Arbor Preschool Berkeley Team

MARISa van sickle, DIRECTOR

Marisa holds a BA in Liberal Studies and Child development from California State University, Chico. She has been an educator for five years, primarily working with preschool age children, including teaching in infant & toddler classrooms. Marisa is passionate about bringing yoga and mindfulness into the classroom using various techniques, and is excited to utilize her Spanish background to incorporate the Spanish language in her teaching. She enjoys watching the children create collaborative artistic canvases in the art studio, and bringing in an emergent curriculum that supports each child’s development and interests. Marisa enjoys learning alongside the children, and researching their favorite topics using books and scientific experiments. This will be Marisa’s first year as a Director, and her experience in the classroom as a Lead Teacher and working with parents in previous years makes her excited to be part of the Arbor Preschool team and continue her leadership growth. Outside of school she enjoys hiking with her fiancé, painting, cooking, lifting weights at the gym, and reading!

DAISY VALLE, site supervisor

I have my undergrad in Child and Adolescent Development Social and Community Settings with a minor in Psychology at California State University, Sacramento. I have been working with children from a young age. From babysitting for close relatives and friends to being a youth group mentor/ coordinator to working as an at-home child care provider and to becoming a preschool teacher; I have truly found a great passion for working with children. I love seeing them learn, grow, and develop into beautiful human beings! In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, exploring new places, and practicing self-care. I am excited and grateful to be a part of the Arbor Preschool family!

Edith perez, teacher

Hola Familias! My name is Edith Perez. I am excited to join Arbor Preschool as an Early Childhood Educator. I have 4 years of experience working with this age group, and I love to see the children grow physically, emotionally and intellectually through the daily classroom interaction, play and routines.

I was born in Mexico City and I am the mother of 4 children and the grandmother of a 3 year old girl. In my spare time I enjoy family time, the gym, traveling and baking. I am very happy to be a part of this community, and I look forward to meeting your children

elizabet alcaide, teacher

My name is Elizabet Adriana Alcaide Rondan. I am 21 years old, I have 2 years working in schools as a teacher's assistant, and I have experience with babies, from 6 months to 5 year old children. I love to be very creative with the activities for the children to inspire their critical thinking! I look for the best way of learning for them, based on their interests. I curate my activities inspired by Reggio Emilia, which is a teaching strategy that advocates for children's independent learning where the teacher is a facilitator or guide. They learn through observation and natural curiosity and, in this way, develop their creativity. I have learned a lot through observing and hearing conversations amongst the students, they teach us the most important things through their behavior and temperament. Each child is different and brings a lot, and supporting them where they are leads to a good healthy development.  I am very happy to be part of the Arbor community and hope to contribute a lot from my part!

Lizveth Alcala, teacher

I was born and raised in Oakland. I have been working in the ECE field for 6 years. My interest in working with children started at a young age when I would help my mom babysit for family and friends during our Summer breaks. I began working as a sub which helped me get a glimpse of different teaching methods and environments. I gained a lot of knowledge and experience in those different centers that it allows me to bring my experience and knowledge to the classroom. I am currently a student at Merritt College and I'm looking forward to transferring out soon to complete my B.A in Child Development. I'm excited to bring my knowledge and experience to Arbor Preschool and look forward to working with your children. I know it's going to be an amazing and fun school year.

rebecca, business administrator, CO-FOUNDER

Becky has been an educator for the past 11 years, working with children from preschool age up to and through college. She holds a BA in Psychology from Lewis & Clark College and a master’s degree in education. She was drawn to found Arbor Preschool because of her interest in the developing child and her desire to create a thoughtful place for her own children to learn and grow. Meeting Kelly and realizing we shared common goals was a dream. She is excited to incorporate her interest in the world around us as well as her knowledge of Spanish into the classroom. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the Bay Area with her family, playing with her three year old and baby, hiking, traveling, and getting lost in a really good book.

KELLY JOHNSTON, program administrator, CO-FOUNDER

Kelly was a preschool teacher in San Francisco for 10 years. She has her BA in Theatre from San Francisco State University and holds her California Child Development Site Supervisor Permit. In 2005 Kelly began working as an assistant preschool teacher and quickly fell in love with teaching, supporting families, and being a part of such a loving community. After a few years of assistant teaching she took on the role of lead teacher and began dreaming of opening her own school. She took a break from teaching to learn the ins and outs of running a small business by working as a manager in her family’s corporate flower company. Her passion and love remained with teaching, and her dream was realized with the opening of Arbor Preschool. In her free time Kelly loves to spend time with her family, practice yoga, read, travel, and bake!

Arbor Preschool Berkeley Campus

Arbor Preschool Berkeley is tucked away in a lush corner of the Claremont Hills. The building is airy and bright with plenty of windows and skylights. The outdoor space is surrounded by trees, flowers, and vines that create a sense of wonder and stir the imagination. It also contains a sandbox, planter boxes, and play structures for climbing. Our students are actively involved in caring for our garden and plants. Just down the block we have access to two of the most beautiful paths in Berkeley- the Willow Walk and Sunset Trail paths, which we utilize for walks and further outdoor exploration.

Indoors, our classroom is welcoming, full of natural light, and lined with French doors and windows for plenty of fresh air. We believe a clean, organized, and beautiful space filled with thoughtful items is best for spurring creativity and focused play.