meet our teachers

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Teacher Jill aka Fun Jill aka Miss. Jill is our fearless Leader here at SPA! 

She wears as many hats as she’s had titles, she is our Director, and co-teacher in our Caterpillar class. 

She is lovingly known around Sonoma for her time as Miss Jill, running her in-home care for 12 years, before landing here with us as a teacher, and then getting promoted as Director in 2022. Her heart has always been in childhood education, with a specialty in teaching creative arts. 

She thrives on emotional connection, cultivating creativity, storytelling and delightful conversations...add a little sprinkle of controlled chaos, and you have a day in the life of a teacher!

Of course, you can’t be a preschool Director/teacher without a hankering to solve problems on your feet and Jill does it all in a day's work! It’s hard to put in words what all goes into a day of teaching little humans, but you need to be authentically you, or they can feel it, and Jill is really good at being her genuine warm, wonderful self, at all times! 

When she isn't planning next month's curriculum, you can find her mountain biking, pursuing estate sales, thrifting, and painting (did we mention she’s an artist?!?). She has two beautiful grown daughters, a tuxedo cat named Charlie and a husband who keeps her on her toes. The artist in her is also passionate about curating beautiful spaces, she loves to arrange her environment and experiment with what looks and feels the best. She collects vintage toys, loves to cook and listen to music. She has a talent for winning pie contests on her first try, before even tasting them. 

Ironically or not, her favorite book by Esphyr Slobodkina is Caps for Sale, just as in the book, our captain wears many caps!

Teacher Heidi is a co-teacher in the Caterpillar class, a ray of sunshine to greet the twos as they navigate their first school days. She is also our wonder woman here at SPA, she is always multi-tasking, and making sure everything and everyone gets the care they need. This go-getter attitude extends beyond SPA, when she loves on her three grand-boys, two grown children, and husband. Spending quality time with her family is her favorite past-time, while going to concerts is a close second! Her love of family and teaching may have been sparked by her special child-hood memories of growing up on Cavedale road, and being able to explore all nature had to offer. Heidi would never turn down an adventure, enjoying camping and vacationing in Hawaii, with her family of course! The things beyond family that matter most to her are honesty and spreading love. If she had a magic wand, she’d give the whole world a cozy bed, a safe place to rest their heads, and a warm meal! But not everything has always been rainbows and puppy dogs for Heidi, when she was young she never wanted to eat her peas! Luckily she grew out of her disdain for peas, and now eats all her veggies. 

“Hello, 👋 I’m Rachel, I started at SPA 7 years ago when my second was enrolled. I fell in love with the school community and had to stay a part of it, even as my kiddos graduated to kinder.

My job at SPA is teaching assistant and substitute. I also help with socials, the website, create the yearbook and lead music. I so enjoy working here because it incorporates a lot of my interests. I get to do photography, cooking, art, music and practice medicine (boo-boo fixing). My favorite days at SPA have included apple tasting, pancake and lemonade making! I’m a foodie 😉! 

Besides cooking and subsequently eating, I enjoy humor, art, writing, animals, and avoiding paperwork. People are my favorite, and it’s such a privilege to be a part of these little ones start at school, and life! To watch them grow and be there to support them as they explore the world around them is my greatest honor!”

Teacher Jantzie is our Lead teacher in the butterfly class!

She has been at SPA for more than nine years, she is fluent in English and Spanish and her passion is literature! 

Her favorite book is Chrysanthemum~ by Kevin Henkes. She loves it because it teaches a lesson about learning to overcome challenges and become comfortable in your own skin. Which happens to be why she decided to go into teaching, to create a warm environment of acceptance for everyone! Her classroom reflects her desire to give everyone the opportunity to grow at their own pace (safe, valued and supported) so they can reach their full potential.

Teaching preschool is something she truly loves because every day is filled with curiosity, discovery, and joy. Early childhood is filled with wonder, and Jantzie counts it a privilege to guide them as they learn new things and grow more confident in themselves.

When Jantzie isn’t teaching you can find her happy at home enjoying the simple things in life. She loves spending time gardening, caring for plants, and being surrounded by nature. Whether at home, garden or in the classroom, Jantzie finds joy designing and creating a warm, cozy, aesthetically pleasing space. 

You can’t know Jantzie and not know her strong Italian and Latin family roots! She, her husband and grown children enjoy keeping those cultural traditions alive with cooking, making homemade wine, and traveling with their extended family. She strives to bring these same family values to the classroom, and for everyone's birthday at school, she celebrates their families culture and story, which gives them a deeper connection to their unique story.

“I’ve been teaching for 38 years, beginning at Flowery School, then El Verano, then Prestwood, and now at the fabulous Sonoma Preschool Academy. 

When I was a senior, at Sonoma Valley High School, there was a program called R.O.P. (Regional Occupations Program) where seniors could leave campus for work experience and job skills. I chose the “Teaching Assistant” group and walked to Prestwood Elementary School to help in the first grade classrooms. That is when I first discovered that I enjoyed teaching. After completing my B.A. in Child Development, I earned my teaching credential and returned to Sonoma where I taught Kindergarten for 32 years. 

I love teaching young children because they are joyful, spontaneous, fun, engaging, and active learners. Teaching young children is NEVER boring. 

When I’m not teaching I enjoy walking and hiking, gardening, baking, listening to music, and I absolutely love reading. 

Some of my favorite things:

My favorite children’s book is “My Lucky Day,” by Keiko Kasza, because it’s very funny and clever. 

My favorite seasons are Fall and Spring because of the beautiful colors and the amazing changes in nature, that happen all around us.

My favorite color is blue. I love gazing at the different shades of blue in the sky and on the water in lakes and streams. ” 

Christina first wanted to be a teacher when she was ten years old and given the responsibility of watching her three young cousins. When most children would shirk at that kind of job, Christina embraced it, since she is an only child, and had enough of alone time! Nowadays she loves teaching because children have a pure, wholesome view of the world and give her hope for the future. Christina is all about family, and believes the world at large is an extension of that family, which is why she finds teaching such a worthy career. Pouring into the lives of others and spreading joy wherever she goes is one of her biggest strengths. It’s very fitting that her favorite book is The Giving Tree! Her favorite memories growing up are visiting family in Placerville and building snowpeople with her dad in Tahoe. She values quality time with those she loves over 

When she isn't teaching, Christina loves having movie nights with her two girls, binging on sappy comedies, going to paint and sip events with her friends, and cooking up new ways to help people!  

Some of her favorite memories growing up are visiting family in Placerville and building snowpeople with her dad in Tahoe.