Monica Donaldson
I moved to San Clemente from Puerto Rico three years ago. I wanted a school where I could be with my daughter her last year of preschool. I was so lucky to find Serra Preschool. My daughter blossomed here and I discovered a wonderful community of loving people. My daughter moved on to kindergarten and I stayed at Serra as an assistant teacher, then was promoted a three-day teacher and the Co-Director.
I have been teaching in the Montessori philosophy for 13 years. I am fluent in Spanish and I like to incorporate the Spanish language into my curriculum. I welcome you to visit our school and see for yourself how nurturing the staff and families are, and how we offer your child the opportunities he or she needs to become a fully developed person.
Betsy Fuller
I started out on my journey at Serra Preschool as a working mother. I came to know the school as a wonderful, creative, and free place for children to grow and explore. I loved the sense of community, and the strong base it gave my daughter as she continued on with her schooling. When the opportunity to work at Serra arose I was thrilled.
In terms of my philosophy, I believe that curriculum planning should be based upon what the children are interested in, and what they see every day. I think that preschoolers need to recognize the rhythm of the seasons by being outside in them. I know that a good reading foundation has its roots in storytelling, movement games, and singing. I think that being silly is a component of trust and is of utmost importance in the learning process. I agree with Rudolph Steiner who says that, “we shouldn’t ask: what does a person need to know or be able to do to fit into the existing social order? Instead we should ask: what lives in each human being and what can be developed in him or her?” I believe in educating the whole child: “heart, hands, and head.” I want to help foster self esteem in children because I believe that it is a key component to their future academic success. I also believe that the best way to grow self esteem in anyone is by honoring them, what they are interested in, what they are sensitive about, and what they are confronted with on a daily basis. I agree that children should have full access to their environment, that they should absolutely touch and smash, bend and pull. Most importantly…I believe that learning should be fun! Especially for preschoolers.
In practical terms, I will be receiving my early childhood teaching certificate at the end of summer 09’, and I will graduate in fall of 09’ with my B.S. in child and adolescent development. I have 21 ECE units, and four combined years of experience as a teacher, and substitute. My husband and I own an overnight surf camp in which I have participated as the activities director, and camp “mom” for the past 5 years. Beyond all of that, I do not think that it is possible to work with young children without being in a place of continuous growth. I do know for certain that I am the “sleeves rolled up, muddy shoes, paint splattered, in the grass with them” kind of teacher. I enjoy children, I feel connected to them, and I think that this is probably the most valuable thing that I can bring into the classroom.
