at San Jose State University.

“I enjoy working with children because I find interacting with them and being in their company to be genuinely fun! Children’s energy is so contagious, you truly feel that they are feeling. Also, being able to witness and be a part of their development is reward within itself.” Ms. Audrey believes in close collaboration with parents for every child’s individual early educational path.

Ms. Audrey’s all-time favorite hobby is singing! She admits to be unable to go a day without singing. She seriously considered a career of a musician and has 13 years of experience playing piano and 4 years of vocal lessons. Other hobbies, in her own words, include “dancing, crafting, knitting, playing with my two cats, thrift and spending an unreasonable amount of money at Disneyland.” Ms. Audrey’s entire family are Annual Passholders at Disneyland and they visit the Parks about once a month! Her older sister even has her own Mickey ears business where she sells custom-made Disney ears.

Megan C

Substitute Teacher

Ms. Megan started babysitting in Middle School. “Ever since I was little I knew that I wanted to work with children when I got older. Children are amazing “little” humans! It has always been fun watching children grow and go through all of their developmental stages, and they always know how to put a smile on your face.” She has a BA in Child Development – Teacher Prep – obtained at San Jose State University and has been working with young children for about 7 years now.

Ms. Megan is a huge fan of Disneyland. She collects Minnie Ears and Disney Pins and every time she visits Disneyland, Ms. Megan can’t wait to try their new foods/drinks. She also has two fur babies, Duke and Bear – chocolate lab mix and black lab.

“I believe that every child develops in their own way, regardless of what other children may be doing (if they are the same age). Play is a big learning advantage since they are able to do many things with that and are able to use their imagination.”

Sheryl F

Substitute Teacher

Ms. Sheryl started her career in early childhood education as a teacher’s aid. She then became a teacher, lead teacher and eventually the assistant director. In total she has been working with children aged from 18 months old to Kindergarten for 30 years – and only in 2 childcare centers!

“I love to see children grasp new concepts and to watch them grow and learn emotionally and socially. Their honesty and sense of humor always tickles me. I love to meet kids where they are developmentally. Help them feel safe and secure so that they can grow and bloom.” – says Ms. Sheryl.

Ms. Sheryl is a hockey fan! She also loves Disney and enjoys singing. “I love to sing but cannot carry a tune. I am always singing either out loud or in my head.” – she confesses. Another fun fact about Ms. Sheryl: she likes cows and always tries to read their thoughts when she drives past them on the highway.

Allison T

Substitute Teacher

Ms. Allison enjoys working with kids because it allows her to connect with her inner child and see the world from their eyes. “Their laughter is contagious and it’s amazing to watch kids learn and grow and be a part of their journey.” – says Ms. Allison.

With her Associate’s degree in Child & Adolescent Development, a Qualified Infant/Toddler Teacher, Ms. Allison has experience as a head teacher, working with various ages and mostly in the toddler classroom with one to two-year-olds. She is also currently working towards her degree in social work.

“I believe that young children should learn through play, where they have the independence to choose from a variety of activities what they are drawn to. Children are able to grow into emotionally healthy individuals when their feelings are respected and they are given gentle guidance.”

Partnering with families for Ms. Allison is also important to ensure that children have consistency and feel safe and at home when they are at school. Ms. Allison loves animals: she has a cat and a crested gecko and sometimes even fosters kittens.

Alolika T

Staff Support / Breaker

Ms. Alolika has been working as a preschool teacher for the last 4 years, and before then she used to be a volunteer working as substitute teacher and after school teacher. She believes that children must be able to learn through experiences of touching, moving, listening and observing.

Besides 31 Early Childhood Education units completed at De Anza College, Ms. Alolika has a diploma in Fashion Designing – which is her passion along with imitation jewelry design. As many teachers at ScuttleBugs, Ms. Alolika speaks several languages (Marathi and Hindi, as well as English of course). She loves music and singing as well as travelling and learning about different cultures.

Sonia T

Staff Support / Breaker

Sonia has been working with children for over 20 years – starting from a childcare near Chicago where she used to live, and then moving to California, where she earned her ECE units at West Valley College (in addition to her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Sterling College).

“I believe that preschool-age children are innately curious and eager to learn – says Ms. Sonia. They are developing across social, physical, cognitive, linguistic and emotional domains, and a healthy preschool environment will offer guidance to them across all the developmental domains. … I want to work with preschoolers in particular as they navigate their social and emotional skills.”

Ms. Sonia’s father is Armenian and she is currently learning his native language. She also has a son and a daughter, now in their twenties. Ms. Sonia’s vision of a happy relaxing day is a day spent doing crafts. “I want to cultivate the inner artist that I believe everybody has.” Sewing is her life-long hobby: her mom taught her to sew by hand when she was only 4 years old, and as a teenager she sewed her own clothes to have unique outfits to wear to school. Ms. Sonia has even taught sewing classes at Joann’s for people from 5 to 90 years old.

Stephanie S

Staff Support / Breaker

Ms. Stephanie received her education in child development from West Valley College. Her favorite course was Children with Special Needs because not only is the information interesting, she can use the course content in her work with “normally” developing children as well.

Ms. Stephanie has 13 years of experience working with children aged infancy through 13 years. She herself has a young son, and she really loves seeing children grow, laugh, learn & play.

In her free time Ms. Stephanie does hiking – on a Sanborn Trail – and yoga. Yoga is such a major hobby of Stephanie’s that she began teaching it. Although she no longer teaches, she practices yoga daily. Her other hobbies include making soap, dream catchers and candles, she even hope to make her candle making into a little extra money one day.

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