Our Teachers

Lance and Michele Shimomura are parents of three children and are excited to own The Goddard School of Northfield. Lance was a stay-at-home dad, has over 20 years in business management, and a BA in Business Administration. Michele has a Master’s in Public Health. She is passionate about promoting healthy living for children and families. Lance believes high quality preschools have “a safe, nurturing and fun environment as well as engaged teachers and an enriched curriculum.” They believe The Goddard School offers the best academic preparation for success in school and in life. In addition to spending time with their children, Lance and Michele also enjoy skiing, biking, reading and swimming.

Education: Director Certificate, and Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education in progress. Ms. Maria has been in early childhood education since 2014 and at Goddard for over 9 years. She believes children learn best through play and when they are in a safe environment which the Goddard School provides for children. Her goal is to ultimately become a Kindergarten teacher. She loves spending time with her daughters and husband during her free time.

I am excited to be the Director at The Goddard School. I graduated with my Masters in Special Education with a focus in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Denver. My Bachelor's degree is in Psychology from West Virginia Wesleyan College and I have over ten years of experience working with children in a preschool setting, along with one on one therapy for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other diagnosed disabilities. In my free time I enjoy being active; hiking, going to the gym, and spending time outside with my dog. I also enjoy being with my family and taking trips into the mountains or going to the beach. I enjoy traveling to different states and countries with my family

Ms. Kellie was born and raised in Colorado. She has been in Early Childcare Education since 2008. She has worked with ages 3 to 6 years old in Jefferson County Public Schools and Littleton Public Schools before joining the Goddard family over 5 years ago. Ms. Kellie enjoys being a part of a safe and friendly environment and building strong relationships with every child. The best part of her day is receiving those special hugs from the children. Outside of work when Ms. Kellie is not spending time with her children and 6 grandchildren, she enjoys boating, hiking, and traveling.

Ms. Gaby has been teaching since 2010 and at Goddard for over three years. She started at the Community College of Denver as a volunteer assistant at the college's childcare facility, as well as previously taking care of her friend's children as well as her own. Ms. Gaby loves the opportunity to enrich each child's lives and grow alongside the children. Outside of work on her free time, Ms. Gaby enjoys making time for her friends and family, as well as dancing!

Ms. Perla has been a part of the Goddard family for over two years. Ms. Perla's favorite part about working at Goddard is seeing how much growth each child makes! Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her daughter and son.

Mrs. Lydia is a Colorado native. She is a wife and has 3 adult children, one son in law, and 5 grandkids. One fun fact, is that two of Mrs. Lydia's kids are twins. Mrs. Lydia has been working with kids for over 44 years. She has been a part of the Goddard family for over 5 years and worked in ECE for over 8 years. Mrs. Lydia loves working with children! Outside of work Mrs. Lydia enjoys traveling and long walks. She is also very family oriented!

Ms. Samantha has been working at Goddard for over two years. Her favorite part about teaching is seeing the different personalities from each child. Outside of work Ms. Samantha enjoys listening to music and playing with her cats!

Ms. Dali has been with the Goddard family since 2023. Ms. Dali graduated with her Bachelor's Degree in Education in 2008. She was a 5th grade teacher for 3 years, and then became a flight attendant for about 10 years. After that, she moved to the United States in 2019. She absolutely loves being back working with children and making a difference in their lives each and every day. Her favorite part about working with children is engaging with the kids and providing a joyful environment.

Ms. Heba has been a part of the Goddard family for over 4 years. She has her bachelor in Electronics Major of Computer Science, as well as her ECE lead certificate. Ms. Heba has been a kindergarten teacher and a primary teacher since 2007. She believes kids learn best through fun and when they are in a positive, fun, and healthy learning environment. Outside of work, Ms. Heba loves to spend her time with her sweet little daughter Amana and her lovely son Adam and Amir. With her family she enjoys swimming, boating, hiking, and traveling.

Ms. Denisse was born in Texas, and has two teenage sons! She previously worked as a director of a before and after child care. Ms. Denisse loves working with pre-k! Especially, to teach them the first things that will serve them for the rest of their lives, such as numbers, letters, and their names! In her spare time she loves spending time with her family, dancing salsa, and reading books!

Ms. Ky was born and raised in Colorado and has been at Goddard for two years. She is nearly finished with her bachelors degree from UNC. Ms. Ky's favorite part about teaching at Goddard is watching as students light up when they learn something new in the classroom. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family and traveling.

Ms. Renne has been working in ECE since 2019, and has received her lead teacher certificate through the Community College of Denver. She was born and raised in Colorado. Ms. Renne always strives to help each child grow, build positive relationships, have empathy, and as well as creating a fun environment. She enjoys drawing and decorating her classroom. Outside of work Ms. Renne enjoys spending time with family and friends, as well as traveling.

Ms. Mariela discovered she is passionate for early childhood education. She is excited to be part of the Goddard family, and brings experience from a lot of in-home babysitting, as well as watching her nieces and nephews. Ms. Mariela is committed to being an ECT and enjoys learning more about ECE. Her favorite part about working at Goddard is watching children develop. Outside of work Ms. Mariela enjoys spending time with her family and going on walks.

Ms. Ruby has been working with young children since she was 17 years old. Ms. Ruby loves working with children and is lead qualified. She has been a part of the Goddard family for over 9 years. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her children.

Ms. Evelyn was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. She joined the Goddard family in 2024, and received her lead teacher certificate. Her favorite thing about Goddard is her classroom. Ms. Evelyn loves each and every one of her kiddos and loves building individual connections with them. Outside of work Ms. Evelyn enjoys being surrounded by loved ones, going to concerts, and visiting Mexico!

Ms. Jenny has been in early childhood education for 8 years and started at Goddard in 2017. She enjoys focusing on social-emotional skills to build the foundation of self-regulation for friends. She enjoys being a support to the other Goddard teachers. Outside of work Ms. Jenny enjoys traveling, the outdoors, and a good adrenaline rush. One thing that really interests Ms. Jenny is entrepreneurism.

Ms. Amber has been working with children for over 15 years, and is a mother of two. She has her Early Childhood Director certificate. Ms. Amber adores working with children! Outside of work she enjoys spending time with family, and also loves going up to mountains to watch the leaves change. One of her goals for the classroom is to provide a fun, safe, and loving environment for the children.

Ms. Ruby was born and raised in Colorado. She has her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology, and also a certificate in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Ruby has worked with children ranging in ages from 8 months to 13 years old. Ms. Ruby has expressed how rewarding working with children is for her! Outside of work Ms. Ruby enjoys hiking with her three dogs and reading a good book!

Ms. Stephanie has been a part of the Goddard family for over two years, and has shared with us that she has loved the experience. Outside of work she enjoys hanging out with family and friends, going around the city of Denver, trying out new restaurants, and enjoy the little things!

Ms. Aiyana began her early childhood education career over 5 years ago and she started at Goddard in 2024. She is working on completing an English degree from the University of Colorado Denver. At Goddard she enjoys helping children explore their interests and engaging in creative activities. Her favorite flower is blue dahlias. Outside of Goddard, she has a baby daughter that she adores, and loves to cook and travel.

Ms. Grecia has been working with toddlers for years! She finds teaching and this field incredibly rewarding. Along with finding it rewarding she loves the opportunity to learn and grow alongside the children. She is currently enrolled at CU Denver, in their Early Childhood Education program to expand her knowledge and skills to help young children develop during these extremely important early years. She is originally from El Paso, Texas, but moved to Denver with her husband, and 3-year old daughter in 2023. She is bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish. Ms. Grecia loves to incorporate both languages in her classroom! Ms. Grecia has shared that she is so excited to be able to guide the children at Goddard as well as cheering them on for these huge milestone in their lives. Outside of work on her free time Ms. Grecia enjoys finding local coffee shops, read, relax, as well as spending time outdoors with her family!

Ms. Shelsea is one of the wonderful support staff here at Goddard. She enjoys working with children because it has reminded her the importance of never letting go of her creativity and eagerness to explore the world around you. Ms. Shelsea enjoys working with so many vibrant and fun personalities. She loves to travel and has had the privilege of visiting some of the most beautiful cities in the world! When she is not traveling, Ms. Shelsea enjoys reading, writing, drawing, visiting local antique stops, as well as local coffee shops.

Ms. Shila is daughter, sister, wife, mother, a teacher, among a bunch of other things! Ms. Shila has been married for 22 years and has been blessed with 5 beautiful daughters, 1 delightful granddaughter, and 2 adorable grandsons. Ms. Shila has been teaching ECE for 27 years. Alongside with that she has been teaching dance, and a Red Cross childcare course for teens, for 25 years. Ms. Shila has been an amazing part of the Goddard family for over 3 years. Ms. Shila loves to help children, and loves to watch them learn and grow. Outside of work on her free time, Ms. Shila enjoys spending her free time with her family, dancing, and traveling.

Ms. Maddi is one of the amazing support staff we have here at the Goddard school. Previously, Ms. Maddi was a preschool teacher for two years. She has student taught second, fourth, and first grade students. She is currently finishing her last year of her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education at the University of Colorado Denver. Alongside her BA in Education, she is also enrolled in an accelerated Masters program at the university as well. Outside of work Ms. Maddi loves to try new things, hang out with friends and family, go fishing, go to nuggets games, travel, and read! Ms. Maddi believes that every child has a unique set of traits that are valuable to the classroom.

Mrs. Tiara grew up on the east coast and moved to Colorado after meeting her husband. On top of being a mother of two, she's worked in child care for 10+ years in various settings such as in home baby-sitting, to being a lead teacher and writing her own curriculum. Her aspiration now is to one day become a director for The Goddard Schools. Mental health is a huge driving factor in her life and she hopes to leave lasting bits of it in the children's lives. On her time off, she loves camping with her family, scenic hikes, and singing in the car!

Ms. Sonia recently joined the Goddard family. Originally she is from Mexico, where she taught preschool for 12 years. She loves to work with kids. Outside of work Ms. Sonia enjoys going on walks, read, ride her bike, and spending time with her family. Ms. Sonia is a very calm and spiritual individual. At home she has 3 pets (two cats & one bird).

Education: Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education. BS in Human Development with a minor in Elementary Education. Mrs. Karena has had a relationship with the Goddard School of Northfield since 2015. Ms. Karena began her journey in early childhood education as a Preschool and Kindergarten teacher. She is an experienced school education leader with prior roles as an Assistant Director and a School Director. Ms. Karena enjoys spending time with her husband, son, daughter and extended family, which includes her three younger siblings. Some of her other interests include going to the motocross track, camping, and cupcake decorating.