My Early Childhood Education field journey began in 2003 when I moved to the Central Valley and started taking child development classes at San Joaquin Valley College. It was evident to me then that I had a passion and knack for being a Prekindergarten Teacher. I worked for KinderCare Corporation as a Lead Pre-k Teacher for a year and was quickly promoted to Assistant Director, and then Director. Since my child was now older and independent, I was eligible to move from center to center to fulfill any management needs corporate had for me, and that is where I really found my footing as a Leader in child care.

After 5 years as a Director of over 6 Kindercare locations, I was introduced to Sima Shah who was looking for a new Director at her upcoming Cupertino School. I was ultimately hired in June of 2019 to take over the Willow Glen location, and it was truly the best decision I have ever made in my career. Between the high-quality standards of curriculum to the amazing school atmosphere of Primrose, I knew this was going to be my long-term home.

These standards I mentioned must be followed in order to create the best possible experience for the students and families that we serve. The curriculum philosophy, school policies, and staff trainings convinced me that there truly is not a better preschool out there than Primrose.

I feel truly blessed that I will be overseeing both locations in the near future, and that the long-lasting connections and relationships that were created with the families and staff will continue to grow.

My Favorite Part about Primrose

My favorite part about Primrose is the smiling faces I get to see each and every morning! Even if you are having a hard day, coming to work and knowing that there are children who look forward to seeing you, hugging you, and high-fiving you is the best feeling in the world. It is wonderful to know that the teachers work extremely hard in making each child feel safe, confident, and comfortable while their family members are away. It takes a village to raise a child, and being part of that village is rewarding in a way that you cannot put into words.

I started my Early Childhood Education journey in 2006 when I moved to San Francisco and attended City College of San Francisco. I was sort of lost, taking general education courses and I stumbled upon a child developmental class that really kept my interest. From that class on, I continued to take more child developmental courses, started my first teaching career that year, and eventually got my teaching certification in Early Childhood Development. I’ve always loved being around children, I wanted to change my cousin’s diapers when I was 5 years old!  When I was 9 years old, I filled out what I wanted to be when I grew up a questionnaire and sealed it shut, and opened it 11 years later. Coincidently enough, it said “Teacher” and I knew that I was going in the direction I was meant for. I then worked for Little Flowers Montessori as a Teacher for a long time, but I reached a plateau, expressed that I wanted more responsibility and growth in my career, and luckily, was given the chance to become a Director and was proven to be a great asset and with them for 5 years. Since then I have also been a previous Director at Bright Horizons. Seeing and experiencing children’s development is a fulfilling thing.

I took a small break from childcare and when I found Primrose, it was evident that I missed being around children so much. They make my day and warm up my heart with each waving child and hug. As a Leadership at Primrose, I’m happy to experience such hard-working teachers and teamwork to continue to keep the children safe, while having fun along with child development and education. I am blessed to be a part of the Primrose School of Cupertino and hopefully grow with this wonderful company.

Some fun facts about me are that I love to travel, go hiking, have nature adventures, enjoy eating UBE anything, and go to the spa of course for some relaxation.

Hi! I’m Cassandra and I’ve always had a passion for teaching since I was a young girl. My Mother and Grandmother were both educators and I wanted to follow in their footsteps. So, I started my teaching career in 2002. Since then, I taught at two different preschools and I also volunteered at various Elementary Schools. I recently just came back to teaching in a school setting, because I took time off to stay home and bond with my new baby.

Education Background: De Anza College and SJSU, Fully Qualified Preschool Teacher

Favorite food: Italian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Soul Food

Favorite weekend activity: Spending time with my husband and two children. We love to take family adventures together which consist of visiting parks, Disneyland, beaches, going to church, and traveling to visit family.

Favorite children’s book: Corduroy By Don Freeman, and any Eric Carle books.

Primrose character I most relate to: Billy because I love music! I love to sing and make up my own songs.

What I’m most excited about this school year:  I am excited to use my teaching experience to help each student in my class grow and reach their developmental goals. I also want to instill a passion for learning in each student.

Languages Spoken (if any): Spanish

My name is Kaylen and I have been working with children since 2011. In South Korea, I worked in a preschool run by the government for 6 years. After I moved to the United States, I studied early childhood development and Montessori Education. I love this job because as preschool teachers, we can help children grow emotionally, verbally, socially, and cognitively. I will continue my experience to be a role model and use my knowledge to help positively develop children so that children will be able to grow up happy and healthy.  I look forward to seeing their growth at Primrose School.

Hometown: South Korea

Child care experience: Over 8 years of teaching experience from 2 to 5 years of age in Korea and over 4.5 years of teaching experience in a Montessori school and a play-based preschool in the US.

Education Background: Bachelor of Art in Child Development and Early Childhood Montessori Certificate

Language: Korean, English

Favorite food: Italian, Korean, and Mexican food

Favorite weekend activity: Exploring good coffee shops and hiking

Favorite children’s book: How Do You Feel? by Anthony Browne

Primrose character I most relate to: Benjamin Bear

What I’m most excited about this school year: I’m excited to get to know all the children and families at Primrose and look forward to watching all the children grow.

I’ve been working with children through summer camps since I was in middle school and I loved getting to see the children blossom throughout the days. My favorite part about working in early education is being able to help shape the growth of the children and watch them grow everyday.

Hometown: Milpitas

Child care experience: 10+ years working with children PreK-Middle School

Education Background: BS in Business Administration, working on an Associate for Early Education

Favorite food: Korean Tteokbokki

Favorite weekend activity: Reading books outside

Favorite children’s book: Rainbow Fish

Primrose character I most relate to: Mia the Mouse

What I’m most excited about this school year: Watching the children blossom throughout the year

Hello, my name is Kelly S.

I grew up in the beautiful Bay Area, near Santa Cruz, CA, where the ocean and mountains have always held a special place in my heart. When I’m not working in a preschool, you can find me walking on the beach or hiking in the mountains.

I studied Early Childhood Education and began working in preschools in my early 20s—and I’ve never looked back! When it was time to raise my family, I settled in Willow Glen, where I lived for nearly 30 years. I feel so fortunate to have built a strong community here, one that I still maintain today. Willow Glen will always hold a special place in my heart.

After teaching primarily Pre-K throughout my career, I’m thrilled to now be a part of the incredible team here at Primrose. In my role, I offer additional support to both parents and children whenever needed. We at Primrose are here to ensure that your family has the best experience possible, and we want you to know that we are always available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have.

I truly enjoy meeting and working with young families. I hope that my years of experience in early childhood education and raising my own family can be helpful to you. It would be my honor to support you in any way I can.

Hello Primrose Families!

I have been cooking since I was 16 years old in Nebraska. My wife and I moved here from Missouri and have lived in the Midwest for most of my life until this past year. Working with children, I was a foster parent and took care of my nieces and nephews and I enjoyed being with them a lot. I like to prepare nutritional varieties of food and for 27 years I’ve worked in various cafes, pizzerias, and steakhouses. What I enjoy most about cooking is seeing the smiling faces and meeting new people in the places I have cooked in.

I can’t wait to learn more about you and your family.

Hometown: Fremont, NE

Child care experience: 4 years

Education Background: 27 years of Food Service

Favorite food: Pancit

Favorite weekend activity: Hikes

Favorite children’s book: My Book of Bible Stories

Primrose character I most relate to: Megy the pig

What I’m most excited about this school year: To start cooking in the kitchen for the children and meeting all of the families at Primrose!