Our Teachers

Hello! My name is Mr. Sam. My wife Anu and I are the proud owners of The Goddard School in Saint Augustine. We live in Saint Johns with our two children. My educational background includes a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science and Technology. We’re so excited to bring such a high-quality pre-school program to our community. Saint Johns/Saint Augustine is an amazing place to live and raise a family and we are honored to be a part of a program that helps shape the early childhood development for so many children in our community. "We want all children to have a quality preschool environment where they can develop into joyful, confident learners who are successful and have a lifelong love of learning". Before opening our Goddard School, I worked in IT field as a Project Manager and Solutions Architect at Fortune 500 companies. During my free time I enjoy spending time with my family. I am beyond thrilled to be able to spend my days with the amazing children that attend our Goddard School®. I look forward to meeting you and showing you our amazing school. It truly is a campus as opposed to your typical childcare center. It features a state-of-the-art multi-purpose room with a Obie/iBeam interactive teaching projector and many more educational activities! Our huge secure playground with specialized surfacing allows children to spend more time outside. During a tour of our facility, you can see these and many other features that make our program so special. But the heart of our program is the experienced and talented faculty that deliver cutting edge education programs for your child.

Hello, my name is Tammy Torres. My husband and I have lived in St Johns for over 18 years. We have four children and 7 grandchildren. I have worked in Early Childhood Education for over 20 years. I have been with The Goddard Schools as a Director since 2008. I started my career in Early Childhood Education as a Pre- Kindergarten teacher, after which I taught Kindergarten and then became an Assistant Director and progressed to Director. I have my Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and Management, Early Childhood Education Staff Credential, and Advanced Florida Director Credential with VPK and Trauma Informed Care endorsements. I am very proud to work for The Goddard School and to be a part of an experienced and dedicated team of Early Childhood Education professionals. It is very rewarding to work with children and ensure that they have a happy, safe, and loving environment in which they can learn as they grow.

Hello, my name is Ms. Nichole and I am originally from Cleveland, OH; I moved to Florida in 2013. I have been working for The Goddard Schools since 2015 and have been at this location in St. Augustine since the opening in 2020. I have over 30 years of experience in early childhood learning. I am CPR & 1st Aide certified and currently hold a Child Development associate degree as well as my Florida Director's Credential. I have a Beautiful teenage daughter that graduated in May 2024 and a son married with four children. My favorite part of my day is the mornings...you've heard of Walmart Greeters; well, I am The Goddard Greeter! I love greeting the children; seeing them smile as they run to me with open arms warms my heart. When I was Teaching, "Terrific" Twos were my passion; I think they're the best age!

Hello, my name is Lauren Castaldo. I have worked professionally in early childcare education since 2018 and have been volunteering in church nurseries since 2008. All my life I have had a passion for working with children, even as a child, in group settings I would take it upon myself to look after the younger children. I started my professional career working as a two-year-old teacher in Ponte Vedra. I took a brief break from teaching in 2020 when I was offered a job as an Activities Director at an Independent Living Senior Community. Working with seniors was rewarding in its own way and while I miss the relationships, I have developed with the community I was happy to be given the opportunity to join the amazing team here at Goddard and be back where I belong, working with kids!

Hi, my name is Fayth. I was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. I have been working in childcare for 8 years, including serving in my church’s nursery. I am currently working towards the completion of my DCF 45 hours of training. Since I was young, I always wanted to work with children and amongst anyone who knows me says I have a gift. It is vital to teach through love and kindness. Having the ability to witness the little babies growing and becoming their own person makes my heart burst. I am so excited to get to know all your little ones!

Hello, my name is Nathalia. I am originally from Nicaragua. I have only been living in the Jacksonville area for a short time, but I am really loving it. I enjoy working with children and getting to be a part of their growth process. I am currently CPR and First Aid certified and have started working on my DCF 45-hour training courses. In my free time, I enjoy dancing, traveling, and getting to visit new places. I am grateful for the opportunity to work at The Goddard school and be a part of this amazing team and each of your children's journey.

Hello, my name is Lisette and I am originally from Ecuador. I moved to St. Johns in October of 2021 after living in Orlando for 20 years. I am a Navy wife and a mother of 3 beautiful children. I have been in Early childhood education for about 2 years; working with toddlers mainly. I have completed my 45-hours of DCF training as well as CPR and First Aid certifications.

Hi, my name is Emily, and I was born in Miami, FL. My family moved to St. Augustine when I was a year old, looking for a better community and better schools for my older sister and I. Time does go by too fast, I am currently in my second year of college working on getting my degree in Business and Criminology. I am CPR/First Aid Certified and working toward completing my 45-hours DCF training. I’ve always loved taking care of children, and as I got older, I became a babysitter for my nearby neighbors. I guess I can say that I have always been surrounded by little ones, watching my mom take care of us and my little cousins made me develop that nurturing, loving and caring person I am today. Watching little ones develop their personalities and learning new skills brings so much joy to me! Fun Facts about me, I enjoy going to the beach/pool, wherever there is sun and tanning! I love reading, going to Disney, mostly being with family. I am looking forward to taking care of your child!

Hello Everyone! My name is Mary Flowers, and I am very excited about being your child’s teacher here at Goddard. I have been in the education field for 15 years and I love it. I am married and have 3 children and I have been in St. Johns County for over 30 years. I am really looking forward to this school year and helping your child succeed and learn to love school.

Hello, my name is Lakshmi Sreekumar. I am originally from India. I moved to the US in 2000. I have a Bachelor's degree in Education from India. I enjoy working with children. I have completed my DCF 45 hours of training and am CPR and first aid certified. I started working as an assistant VPK teacher in 2018. I am so happy to be a part of the amazing team at The Goddard School and I am excited to work with your children and help them grow and learn!

My name is Ms. Holli, and I've been working here at Goddard since September 2022 as an assistant teacher in VPK. I started working with children in 2006; from ages 6 weeks to 18 years old, in various capacities such as substitute teacher, tutor, camp counselor and now teacher. In 2013, I earned my master's degree in education, Reading Instruction. I love teaching children to read. I live in Jacksonville with my husband George and children Jeremiah and Jasmine as well as our four furry puppies, Patience, Luna Lu, Blue Ivy and Minovery.

Hi, my name is Ms. Tina, I am originally from Washington, Pennsylvania. I moved to Florida a little over a year, now. I have worked with children for 30 years, have my associates in Early Childhood Education, and am first-aid/CPR certified and just recently obtained my CDA. I am a mom of two: Anthony and Anissa; who has my only granddaughter Alivia! I started working at The Goddard School of St. Augustine in April of 2022.

Hello, my name is Ms. Colette, my husband and I have two children, a son and a daughter. We live in Mandarin, and I have worked for The Goddard School since 2018. I helped open this school in August 2020 and am proud to have been here since the first day. I have worked with many different ages, but at the heart of it I love working with the infants the most. I am now working in VPK, and I am excited to be working with the older children and helping them get ready to go into kindergarten.

I'm Jennifer and I'm a part-time resource teacher at the Goddard School. I've been with Goddard since 2018. I was born and raised in FL. I have 4 children and recently had my first granddaughter! I have worked in Early Childhood for over 20 years! I truly enjoy caring, nurturing, and guiding children of all ages! I love every moment of being an educator.

Hello my name is Brenda I am originally from Puerto Rico, I moved to St Augustine in 2019 and I started working for Goddard in August 2024. I am a mother of 2 beautiful boys and a grandmother of 3. I love working for Goddard because I love children and they need to be cared for as a family. The best part of childcare is taking care of the of the children and help them in the learning process.

Hello, my name is Jude. I am assisting in the Pre-Kindergarten class. I enjoy working with children of all ages, especially this age group. It is fascinating to experience how much they develop and grow this year as they are preparing to go to kindergarten. It makes my heart soar when I get to see them learn something new on a daily basis. My favorite thing is to see them realize that they are reading new words on their own. They are so proud, and I am so proud of them too!!

Hello, my name is Tara, and I am the Lead Teacher in the Rainbowfish Preschool classroom. I have over 20 years of experience in Early Childcare Education. I have worked with every age group and in administration. I moved here from New Jersey with my husband and four daughters. My children range from Elementary School to College and are involved in many activities from Brownies to Sports, so we are always on the go. I love this area, and I am very excited to have the opportunity to balance my love for teaching with my family life.

Hello, my name is Heidi, and I am a teacher in our 2 and a half to 3-year-old Bridge classroom. I have over 3 years experience in Early Childhood Education. I have worked with all ages, and I really love working with this age group.

Hello, my name is Olivia. I live in Shearwater with my family. I am currently attending college. I am an assistant teacher in the young 2-year-old classroom. The 2-year-olds are so curious, ready to learn, to talk, and they are realizing that they are little people and becoming part of the action in their little world. I enjoy their energy and how friendly and loving they are.

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Hi, I am Ms. Kat, I am the Crabs teacher with Ms.Darby!